I know, I know...I suck. I haven't posted since Georgia died. I was incredibly bummed out, and then finals week hit - just a few days before Christmas - thanks, regents. My mom also showed up in the middle of finals week for a visit. And, perhaps most annoyingly - we've been dealing with a kid who will not freakin' poop. It's the dumbest thing I've ever encountered and there seems to be no end in sight. We officially started potty training 4 weeks ago (meaning the box of diapers ran out, so no more diapers), but O had happily let one fly on the toilet numerous times before the diapers went away. No more. We take many trips to the bathroom every day (at least 100 - I'm not kidding) but he never makes it to the potty. He flat out refuses, screams, cries - it's just insane and it's ruining our lives.
He will pee on the toilet no problem. We've tried a sticker chart, presents/rewards, threats (not a good parenting moment, I admit), special toys just for the bathroom, different potty seats (he's never liked those), songs, jokes, ignoring the whole issue, a TV in the bathroom - nothing freakin' works. We've made up stories about poo ("Hey O - the poop wants to come out and go to the poop party with all the other poopies..."). We sing the "Everything Comes Down to Poo" song from Scrubs. Hilarious - but it's getting old at this point.
When we told him we couldn't go to grandma and grandpa's for Christmas Eve until he pooped he said, "I don't want Christmas." That's how f'd up this/he is.
There's been no "poo trauma" he's just simply one of the most stubborn human beings we've ever met. Everything has to be on his terms. The teen years should be a blast, eh? And our friend, Miralax, isn't helping like it should. Can I dump the entire bottle into his juice?
Anyway, bet you never thought you'd be reading about toddler poop issues. I never thought I'd have a child who had such issues. They really are tiny little mental patients. He's currently in a time out for not listening and he's just screaming from the stairs. The kid needs to just let it go...
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Goodbye, Georgia. We Love You.
I can't believe this. Even a day later it's just not sinking in. My beautiful, gorgeous and goofy long-haired tortie, Georgia, died last night. Out of the blue. Suddenly and devastatingly. She was just nine years old. She was healthy. She was here one minute and gone the next. I can only believe that she must have had a heart attack, stroke or aneurysm. I came home from book club, greeted my kitties when I came in the back door, went upstairs to check on O and say hi to M - M and I came back downstairs not five minutes later and there she was - on the floor - dead. She was not there when I walked through the kitchen just five minutes earlier. All I can think is that she was in the basement when I got home, heard me come in, came upstairs to say hi - and then something went horribly wrong. She was still warm when we found her. We tried to find a heart beat, but she was gone.
She was my Iowa kitty. My Hawkeye. My sweet Georgia brown. My G-Pup. I adopted Georgia from the Iowa City animal shelter the first semester of my Ph.D. program at UI. She was goofy and fluffy and a big talker - she chirped - and she liked to lick the salt from M's watch. She loved to sit in my lap and was the Alpha Queen of our house. She used to sleep on our bed every night - stretched out in between us. She was Benny's buddy. O called her George-wa.
She used many of her nine lives along the way - but I was sure she had at least 7 or 8 more years with us. She survived spider bites, licking lead from under our sink, two teeth cleanings almost gone horribly wrong (she did not do well with anesthesia), kidney problems...I just don't understand it. She was not on this earth long enough.
I miss her terribly. There's a hole in my heart.
What will Sophie, Jimmy and Walter do without her?
She was my Iowa kitty. My Hawkeye. My sweet Georgia brown. My G-Pup. I adopted Georgia from the Iowa City animal shelter the first semester of my Ph.D. program at UI. She was goofy and fluffy and a big talker - she chirped - and she liked to lick the salt from M's watch. She loved to sit in my lap and was the Alpha Queen of our house. She used to sleep on our bed every night - stretched out in between us. She was Benny's buddy. O called her George-wa.
She used many of her nine lives along the way - but I was sure she had at least 7 or 8 more years with us. She survived spider bites, licking lead from under our sink, two teeth cleanings almost gone horribly wrong (she did not do well with anesthesia), kidney problems...I just don't understand it. She was not on this earth long enough.
I miss her terribly. There's a hole in my heart.
What will Sophie, Jimmy and Walter do without her?
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Sitting Room Pics
Lots and lots of pics of our sitting room transformation! Enjoy!
A small tormado destroyed the block city, but I hear everyone was okay.
A small tormado destroyed the block city, but I hear everyone was okay.
Changing locations and fun things to do
Yesterday I considered changing over to a LiveJournal blog instead of sticking with Blogger - but then I discovered that there are features I want that I can only get if I pay LJ for my account. It's not a huge expense, but I thought that was a bit annoying. Guess I'll stay here for a while.
It's the day before Thanksgiving and I'm up on campus but I did the nice professor thing and gave my Wednesday class a "research day" - you know how that goes. I'm sure they will all use this time to get crackin' on their papers that are due in about 3 weeks. Sure they will.
I'm going to tidy up my mess of an office and then I'm outta here to do a little shopping and clean the house. Because this cycle appears to have been a bust yet again, I am going to treat myself to a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape - I'm bringing it to Thanksgiving tomorrow at the ILs and will share with whomever is interested, but if no one is, then more for me!! Let's hope the city-owned liquor store in my one horse town has some...
I am also on the hunt for an ornament for a fun exchange in which I am participating - and I should really start my holiday shopping. I always have big plans to create beautiful knitted gifts, and then I end up with a half-finished scarf, one mitten and no presents. I'll still try though - keeps my hands out of the munchie stuff late at night.
Check back later today for before and after pics of our sitting room. M painted it yesterday and it's beee-you-ti-ful. Every once and a while we hit it out of the park with colors, and this was one of those times. This room is where our tree will go - most likely today as O can wait no longer - so we wanted to get some color on those walls. Now we just need some furniture to magically appear...maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket. As they say in Jersey, "You gotta be in it to win it!"
It's the day before Thanksgiving and I'm up on campus but I did the nice professor thing and gave my Wednesday class a "research day" - you know how that goes. I'm sure they will all use this time to get crackin' on their papers that are due in about 3 weeks. Sure they will.
I'm going to tidy up my mess of an office and then I'm outta here to do a little shopping and clean the house. Because this cycle appears to have been a bust yet again, I am going to treat myself to a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape - I'm bringing it to Thanksgiving tomorrow at the ILs and will share with whomever is interested, but if no one is, then more for me!! Let's hope the city-owned liquor store in my one horse town has some...
I am also on the hunt for an ornament for a fun exchange in which I am participating - and I should really start my holiday shopping. I always have big plans to create beautiful knitted gifts, and then I end up with a half-finished scarf, one mitten and no presents. I'll still try though - keeps my hands out of the munchie stuff late at night.
Check back later today for before and after pics of our sitting room. M painted it yesterday and it's beee-you-ti-ful. Every once and a while we hit it out of the park with colors, and this was one of those times. This room is where our tree will go - most likely today as O can wait no longer - so we wanted to get some color on those walls. Now we just need some furniture to magically appear...maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket. As they say in Jersey, "You gotta be in it to win it!"
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Finding other things to make me happy...
Some of you may know that the process of trying to get knocked up - when you are really trying - is anything but fun, romantic, stress-free, sexy...you get the picture. I know it's only been three cycles, but I'm apparently old, so that amps things up a bit. Anyway, last night I realized that cycle#4 is looming in the next day or two, so I tried to focus on other things - anything else - that could help lighten my mood.
#1
M had to go back to work last night, so it was just me and O at home for the evening. We have this awesome 1890s house with a fully finished basement (an apartment, essentially), so we headed down there to hang out in the playroom. All of my music happens to be in the playroom as well :) So I throw on a little Smashing Pumpkins (1979 to make me feel all nostalgic and what not) and O and I break out his two castles and the pirate ship. The "guys" that come with these toys are mostly knights and pirates, but there is a mer-man who we affectionately refer to as "Fish Dude." O decides that Fish Dude will throw a party at the castle and everyone must attend. At this point, I've moved on to Squeeze's "Singles 45 and Under" which I haven't listened to in, oh, probably a year. Very good and O declares, "Mommy, I like this one music!" Good boy. So, all the dudes get their best armor and/or capes on and head to Fish Dude's party where there is apparently pizza for all and a little Squeeze for their listening enjoyment. We spent about an hour-and-a-half down there and it was so much fun.
#2 (total sap alert - seriously, it's so sappy, you;d swear I didn't write it)
I will admit that I am somewhat of a fanatic when it comes to college sports. For this, my father and M thank me (I swear M is nothing like my dad, though, so don't even go there!). Well, this weekend just happened to kick some serious butt here at High Plains U (where we've just completed the transition to division I athletics - no small feat). Our football team won their first conference championship since 1963, and in doing so beat our biggest rival and broke their 14-game winning streak. Our women's basketball team defeated a powerful Big 12 team to continue their undefeated season (it's early, I know, but they are quite good). And I think most significantly, our volleyball team won the conference tournament and earned the first ever NCAA tourney bid by a SoDak college sports team. This is huge. Several of the student athletes are students in my department, so I have gotten to know a few of them well. This morning, one of our volleyball players comes walking down the hallway - I haven't seen her since they won on Saturday - and I shout out a big congratulations. What does she do? She walks right over and gives me a huge hug! I just about started crying. She's such a wonderful young woman and a great student and I'm so proud of these student athletes! They've worked so hard these past few years and it makes me feel so good to see them do so well!
Okay, sap is over - back to my old snarky self...
So those should be enough warm fuzzies to get me through for a while. Oh, one more and then I promise I'll shut up...I asked O this morning if they had been talking about Thanksgiving at his DCP (daycare provider) and when he said yes I asked, "Have you talked about what you are thankful for - about what makes you happy?" and to my amazement, my argumentative little independent child said, "I'm thankful for my mommy and daddy!" Okay, even is said DCP totally primed them to say that...awwwwwww!!!!! Too sweet! Okay kid, you're off the h ook for a day or two...
Now I have a pile of grading and a major need for some sort of caffeine...
#1
M had to go back to work last night, so it was just me and O at home for the evening. We have this awesome 1890s house with a fully finished basement (an apartment, essentially), so we headed down there to hang out in the playroom. All of my music happens to be in the playroom as well :) So I throw on a little Smashing Pumpkins (1979 to make me feel all nostalgic and what not) and O and I break out his two castles and the pirate ship. The "guys" that come with these toys are mostly knights and pirates, but there is a mer-man who we affectionately refer to as "Fish Dude." O decides that Fish Dude will throw a party at the castle and everyone must attend. At this point, I've moved on to Squeeze's "Singles 45 and Under" which I haven't listened to in, oh, probably a year. Very good and O declares, "Mommy, I like this one music!" Good boy. So, all the dudes get their best armor and/or capes on and head to Fish Dude's party where there is apparently pizza for all and a little Squeeze for their listening enjoyment. We spent about an hour-and-a-half down there and it was so much fun.
#2 (total sap alert - seriously, it's so sappy, you;d swear I didn't write it)
I will admit that I am somewhat of a fanatic when it comes to college sports. For this, my father and M thank me (I swear M is nothing like my dad, though, so don't even go there!). Well, this weekend just happened to kick some serious butt here at High Plains U (where we've just completed the transition to division I athletics - no small feat). Our football team won their first conference championship since 1963, and in doing so beat our biggest rival and broke their 14-game winning streak. Our women's basketball team defeated a powerful Big 12 team to continue their undefeated season (it's early, I know, but they are quite good). And I think most significantly, our volleyball team won the conference tournament and earned the first ever NCAA tourney bid by a SoDak college sports team. This is huge. Several of the student athletes are students in my department, so I have gotten to know a few of them well. This morning, one of our volleyball players comes walking down the hallway - I haven't seen her since they won on Saturday - and I shout out a big congratulations. What does she do? She walks right over and gives me a huge hug! I just about started crying. She's such a wonderful young woman and a great student and I'm so proud of these student athletes! They've worked so hard these past few years and it makes me feel so good to see them do so well!
Okay, sap is over - back to my old snarky self...
So those should be enough warm fuzzies to get me through for a while. Oh, one more and then I promise I'll shut up...I asked O this morning if they had been talking about Thanksgiving at his DCP (daycare provider) and when he said yes I asked, "Have you talked about what you are thankful for - about what makes you happy?" and to my amazement, my argumentative little independent child said, "I'm thankful for my mommy and daddy!" Okay, even is said DCP totally primed them to say that...awwwwwww!!!!! Too sweet! Okay kid, you're off the h ook for a day or two...
Now I have a pile of grading and a major need for some sort of caffeine...
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Croup
I was under the impression that croup was one of those yesteryear illnesses from, say, the Seventies, that was just no longer in style. My brother had it often and I remember it really sucked. Well, O has croup. Where did he get it? One of the other kiddoes at daycare, no doubt (I'm talking about you Alec and Ben!! I hope you both feel better soon, though). Why do parents bring their kids to daycare when they are contagious, especially contagious with yucky stuff like croup? I know the answer, but I still don't like it. It's hard to ditch your job for a day - or more - and stay home with a sick kid. I'm lucky in that my job is somewhat flexible, but still, it's quite irresponsible to send your kid out to infect other kids with nasty crap when you really could/should prevent such things. I will probably be cancelling classes on Monday if O is still bad - in part b/c he needs to get better and in part b/c I don't want him to give croup to other kids...
And I know that O will get sick - he's already had his fair share, and he's pretty healthy - but he's just been through so much lately, I don't think it's fair. Waaaah, poor us.
I just medicated the kid up with tylenol, benadryl and some prescription Robitussin with codeine. His humidifier is on and he'll be heading up to bed soon. I hope he can sleep - his cough is somethin' fierce.
And by the way, the cough syrup with codeine that I enjoyed as a kid tasted MUCH better than this stuff. I suppose that's a good thing as my mom tells me I used to fake a cough to get it. My addictions started early, I suppose. The stuff O has to take tastes like, well, yucky, grown-up Robitussin. Like he needs any more problems...
And I know that O will get sick - he's already had his fair share, and he's pretty healthy - but he's just been through so much lately, I don't think it's fair. Waaaah, poor us.
I just medicated the kid up with tylenol, benadryl and some prescription Robitussin with codeine. His humidifier is on and he'll be heading up to bed soon. I hope he can sleep - his cough is somethin' fierce.
And by the way, the cough syrup with codeine that I enjoyed as a kid tasted MUCH better than this stuff. I suppose that's a good thing as my mom tells me I used to fake a cough to get it. My addictions started early, I suppose. The stuff O has to take tastes like, well, yucky, grown-up Robitussin. Like he needs any more problems...
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Wiped
Any of you out there ever tried to be a Stay At Home Mom AND a Work Out of the Home Mom at the same time? Eeek. Essentially, that's what I did for a week straight. Between O's surgery and the fact that our day care provider was closed for 4 days (big yikes) I had to juggle both and it sucked big time. So at home I was keeping an excitable 3-year-old content (which meant we played ALL DAY - this kid doesn't do naps any more), I had to cancel a few classes and teach others (Matt watched O a few times while I ran to campus to teach), and then I stayed up late late late grading and writing exams and prepping for class. I don't know if I'll recover before the semester break. I am so wiped. And weekends are anything but relaxing at our house - O likes to GO GO GO!!!
Oh, and for those of you paying attention, I'm on to cycle #3. No luck yet. I'm starting to get just a teeny tiny bit worried b/c of my age...
Oh, and for those of you paying attention, I'm on to cycle #3. No luck yet. I'm starting to get just a teeny tiny bit worried b/c of my age...
Monday, October 22, 2007
Oxygen
I know, I know...I am a slacker when it comes to posting, but I do have a good reason this time. O had surgery last week to remove his monster-sized adenoids, so I've been a bit preoccupied. Thank goodness all went well. The poor kid was having such a hard time breathing, sleeping, eating - you get the picture.
He was an AMAZING kid on surgery day.
We arrived at about 7:15 that morning and the woman checking us in was quite perceptive and gave O a Spiderman sticker for his admission bracelet. He loved that. After waiting just a few minutes we went back to have his bloodwork done. O is the only kid I know who actually likes having blood taken. He watched as his finger was pricked and then narrated the entire blood draw! He was given 2 Spiderman and 1 Cars stickers in this room. After the bloodwork was done, we went upstairs and got settled in a hospital room and O changed into his gown. It was big, so the nurse brought him some smaller flannel-type jammies. O really dug these. He had also discovered the remote by this time and had a blast changing channels and watching Backyardagins. We had to wait about 20 - 25 minutes in the room until they were ready to bring him downstairs to the OR. This was the hardest part, of course. He was fine until we were just inside the OR area and we had to hand him over. He cried for a few minutes. The anesthesiologist carried him in (he also happens to live behind my BIL, who is a doctor here, and he has a 3-year-old son). Oh, they also took a Polaroid of the three of us that O was able to take with him. I'll scan and post soon.
We were in the waiting room from about 8:10 until 8:40 a.m. and then the doc came out to tell us everything went great, and that O had the biggest adenoids he had every seen! He said they were so big that the soft palette couldn't open and his airway was almost entirely blocked. Yikes, I'm so glad we had this done. He drew us a picture on a paper towel, too - again, I'll post that soon.
About 10 minutes later, they carried O out to us and we went back up to his room. He opened his eyes a few times - and asked for grandma and grandpa - but he mostly slept on either me or DH for about an hour. One thing we noticed right away - he was able to breathe quietly with his mouth closed. WooHoo!!!
The doc checked on him about 1:30 hours after surgery and we were good to go. He managed to eat two bowls of Cheerios (!) and a bag of Skittles that the guy we were sharing the room with had given O along with some balloons. O had never had Skittles before (we try to limit candy) but he was so excited, we let him have them. The guy next to us had his appendix out overnight and happened to be dating a student of mine - she seemed a bit surprised when she saw us (um, if you ever went to class, you'd know what was up!). Anyway, the young guy was so sweet to give O some of his balloons
So, once we were home O ate two bowls of mac and cheese, pudding, applesauce, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, two popsicles and some water. My mom sent him Spiderman jammies and a new toy and he was running around like a crazy person in his new jammies all afternoon - he managed to put both shirts on. Pretty hilarious. He ran around so much (while ignoring our requests to calm down - even when we told him the doctor wanted him to rest) that his nose started bleeding several times. We were told to expect this, so we weren't shocked, but I am sure the activity didn't help.
So he's still doing great, although the poor kid now has a monster cold (not sure from where since we've been mostly home for a week), so he finally gets his airway cleared and then gets all stuffed up. He hardly slept at all last night - nor did I...
I promise I'll try to get the pics up later. It's essentially impossible to do anything when home with O. I'm amazed I was able to type all of this (esp while playing castle/superhero/dinosaur) :)
He was an AMAZING kid on surgery day.
We arrived at about 7:15 that morning and the woman checking us in was quite perceptive and gave O a Spiderman sticker for his admission bracelet. He loved that. After waiting just a few minutes we went back to have his bloodwork done. O is the only kid I know who actually likes having blood taken. He watched as his finger was pricked and then narrated the entire blood draw! He was given 2 Spiderman and 1 Cars stickers in this room. After the bloodwork was done, we went upstairs and got settled in a hospital room and O changed into his gown. It was big, so the nurse brought him some smaller flannel-type jammies. O really dug these. He had also discovered the remote by this time and had a blast changing channels and watching Backyardagins. We had to wait about 20 - 25 minutes in the room until they were ready to bring him downstairs to the OR. This was the hardest part, of course. He was fine until we were just inside the OR area and we had to hand him over. He cried for a few minutes. The anesthesiologist carried him in (he also happens to live behind my BIL, who is a doctor here, and he has a 3-year-old son). Oh, they also took a Polaroid of the three of us that O was able to take with him. I'll scan and post soon.
We were in the waiting room from about 8:10 until 8:40 a.m. and then the doc came out to tell us everything went great, and that O had the biggest adenoids he had every seen! He said they were so big that the soft palette couldn't open and his airway was almost entirely blocked. Yikes, I'm so glad we had this done. He drew us a picture on a paper towel, too - again, I'll post that soon.
About 10 minutes later, they carried O out to us and we went back up to his room. He opened his eyes a few times - and asked for grandma and grandpa - but he mostly slept on either me or DH for about an hour. One thing we noticed right away - he was able to breathe quietly with his mouth closed. WooHoo!!!
The doc checked on him about 1:30 hours after surgery and we were good to go. He managed to eat two bowls of Cheerios (!) and a bag of Skittles that the guy we were sharing the room with had given O along with some balloons. O had never had Skittles before (we try to limit candy) but he was so excited, we let him have them. The guy next to us had his appendix out overnight and happened to be dating a student of mine - she seemed a bit surprised when she saw us (um, if you ever went to class, you'd know what was up!). Anyway, the young guy was so sweet to give O some of his balloons
So, once we were home O ate two bowls of mac and cheese, pudding, applesauce, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, two popsicles and some water. My mom sent him Spiderman jammies and a new toy and he was running around like a crazy person in his new jammies all afternoon - he managed to put both shirts on. Pretty hilarious. He ran around so much (while ignoring our requests to calm down - even when we told him the doctor wanted him to rest) that his nose started bleeding several times. We were told to expect this, so we weren't shocked, but I am sure the activity didn't help.
So he's still doing great, although the poor kid now has a monster cold (not sure from where since we've been mostly home for a week), so he finally gets his airway cleared and then gets all stuffed up. He hardly slept at all last night - nor did I...
I promise I'll try to get the pics up later. It's essentially impossible to do anything when home with O. I'm amazed I was able to type all of this (esp while playing castle/superhero/dinosaur) :)
Friday, October 5, 2007
Yay, Friday!
Sorry for the hiatus. Now that the big pain in the rear convention is over and I'm done bitching about it, I can get back to more interesting and fun things.
It's Friday and it's raining here, but I don't teach on Fridays and that's awesome.
On the medical front, I found out yesterday that all of my blood work came back normal and I am very happy about that. No clotting disorders, Lupus or protein issues. Yay me! Unfortunately, my body is starting to show some signs that I might be peri menopausal, so that's a bit discouraging. To make me laugh about my impending old hagishness, Matt keeps quoting Raising Arizona...
"Edwina's insides were a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase." Yeah, thanks sweetie...
In the meantime, I have a three-year-old who keeps me plenty busy. His most recent thing is his inability to shut his brain off at bedtime. He gets into bed at 8 p.m. but often remains awake until 10 or 10:30 p.m. To say it puts a damper on our evenings is putting it mildly. Good thing he's cute.
Okay, I do have a bit of grading and administrative stuff to do before I try to take the afternoon off (well, not really - I have to clean the house. Wheeeee!).
It's Friday and it's raining here, but I don't teach on Fridays and that's awesome.
On the medical front, I found out yesterday that all of my blood work came back normal and I am very happy about that. No clotting disorders, Lupus or protein issues. Yay me! Unfortunately, my body is starting to show some signs that I might be peri menopausal, so that's a bit discouraging. To make me laugh about my impending old hagishness, Matt keeps quoting Raising Arizona...
"Edwina's insides were a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase." Yeah, thanks sweetie...
In the meantime, I have a three-year-old who keeps me plenty busy. His most recent thing is his inability to shut his brain off at bedtime. He gets into bed at 8 p.m. but often remains awake until 10 or 10:30 p.m. To say it puts a damper on our evenings is putting it mildly. Good thing he's cute.
Okay, I do have a bit of grading and administrative stuff to do before I try to take the afternoon off (well, not really - I have to clean the house. Wheeeee!).
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Remember my cranky professor post from a few weeks back? Well, it's stuff like this that makes teaching so worthwhile.
Our athletic department has a program that allows student athletes to recognize faculty and staff for outstanding service. Imagine my surprise (or SHOCK, I should say) when I got an email this past week informing me I had been selected for this honor. A student I've had in three classes nominated me. She's a phenomenal soccer player and an excellent student. I about cried when I read the email. I will be presented with a certificate today at halftime - and get this - the game is against Iowa! How cool is that? Of course, I will be cheering for us, not the Hawkeyes, but I do have to admit my fondness and loyalty to my alma mater. I've been told the Hawks are bigger and more athletic than we are - should be a good game. We are 4-0 in Summit league play. This is a non-conference game, of course - and the Big Ten is quite a tough conference (um, unless you're talking about football this year. That's another story...).
I'll post a picture later. Should be fun and the weather is gorgeous today!! High of 84 - quite unusual. Tomorrow, of course, is supposed to be 60s and rainy. Just in time for the big conference I've been busting my butt to organize for the past month. Can't wait until tomorrow is over...
Our athletic department has a program that allows student athletes to recognize faculty and staff for outstanding service. Imagine my surprise (or SHOCK, I should say) when I got an email this past week informing me I had been selected for this honor. A student I've had in three classes nominated me. She's a phenomenal soccer player and an excellent student. I about cried when I read the email. I will be presented with a certificate today at halftime - and get this - the game is against Iowa! How cool is that? Of course, I will be cheering for us, not the Hawkeyes, but I do have to admit my fondness and loyalty to my alma mater. I've been told the Hawks are bigger and more athletic than we are - should be a good game. We are 4-0 in Summit league play. This is a non-conference game, of course - and the Big Ten is quite a tough conference (um, unless you're talking about football this year. That's another story...).
I'll post a picture later. Should be fun and the weather is gorgeous today!! High of 84 - quite unusual. Tomorrow, of course, is supposed to be 60s and rainy. Just in time for the big conference I've been busting my butt to organize for the past month. Can't wait until tomorrow is over...
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Baby Butterfly
My 3-year-old does a fantastic job at pretending. This morning we are playing "baby butterfly" - a game where he pretends to hatch out of a cocoon, eats some food and drinks some nectar, grows wings and zooms around our first floor. It's totally adorable. He also likes to pretend he's a monster, tormado, kitty, baby bird, volcano, lightening...It's quite cute. Many Saturday mornings are spent this way. He prefers it to TV, too, so that's an added bonus.
In other family-related news, I've been given the all-clear for another kiddo, which is very exciting. Hopefully I'll have some news to post soon. I'm hoping it's soon, 'cause I ain't getting any younger! We were lucky with O, but that was four years ago and I wasn't considered Advanced Maternal Age (my OB agrees that's a terribly outdated phrase). Did you know there are magazines specifically targeted toward us older knocked-up ladies? I discovered this while waiting for my appointment Thursday. These publications have funny names, such as Plum and feature nutty Scientologists like Jenna Elfman on their covers. Judging from the advertisements inside, all of us AMA ladies must also be really wealthy. Does a giant bag of money come with each positive pregnancy test?
In other family-related news, I've been given the all-clear for another kiddo, which is very exciting. Hopefully I'll have some news to post soon. I'm hoping it's soon, 'cause I ain't getting any younger! We were lucky with O, but that was four years ago and I wasn't considered Advanced Maternal Age (my OB agrees that's a terribly outdated phrase). Did you know there are magazines specifically targeted toward us older knocked-up ladies? I discovered this while waiting for my appointment Thursday. These publications have funny names, such as Plum and feature nutty Scientologists like Jenna Elfman on their covers. Judging from the advertisements inside, all of us AMA ladies must also be really wealthy. Does a giant bag of money come with each positive pregnancy test?
Thursday, September 13, 2007
It's too early in the semester to feel this way...
So the joke amongst us cranky profs at some point each semester is, "This university would be great if it weren't for all those damn students!" Usually it's toward midterms or finals. Of course, it's not true. We wouldn't be here without the students (I doubt they reciprocate the group hug sentiment). Anyway, I'm already at that point and I'm nearing the end of week TWO.
No one in my honors intro class knew what Tiananmen Square was. When I talked about the importance of critical thinking in my Information Gathering class this morning, I got groans and eye rolls when I mentioned the role it played in helping the media bring to light events such as the Civil Rights movement, Vietnam, etc.
Students sleep in classes all the time now (and not just my classes, so I know it's not just me). They refuse to complete the basic requirements of courses. I gave a quiz today and 10% of the class was absent. This was our third class session. Ugh! I feel like a cranky old lady, but seriously - why are many of these young adults here if they refuse to learn, refuse to open their minds and learn ANYTHING other than what they brought with them to college. And you know what? Just because I want you to open your mind a bit and expand your world doesn't mean I'm some evil liberal prof bitch.
I'm at a state school and much emphasis is placed on Ag and engineering, but that doesn't mean you can't learn something - that you can't enjoy classes that discuss things unrelated to seed genetics, duck migration and waste water treatment. It's like this generation truly believes it's cool to be mediocre. It's certainly NOT cool to put any effort into anything (except drinking). They are more anti-intellectual than any group of students I've ever known. It's really quite sad.
Rant over. I need to grade quizzes. I'm sure that will cheer me up.
No one in my honors intro class knew what Tiananmen Square was. When I talked about the importance of critical thinking in my Information Gathering class this morning, I got groans and eye rolls when I mentioned the role it played in helping the media bring to light events such as the Civil Rights movement, Vietnam, etc.
Students sleep in classes all the time now (and not just my classes, so I know it's not just me). They refuse to complete the basic requirements of courses. I gave a quiz today and 10% of the class was absent. This was our third class session. Ugh! I feel like a cranky old lady, but seriously - why are many of these young adults here if they refuse to learn, refuse to open their minds and learn ANYTHING other than what they brought with them to college. And you know what? Just because I want you to open your mind a bit and expand your world doesn't mean I'm some evil liberal prof bitch.
I'm at a state school and much emphasis is placed on Ag and engineering, but that doesn't mean you can't learn something - that you can't enjoy classes that discuss things unrelated to seed genetics, duck migration and waste water treatment. It's like this generation truly believes it's cool to be mediocre. It's certainly NOT cool to put any effort into anything (except drinking). They are more anti-intellectual than any group of students I've ever known. It's really quite sad.
Rant over. I need to grade quizzes. I'm sure that will cheer me up.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Just for fun
I made a Simpsons avatar of myself. This is what we professors do 5 days before classes start when we don't have our syllabi completed - well, this and fantasy football. I got Tom Brady! Not bad, eh?
Friday, August 24, 2007
Turning things around
Well, the past week has essentially sucked. Last Friday we found out Matt did not get the big bad admin job he was perfect for. As often happens in academic searches, the second best qualified candidate gets the job. Nothing against that guy, he's actually a really nice person, but the decision makes no sense and we are left to think all sorts of dark thoughts about the intentions of people, etc. Oh, and I am screwed b/c this was my one chance to get back on tenure track for who knows how many more years. Back to adjunct hell. Guess I should publish some more crap.
I also had several yucky medical appointments last week, culminating in two MRIs this week. Some of you may know the history behind this (I won't go into details, but it's connected to the stroke thing I had during my pregnancy), but the good news is that I do not have MS. That is indeed fantastic news. The news, though, is that I have a small cyst in my brain. My neurologist tells me it's not a big deal and that they usually leave them alone - unless I start having seizures or spewing nonsense. Gee, great. I never thought I'd be talking about "my neurologist."
In the meantime, I've decided to name itLou Cysty and blame it for all of my questionable/unbecoming behavior :) My students should get a kick out of that - or they will be frightened. On second thought...
The other interesting bit of news related to this, is that my neurologist also said I should NEVER have been told not to have another kiddo. That just turns my whole world upside down. More on that later.
O has discovered that toy catalogs exist and he wants me to go through one with him.
I also had several yucky medical appointments last week, culminating in two MRIs this week. Some of you may know the history behind this (I won't go into details, but it's connected to the stroke thing I had during my pregnancy), but the good news is that I do not have MS. That is indeed fantastic news. The news, though, is that I have a small cyst in my brain. My neurologist tells me it's not a big deal and that they usually leave them alone - unless I start having seizures or spewing nonsense. Gee, great. I never thought I'd be talking about "my neurologist."
In the meantime, I've decided to name it
The other interesting bit of news related to this, is that my neurologist also said I should NEVER have been told not to have another kiddo. That just turns my whole world upside down. More on that later.
O has discovered that toy catalogs exist and he wants me to go through one with him.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Another Fair Day!
We are off to the Turner County Fair in about an hour. According to their Web site, it's SoDak's oldest county fair and "the best four days of summer." That's quite a bit to live up to - we'll see how they fair (ha ha - dork!). O is very excited, although he thinks the same rides from the Sioux Empire Fair will be at the TC Fair. I've discovered that you can't reason with/explain things to a 3-year-old once they've got their minds set on something. So here's to hoping they have a dragon roller coaster and a blue ferris wheel...
Pics and a recap later :)
Pics and a recap later :)
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Advice for the pessimistic
How do you turn a potentially upsetting visit-to-the-doctor-in-the-big-city day into a pretty fun day? Before you go to your appointment, you test drive a really cute car - and not JUST for the fun of it, we might actually get a second car - go yarn shopping, and have a yummy lunch special at Sushi-Masa.
Makes the afternoon just a bit better...
Makes the afternoon just a bit better...
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
From the mouths of babes...
OMG, I about peed my pants tonight. We were at gma and gpa's house (Matt's sis was there, too). We're all in the kitchen while O is eating mac and cheese - just out of the pan, so it's hot...
I started to blow on each forkfull b/c O did not want to wait. After he got a bite in his mouth, he looked at me and said...
"Blow me! Blow me faster!"
I had tears streaming down my face I was laughing so hard (so did Matt's sis). Fortunately, the gparents were cracking up, too!
I started to blow on each forkfull b/c O did not want to wait. After he got a bite in his mouth, he looked at me and said...
"Blow me! Blow me faster!"
I had tears streaming down my face I was laughing so hard (so did Matt's sis). Fortunately, the gparents were cracking up, too!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Fair Pics
It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO hot and humid, but O had a blast:
Swapping tips on how to drive your parents crazy with cousin Charlie:
I was surprised that O did this bungee jump trampoline thingy. He Kept telling the guy, "Go faster! Go faster!"
Toddler horns:
The ferris wheel was a huge hit. We rode it several times:
My fave pic:
No trip to the fair is complete without a way-too-syrupy snow cone:
Today we attempt another summer ritual: The Lake. Wish us luck. The temps will be in the 90s, as will the humidity...
Swapping tips on how to drive your parents crazy with cousin Charlie:
I was surprised that O did this bungee jump trampoline thingy. He Kept telling the guy, "Go faster! Go faster!"
Toddler horns:
The ferris wheel was a huge hit. We rode it several times:
My fave pic:
No trip to the fair is complete without a way-too-syrupy snow cone:
Today we attempt another summer ritual: The Lake. Wish us luck. The temps will be in the 90s, as will the humidity...
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Behold! The Sioux Empire Fair!
Ah, yes, it's state fair time all over the country. SoDak happens to have two fairs: The Sioux Empire Fair (in Sioux Falls, generally considered to be the more entertaining of the two - and with Foreigner and Daughtry this year, who can argue?) and the "official" State Fair in Huron (never been and from what Matt says about it, I don't think I'll ever attend...).
If you're curious, or just really bored, you can check out the Argus coverage of the fair here.
O will be meeting his cousins at the fair, so he is super pumped. The rides should be a blast and I hear 4H is conducting rabbit judging this morning. Bunnies are so dang adorable. We have a family in our backyard and I am worried they will be mad when we move their shed to build a garage in a few weeks.
Anyway, I'll take lots of pictures and post some here this evening.
Speaking of state fairs, that classic film State Fair was on a few channels yesterday...
If you're curious, or just really bored, you can check out the Argus coverage of the fair here.
O will be meeting his cousins at the fair, so he is super pumped. The rides should be a blast and I hear 4H is conducting rabbit judging this morning. Bunnies are so dang adorable. We have a family in our backyard and I am worried they will be mad when we move their shed to build a garage in a few weeks.
Anyway, I'll take lots of pictures and post some here this evening.
Speaking of state fairs, that classic film State Fair was on a few channels yesterday...
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
brief hiatus
Just wanted to let anyone who is still reading this know that I will be posting again soon. I needed a break after the trip to NJ and then I got lazy...
With about 4 weeks to go until classes start for the Fall semester, I should have plenty of time for posting. Speaking of classes, the kids are starting to roll back into town. That's always a good/bad thing. It's a bummer b/c the town that was traffic and dude-free for the summer is about to shift back to it's college-enhanced population. It's good b/c it means Fall will be here soon and I LURV Fall. The weather improves, football season begins again and classes start - I actually enjoy teaching, so that's another thing to look forward to. That reminds me - I have to plan my classes. Crap.
Off to take O to his DCP and get some work done.
With about 4 weeks to go until classes start for the Fall semester, I should have plenty of time for posting. Speaking of classes, the kids are starting to roll back into town. That's always a good/bad thing. It's a bummer b/c the town that was traffic and dude-free for the summer is about to shift back to it's college-enhanced population. It's good b/c it means Fall will be here soon and I LURV Fall. The weather improves, football season begins again and classes start - I actually enjoy teaching, so that's another thing to look forward to. That reminds me - I have to plan my classes. Crap.
Off to take O to his DCP and get some work done.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Hooray, O'Hare!
We are home! I can't believe how smooth everything went through Chicago. We arrived early and left on time and got to SF early - and our luggage arrived. Shocker, eh?
Now, if someone could just tell O that 11:00 p.m. until 6 a.m. is not a good night's sleep, we would be set :)
I'll post more photos and movies from the last few days this afternoon.
Now, if someone could just tell O that 11:00 p.m. until 6 a.m. is not a good night's sleep, we would be set :)
I'll post more photos and movies from the last few days this afternoon.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Heading Home
Sorry for the lack of posts in the past two days. I haven't had a chance to do anything except entertain O - and by the time he gets to bed, I am ready to collapse.
I'll try to post a few pics and movies today, but we are heading back to SoDak later this afternoon instead of 6 a.m. tomorrow. Please think about us as we navigate a 53 minute connection in Chicago. The weather is supposed to be good.
More later. O is whining up a storm.
I'll try to post a few pics and movies today, but we are heading back to SoDak later this afternoon instead of 6 a.m. tomorrow. Please think about us as we navigate a 53 minute connection in Chicago. The weather is supposed to be good.
More later. O is whining up a storm.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Busy Day
I just put O back in bed for the SIXTH time since he went to bed at 9:15 tonight. It's now 10:15. Ugh. This kid won't sleep.
I am exhausted - and O might decide to jump out of bed at any moment now - so this post won't be as long as I initially planned.
We drove up to Jilleyn's house this morning in terrible traffic. It took us 1 hour and 45 minutes to drive about 25 miles. That trip usually takes about 45 minutes. Despite the traffic, we had a great day. Jilleyn and Shayna have a new kitten, Clementine (or Tiny, as Shayna likes to call her). I didn't get any good pictures b/c the kitten was a blur most of the time - and was usually surrounded by two three-year-olds. She's super cute, though - take my word for it. Jilleyn also has three other kitties.
Winston
Kasha (who reminds me ALOT of Jimmy)
And big, cuddly Patrick
We made cupcakes and let the kiddos decorate them
Popcorn break
Pizza Lunch at King Pizza in Oradell
We had a great time and Jilleyn's house is beautiful. Oh, and it's a good thing we didn't go into the city today: "Steam Blast Jolts Midtown: Killing One" Yikes.
I had all sorts of interesting things to say about driving around NJ today, but I am wiped out and I think I hear O up again. More tomorrow (we are going to visit Maggie at her soccer camp and then probably go to lunch with Patty and the kids). Before I sign off for the night, I thought some of you might like to see the house I lived in for several years in Summit. I had the entire third floor to myself when I was 12/13. It's been well taken care of. I miss that house, although I can't say I miss Jersey much - especially after all that traffic today.
I am exhausted - and O might decide to jump out of bed at any moment now - so this post won't be as long as I initially planned.
We drove up to Jilleyn's house this morning in terrible traffic. It took us 1 hour and 45 minutes to drive about 25 miles. That trip usually takes about 45 minutes. Despite the traffic, we had a great day. Jilleyn and Shayna have a new kitten, Clementine (or Tiny, as Shayna likes to call her). I didn't get any good pictures b/c the kitten was a blur most of the time - and was usually surrounded by two three-year-olds. She's super cute, though - take my word for it. Jilleyn also has three other kitties.
Winston
Kasha (who reminds me ALOT of Jimmy)
And big, cuddly Patrick
We made cupcakes and let the kiddos decorate them
Popcorn break
Pizza Lunch at King Pizza in Oradell
We had a great time and Jilleyn's house is beautiful. Oh, and it's a good thing we didn't go into the city today: "Steam Blast Jolts Midtown: Killing One" Yikes.
I had all sorts of interesting things to say about driving around NJ today, but I am wiped out and I think I hear O up again. More tomorrow (we are going to visit Maggie at her soccer camp and then probably go to lunch with Patty and the kids). Before I sign off for the night, I thought some of you might like to see the house I lived in for several years in Summit. I had the entire third floor to myself when I was 12/13. It's been well taken care of. I miss that house, although I can't say I miss Jersey much - especially after all that traffic today.
NYC Delayed
It's raining here today, so our plans to go into NYC will have to wait. O and I are headed up to Jilleyn's this morning to play with Shayna and see their new kitten, Clementine. We'll probably head over to Sean and Patty's this afternoon.
Good luck today, Matt!!
Good luck today, Matt!!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Sort of a down day
Well, you never have a down day with a three-year-old, but we didn't do much at all today (not my idea, BTW). I didn't even take any pictures. I was up with O at 5:14 a.m. We went for a long walk with Grandma Joanie at about 9:30 (yes, O and I were up for four-and-a-half-hours before the walk). Then nothing...seriously. We were supposed to go to Bowcraft (amusement park for 2 - 12 year olds), but for some reason that didn't happen. Oh, well.
O and I did go to Sean and Patty's for dinner (thanks for the rescue, you two ;-)) and O was thrilled to play with his cousins.
The best part of the day, though, came after Sean dropped us off back home. O has never seen lightning bugs before. Jersey is thick with them this time of year. Imagine a three-year-old running around the yard at dusk, squealing with delight at the "Light-en-ing bugs! Boom! Boom! Catch it!! See dis one?!! Boom! Boom!" I wish I'd been able to film that. It was freakin' adorable.
Why don't we have lightening bugs/fireflies in SoDak? My Google results claim they exist in SoDak, but I have yet to see a single one.
Since I didn't take any photos today, here are a few from the other day when O helped Grandma Joanie water the "fowlers"
O and I did go to Sean and Patty's for dinner (thanks for the rescue, you two ;-)) and O was thrilled to play with his cousins.
The best part of the day, though, came after Sean dropped us off back home. O has never seen lightning bugs before. Jersey is thick with them this time of year. Imagine a three-year-old running around the yard at dusk, squealing with delight at the "Light-en-ing bugs! Boom! Boom! Catch it!! See dis one?!! Boom! Boom!" I wish I'd been able to film that. It was freakin' adorable.
Why don't we have lightening bugs/fireflies in SoDak? My Google results claim they exist in SoDak, but I have yet to see a single one.
Since I didn't take any photos today, here are a few from the other day when O helped Grandma Joanie water the "fowlers"
Monday, July 16, 2007
Juice and Pizza
Some of you may know that O does not get juice very often. It's quite a treat. Sean has a fridge in his garage that's loaded with juice. O has discovered this and takes advantage of it whenever possible. Apparently, juice is serious business with three-year-olds.
I couldn't even get them to look at the camera (which is unusual).
I don't think the straws left their mouths until the juice boxes were drained.
Maggie started soccer camp today. She kicked some serious butt, I heard (and was just one of two girls in the week-long camp) - and her shorts are totally adorable :)
I took O for real NJ pizza tonight. I plan to eat as much of that stuff as possible before heading back to SoDak. We went to Rosa Sal's in New Providence, but were disappointed to discover the place was now called The Village or something to that effect. It was still pretty good, though. O dug it:
My dad said he looks like Scott Baio (Chachi) - weird, considering yesterday's post and that he's never read this blog...).
I couldn't even get them to look at the camera (which is unusual).
I don't think the straws left their mouths until the juice boxes were drained.
Maggie started soccer camp today. She kicked some serious butt, I heard (and was just one of two girls in the week-long camp) - and her shorts are totally adorable :)
I took O for real NJ pizza tonight. I plan to eat as much of that stuff as possible before heading back to SoDak. We went to Rosa Sal's in New Providence, but were disappointed to discover the place was now called The Village or something to that effect. It was still pretty good, though. O dug it:
My dad said he looks like Scott Baio (Chachi) - weird, considering yesterday's post and that he's never read this blog...).
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Car Wash Hands
I almost forgot - Owen performed his patented car Wash Hands dance for us this afternoon. I just wish you could hear the really bad hip hop playing in the background. Someone was promoting that new Scott Baio show (yes, seriously, he has a TV show - something about him being 45 and single?). Ech.
Down the shore
We spent the day at Point Pleasant. I am so tired, but we had a great time. First of all, you have to understand that I had 2 hours of sleep last night. I went to bed at 11 p.m. and O woke up crying at 1 a.m. I went into his room and had to coax him back into bed (he wanted to "go downdairs!" Um, hello kid, it's freakin' 1 a.m.!) so I ended up sleeping in his bed, and by sleeping, I mean laying in bed listening to him snore all night. We all got up at 6:30 a.m. to get ready for our beach trip.
Regardless of my sleep deprivation, we all had a blast. We were on the road at 7:35 a.m. and we were ordering DELICIOUS NJ diner breakfast in Point Pleasant by about 8:30 a.m. If you've never experienced the diners of NJ, you are so missing out. Perkins is a pile of puke compared to an even mediocre NJ diner (sorry all you Perkins fans back home, but it's true). O and I split 3 eggs with cheese, 3 strips of bacon, 2 sausage links (and this was REAL sausage), hash browns, two amazing pancakes and toast. I was so hungry I probably could have eaten two of these meals by myself, but then I would have had to sleep face down on the sand like a beached whale once we spread out our towels.
We made sand castles and walked the beach looking for sea shells, but O's favorite part of the trip was standing at the edge of the surf waiting for the "big ones!!" to roll in. See below:
We arrived home around 2:45 p.m. and had to be ready by about 4 p.m. to head down to Sean and Patty's for dinner (Sean is a trained chef, btw, and food at his place is always YUMMY). We ate and ate and ate - Ceasar salad, meatballs in home made sauce, pork parmagian, bread, shrimp - I was stuffed and everything was delicious. The cousins had a blast playing together in the backyard and now O is in bed and I'm heading there soon...
I thought a slideshow with all the pics of the day might be better than a few on the blog. Enjoy!
Sunday 7/15 Slideshow
Regardless of my sleep deprivation, we all had a blast. We were on the road at 7:35 a.m. and we were ordering DELICIOUS NJ diner breakfast in Point Pleasant by about 8:30 a.m. If you've never experienced the diners of NJ, you are so missing out. Perkins is a pile of puke compared to an even mediocre NJ diner (sorry all you Perkins fans back home, but it's true). O and I split 3 eggs with cheese, 3 strips of bacon, 2 sausage links (and this was REAL sausage), hash browns, two amazing pancakes and toast. I was so hungry I probably could have eaten two of these meals by myself, but then I would have had to sleep face down on the sand like a beached whale once we spread out our towels.
We made sand castles and walked the beach looking for sea shells, but O's favorite part of the trip was standing at the edge of the surf waiting for the "big ones!!" to roll in. See below:
We arrived home around 2:45 p.m. and had to be ready by about 4 p.m. to head down to Sean and Patty's for dinner (Sean is a trained chef, btw, and food at his place is always YUMMY). We ate and ate and ate - Ceasar salad, meatballs in home made sauce, pork parmagian, bread, shrimp - I was stuffed and everything was delicious. The cousins had a blast playing together in the backyard and now O is in bed and I'm heading there soon...
I thought a slideshow with all the pics of the day might be better than a few on the blog. Enjoy!
Sunday 7/15 Slideshow
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Whirlwind
Wow, today was busy. Well, it's been busy since we got here, but today was 4 kids under the age of four, a farmer's market, Dora swimming pool, grilling, 4 kids under the age of four...you get the idea. This post is more like a recap, so it won't be too interesting - but the photos are fun :)
O was very excited to help grandpa Craig inflate the Dora pool
Last summer, O and Maggie had a blast in the Dora pool. This year was no different. I'll post a movie soon.
My longtime friend, Jilleyn, and her husband, Jeff, and daughter, Shayna, came over for the afternoon. Shayna is just gorgeous - and has quite a stylish haircut, I might add.
We took several Fla-Vor-Ice (or "freezies" as O calls them) breaks
A good and sugary time was had by all
And I was happy to see Jilleyn again
Tomorrow we head "down the shore" sometime between 7 and 7:30 a.m. We'll have breakfast down there at about 8:30 and be on the beach by 9:30. We're going to Point Pleasant - there's a really fun boardwalk with kiddie rides plus the ocean. O is excited to build a sandcastle with grandpa :)
O was very excited to help grandpa Craig inflate the Dora pool
Last summer, O and Maggie had a blast in the Dora pool. This year was no different. I'll post a movie soon.
My longtime friend, Jilleyn, and her husband, Jeff, and daughter, Shayna, came over for the afternoon. Shayna is just gorgeous - and has quite a stylish haircut, I might add.
We took several Fla-Vor-Ice (or "freezies" as O calls them) breaks
A good and sugary time was had by all
And I was happy to see Jilleyn again
Tomorrow we head "down the shore" sometime between 7 and 7:30 a.m. We'll have breakfast down there at about 8:30 and be on the beach by 9:30. We're going to Point Pleasant - there's a really fun boardwalk with kiddie rides plus the ocean. O is excited to build a sandcastle with grandpa :)
Friday, July 13, 2007
Watch out, Tee Todd...
There's a new tiger in town and I'm a bit worried for Tee Todd. Tee Todd will get to play a new role, however, if O decides the "big one tiger" is alpha kitty. "Tee Todd is baby tiger that hatched out of the egg."
Poor Tee Todd ain't gettin' no love this nap time
O did decide to make Tee Todd the baby tiger right after I took that photo, though, so there's still hope. I wonder if O realizes the tiger stays here in NJ when we head back to SoDak? I won't spoil his fun just yet :)
Please send LONG nap vibes this way. We've been up since 6:45 (5:45 CDT) and O went to bed last night at 11 p.m. We went to visit Sean, Maggie and Matthew this morning and the poor kid was just a mess - he was so tired. Matthew, who is not quite two by the way, just had to look at O the wrong way and the tears started. Poor kiddo.
Poor Tee Todd ain't gettin' no love this nap time
O did decide to make Tee Todd the baby tiger right after I took that photo, though, so there's still hope. I wonder if O realizes the tiger stays here in NJ when we head back to SoDak? I won't spoil his fun just yet :)
Please send LONG nap vibes this way. We've been up since 6:45 (5:45 CDT) and O went to bed last night at 11 p.m. We went to visit Sean, Maggie and Matthew this morning and the poor kid was just a mess - he was so tired. Matthew, who is not quite two by the way, just had to look at O the wrong way and the tears started. Poor kiddo.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
We are here!
Well, that was a 9-hour travel day. O did really well. The flight from SF to Chicago was great. We arrived 37 minutes EARLY. Of course, we traveled through Chicago, so the delays began there.
We arrived so early, the gate wasn't available and we had to drive around the airport - all the way around - slowly. O thought that was pretty cool, though.
Had to walk from terminal B to C through the retro 80s club tunnel. O was entertained.
Rode the elevator with a pilot who has a son with the same name as O (he will turn three in September). The pilot gave O a cool card with a picture of a 767.
Paid $12.66 for an individual pizza and bottle of water at Wolfgang Puck's and stood behind the crankiest NJ family I've ever encountered. It would have been comical if they weren't being so mean to each other and the employees at the restaurant. This family ended up on our flight to Newark.
Left 1:45 late but because of wicked tail winds we were just 35 minutes late!
Here are a few photos from today. More tomorrow. I sleepy...
On the plane from SF to Chicago
Looking out the window at O'Hare
O loves to use the camera ("Owen do it!!"). I thought this one was pretty good
But this one is my favorite
We arrived so early, the gate wasn't available and we had to drive around the airport - all the way around - slowly. O thought that was pretty cool, though.
Had to walk from terminal B to C through the retro 80s club tunnel. O was entertained.
Rode the elevator with a pilot who has a son with the same name as O (he will turn three in September). The pilot gave O a cool card with a picture of a 767.
Paid $12.66 for an individual pizza and bottle of water at Wolfgang Puck's and stood behind the crankiest NJ family I've ever encountered. It would have been comical if they weren't being so mean to each other and the employees at the restaurant. This family ended up on our flight to Newark.
Left 1:45 late but because of wicked tail winds we were just 35 minutes late!
Here are a few photos from today. More tomorrow. I sleepy...
On the plane from SF to Chicago
Looking out the window at O'Hare
O loves to use the camera ("Owen do it!!"). I thought this one was pretty good
But this one is my favorite
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Welcome back
Okay, with a little support from an old friend, I am going to start blogging again...this is probably the fifth or sixth time I've started this blog, only to delete the posts because I just assumed they sucked. Maybe they do, but it's summer and I have a bit of time on my hands, so here goes...
O and I leave tomorrow for the wilds of New Jersey to visit family for about 10 days. I am really looking forward to the trip - I get back there once a year at most these days - and O will visit NYC for the first time! I'm thinking we'll go to the American Museum of Natural History with my longtime pal, Jilleyn, and her totally adorable daughter. They have an exhibit called "Mythic Creatures" that seems taylor-made for little ones (mermaids, unicorns, dragons - cool!). We will also "go down the shore" - as is said in Jersey (it's still hard for me to say shore since I grew up by the beach until moving to NJ) - most likely Point Pleasant (the boardwalk was a big hit last summer). I also plan to eat lots of food while in NJ - pizza, bagels, Italian, sushi, Indian...you get the idea.
Okay, now that I've got this blog going again, it's late and I'm sleepy. I plan to update this blog daily, if possible, while in NJ so those of you who are interested can follow along during the vacation. Hope you enjoy! Oh, and please send good vibes for the weather so we don't get stuck in Chicago. And wish me luck - I'm traveling with a three-year-old...
O and I leave tomorrow for the wilds of New Jersey to visit family for about 10 days. I am really looking forward to the trip - I get back there once a year at most these days - and O will visit NYC for the first time! I'm thinking we'll go to the American Museum of Natural History with my longtime pal, Jilleyn, and her totally adorable daughter. They have an exhibit called "Mythic Creatures" that seems taylor-made for little ones (mermaids, unicorns, dragons - cool!). We will also "go down the shore" - as is said in Jersey (it's still hard for me to say shore since I grew up by the beach until moving to NJ) - most likely Point Pleasant (the boardwalk was a big hit last summer). I also plan to eat lots of food while in NJ - pizza, bagels, Italian, sushi, Indian...you get the idea.
Okay, now that I've got this blog going again, it's late and I'm sleepy. I plan to update this blog daily, if possible, while in NJ so those of you who are interested can follow along during the vacation. Hope you enjoy! Oh, and please send good vibes for the weather so we don't get stuck in Chicago. And wish me luck - I'm traveling with a three-year-old...
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