How to get rid of cold weather

I've been keeping pretty busy lately. Like I said in the baby blog, I went to visit my sister and brother on Wednesday. Thursday Dandy visited and we had a marvelous time at Target. Friday Sarah visited and we went on the Quest for a Jumperoo.

Other than that, I've been schmoozing around the house working on this and that. I finally finished knitting the hat for Chris. Just in time for the 60 degree weather.


Quite frankly I'm surprised it came out so well. There are little mess-ups in it that I know only I can see and a few obvious mess-ups. It's supposed to have the letters PJ (for Pearl Jam) on the side in seed stitch, but it didn't work out so well. But for knitting in the round for the first time, it turned out to be a wearable hat.

Chris is at work, so Xander offered to model for me. Keep in mind that Chris's melon is about 10 times as big as Xander's, especially when you include his hair.

Returning to Rosaries

Last week I received an email from the church's womens group asking me to teach rosary making at one of the upcoming meetings. Yes, I'd love to! This is requiring me to contact the leader of the group in our old parish, order supplies and plan a lesson. I'm surprisingly excited about this.


In other news, I guess I've lost a tutoring student. He hasn't shown up for two weeks and his friend says she doesn't think he will be continuing. Hey, thanks for calling me to let me know so I don't sit around waiting for you. The first student I had is doing great and is working hard to get a B+. The other student that is still coming is struggling so I'm changing from one session of one hour each week to two sessions of a half hour each week. I hope it helps.

And finally, Chris and I installed our TV converter last night. In the process of Chris lifting the TV so I could switch the antenna and converter wires, I jabbed my thigh into a sharp, pointy ledge on the entertainment center. As I exclaim "oh, fudge" and fall to the floor clutching my leg, Chris looks on and says "gee, I'll bet that hurts." He nearly lost an eye. And I'll bet that would have hurt. But at least the converter box works great.

I've gone tote mad

So since the only thing I know how to sew is totes, I'm practicing by making them for my friends. So here is Ikkin's. It's like the one I originally made, but different material than mine. I really liked the lining because (and you can't really see it in the pic) it is cream with shiny cream dots on it, which nicely complements the olive bag with shiny metal circles sewn on it.

And here's the one I made for Sarah. It's a different pattern that I did all by myself (yeah me) and is totally cute. It has a pocket on the outside on both the front and the back. I also adapted the pattern to make the bag taller.


Chris has done a good job of acting impressed with each one (I have one more done, but no pics until I can give it to the recipient) and thinks I should make some to sell. I think a little more practice is in order first to make sure I can do things like line up the seams.

Overall I think I like sewing a little better than knitting, but I'm not giving up on the knitting :)

Random conversation

To set the scene, my inspiring hubby and I try to have some sort of deep and/or meaningful conversation during the day. It usually ends up right before we go to bed.

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Hugs (trying to be imaginative): So, if you were an element on the periodic table what would you be?

Chicks: Xenon

Hugs: Ok. Why?

Chicks: Because it sounds cool. And it's a gas. And it's noble! It's a noble gas.

Hugs (anticipating the same question and wanting to avoid revealing my lack of periodic table knowledge): You know, Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table because he only recognizes the element of surprise.

Chicks: *mouth gaps a little at the shock of Xenon no longer existing*

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We bought a new camera last night, so prepare to be inundated with pictures of Xander and the daffodils that may or may not have survived the blizzard.

Passing the Time

Min is up to her old tricks.

And here are a couple of amusing things that I have found.

Frozen in Grand Central Station - this would freak me out to no end if it happened while I was there. I would probably believe it was a conspiracy theory involving a mutant cover-up.

Stuff White People Like
- some of this is not true at all for the people I know, but some are dead on for me (why yes, a Kitchenaid stand mixer would be my holy grail, preferably in clementine) and some I see in the general population (water bottles for everyone) and some are just amusing (standing still at concerts).

Objects on blog are not as crafty as they appear

I finished the monkey burp cloths for my little monkey. Ironically he is not spitting up as much as he used to (and by me writing that I have guaranteed projectile vomit for the next week).

I did get to make it to the last sewing class, so here is my tote. I love how it looks! It is on the flimsy side since I haven't put in a base and was too lazy and cheap to go buy thicker interfacing.

I know you are wondering what I am using my tote for. It's storing my current knitting project, knitting a hat. I'm trying double pointed needles to knit on the round for the first time. Getting it started seems to be the hard part. I started it over like three times.


Here is a photo cap for you. Chris, you should get this so let others try first :)

Something to Smile About

Here are some things that made me smile this week.

1) Bunny prints in the snow. You can see where the little guy stopped to eat, went exploring (the fire pit!) and took off. It's very cute.

2) Chuck Norris Tributes

3) A radio station that changed it's format and is now playing everything I loved in college (and some from high school). On one hand it makes me feel a little dated that the 90's rock gets it's own station (as opposed to '80s, 90s and now) but it sure does make me smile.

4) I'm getting decent at knitting scarves and I like it! Here is one with a little hole to pull the scarf through. Chris wants a hat and a sweater, both which scare me to try. But by golly, try I will!
5) The sewing class took too long, so a third meeting was scheduled. But I won't be able to make it. So my tote sits unfinished. I will try to finish it, but I was distracted by making these burp cloths. The aren't the fanciest things in the world but I am incredibly proud of myself for putting these together. These have letters of the alphabet and I have a few more to make with cute little monkeys.

Oh My!

I was going to log on and blog about Sock Wars (like the war game in college, but with yarn) and how I heart my bread maker but Ainsley Was Almost Eaten! SERIOUSLY! Carried away to never be seen again! I know I use to many exclamation points, but it is entirely necessary to convey my point here!

I just put all of the ingredients for Cheesy Potato Bread in the bread maker and was about to plug it in when I heard a bang from the back room. It was very reminiscent of when a bird ran into the window and died. So I thought 'oh, nuts' and headed back there, just in time to see through the back door a big bird swoop away to a nearby tree. And I see it's the hawk (I'm assuming hawk, but some large hunting bird) land in the tree in the back yard.

I saw this hawk a couple of weeks ago perched on the fence just hanging out, it flew away when I tried to get a picture for Chris, who is highly fascinated by the hawks we see when driving. So I try to get a picture this time, but the camera went fritzy again and it didn't turn out well. Then it flew away.

Then it clicks that the hawk flew into the window and Ainsley is back there. So I walk back and Ainsley is curled up on top of the love seat by the window. And right above her on the window are a couple of smears where a hawk hit the window.

Poor Ainsley has no clue she was nearly swooped away. I'll still give her a couple of kitty treats though.

PS - any suggestions on how to shrink the giant picture would be appreciated.

Adventures in Houseliving

First Story:

The house was attacked by a giant spider! Ok, so I actually found it in the corner of the basement, but it was a big spider. If my studly husband were home I would sic him on it and he would argue that spiders are good luck. If he's not home I will usually step up and take care of business. But this thing had to be related to Aragog. So I vetoed squishing it (that is a lot of ick) and I wasn't going to attempt to transport it outside. I calmly walked upstairs, got a glass from the cabinet and placed said glass over the spider. It glared at me and gnashed it's fangs.

Since I was doing laundry, I had to look at the little guy every time I went downstairs. Min followed me down and after a little exploring she found a new friend. She was very confused about the glass covering it and kept patting at it. Then she would look at me and meow. She finally came over and was rubbing against my leg. I told her "Tough noogies" and walked away.

Later I found the glass pushed onto a crack and the spider was no where to be found. I'm going to go with the theory and Min helped to smuggle her new many-legged friend to freedom.

Story Two:

Game Night was Saturday! It was so great to have people visit, thank you to all who came!

Truth be told I've been feeling a little down lately. I'm stuck indoors with the lousy weather and the only talking I have some days is with Xander, who is not yet a conversational wiz. So it was great to relax with friends.

So I think everyone had a merry time, there was great food and fun games. We played a new one called The Last Word, and we won't discuss just how bad I was at it. And the boys vs girls Cranium match was fun as always (girls ruled, but I didn't have to tell you that).

Story Three:

After everyone left Game Night, the wind really picked up and we even saw some lightening. The wind continued and the temperature dropped through Sunday. When we returned from church on Sunday morning the electricity was out. Which meant no heat. Disaster! Chris actually called up a friend to come over and explain how to properly work a wood-burning fireplace so we didn't burn the place down. So guess what we'll have at the next Game Night :)

The electric finally came back on about 4ish and the heater ran and ran, but would not get to above 57 degrees (for those concerned for Xander, we did turn on little heater to warm up his room). Seriously, it just kept running. I'm trying to sleep and can see the gas bill skyrocketing. I call in to our home warranty this morning to arrange someone to look at our heater and Chris decides to pull out the air filter. Within an hour and a half the temperature was up 5 degrees.

So today's lesson is if you buy a house, change the air filter.

And finally, a Name that Screen Cap - television edition.

Think about it

Check out the following link for pictures and information on what different families eat throughout the world:

What the World Eats

I think there are a lot of different things that can be observed from these pictures. The obvious is how much is spent on food each week on different parts of the world. At first I thought 'we are under what appears to be a US average', then I remembered that only two of us are paying to eat and the little guys is eating for free.

I also thought about types of food, both in the pictures and what we eat in our house. I should try to get more fresh foods instead of frozen foods. It's amazing how much fast food, pop and prepared foods some families had compared to fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and eggs others had.

This last time I noticed the rooms the families were in, I think the pictures were supposed to be taken in the kitchen or dining rooms. Some rooms were so empty, some had televisions and the one family was sitting outside.

It's just something to see how other people live.

A Rare Rant followed by Praise

I don't usually consider myself an opinionated person. Oh, I have opinions I just don't go around blathering on about them. I'm not a very eloquent speaker (and by using the word eloquent I prove myself wrong). Recently I read a book that made me form an opinion that I want to share but since no once else I know has read it, I have no one to blather my opinion to. I'm actually not too comfortable 'naming names' on my blog but, darn it, I feel like sharing.

So basically I am here to bore you with a book that you have not read. You can pretty much skim from here, get the point, roll your eyes at me and move on with your life.

To the point - the ending of "Confessor" by Terry Goodkind ticked me off. A little background for you follows: "Confessor" is the final book of a series called the Sword of Truth. Yes, it's a fantasy series (and I lose a few more readers). I'm a sucker for series because I always want to know what happens next. The first book had some violent scenes but I was otherwise entertained. I read the subsequent books and even bought one that I felt hit some good points about humanity. Well, after that book the serious takes those few points and turns them into long winded speeches and the speeches become not only 'this is what is good' but include 'this is what is bad.' And that is how the final book ends.

Basically the protagonist banishes everyone of faith because those people are haters and promote a culture of death. Ok, in the book that is true. But it was written in a way that feels like it not only represents our culture but our society is the result of the ending (the ending is the faith people are all banished to a new world without magic so they can reap what they sow).

I guess I feel like the author is saying that anyone who practices religion is evil. By making sacrifices I do not respect myself. By not having cable and giving that money to my church I am cultivating a hate culture. It just read like Goodkind has a huge religious chip on his shoulder and he just had to share. And his sharing was as subtle as a sledgehammer upside the head.

I'm glad I didn't buy the whole series.

Ok, the praise is for another series that I've read a couple of times. (a few people who may still be reading are totally expecting me to plug Wheel of Time) I don't know the name of the series, but there are three books about a woman named Kick written by Marne Davis Kellogg. Kick is a woman of a certain age, healthy weight and extravagent lifestyle (although I'm sure she'd disagree about the extravagence). She is also a world famous jewel thief known as the Shamrock Burglar.

The first book in the serious encompasses how Kick lives and how she gets out of the thieving business. The next two books are mysteries of her trying to catch other thieves. All of them describe a lifestyle that is almost hard to believe, with fancy food, fabulous hotels and of course wonderful jewelry.

There is just something about Kick's confidence, abilities, zest for life as well as the decadent world she lives in that I love. I feel more elegant just reading the books. Sure, they are a little 'chick lit' but we all can't enjoy "War and Peace."

Planning Ahead

I have already found what I am getting everyone for Christmas next year.

Emergency Zombie Defense Station

Seriously, it's been a month since I've seen 'I am Legend', but I still get the creeps. It didn't help that on NPR last week they were discussing synethic biology, where they manipulate bacteria to do things. Hmmm. Where have I heard about that before... oh yeah, in the first five minutes of 'I am Legend' before the rampaging zombies kill everyone!

27 (minus 26) Dresses

Friday night I was able to go out for a Girls Night. Yeah me! We went to see the movie 27 Dresses which is a typical romantic comedy (which meant that I loved it). I even went to a bar afterwards with the girls (and drank water). By midnight I was returned home to my guys and caught some zzz's in preparation for Saturday.

On Saturday Xander and I ventured out to visit my family. The main purpose of this was to get sized for bridesmaid dresses for my brother's upcoming nuptials. Let me tell you, if you can avoid it do not get sized four months after giving birth for a wedding that is in ten months. The sales ladies measured my bust, waist and hips and brought out the dress for us to see. Then when they consulted their Big Book of Sizes they saw size 20. They looked at me. They looked at the book. They looked at each other. I sighed. I asked to try on the dress they had, even though I knew it was too small at least we'd be able to see that I Do Not Need a Size 20, even if the Big Book of Sizes demands it.

So I try it on (and it is a simple, pretty strapless with empire waist) and can actually get it zipped up halfway. So the hip measurement is totally irrelevant, take that Big Book! The waist isn't too much of a problem, especially when they remeasure at my natural waistline instead of where-my-pants-are waistline. So they remeasure my bust and guess what, that didn't change. It makes my dress between sizes X and Y (what, you think I'm going to tell you? Let's just say that size X is twice as large as any of the other numbers I see jotted in the bridal party sizes). So they ask all sorts of personal questions such as 'did you gain weight in your butt', 'is this your first kid' and 'how long will you be breastfeeding' all the while apologizing. I know they just want to get the size right so I didn't take offense.

We finally decided to go with the smaller size since by the wedding I will probably have Xander weaned. I figure I'll have to invest in some Spanx and a corset anyway, might as well be optimistic about the size.

Meanwhile my sister takes almost no time getting sized. We won't talk about her size. The jerk. (just kidding people)

Then my mom tried on some dresses and we found one that looked really great, but of course they couldn't order it.

And while that was happening, some high school girls were trying on some pretty ridiculous dresses. I will end with this thought - when did mermaid style dresses come back in? I totally missed that boat.

We're going to need a bigger scrapbook

Last week there was an online sale for photos that I took full advantage of. I went back over the past five years and printed out Weddings, Xander pictures, Vacations and the odd shower or two (bachelorette and baby, you weirdo).

That came to 500+ photos.

I'll be busy at my craft table in the basement for the next year, in case you need me for anything.

Resolutions 2008

Ok, here's what I am doing for the new year.

Lose weight - I'd like to get to prepregancy weight for three reasons.
1) So I can fit into my pants again
2) So I look hot (hey, I'll admit it, I want to be hot again)
3) Story for you. I was walking in the mall and caught a glimpse of a woman out of the corner of my eye and thought 'whoa, hoochie mama, get a shirt that doesn't display your enormous assets quite so much.' Then I realized it was a reflection of me wearing one of my prepregnancy fitted shirts. I realize that I'm nursing and my assets won't necessarily go down in size, but almost none of my fitted shirts is appropriate to wear in public and I even feel a little slutty wearing them at home.

Quite frankly I'd like to lose more weight, but one step at a time. Anyway, here's the beginning of my plan
1) Lift weights four days a week (2 days on upper body, 2 days on lower body)
2) 6,000 steps a day (using my fancy new pedometer, I'm usually around 4,000) Start running again in the spring
3) Each morning fill my 64 oz jug with water, drink it all.
4) Cut back on those darned sweets, to one a day

Sew - I'm all signed up for the class to learn to make a tote bag. If you are all lucky, for next Christmas you will all get a tote with a nicely knitted scarf.

Oh how I've missed the Drop Spin

For those of you who aren't aware, I was in the marching band flags in high school. It was a lot of fun and it was one of the few extra curriculars that I actually felt adept at.

Flash forward to yesterday in the car. I'm driving along and on the radio 'Ice Ice Baby' begins. Of course everyone turns that up when it comes on. I'm driving along, listening and letting my mind wander. By the end of the song I realize that I have created half of the choreography for a flag routine to this song, including costumes and flags. All I'll tell you is that there were ripped, faded stone-wash jeans involved. And side ponytails.

Resolutions Revisited

Let's check in on how I did on my resolutions last year. This is the list I printed on my blog last year.

1) Learn to sew - I want to say 'yes, done!' but this is more of 'well, I learned to use the sewing machine, does that count?' I'm hoping to take a class at Joann's fabric to make a tote bag and learn a few more basic skills.

2) Learn to knit - yes, done! I learned the basics at a class last February and did a few small projects over the year. I used birthday money to buy Stitch 'N Bitch and spent the holiday really working on different types of stitches. I also blew my Christmas money at Joann's and bought supplies for several scarves.

3) I forget.... - and I still don't remember

4) Write things down so I don't forget - which I think I am better at. However I am not consistent about where I put my list, so that isn't always helpful. I did create my CFO Duties list, so I can keep track of when I last did chores. I'll swear I dusted last week and then check the list and realize it's been three weeks. That explains the half inch of dust that has accumulated.

5) The usual jazz about eating better and exercising - I eat vegetables nearly every freakin' day now. I haven't run since I found I was pregnant (and it was winter and I didn't want to slip and fall). So that one is a toss up.

6) Read more non-fiction - with all of the pregnancy and baby books I have read I can proudly say Done.

I'm still thinking of what I'll do for 2008. I know it will include weight loss. I was trying to think of something fun and unique like 'get a video of myself of youtube that becomes viral' but most of those are embarrassing videos so I'll skip that. I'll let you know next blog.

Happy New Year!

I feel like a new woman

For Christmas I got new kicks. Thanks Mom! I don't remember the last time I bought shoes just for casual, fun wear. I'll be spending some Christmas money of fun socks.
I also spent a few hours out and was able to get a good haircut and manicure! Thanks Barb!

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season!

This year there was the usual traveling to visit family, but you can read about that at the Ringing in the New Year blog.

One thing different is that with our new house and new baby, we wanted to at least wake up at home on Christmas day. It ended up being that we were here the entire day and I made my first Christmas meal. I actually had a written schedule of when to start each food so dinner would be ready at 6(ish). Here is all of the hard work I did, with a few fun facts:

1) White Bread - the first time I made bread in my 5 dollar bread maker. It did not come with instructions, but did have a short informational video that I watched. It turned out pretty well, but I'll try a more exciting bread next time.

2) Berry Banana Bread - this was actually for my family on Wednesday, but I made it Christmas afternoon.

3) Ham - when Chris and I were at the grocery store we picked up a 4 lb chunk. Chris commented that he could probably finish that by himself, so we traded in for a 7 lb+ chunk. I threw it in the oven for a couple of hours, no fancy toppings or marinade. It was good, but as some of you may be thinking we had a LOT left over.

4) Christmas Green Beans - ok, these didn't actually happen. It's a recipe from a cook book, but I never got around to making them. I was a little too caught up with trying to dominate at Star Wars Episode 1 Monopoly. So instead I heated up canned green beans.

5) Cornbread Stuffing - from a box.

6) Yams - from a can. However, I did manage to spill half of the yam juice on the kitchen floor when I was trying to get them heated up. That was fun.

*Picture was pre-food, in case you are thinking I'm amazing at cleaning.

Christmas Early

My wonderful husband gave me my Christmas gift early because we had to make sure it works.

3-in-1 Beverage Center

At first I was all "It makes coffee, which I don't like, and you've been wanting one of these for years." But after using it I realized it's great for my oatmeal, tea and best of all hot chocolate. Once we buy the pods for it, it will be awesome for things like Game Night. I mean after driving for thirty minutes to see us and consuming a couple of beers, the least we can do is send people off with a hot cup of caffeine.*

* This requires you to bring your own travel mug people!

No vampires here

Yesterday I tried a new recipe called Black Bean Soup with Sausage. It was ok, Chris really liked it. I did miss the last part of step one that says 'Drain and rinse beans' so the soup was watery and looked black. What can I say, I rarely cook with dry beans. And since it need so much garlic, the kitchen reeks of it today. I like garlic, but it's a bit much to handle.

There isn't much excitement around here at the moment. Christmas decorations are up, including lights out front and cards ready to be dropped in the mail. I plan on doing some shopping tomorrow, I'm just debating which mall to head to.

I did forget to post that we had another successful Game Night last weekend. Dandy brought SceneIt (the regular movie edition) and the girls team conquered. And I have to say Dandy is a wiz at translating pictures into names. The guys won at Cranium. I would say they won because we were rolling the dice at the wrong time, but that would make me sound like a sore loser.

Not a screen cap (I couldn't find one for this movie) but here is a toy based on a character from the movie. Can you name it??

Sharing the love

The cats have adapted fairly well to having Xander in the house. In general, they leave him alone and don't get in his stuff. Oh, there was the one time where I found them both in his Pack and Play. But they have been deprived of some love and attention.

Ainsley is dealing the best. She just compensates by getting extra love and attention from anyone who visits. Seriously, she'll be all over whoever is sitting on the couch. The trouble with this is that my one student is horribly allergic, so Ainsley has to be trapped in the basement. My other student is fine and ends up spending half of the sessions with a cat in his lap.

Min has been acting up more. The chewed toilet paper is happening more often. I'm seriously considering sacrificing a few rolls by spritzing them with Bitter Yuck! so she'll learn not to chew on them. However I am afraid that I'll forget these rolls will be out, they will be used and then some pain might ensue.

I did spray my plants with Bitter Yuck! I'm not sure which cat has been chewing on them, but it has stopped.

About once a day I'll find an ornament from the tree on the ground or the gold bead garland hanging funny. Today I caught Min pulling down some and I scared her pretty badly. We'll see if that happens again.

And of course there is the hose obsession that Min has. I hung some from a shelf and it was at least five feet off the ground. Yeah, found it on the floor but it didn't have an holes. And I just found the head of the dusting rod I use (think Swiffer but made of cotton or something) sitting in the cat bed when it was last on top of the drying rack. I have no idea how she negotiated the rods on the rack to get it down.

Guess I need to remember to give them both a few more hugs.

Toot-toot-tootoring

I have a second student to tutor! The cards I passed out at the local schools have paid off. My second student is also in geometry and just has trouble understanding the teacher. So far both students are fairly motivated and bright, so they ask questions and want to do well. I was a little worried I would get students who were forced to go to a tutor by their parents and didn't actually care.

Last night, in an effort to further expand my palate, we had brussel sprouts. I bought a bag of frozen sprouts that I could just through in the microwave to steam. Yeah, I can see why they have a bad rap, even Chris didn't like them. They were surprisingly juicy which I didn't like. I'd give them a 3 on the Hugs-o-meter.

But it was made better because I made Fantasy Fudge(but without the nuts). Oh sweet bliss.

Holland

I've had this post in mind for a while, so here it is.

While I was pregnant, and even before, Chris and I would discuss the possibility of our baby having a disability. Be it mental, physical or even something as temporary as colic. The thought really, really scared me.

Let me add that Xander is in perfect health. This isn't to scare anyone, this is just a blog about something that had gone through my mind.

One thing that calmed me was a friend saying that a special needs child would be lucky to have me for a mom because she knows how well I'd take care of that child. I never thought of it that way, that it wasn't about me but about the child.

The other thing to calm me was this:

WELCOME TO HOLLAND
by
Emily Perl Kingsley.
c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

New Food

For Xander's baptism I decided to try to make barbecue to share. I found a recipe in the slow cooker cookbook. It involved buying beef round steak, cubed. I'm not sure if the cubed refered to how I should buy it or if I should cut it into cubes after I buy it. I went with the store bought steak cubed. The other ingredients included onion, chili pepper, tomato paste, ketchup, cider vinegar and a beer. Let's just say the predominant ingredient besides the steak was beer.

So everything was slow cooked overnight and shredded in the morning. Some of the sauce was removed. And barbecue was made! Except I didn't think it tasted very barbecue-y. It tasted like sweet beer. Don't get me wrong, it still tasted good and it was all eaten, it just seemed like false advertising on the name of the dish.

I also made cupcakes. They tasted good, not my best. They did LOOK great. I really need to stop using strawberry cake mix though, it's getting boring.

I am nuts

This morning I got up at 6 am. Yeah, Xander needed fed but I was planning on getting up then anyway. That is when Chris gets up to work out in the basement (he is nuts too). I have been stuck at ten pounds overweight for a month now and I'm sick of it. On Monday I went shopping with my mom and sister and I spent more time being sad about not fitting into the clothes I'm used to than enjoying shopping. I'm not working out on my own so at least twice a week I'm dragging myself out of bed to get some exercise in. Chris at least is excited to have the company.

But I did find a pair of pants while shopping. They fit great, were originally $40, were on the $15 dollar rack but rang up at $10! I never get that lucky at clearance sales! And they are desperately needed since I only have one pair of jeans that fit (and by fit I mean cause a muffin top).

In other news I did buy the Disney edition of Scene It. My rationale was that everyone has seen some Disney and some day Xander can play. After Game Night on Saturday I'll never get anyone to play it with me again. I didn't think I knew that much Disney, really!

I had my first student over for tutoring. The tutoring itself went well, but the girl is allergic to cats so of course Ainsley and Min were trying to rub all over her. And Xander was all out of sorts (probably from the eight hour mall trip the day before) and kept crying. She's scheduled to come back next week, so I'll try to get the cats in the basement.

Yesterday was an awesome day out (just in case you were busy working or not being in Ohio). I took Xander to the library and we decided to take a jaunt to the local park. The trees were still gorgeous colors and the temperature was just right for a great fall day. I sat and read for a while and Xander continued his nap. Then when I got home I decided a walk was in order and broke out the stroller for the first time in a week. I'm glad I did because it is twenty degrees colder today. But I did see snowflakes!

That pretty much catches you up on my life :)

Boy are my arms tired!

I've been dallying with an idea for a while that I finally put into motion today. I am going to try to tutor. My supportive husband has ok'd the idea and approved me doing it at home so that there is no need to hire a babysitter or for him to rush home (especially since he has a big project he is working on).

I can't continue at my previous tutoring job because it is a 20+ minute drive. If Chris gets off at 5 (which he won't), gets home at 5:30 and I leave immediately I could make it to work from 6 to 8. But that is unlikely, which makes it only the 7 to 8 shift. That would barely cover the cost of gas to get there. So I'm branching out on my own here. I'm also hoping that my previous employment doesn't find out because I did sign a no-compete agreement. My argument is I'm not competing since they don't go to the level of math I plan to tutor at.

Today I made up little business cards and handed them out at five local schools. It was more difficult than it sounds because at each school I'd have to get Xander out of the car and bring him with me. I kept him in his baby carrier so it just got to be heavy after a while. But he did help me win over the receptionists and they were all 'good for you for staying home to raise him.' Hopefully that will get me some bonus points.

Last spring I had told my high school I would do tutoring and I have gotten calls from there, but most of the calls came while I was still pregnant and parents didn't want to deal with me taking a month off after birth. I did get a call today from a woman who is willing to drive all the way to my place from the school, so I may already have my first student!

Now I need to root through my school boxes and find the binder and papers I'd set aside to help keep the tutoring organized.

I got my sticker!

Current Pet Peeve: Christmas commercials before Halloween. Actually even before Thanksgiving, but if I hold that grudge I'll go nuts.

Current Irony: 'separation of church and state' yet I vote for government officials in a church building. There is probably a good explanation for it.

I was very proud of myself for voting yesterday, I even looked up the candidates in the paper! I found it odd that two of the six candidates for city council owned bed and breakfasts downtown. This morning when I turned on the news they had election results I felt more like I had made bets than I had voted for someone. And I usually lose those bets! Ah well.

By the way, pomegranate arils taste good on Rice Krispies.

It's been a while, so here is a screen cap for you. Actually, it's not directly from the movie, but just a picture of some of the characters. Very easy this time!

It came with directions!

find your inner PIE @ quizmeme.com

Yes, I do have some spare time on my hand. And I've never had blueberry pie, so I'm not sure how I feel about my alternate pie personality.

At the grocery on Monday I decided to be adventurous and healthy and I splurged on a pomegranate. I had part of one many moons ago when I lived in Toledo, but I don't remember what I thought about it. Anyone who knows me well knows that I tend to shy away from strange foods, so this is a big step for me.

Today I followed the directions to get the arils out. The arils are like mini-grapes with seeds inside, except the arils are inside the pomegranate. Now I have a whole dish of arils that I am snacking on. I'm still out on how much I like them. They aren't gross, but some are really tart. And the edible seed inside isn't too appealing. Overall they are a 7 out of 10 on the Hugs-scale. I'm looking forward to trying them on my cereal tomorrow though.

Thanks but...

When my mom came to visit after Xander's birth she brought these awesome Turtle Bars. There is crust, a caramel layer, pecans and chocolate. Chris and I somehow made them last but eventually they were gone. Fortunately my mom promptly gave me the recipe. I've already made them twice. I had to because we shared them and I did not get my recommended dosage. So good I just melted into a happy puddle every time I had one.

I sent some along with Chris to work and waited for the compliments to pour in. When I sent in cake and cupcakes I got hordes of comments, but nothing this time. I guess because everyone had melted into happy puddles.

But this got me thinking about compliments and how I love to get them but don't take them very well. I'd like to think I've gotten better over time. In high school and college if I received a compliment I'd immediately point out how it wasn't true.

"Wow Hugs, your hair looks great today" "Ugh, I rolled out of bed and didn't have time to shower so it smells."

I think it's partially a self esteem issue (not enough) and a partially a humbleness issue (trying to hard to be). But it has been pointed out that I do this and I've realized that I don't like it when I give someone else a compliment and they immediately turn it into a negative. So I've tried to improve.

"Wow Hugs, this dinner tastes awesome" "Yeah it does, but I cooked the chicken a little too long."

Last week I introduced Xander to one of my neighbors growing up. She kept saying how adorable he is. And I would say "Thank you" and find myself about to add something, like about his infant acne. I realized that I don't want to say that about him. I don't want him growing up seeing me say thinks like that. So "Thank you" was all I said. It felt weird like there was a gaping hole after it that was supposed to be filled. But it's an improvement :) One step forward at a time.

You think you know someone

I've known my handsome husband for over seven years now, been married for four of those years. So it's always surprising when I learn something new or there is a big miscommunication. A couple of weeks ago we bought a couple of pumpkins. They were set by our front door next to the mums.

Amanda's thoughts on pumpkins: Obviously pumpkins are nice decoration, but they are meant to be carved and used as Halloween decorations.

Chris's thoughts on pumpkins: Obviously pumpkins are nice decoration, they can sit there from now all the way through Thanksgiving.

When we realized we had totally different thoughts on what to do with the pumpkins, we bickered and mocked and finally decided to get more pumpkins to carve. Chris had never carved a pumpkin before! I don't think I have either, I would draw the face I wanted on it and my Dad would carve it. The local nursery was having a sale - all you can carry for $10. We think the sales ladies were a little disappointed that Chris only picked up three.

Ukie and Dandy visited, so they each got a pumpkin, Chris and I each got a pumpkin, and of course the pumpkin diva made a return, so all of the pumpkins were used.

Suburban Living

We live in a pretty good neighborhood. Case in point, garage sales. There's at least one, if not more, every Friday and Saturday morning. I've only gotten to partake a couple of times. Today Xander and I were out for a stroll and came across one that sold baby clothes. And these are nice brands, well cared for. I spent $5.25 for 4 sleepers, 2 shirts and 4 ensemble outfits. I love saving money.

One of the weird things I've seen while walking around is televisions in the garages. I guess it's the 'man area' and putting a tv there would help pass the time being a grease monkey. But there are some large televisions in some of these garages and they are all suspended from the ceiling, like at a sports bar. It boggles my mind.

Other than that, it is really nice being in a neighborhood that has well maintained yards and families that play outside. There are already lots of Halloween decorations out, which makes me grin like a fool. When we were looking at houses in February one of the things I looked for was houses that still had Christmas decorations up (really, in February they should be down*). There is only one house I've seen around here that has done that, and it's just a little garland around the doorway.

The downside to such a great neighborhood is that the retailers are coming. Within a couple of years there will be a big complex consisting of Meijer, Home Depot and Kohl's (more to come) within ONE mile of here. I like all of those stores, but don't want them on my doorstep, darnit!

* I say this now, we'll see how fast I get mine down with a baby hollering for attention.

Of games and business

For my birthday I did receive some money and I think that I'd like to use it to expand our game selection for future Game Nights. I'm thinking Scene It would be a fun addition. I don't know anyone who has it but I have played it and it was a good time. However, there are several different editions that catch my fancy.

a) Movie edition: the basic game, maybe with a booster set (or whatever the additional questions are called.

b) Friends edition: everyone has seen some Friends episodes, if not all of them.

c) Marvel edition: ok, not really. Myself and my little brother and Rob (who I don't think will make it to Game Night) would be the only ones having fun.

d) Disney edition: for Xander down the road, but we've all seen our fair share of Disney so it could be fun.

Thoughts?

In other news, tomorrow I will be back on the job as CFO (Chief Family Officer) of the household with the added title of SAHM (Stay at Home Mom). So far I've had help, with Chris staying home and his mother as well as my Mom helping out. I feel like tomorrow is some big deciding day. Then I think about it some more and I realize every day for the next year at least. Then I get a little big overwhelmed and teary eyed. That's mostly the sleep deprivation talking though.

Forever 28!

For those who don't yet know, on Tuesday I gave birth to Alexander Robert. For the full story check out our Ringing in the New Year blog.

Friday was to be my 29th birthday. We came home from the hospital on Thursday and I barely had any sleep that night. So life is pretty topsy turvy. Still, I'd hoped to be showered with love and attention on my birthday. Ok, just some well wished "Happy Birthday!"s would have been fine. But most people forgot because it is all about the Xander love right now. And quite frankly I was not up to even going out to dinner or having a party or anything.

But that's ok. I'm not writing this to cause guilt or because I'm angry. I'm writing this because that means I never turned 29 and will be 28 forever. Boy will that get awkward for Xander when he turns 28 and three days later I'm still 28.

I so did sew

Last month I snuck off to a former coworker's house where she taught me the basics of a sewing machine. I learned to thread a bobbin and set it all up. I even made a couple of practice stitches on scrap material. But I wanted to put this knowledge to work. So this past week my mom helped me to pick out fabric. I pinned up the edges then stitched it all the way around. Wal-lah!


What on earth did I make? A sheet! For the crib!

I just know that half of you are astonished at my homemaking prowess. The other half is rolling your eyes and wondering if I just pinned the thing on. Yes, the bottom is pinned since I don't want to try elastic yet, but I assure you the sides are sewn.

I used a small zig-zag stitch. The bobbin ran out a couple of times, but I dealt with that pretty well. The big problem was that I could -not- keep it in a straight line. I'm sure this was due to it being a big piece of fabric that I let hang over the edge of the table instead of folding neatly next to the machine. Hey, it's a small table, ok? And only people who really care about straight stitches will look anyway.

My next project is to replace the curtain in Peanut's room and make a matching pillow. I have a pattern for a pillow, but I now realize that the sides need bunched which is more than I think I can handle yet. So I'll look up an easy pattern for a pillow. I'm hoping the curtain in the room will serve for me to make a rough pattern for that part.

This should get interesting. With any luck, I'll figure out enough to sew everyone something interesting for Christmas. Haha!

While the big dog is away...

Chris is gone on a business trip this week, leaving me to once again become the Crazy Cat Lady. It is so hard to behave while he is gone. I really would like to just eat pizza, drink pop and sit in front of the television. But I know that will just make me feel fat and lazy so I'm trying to stay motivated.

Part of my motivation yesterday was shopping! Hello, Labor Day sales! I was able to control myself for the most part. I used a gift certificate I'd received at Christmas (I figured holding onto it for another month was pretty pointless) and got some fancy lotions. And I found a few good deals at Old Navy. I don't care if it's September now, shorts for $0.97 are not to be passed up, especially when the only other maternity shorts I have are incredibly uncomfortable. I was even looking to buy Chris a few things, but couldn't find what I knew he'd like. Sorry handsome!

On Saturday we had a house party. It went from noon until 10, so I felt pretty popular :) We bought beer, pop, ice, burgers, hot dogs and buns. Everyone brought a covered dish or dessert. We even had a couple of Cornhole games going. It wasn't as well attended as we'd expected, so our fridge looks like we belong in college with all the beer stacked in it. Chris and I had a great time, we hope everyone that came also had a great time.

Towards the end of the party my youngest brother and his girlfriend were leaving and Chris said "hey, do you want any leftovers?" They left with four bags of food! Just a few years ago (ok, last year) it was us getting leftovers after visiting relatives! So besides the house, new car, marriage and baby-to-be, giving food to my little brother really makes me feel like an adult. Scary.

Where did that come from?

Last night I finally got some rest. And the vivid but weird dreams are back.

All I remember about the first part is that I was on some type of class trip to Somewhere. Stuff happens, don't remember what. But one guy decided to stock up on Botox while we were there. Some more stuff happens and then we find out the chaperones or police were going to conduct a raid and go through all of our things. Then it gets strange (yeah, like it's not already strange).

The guy with the Botox is all frozen faced so we accuse him of using the Botox. But he had a lot so I'm yelling at him "You didn't inject all of it did you?!?" And he's nodding yes, but just then I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror and my lips are swelling! So then I'm yelling "what did you do to me??" And my lips just keep swelling and not in a pretty way, but crooked and mishapen. Then, my bottom lip springs a leak and this clear liquid starts squirting out (I know, ew!). So I start screaming "Get it out! Get it out!" I end up falling down on my hands and knees and the liquid turns colors and I just keep yelling to get it out.

I must have one mighty strong fear of Botox.

Of cakes and caps

Since no one was able to guess the last movie screen cap, I must have made it too hard. Here is the same movie, but with the easily recognizable main character.


And here are the cakes I made for the baby shower. The glitter was a disappointment, all it did was make it look a little.....moist, I guess. The first one is supposed to be a cabbage patch.


The second is just something I made up, but it looked good.


The paper portion of the Great School Condensing of 2007 is complete. There are now only 6 boxes in the basement. Now commences the computer version, where I'm trying to save and organize all of the computer files from five years. It's not bad, except the computer chair is mighty uncomfortable.

Current Score

Last week I took my fancy new car title to the BMV to update my plates for my fancy new car. Apparently it's now a one stop convenience place. I was able to:

1) Update my plates for my new car, as planned.
2) Get new registration for my car, since my birthday is next month.
3) Get a new drivers license, since my old one expires on my birthday next month. (my previous post about how it already expired was severe case of pregnancy brain)
4) Register to vote.

Ok, so that's all stuff you should be able to do there. But I just thought it was nice that they asked if I wanted to do numbers 2, 3 and 4, because some people wouldn't even mention it. Also, no social security number on the new license which means I will always be getting in trouble because I will never remember to bring my social security card with me when I need it (like at the BMV). Also I take surprisingly good license photos if I do say so. I don't even look pregnant and my hair is all shiny.

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I took Min to the vet today for her shots. She doesn't mind the cat carrier but had this completely pitiful meow the entire time the car was in motion. I figured it's good practice for when Peanut is here and just ignored it and turned the volume on the book on CD. Does that make me a bad mom already?

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If I haven't mentioned it before, I'm making my own cakes for the baby shower. Yes, plural because my hungry husband demands cake. He said he fully intends on helping to drop them off and taking a piece before he leaves. So don't be surprised if any pictures I post have a chunk of cake missing. But, just to entice everyone, edible glitter will be involved!

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For those of you keeping score at home:
- in one month I will be 29
- in two months I will be a mother and responsible for not screwing up a new life
No pressure on either account.

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Name that movie! I had a couple of screen shots to choose from and picked the harder one this time. I saw the library has this and was extremely tempted to rent it. But the school project isn't done yet so it will have to wait.

School days

So August means getting ready for the new school year to begin. As a teacher I would have begun my Countdown of Doom to when school starts (how many weekends do I have left?) but not this year! So instead of counting down, I'm watching commercials and missing the opportunities to buy new supplies and thinking about what a waste it is that I can't have students do the population growth simulation with Skittles.

However, it has been a long term project for me to clean up and organize and weed out all of my teacher things. This includes, but is not limited to, notes from four different subjects (six if you count Basic Algebra and Honors Algebra 2 separate from Algebra and Algebra 2), teacher information, office supplies, class supplies and books. When we moved I had roughly 14 boxes, I think.

Since my sister has her first full time teaching gig this year, I invited her to visit and borrow what she would like. That took 4 boxes.

I got out all of my notes and tests and have the two big subjects organized. I also emptied a multitude of file folders and now have one box of empty binders. And yes, I do have issues with parting with empty binders because I Might Need Them.

So I think I'm down to six boxes. *sigh* Chris has kindly asked that I have this project down by the baby shower because he thinks I'll be too fat and lazy after that. Ok, he didn't SAY fat and lazy, but he implied it! And really, I've been only been working on it since last summer.

Instead of coming home from tutoring and diving right in, I ate and found this clip for you. It's from 'How I Met Your Mother' and I was honestly roaring with laughter when I saw it on tv. To set the scene for you, they are discussing losing their virginity because the one girl's younger sister wants to do it.

Visual DNA

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

This is kind of a visual personality test. I just went with first instinct on some answers and on others I had a hard choice or no choice that I liked. I don't think I'm a Dreamer or a Conquerer, but I never have been good at judging myself. New Wave Puritan is a suprisingly fit description because I try to be healthy but definitely have my vices. And Love Bug is pretty accurate too.

What are you?

Weekend stuff

At the end of the last baby blog, Chris made a comment about my Scrabble skills so I had to demand a rematch. Chris and I are way too competitive, especially at Scrabble. It's probably a good thing that we've never played Scrabble on game nights with other people there to witness us taking ten minutes to consider the score vs. giving-the-other-person-a-setup aspect of every word possible. Anyway, I reached my all time high score of 400 last night so I was strutting a little.

Friday night my little brother and his girlfriend came over and hung out. We tried the new ice cream place in town which wasn't bad. We also played Euchre, and it turns out his girlfriend is also highly competitive. So that turned into an entertaining evening.

Saturday we visited my parents since Thursday was my Mom's 50th birthday. For those that don't remember, Chris and I attempted to usurp August 2nd from my mom by getting married that day. We hung out and visited my grandparents. Both of my grandmothers think I am not that big, which scares me that I might get oh so much bigger. My mom tried to reassure me that they didn't have air conditioning when they were pregnant, so they'd gain more water weight. My dad had stopped at the farmers market and bought my favorite cake, chocolate with carmel (penuche) icing and we got to take a big chunk of it home. They keep getting me cake like that and I will get huge!

What is in a name?

There is something about me that just screams "My name starts with the letter A". And invariably if someone forgets my name they come up with one of two other names.

Last night during the cake class the instructor repeatedly called me Amber. There was a large name tag on the front of my table that clearly stated "Amanda" but apparently that tag was not believable. I didn't correct her since it was the last class and I will likely never see her again.

In college I attended some campus activity that involved an icebreaker where you had to remember names. I received an enthusiastic Allison! So that turned into a running joke.

And in general if people are trying to guess/remember my name I get Amber or Allison. Really? No Jennifer, the most popular name during my birth year? I don't look like a Heidi, one of the most popular German names?

Although I do have to admit it's creepy when people guess Amanda on the first try.

Speaking of my cake class, the last one was yesterday. The instructor was 40 minutes late, so I didn't get to finish in class and managed to get it done this morning just in time for it to be cut and shipped off with Chris.
In case you can't tell, those are roses on top, not a cabbage patch, and leaves around the bottom. And it took some time for me to find the right angle to photograph the cake, because the top layer had begun to slide.

Oh, and here's a shocker. Apparently our house came with the most advanced dishwasher available on the market. I discovered this today when trying to clean all of the cake decorating supplies. I know you are shocked that we haven't used the machine in the two months we've lived here, but we tend to do them by hand. In fact there has been a standing agreement in our marriage that I do laundry and Chris does dishes. However, as CFO I am trying to take more responsibility in the dish washing arena.

So today I start to organize the massive pile of icing covered paraphernalia in the dishwasher. First I have to pull out a bunch of accessories such as baskets and clip-on thingies. Then some of the racks didn't line up and I realize that they can fold down and up. Then there is some sort of handle on each side of the top rack, still haven't figured those out. And there is a swivel bar that pins glasses in so they don't rattle, at least I'm assuming that is what it is for. I haven't even fully investigated all of the buttons on the outside. There are no knobs. Of course it really didn't help that after all of that I discovered we don't have dishwasher detergent.

Yeah, dishwashers have come a long way since I was a kid. We had four different ones at our house, one of them named Amanda.

Ta Da!

Here is but a sample of my amazing skillz at cake decorating. I used cupcakes this week so it would be easier for Chris to give them away at work. I'm so thoughtful! Plus it is easier for me to keep a few for myself because they are delicious. Both Chris and Ikkin tried to hold conversations with me as they took huge bites, so the cupcakes must be good. Here are close ups of my two favorites. What can I say, I'm proud of myself for learning something new.



Next week I learn to make a rose! They will be the tastiest roses ever!

Updating

So I've been pretty busy. I had the Wisconsin wedding the last weekend of June, the DC wedding the first weekend of July and Chris's mom visited this past weekend. So I've spend the weeks doing laundry and cleaning in preparation for or following after each of these events. I have one more event coming up, Christmas in Toledo! My college friends and I get together for a Christmas party each year. Usually it is closer to Christmas (January, February or March) but we waited this year for one of my friends to get back from China!

I wanted to make scarves for my friends this year, since I learned how to knit them in February. However, I just could not seem to focus on the knitting. So I was hoping to get at least one done and was nearly there. However during the ruckus of family visits, someone pulled out the knitting needles from the nearly finished scarf. For those not in the know, the needles should stay in! I've tried putting them back in, but about halfway through the stitches start pulling and coming apart. *sigh* I guess I can give scarves next year.

In other news, in case you haven't checked Chris's blog, I have a new Mom-Mobile! It's an '05 Malibu Maxx in silver green metallic (I looked up that color name). There's little dings in the paint and the cashmere colored interior will show dirt pretty easy, but it was a good deal and I'm happy. I'm especially enjoying the V6 engine and the keyless entry and the power windows. I'm easy to please. Now I just need a good name for it.

And finally, I am taking a cake decorating class. Last night was the second class (of four) and we had to bring in our own cake, iced and ready to decorate. My cake didn't turn out great, I didn't level it correctly and it broke apart so that after I iced it, it looked like some giant person tried to take a bite out of it. But it turns out I'm not bad at the actual decorating. :) So once I get the cake part down, I'll be impressing everyone with my stars and lines.

Due to the fact that I would eat the whole thing in one day, Chris took it to work and sent the following statements home:

T: This is really good.

J *thumbs up*

H: People who can’t bake f**k up the icing. I can tell your wife can bake.

S: This is good. And this is coming from us in level 3. (note: I'm taking level 1 decorating, some of Chris's coworkers are in level 3).

Next time I'll remember to take a picture before I ship it off to be eaten.

Wisconsin, the Adventure

So a couple of weekends ago I drove to my cousin's wedding in northern Wisconsin. On Tuesday of that week Chris was told "Tough luck, schmuck, you have to work" so I took off Wednesday night and stayed with my parents.

So Thursday the clan was up bright and early and we set off. I was in a car with my brother Mark and sister Trisha, my youngest brother couldn't make it. We listened to Trisha's music for most of the way, which consists of hip-hop/rap/r&b. Since I don't listen to this type much, I was ok with it until day 3 when I was sick of hearing the same beats overandoverandOVER. But I managed not to hurt anyone.

That night we stopped at a hotel north of Madison, WI and went to eat at the restaurant next door. When we walked in the waitress was all "Do you have reservations?" Please note that we are all in comfy clothes (read: sweats and ratty jeans) and are tired and cranky. So no, we did not. There were plenty of seats open, but we had to wait. We thought "oh, there are a bunch of cross-state bikers, maybe the tables are for them" but 25 minutes later we were seated with plenty of seating still available. Service was slow and our food was cold, so that place will fold soon I'm sure. (I should totally be a restaurant critic)

Friday we reached our destination in the early afternoon and the rest of the family was already there. We stayed in a row motel with nine rooms and all of the rooms were booked by our side or the other side of the bride's family. So we sat outside and drank. And by drank I mean everyone else had beer and asked me if I needed to sit down. Friday night there was a pre-wedding party. We had Famous Dave's Barbecue catered in and it was awesome and delicious. Just thinking of the chicken and corn muffins are making me drool a little now. And looking it up now there are a lot of them, so I'll definitely take Chris there.

Saturday morning we went to Lumberjack Pancake House and had breakfast. You could view the stands and everything that are used during the World Lumberjack Championships from our patio seats. Mark convinced Trisha that the small tree behind her was poison ivy, which pretty much shows how they both behaved. Not that I took a picture of Trisha in the morning because her hair was sticking up. And not that Trisha immediately ran outside screaming to Mom about how she was going to kill me. We're mature adults, really!

So the wedding was Saturday afternoon and I'm telling you that someone sold their soul because the weather could not have been better for a boat wedding. All of the guests were assigned to a pontoon (Mom had to have me re-assigned since Chris wasn't there, she worried about me!) and the pontoons were named after country songs. Ours was "Amarillo By Morning" and we were special because our pontoon had a CD player and we got to listen to it during the ride.

The bride and groom rode in his fishing boat (when the groom pulled up, he was fishing) along with the minister and we were off cruising across the lake back to a secluded lagoon. I'm not sure how they arranged for it not to be used, but we lassoed together and had a short ceremony. Then it was back to the docks.

That night there was a regular reception. Mark, Trisha and I were relegated to a table of college friends and spent most of the night making fun of each other. It was open bar so they had fun and I got to try my first Shirley Temple, which was not bad.

Sunday was church, a little souvenir shopping, pie eating at Norkse Nook, taking naps and ending in the going to see the Lumberjack show. That was fun to see, they showed the skills lumberjacks have by having a two team competition and they mixed in humor and history to keep it entertaining. Mmmm, lumberjacks. Chris should take up log chopping (just kidding handsome!).

Then Monday it was up early and a full day of driving all the way back to Ohio. Longest. Ride. Ever. And it didn't help that Peanut was an active little bugger. But we finally switched the music, so I survived.

Wisconsin, the teaser trailer

How do you know you are in Wisconsin?

a) The restaurant has placemats that describe fish

b) The same restaurant has a shower in the women's restroom
c) Food is described with sounds (onomatopoeia).
d) The fish museum is actually made to look like a fish. If you look closely you can see people in it's mouth.
e) Lumberjacks!and f) Your cousin gets married on a fishing boat.
More to come later!