Zoo Fun

All the kiddos checking out the Orangutans!


Cuties in a Row!


This is a pic of a BRILLIANT game called "Tushies on the Wall". First one to take their tushie off the wall loses. A great way to manage a large group of children. Just genius.


Kate pushing her luck by shaking her booty WHILST playing "Tushies on the Wall". So cute.


Kate on the Zoo's Carousel.

I Fold

Kate had been playing pretty hard on the swing set and I was doing dishes in the kitchen while she relaxed on the couch. I came into the living room to find her fast asleep just like this. Toes to nose.

Play On!

Memorial Day Weekend could have been called "Labor Day Weekend" for Nick, Uncle Patrick, and our dear friend, Ryan (my buddy from college who happens to live down the street from us now!!!!). All three guys bravely took on the task of building a Swing Set for the kiddos! Wasn't that WONDERFUL of them?!!! There are plenty of places out there where you can order a playset and a crew shows up and assembles it, but frankly we saved money doing it ourselves and - let's get real.....I am married to NICK, the DIY King, so of course it had to be a full-on project for us. And I would not have had it any other way! It was actually a lot of fun (says the girl who did not even lift a hammer). It was such an all-american weekend. We peppered the construction with BBQ breaks, great music, and a steady supply of beer and lemonade. Nick paid special tribute to the laborious yard-work theme of the weekend by supplying his fellow laborers with what he calls "Lawnmower beer" (Pabst Blue Ribbon). The guys all really got into it and after tearing up sod, digging out and leveling a play pit, assembling MANY pieces, pouring mulch etc.....the kids were ready to PLAY!!!! Kate went absolutely NUTS....she was so excited. And Liam, as you can tell from the picture, REALLY loves the swing. In fact, he was in the swing for so long that when he got out, he had a little motion adaptation issue and walked around the yard like a drunken sailor; weaving and wobbling and falling down, laughing all the time. Thank you SO much to Uncle Patrick, Uncle Ryan, and OF COURSE to NICK!!! We are looking forward to spending the summer playing on the swing set in the yard. That is - AFTER Nick finishes his next project which involves tearing up the rest of the ghetto fence that the previous owners left us and replacing it with a fence that matches the rest of our nice wooden one. :)

Pics

Here are some recent pics.....


Liam crashed while playing! Isn't his tummy so darn cute?!


Here is Kate with our dear friend, and babysitter, Lindsay. She is part of the family and we are so sad that she is leaving the Twin Cities. Can you tell how much Kate loves her?



Liam and Kate with Lindsay - we all went out to lunch at Kate's favorite place, The Rainforest Cafe. Then we went to the aquarium...such a fun day!



Nick and I getting ready to go on a date!!! Alert the press!!!! :) We were fortunate to attend the Make-A-Wish Foundation's Ball. It was a black tie event and was really a nice night out. It was so touching to see all the stories of sick children having their dreams come true. What a great charity! It was also quite amazing to see the generosity of people at the auction. Really fun to watch!

Moonlight Serendae

I went to bed early last night! After gardening all day Sunday and a Monday full of mommy-challenges, I was exhausted by 9pm - which is VERY early for me. Good thing I got to bed earlier than usual. At 4am, Nick and I were awoken by soft strains of music over Kate's "baby monitor". She had gotten out of bed to turn on her stereo and we were graced with the sounds of her "Disney Princess" CD. First up, "Reflection", from "Mulan", made famous by Christina Aguilera before she was a genie-in-a-bottle-turned-drrrrty tramp-turned legitimate powerhouse songstress who dresses like a 40's pinup. I digress.

Kate's voice soon began sweetly chirping and warbling along to the song - again, at 4 o'clock in the morning - and Nick and I lay awake in the dark listening to her with huge smiles on our faces...."when will my reee-fwection shoooowwwww, whooo I YAM insiiiiiide". As she moved from Mulan into a song from "the little mermaid", I had to go upstairs and put a stop to it. She was not very happy about it, but #1, it was 4am, #2, if she woke up Liam it would no longer be so cute, and #3 she needed sleep because she had to be up for school in the morning - oh, and #4, despite me going to bed early, I still REALLY love my sleep and need as much as possible! :)

After a time, I managed to get Kate back down to sleep. The house was quiet and dark. I crept downstairs back to bed and snuggled in and was just drifting off in that perfect moment of sleep when....."NEEEIIIGGGHHH!!! NEIGH NEIGH NEIGH!!!!!". The monitor now emitted the equine expressions of one Kate "Pony" Harris, snug in her bed, pretending to be a horse.

I decided at this point that she was just going for a reaction, and ignored her. I had to put up with about 15 minutes of whinnying, and I lost that perfect sleep moment, but she eventually stopped and drifted off to dreamland. And then so did I. Unbelievably, Liam slept through the whole thing. Yeeeiiiigggghhh.

Oh Happy Day!

Happy Mothers Day to all the Moms out there!!!!!!!!! Mine has been terrific so far. The kids and Nick made me a favorite family breakfast - chocolate pancakes!!! yum!!! I got wonderful cards and gifts - especially the hand-painted flower pot from Kate! :) We are going to spend the day in the garden tilling and getting ready for some plantings in a few days....the frost danger here in Minnesota has not quite passed, believe it or not, so I want to wait a while on some of the annuals. But we may be planting some more hardy plants today. I never thought I would enjoy working in the garden as much as I do!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

2 Legit 2 Quit

I don't feel comfortable "bragging on" my accomplishments too much. I love to give updates on my amazing children, and general overviews of what I am up to, but don't get too much into the nitty gritty of kudos for myself. I feel odd about it. BUT....I am really proud of some news coverage that "Ever After Gowns" has received lately. Our annual event was covered on Minnesota/National Public Radio during "All Things Considered" last week. The journalist did an exceptional job at conveying the message about what it is that we do - and how we differ from other similar organizations. I wanted to share it because I think MPR got the message better than just about any piece we have had so far. I think of how much this organization has accomplished in the past three years and I am speechless....the sheer NUMBER of volunteers - not to mention DONORS!!! - astounds me. The dedication and effort on the part of so many for the girls that we aid just fills my heart. How wonderful. Thanks to all of them - - and especially to my husband and family as they supported me in my efforts to make this a true blue company that actually seems to be working! :)

So - as HARD as it is. And it is HARD. A LOT of WORK that makes me think sometimes "what the heck am I DOING this for??!!!"....we are officially legit in my mind now and I can't just quit. Too legit to quit. Who knew MC Hammer was so wise?

Here is the link to the article. Click on the feature audio link to actually hear the broadcast....
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/05/04/promdress/

Here is a link to Ever After Gowns and our press coverage which includes some newspaper and other radio stuff.....
http://www.everaftergowns.org/news/news.html

Giddy Up

Just had to document this. Kate is pretending that her play-grocery-cart is a horse. She is holding the handle like they are reins and this is what just happened.....

"Mom, did you know that my horse traded her legs for wheels so she could go faster? That is why she has wheels and not legs. We're ready to HIT THE ROAD!!!!! C'moooooon! Hit it, girl!!!!" (She then made that giddy-up clucking noise). Then the horse (aka grocery cart) reared back with a great big "neeiiiiggghhhhhh". And they galloped down the hall.

I love it.

I Can't Even Handle the Cuteness!

Here is Kate, complete with tutu costume, singing along into her microphone with "American Idol" Kelly Clarkson. She loves that show.




Kate dressed in her best costume finery. The boa and dress are from her Aunties Madelyn and Ava. The crown is a staple. And no outfit is complete without pink galoshes, don't ya know!?!





Some pics of Kate and Liam as they were playing. Kate is really giving us the megawatt smile here! :) Liam is in major need of a haircut. I cannot bring myself to do it just yet. When it gets humid his hair gets all wavy and surfer-dude looking and he looks so cute and cool. I promise not to let it grow like Kate Hudson's son who looks abolutely ridiculous.



The kiddos are just bowling me over these days. They are too funny and sweet. Kate is such a big girl and continues to be into all things princess-ish. As for Liam, there are mornings when I go to get him up from his crib and I swear he grew overnight! He takes massive leaps development-wise....going from a few words and skills to a barrage of words and skills in just a few days. It is amazing to watch and so much fun.

Kate continues to make me giggle at her humor and marvel at her memory as well. The other day she mentioned how we went to a restaraunt that had "gold railings". After some questioning, we realized she was talking about the Hard Rock Cafe in Miami from our trip in March. She then talked to us about "the beautiful paintings made of lots of colors and lights" that were at the Hard Rock. We realized she meant the stained glass pictures they have of musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Madonna etc. We explained how stained glass worked and she listened attentively, nodding very seriously and then pronounced with great weight "Yes. They were MASTERPIECES." She then informed us that when she grew up she was "going to be an artist and make masterpieces". She is too much.

Liam is so big. He toddles everywhere now and has also become our little monkey. We had a little table set near the window and I ran downstairs to put a sippy cup in the sink for 2 minutes and came back up to find Liam STANDING on the WINDOW SILL of the second floor window - inside of course, the window was closed and locked. GOOD GOD!!!! He had climbed the table, stacked toys, climbed those, and clambered to the window. Needless to say, we have a new configuration of furniture in the playroom! I regularly find him standing on top of tables and couches, though, and attempting to scale other pieces of furniture such as bookshelves. His absolute favorite toy is a plain rubber ball, about the size of a volleyball. First thing he wants in the morning is his "Baw". He toddles around holding onto it saying "Baw" over and over, and delights in walking up to us and giving it to us saying "e-go" (translation: "here you go"). We say thank you and take it, but are immediately expected to give it right back to him, where he says "Tee-toe" (translation: "Thank You"). This can go on for hours, or intermittently throughout any given day.

Liam also has taken to talking on the phone. So to speak. He totters around holding his hand to his ear saying, in his adorable super deep voice, "Hewwwooooo, Hewwwoooooo". He also delights in blowing kisses with a big "mmwwah" sound, waving and saying "bye bye". He is a super eater and not really picky at all, which is a change after dealing with the picky princess! :) He loves to play and play and is not really fascinated by the television at all. Unless it is "Blue's Clues" in which case he is absolutely transfixed. He does all the sign language from the show and is just fascinated and thrilled by it. So cute. The only "vice" of Liam's is the bottle. I think we will have a hard time getting rid of that. Kate nursed, so it was not hard at all to eliminate the bottle from her life. Liam , because of his milk allergy as an infant, had to have soy formula through the bottle and is VERY attached to his "bot", as he calls it. We are starting to wean that away as it should be gone by 18 months, so wish us luck! Liam can be VERY STUBBORN and LOUD, so he will certainly try to make us pay! :)

Anyway, that is just some info on the kiddos. We are looking forward to the summer and the gorgeous weather that we are having is a nice preview! This weekend my flower order comes in, so I think we will spend Saturday planting in the garden if the weather is nice. Kate is a great help with that....she loves to work in the yard with us! Many more fun pics to come, in the meantime, enjoy these!

Mean People – I Can’t Stand ‘Em

I have encountered some seriously mean people lately. I try to give folks the benefit of the doubt – maybe they are having a really bad day, maybe their dog died, maybe they are hormonal or have just received some bad news. But when I am in the crossfire of multiple mean people in a small time frame, my patience wears thin and eventually the hot-headed Irish woman is gonna get mean right back. It is unfortunate, and I try to contain it in a civil way – but today the ticked off Maggie let loose. I can only handle so much idiocy in my life.

Today I spent the afternoon at the car dealership getting the bumper-that-fell-off-while-driving-on-the-highway repaired. While I was there, I realized I needed an oil change and some regular maintenance, so the wait was longer than I had planned for. And I had both of the kiddos with me. No problem. We were actually having a lot of fun together reading books and talking in the waiting room while Liam every so often toddled around on his chunky little bare feet.

Following is the Tale of the Buttinsky….

The waiting room was immaculate. Probably cleaner than my house since I am pretty sure the dealer vacuums every day (more often than I vacuum, I confess). After about 10 minutes of sitting in the wait room with the kids, a woman sitting across from me huffed, slammed her book shut, and said this to me:

“I am sorry, I have been TRYING to hold my tongue but I just HAVE to say it. As a mother of 4 grown boys, I am a nurse, a HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL, and I CANNOT remain silent. So I’ll just say my piece and butt out of it since it is none of my business (then why are you speaking to me, I think). You MUST put some shoes on that child of yours. I cannot BELIEVE you are letting him walk around on this carpet without shoes. As a HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL I just cannot imagine what would possess you to do that! There are so many germs he could catch! There are germs everywhere – you just don’t even know. And he dropped his bottle and it almost hit the floor and he put it in his mouth! The GERMS he could have INGESTED! As a HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL I am appalled! Apalled! YOU have some thinking to do. I've said my piece.”

Are you freaking kidding me? This woman HAS to be nuts. People in the waiting room are shifting in their seats awkwardly, clearly wishing they were somewhere else.

“Well,” I replied with a warm smile for the crazy lady, “I am really sorry this is obviously making you uncomfortable! My personal theory is that it is ok for kids to be exposed to some germs as it does help them build up their immune systems – I promise I will not let him suck on his feet after walking around barefoot. He has no open sores on his feet that would allow germs easy access and, aside from that, I am comfortable with it. If he were crawling he would be on the floor and have his hands dirty. On top of that, our pediatrician encouraged us to have him barefoot as much as possible as a new walker – and that shoes are really not beneficial right now. So I am ok with it. But if it is really bothering you I will put his shoes on – though he will immediately remove them.” I smile.

“Oh no no no!” Says Buttinsky. “It is none of my business just wanted to let you know my PROFESSIONAL OPINION”.

At this point I am trying to decide whether to roll my eyes, follow her advice, or throw something at her big fat head. ☺

Instead, I just sort of smile dismissively and turn my attention back to the kids. Time ticks away……I think, "Is she right? Am I awful for letting him have barefeet in a clean, carpeted area? There is no motor oil – even the service bay is cleaner than my kitchen right now. Will he get sick? Do all these people think I am a bad mom? Well, where else besides home is he barefoot? He is barefoot at the doc’s office by their command and where could there be more germs than there? Oh for goodness sake why am I letting this bother me!!! Forget her! What a rude person. Why have I encountered so many nasty people lately? I am going to let it go. Letting it go. Gone.”

Buttinsky – having said not one word to me since her admonishment – got up from her chair and stepped out onto the lovely patio to sit in the sun on the lovely lawn furniture (this is quite a car dealership). At this point, the other patrons in the waiting area start to give me sympathetic looks and a few say things like “Can you BELIEVE that woman?” “How rude is she?!” and even a “Don’t worry sweetie, it is perfectly clear you are a great mommy! Your kids are terrific!” I tried not to make a big deal and just sort of nodded thanks and shrugged at the incomprehensible rudeness of Buttinsky. I turned my head to glance outside to see Miss HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL with a stream of smoke coming out of her nostrils from her incredibly healthy and germ free cigarette.

NO WAY. I start to seeth. I was ready to let this go. It was gone. And then this woman who invoked her experience as a mother and a HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL as a means of humiliating me in criticizing my parenting skills turns around and is doing the most unhealthy thing one can do. I actually don’t care that she smokes – it is a vice and that is tough. But people in glass houses should not throw stones. UNREAL!

I sat and stewed. Should I say something? She was clearly the kind of woman that passive-aggressively attacks people and gets away with it regularly without anyone calling her out. People are too surprised, probably, to form a fair retort. Or too polite. I was sick of having mean people pick on me and decided I was not gonna let this one slide. I would never see this woman again (famous last words – I will probably see her at the grocery store tomorrow, now) – time for some of her own medicine.

I waited for my chance. I wanted it to be as I left or as she left so there would not be a big drama. She got called to the cashier first. As she was leaving, I peeked around the corner and waved her over with a warm smile. Kate and Liam and his bare feet were in the waiting room reading a book together quietly. Buttinsky approached.

I said warmly, “Being an accomplished mother of four (she smiled knowingly at me, obviously expecting some sort of compliment or pat on the back or seeking of advice from me) I am SURE you know how INCREDIBLY hard being a mom is! (She nods in all-knowing-condescension) It is SUCH a tough job and there are days when you feel like you can barely get by (she nods her agreement with her years of experience radiating off her smug face). And THEN some COMPLETE and TOTAL stranger chooses to haughtily criticize your parenting skills without cause and in front of a roomful of other complete and total strangers. And well, that can pretty much just ruin a Mom’s day! So thanks for that.” (At this point she is MAD because someone actually called her out and she was ambushed and she rolls her eyes huffily and starts to leave, but somehow sticks around for my next installment) I say “And IN that criticism, you repeatedly invoke your extreme knowledge and experience as a nurse and HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL yet I find it SO difficult comprehending why you would be SO concerned about germs on a strangers baby’s feet, but in all your HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL WISDOM you then turn around and ingest toxic and deadly chemicals through a cigarette, while also exposing other people enjoying the sunshine on the patio to said deadly chemicals. As a MOTHER I am surprised you are more concerned with the virulent carpet lint versus second hand smoke.” Sincere-looking smile from me while looking her directly and squarely in the eyes.

She said nothing. I could tell she was searching for words….I waited patiently for them to come. There were none. She furiously flipped me the bird and stormed off, dropping her keys and her purse in her flustered fury.

I felt like I was shaking. I NEVER do that. Usually, It is the kind of thing where you leave and the rest of the day you think of brilliant comebacks that you WISH you had said when you actually had said nothing at all. Only this time I said them. She deserved it. And I did it out of love for every mom out there that this has happened to because it happens all the time! People can be really mean. If I was REALLY mean, though, I would have added to the woman “And by the way, it is close to 80 degrees and you are wearing a purple and gold turtleneck topped by a purple Vikings sweatshirt with purple wool dress pants. You look like Grimace – a suitable name – and you look ridiculous.” But I am not THATmean, just interested in justice! Tee hee

I cannot believe the gall of that woman to begin with!!! Maybe I should have let it go, I mean, we ARE all aware of the national ad campaigns educating the public about the dangers of one-year-olds not wearing shoes, yes?! You can picture them - “The Truth: your toddler has an increased chance of stubbing his toe or stepping on spilled cheerio dust in his bare feet than if he were properly shod.” Too bad such campaigns don’t exist out there to let us all know about the potential hazards of cigarettes to smokers and non-smokers alike. My sister brought up that excellent point. Hmmmmmm…….

Maybe I should have just let it go like I let a million other minor irritations go. She was not worth the time and energy I spent thinking about it, saying what I thought, and even reporting it to you. But gosh it felt GOOD.

Recharged

I have the best hubby in the world. He stayed with the kiddos this past weekend while I flew to Chicago for some girl time with my best gal pals. My sorority sister is getting married so I met up with my group of girls (the seven of us that try to get together at least once annually to recharge and reconnect) to celebrate her wedding shower and bachelorette party. I also got to attend my cousin's wedding shower the same weekend and get to see my wonderful aunts, cousins and my amazing Grandma. It was an AWESOME weekend with lots of laughter and smiles. I love the women friendships that I have - they are a blessed gift and, while I miss them so much with all of us living here, there and everywhere, it is so great to visit with them. My cheeks always hurt from smiling and my abs get a laughter workout without fail.

So - from great walks through Chicago, a terrific dinner out, wedding shower luncheons and some seriously hysterical karaoke - I had a great weekend. The kids were great for Nick and he was an amazing super dad. yay! it was really nice to be able to be with the girls after all the crazy circumstances going on with Kate and the one-two-three-four-and-more punches that we have been trying to deflect! Kate is on the mend.....she has a low fever today, but is doing ok. Ever After Gowns is for the most part over for a few weeks. Nick has some great work stuff going on and Liam is a walking, babbling ball of adorable. Thank you, God for the family support and the friends that we have in life.

Pouting

I don't like April. I just don't like it. I know there are some tragic things going on in the world right now that are heart-breaking and I should have some perspective. But I am tired and in my own little world I am sad. I just found out that our Best Friends here, the Dunns, are moving. To Connecticut. Boo hoo. I am so sad. We have spent many holidays together, camping trips, trips to the fair and endless play groups. We kept each other company when Erin and I were both on pregnancy bed rest at the same time and We took care of each other when our respective children were born and they have just been the best friends imaginable. Of course, our friendship won't wane, but oh my gosh I will miss them SO much. We all will. I have not figured out how/when to tell Kate that her best friend, Maggie, won't be around. Kate adores her and talks about her all the time. I KNOW it will all be fine and she won't be emotionally damaged or anything. God knows I went through this COUNTLESS times in my own youth. But I am just sad.

Also found out that my exceptionally amazing, worth-a-million babysitter, Lindsay got into the PhD program at the U of So Miss and will be leaving as well. In THREE WEEKS. AAAAARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She literally is part of the family - so much so that every night when Kate says her prayers, she says "God Bwess, Windsay". WHY did I write her such an awesome letter of recommendation???!!!!! (She was my advisee at the U of M as well). tee hee

I thank God for bringing such wonderful people into our lives. But I am just really really sad. And the fact that my tooth/jaw is screaming with pain from my root canal does not help.

Yes. Feeling sorry for myself. :)

The offer for sharing an alcoholic beverage from my previous post still stands. Any takers?

Some Recent Pics

Nick, Kate and Liam yesterday after the first "normal" day in a week! :)




Nick and the enormous and insanely cute Liam!




Ponytailed Kate getting ready to go for a walk with her Dad.




Kate and her Easter basket.



Uncle Packy over to visit on a bummer of an Easter Sunday - holding the sicky Liam and snuggling the Sicky Kate while Maggie was taking care of the Sick Nick. Blech. What a great brother he is!!!!

Saga

Last week was one FULL of challenges for me. In fact, the past month has been one of worry and frustration --- I have not blogged about it because I had no answers and did not want to raise alarm in anyone. But now that things are clearer, I feel ready to talk about it.

Kate has been ill for about 5 weeks now. She has had recurring, persistent fevers for over a month. Every single day she will have a regular temp of about 99.5 – mild enough, but when her base temp is a cool 97.6, 99.5 is warm for her. Then each day the fever would spike at some point to 101 or 102 and she would be miserable. The color would drain from her face, she would be lethargic and incredibly cranky. Then when the fever would break she would be absolutely drenched in sweat. This repeated itself every day for a month. About 2 or three weeks in, she started to lose her appetite on top of all the lethargy and irritability and getting her to eat anything was close to impossible. She is already a tiny peanut, so to see her get even a little more skinny was frightening. We had to figure out how to get her to drink those awful vitamin shakes. Through all of this, we had at least one doctor appointment a week, trying to figure it out. Initial general bloodwork showed all was well. Then there was a urine sample which turned out to have white blood cells in it, so they thought maybe it was a bladder infection/uti. They put her on antibiotics and nothing changed – and the further urine culture came back normal. So they took her off antibiotics. They continued to check her to make sure nothing was changing – no swollen lymph nodes etc. She continued to present healthy as can be save for the fevers, lethargy and no appetite. It was SO frustrating. This is why, when in Miami, we kept it pretty low key with no major time at the beach etc. and why Kate has been missing so much school. I just wanted my personality-plus Kate back. She was not down for the count constantly. She would be fine and then all of a sudden it would hit her. Then she would be fine again. It was a mystery.

Anyway – last week started with both Nick and Liam being seriously sick on Easter. Not to mention Kate! So I was nursemaid all of Easter Sunday. Our friends the Dunns, who we were supposed to have dinner with, brought Easter dinner to our door instead. So sweet. But it was a pretty gross Easter otherwise!

Then Monday brought Kate a trip to an Infectious Disease Specialist referred to us by our pediatrician because we all wanted answers. Kate had to have some major blood work done. They took 4 vials and I had to hold her on my lap while she SCREAMED at the TOP of her lungs. At one point she looked at the nurse drawing blood and yelled in absolute fury and with complete conviction, “GET THAT OFF OF ME NOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!” She was poked and prodded, xrayed etc. and I tried very hard to remain positive and calm. Nick was with me at the appointment so that was great for me AND for Kate. Then we waited.

On Wednesday, Nick left for Boston on business (therein lies a whole other blog entry….let’s just say I was absolutely GREEN with envy – he visited some of our friends, walked the old haunts, and got to dine at an amazing restaurant for work). That left me alone with the kids - - - and remember that my Ever After Gowns event for which I plan for an entire year is three days away at that point. Kate woke Wednesday with a slight fever. She did not get off the couch. By 11am she was asking to take a bath (a strange request). By 1pm she was literally shaking violently with fever and her temp was 105. I called the pediatrician to find out what I should do given all the other issues Kate has been having and was put on hold for TWENTY minutes while Kate and her glazed eyes lay there whimpering that she was “fweezing” even as her body burned up. The ped then told me to call my specialist since it was in his camp now. Guess what, the specialist was out of town, I was informed by the receptionist. She said she would have another doctor call me. I called my ped back – on hold forever, hung up. Still no doctor call from the specialists. I gave Kate some Motrin and snuggled her. She whimpered and would not answer any of my questions and I came thisclose to calling 911. Then there was a break – my sitter called out of the blue and said “I got off work early today and I know you have a busy week with Ever After Gowns and Nick being out of town – do you need anything?” THANK YOU GOD! I had her come over to watch Liam so I could tend to Kate. I called the nurse at the specialist office who was wonderful and walked me through what to watch for with Kate. The motrin kicked in and she got down to 101/102. Between Lindsay and I, we managed to keep her comfy. I had Kate sleep in my bed that night. She spiked fevers, but was ok.

Thursday we had another appointment with the specialist to review a skin test they had given her. That came back fine, but we finally got some results. Kate has something called CMV, or Cytomegalovirus (spelling?). It is a virus that pretty much everyone in the world can catch and carry, but it does not usually activate in people. Kate showed both antibodies in her blood, meaning not only does she have it, but is battling it. It causes mono-like symptoms as in long term fever and lethargy etc., from what I understand. There is no cure for it and there is not much you can do for the patient other than make them comfortable. It will go away. Most things I have read say it lasts a few weeks, so I don’t know why kate has had it for 5 weeks, but that is something to ask the doc at the follow up. So it is nice to have some answers. She will be just fine.

It does not account, however, for the high 105 fever. The doc wants to explore that a little. She could have just caught a bug given that her immune system is pretty worn down from fighting the CMV for so long. But he wants to keep an eye on her and watch for some other things to make sure it is not anything else. But she has been great this weekend, so that is promising.

SO – that is the Kate saga. All will be well.

There is more, though! So I had spent all day Wed and Thurs. with a hugely feverish Kate and trying to keep an eye on Liam. Also trying to make sure Ever After Gowns preparations were secure. I was so tired. Thursday night I was sitting with the kids and went to go grab a quick bit of food in the kitchen. I took a bite and, well, my darn tooth broke! I was eating BREAD, people. My back molar must have been cracked and piece of tooth just fell off. Awesome. Called my dentist and left a message on the emergency line because I kind of consider a tooth broken in half an emergency. Can you believe he NEVER called me back? Even today on Monday, still no call. So I called another dentist and got an appointment for first thing Friday morning. So my cracked tooth and I put the kids to bed and waited for Nick.

When Nick got home, we were relaxing on the couch, enjoying the peace and quiet, and I happened to look up and see a water stain spreading across the ceiling. We both lept up and after much scrambling, some bucket placement, and stealthy investigation of the bathroom next to the kids rooms while they slept, called a plumber.

So Friday morning saw Nick taking the morning off work while I went to the Dentist at 7am for my cracked tooth (I need a root canal, by the way – that is scheduled for tomorrow – woo hoo), and the plumber came and literally took our toilet apart to the point where the toilet itself was sitting in another part of the room. $300 dollars later, it was fixed. Phew.

The sitter showed up and I went to drive to our event venue to make sure it was set up properly. I was driving down the highway and suddenly heard this awful sound coming from under the car! A flat maybe? I had no idea. I had to pull over the car at rush hour on the highway and found a part of my front bumper hanging off the car and dragging. I was quite a picure - bracing myself against the car and prying the mangled piece out from under the car as vehicles whizzed by at 60mph. I threw it in the backseat and drove off....nearly having a heart attack at merging into full flow highway traffic from a dead stop to 60mph. Seriously. Is all this really happening?

Saturday was our event and it was awesome. It was so so so so great. The most comical moment, however, was when Nick called me from home and said “So, is potpourri dangerous”? I asked in what context and he answered “if it is ingested”? I assumed it was ingested by Liam and was correct. Nick said Liam was in his playpen, but it was positioned near a china hutch we have. Liam somehow managed to open it and Nick found Liam chomping on some potpourri from a nearby bowl and holding a crystal Waterford champagne flute. Classic. Turns out potpourri is not poisonous, in case you are wondering.

Soooo….temperatures, tooth, toilets, travel, and more…..it was quite a week. I kept my head above water and most of it, really, is nothing when dealing with a health mystery like Kate’s. But the hits DID just keep on coming and I am glad that it is behind me!

There are still ripple effects to deal with. Have to take the car in to get the bumper fixed. Have a root canal tomorrow. Still have some doc appointments for Kate. But all will be well. This, too, shall pass.

Thanks for all the help and reassuring phone calls, everyone! Thanks to my Ever After people for an amazing event where we had 200 girls invited to come select free formalwear for their prom. Thanks to God for silver linings and strength.

Anyone want to go out for a drink? I could use one! ☺ Maybe we can munch on some potpourri and chat…..

Coming soon....

To a blog near you. The tales of Maggie and her entire week of events that can only be explained by the theory that someone, somewhere, has a voodoo doll of Maggie and is poking the heck out of it. Here is a teaser of separate incidents- temperatures, teeth, travel, toilet, traffic incident.....and so much more! The good news is, my good humor remains intact and all will be well. On a side note, we just had our MOST successful Ever After Gowns Boutique yet! I am blissfully tired and pleased with the results, yet glad it is over for a while!

More blogging soon!

Lessons Learned and Lotto Odds

Well, we are back from Miami! It was a wonderful visit with my folks at their beautiful home! I have to say; my Mom and Dad are two of the coolest most “Hip and With It” people that I know! They live in the coolest area, surrounded by great restaurants and architecture AND their building is so high tech, that Nick and I had to get fingerprinted in order to even gain access to their unit! We had to have our fingerprint scanned to even get in the elevator! Mom and Dad were very gracious and watched the kids so Nick and I could go grab dinner or lunch or jump on the metro to grab a coffee and stroll around. And it was great fun being able to bring the kids to the Seaquarium and the Beach and so much more. A HUGE “Thank You” to them! Here are some tidbits from the trip…..

 Kate is a fish. She LOVED swimming. She loved it so much that she would OD on swimming in the pool, and therefore unfortunately most swimming experiences ended with a meltdown – but then she would just go upstairs to the condo and nap like there was no tomorrow, exhausted by sun, water, wind and whining - so it worked out ok! ☺

 Liam is not so much a fish. He would love the water at first, but would get chilly pretty easily and would rather snuggle in a towel in the sunshine. He also was not a fan of the ocean waves (plus it was pretty chilly water), while Kate wanted to jump in the waves and was really brave!

 In a cruel twist of fate, the child who LOVES the water and sun must be slathered in SPF 4 Million lest she burn to a crisp while the child who would prefer to be in the cabana with a beverage seems to have Nick’s much more “tannable” skin. Go figure.

 Along similar sun matters, the sun gods convened and made the decision to add insult to injury when it comes to the sun and me. As you know, I am what they call “fair skinned”. Translation: practically translucent if not for my freckles. I have never been one who could get a really great tan – though I can get some subtle “color” if I take it slow and build it up in increments. As a teen this was the bane of my existence as my best friend could lay out in a neon bikini, slathered in baby oil and look like a California Dream Girl while I looked more like I had had all the blood drained out of my body and, had I dared to put baby oil on in the sun – would not be here to type this blog as I would have spontaneously combusted on the trifold plastic lawn chair in the backyard in 1992.

I DIGRESS. I was talking about how the sun gods decided to further punish me for reasons unknown. It seems that my RA drugs (that nasty methotrexate) CAN cause photosensitivity. Well, of COURSE in me it DOES cause it. It is not just that I burn more easily. I get blisters. Big ones. All over my body wherever sunlight has hit. And even without getting a sunburn. It actually is quite vampire-like, where I go in the sun and my skin cries out “noooooo!!!!” and blisters form.
(Ok so there is some slight artistic license there) Hence, while in Florida on our first vacation in who knows how long, I - who despite being pale really DO love the sunshine and take proper precautions so I can enjoy my time in the rays – looked like I had a disease. Well, a whole other one on top of the one that I actually already DO have! ☺ So on my arms, chest, face I have these unattractive, but at least flesh colored, bumps. OH WELL. They will go away. Though I will admit my vanity took hold and I seriously considered heading to the salon in Miami to go get a new haircut that included bangs just to cover my blistered forehead. I joke with Nick about how when we said “in sickness and in health” we did not expect me to be creaky and bumpy at age 31. Maybe in 50 years……

 In the world of “what are the odds????” - Guess who sat DIRECTLY in front of us on the trip back from Miami to Minneapolis? You guessed it, THE DEMON TODDLER!!!!! I guess that is what I get for blogging about it for the world to read. They sat in the row in front of us and the little man did not disappoint! He was in tip-top tantrum form, so Nick got to get a dose of it this time! Only THIS time his Mom was sitting with him and I slipped her a lollipop and the little guy was silent after that! C’mon, parents!!!! BRIBERY!!!! There are circumstances where it is perfectly acceptable – such as in crowded pressurized tubes for instance. Also at wedding ceremonies where your children are present and various other crowded events. I recommend NOT bribing to avoid tantrums in long Target and Grocery store lines because it acts as a signal to the managerial staff to please open more than one lane for every 20 shoppers and to perhaps staff them with people who know the difference between a cucumber and a zucchini so they can ring them in properly.

Once again – tangent.


 So finally, we left gorgeous, warm, blister inducing Miami to return – in the month of April - to Minneapolis where we landed in the middle of…..a snow shower. And today it is a balmy 26 degrees Fahrenheit, without the wind-chill. Awesome. My see-thru skin could not be happier. And my vanity thanks the opportunity to wear turtlenecks and hats to cover up my “sunkissed” blister body! ☺

Here are some pics….my posts may slow up here for a while. My Ever After Gowns event is the weekend of the 14th and I am SOOOOOO busy!!! I cannot wait to tell you all about it because it has grown so much and is going to be an amazing event!


Here are a couple of pics of the kids at the beach....there were major riptides that day so we opted out of going in the water and instead stopped by while we were in South Beach. The pic of Liam is him just hating the beach. :) Too cute!!!!!

Fun in Miami

Kate and Nick crashed after fun in the sun!




Nick and Liam on Liam's first carousel ride.




Kate on the carousel.




Kate reading on the balcony!




Kate and Nick reading together on the balcony.

Kate and Liam - The Ice Cream Sequence

Here are pics of Kate and Liam enjoying some Ice Cream in South Beach. They both loved it. Liam leisurely shared my chocolate cone while Kate requested, sampled, then ATTACKED her Strawberry Cone. She is like an Ice Cream Diablo here!!!! The last picture absolutely sends me into fits of laughter.

Have Children Will Travel

So the kids and I are in Miami right now visiting my wonderful parents in their beautiful apartment that literally hangs over Brickell Bay in downtown Miami. It is very hip and trendy and amazing. Picture the opening scenes of CSI: Miami (minus any gruesome crime) and you get the picture. Everything here is clean with modern lines and seemingly in High Definition! :) Inside my parents home it is warm and cozy and wonderful, as always. I commented to Mom and Dad that - despite this being my first time seeing their new place here - it feels SO much like home. I think that is because I pretty much grew up in apartments during the formative years, and our place in Tokyo was an apartment, too. It just feels normal to take an elevator to our front door. ;)

I was SO nervous about getting here, though. Take my adult-onset irrational apprehension of flying and combine it with the nerves of flying with a 3 year old and a 1 year old and I was pretty much a short-tempered mess by the time we boarded the plane. I should have been hoping for the best and not expecting the worst - it was such a waste of my energy to do otherwise! :) Kate and Liam were absolute ANGELS. Now I may be jinxing the trip BACK by saying so, but they really were terrific. To be fair, I had my Mom helping me out - she flew back with me since she was visiting us in Minnesota. She came in extra handy when it came to Liam since he weighs a gagillion pounds!

The kids were so good, though. I was super prepared with snacks and little travel surprises tucked in the carry-on. As their attention span waned on one thing, I was able to whip out, and really "sell" the wonders of, the latest and greatest game of "go-fish alphabet edition", or the most comforting and soothing teething ring ever invented in the history of the world! Ear pressure? How about a nice bottle for Liam and a sucker for Kate? I wondered, when packing, if I was overdoing it, but I really believe that flying in a pressurized tube, with my nerves on edge while sharing the tube with 100+ other passengers is NOT the time to teach kids to entertain themselves with air sickness bags, laminated emergency procedure cards, or a tube of Pringles that costs flippin' FIVE BUCKS from the unreasonable irritable and arrogant Northwest Airlines flight attendant. But that's just me.

So cut to this scene...this acutally happened. My little loves were being sweet, perfect kids. Smiling, being quiet and polite. The passengers that initially gave me glaring looks of death as I seated our gang next to them were smiling and nodding and commenting on the adorable-ness of them. Then the kids even fell asleep, practically causing the other passengers to buy ME a five dollar can of Pringles out of admiration and appreciation. But then someone else's Toddler in 17G woke up. Two rows back. Oh boy.

I feel so bad for that mom. She had three kids with her. And her husband was the fourth. He was NO HELP. He was the kind of guy that kept telling his wife to make "her" son be quiet. The poor little boy was beyond hysterical. He had been sleeping, but had been awoken by the aforementioned arrogant, irritable Flight Attendant who I forgot to mention was unable to control the volume of her voice and spoke VERY LOUDLY. So cranky toddler starts crying, then screaming, then thrashing. The child literally sounded like a strangled goose. Passengers were huffing and glaring and I felt so bad for that mom because he was just beyond being consoled. Sometimes kids just get on a roll and there is nothing you can do. She was practically in tears over this. And her hubby was just an ass. The plane was not full and people were getting up and moving. You know, all extra huffy with extra large movements. Like they could not just unbuckle their seat belt and stand up, it had to be with a dramatic click, throwing the belt so it hits the arm and clangs and then standing up with a giant heaving breath etc.

I sat for a while debating on whether I should offer one of my lollipop suckers. Something like that could either stop the crying immediately or only make it worse. Plus I did not want to offend the parents and imply that they could not handle it. But no one could. This kid was on another planet. It happens. I mean, it could easily be - and has been to some degree in the past - me and my kids!!!!!

So after 30 minutes or so, I stood up like I was going to walk to the back of the plane. The other passengers who had noted my well behaved children looked at me with wild frustration as if trying to get me to agree that this kid was the Devil himself riding in 17G. I had tucked a sucker discreetly in my hand and when I noticed that the Dad of the Toddler Terror caught my eye, I sort of flashed it like a drug deal or something and mouthed the words "would he want a sucker"? Really just sweet and laid back like I was not in the least bothered. All the adult passengers saw this and watched the whole exchange with great hope. The dad -who by the way, TOTALLY had highlights in his hair and was uber-tan and all gelled while poor mom was rockin' the tired ponytail, jeans and a sweatshirt...when does SHE get a spa day, buddy? - anyway, the dad looks at me and practically yells at me "NO! NO SUCKER FOR HIM. HE HAS TO LEARN"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Passengers literally threw up their hands. Did the kid have to learn NOW?!

So, despite my angel babies, we all listened to the kid in 17G "learn" for NINETY MINUTES until he cried himself to sleep. I should have just passed my bag of suckers around the whole plane.

More Miami tales to come! Nick arrives tonight and we are looking forward to pool time with the kids, the Miami Sea-quarium and many more sunny adventures.

Fairies and Firetrucks

Kate is very much into fairies, princesses, and fairy princesses. Most moments you can find her involved in imaginative play as one of those. As often as you see Kate playing fairy princess, you find Liam pushing around his toy firetruck, or a car or truck of any kind. He just loves pushing them around the floor. It is so cute. I get a great deal of pleasure out of watching their little minds put toys and props and imagination into action. Today Kate told me this:

"Mom, I have a lot of homework, but when I am done, I am going to set up for the fairy party. You have two choices. You can come to it, or you can not come. What do you choose?"

Now I love dissecting this on so many levels.
One. I don't know where she got the homework thing. She obviously does not have homework at preschool. But she kept talking about homework all day as if it was a great "big girl" privilege.
Two. Set up for the party. My little "martha" too cute.
Three. The comment about choices. We are always giving her choices. They are set up to make her feel empowered and in control but really are not much of a choice. For instance, "kate you have two choices. You can clean up your mess like we asked or you can go to time out - which will it be". So the choice thing is having an impact as she gave me choices today.

There really is no point to this - I just find her three year old mind fascinating.

She is also becoming more assertive and tricky! Tonight she was playing fairy - complete with fairy wings and fairy crown. She was doing "fairy dances and twirls" all over the house and even the simple task of picking up a toy just HAD to be done with a great fairy flourish. I told Kate to set the table because it was time for dinner. She informed me in a tone that suggested that I was completely inept, "MOOOOM, Fairies. Don't. Eat. Dinner." (insert eye roll from the 3-year-old". I just casually disagreed "No, I am pretty sure that they do! They need energy through food otherwise they run out of fairy dust! In fact, I know for a fact that Elena (her favorite fairy) absolutely loves to eat buttercups and dewdrop tea". Kate was a bit put off, I could tell. She was frustrated that I was besting her in fairy knowledge.

So she inserted a classic kid-ism. "Nuh-uuuhh", she protested.

I told her, "Kate, I promise you that fairies do, indeed, eat dinner."

Kate, standing her ground in her purple and pink wings, fairie crown askew, arms crossed and hip jutting out a-la the famous fairy Tinkerbell, says to me (and I forgive her grammer considering her age), "WELL THIS FAIRY DON'T"!!!!!

Needless to say "this fairy" ate a full dinner. And liked it.

He Walks! He Talks! He's got Rhythym!

Well, Liam is walking! Though his main mode of transport still is crawling, or walking while holding onto things, he has taken those groups of 5 steps at a time from a short point A to B. It is wonderful! I was bursting with pride and, admittedly, even got a little teary because he is such a big boy now and it is bittersweet! :) He also LOVES to boogie. Just put music on and he bops away. And to the beat. Best of all is his communication, though. He is really making himself understood and has all kinds of fun words and actions that melt our hearts. Here is a list of some of his words and "party tricks".....

"Tee-too" - means Thank You
"Wooow" - quite simply, the word "Wow" (he says it in this really deep voice, it is so funny)
"Kah" - "Kate"
Mama, Dada - duh
"ta-dah" - "Touchdown"....he says this while making the touchdown gesture with both arms in the air
"bee boo" - Peekaboo, complete with gestures
"Ahh Duhhhh" - "all done" after eating
"Ha-woo" - hello
And, of course, the famous:
"NO"!!!!!!!! - no means no, you know.

He is also great at blowing kisses with a big "mmmwwwooh" sound. And lately he imitates everything NIck does. If Nick is "Purelling" his hands, Liam will rub his own hands together. If Nick sneezes Liam will pretend to sneeze. If Nick is on the phone Liam will put his hand up to his ear and babble like he is on the phone. It is priceless. And speaking of the little man, I have to run. He is getting into some things - as usual! So curious!

Only in Minnesota....

Living here is so interesting. Minnesotans are very unique and tough and loyal.

Unique: You don't cook casseroles here. You make "hot dish". Not "A" hot dish. Just hot dish. Also, the letter "A" is not pronounced as in most areas of the USA. If the letter "A" is in a word, you say it just like the letter (as in a long "a") instead of ever using the "short a". For instance, my name is not Maggie. It is MAY-GEE. I do not carry a Bag. I carry a BAYG. Also, the word cute is pronounced - Cue-eh-et. Say it real fast, you will get the idea.

Tough: I saw a quote from Talk Radio Star Garrison Keeler that sums it up pretty well....."Minnesota is a place that seriously tries to kill you and if winter doesn't get you, March makes sure you know what a hangover feels like even if you dont drink." That is so darn true. Just a perfect description. And I am toughening up. I remember when I lived in Hong Kong and it would get down to about 50 or 60 degrees F and we would all be wearing giant puffy coats and hats and gloves. NOW.....as soon as it hits 32 after a long winter, I am running around without a coat at all.

Loyal: I was out and NCAA March Madness Basketball was on the TV. Awesome! I love it! Well....someone switched it. To U of MN Gopher Hockey. And people cheered. Now, I have been to Gopher games and they are awesome. I think it may be some sort of tourney or playoff for the Golden Gophers, even. But wow it just highlights the fact that people here LOOOOOVE them some Minnesota!!!! Sometimes I feel like Nick and I, along with a small circle of friends, are the only people that did not grow up here and go to college somewhere in this state.

The Things We Do For Love....

Tonight was possibly one of the greatest nights of Kate's life to-date. Tonight we attended "Disney Princesses on Ice"!!! Kate was in absolute heaven and I honestly cannot think of the last time that I smiled so much - my cheeks hurt! - just from observing her sheer joy. It was so fun. And as you can see, I am not above making a fool of myself to get a laugh out of her - and out of all of you. So enjoy a chuckle at my choice of chapeau.

We started off the evening with our friends the Dunns. We surprised the girls (Kate and Maggie D.) with the whole "big girls night out" and a "big girl" dinner. Kate, ever the social butterfly, even ran into some other friends from school at the restaurant. It was such a fun night out with the Dunns and Nia. Then we all proceeded to the MAIN EVENT. The show was actually pretty spectacular with all the major princesses, some pretty incredible pair skating and some super fun effects and sets. Even actual fireworks that exploded out of the top of Cinderella's coach. We had seats right on the ice, so Kate got lots of waves and winks from the cast as she proudly wore her twinkle crown and waved like crazy to all the "princesses". It was quite grand.

Kate's favorite - of course - was Ariel the mermaid, who as you probably know wishes for human legs so she can marry Prince Eric. When Kate got home, we had to move all the furniture so she could "ice skate" around the living room. We were treated to all kinds of swirls and slides and "weaps" as she calls leaps. With lots of "pah-tend faiwy dust". You could see her hit the figurative wall of exhaustion after so much excitement and the meltdown ensued as we carried her up to bed while she sobbed - in full Ariel mode - "oh noooo. I have human legs!!!! I have human leeeegggssss. Ooohhh noooooo". Poor little mermaid.

I cannot wait for tomorrow. I am sure our lives will be princess-centric for a while now.

Note to those of you considering going to a Disney Ice Event - you may want to consider taking a second mortgage out on your home to pay for the various wares for sale there - sparkling magic wand? 25 dollars. Princess coloring book that you could get for free by printing pages at home off the internet? 20 dollars. Picture taken with a fake plastic Cinderella? 18 dollars. Memory of Kate twirling on "ice" in the living room while wearing her favorite party dress and 15 dollar sparkle crown? Priceless.

PS - The Flounder hat came with the cotton candy! 2-for-1!! I am always looking for a bargain!

Disclaimer - no, I have not lost my mind. Those were merely listings of items for sale. No, I did not buy each and every one of them. Sheesh!


Some of the skating spectacular-ness.



Smiling with Dad in a post-show burst of energy.



Showing Mom and Dad the program and explaining all her favorite moments from the show.

Liam is ONE!!!!

Happy Birthday, Dear Liam! Happy Birthday to You!!!

Well, I cannot believe our baby boy is one! He woke up on his birthday with a terribly runny nose but was his usual happy, smiling, sweet self. It was almost like he knew that today was "his day". He was just an angel face all day long and Kate was a super sweet big sister - singing "Happy Birthday" to Liam at regular intervals and just being so loving and fun. She helped me make Liam's Birthday Cake and was a big big help! We still had some snow come down today and all the kids in the Twin Cities had a snow day from school so it was fun to hear the squeals and giggles of the kids on the block as snowballs flew and giant snow sculptures were made. With well over two feet of snow on the ground, there was plenty to work with. Kate and Liam watched the college-age neighbors build a giant sculpture of a "snow mouse" complete with icicle whiskers that they grabbed off of the eaves.

Tonight we had a little birthday celebration for Liam. It was great to celebrate the day he came into this world which also just happens to be the day that I lost 30 pounds in one day! :) tee hee So, Nick, Kate, Patrick, Ryan (my good friend from college that lives here in St Paul now!) and I had a casual night in with Pizza and beer and soda (and milk for Kate!). We watched Liam open his presents and had cake and Kate got to watch 'Mulan'. It was a great family evening. Liam loved it all! Despite his red nose and a bruise of unknown origin on his face, he lights up in the pics. After some hesitation at first, he dug into his cake and then spent the rest of the night climbing on everything he could - including the "garage" he got for a gift. Such a big boy.

He is just joy and sweetness wrapped up in 27 pounds of adorable. We love him so.

March: In like a.....Polar Bear?

So for the second time in a week, we are bundled up and cozy in our teeny toasty house while mountains of the white stuff pile up against our house outside! We already had about 13 inches of snow on the ground. We are expected to get another 12-18 inches right now, so you do the math! There will be mile high drifts with this wind, too. I guess most people are not shocked to hear that, given that we live where we live. And, frankly, this is the kind of weather we expected when we moved to Minnesota - it is just that this is the first winter of any that we have lived here that we have actually experienced this kind of snow. And in MARCH! In fact, the Twin Cities have not seen this much snow in one week in over 25 years!!! In case you don't know - I am a major weather nerd and am fascinated by it.

But it is gorgeous. And fun. Kate and I baked cookies while the wind blew SHEETS of snow past our kitchen window. We bundled up and trudged through the drifts and delivered several batches to neighbors as "Thank Yous" for helping to shovel us out. It is so nice how everyone just pitches in with each other here. Our next door neighbor just took his snowblower and did the sidewalk up the whole block. So kind. And I was just outside - up to my knees in snow - in the dark and the cold during one of the light snow bands and I love how the snow mutes everything. There is no traffic because it is beyond impossible to drive right now, the air is crisp but it is not bitterly cold. And the snow just sparkles at night - before all the kids tear it up and dogs do their business on it and before the plow churns up oil and asphalt into the drifts. Right now it is gorgeous.


I really like it here in Minnesota!

PS - Nick heard the funniest comment on NPR today. Due to the terrible storm, NPR was running through a litany of cancellation notices. Here is NIck's fave "The Seminar at the UBS Center in downtown St. Paul on The Burden of Global Warming is cancelled due to the Blizzard"