Zoom!

I finally got to play around with my zoom lens today, since it was FINALLY nice enough to go outside to play. Check it out! These were all taken from me standing on the deck in my pajamas!

Best not left unattended

Nick decided he needed to "explore" while sitting in his highchair, stinker. Guess it's time to start buckling him in...

Bucket Head

Nick LOVES emptying out the tupperware cabinet and playing with the cover holder (i.e. ice cream bucket). He was pretty funny to watch crawl from the kitchen to the living room, he ran into the fridge, CJ and the TV stand. CJ would laugh, Nick would laugh harder. It was pretty cute. - nevermind the Christmas jammies - time for laundry.

CJ wanted to get in on the bucket fun too

yum.

I'm not a huge pork chop fan, but I've made this recipe a few times and we really like it. It's super easy...try it, you might like it too!

Pork Chops with Maple Mustard Glaze

served with some Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.

Yummy!

-use thin cut pork chops - or butterfly in half some thicker ones like I did

Nick's One!

I can't believe little Nicky is 1 year old already. We had a birthday dinner and ice cream with the Wolfs/Timmermans.

Batman and Robin

Action shot of Batman and Robin

Nick liked the rainbow sherbet, had a little difficulty with the spoon concept

And he cried when it was all gone

Nick's new skill of today - climbing stairs!

Middle of the Night Phone Calls

Phone calls in the middle of the night are rarely ever good things. The last time I got a phone call in the middle of the night it was Tonja telling me her parent's house was on fire. Last night I was sleeping soundly when the phone rings. Usually the first thing I do is hit my alarm clock thinking its that going off. Nope, no alarm clock. Crap the phone is out in the kitchen. Ringing, ringing...talking caller id is saying unavailable. Crap who could it be, what's going on. Ringing stops, I'm thinking hopefully I recognize the number so I can call them back. Oh, their calling back. Ringing, ringing some more. I look at the number. It's Mara's cell phone. Oh crap, what's this. The mental checklist goes off. the girls? Jason - no he's not working? wait, Mara's up north with Kirsten what happened?

Me: Hello?
Mara: Whattaya doin?
Me: Ahh...sleeping.
Mara: Oh, well...which one of Tonja's cousins was paralyzed in that accident?
Me: Ahh...neither.
Mara: Well which cousin was in the accident?
Me: It was Brett and Wade, why?
Mara: Oh, we just saw "the Monica" at the bar and I was wondering.
Me: Oh.
Mara: Okay, we're going to Zorba's now i.e. Willow Beach so that will be fun.
Me: Great, have fun!
Mara: I'm not driving
Me: That's good
Mara: Kirsten's driving...so, if anything else comes up I guess it can wait until morning.
Me: Okay
Mara: Athough its 12:30 so technically its morning so I'll let you know if anything comes up.
Me: Great!

A few funny things about this conversation...
1) The fact that she CALLS BACK after I didn't answer the first time, like what the heck is she doing that she's not answering the phone

2) The comment "Zorba's ie Willow Beach" - actually Willow Beach was an old supper club by Ball Club - Zorba's used to be Bridgeside, or Captain Hooks - but never Willow Beach

3) It took me awhile to put together the whole Tonja's cousin, Monica and why this has any importance to Mara and Kirsten. Then I remember. Monica who is/was married (are they still?) to Tonja's cousin used to date Kirsten's now husband. Yeah, small town - don't ask. And apparantly dated Kirsten's husbands best friend too, but who's counting.

And they could remember that some of those cousins were in an accident - how one suddenly got paralyzed is news to me, but apparently a night of cocktails at the Dutch Room skews ones memory.

I think I'll stick to my original thought...Phone calls in the middle of the night are rarely ever good things. Just kidding, call me anytime. I love to chat!

He's got skills...

Nick has a new skill of pulling himself to standing...finally. And he will stand now without freaking out because he's standing up. Now he just freaks out when he wants to sit...because it's soooo far to the floor!

My new camera

Well I've had it for a few weeks now, but I really like it. I have a lot to learn. I'd love to get good enough to take my own pictures/portraits of the kids. Then I can have them printed at White House Custom Color and do all kinds of fun things! We'll see.

Here's a picture taken with my old camera...

And here's one from Nick's birthday with my new camera...

Granted Nick's not as rashy in the birthday photo, but I can still tell a difference.

Update to the birthday party

Decision made - although the decision was really already made - I just needed some validation. CJ won't be attending the birthday party. If I could go with him, I wouldn't have any problem with it. But, because I can't and I don't know any other parents that will be, CJ won't go. Papa Chuck had a great idea for CJ to go spend the night at their house this weekend, so that's what he'll do. He wasn't upset about it, he was too excited to go spend the night at Papa and Grandma's house. I do feel bad for the birthday boy, hopefully other parents don't read the paper. I'm sure it all would be fine, but if something DID happen how would you rationalize that you knew but didn't care.

The blogger I aspire to be...

One of my favorite and daily blog reads is Pioneer Woman (if you haven't checked it out you really must) It's really like reading 5 blogs in one. You get the confessions, the cooking, the photography, home and garden and homeschooling. By far my favorites are - well really I like them all. Anyway - getting to the point of this blog. Once in awhile she does give-a-ways - (really good give-a-ways), today's was for her favorite knife. I got excited because the comments sat at 102 (typically her give-a-ways can fetch 20,000-30,000 or more comments), but by the time I was done typing my comment I was comment #493! That's alot of simultaneous commenters! I realize I'll never be that blogger - I would have to blog everyday and up until yesterday the kids were still visiting Santa in '08. I will be a better blogger I promise - maybe.

Would you let YOUR kid go?

CJ got invited to his first preschool birthday party this week, he is so excited. The gift has been purchased, all that's left is to send a RSVP to the birthday boy's Mom to let her know CJs coming. In my usual state of procrastination tonight, I was tooling around online with the invite sitting next to me. I caught up on some blogs, some message boards and read the news. I finally got to my email to RSVP to the party and as I'm typing the name I'm thinking hmmmm...that name sounds really familiar didn't I just read that last name? I switch over to said newspaper and here is the story ... (names removed to protect the innocent - or not so innocent)

Marijuana grown as 'a joke' suspect says

**** ***** told police he started growing marijuana as a joke, but things just got serious.
Dakota County Drug Task Force agents searched *****’s **** Street home last Aug. 22 and found 15 marijuana plants, including six located in children’s bedrooms. Police also found grow lights, marijuana leaves, a box of unknown pills and a line of white powder that turned out to be a crushed Vicodin pill.
Now that discovery has led to felony drug charges against the 27-year-old Farmington man.
According to a complaint filed Jan. 9 in the Dakota County Attorney’s office **** told one of the task force agents he’d planted the marijuana seeds three months earlier and that he didn’t think it would be a problem. He said he started growing the plants as a joke, but that he used the marijuana for his personal use.
In all task force agents found just less than a pound of marijuana.
**** was convicted of a fifth degree drug offense in March of 1996. If convicted this time on a fifth degree drug charge he could face up to 10 years in jail and fines of up to $20,000. A petty misdemeanor charge for possession of drug paraphernalia carries a maximum fine of $300.

My first thought is nah, can't be the same person. I grabbed the class parent info sheet and sure enough, name matches, address matches.

Now what the hell do I do? The invitation does say "parents are welcome to stay if you wish to join in the fun" (oh yeah, now we know what kind of fun that is!), but I have to work and Charlie will be home with Nick. Am I being an over-reacting mom by not letting him go? I don't think so. What would you do? How do you tell CJ he won't be going to the birthday party after all? I think if I let him have the gift he will quickly forgive me. Help!