Jewish families, do you have room for one more?

e: How many days is Christmas?
m: Just one, we have celebrations Christmas Eve too, but Christmas is really only one day.
e: How many days is Hanukkah?
m: eight
e: [california surfer cool guy tone] Oh, Yeah. Sweet.

Graduate School

e: daddy, can you put a pony in Julie's [doll] hair?
r: yeah, here.....
[making pony]
e: dad, that's not a very good pony
r: I did the best I could, Dads aren't usually very good at that sort of thing.
e: well, you'd better go back to college and learn how to do ponies then!

Honestly, I tried:

The plan: get big-boy-bed, take down crib. So.....while daddy was shoveling (would have been nice to know it'd be 34degrees the next day and the snow would have gracefully dripped off the driveway..oops) I was busy taking the crib apart....or a least trying. Took out the mattress, emptied the drawer, took off the sliding side.....and then it happened. I cried. I couldn't do it. Soooo.......I didn't. G now has a $600 stuffed animal shelf.

6:15 am: G: Mama, me luffff eewwwww!!

Where's #100?

. . . Copy and paste this to your blog and bold the ones that you HAVE done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (does jr. high count??)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie/commercial/tvshow
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

m: ella & grant, why is it so quiet up there?
e: Because! We're just goofing around like an elephant in a big butt-crack!

(I swear I don't make this stuff up)

e: when is going to be christmas? I really feel like having presents in my stocking.

G-Man:

"yeah...you know it"

"this is the very worst day of my life"

"me football guy!"

g: mmmmm! nummy in me belly button!

Mama got a brand new title:

....I can now add "Award Winning Blogger" to my resume. Thanks Jules, for making me more marketable during these tough times....I'm sure the nomination will land me a stellar job in lane 7. (link to award through logo)

The true meaning of Gynecologists:

Around Christmas 2005 I paid a routine visit to my OB/GYN, Dr. Junnila at Park Nicollet/Carlson...I was pregnant with Grant at the time so I got out of the all too uncomfortable downstairs exam. I was there to listen to the baby's heart, step on the scale and get my belly measured. As per usual Dr. Junnila and I talked about all things unrelated to women's health; politics, weather, the kids, the dogs, his latest travel adventures (he's always tan)...etc. This particular visit he asked me what my favorite Christmas movie was. That was easy, One Magic Christmas and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation of course. He said he loved One Magic Christmas as well....we talked a bit about the film as he was probably the only person I knew that actually knew about or liked that sappy movie. I shared my disappointment that my only copy was VHS and I had watched it so many times the tape was worn out and I couldn't share it with my kids. Dr. J said that his son could maybe get me a copy on DVD, that he was 'young and into all that technology stuff.' That Christmas passed, as did Christmas 2006 and 2007. Here we are, three years later and in today's mail was an envelope addressed to me, with no return address and no postage. Inside was a homemade DVD labeled 'One Magic Christmas' and a post-it note that read "Merry Christmas from Santa." Three years later, Dr. Junnila took the time to not only think of me, but to drive to my house and prove to me that there really are a few good people left in this world....even if they are the same people that look at your cervix one a year.

dirty boy

g: mama, me likey to dig in me butt!