A string of words . . . .

. . . says so much.

Friday morning I was put together and on my way to go to work. Norah walked into the living room where I was, stopped, looked at me and said:

"Mommy."

"Work."

"Home."

"Hug."

Then she walked right into my arms. Those four little words said so very much and melted my heart!

The Promise of New Life

We drink in the bold colors of brown, red, yellow, and fading green while looking out of our wonderful picture window. The vibrancy of these lovely fall colors promise to bring dull and dingy brown. To which I have named Midwestern Brown Blah. Not so fresh and lively.

Contrary to fall's insistence of leaves drying out, grass dying, and flowers fading, this day has been spent ensuring the promise of new life. Simon, Norah and I spent the morning planting our tulip bulbs, collected from our late spring tulip-free-for-alls. We cleared out annuals, used shovels to dig holes, dumped in the dried-out bulbs, and covered them up with dirt. We now have new life to watch for when the snow melts for the last time next spring!

The hope of new life continues today in acknowledgement of Mom's third birthday! Only a very special person can have three birthdays! Her first is August 14, the second is Ash Wednesday, and today, October 12 is her third - thanks to the generous gift of donation! The promise and hope of new life is wonderful! We pray for a successful transplant and recovery in the weeks ahead!

Those Things

A Conversation between Simon and Mommy; standing in my bedroom.

S: Does Norah still drink your milk?

M: No, she drinks from a cup. She's a big girl.

S: Sometimes does she?
M: Nope

S: Only very sometimes?

M: No, not at all.

S: Then why do you have those things?

M: Because I am a woman and women have them.

S: I have a pee pee! I go to the bathroom out of my pee pee. It has a hole. See, right here. (Imagine pants pulled down just enough with a little boy pointing to the very tip he described!) Norah does not have a pee pee. She just goes to the bathroom out of her butt! How funny is that?!?! But I poop out of my butt.

M: Yep, you are a boy and boys have a pee pee, that is your private part. Girls do not.

So it seems my boy is curious. Haven't quite shared the exact vocabulary, not sure when to do that. But I did mention that only doctors and Mommy and Daddy during baths can touch his private parts.

A step back in time:

A few hours before this conversation Simon inquired if I ever stand to go to the bathroom. He was shocked that not even sometimes do I stand to go to the bathroom.

Many months to a year before this conversation: Simon asked what I was folding. Not sure I wanted him to chant the word "bra" at inappropriate times in inappropriate places - I just said underwear. He pondered this and said "your tummy underwear" to which I replied yes. Shopping in Kohls shortly after that conversation he declared quite loudly, "Mommy, there is your tummy underwear."

Cracker, Cranky Pants & Window

We laughed on our couch incredible amounts last night as our son entertained the rest of us! He put on the best horse show ever!  His hobby horse was named "Cracker" (named after a horse he rode) and he had two other horses named "Cranky Pants" (named another horse he rode) and "Window" (which he named after a long pause looking out our window).  Cracker is brown horse with a white nose while Cranky Pants and Window have black noses.  Just to let you know.

The horse show included jumping (over pillows), trotting around a chair, and weaving back and forth between pillows.  Norah loved the show, with initial disappointment that "show" did not mean "Peep", her favorite T.V. show.   Once Simon started she sat on my lap and could not keep her eyes off of her brother.

Favorite moments were Simon's little trotting legs around the chair.  SO! CUTE!!!!  During one jumping sequence Cracker fell to the ground.  Upon picking him up, Simon said "You did your best, but you missed.  Try again".  Hysterical!  

Halfway through the stunts Simon's horses got hungry so I had to feed them apples and carrot tops.  Then they got tired, and the hobby horse had to rest by laying down on the couch with a pillow under the head and a blanket to cover the stick!  During one round our breathless Simon said "Cracker is tired.  I am tired".

And then to watch Norah ride Cracker - absolutely way too funny!!!

The "Hawk Thing"

We have watched this "hawk thing" all summer long. We've seen it perched high in various trees on our block, seen it swoop to catch a bird mid flight, seen it squeeze the living daylights out of a small bird, seen it squeeze a small critter on our next door neighbors grass, and seen small bird feathers in a circle on our grass several mornings. I even had a carcass in my perennial garden. It must have been saved for later because it was gone the next day. It swooped low just above us one day in the driveway, it flew to our tree above us, and then to the wires over our side/back yard to squeeze his meal - a lunchtime favorite spot! I have heard the squeel of death all summer long - practically all day every day! Our neighbors claim there are 3; and we have seen 2 at one time. Simon has learned that big birds eat little birds. He also knows the hawk sound from inside the house. We now believe him when he says he saw or heard the "hawk thing".

So today we took "the hawk thing's" feathers (we had 2) and this close up picture and went to the Willowbrook Wildlife Nature Preserve. We asked what it could be and was told it is a Cooper's Hawk. It has not been in our area for a few years and is now making a comeback. They eat small birds and make stick nests. Sometimes not so sturdy and baby Cooper's Hawks can fall through the nest. We are not exactly sure where the nest is located.

This bird sure has entertained us this summer. Large birds have a regal characteristic to them!

The MN State Fair

Here are sights and moments of glee from our trips to the Minnesota State Fair! So much fun, we sure missed Grandma and Grandpa going with us! Enjoy your day at the fair Grandma and Grandpa, tons of pictures were taken for you!!!

Chocolate Covered Pig Lickers

Yep. Chocolate covered bacon. I found this culinary delight at none other than the Minnesota State Fair. The perfect combination of sweet and salty and due to its oddity, I had to sample. To accomplish satisfying this craving outside of the Great Minnesota Get Together, I would plunge for chocolate covered pretzels.

Irony exists over the entire fairgrounds. You see, these cute little oinkers will someday be my ham sandwich, bacon, grilled chops, pepperoni, and any of the "other white meat" delights that may cross my plate. My sweet Simon and Norah have yet to figure that out!

Who wouldn't want . . . .

. . . . . a barrel sauna? I saw this at the Minnesota State Fair. It made me laugh.

In the Nines

10 years ago on 9-9-99, Eric proposed to me! Life has been fantastic ever since!

So on 9-9-09, we spent the day getting used to our new routine of 3 mornings of preschool and me working part time and keeping a 1 1/2 year old safe and everyone fed!

10 years, where did the time go? Life really passes us by fast. But we have learned to enjoy each step of the way.

And look what we have accomplished!

7 Digits & 10 Years

Last week Thursday was the first day of my 10th year working as a Speech and Language Therapist in the schools. I now am in the same school working in the same program for the second year in a row. Amazing! Although I haven't moved buildings or programs, I have moved rooms. I am out of the back corner of the library, and up in the front by the offices. My own entry way! This is the most convenient and beautiful space I have ever had at work. It only took 10 years!!!

With the major construction that occurred over the summer came phone, computer, and technology improvements. The phone system acts computer-like! And I have a direct number - only to be used by important people like my husband and sitter. Or my Dad, who very sweetly called me on my first day!

Ironically, these 7 digits are strangely similar to my personal phone number from my first apartment in Glen Ellyn 10 years ago! This fact was highlighted by Eric and sadly not remembered by me. But back then he called that number much more than I did.

So let's pretend my phone number back then was
434-2284

My pretend new work phone number this year is
434-4428!