14 years ago
Monday, May 28, 2007
Memorial Day
A very nice Memorial Day - the men (Dad, Greg, me) painted the railing on our front porch, which badly needed it. Meanwhile, the women (Mom, Katelyn, Lisa) bathed, fed, and practiced wedding hair on the children. Later, Annika asked nicely and was allowed to use the digital camera. That led to the following collage of Abby, which I discovered on the computer later that night. Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Baptism
Last Sunday Jake was baptized. Many friends and family joined us at church, and the baptism was highlighted by Annika singing "Jacob, Jacob, God Claims You" in front of the whole congregation. She did a great job, we all beamed with pride, and she caused more than a few tears to flow in the congregation. Greg kindly took a digital video of Annika singing and I hoped to put it on YouTube for all of you that are far away to see, but the video is sideways and huge in file size, and I don't have any video-editing software. Lisa's grandpa also took very nice analog video of the entire baptism, and we're glad to have that.
Afterwards, we had 33 people at our house for a party. I spent most of my time on the deck, where I grilled more meat that I ever have before - a dozen hot dogs, 16 hamburgers, and 18 brats. Dessert was a great cake from the DeBoer bakery, which we finally finished three days later. Just for fun, here's a couple pictures...
Meanwhile, Lisa has strep throat (yahoo!). Tee ball is done. Our thermometer read 92 degrees today, although the humidity isn't too bad. Jake is two months old. In a couple weeks, school will be done and it will really be summer. Our neighbors, whose house had a fire last fall (I think it was), had a fire in the dumpster that's in their driveway from the repairs.
An anecdote: Abby comes out of her room, a pacifier in each hand. Mike encounters her in the hallway. She hides them behind her back. "What do you have there?" says Mike. "Little People," Abby outrightly lies. She'll be 3 in July!
Afterwards, we had 33 people at our house for a party. I spent most of my time on the deck, where I grilled more meat that I ever have before - a dozen hot dogs, 16 hamburgers, and 18 brats. Dessert was a great cake from the DeBoer bakery, which we finally finished three days later. Just for fun, here's a couple pictures...
First, Greg displays the quality ale available at the gathering - Bell's Big Porch Ale, an amber ale brewed for the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island
Second, Mike grills the flesh of many animals:
Meanwhile, Lisa has strep throat (yahoo!). Tee ball is done. Our thermometer read 92 degrees today, although the humidity isn't too bad. Jake is two months old. In a couple weeks, school will be done and it will really be summer. Our neighbors, whose house had a fire last fall (I think it was), had a fire in the dumpster that's in their driveway from the repairs.An anecdote: Abby comes out of her room, a pacifier in each hand. Mike encounters her in the hallway. She hides them behind her back. "What do you have there?" says Mike.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Country Living
Life continues, out in the country:
Our old strawberry patch is coming along, even though we haven't done a thing for it this year. We're not planting a garden since we're hoping to move. The riding mower is frequently in use (although I had to jump start it with my car when I first got it out this year - I didn't even know that could be done). Between mows, the dandelions are blooming like mad, much to the delight of the girls (by the way, there's nothing cuter than a 2-year-old Abby in a ponytail running barefoot through the yard). I could make the huge list of birds that are around, but I'll spare you (the hummingbirds showed up, too (sorry about all the parenthetical comments (here's another!))).
Our super-gardening neighbors have added livestock to their life, too, with three goats and a baby cow. The goats are named Pam, Nicole and Rebecca, while the cow's name is Ground Round (guess what he's for!). However, with the livestock also comes a fully armed and operational electrified fence. Fortunately there's a buffer consisting of their garden and the road between our property and the fence, so the girls won't accidentally run into it - apparently it's a very unpleasant experience. Meanwhile, the dirty starlings built a nest under the cap of our propane tank, which I eventually had to clean out. They had laid eggs, and I broke one getting them out, but then the girls and neighbor Leo made off with them. Annika eventually dropped two of them and Abby simply squeezed hers too hard, but Leo still had his 30 minutes later. A different day we found and chased a two-foot snake along the edge of the house, and later Abby and I found one on the road while taking a walk with Jake.
Phew! We'll miss all this if and when we move, but we won't miss being so far away from everything.
In non-country related news, we've been watching a lot more TV lately, since we're always trying to pass the time dealing with Jake before bed. It makes me pine for better cable, in order to get more sports, since you can watch that even with blaring static on, if that's what's necessary to calm Jake down. Besides that, I've seen more American Idol and Dancing with the Stars than ever before. Personally, I think DwtS is more entertaining, and Annika loves it. That said, here's a preview of coming attractions...
Annika's dance recital is June 2.
Our old strawberry patch is coming along, even though we haven't done a thing for it this year. We're not planting a garden since we're hoping to move. The riding mower is frequently in use (although I had to jump start it with my car when I first got it out this year - I didn't even know that could be done). Between mows, the dandelions are blooming like mad, much to the delight of the girls (by the way, there's nothing cuter than a 2-year-old Abby in a ponytail running barefoot through the yard). I could make the huge list of birds that are around, but I'll spare you (the hummingbirds showed up, too (sorry about all the parenthetical comments (here's another!))).
Our super-gardening neighbors have added livestock to their life, too, with three goats and a baby cow. The goats are named Pam, Nicole and Rebecca, while the cow's name is Ground Round (guess what he's for!). However, with the livestock also comes a fully armed and operational electrified fence. Fortunately there's a buffer consisting of their garden and the road between our property and the fence, so the girls won't accidentally run into it - apparently it's a very unpleasant experience. Meanwhile, the dirty starlings built a nest under the cap of our propane tank, which I eventually had to clean out. They had laid eggs, and I broke one getting them out, but then the girls and neighbor Leo made off with them. Annika eventually dropped two of them and Abby simply squeezed hers too hard, but Leo still had his 30 minutes later. A different day we found and chased a two-foot snake along the edge of the house, and later Abby and I found one on the road while taking a walk with Jake.
Phew! We'll miss all this if and when we move, but we won't miss being so far away from everything.
In non-country related news, we've been watching a lot more TV lately, since we're always trying to pass the time dealing with Jake before bed. It makes me pine for better cable, in order to get more sports, since you can watch that even with blaring static on, if that's what's necessary to calm Jake down. Besides that, I've seen more American Idol and Dancing with the Stars than ever before. Personally, I think DwtS is more entertaining, and Annika loves it. That said, here's a preview of coming attractions...
Annika's dance recital is June 2.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Six weeks down
Quickly, stuff that has happened:
Annika and I started tee-ball. My semester ended. I went to a math conference, heard some good speakers, and hob-nobbed. Meanwhile, Lisa bravely took the girls and Jake to Chicago for Lizzy's shower. Today Lisa went back to work and I had my first day alone with Abby and Jake. Jake is sleeping some longer chunks, but not anything we'd call "through the night" yet. When taking a calm, broad look at everything, we're mostly doing well. Catch me at the right moment, though, and I may eat you.
Pictures:
First oriole of the year!
Annika took the following two pictures. The first one highlights Jake's awesome complexion.
Truly, Abby does not always look like a ragamuffin. She actually cleans up quite nicely. Thanks for looking! Baptism is May 20, and you're all welcome to join us!
Annika and I started tee-ball. My semester ended. I went to a math conference, heard some good speakers, and hob-nobbed. Meanwhile, Lisa bravely took the girls and Jake to Chicago for Lizzy's shower. Today Lisa went back to work and I had my first day alone with Abby and Jake. Jake is sleeping some longer chunks, but not anything we'd call "through the night" yet. When taking a calm, broad look at everything, we're mostly doing well. Catch me at the right moment, though, and I may eat you.
Pictures:
First oriole of the year!
Annika took the following two pictures. The first one highlights Jake's awesome complexion.
Truly, Abby does not always look like a ragamuffin. She actually cleans up quite nicely. Thanks for looking! Baptism is May 20, and you're all welcome to join us!Friday, April 20, 2007
I Love YouTube
Before I get to that, a few quick things:
The surgeon has pronounced me healed, for the most part. All my stitches were subcutaneous (inside!) and I just had some strips of tape that initially held my incision together on the outside, but I peeled those off and everything looks good. I can bound up the stairs two at a time now, and pick up Abby. She was pleased.
Jake had his first "all-crib" night with no time spent sleeping in the cradle in our room. It went OK, although he had a long stretch of restlessness where he couldn't sleep on his own. Otherwise, he's coming along, and he's already 4 weeks old.
I only have two weeks of the semester left, but then Lisa has to go back to school until the end of her year, which is in June.
I'll get more pics of everyone up soon.
Now, YouTube: initially I always thought of Nick and Beth when Youtube came up, mostly because Beth's boss, Paul Robinett, is a "Youtube personality," to say the least. Also, while in Columbus with N & B over Dad's birthday last summer, we all made a video-card for him that prominently featured Annika and Abby and posted it on YouTube for him to see from home.
But now most of my YouTube activity comes through links provided by column writers on ESPN.com, who can easily post a link to just about any event that's ever happened, because someone posted the video on YouTube. I mean, why describe the final play in the career of the cockiest high-school basketball prospect ever - a slam dunk off an alleyoop from himself followed by throwing the ball into the stands and getting ejected - when you can link to it instead? It's nice to know that any sports play of signficance that you missed from the night before (or 20 years ago will be there on YouTube in no time - even the recent incident at a Red Sox game featuring a foul ball, two fans, an oufielder, lots of spilled beer and a flying piece of pizza (hi-larious). Oh, and go see Bo Jackson score a 99-yard Tecmobowl touchdown on a play that takes up an entire quarter. The fun . . . is endless!
And here it ends.
The surgeon has pronounced me healed, for the most part. All my stitches were subcutaneous (inside!) and I just had some strips of tape that initially held my incision together on the outside, but I peeled those off and everything looks good. I can bound up the stairs two at a time now, and pick up Abby. She was pleased.
Jake had his first "all-crib" night with no time spent sleeping in the cradle in our room. It went OK, although he had a long stretch of restlessness where he couldn't sleep on his own. Otherwise, he's coming along, and he's already 4 weeks old.
I only have two weeks of the semester left, but then Lisa has to go back to school until the end of her year, which is in June.
I'll get more pics of everyone up soon.
Now, YouTube: initially I always thought of Nick and Beth when Youtube came up, mostly because Beth's boss, Paul Robinett, is a "Youtube personality," to say the least. Also, while in Columbus with N & B over Dad's birthday last summer, we all made a video-card for him that prominently featured Annika and Abby and posted it on YouTube for him to see from home.
But now most of my YouTube activity comes through links provided by column writers on ESPN.com, who can easily post a link to just about any event that's ever happened, because someone posted the video on YouTube. I mean, why describe the final play in the career of the cockiest high-school basketball prospect ever - a slam dunk off an alleyoop from himself followed by throwing the ball into the stands and getting ejected - when you can link to it instead? It's nice to know that any sports play of signficance that you missed from the night before (or 20 years ago will be there on YouTube in no time - even the recent incident at a Red Sox game featuring a foul ball, two fans, an oufielder, lots of spilled beer and a flying piece of pizza (hi-larious). Oh, and go see Bo Jackson score a 99-yard Tecmobowl touchdown on a play that takes up an entire quarter. The fun . . . is endless!
And here it ends.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
I Profess My Love For...
As of late, like I've said previously, life has been sheer chaos - I'm recovering from my surgery, our house is in perpetual disarray, we're all adjusting to life with a son and brother (Abby is taking steps backwards in the world of potty-training), Jake had his worst night last night, resulting in little sleep for Lisa and me, and then today was Annika's birthday, which involved Chuck E. Cheese (a blackhole of chaos).
Parenthetically: Annika pulled one of the biggest stunts ever, today, on her birthday. We were busy dealing with multiple things upstairs, including trying to figure out something to do for Annika's birthday. At one point she was in the basement trying to feed cat food directly to Tate (the cat). Later, Lisa's grandma called to wish Annika a happy birthday, and when I went to the basement to give her the phone, I found every square inch of the basement, including couches and ledges, coated in cat food. Annika had taken it upon herself to evenly distribute cat food all over the place, to the point that you couldn't walk around without stepping on it. Needless to say, we were totally floored, and underwent a long cleanup process. End parenthesis.
Halting the complain-o-rama, here's where I profess my love, for . . . radio static. I'm generally pretty worthless when dealing with babies after bedtime, because working for 30 minutes to get the kid to sleep alone for 8 minutes reeeeeallllllly aggravates me when I should be sleeping. But, in a small moment of determination, I decided to take Jake at 10pm and let Lisa go to sleep for some period of time, in hopes that I could at least last until 11pm. Jake was OK for about 5 minutes, and then started the "I'm gonna be crabby for undistinguishable reasons" routine, so I fell back to an old gimmick that I used with Abby a lot: turn the stereo to 87.5 FM and crank up the static. The result was almost instantaneous relaxation on Jake's part, followed by some snoozy snoozin', while I watched TV with the volume up just enough to hear over the static. More than two hours later, he's in bed, and I haven't heard him stir yet. Most importantly, I made it through some time late in the day with my son without resenting him or myself, and that feels like a lottery win for me right now. Now it's 12:18am and I'm going to bed. PEACE OUT!
Parenthetically: Annika pulled one of the biggest stunts ever, today, on her birthday. We were busy dealing with multiple things upstairs, including trying to figure out something to do for Annika's birthday. At one point she was in the basement trying to feed cat food directly to Tate (the cat). Later, Lisa's grandma called to wish Annika a happy birthday, and when I went to the basement to give her the phone, I found every square inch of the basement, including couches and ledges, coated in cat food. Annika had taken it upon herself to evenly distribute cat food all over the place, to the point that you couldn't walk around without stepping on it. Needless to say, we were totally floored, and underwent a long cleanup process. End parenthesis.
Halting the complain-o-rama, here's where I profess my love, for . . . radio static. I'm generally pretty worthless when dealing with babies after bedtime, because working for 30 minutes to get the kid to sleep alone for 8 minutes reeeeeallllllly aggravates me when I should be sleeping. But, in a small moment of determination, I decided to take Jake at 10pm and let Lisa go to sleep for some period of time, in hopes that I could at least last until 11pm. Jake was OK for about 5 minutes, and then started the "I'm gonna be crabby for undistinguishable reasons" routine, so I fell back to an old gimmick that I used with Abby a lot: turn the stereo to 87.5 FM and crank up the static. The result was almost instantaneous relaxation on Jake's part, followed by some snoozy snoozin', while I watched TV with the volume up just enough to hear over the static. More than two hours later, he's in bed, and I haven't heard him stir yet. Most importantly, I made it through some time late in the day with my son without resenting him or myself, and that feels like a lottery win for me right now. Now it's 12:18am and I'm going to bed. PEACE OUT!
Monday, April 09, 2007
Appendectomy
Clearly it wasn't enough to be raising a 2-week-old, selling a house and dealing with snow in April, so my appendix went on the fritz. I woke up at 2am Saturday morning with abdominal pain, and after no culminating flu-like event occurred and the pain just got worse, we headed for the ER around noon. Once some pain medication kicked in the weekend got relatively easy for me, at least, as I pretty much laid around, slept, went through surgery and had my appendix removed, remembered nothing of it, watched TV, slept, ate, and eventually went home. Life for everyone else around me got more complicated, though.
I'm planning on heading back to work on Wednesday, and I'll only have missed one day of teaching. Annika's spring break is over then, too, so we'll have those logistics to deal with as well. I've been appreciating my Vicodin today, but hopefully things will start to heal up so I can return to normal soon and life can start to even out.
A few weeks ago we had a nice routine in our life, but since Jake was born it's been serious chaos. Here's looking forward to some normalcy (in 2008?).
I'm planning on heading back to work on Wednesday, and I'll only have missed one day of teaching. Annika's spring break is over then, too, so we'll have those logistics to deal with as well. I've been appreciating my Vicodin today, but hopefully things will start to heal up so I can return to normal soon and life can start to even out.
A few weeks ago we had a nice routine in our life, but since Jake was born it's been serious chaos. Here's looking forward to some normalcy (in 2008?).
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