tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70112662024-03-06T23:53:41.720-06:00Peanut and KiddoThis blog follows the life and times of Peanut (formerly known as Chili Bean) <br>and Kiddo (formerly known as Hambone). Oh, and their parents, too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-79672671895692334592010-05-06T19:21:00.002-05:002010-05-06T19:28:31.444-05:00The Life of a Poor WriterSomeone complained to my work that they think I'm earning money by charging people to talk about gardening. Ha! I wish. <div><br /></div><div>On my Web site, I do have a page for visits. On it, it outlines the programs I offer FOR KIDS and then says they can contact me for rates and/or custom programing. Well, I think I should make it clear that I have never made money for talking about gardening. </div><div><br /></div><div>I offer kids gardening programs around Milwaukee, but I volunteer my time for this. And currently, while I'm promoting my book, I do visits with places in exchange for them to promote my book. </div><div><br /></div><div>So the point is, I am not rolling in the writer dough. My picture book won't make hardly any money unless Oprah or Ellen pick it up. And I'm just hoping that I'm not a one-shot-wonder who never has another book again. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not sure what crazy person has so much time on their hands that they're looking at my Web site and then complaining about my side gig that barely brings in any money. They should find themselves a hobby.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-57196523876136527482010-04-23T21:00:00.002-05:002010-04-23T21:13:47.113-05:00Back on the HorseWhy is it that it takes forever to get fit and toned but takes no time to lose it? I ran a little bit while we were in California, but other than that, I haven't run in a pretty long time. I've been doing some walking over my lunch hours at work, but not much "real" working out. And I haven't been to the Y in a while either. And then Steve has been gone this week, which makes it hard for working out. And excuses, excuses, excuses. <div><br /></div><div>I've only been lax a couple of weeks, but man, I'm feeling all lethargic and FAT all the sudden. Now I realize it would be near impossible to get fat in two weeks, but I think it's time to get back into the workout routine. It's funny how working out totally changes the way I feel. </div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow I'm going for a run. That should get things off on the right foot. </div><div><br /></div><div>And how fitting that the title of this is "Back on the Horse" because that's where we're going tomorrow. Robin and Kathy have graciously said we can come and visit the chickens and horses tomorrow, so we're excited! Anna loves chickens. She might have a farm one day.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-37046225544140532572010-04-17T20:52:00.002-05:002010-04-17T21:01:50.785-05:00WritingI went to a children's writing luncheon today where we listened to an editor from a big NYC publishing house talk about the business. It made me realize a few things...<div><br /></div><div>1. I'll never be one of those "amazing" transformative kind of writers that can write about a cup of water and make it sounds exciting. Nor do I desire to be, actually. </div><div>2. I'm more of an "ideas" person. A "hey wouldn't this be cool" sorta thing. But I'd like other people to actually carry it out. Hmm, maybe that's the editor in me. (Seriously, though. I have a GREAT idea for a young adult book, but I'll never write it. So if you need a topic, let me know.) </div><div>3. The publishing world is super tough. I need an agent. They hold all the power. (Just to put kids writing into perspective, I've been doing it for about 7 years and have one book to my name. And today at that luncheon, I bet there were more than 100 writers in the room. And that's Wisconsin alone.) </div><div>4. I'm still going to create. But I'll be highly selective of what I write about. These days, something has to be totally extraordinary and amazing to stand out. Some story about a kid learning to ride his bike or whatnot is not really cutting edge or interesting. So it's all about the cool and interesting. </div><div>5. I really hope this gardening trend stays popular, and that I can sell another garden concept or two before others jump on the bandwagon. </div><div><br /></div><div>It is fun to create, though. And since Jack calls me an author and this makes him highly proud of me, I'm going to enjoy my moment as much as I can this summer when my book comes out! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-72463396752638346022010-04-16T09:15:00.001-05:002010-04-16T09:15:28.054-05:00A Matter of PerspectiveSometimes we as humans tend to focus on the negative...money we don't have, the jeans that don't fit anymore, the stresses of work, etc. I fall into this path all too often. And at the risk of sounding enlightened, I'm starting to realize just how silly and annoying this really is. Recently, we've heard about a lot of tragedy around us.<br /><ul><li>Our amazing family doctor has a brain tumor. (He's also the father of four young girls.)<br /></li><li>My sister-in-law's cousin just lost her husband and is left with six kids on her own. </li><li>A very young friend of ours is dealing with a cancer scare, though they are saying it's highly curable. </li><li>A 5-year-old little girl was just hit and killed about 1/2 a mile from where I work in this cute and quiet little downtown area. She was just walking in a crosswalk and the car wasn't even going that fast.<br /></li><li>Another friend of ours is about to lose his grandma because of a stroke. </li></ul>So in the grand scheme of things, the little annoyances of everyday life doesn't really compare. While I doubt I'll be able to swear off negative thoughts altogether, I am going to try to make a conscience effort to be more positive. Work isn't worth stressing about. And life in general has too many good things in it to focus on the negative all the time.<br /><br />So here's to being positive. And focusing on things that really matter. It's all a matter of perspective, right?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-70369858162766376632010-03-24T21:01:00.002-05:002010-03-24T21:07:50.831-05:00Thinking PositiveStresses at work and annoying PTA moms have really been grinding on my nerves lately. So in attempt to relax, I'm trying to get back to my family blog a little bit and focus on the things that really matter. <div><br /></div><div>I'm going to California in just over 10 days, so that should be some good, relaxing time. And I'm trying to gear up to promote my book soon, so that should keep me busy, too. </div><div><br /></div><div>So yes, all these things to de-stress me and just enjoy life. The next post on here should be all about the cuteness of Jack and Anna. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-26106595424673064812009-09-13T22:32:00.003-05:002009-09-13T22:37:26.732-05:00Talking and Drinking, Do Not Attempt TogetherI was at a bachelorette thing this weekend. It didn't get super wild or anything, but there was drinking going on. I was the designated driver, so it was just crazy Coca-Cola for me, but others were having fun.<br /><br />There's something about people when then drink...especially women. The stories just don't really make sense. Women are talkers anyway. And when women drink, they will start these long stories, and soon, it's like they're about to share a revelation or something. And then, they are suddenly at the end of the story, and the people who haven't been drinking realize the end has come and gone. And there was no revelation at all.<br /><br />Yes, women and drinking are interesting.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-56009200510303653792009-09-07T20:52:00.007-05:002009-09-07T21:08:42.498-05:00Card ContestI can't believe it's been almost 6 months since my last post. I blame Facebook.<br /><br />Anyway, I have a very special reason to come back to the blog. I need a vote! You see, there's this cool Hallmark contest that I think is just genius. I decided to enter it, so this past weekend, I was taking photos for their current category of "Birthday His Way." I tried to think of good photos that would work for a guy birthday card, so I came up with these.<br /><br />Please vote on your favorite. And if you have any good ideas of messages to go with, let me know. (I think winners only get like $250, so I'll take you to lunch or something if you have a great idea to help me out.) Or take your own photo and send it to me. I love creative contests like this.<br /><br />#1<br />Something about how "We will turn the lights off just for your b-day" (Idea courtesy of Vicki)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdINzFzbZyXk-ag6nAijBHMkcJ_VfvdT-14PJHaDpAIOt_65HDxj2EG_ykHYnIefvfhKu9Epp3RB1IVDmpr3tjhA5LmhSkmcj6eHoDYfd8l2Q8n9Bi3VIXl0Fg6XUFRPXUGgb/s1600-h/DSC_0111.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdINzFzbZyXk-ag6nAijBHMkcJ_VfvdT-14PJHaDpAIOt_65HDxj2EG_ykHYnIefvfhKu9Epp3RB1IVDmpr3tjhA5LmhSkmcj6eHoDYfd8l2Q8n9Bi3VIXl0Fg6XUFRPXUGgb/s320/DSC_0111.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378911266769408578" border="0" /></a><br /><br />#2<br />Something about "Take your pick. It's your day."<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uSyxy8tRd1e3j-jZddPEHF38yuT0xV2S6ia6YBTXQiIUxf4xsIttqBNCnGSrlx5Odg97eWza4qbtVS0i7Iy7bL6rIES8C94BejlQbOvqk-nJGYP6RmPwqynNBp60zYehv8cx/s1600-h/DSC_0104.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uSyxy8tRd1e3j-jZddPEHF38yuT0xV2S6ia6YBTXQiIUxf4xsIttqBNCnGSrlx5Odg97eWza4qbtVS0i7Iy7bL6rIES8C94BejlQbOvqk-nJGYP6RmPwqynNBp60zYehv8cx/s320/DSC_0104.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378911179596165778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />#3<br />Something fishing related...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uAdWpRxTlr_F4cdKu1zjaTwoBtBhHzsKRo04bbXjMaeGZa7cz3IFb4tT8nfO6zQVoUXy2YCDTV6AvYa7fIxUORSH_Hg3dijMrFaNykrUoiXXmsfFNDu8Go_mTqSe73m_bI-A/s1600-h/DSC_0085.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uAdWpRxTlr_F4cdKu1zjaTwoBtBhHzsKRo04bbXjMaeGZa7cz3IFb4tT8nfO6zQVoUXy2YCDTV6AvYa7fIxUORSH_Hg3dijMrFaNykrUoiXXmsfFNDu8Go_mTqSe73m_bI-A/s320/DSC_0085.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378911082850609314" border="0" /></a><br /><br />#4<br />I don't have a message for this one, but I think it's just funny. I wanted to say "If the early bird gets the worm, then what does the old guy get." But Steve said that wasn't funny at all.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-Q09u7P3gFtmUqNvIzfsqjS-6XH6E3AOI2Ssgg_jRb3vgo5uuDRfqo6PPDq1F7s_HkXqwaq_kEn-3B38Xg08YkLTETrJ5NPuZ-Gltdmo8ncfv5cAfE4DKh9OGvEQavyxHWvW/s1600-h/DSC_0074.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-Q09u7P3gFtmUqNvIzfsqjS-6XH6E3AOI2Ssgg_jRb3vgo5uuDRfqo6PPDq1F7s_HkXqwaq_kEn-3B38Xg08YkLTETrJ5NPuZ-Gltdmo8ncfv5cAfE4DKh9OGvEQavyxHWvW/s320/DSC_0074.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378910977276165778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />#5<br />Something about just relaxing; I just like the lighting in this shot.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixslR9DtgwQzRwS45L3PjFDm-PvfiVMeBz1QmO6-1sK-rPOoOkzchDZRHtQAtKkrq-J4bXLJNhCFiamz0qKyJXT6z5cDk6e3hclQ6d0Eb-V6lmTC3EW1JpAG1hxohRaYxCo7_e/s1600-h/DSC_0055.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixslR9DtgwQzRwS45L3PjFDm-PvfiVMeBz1QmO6-1sK-rPOoOkzchDZRHtQAtKkrq-J4bXLJNhCFiamz0qKyJXT6z5cDk6e3hclQ6d0Eb-V6lmTC3EW1JpAG1hxohRaYxCo7_e/s320/DSC_0055.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378910885055207458" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-49807150044877037672009-03-17T20:18:00.002-05:002009-03-17T20:30:49.014-05:00Crying at the DentistI cried at the dentist today. Yep, I'm a crier. I went in for a routine check-up and the hygienist informed me that one of my tooth had fractures and it would eventually need a crown. "Hasn't anyone told you this?" she asked sweetly.<br /><br />"NO!"<br /><br />I should mention that I hate, hate, hate dentists with a passion. When we were little, we got in trouble when we had cavities. (Not bad trouble, but we didn't have superb health care coverage, so it was really expensive and disappointing.)<br /><br />Since we've lived in Wisconsin, I've had three different dentist because I can't find one I like. I cried at my last dentist office, too. So anyway, they tell me I'll have to have a crown. Then afterward, they show me what the co-pay will be. Let's just say that it's a lot. I started holding back tears right then and there. The very nice receptionist asked me if I'd like to schedule the appointments, and I had to tell her no because I needed some time to adjust. Poor girl called me an hour later because she had misread how much the co-pay would be and wanted to let me know right away. (It's still damn expensive, though.)<br /><br />So I left the dentist office, fighting the tears. And then I abruptly called Steve and sobbed. Then I called my mom and sobbed some more. I feel like such a failure. I realize I'm being a little extreme, but it's really hard for me to accept I have to have a crown. I know things could be worse, but I'm so bummed.<br /><br />Oh, woe is me. I hope this is the last dental work I have to get done in a while. I'm a great brusher, but I'll be flossing every day now. And I'm even throwing out my old toothpaste and using the extra fluoride toothpaste they've been trying to get me to use for a year now. Hopefully this will help so I don't have to still be crying at the dentist in my 30s.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-81507943810521202742009-03-01T09:01:00.002-06:002009-03-01T09:15:46.627-06:00Random Musings from the Tornio householdIt's been a while since I've posted, so here are just a collection of random things. <br /><br />1. Jack is really big into drawing and writing lately. He's almost always sitting with paper, and then yelling out to me, asking how to spell things. He always wants to spell raccoon, horse, cute dog and bendaroos. <br /><br />2. We're in early talks of planning a Disney trip next January. All Anna wants to do is have dinner with Cinderella in the castle. In fact, the other day we were driving along and I asked her if she wanted to stop and get something to eat with me. "No Mom! I want to eat with Cinderella!" Jeez. <br /><br />3. I had the mole on my temple removed the other day. I was at my derm's office, and she was looking at it. About a minute later, it was gone. I kid you not. I was shocked at how fast it went. <br /><br />4. Dixie, our cat, was trying to catch a mouse this morning. She caught it three times and then let it go so she could catch it again and bat at it. It's currently on the loose. Grrr. <br /><br />5. I was promoted this week to the editor of my magazine. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be promoted, yet I still get to report to my same amazing boss. <br /><br />6. On a whim, I signed Montana up to work in Alaska, and then they actually called. Now I really want him to work there, so I can go and visit. <br /><br />7. Jack informed us today that it's finally March and his birthday is in a matter of days. Meanwhile, I was considering making a Spiderman cake but ended up ordering one instead. We're going to the waterpark in the Dells to honor his and his cousin, Alex's, b-days, but we're still going to do the cake and presents thing next Saturday on the actual day. He's ecstatic. <br /><br />8. Anna recently found her long-lost mermaid baby that she's been attached to since she was a baby. When it went missing, we bought her a another mermaid baby off of Ebay. Now she thinks it's magical that she has two. <br /><br />9. Steve has been a real trooper lately. He's not a big fan of the kids and their crazy parents crowd. But he went to a school carnival, took Jack to basketball and ever volunteered to go swimming with the kids. He's a keeper. <br /><br />10. Summer seems to be filling up already! I guess we're just dreaming of nicer days ahead because we already have several weekends planned. And my mom is going to fly up here to help me drive to Oklahoma at the end of the July. I'm really looking forward to having a road trip with my mom because we'll have time to leisurely drive down and check out silly tourism things along the way.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-66857288884492628952009-02-08T19:55:00.003-06:002009-02-08T20:06:14.888-06:00Disney on IceWe went to Disney on Ice last Thursday night, and it was a blast. Annabelle was mesmerized. The show was a little under 2 hours, including an intermission and both kids paid attention the entire time. Of course, it probably helped that we had FRONT ROW tickets. I bought the tickets ages ago when they were first on pre-sale. We were in the front row on the edge where a lot of the skaters went on and off the ice. So very cool and so very worth it.<br /><br />During intermission, Annabelle said to us, "Where did those costumes go?" Yep. She didn't ask where did Mickey Mouse go or where did the princesses go. She wanted to know where the costumes went. Then later as we were leaving, she told us again how much she liked the costumes. So darn cute.<br /><br />On another note, I've been telling Anna a lot of stories lately, which she adores. I started doing this with Jack when he was around 2. The story always involves her as the main character, and lately she always wants to hear the story about Anna with the little tiny pony that fits in her hand. The look on her face is so blissfully happy as she listens to me. Such small pleasures.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVtnepxOY9Den_V8macKEGMdg1TVYMXli0zG83t-ZZ9W1RgIWZqmxnNiUrGHh_5MNM3YTmWrb0Nr5N1TUZGPyTzEo6MRkpu7kzMvzsGELYJUNbBBP_Uhww1cPUk2rvPb5iZw1/s1600-h/disneyonice11.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVtnepxOY9Den_V8macKEGMdg1TVYMXli0zG83t-ZZ9W1RgIWZqmxnNiUrGHh_5MNM3YTmWrb0Nr5N1TUZGPyTzEo6MRkpu7kzMvzsGELYJUNbBBP_Uhww1cPUk2rvPb5iZw1/s320/disneyonice11.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300613099058881890" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYhqHn9OEgkTW-GJMXNIzxmJTzE396TydOpZQYOzg0gKsaivNQb-tQgn6y06M44eQP0nO8NHtoOun9W00AO_xjcNg0_HKWmsFuFaG0O1_41SHqHRHhU450F8Gk3OOIPQpwkVK/s1600-h/disneyonice5.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYhqHn9OEgkTW-GJMXNIzxmJTzE396TydOpZQYOzg0gKsaivNQb-tQgn6y06M44eQP0nO8NHtoOun9W00AO_xjcNg0_HKWmsFuFaG0O1_41SHqHRHhU450F8Gk3OOIPQpwkVK/s320/disneyonice5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300612883298165922" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-23354458907705913162009-02-01T21:21:00.002-06:002009-02-01T21:23:24.507-06:00Snow HeadachesJack has informed me that the snow gives him headaches. And tummy aches. And as long as the snow stays around, he's going to keep getting headaches. (He's ready for it to be warm so he can go outside a lot again.)<br /><br />I understand. It's one thing when it's pretty and snowing. But now it's just piled up all ugly.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-73500040141802280402009-01-25T11:55:00.002-06:002009-01-25T12:05:14.670-06:00Stealing by AccidentI stole a princess dance outfit from a store today. We'll call the store "Farget" just for anonymity. I didn't do it on purpose. I swear.<br /><br />With Anna in dance class, we thought we'd get her another tutu outfit to wear. She fell in love with a blue princess one, and she held it tightly the whole time in the store. When we get out to the car, I lift Anna out of the basket and see that she had been sitting on the dance outfit, so we didn't pay for it. By this time, everything is loaded and Jack is in the van and buckled. And, it's also about 2° outside.<br /><br />I'm just about to load the kids up back into the basket when I remember I was going to return a lamp I bought from Farget that didn't work. I did a quick calculation; the dance outfit was roughly the cost of the lamp, so I figured it was a wash.<br /><br />On the drive home, I was still feeling pretty guilty about the whole thing. I was even making plans in my head to go back and pay for the outfit. But then I remembered that I went to Farget last week and purchased a dowel rod. However, the check-out girl must have put it separately or something because we did not get home with it. Yet, I was still charged for it!<br /><br />So now I don't feel guilty anymore. In fact, I figure Farget owes me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-63461046592799113902009-01-19T12:47:00.002-06:002009-01-19T13:19:37.082-06:00Sick Day/Vacation DayAnna is "sick" today. Notice the use of quotations? There's a good reason for them.<br /><br />This morning, Anna woke up and said she was wet because she threw up on herself. Sure enough, there were huge chunks of gross stuff all in her hair and bed. I got her all cleaned up and by this time, she got the notion of staying home sick. I could tell she felt fine, though (and no fever or anything), so I tried to convince her to go to school.<br /><br />"There is still throw-up in my tummy. I need to stay home," Anna said.<br /><br />She wouldn't eat (but was prancing around in her princess shoes). I figured I'd better be safe than sorry. At our daycare, if a child throws up or has a fever, they have to be out for 24 hours. So if I would have taken her in and then she threw up, then I'd have to take off two days.<br /><br />By this time, Jack is pretty mad. He tries to tell me that he has a pretty nasty cough and that he needs to stay home sick, too. I told him no, and it pretty much broke his little heart. So I decided it was time to "make a deal" with him. You know...bribe him so he doesn't cry and get all upset. Anyway, it took some doing, but here's what we came up with:<br /><br />5 grab bags (from the dollar store, only $1 each!)<br />Pancakes for dinner<br />$1 for his savings box<br />Skittles<br />Tae Kwon Do class tonight<br /><br />Am I a pushover or what? Oh well. I took a vacation day and have been running errands and getting stuff done. All in all, a productive day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-49101961738428368352009-01-11T20:10:00.003-06:002009-01-11T20:20:55.284-06:00Winter ClassesJack and Anna are finally at the age where they can both take classes at the Y by themselves. This is a huge milestone for me because up until now, I've done a lot of swimming classes with them. Don't get me wrong, I like swimming. But the whole ordeal gets tiring with changing and then getting in the water and then changing again.<br /><br />So now Jack is taking Tae Kwon Do and basketball (a last-minute sign-up on a whim). And Anna is very ecstatic about a little girl dance class.<br /><br />I don't want to be one of those families with crazy schedules who have something every night of the week. But this is sure going to help us get through winter. Plus, we figured out that it's cheaper to become members of the Y, rather than to pay community rates for individual classes.<br /><br />So this weekend was the first session. I went with Jack to basketball, and he was VERY timid at first. He is my cautious boy who is very self-conscious, so he didn't want to do the dribbling drills at all. He finally warmed up, though, and had a blast. Afterward, we got him a $5 basketball at the store and he's been practicing his dribbling ALL weekend long in the house.<br /><br />I didn't go to Anna's class, but Steve said she loves it. Imagine 8 to 10 little 3 and 4-year-olds, all decked out in little dance shoes and tutus. It doesn't get much cuter than that. Hopefully we'll have pictures soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-53715365559253745612009-01-09T20:16:00.002-06:002009-01-09T20:49:20.505-06:00The Blog About SnowAs I type this, I know I'm going to have critics. People around here hate winter and the snow. Believe me, they start talking about hating it as soon as the first snowfall. I get it...it's cold and wet and icky and dirty. And I've definitely had my fair share of complaining about it. In fact, every year on the first very very cold day, I usually call Steve and complain to him about bringing me to this nasty cold state. (Actually, I usually say worse things than that, but I'm keeping this blog PG.)<br /><br />But the thing is, there are some really cool things about living in a place where it snows. Today we got home and there was about 5 inches of snow in the driveway. The kids were in complete and utter excitement as they put on their snowpants and boots. And then while I snowblowed the driveway, they had an absolute blast.<br /><br />It was pretty, too. The wind wasn't blowing. It wasn't that cold. And the sky was completely clear and crisp. It was a beautiful scene.<br /><br />I'll be sick of snow next week, I'm sure. And definitely by March when it's still snowing. But sometimes it's just fun and pretty.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-73847133203926478302008-12-28T19:05:00.002-06:002008-12-28T19:20:57.677-06:00Our Christmas ListChristmas is only 2/3 of the way finished for us because we'll be going to Steve's mom's house on New Year's Eve. We've had a wonderful holiday thus far, though. It kicked off more than a week ago when we hit the road the night before a huge snowstorm hit Milwaukee. Whew! Then Steve and I joined Vicki and Jeff in Vegas for a few days before flying back to Oklahoma for Christmas.<br /><br />Here are some of the highlights of our adventures, in my traditional list style.<br /><br />* Jack might not remember what Santa brought him for Christmas this year, but Santa did leave him a note. In it, he told Jack that he kissed his toes while he was sleeping. Now, Jack has been playing "pretend Santa" with Anna, and he always makes her kiss his toes when she's being Santa.<br />* Anna fell in love with my Grandma, and it was the cutest thing in the world. Today I even asked her to name all of her grandmas, and she only named Grandma Bingham. "I can't think of the rest," she said. (Sorry other Grandmas. Don't take it personal, though.)<br />* My dad fired up their hot tub while we were there, and the kids LOVED going out there...sometimes even three times a day!<br />* We had great weather in Oklahoma. Jack even said, "It can't be Christmas. Where's the snow?"<br />* While I spent lots of money in Vegas with shopping, Steve was more productive and actually made a little with his gambling. Wooohooo!<br />* The built-in DVD player in our new van totally rocks.<br />* My brother, Steve, won money in Vegas, too. I'm super proud of him. My other brother....well, let's just say he didn't win.<br />* Jack and Anna had a blast playing with their cousin, Lockin. The three of those kids are crazy.<br /><br />That's the highlights for now. We had a really great trip overall.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-79406398603451785162008-12-07T18:59:00.002-06:002008-12-07T19:15:23.799-06:00Car Salesmen Make Me CringeWe're in the market to update our van these days. We travel such long distance throughout the year that we try to watch our overall mileage, which is getting up there. And we just want some cool new features like a built-in DVD (no cords!), windows that roll down in the second row and a power back door.<br /><br />We happen to have great timing because the economy is down, so dealerships are cutting pretty good deals. And my parents are going to buy our current van. We're driving down there in a couple of weeks, so then we could just drive it to them!<br /><br />Anyway, back to the point of my whole post. Car salesmen nauseate me. Here are my top 5 car salesmen annoyances...<br /><br />1. They make lame jokes, and then you laugh just to be kind. Ugh.<br />2. They don't take me serious. Apparently, I have to have a man with me to buy a car because they will actually ask me when I want to come back with my husband. (They don't even know I'm married. One guy said something like that over the phone!)<br />3. They make stuff up on the fly. ("This car had new tires put on recently. Oh year, they are good as new.")<br />4. They want to talk too much and show you everything. (Like the folding rear seat is something miraculous that will make you buy it on the spot.)<br />5. They really aren't that thorough and ignore your questions. (I will ask very simple questions via e-mail and they glaze over them and just try to get me in the door.)<br /><br />So what is it about car salesmen? How can they all share this annoying traints? And why aren't there more women?<br /><br />I found this one van I really like but really don't like the salesman. We'll see how my search goes. If I can get through the salesmen, then we should be driving in a much cooler van in a couple of weeks. After all, if you drive a van, shouldn't it be much cooler?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-61239455879705223122008-11-30T20:40:00.002-06:002008-11-30T20:53:07.376-06:00Happy, Merry ThanksgivingWe had a fabulous Thanksgiving in Minneapolis this weekend. Since I still don't have a camera, here are some of the highlights...<br /><br />*We went to Macy's in downtown to go through this Christmas scene. Then we stood in line to see Santa. Jack got stage fright when he actually saw Santa and told him he'd send him a letter instead. (My company has breakfast with Santa next weekend, so we're going to craft the perfect letter this week to hand him personally. How convenient.)<br />*We went to our first movie as a family, along with Steve's dad and his family. We went to see Bolt, and it was super cute. Anna had a couple of moments, but she made it through. Yeah!<br />*Jack and Anna got lots of good play time in with Uncle Sam and Aunt Julia. We may not have a huge family, but this just means the kids get extra attention!<br />*We had Christmas with Steve's dad since we won't see them next month. Jack and Anna LOVED this. Jack got this United States game that Grandma Ginny played with him about 10 times. (What a great grandma!) And Anna got this baby doll and wooden cradle; she took care of it all weekend.<br />*I couldn't bear the thought of NOT shopping on Black Friday, so I went out to Target in the afternoon and got all my "Toys for Tots" presents taken care of.<br />*I got to sleep in three mornings in a row, though not because the kids slept late. I just have the most wonderful husband.<br />*Anna had about 7 pieces of bacon this morning for breakfast. (I figured I should throw that in there because I'm sure she would mention that as a highlight of the weekend.)<br />*Oh yeah, the actual Thanksgiving dinner! Steve's dad made a fabulous meal, and we'd pretty much cleaned it out by Sunday. Gotta love leftovers.<br /><br />So yes, we had a great, Thanksgiving weekend. It's so much fun to see my kids growing up and being to play with each other and even unsupervised. We went to a movie, went out to dinner and stood in a looooong line to see Santa. These are all things that would have stressed us out 2 years ago. Now they are just fun. What a great family we have. I'm very thankful for that.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-79818755544665806052008-11-25T21:17:00.003-06:002008-11-25T21:24:18.827-06:00Thanksgiving Message from JackJack learned a new turkey song at school. I couldn't post a direct audio file, so I had to upload it into a movie. I just put his song behind this recent photo I took. (He has this tie set, and he wanted to wear it so bad one day!)<br /><br />In case you don't understand his words, he's saying...<br /><br />Gobble Gobble said the turkey<br />Soon it will be Thanksgiving Day.<br />The way they treat me,<br />They're going to eat me,<br />So I better run away.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxcJ9-PHkNYlccQmxpRJB0wm-T4AMUpvQ2FUnHnA9CushzigaxkbnOSIn2sHzRR32KUgcaXSN8qKX8' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-80748613393107663552008-11-23T20:13:00.006-06:002008-11-23T21:04:06.058-06:00No More Babies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmKxffda8dachvTM1IRprhUSnJn-b-NiREOS5jycN2DEP9WJoMKfK2jsci2f-eh9xhv75DFgdhlsqywJlRWap7pyxGW2HHYbwkHJHQVkUwAKMqoJPgF1xc9LhybcWNDTGuoSr/s1600-h/photo(10).jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 117px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmKxffda8dachvTM1IRprhUSnJn-b-NiREOS5jycN2DEP9WJoMKfK2jsci2f-eh9xhv75DFgdhlsqywJlRWap7pyxGW2HHYbwkHJHQVkUwAKMqoJPgF1xc9LhybcWNDTGuoSr/s200/photo(10).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272054371553656994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GO3lC0LN2G_TaEEOOmvUZBwmS-Qkvg1DWDVBFPO7uOOZMTfkrauOEJ7SLPpWH_RGZg6LaCtKvjrMOzwCJoffIyjp8dEh4t-54JHELeow3DwWJeT5bEqi-COX_nY1ceu-pcp5/s1600-h/photo(13).jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GO3lC0LN2G_TaEEOOmvUZBwmS-Qkvg1DWDVBFPO7uOOZMTfkrauOEJ7SLPpWH_RGZg6LaCtKvjrMOzwCJoffIyjp8dEh4t-54JHELeow3DwWJeT5bEqi-COX_nY1ceu-pcp5/s200/photo(13).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272053735918748594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNod9MI3vxMS9BHtgLx3wyjFsGe0WOapaLPJHVmArA0RgZtdaxE2t0NswJiLHKDCqZBdkooqvmo6zkkeU7wFPtrVo2JDvTaOPEZ3w5mgK0G9OcY3lz6pLOzpFFM72-GMSw9Hcv/s1600-h/photo(11).jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 102px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNod9MI3vxMS9BHtgLx3wyjFsGe0WOapaLPJHVmArA0RgZtdaxE2t0NswJiLHKDCqZBdkooqvmo6zkkeU7wFPtrVo2JDvTaOPEZ3w5mgK0G9OcY3lz6pLOzpFFM72-GMSw9Hcv/s200/photo(11).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272053648454926626" border="0" /></a>It's official. We no longer have babies in our house. Anna turned 3 on Friday. She's a big kid now...wearing underwear and everything.<br /><br />We had a nice little party for her on Saturday. She got some great presents, including lots of horse-themed stuff and a cool set of princess shoes that she wears all the time. She loved everything, but her princess "bouncy ball" was among her favorite items. That little girl has mastered her bouncy technique with curls boppin' behind perfectly. For anyone looking for a good gift for a little kid, I would highly recommend the bouncy ball.<br /><br />Here's a picture of her with her new horse, Sal, too. She can climb on him and sit on him. So cute. And her aunt Maggie sent her a cowgirl hat and outfit to complete her look when she rides Sal.<br /><br />I took the day off on Friday, and we had a great girls' day. I can honestly say that I'm not sad to see my kids get bigger. Sure babies are cute and all, but I don't have that yearning to keep them young. I love watching them grow up and develop. Our weekends are quite pleasant, and the kids can even play unsupervised for short spurts (until someone cries out because the other hit, kicked or took something).<br /><br />I feel very blessed to have such a great little family!<br /><br />PS: These pictures are from my iphone. Word has it that I'm getting a new camera for Christmas, so hang in there!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-304543924140535132008-11-16T21:05:00.002-06:002008-11-16T21:13:07.963-06:00Mosaics, Birthdays and Funny StoriesI haven't had a good regular post in a while. Well, following my great run last week, I haven't worked out a single day since then. Ha! A big reason is that I've had this nasty sore throat all last week that was brutal in the mornings. And then now I have this weird earache. But all excuses aside, hopefully I'll get back in the swing of things soon. I've built up my endurance, so I don't want to just lose it. <br /><br />Today I did a lot of mosaics to finish up some Christmas presents I'm working on. They turned out cool. Jack and Anna even helped me do one of the pieces. That's the beauty of mosaics. It doesn't really matter where you put the pieces, as long as you're not doing a pattern. So they had a blast with that. <br /><br />Anna's birthday is quickly approaching. I took the day off on Friday to hang out with her, and I think I might be looking forward to it more than her! That girl has been counting down the days to her birthday for a long time, so everyone is excited that it's almost here. (Especially Jack because he knows that it's one more step closer to his!) <br /><br />Finally, here's my funny story of the week. We were in the drive-thru line at Walgreens, and there were some cars in front of us. We were just sitting there, hanging out. And Anna says, "Dammit cars!" Unfortunately, I have to take credit for that one. It doesn't make me proud, though.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-83304146915610134532008-11-09T18:08:00.002-06:002008-11-09T18:18:54.677-06:00I actually did it!I really did it...I ran my 5k today. I've been working on it for a few weeks now, exercising and running outside weekly. Last weekend, I ran about 2.75 miles, and then today, I made it to the 3.1. <br /><br />It was a cold and icky morning, though not as bad as it could have been. The kids went in the stroller on the walking portion with Steve and the grandparents. And my wonderful cross-country coach friend, Rachel, ran with me. She was such a good sport. She stayed with me the whole time, even though I know she could have gone faster. She even talked to me to keep my mind off the task at hand. What a great friend! <br /><br />My time wasn't anything to brag about, but I finished the whole thing without stopping, which was my goal. I don't expect to be training for a full or half marathon anytime soon, so I might as well enjoy the moment while it lasts. <br /><br />I celebrated my accomplishment by having a deep tissue massage.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-71750544925594506132008-11-05T20:53:00.002-06:002008-11-05T21:01:24.295-06:00Christmas WishesSo it might be a little early for Christmas talk, but not in our house. Jack saw something with Santa on it, so he's already been talking about what he's going to ask Santa for. <br /><br />Last month, he'd decided he wanted a Power Ranger brook and dustpan. (Don't ask me why. I have no idea.) But then now he's decided he wants a white Power Ranger, a gray Power Ranger and a Jack cup. Let me explain what Jack cup is. He had pictures taken at school, and they sent up a mock-up photo of his photo on a cup. Jack was amazed! Now he's sure that Santa will bring him a Jack cup. I'm sure Santa can definitely handle that. Good thing, too, since we'll in Oklahoma when Santa stops by. <br /><br />Anna, on the other hand, just wants a princess dustpan and princess bucket. She's funny. <br /><br />By the way, if you people haven't signed up for my giveaway on www.how-tostudio.com, you need to do it! If I'm doing the making, I'd rather do it for someone I know. Though I promise not to "fix" it. I truly draw names for the giveaways.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-12746653905221596152008-10-31T06:41:00.006-05:002008-10-31T06:46:29.852-05:00Costume ContestI need some voting today. I'm going to enter Jack's Elvis costume (2 years ago; my mom made it) in a photo costume contest. Which of these photos do you like?<br /><br />I was going to find an Elvis wig, but I figured there was no need to go overboard. The way the contest works is that if you make it through the first round, then it's up to the public's vote.<br /><br />It really bugs me that some of the photos have random things in the background. D'oh! I should have picked up better before I took the pictures. Maybe Tina can photoshop it for me.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCi4NWIYJPufDSc-IZ3SWeOszVy8fCY6KmmSamMyBOHWvCS5Py5KzZAIuEuCz7N1xbHMrHW8-XAzwbCJ-iRtjWW7UyHSQ2gfRKMu6nt-zmZKrJTqghOR6P5lWDR2tGRVYF0f14/s1600-h/elvis4.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 181px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCi4NWIYJPufDSc-IZ3SWeOszVy8fCY6KmmSamMyBOHWvCS5Py5KzZAIuEuCz7N1xbHMrHW8-XAzwbCJ-iRtjWW7UyHSQ2gfRKMu6nt-zmZKrJTqghOR6P5lWDR2tGRVYF0f14/s320/elvis4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263282898817999650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIho2li68P5ni7f11YPvg3LDSj6tIj0CtdKQk9Pzwi9T3McLJnz5eFAjytumAHdkGREKMSsaK9FJ1tz9XU1VR80tvHkeKnUWrK4HTzxw92Rahao9tDMUeVX-Wa9SmuCnVFTMbp/s1600-h/elvis3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIho2li68P5ni7f11YPvg3LDSj6tIj0CtdKQk9Pzwi9T3McLJnz5eFAjytumAHdkGREKMSsaK9FJ1tz9XU1VR80tvHkeKnUWrK4HTzxw92Rahao9tDMUeVX-Wa9SmuCnVFTMbp/s320/elvis3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263282772199730034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUo7VaDlXoKxljcKJ179-34o1TdxT38c2FqTHqR0pr8tq29R4f5FUGHUx2lB-hcSflHIsxpX3jKWOfHMbASV1LhPzBaPX6ojr6blz3YityqhOP-Oq8MlzaFwEsXvKRR9Mxg_e/s1600-h/elvis2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUo7VaDlXoKxljcKJ179-34o1TdxT38c2FqTHqR0pr8tq29R4f5FUGHUx2lB-hcSflHIsxpX3jKWOfHMbASV1LhPzBaPX6ojr6blz3YityqhOP-Oq8MlzaFwEsXvKRR9Mxg_e/s320/elvis2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263282677312951890" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdXjYGGS40adGpdjdJrUqsKX7UnuFztbe3YglXct4EbxEFyKe_4xRZupzXvOQanmzS5eTubP-nEFQCooY2bRVKG6-fRnFDIvvOr1rEb-0yGtIjNvCnoXb6gwn5nRJGNpJ_AsA/s1600-h/elvis1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdXjYGGS40adGpdjdJrUqsKX7UnuFztbe3YglXct4EbxEFyKe_4xRZupzXvOQanmzS5eTubP-nEFQCooY2bRVKG6-fRnFDIvvOr1rEb-0yGtIjNvCnoXb6gwn5nRJGNpJ_AsA/s320/elvis1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263282479870815858" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7011266.post-29999792083580653602008-10-29T19:39:00.002-05:002008-10-29T19:45:39.975-05:00How-To GuruOur how-to site is squeaking along slowly. We're not getting a TON of visitors, and I'm still trying to figure out how to promote it. We recently started offering weekly giveaways with our how-tos as incentive for people to visit our site. That seems to be helping, but I don't yet know how to get the big traffic. I think I'd need a major blogger or media site of some sort to do a story on us, and I don't know how to make that happen.<br /><br />By the way, enter to <a href="http://www.how-tostudio.com/2008/10/win-tie-dye-sweatshirt.html">win a tie dye sweatshirt</a> this week, just by making a comment.<br /><br />I figure this is a good learning process no matter what. I started out by doing a super simple blog, and now I can add html to make it three columns, change the background, etc., etc.<br /><br />By the way, if you have any shopping on Amazon to do, please do it through our blog. We get a portion of sales if you enter through our site. Yes, yes, this is cool. But we haven't made any money yet.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3