7 Things

(Thought I would take a stab at this...)

7 things to do before I die
1. Travel
2. Host my own cooking show
3. Own my own business
4. Teach my grandchildren to burp
5. Write a book about my grandmother
6. Fluently speak a foreign language
7. (…complete my will)

7 Things I Can Do
1. Impressions
2. Be a drama queen
3. Take a 5 hour nap
4. Cook
5. Belch on command
6. Untie most knots
7. Eat chocolate like it’s going out of style

7 Things I Can Not Do
1. Carry a tune
2. Clean up vomit
3. Lie without stuttering
4. Remember your exact birthday
5. Be nice when it’s hot
6. Stay mad
7. The Electric Slide

7 Things That Make Me Love My Husband
1. He’s got the looks of a heart throb
2. He’s got the intentions of a boy scout
3. He’s got the charm of a Kennedy
4. He’s got the honesty of a child
5. He’s got the wisdom of a father
6. He’s got the eyes of an angel
7. He’s got the heart of a hero

7 Things I Say Most
1. “Oh, absolutely!”
2. “Dang dog…”
3. “eh?”
4. “Look at me when I’m talking to you!”
5. “You know!?”
6. “Negative.”
7. “What’s that smell?”

7 Celebrity Crushes
1. Mike Myers
2. Keith Partridge
3. Adam Sandler
4. John Travolta
5. Ben Stiller
6. Rupert Everett
7. Will Smith

Did You Know...?

Bison meat has half the fat of beef, but twice the protein? The low fat thing is great for Andy (because frankly, we're getting tired of all fish and chicken) and the high protein thing is a HUGE bonus for Noah, who is an extremely picky eater at the tender age of 2.

10 Years Later...

"Hi there!"

"Yup - we're married; I know, I know... high school sweethearts... who saw that coming!"

"We're still in White Bear Lake - in fact, we bought the house Andy grew up in."

"We have 2 kids"

"They're boys"

"Ages 6 and 2"

"This is Elliott, our oldest [show picture] and here is our little guy Noah [show picture]."

Multiply the above conversation by about 125 and that is how we spent our High School Class Reunion on Saturday night!

To be a Younger Brother

I read a children's book the other day entitled "Me Too". It's a wonderful little book about how a younger brother looks up to and wants to be just like his older brother.

How funny that a simple little children's story could lend so much perspective to this mother of two. As Elliott's voice read this book aloud to Noah, it occurred to me that Noah is challenging himself every minute of every day to keep up with us, and above all, to keep up with Elliott.

It's got to be exhausting! He plays every game, he does every trick, and partakes in every super hero showdown. When it's time for fooseball, he knows right where to get his stool in order to reach the game; when it's computer time, he knows right where to find the second chair to sit alongside of Elliott and wait for direction (well, most of the time!)

I've always smiled upon Elliott's brothering skills and enjoyed watching him turn into a mentor. This little book, however, helped me admire my little Noah in a whole new light for loving Elliott so much!

Bragging About Elliott

My son Elliott has been described as being "quite the character". Full of wit, charm, boyish energy and just enough sarcasm to make you wonder how old he really is, his extremely cheerful personality aims to make those around him laugh. In addition, he has an endless vat of etiquette and respect for adults, which is the delicious icing to this well balanced cake.

I am so thankful that I have been given the opportunity to be his mother. We always enjoy spending time together whether we're out to a movie, playing on the swings or making wise cracks in the car. We love to make silly noises and sillier faces. As he continues to grow, I hope and pray every day that we continue find the time laugh loud and act goofy together. Mind you, this hope and prayer isn't only for the little boy who is soon going to feel uncomfortable having his mom kiss him goodbye in front of friends, but this is also for the mom who has been carelessly capable of choosing laundry over legos 9 times out of 10.

So shut down those computers and go build some space command stations (or have a tea party...whichever the case may be)!

"UNCLE!"

I awoke today with the spirit of an Olympian. The finish line perhaps not apparent to the naked eye, but attainable to those with stealth. My to-do list was folded neatly in my purse, my coffee was half drunk and the boys, well, splattering the mirror with gooey toothpaste. But that didn't discourage me in the least, because you see...Momma's on a mission.

Only 27 days left until school starts.

Gone are the days of scoffing at premature commercials depicting kids boarding a school bus. Just as I have made the solemn parental vow to ensure an earlier bedtime, I also vow this day that I will NOT be that crazed last-minute shopper wondering just where all of the number 2 pencils and size 7 pants went.
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2 Targets, 1 Target Greatland, a Marshall's, a Famous Footwear, and an Educational Outfitter's later... I am a shell of a woman who has yet to accomplish the now crumpled up and scribbled upon to-do list she wanted to desperately to conquer.

I'm going to the park.

SHORTY McGRAW STILL AT LARGE! (or small rather...) 

CAPTURED! (Vacation pictures from our summer getaway...) 

The STONES

(Nope, not the Mick Jager kind...)

Andy has been suffering from some pretty intense stomach pain for just under a month now. He went to see a doctor and found out that his gallbladder is full of stones. (Gulp!) Now I feel bad about insinuating he "suck it up" and "by the way, Elliott was a 9+ lb baby!"

We are trying to manage the problem via diet for a week or two by cutting out fatty foods, acidic foods and dairy foods (basically, he should just go and graze in the back yard...) If that doesn't do the trick, the doc is going to schedule him for surgery to have this useless organ removed.

As such, Andy checked into our health insurance plan to mentally arrange how this will work out should he need the surgery. OUCH. We found out that the real pain begins when the invoice is sent. Apparently, having your gallbladder removed is considered an "ELECTIVE" surgery, and will therefore only be covered up to 30%. (I have so many sarcastic wise cracks swirling around my head to dignify how outrageous that notion is, my brain is throbbing.)

Being the financially driven character my husband is (which by the way, supports my theory about how the stones first showed up) Andy has decided that this could be a wonderful case of mind-over-matter and has stopped whining about the rabbit food I've been feeding him. However, if you have any great low-fat recipes, please send them my way; I'm running out of ideas!