Big Bro takes a Wife

My brother Andrew wed his lovely fiancee Monica yesterday (9/27) in an outdoor ceremony in Maple Grove. The weather was cool and the sky overcast but no rain fell, and everyone enjoyed the reception at the park. It was great to catch up with some friends and family that we've not seen in a while. And since my parents didn't provide me with a sister, this alliance pumps some much needed estrogen into my side of the family.

Congrats to the happy couple!

My baby is one!

We just celebrated Zachary's first birthday! He turned one on Saturday, September 20. Gentle readers (both of you), I suspect you will soon get used to my lamenting the speed of my children's growth and the frantic pace of time. Nowhere is the transformation that time brings more evident than within the first year of a child's life. Zach loves to crawl up the stairs when mommy's not looking. He eats like a little pig, just like his brothers and sister. They love to love on him. He tests the limits of our ear drums with piercing happy squeals. There's nothing like the magic of a new baby - a fresh whole new person who didn't exist before and will never be duplicated. Every curve of his face must be studied, every coo and goo marvelled at. And the magic continues, with every smile and milestone and big baby belch. We love you Zachy!

Phalange photo shoot

I offended some toes on my left foot last Friday when I whacked them into one of the baby gates at top speed. When the pain finally started to subside, it occurred to me that through my new blog I could force the world to share in this small tragedy. I rejoiced. Then, sadly, I could not properly capture the extent of the bruising with my camera. I despaired. But I decided to post the best one of the bad photos of my toes anyway. And I learned my lesson. I won't run around the house like a maniac without steel-toed boots.

A squandered week

The weather has been beautiful this week, but we haven't been out to enjoy it because of too much busyness. On Tuesday we kicked off a sacrament preparation period for Adrienne with a meeting at church. She will have her first reconciliation in late November and first holy communion in the spring. Though reception of these sacraments will be reason to celebrate, parents are expected to attend too many explanatory meetings in the meantime . In my not at all humble opinion on this subject, this is due to the wretched catechesis lay Catholics have received over the past several decades. Annoying though these meetings may be, I'm glad our parish is concerned enough to take the time to re-educate its members, and hopefully there will be fewer ignorant Catholics in the pews. Do I sound a little bitter? Alas, I am.
Switching gears - yesterday Adrienne had 3 teeth pulled at the dentist, poor kid. Her teeth are too crowded and the permanent ones are coming in a little wonky. I'm sure we'll be regulars at the orthodontist in a few years. The tooth fairy had pity on her and left her $5 instead of a quarter. Nicky also had an appointment yesterday - he'd been having eye pain and apparently has a small abrasion on his cornea. Some ointment 3x a day for 5 days should help it heal. Goodness, what kids won't do for a little attention! He is looking forward to a field trip to the apple orchard during preschool today, though mom and dad are still trying to figure out why it costs eight bucks to go. I have mentioned in a previous entry the &$#@ amount of homework my kids get assigned every night. *begin vent* This is a major time killer. I really think their teachers underestimate how long it takes to do. Michael typically has homework in multiple subjects - read 20 mins, write 20 minutes, study spelling, math worksheet, Word-A-Day (takes him forever to look up the word!) weekend geography homework etc., and he needs supervision to stay on task. It seems too close to the late high school/college model of instruction at school, and then do all the homework on your own time. The system needs an overhaul. Argh...I shouldn't even go there, as homework could be it's own blog entry. I'll leave it at that and try to think of something more positive to share next time. *end vent*

Summer '08 in pictures

I'm not ready for fall. Remember how winter had a late surge, and spring was chilly? I didn't get enough summer. Harrumph. I've decided central AC is not all it's cracked up to be. It's better than the alternative - I grew up in an old house without it - but sitting in a cool house from June through August is not really 'experiencing' summer. I missed the breezes through the windows, and I'm sure the kids could do without being barked at for leaving the doors open. And since Nate likes to keep the temp lower than I do, I had to go warm up outside every once in a while just to keep my fingers and toes from freezing and falling off. Anyway...here is a run-down of our summer vacation in photos. Notice miss 'thang Adrienne striking a pose at Pike's Peak bluff in Iowa. Michael looks smashing in his ball hockey get-up. Nate and Adrienne's b-days are in August, and A enjoyed a go-cart ride with Papa Duane on the farm. Nicky and Zach each ham it up for the camera.

Back to School for '08-'09

My kids insist on getting older at a rapid rate. Michael has now started 4th grade, Adrienne 2nd, and Nicky is in a preschool class for 4 year olds. Pretty smooth sailing so far, except for the $#@& amount of homework for the older two.

New Specs

I finally got new glasses this past weekend. My old pair were quite outdated, so I always wore contacts. Witness the horror -------->

Dissatisfied with my gargoyle-in-unfashionable-eyewear appearance, I attempted to select frames that were slightly more en vogue. I daresay the difference is dramatic.

Adrienne got glasses as well. The very first night

she had them, she left them in the neighbor's

backyard overnight, despite promises that they

were in the case on her dresser at bedtime.

Sheesh.

Welcome!

So this is it. Everyone has a blog these days - why not 'lil old me? Check here weekly or so for my 2 cents on worldly affairs and poo diapers and a few things in between.