Science World '88

It's Halloween!!

2007-10-30T12:42:00.000-05:00

OK everyone - what are your kids dressing up as for Halloween? I wanna see pictures!! I've got Blossom (a PowerPuff Girl!) and Bob the Builder!

Thing 1 & 2

2007-08-17T21:59:00.000-05:00

Here are my boys!

Arctic Tale

2007-08-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

My brother Eric was an assistant editor on this film, which I think should be coming out nationwide pretty soon if it hasn't already. My family saw a preview of it in Chicago a couple of weeks ago, and I think kids will probably really enjoy it, or at least parts of it. Eric has been regaling us with stories surrounding the process of getting this movie completed for almost two years now, and some of them are pretty incredible (the production meeting where it was argued whether or not walruses could have flashbacks is a highlight). Knowing all the changes the film went through it's amazing it finally got finished and it makes me wonder how ANYTHING gets done in the film industry!

Anyway since you all have kids in the right age group for this movie, I thought I would give a shout-out to Eric-- his name is the first listed in the credits under "Assistant Editors". AND-- this is what we're most proud of as a family-- a lot of Eric's sound edits made it into the final cut of the film, over those the actual sound editor did, most notably in the walrus "pull my flipper" sequence. That's right, Eric has found his niche as the go-to fart wizard! Now that the film is finished and Eric has to find another project to work on, I hope he will be sure to make a note of that on his resume.

My latest distraction.....

2007-07-24T06:53:00.000-05:00

So, this is the most fun web site I've found in a while: www.simpsonizeme.com. We're considering this for our Christmas card this year - fun, fun!!

Doing Well

2007-05-30T23:10:00.000-05:00

Anyhow-

This will be a quick post- to let you know Axel arrived safely and we are all well. Congrats Lisa on getting knocked up. We'll keep you in our prayers. That's so awesome. Birth went well- planned C-section- but Axel took a huge drink of amneotic fluid on the way out- and got it in his lungs and had to be in the NICU 6 days which was pretty yucky. But the bottom line is he's okay and doing fine, we're all home now. It was stressful though. Not much else to report- just chasing Oskar. In December I started this little business thingy, I paint and I started doing portraits of rich people's dogs. Yes- officially I have become the "wedding singer" or the art world. Anyhow- keeps the babes in comfy organic cloth diapers. I put up a website at www.muttbutt.com (also new email carolyn @ muttbutt. com ) with some of the pooch clients on if you want to see them. BUT I doubt I'll have too much time for painting the next few months- but maybe, never know, they'll actually be a few of my paintings in a show this weekend if you want to some down to Tucson to see them!!

Okay- Baby #2 crying. must go.

Carolyn

Here I Am

2007-05-30T23:05:00.000-05:00

Ola

Sorry so long- no posty. I have been a little pre-occupied chasing a 2 year old while hugely pregnant. I'll post a photo I was HUGE HUGE HUGE. Now we have 2 boys. Oh BOY! What were we thinking, I don't think I'll ever have a moment to check email again.

Axel Magnus Anderson was born May 9 1:14 Pm, 7 lbs, 14oz, 21 inches.

Roll Call!

2007-05-10T10:51:00.000-05:00

I'm in Week Two of our 2-week family vacation, and I am feeling guilty for not having taken some time to blog here over the past one-and-a-half weeks. Actually, that's a lie. I haven't thought all that much about blogging at all, but I did just see a story I know will make Lisa happy -- it appears to be the Summer of the British Band Reunions, no? Time to touch base.

My Life in Pictures: While we were in Atlanta, we all went and had the grandkids take some pictures with Grandma and Grandpa. A couple are featured here:

Brett takes "smile" a little too literally when it comes to taking pictures -- a definite pet peeve if mine -- and as a result he often looks a little demented. My solution is to tell him to laugh instead of smile, and that sometimes works, but he also tends to ham that up a bit, too (imagine), so that has led to some interesting images as well. As we were looking through the pix and picking and choosing which to have developed, Dad famously muttered that he wasn't particularly thrilled with any of the group shots or of the ones of just him and Mom because he felt like he was "just sitting around in [his] underwear." Also? This is the only time any of us have ever seen (or ever will see) him wear jeans.

Must-See Movie: Hot Fuzz -- it was everything I hoped for and much, much more. Best movie I've seen in a long time.

Reading at the Moment: Until I Find You by John Irving (yes, still -- and I'm only 1/4 of the way through its 824 pages).

Listening to at the Moment: Backlogged podcasts from Penn Jillette, Adam Corolla (for Danny, mostly), and NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me."

Brutal Honesty of the Week: Brett asked this at breakfast this morning: "Grandma, why is your hair always messed up?" (Basically, her answer was the same as mine always is; it's naturally curly.)

Your turns.

First the Police get back together... and now this?

2007-02-25T12:06:00.000-06:00

First of all, thank you so much for posting those pictures, Aimee-- oh my God, the kids are getting so big and they are both so freaking ADORABLE! They are both going to be little heartbreakers... you better watch out when they go to summer camp!!!! ;)

Also-- thanks so much for the flowers-- Nate and I were so surprised and touched that you would send us flowers! I loved the margarita glass-- so cute!!!!

I guess I should explain why Aimee sent me flowers-- well, Nate and I are, at long last, officially parents-to-be!!!! I am 6 weeks pregnant as of yesterday, and have a due date of October 20... so yes, along with the Police going on tour, it is a sign that hell has indeed frozen over, or at least, that anything is possible. After 2 years of trying, we are really hoping everything will go well with the pregnancy-- I know it's still really early, so we haven't told everyone we know yet, but I thought you guys should know!!! I can finally start posting pictures of my human children! Whee! I must have asked Aimee a hundred and fifty questions when I called her this week with the news-- but all of you have your own insights and wisdom to impart, so any advice would be so appreciated... I am pretty overwhelmed, to say the least. It's going to be the first grandchild on both sides of our family, so needless to say everyone is pretty excited about it, especially my parents, who are going to be moving to Chicago in the next month or so (finding out I was pregnant was an added bonus)!

I'm tired most of the time, and don't exactly have morning sickness but sometimes I just feel really not hungry-- and it's random. I made poached eggs on toast for breakfast this morning, and I thought it tasted so good, as soon as I finished I went back to the kitchen to make some more-- and as I was washing out the egg poacher I suddenly wondered how I had managed to eat it the first time, it sounded so unappealing. For the most part I feel all right though.

Anyway, that's the biggest news we've had in quite a while. Carolyn, how is your second pregnancy going? Did you have your baby yet? Please post some pictures if you can!!!!

2007-02-23T15:58:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone!! Thought I'd post some fun pix as it's been a while. The top one is our "Valentine's Day" picture and the bottom 2 pretty much sum up the personalities of my kids these days: a sweet & innocent smile and a growl!!

I just decorated a Lightning McQueen cake for Tyler's 3rd birthday. After doing 2 years of store bought decorated cakes, I decided that I could do it myself this year. Well, I really can't. Hopefully he doesn't mind the complete lack of artistic ability and the fact that I couldn't get the frosting quite red enough, so McQueen is kinda PINK!! Yeah - store bought cakes rock (especially Tractor ones, right Lisa & Nate?).

I miss you all & think of you often. I wanna see more pictures of the kids! :)

Okay, It Was Short...

2007-02-11T19:07:00.000-06:00

...but that rocked. Yes, we've all heard Sting sing "Roxanne" like a bazillion times now, and yes, I wish they would have done a couple of songs (especially considering the Grammys are slated to last three-and-a-half hours, hello) instead of just the one. They could have done one of their signature let's-weave-half-a-dozen-of-our-songs-into-one dealies... but I'm willing to live with short and sweet if they'll consider doing that on their new tour.

YES.

Oh please please please be true...

2007-01-04T14:29:00.000-06:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16469727/

I. Would. Die.

Mourning Show

2006-12-20T21:31:00.000-06:00

I know it's been a century since I've posted -- please forgive me. It's not that I don't care.

Lisa, I'm truly sorry for your recent losses. I know you love your kitties, and even if I don't consider myself a fan, I can certainly understand the affection we can share with our pets. I would be devastated if Sadie were to have to leave us anytime soon.

It makes the news I have to share all the more difficult to pass on, though. There's no easy way to lead up to it, so I'll just come right out with it: Bob Reitman has retired. And thus has ended an era and has another chapter in my life (our lives, if I may be so bold) come to a close. I only heard about it yesterday from a friend at work, and it's taken me this long to bring myself to confirm it. Sigh.

Okay, two tangents to distract us from the disappointment of our losses:

My kids are fricking adorable, if I do say so myself. Best. Picture. Ever.
Jakob Nielsen is a dillweed. Ever heard of suspending your disbelief, you unimaginative prick?

One of these things doesn't belong....

2006-12-02T08:17:00.000-06:00

Clearly my kids get Christmas in all of its forms! Hee Hee! When I asked my goofball Tyler why he put the Toys R Us car by the nativity scene, he gave the obvious answer: to deliver the presents for baby Jesus' birthday! Ah yes, the true meaning of Christmas! I hope you are all enjoying this wonderful holiday season! I am thinking of you all.

Oreo Cookie-Puss Stran 4/4/88 - 11/29/06

2006-11-29T17:12:00.000-06:00

When I was getting ready to graduate from eighth grade, I tried to convince my parents that a perfect present would be to have a kitten of my own. I had gone to Corner's Pet Shop on Highway 100, where I had fallen in love with a tiny black and white longhaired kitten who immediately started purring when I held her (something she would do every time I picked her up for many, many years). My parents had held firm that one cat was enough for our house, and I was pretty much resigned to the idea-- but when we left for home from brunch after graduation, I realized something was odd when my mother rode home with my grandparents instead of with us. When they pulled into the driveway and got out of the car, I remember thinking, wait-- it couldn't be-- could it?-- as I watched my mom walking slowly up the walk to our front door with a large silver box in her hands. When she got closer, I could see that the box was wiggling. I opened the lid and this tiny black and white fluffball head poked out. I promptly burst into tears-- I was so incredibly happy that this little kitten was mine.

Eighteen and a half years later, I'm crying again, but it's to say goodbye. Oreo was a really big part of my life-- she lived with me in three states. She saw me through high school, college, five apartments, three roommates, and one condo. She was there when I got married. She was always happy to be in my lap or at the foot of my bed-- she was content just to be near me, and she was as affectionate and sweet as any pet I have ever known. She was amazing.

So to celebrate her long and eventful life I wanted to write this post. My pets are the closest thing to children I have and to lose two of them in two months has been incredibly hard for me and for Nate, but we take comfort in the fact that Oreo is at peace and isn't suffering, and has Bear to keep her company.

2006-11-17T23:23:00.000-06:00

Here's one more of Oz dressed up as the veteranarian

Photos

2006-11-17T23:19:00.000-06:00

Hmmm- Photos didn't come up?

Here they are again

Oskar in his Dog Suit

Halloween Photos

2006-11-17T23:05:00.000-06:00

Howdy Peeps-

Here's a photo of Oskar in his Halloween outfit. He was a dog. We had 18 babies and toddlers at our house for a Halloween party which went surprisingly well. We brought our water table in from outside and has it full of Halloween ducks for the kids to play with- and that's what Oskar is standing in front of. The reason we had to bring it inside- was 15 minutes prior to the party- our dog Tyler got bit by a rattlesnake in our yard. As horrible as this was- it could have been so much worse- with 18 babies painting pumpkins in a yard with a loose rattlesnake. So our good dog once again saved the day and took the bite instead of little human niblet. Tyler the dog is doing fine now- after anti-venom- emergency hospital stay and a vet bill encroaching $1500- but what do you do when he's been your best pal for 12 years and your "first child".

Other exciting news- I am pregnant again- about 14 weeks. Keep us in your prayers- a lot can happen but I am confident it will all go well. Cautiously optimistic. Babies will be about 2 years about- which is a little closer then I had thought- if anyone ever tells you you can't get pregnant while still nursing THEY ARE WRONG! :-). But it may be perfect timing. So we are off again.

Oskar is 19 months and talking up a storm. Saying super funny things every day. His favorite words are "fork" and "frog" which both sound like "F * CK" and of course ran around at our Mennonite Church potluck enthusiastically yelling "Fork" "Fork" when finding a plastic fork. I had to follow close behind telling everyone "he's saying, fork...." Also the baby sitter says "sweet" a lot as an exclaimation- so that's another one- when Thomas the Train rolls off the track and into the mud- Oskar yells- "SWEET!". So much fun.

Okay- it's late here so I'll get this photos up and write more later. Good to check in with all of you and read your updates- sorry I haven't posted so awhile- but pregnant mom- I have been chasing a toddler and barfing so not my computer time lately.

Carolyn

Halloween

2006-11-03T21:22:00.000-06:00

Another Halloween gone by - fun, fun! Yes, my 2 goofballs were Minnie & Mickey Mouse. Quite a drama deciding on costumes, though. For the longest time, Tyler wanted to be a carrot - yes, a carrot! This is the guy who won't eat a veggie without a 45 minute standoff, and he insisted for the longest time on a CARROT! They don't sell child carrot costumes, not even on eBay. And the Veggie Tales FEMALE one wasn't an option. So after 6 weeks of trying to convince him to be ANYTHING else, with no luck, Emma says, "Tyler, don't you want to match me & be Mickey Mouse?" Ahhhh.. sibling peer pressure at its best. So that's how we got Mickey & Minnie Mouse!

In other fun news, I'm a aunt for the first time, today. Little Kade Peter Bishop was born early this morning. Can't wait to see him next weekend!

I miss you all - I posted Halloween pix - I expect to see more soon! :)

Remember me?

2006-11-03T11:12:00.000-06:00

I apologize for being gone for so long-- thanks for that post, Andy, and the picture too, but did you know that they actually make kiddie pools and bathtubs and that you don't need to squeeze your kids into a beer cooler to stave off the summer heat? I know I'm not a parent, but I'm fairly confident that I'm correct.

So I have been so damn preoccupied with the theater that it's bordering on ridiculous, but it's definitely where I want to be, and I don't miss my old day job at the Art League, although I do kind of miss the structure. It's a slippery slope when you don't have to get up to an alarm, and I never realized how many pairs of lounge pants I owned until I started wearing them every day. But the theater is coming along, slowly but surely! We're getting ready to launch our first Christmas mainstage show as well as a Christmas-themed kids' show, called "Rough Night At The North Pole", and Nate's playing Santa-- so you guys should bring your rugrats to come see it!

I hope you guys had a good Halloween and please please post some pictures of your kids in their costumes! I happened to be walking around Evanston during the hours when all the kids were out trick-or-treating and it was sooo adorable. I gotta say that's one thing I am really looking forward to once we have kids (which we are still working on, don't worry, I'll let you know when there's any news)...

Although we don't have any kids yet, we have some new additions to the family, believe it or not! We had to put Bear, one of our cats, to sleep on September 28th, and Nate and I were both devastated. We knew we wanted to get another cat and we ended up getting two (yes, it was me who insisted)-- a pair of 3-month-old kittens, brother and sister, who we named Linus and Lucy. So that brings the tally (for those of you keeping track) up to eight, and although we still miss Bear every day, the new babies are awesome! Lucy likes to be zipped up in my sweatshirt and carried around like a baby kangaroo. She rules.

I apologize for the super-newsy tone of this post but I just recently regained regular Internet access (I just got a MacBook) and I am trying to make up for lost time. I really am dying for some new pics of Oskar, Emma, Tyler, Brett and AJ, stat! So get on that, people!

Hilariousest Sibling Fight... EVER

2006-10-27T07:01:00.000-05:00

The other night, we were sitting at the table together, eating dinner as a family (I know: What a novel concept, huh?) and a fight broke out.

First some background:

Lexie loves Froot Loops, but she can't exactly say it. When she asks for it, it's always "Ploo-Ploop?"
Brett still has the 'Timmy two-year-old' phonetic tic where almost all of his 'R's and some of his 'L's sound like 'W's.

There was a fruit fly tzeetzing around the grapes on our plates, sort of grazing around mine and then jetting over to Lexies and then eventually back to the bowl in the middle of the table. Brett asked what it was, and DeeDee and I both said, "A fruit fly" simultaneously.

Much to Lexie's amusement.

LEXIE: Ploo-ply?
ME: Yes, honey, a fruit fly. Can you say "fruit fly"?
LEXIE: [smiles and nods]

A few minutes pass and the fruit fly reappears, basically leading to a very similar conversation between Lexie and either myself or DeeDee.

Ten minutes later, she's still at it.

LEXIE: Ploo-ply?
HER PARENTS: [in the middle of some conversation not at all related to fruit flies] Mmmm-hmmm.
LEXIE: [pointing] Ploo-ply, ploo-ply?
BRETT: [out of nowhere] No, Lexie! [Which, when he's peeved sounds more like "Leckseeyuh"]
LEXIE: [staring at him] ...Ploo-ply?
BRETT: Rrrrhh! No, Lexie(yuh)! It's not a 'ploo-ply.' IT'S A FWOOT FWY!

We laughed for like a year. We're horrible parents, I know.

Long time, no post.....

2006-07-23T21:16:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know it's been a while, so here are my little goofballs hugginge each other and standing tall with the big cats at the zoo. My summer is pretty much getting up in the morning, then deciding which park, pool, zoo, etc. to go to so we can get sweaty & stinky with sunscreen all day long! I can't complain, though, it's lots of fun and I've got a steller tan (even if it does have a sock line - remember all the sock lines at SSI '89, Lisa?). We did Yogi Bear last weekend with my family - highly recommended, as it's camping as it should be: in a cabin with A/C and a washer & dryer.

Tyler is a little chatterbox these days, which is so much fun. He has 2 volumes: OFF & LOUD and wants to tell us EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING. He still loves his trucks and construction vehicles and has been in heaven the past 3 weeks, as the road outside our house has been resurfaced. Emma is my consciencious (sp?) sweetheart, who just wants to have fun everyday and do what she should. Her imagination has taken off recently and we've played some pretty great pretend games while Tyler naps.

All is great here in Waunakee and I miss hearing from you all - I promise I'll be better about publishing here! :)

Kitty Sounds Around the World

2006-07-23T14:42:00.000-05:00

Here's a website that has the sound kitty's make- in lots of different languages. Meow-mjau!
http://www.kisa.ca/pussy.html

Welcome Gavin Alexander Kloeckner!

2006-07-19T01:02:00.000-05:00

This is the closest I'm gonna get to a newborn for the foreseeable future, but I can't complain. Gavin is a peanut!

2006-07-19T01:01:00.000-05:00

He's a Kloeckner, all right!

2006-07-19T01:00:00.001-05:00

Brian and Gavin

2006-07-19T01:00:00.000-05:00

So I finally have some baby pictures to share, even though they're not mine... my friends Stephanie and Brian had their son, Gavin Alexander, Tuesday at 10:45 am. The little monkey weighed 9.5 lbs... and Stephanie did it all without drugs (Brian, I'm not so sure)... they are so excited-- they just brought him home, and Nate and I were the first people to see him since he came home from the hospital. He looks like his daddy, no?

The Dude Abides

2006-07-14T01:15:00.000-05:00

http://www.lebowskifest.com/

2006-07-14T01:12:00.000-05:00

Here's the photos

News about OZ

2006-07-14T00:58:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends-

Oskar is ON THE RUN these days and I don't have a heck of a lot of time to seek out obscure and bizarre website to share with y'all. BUT I can probably share few. Here's a few pics of Oskar causing trouble. We taught him sign language and the little guy already knows 137 sign plus- I stopped counting. He's 15 months. In one photo- he's signing "sit" telling the dog to "sit". He's already a comedian- at the dinner table he signs "fart" and laughs hysterically. Also he named his stuffed Panda "Poop Poop". Again laughs hysterically- when you ask him what's his panda's name. "poop poop" tee hee hee, ladies and gentlemen- I'll be here at the Highchair- all week- 5 o'clock! Yes I think he's all little boy.

It's so much fun- very hard- but fun. Especially as now he can sign things like "Teeth, hurt, medicine" or "loud, scared" when a truck went by. I know what's going on in that little head- a little. Also Scary- as he listens to EVERYTHING we say- and signs word we are talking about. Like we were talking making sure a gladware container was sealed- checking the seal- after dinner- and he signed "seal" the animal. I looked at him- and realized he is not only listening but understanding- so we have to be so careful what we do and say. Of course you should anyhow- but it sunk it at that moment.

Anyhow- I highly recommend teaching kids sign language- my husband was skeptical at the beginning- but he's totally converted to the idea now.

I hope everyone is well- I'll add some weird links in a separate post.
Love Carolyn

Slings & Arrows is AWESOME!

2006-06-05T22:18:00.000-05:00

Pre-order now!

Carolyn, when we got DVR for our digital cable I remembered you mentioned you loved "Slings & Arrows" so I set our TV to record all the episodes which were being shown on the Sundance Channel. Nate and I finally started watching them last week, and we are hooked! Unfortunately we have only seen Season 2, but as you can see, Season 1 is going to be coming out on DVD soon! Yay! As people who run a theater company, we found so much of the subject matter really hilarious, but just in itself it's a really entertaining show and really well acted. THANKS FOR THE TIP! (It only took, like, what, a year or something?) We love it!

Speak of the devil anyhoo-- the big news is that Rogue Theater officially has its own home! As of May 1, we officially took over what was previously the Chicago Jewish Theater at 5123 N. Clark Street, in Chicago's kickass Andersonville neighborhood, and have been feverishly slaving away trying to get the place up and running. We are sooo excited and freaked out and proud and scared out of our wits, but it's a huge turning point for Rogue (having our own home sets us apart from the sea of transient storefront theater companies and gives us a discrete identity) and it's what we've been dreaming about even before we started this whole thing. So if you want to send us your headshot or resume, send it to:

Rogue Theater
5123 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640

HOLLA! I miss all of you. I hope we can get back into the habit of semi-regular postings. I know summer creates a whole new schedule for people, especially those of you with young'uns, but I'll try to keep things going as best I can.

Happy 9th Wedding Anniversary Aimee & Kevin!

2006-04-12T21:49:00.000-05:00

Aimee, it's mystifying to me that next year you and Kevin will be celebrating your 10-year anniversary-- where does the time go? Congratulations on keeping your marriage happy and healthy-- the both of you (along with your fantastic kids) are such an inspiration to me and Nate. We hope when it's our turn to look back on 9 years together, we will be able to count ourselves as lucky as the two of you.

I hope you're out having a romantic date night, or at least grabbing a bite at Cheeseburger In Paradise (that place was awesome) and enjoying whatever free time you have together. You're great parents and a wonderful couple-- you're the best!

I hope we can visit you again soon-- Andy, you gotta get Brett and AJ together with Emma and Tyler-- they are too much fun... oh, that reminds me! As recently as yesterday, Nate performed his imitation of Tyler "dancing" to "A Whole New World" on the keyboard. This was after his birthday last week, when all Nate would say when I mentioned it was "tractor cake"! I'm telling you, they bonded big time...

Long time no post

2006-04-09T11:37:00.000-05:00

Greetings all:

Just a quick post to say "Hi" and confirm that I'm still alive. I just returned from San Diego from a meeting and am awaiting our departure for England (for vacation) now. Life in NYC is otherwise going well with my wife and I settling in for a good, long time now. I've joined the faculty at NYU and she is starting residency at Cornell.

Best wishes for a lovely spring!
Chad

HAPPY 31ST BIRTHDAY AIMEE!!!!

2006-04-02T11:23:00.000-05:00

To an incredibly supportive, kind, sweet, hilarious, clever, silly, and overall super-awesome friend-- I love you!

Can you believe that this was almost eighteen years ago? Look at the promise on these little angels' faces... nobody would ever suspect them of being "tasteless", would they Aimee?

2006-04-02T11:21:00.000-05:00

BFFS 4-evah! We're sooo cute here. I wish I still had this shirt... as weird as it was to put the Summerfest logo where they did, it had an illustrated layout of the festival grounds on the back and it was the awesomest shirt EVER!

2006-04-02T11:19:00.000-05:00

A classic... nobody ever looked quite as stylish in those Chi-Chi's kids' menus as we did...

Novelty Smovelty

2006-03-27T20:50:00.000-06:00

Oskar's favorite time of day, lately, seems to be playing music and dancing around the living room. IPOD in hand I have downloaded/uploaded all these fun Novelty 80s songs from the Muppets to the Time Warp. I realize some of these will need to be edited as he becomes old enough to learn the words- although I think I was in my 30s before I figured out the words to "Grease Lightening" included "the chicks will cream", Steely Dan's "Hey 19" was about cocaine and roller derby girls, and the Stone's "Brown Sugar" wasn't about C & H pure cane. Didn't warp me too much, okay, that's debateable. I put some into the STOEFFEL's family file- where our Christmas music went. I thought I would show you my (downloads) if you show me ours. I put some of my favorites- and I am happy to snail mail a mix copy to the Ipod-less amoung us- just email me your address.

March

2006-03-20T20:52:00.000-06:00

beepp beeepp!!
puttt puttt vroom vroom putt!

Hi Everyone-
Today is our wedding anniversary- we've been married 7 years today and tomorrow is our baby's one year birthday. Oh BOY! Where has the time gone. Here are some current Ozzy photos. I can't believe it's been a year already. He's not an infant anymore- I woke up to find a little boy in my baby's crib. WHAT HAPPENED! Also we finally sold our house and we are moving in two weeks to the new one (down the street but still in Tucson). Moving with a toddler? yikes. Anyhow, that's our life lately- hope y'all are well.
carolyn

Uh Oh

2006-03-09T12:50:00.000-06:00

Looks like Lisa may need to reevaluate her heroines:
Katie Holmes asks Victoria Beckham to be her birthing partner?

Posh Spice is a Scientologist?! Who knew? (I'm betting not Lisa.)

2006-03-04T21:46:00.000-06:00

Hey Guys- I am still on Valentines day-

For Lisa

For Aimee

For Andy

For Chad

For Darren

BEEEEEE Mine

Carolyn

Where a kid can be a kid...

2006-02-21T13:01:00.000-06:00

The other day, on one of his regular treasure hunts at the local Goodwill, my brother Peter came across a rare find: a 45 of two songs by the Rock-a-Fire Explosion, aka the "band" who, back in the day, entertained millions at various Showbiz Pizza locations nationwide. Listening to this record set off the Stran Kids Obsess-o-meter... and here's what we discovered:

http://rock_afire.tripod.com/index.html

This is a website devoted to the phenomenon of Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese and its heyday back in the '80s when anybody who was anybody had their birthday party there. The Chuck E. Cheese we frequented was off of Highway 100, next to Southtown Cinema, just north of the location of our other social scene, Wisconsin Skate University!

I have so many fond memories of parties there as a kid, playing my favorite video game, Dig Dug, winning a pile of tickets from Skee-Ball, eating the delicious-in-my-memory-but probably-cardboard-tasting pizza, and splurging on candy with whatever tickets we could scrape together. I have a very distinct memory of the time I realized I had removed a loose tooth via a green apple Now'n'Later. But oh, the stage shows! The creepy yet endearing characters! Munch's Madhouse with the seizure-inducing strobe lights! The BALL PIT!!! Oh man. This website is so useful in jogging one's memory about the sights, smells, and tastes of our childhood. Every character who appeared in any of the Chuck E. Cheese/Showbiz shows is listed, every show routine is described, and the be-all and end-all: RADIO SHOWBIZ!!!! That's right-- every song sung by our beloved Billy Bob & Co., Chuck E., Pasqually & Jasper, can be heard via Live365!!!!

If you have fond memories of golden tokens, flashing lights, and eardrum-shattering noise, check this site out. It's the next best thing to having a time machine...

2006-02-15T17:17:00.000-06:00

As I haven't posted for awhile- I have to share another treasure I ran into on the web- Demonic Children from 1950s advertising.

http://www.plan59.com/scarykids.htm

Happy Hearts Day

2006-02-14T12:38:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone and their little cherubs!!!

Gritty Knitty

2006-02-12T21:30:00.000-06:00

http://www.yumlum.com/galleries/knitwear/knitwear_art.htm

Opps forgot to add the website- see above

do-over

2006-02-12T21:27:00.000-06:00

try again in the dog-spatula photo

Knit-Wits

2006-02-12T21:22:00.000-06:00

This is along the same lines as the Lego Suicides- only done in knitting
Carolyn

Boy- Dog- Spatula

2006-02-12T21:09:00.000-06:00

Here's one more of Oskar- with everything a boy needs- his dog and a spatula.

2006-02-12T20:34:00.000-06:00

Hello Happy Blogging Friends-

We too have just recovered from the nastiest flu-bug. Yuck. Nothing like being that sick to realize how wonderful life is when you are not sick. Here's some photos of Oskar post-illness- although he's still a little under the weather.

In the photo he's wearing his new Christmas Took. The one day a year in Tucson he can wear it. Does anyone else call them that? I never know how to spell it- Touque? Maybe just Kanucks, thinking of Canada...Has anyone else watched "Slings and Arrows" yet? Wondering to hear your thoughts- also with the song exchange- I put some tunes up- but wasn't sure if anyone could acces them.

Happy virus free days- everyone!!

Carolyn

Feelin' Good Again :)

2006-02-05T20:20:00.000-06:00

After lots of amoxicillin (sp?) and long nights, my silly kids are feeling better and are back to spending the whole day doing goofy things to make me laugh! Yippie! (So, I couldn't resist posting more pictures of them! :) )

The Lego Suicides

2006-02-02T14:06:00.000-06:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eitheror/sets/1687654/show/

I tried posting one of the photos here but I couldn't figure out how... this is definitely worth a look. Incredibly creative, and yet creepily macabre. Huzzah!

My Poor Sick Babies

2006-01-30T20:27:00.000-06:00

Ho hum........ I could not attend the performance of "The Nerd" because of my coughing, runny nosed kids. I am sad I could not see it & enjoy the "girls night", as referred to by Andy.

Here are some pictures of my kids, NOT looking sick - I miss their smiles and am anxious to have them back soon and have them feeling good again!!

P.S. Obviously potty training is going well with Tyler - I encouraged him to stand, so I guess I got what I asked for!? I edited it (again, obviously) for you to avoid us all getting arrested.

P.P.S. Emma got a helmut for Christmas to wear with her scooter. She REALLY likes it!

Thinking of You...

2006-01-28T20:36:00.000-06:00

Right about now, The Nerd is probably reaching the conclusion of its penultimate performance at Rogue. Aimee is in attendance. I wish I could be.

Can't wait for a review and a recap of the girls' night together! Hope you're having fun and thinking -- if only briefly -- of me. I miss the theatre, and I miss both of you.

2006-01-28T15:35:00.000-06:00

Alice has taken Bernadette under her wing as her own personal Mini-Me. Teaching her to go to the bathroom outside is great; teaching her to eat out of the litter box... not so much.

2006-01-28T15:34:00.000-06:00

I couldn't resist. Doesn't she look like a cross between a bear cub and a fox? Awww.

What's one more?

2006-01-22T17:55:00.000-06:00

This is Bernadette. Nate and I got her on Monday. She's a papillon, like our first dog Samantha, and she's five months old.

Rogue Theater presents The Nerd

2006-01-12T11:10:00.000-06:00

I had to put something on here to avoid having to look at that sheep every time... come see The Nerd!

Theory: Outfits Make Any Animal Cuter

2006-01-05T14:39:00.000-06:00

This image is one of many that can be found via StrangeZoo.com (beware myriad ads). See also Costume Craze's selection for your next Halloween celebration, and you be the judge.

Guinea Pig is the New Cat

2006-01-04T22:43:00.000-06:00

Lisa? Thank you! The Yacht Rock videos made me laugh so hard I nearly pulled a Nate White! The internet really rocks, doesn't it?

Case in point: Earlier today, Dave Barry was in search of lyrics to an obscure song. Thanks to his geeky, connected friends (like me!) responding to his plea, within mere hours, he solved his mystery.

My goal for today: To convince Lisa that perhaps, when the children begin to arrive and the apartment gets smaller, there may be a worthwhile replacement for her cats.

Happy New Year, y'all!

Yacht Rock!

2006-01-03T12:11:00.000-06:00

First of all, a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to y'all. And more importantly, a HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO CHAD "ALL COMEDY ONE" CARLSON!!!!

This photo is, believe it or not, "Steve Perry" and "Kenny Loggins" performing a duet, complete with karate kicks and chopsocky sound effects. If this sounds like heaven to you (as it did to me), check out this amazing website:

http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=152

Yacht Rock is this amazing "Behind The Music"-type series of short films which reveal the origins of many "soft rock" (aka "Yacht Rock") hits, like "Rosanna" by Toto, "I'm Alright" by Kenny Loggins and "What A Fool Believes" by the Doobie Brothers. The main characters are the aforementioned Loggins, usually locking horns with Michael McDonald as they try to walk the fine line between rocking out and keeping the music smoooooooooth. Featured guests are Daryl Hall and an aggressive, foulmouthed John Oates, Steve Perry complete with fog machine, all the members of Toto and even a Thriller-era Michael Jackson.

If you have ever had "Sailing" by Christopher Cross stuck in your head, and you actually enjoyed it, Yacht Rock is for you. Admit it.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

2005-12-25T22:00:00.000-06:00

The Twelve Days of Christmas
White Christmas

I miss you all.

Brokeback Mountain

2005-12-18T16:05:00.000-06:00

Please go see this movie. It's the most extraordinary movie I have seen all year. I am so excited that this film is garnering such acclaim and audience response-- I went to the first showing on opening day, and it was sold out! At 1:10 pm! It is just a gorgeous love story. The landscapes are breathtaking, and the character work is just awe-inspiring, especially Heath Ledger's performance as Ennis Del Mar. I think he will at least be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, and will probably win it (although I admit I haven't seen Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote so I am not fully aware of the competition).

I can't say enough about this movie... I can't remember the last time I saw a film and it affected me so much I couldn't stop thinking about it afterward... it is just so, so well done. I hope you all get a chance to see it.

Upload Away!

2005-12-05T22:20:00.000-06:00

Great plan, Carolyn. I've set up an FTP site for us. If you have access to Internet Explorer, you can upload your music to it. Copy this link and paste it into the Address bar of a new window:
ftp://u35372929-music@stoffelsfamily.com/
You'll be asked for a password, which is eighty8.

You can then literally drag-and-drop your music files from your PCs to the FTP site. I've started things off by posting documents with our faves listed in them. Feel free to modify yours as necessary. You can upload .MP3s or .WAVs or any other type of file you want. (.WAVs will take much longer, but will allow for higher-quality copies.) Play around. It's our site.

Looking forward to seeing some music up there soon! I've also started you out with "Christmas Dinner, Country Style" (128bit MP3) Truly a treat.

BTW, yes, I'm fairly certain this breaks several laws. Luckily, the only people reading this are we few.

Christmas Exchange- CD MIX

2005-12-05T12:02:00.000-06:00

For the Ipod-less among us I vote that we do a Christmas Mix Exchange. I'll happily burn a CD of my Xmas music and drop via post and I would LOVE to add to my collection. Especially as I CANNOT find some of these songs anywhere (hippopotus song- only one on Itunes is some redneck jug band singing it) for instance I would love to add WHAM's Last Christmas to my song list but I just can't justify spending $$ to download it (SAHM's budget :-(!) "I want to lasso santa"- that sounds worth $1 download. I don't have everyone's snail mail though. You'll have to email it. Fun fun fun. Please feel free to addendum any other rules- I think you have to send a mix to get one- unless of course you don't have a cd burner. Must include at least one obnoxious novelty song.

Carolyn

Slings & Arrows

2005-12-05T11:52:00.000-06:00

http://www.sundancechannel.com/feature/index.php?ixContent=8105

I am wondering if our common love of theatre and the Canadian Broadcating Company (the folks who brought us De Grassi) are there other 'slings and arrows" fanatics out there?
Carolyn

Hippopotamuseses!

2005-12-04T15:01:00.000-06:00

Carolyn, Nate and I are OBSESSED with "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas". It would not be unheard of for this song to be sung at random times (usually in the car) all freakin' year long. I have it on my Dr. Demento Christmas album, and it's by some weird kid/woman named Gayle Peevey. I feel another poll coming on:

Favorite weird/inappropriate Christmas Songs:

I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas - Gayle Peevey
I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus - Brenda Lee (you thought she just wanted to innocently rock around the Christmas tree-- ohhh nooo. She wants to lasso Santa Claus, and while he is tied up and defenseless, she plans to pull on his beard, tickle the shit out of him, and shoot him with her water pistol, all in a ploy to steal his bag of toys)
12 Days Of Christmas - Bob & Doug McKenzie (this is just so adorably dumb)
Carol of the Meows - Guster (exactly what you think it is. Used to superb comic effect in the Christmas episode of The O.C. last season)
Santa's Beard - They Might Be Giants (a weird song about this guy who complains his wife has an affair with his best friend when he's dressed up like Santa)
Surfin' Santa - Lord Douglas Byron (a bizarre homage to the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean)
Funky, Funky Xmas - New Kids On The Block (it's astounding. Really.)
Christmas Is Going To The Dogs - The Eels (another O.C. Christmas song)
Jingle Bells - Esquivel (this whole album of his "space-age bachelor pad" music is one of the best Christmas albums out there, and this song has a great interlude where Esquivel is greeting guests in his heavily Spanish-accented wheeze: "You look... so dashing. The cut of that suit is... impeccable.")
Baby, It's Cold Outside - Dean Martin (this falls under the "inappropriate" category, and it's funny, because I LOVE this song, but I can't help but feel a little dirty singing the line "Say, what's in this drink?". Nothing says Christmas like date rape.)

Ham on Wry- Little Lefties

2005-12-03T18:35:00.000-06:00

In response to the Wry Baby site- here's another fun baby t-shirt place I found that I like. For the baby with proud gay aunties I found a few things for Oskar there.
http://www.littlelefties.com/index.html

My Top of the X-mas Pops

2005-12-03T14:50:00.000-06:00

Awesome poll, Lisa. Here are some of mine (I doubt I'll be able to do ten -- I hate ranking favorites because my tastes change so much based on my mood!):

"Mele Kalikimaka" - Bing Crosby
"The Christmas Song" - Nat "King" Cole
"(It Must've Been Ol') Santa Claus" - Harry Connick, Jr.
"Jingle Bells" - Frank Sinatra (Corny Background Lyrics Award-Winner for "I love those J-I-N-G-L-E, bells!")
John Denver & The Muppets - "A Christmas Together" (yes, the whole album)
"Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!" - Harry Connick, Jr. (for the rockin' brass break... and same with his version of "Sleigh Ride," come to think of it)
Any Manheim Steamroller/Trans-Siberian Orchestra-esque rock-hol-ectronica
"Christmas Dinner, Country Style" - Bing Crosby (If you haven't heard this -- and you haven't -- you must. It, like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, should be played daily between Thanksgiving and New Year's.)
"A Very Special Christmas" (well-played, Lisa!)

And just to round it out so that ten things are mentioned here, I'll post a bottom-ten item: "Merry Christmas, Darling" by Karen Carpenter. I shiver when I contemplate logs on the fire filling her with desire.

Oh, and speaking as a technology junkie who still remains iPod-less, I hate both of you.

Happy Christmastime!

SOCKS AND SANDALS

2005-12-03T12:53:00.000-06:00

Okay- I had to share this one too. My husband has a thing about people who wear socks and sandals. It's a common occurance here in Tucson where most people where sandals all year round.
BUT who knew there is a whole website devoted to people wo wear socks and sandals.
Crazy Brits!
http://www.sandalandsoxer.co.uk/home.htm
Carolyn

PUNKIN

2005-12-03T12:45:00.000-06:00

Okay, here's my baby in is Halloween outfit- then I Photoshopped him eating a turkey and I was going to use it as our Thanksgiving card for family, but my husband thought it was too weird and people would think we actually gave our baby turkey (as if...) he won. But this way you'll get to see it.

WHOOWOEWEW! I'm Back

2005-12-03T12:13:00.000-06:00

Yeah! After a short hiatus of being BANNED from blogger. I have been reinstated. Oh BOY. Yipppeee!

In response to Lisa's post, I have "Christmas in Hollis" by RUN DMC on my phone as a ringtone year round.

"Christmas in Hollis" Run DMC
"Christmas Time Is Here" (with the little Peanuts kids singing - actually the whole snoopy xmas album)
"Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"- tom waits (oh wait, that's not a xmas song, but when I did a search on my ipod for "christmas" it came up and I love that song- it is about Christmas.)
"Wish I Had a River" Joni Mitchell
"White Christmas" Bob Marley and the Wailers
"Christmas Don't Be Late" Alvin and the Chipmunks
"Feliz Navidad" Jose Feliciano
"Baby It's Cold Outside" Dean Martin
"I Want a Hippopotomus for Christmas" (it might be a Tucson thing- they play it on the radio here each year with a little girl singing it.)
"Alice's Restaurant" Arlo Guthrie (although it's actually a thanksgiving song- we play the WHOLE thing each year while we eat thanksgiving dinner- but then usually we play it again on Christmas)

Thanks for the POLL- I might find some new treasures on iTunes to add to my pod!
Carolyn

And we're off!

2005-12-01T11:56:00.000-06:00

So it's officially December, and it's snowing today, so I can admit without a trace of shame that I have been listening to Christmas music on my iPod since the day after Thanksgiving. And as we count down the days until Christmas I thought it might be fun to do a few polls along the way. Nate and I were in the car yesterday and "Wonderful Christmastime" came on, and I declared that it was in my top five Christmas songs, which spurred the both of us to rank our favorites... I was curious as to what yours were as well. Here are mine:

1. Last Christmas - Wham!
2. Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses (although the Spice Girls did a great version of it too!)
3. Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney and Wings
4. Please Come Home For Christmas - The Eagles (Pat Benatar's is almost as good)
5. Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby and David Bowie
6. Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid
7. Christmas Day - Squeeze
8. Thanks For Christmas - XTC
9. This Christmas - Donny Hathaway
10. Step Into Christmas - Elton John

Damn! This was hard. I love just about every song on the album A Very Special Christmas, you know, the first one from 1987, which has amazing songs on it, especially "Christmas in Hollis" by Run-DMC, "Gabriel's Message" by Sting, "Santa Baby" by Madonna and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by U2, so I couldn't put one on my list without putting all of them on. I guess the next step is ranking Christmas albums. I would love to hear your picks, and maybe discover some new songs for this year.

www.wrybaby.com

2005-11-30T14:03:00.000-06:00

Okay, I am totally getting ahead of myself, but I came across this website today and was basically peeing myself laughing. When I do end up having a baby, I want everything on this damn site.

Turkey Day

2005-11-24T08:31:00.000-06:00

I have always been a Macy's parade junkie. When I was younger, it was for all the reasons Lisa mentions. In my later high school years and into and beyond college, it's been mostly to catch the numbers from the latest Broadway shows I was excited about. So far in my life, I've been to New York twice. The first time, I was my son's age or maybe even a bit younger, so it doesn't count. I literally remember one thing, and -- as cliché as it sounds -- that was neon lights. The second time I was a senior in high school and we went for a choral festival. Of course, all of my friends in chorus were my friends from theatre, so we were in our element. We saw "Guys and Dolls" with Nathan Lane, Faith Prince, Peter Gallagher, and Patti LuPone and "Jelly's Last Jam" (R.I.P. Gregory Hines!) that week. Apart from that, any out-of-town tryouts in Chicago, and the Tony Awards in May (oh, okay, and my subscription to Playbill), the Macy's parade was really my only chance to catch Broadway fever. (This year, incidentally, it looks like it'll be Wicked -- again -- and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, so not exactly a powerhouse year.)

Lately, I've been turning older and more cynical, of course, so the marketing really grates on me. The teasers I can handle; they're a part of what makes one sure the holidays have truly arrived. "Coming up: Zach Braff and the cast of 'Scrubs' sing on Times Square!" Cut to two hours later, when Zach and company lip synch with frozen lips to "Dance to the Music" with the lesser-known Sesame Street characters as the Big Bird balloon flails around just above and behind them. Priceless. But the cheesy-ass smiles on the faces of the "hosts" have got to go. I just watched three minutes of Hannah Storm and Cheesy McSmilestoomuch on CBS and almost threw the TV out the window. What the hell is their audience that needs a constant dose of saccharine aimed at their ears to enjoy this spectacle? I know I never related to it when I was a kid. "Shut up and show the float already!" Now, I want Stephen Colbert's take on the parade. Comedy Central should look into that.

Lisa is of course absolutely right about André Robinson playing the clarinet when the Tosa East band marched. I remember watching that year from my grandmother's house in Ypsilanti, Michigan (mere miles from where I was brought into this world), and I specifically recall taking pictures of the TV as they were shown. No idea where those pix are now, but I did just recently run across a picture of me, Lisa, and André. When I find it again, I'll scan it and post it here.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving, kids.

2005-11-23T23:12:00.000-06:00

Did you guys ever get into watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? I used to watch it religiously, when all the floats and balloons actually held relevance to my short life. I believe it was Thanksgiving of 1988, actually, when Andy's high school band performed in the parade, and I kept my eyes peeled for Andy's friend Andre, who played clarinet, right? And I swear to God I saw him, too. That was pretty exciting, but nothing beat the ole floats and characters from my childhood. Damn, I remember the teasers were the worst. You would start watching the parade at the very beginning, and somewhere in the first hour at every commercial break the announcer would hype the latest, newest cartoon character/Christmas tie-in "special appearance" as if it were going to happen in the next five minutes, therefore preventing me and my siblings from daring to leave the television to eat breakfast or even risk a pee break. Inevitably, after sitting through a bunch of boring bands and dance numbers and (let's admit it) anticlimactic balloons, said appearance would always happen in the last hour, about ten minutes before Santa Claus! The year the Cabbage Patch Kids made their debut I thought my head would explode.

The picture above is from the 1984 Macy's Parade, lovingly captured online by the wizards at X-Entertainment, they of the awesome Halloween countdowns I mentioned in an earlier post. You have got to see these to believe them. Care Bears? Check. Rainbow Brite? Check. John Ratzenberger singing? Check.

http://www.x-entertainment.com/thanksgiving/macyparade/1984/

This site has footage and commentary about the parades from 1985, 1986, and 1987, as well, and even has an archive of the commercials shown during the parades, and let me tell you, this year I am thankful for the magical time machine we call the Internet.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner and weekend with your families.

Yes, it's a slow day at work...

2005-11-14T15:17:00.000-06:00

Justine as Emmett "The Hook" Lasloe!!!

2005-11-14T15:16:00.000-06:00

More costume fun... Justine and I starred in a silent film for a friend's grad school project. Nice to see all our acting school paying off.

I Love My Peeps

2005-11-14T15:07:00.000-06:00

I mean the stuffed Peeps, of course, but you guys are cool too. Too rad.

I Now Pronounce You Peep and... Peep.

2005-11-14T15:06:00.000-06:00

This cake is from a wedding Justine was working at. I just want to know where y'all can get Peeps in wedding outfits!!!

Human Contact!

2005-11-06T22:03:00.000-06:00

Aimee, it was great to talk with you tonight. I hope we can keep that up.

Yes, that's right, folks: It is actually possible for us to communicate with one another without the direct use of computer technology!

And as promised, here's a Halloween pic of the chilluns:

She was just starting to majorly wig out as I snapped this pic. She was a happy little bunny as long as she was being pushed along, but didn't appreciate the twelve seconds of inactivity she was forced to endure as I ran in to grab the camera. She is definitely a woman of action.

And yes, he was a witch. Ask him about his favorite things, and trains and dinosaurs are always on the top of his list. He was a train last year, so you'd think dinosaur would be the call. For whatever reason, though, every time we asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween -- starting back in August -- and the first thing out of his mouth was, "A witch!" Hey, he was happy.

Note to Lisa: Yes, that's a stuffed cat he's holding with his goodie bag. I thought of you when we purchased that accessory because I new you'd appreciate it.

A teeny bit more Halloween fun...

2005-11-02T16:17:00.000-06:00

Justine and I went to the Halloween parade in Boystown. It was a blast, although it rained, and many a fabulous costume was ruined (let me tell you, there are fewer things sadder than wet feathers). Luckily, I decided to leave the boas and showgirl headdresses at home, just this once... Justine was an undead cheerleader and I was a Brownie! We were definitely a hit. People kept asking me if they could buy my cookies...

2005-10-31T14:42:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween! I hope nobody gets "tricked" tonight! :)

2005-10-31T11:38:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween everybody!

Milestones

2005-10-17T23:11:00.000-05:00

Lisa, I'm sorry for not publicly recognizing your Birthday. =(

+0!

I am really horrible about that, and I feel horrible every time it happens, but here's what it is 99% of the time:

Oh, [insert name]'s Birthday is coming up! I have to remember to send off an email or a card. [He or She] will be so pleasantly surprised to hear from me!
I don't spend enough time with [insert name]. I really miss [him or her].
Ooh, look, a butterfly!*
Shit. [Insert name]'s Birthday was today, but it's 11pm. If I write [him or her] now, it'll look like I forgot... which I did.
Double shit. Lisa actually called me out on forgetting her Birthday. Now I have guilt, resentment, and self-loathing.

I don't want to fling any excuses around, but I will just share one word that has been the bane of my existence over the past month: Mold.

But on to happier things. I did not miss my kids' birthdays over this past week. Lexie turned one one Thursday and Brett turned four today. I had to share some pictures.

We had a party on Saturday and they had a great time. Brett has now had cake on his sister's birthday, at the party on Saturday, tonight for his special day, and will again tomorrow when they celebrate at preschool. Perplexingly, he still has managed to lose weight. Alexa, on the other hand, weighs two stone and seems to add a pebble or two daily!

I hope you'll all forgive me for any special days I've missed. Happy belated Sweetest Day, for example. I really don't mean to be a jerk, and I really do think about you.

*Incidentally, a "butterfly" may take any number of forms, including -- but not limited to -- a case of the hiccups; a tear in one's favorite jeans; a case of the measles/mumps/cryptosporidium; air raid; milky discharge; an organism growing and festering on the lumber behind the drywall in one's basement lavatory and causing one's spouse an allergic reaction just short of anaphylactic shock and doing lord-knows-what to one's children, one of whom was premature and is therefore potentially predisposed to lung-related illnesses; yawn; tremor; indecsiveness; decisiveness; and/or sheer stupidity. Talk to your doctor to see if Lunesta is right for you.

Cats With Bags on their Heads

2005-10-17T13:34:00.000-05:00

Hi Lisa-

This ones for you- a little anniversary present-

a whole website devoted to pictures of kitty's with bags on their heads.

http://plasticliving.com/animals/bags.html
Enjoy!
Carolyn

DeGrassi Old School

2005-10-17T13:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary Lisa-

Married life is awesome, especially once you get past the first two years. Seems like the first year is the hardest. Maybe not for everyone- but I'll our friends when we first got married kept telling us- "it gets better"- and after 6 years- it did get better for us.

I am 31 years old- and now have cable TV for the first time in my life. How did I manage? We got it while I was on pregnancy bedrest as I was bored out of my mind and listened to every book on tape at our public library. I had religious parents so no HBO- or MTV growing up. BUT- I am so addicted now. There's a channel we get in Tucson- called the "noggin" and they play the new DeGrassi show and they've been running all the old DeGrassi Junior Highs. Just thought I would share. My husband missed them the first time as he grew up abroad and isn't as nostalgic as I am watching them. But I thought I'd let other broom-heads know.

They have a website http://www.the-n.com/ntv/shows/index.php?id=551 I don't know if the show page will come up- but just click on "degrass old school" on the menu.

Carolyn

Happy Anniversary Lisa & Nate!

2005-10-11T13:11:00.000-05:00

2 years ago today on a beautiful fall dayI had the honor of standing up in the wedding of Lisa Stran White and Nate White! When we first met in the Kumquat cabin at SW 17 (!!) years ago, who knew that our friendship would turn into this! I love you, Lisa!

2005-10-10T19:41:00.000-05:00

OK - I can't resist when someone asks to see pictures of my kids! These are from last year. The big one is a Halloween party that my friend threw for all of the kids. She served punch and had 3 year old running around her house with it! Insane?! The picture with all the kids actually sitting is nothing short of a miracle. Now, the big question is CAN YOU PICK OUT EM & TY?

Gull POWAH!

2005-10-10T13:40:00.000-05:00

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Right now I am not sure what I am going to be but here's a picture from last year: I was Ginger Spice and Nate was "Rocky XVIII"... old and gray with a big stogie habit. I would love to hear/see pictures of what all the kiddies are going to be this year-- I really look forward to the day when I get to experience Halloween from a kid's perspective again and help make costumes (I'll never forget the year my mom helped me with my Pink Panther costume. My mom could make anything out of a blanket sleeper!)...

I found this awesome website, X-Entertainment, which sounds more shady than it actually is. It is actually an amazing source of '80s pop culture nostalgia, including an incredibly detailed frame-by-frame recap of the 1984 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But something I discovered quite recently is its Halloween Countdown, which features new and exciting (or old and exciting) items or commercials, etc., which are unmistakably Halloween-centric. For someone who loves Halloween as much as I do, it's a guilty pleasure...

http://www.x-entertainment.com/halloween/2005/

You know what might be fun? I just thought of a picture I have of Laura and me from the year I was the Pink Panther and she was Strawberry Shortcake. If any of you can dig up some past Halloween photos from your childhood, please post them!!!

Stages

2005-10-09T19:44:00.000-05:00

So, my little Emma has hit the WHY stage. Andy, did Brett indulge you with that always amusing stage?? Our latest WHY just cracked both Kevin & me up:

"What happens to the fart smell after it goes away?"

Tyler's latest stages: turning on/off lights (when you buy a new house, check the height of the lightswitches - our are so low that a short 18-month old can reach them!) and opening/closing doors. Keeps life interesting when Emma insists on something being on/off/open/closed!

31 and Fondue Fun

2005-10-04T15:20:00.000-05:00

For my birthday we went to The Melting Pot for fondue... this is me after we ate. Ooof. It was soooo good!

Aimee, thank you so much for the shout-out on the blog, the voicemail message, the incredibly sweet birthday card, and the AWESOME spa basket! I was so excited-- I have sent Wine Country Gift Baskets to just about everyone I know but never actually got one myself-- what a wonderful surprise! I miss you and am so touched you remembered my birthday in so many ways. You're the bestestestestEST!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Lisa!!

2005-10-03T12:59:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to Lisa!! I hope you & Nate have a rockin' night planned to celebrate - you both deserve it. Now if only you could spend your birthday at a Great White concert.....

Bible In Legos

2005-09-26T22:03:00.000-05:00

This is pretty cool
http://www.thebricktestament.com/
carolyn

Equal Time II

2005-09-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

I read somewhere that parents often feel guilty whenever they begin to favor one of their children over another. So as not to appear as though I'm an unfit parent, here you go:

Poop II

2005-09-25T08:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning when Brett woke up we worked on reinforcing his daily routine of taking off his night-night diaper, going potty, and then putting on a pair of big boy underwear for the day. (If he makes it a whole week at night without tinkling in his diaper overnight, he won't have to wear one anymore -- that's a while off, I think.)

But when I sent him into the bathroom to go tinkle, he told me, "I don't have to tinkle."

"Do you have to poop?" I asked.

"No, I don't have to poop. I have to tinkle and poop."

Okay, Brett 1, Daddy 0.

So then he got the potty all prepped for pooping (he sits on a pirate-themed Dora the Explorer seat that sets inside the toilet seat), sat down, and (forgive the graphic description... although it's par for the course in this blog lately!) pushed his penis down so as not to spray the shower curtain and the rest of the bathroom.

He's got a cold (my fault), and has been having what is referred to in the clinical world as "loose stools" lately. Such was the case yesterday morning. In fact, as soon as he sat down, out it came with much fanfare. Brett's eyes got very large as he looked at me and said, "That was fast."

I smiled at him through my half-awake haze and said, "Yes, it was!"

He replied with the following, which I now blog here both for posterity and as an indication of how adorable my son is: "The tinkle and the poop were having a race, and the poop WON!"

...On a Roll

2005-09-24T22:15:00.000-05:00

One more- sorry I am home all day with a baby- this is my only outlet.

Hey man .... is your dog a weiner dog ???

ehhhhehhh.....

Fft-Fffft and Begorrah!

2005-09-24T22:10:00.000-05:00

http://www.catdrinkingsongs.com/

2005-09-23T13:21:00.000-05:00

2005-09-22T15:06:00.000-05:00

Does this count as a dog costume?

Equal Time

2005-09-21T22:21:00.000-05:00

I guess I should be surprised it took so long for a canine equivalent to this, but here you go.

photos

2005-09-16T19:04:00.000-05:00

Here's my husband and I at Oskar's post baptism party at the town Legion Hall- nothing says Wisconsin like ham sandwiches ( on bakery buns of course!) at the Legion Hall.

Another Photo of the Nipper!

Poops Away!!

2005-09-16T18:26:00.000-05:00

Ah Yes- Projectile Pooping.

Carl has another good airport story- from our this 2 weeks ago- similar details only he was in the little teeny tiny airplane bathroom with the blue water potty. As I usually manage poop-patrol but Carl was on his own since I am wheelchair dependent- I am pretty stationary on the air plane- so he was really going to have to handle it solo. The stewardess- opps flight attendants thought he was pretty cute. He kept telling EVERYONE - all the flight att.s how this was the biggest poop... what a proud papa. Sometimes you wonder how something SO small- can produce so much!

Lately my little nipper has taken to chomping on my once supple nipples. Unfortunately the first time it happen- as he has also just aquired two small but sharp piglet teeth- I jumped and yiped and husband laughed, cueing baby to laugh, ha ha h a ohhhh so funny- biting makes mom make funny noise. Husband now feels bad about this and has apologized. BUT Os has decided that chomping down half-way through lunch is hilarious. Having actually drawn blood Mom didn't find it so funny- ha ha. I finally called my area La Leche League friend (a GREAT resource for any nursing mom) because I was ready to wean him because my hamburger teets could take no more. So the past two days we've been working on not jumping when he bites- (oh boy that's a lot of discipline- yes grasshopper) and when he does- stopping- "no, that hurts mommy" and giving him a frozen teether to chew on instead. What an adventure.

Aimee- when you wrote that I'll miss it when it's done- the closeness- nursing relationship--- I was really thinking about weaning- as after breaking the skin a few times- it was hurting So much to nurse- even if he didn't bite. Your thought came at the right time- because I would miss it so much- he's not even 6 months yet. I really do love the closeness and now so soon- these long cuddles will be gone- as he's off to play and do other things. I really miss that wonderful full life-inside you feeling of being pregnant. But need to wait before trying that again.

Lisa- that's so exciting you are open to life. It's amazing. It took Carl and I awhile- 4 years- hopefully it won't take that long for you- it's definately an amazing process.

wow- I am pretty sappy today.
Carolyn