Photogenic

I went to the Henry Doorly Zoo on Sunday and I think I took three pictures of animals. And two of those were of the same animal. I was at one of the best zoos in the country and didn't bother to take animal pictures. I'll tell you it's because I had a more enjoyable subject. My nephew.

Jeff's brother Greg and his wife Jen came up to visit us this past weekend and brought their adorable 2 year old son Callen. I've mentioned my nephew before in this post. I took a couple dozen pictures of Callen and very few others. He's a cute kid. He's a good kid. And I enjoyed getting the chance to play aunt all weekend.

We went to the beach, we played on playground equipment, we went shopping, and then we drove to Omaha to go to the zoo. In between I played with my rubber duck collection, I got attacked by plastic dinosaurs, I read book, and I had tea parties. I spent the weekend making my nephew giggle, which in term made me very, very happy. Oh and I also spent time with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Thanks guys for coming up! It was wonderful.

And if you don't think the kid has a contagious smile, just watch this video.

3 Weekends in 3 Paragraphs

I'm going to try to fill in the gaps of the last three weeks using only my weekends. My weeks have been nothing but work and writing but my weekends have been filled. The weekend of May 12th and 13th included the culmination of three years of very hard work for Jeff. He graduated as an actuary that weekend. To celebrate, Jeff's parents came in to visit. We spent Saturday at the Farmers Market, shopping, and then having dinner and playing games with my parents. Sunday was the graduation and then we spent the evening at my parents house to celebrate mother's day with both mothers. My parents cooked steaks and we had a wonderful feast. Both sets of parents, both of my sisters, and Jeff and I spent the rest of the afternoon eating, talking, and playing games. It was a fantastic weekend. I couldn't be prouder of Jeff. He's worked very hard in school and I was proud to see him walk across that stage.

Jeff's parents left Monday morning and on Friday morning Jeff and I jumped in the car to head south. My nephew Callen was celebrating his first birthday and his parents were throwing him a party. We got down to St. Louis just in time for dinner and then a movie with Jeff's parents. The next day was the party. There were quite a few people there, including some family I hadn't seen in awhile. They provided lunch and then cake. Callen got his own cake to destroy and eat. Below is one of my favorite pictures from the day, although the picture I got of the cake in his bellybutton is right up there. After cake we relaxed on the front lawn, talking and sitting in the shade. Callen wasn't terribly excited about opening presents so we helped out a bit. And then had dinner. It was one of the most relaxing afternoons I'd had in a while. The next day we had breakfast with everyone and then headed home.

This last weekend was of course the long holiday weekend. Friday night I left work for join my brother, his family, and my parents for dinner. We sat and chatted after dinner until late. The next day we met for some shopping and lunch on the patio at PF Chang's. While sitting there, a heron landed at the pond. We all had a wonderful lunch and then some book shopping (my favorite). After lunch we headed to my parent's house for nerf wars, sidewalk chalk, and fun. I have a blast playing with my nephews and niece. I got shot with nerf darts, started a pretend bakery with my niece, and decorated my parent's driveway. The next day was lunch at a taco place in town, then I went to the theaters with everyone to see Avengers. The movie was incredible. I loved the humor and the dialogue. Joss Whedon is a genius. It was one of the first action movies I've seen where the banter was not only good but actually overrode the action. It was hilarious. I hadn't been to a theater in years but this was worth seeing on the big screen. After dinner that night my brother and his family left to head home. I spent Monday reading and Tuesday at the golf course with Jeff. Four days of fun. I came back to work relaxed and refreshed. These last three weekends have been busy but wonderful. And those are my last three weekends. Trust me, my work week have been much less interesting.

Momentary Maternal Mood

This is my nephew Callen. I just spent the weekend in St. Louis with him, his parents, and my in-laws. We had a fantastic weekend filled with visiting, playing, and watching the Cardinals win (Go Cards!). But most of the weekend was spent holding, playing, adoring, and helping out as best I could with my 5 month old nephew. 

Now nothing against my other nieces, nephews, and friends children, but this little guy has to be one of the most well behaved, quiet, and smiley children I've ever met. This is a little guy who laughed when he got his first shots. He smiles at everything. He almost never cries. He was sleeping four or five hours at a a stretch within days of birth. In other words, he's the kind of child every parent wished they had. 

And I was suckered in. He was so smiley, so happy, so easy to snuggle with and help with. I actually found myself thinking about motherhood. I thought to myself that if I could guarantee that this is what my child would be like I would sign up without a thought. I guess Jeff echoed the same feelings when asked by Callen's mother Jen. I watched her feed him, I read to him and snuggled with him, I watched his first bath in the big tub (he'll be very angry with me one day for posting this picture). I was fascinated. And for a moment I thought about being a mother. 

Then we decided to spell Jen and take care of the little one for an hour or two while she did some grocery shopping alone. He slept for a little while and woke up a bit fussy. This was odd. We had heard him fuss once the entire time we had been there. And it hadn't even been real fussing. Just a single whine or two. But now he was a tad fussy. So we changed him and I walked him around and he settled down. He relaxed enough to go back to sleep. 

And when he woke up, he was a totally different baby. He was hungry. And we were unprepared. He cried. He screamed. We hadn't heard more than a little whimper all weekend and here he was crying so hard he was coughing. I held him while Jeff started getting food ready. I tried to soothe him. I walked around, I sang, I rocked. But nothing helped. I came very close to handing him to Jeff and hiding in the bathroom. Here was the perfect child, screaming because of something I'd done, or failed to do. He cried while we fed him. It was only when we skipped the cereal and gave him his bottle that he settled. Then the smiles were back. But by then I had been reminded. I'm not cut out for parenthood. I'm just not. I sighed a sweet smile when mom came home and I could unload groceries instead. I love my new nephew, just like I love all my nieces and nephews and godchildren and friend's children. I love taking care of them for a while and then handing them back. No offense Jen. He is an amazing child. 

Nephew

This is Callen. This is my new nephew who was born just yesterday. Isn't he adorable? I'm incredibly lucky to be aunt to four nephews and two nieces by blood all of which I am completely in love with. I'm a godmother to several children. I have friend's children who I adore. And I get to spoil them all rotten and send them home to their parents. How lucky am I?

As I mentioned this little one was born yesterday to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, and I can't wait to meet him. Mom and baby are doing well. Jeff and I are planning to hit the road and visit them very shortly. I'll keep you posted.

Birthdays

It's birthday month for me. Over the course of five weeks I have five family birthdays. My little brother had his at the beginning of February and although I couldn't be with him (he lives in St. Louis) I called him and thought of him. It's odd to think that my little brother is now over 30 and is getting married sometime in the next year or so. I still remember him as a little boy in shorts.

My little sister is next. We celebrated her birthday last week by meeting at my parents house to open gifts and then headed over to one of her favorite restaurants in town. If I haven't mentioned it I adore my little sister. And impressed with her. She's working two jobs and going to school right now so I don't get to see her as often as I would like but we try to make every moment together great. She's one of my favorite people to talk with and I'm constantly learning new things from her. She balances me out.

Dad and Mom

Today is my father's birthday and we celebrated with dinner at one of his favorite Indian restaurants and some quiet times talking back at his house. He even made brownies for his birthday. My dad is awesome. I'm constantly in awe of him. He's incredibly smart and his excitement for things is a bit contagious. Like me, he picks up hobbies and dives full force into them for a while. Actually he and I are very similar in temperment and interests and get along well.

My nephew is the next birthday. He's young enough that no one will mind if I say that he'll be turning 11 this year. He's my brother's middle child and is definitely the most active of the three kids. He's constantly on the go. When he's not playing sports, he's drawing or designing stop motion movies with lego characters. He doesn't live in Des Moines so I don't get to see him as often as I'd like but he's a pretty great kid.

My mother's birthday is next week to round out the month. If I was to use one word to describe my mother it would be generous. My mom is constantly thinking about others. Having just come from her house, I'm covered in fur from the animals she keeps taking in. She constantly wants to make sure that Jeff and I don't need anything. So I hope that when we celebrate her birthday next week that I'll be able to find something special for her.

I know I rarely talk about my family and I'm not sure why that is. I get along great with everyone in my family and love the time we get to spend together. Family dinners are something that I look forward to all week. So this is my attempt to at least mention more about my family. They mean so much to me that it's time they entered the blog. At least until they tell me to stop writing about them.

A Penny Saved...

I have to brag a bit. Like the time my nephew sat down at the dinner table and asked me what I'd been reading lately, my young nephews have again surprised me.

We went out to dinner last night with my brother and his family. Jeff and I arrived at the restaurant first. When my brother's family got there, the middle child Keith immediately claimed the seat next to me. He looked like the cat that had swallowed the canary. The conversation went a bit like this.

"Hey Keith, how are you?" (Keith is 10 by the way)

"I'm great. I bought a new toy today."

"Ah, nice. What did you buy?

"It's an iPod Touch." He said as he pulled the treasured item out of his pocket. He was grinning and clearly excited. "It has all sorts of games and apps and can connect to the internet."

"That's awesome Keith. Wow nice toy." I looked over at my brother and sister-in-law. I said jokingly. "I want an iPod Touch too."

My brother said. "Don't look at me. He bought it."

"Wow, what's his allowance? I want to be your child too."

"He's been saving for two years now."

I'm sure my mouth had dropped open at this point. I can't come anywhere near affording an iPod Touch at this point in my life. But I guess Keith had decided he wanted one. He had been saving his money for the last two years to get one. Birthday money, gift money, allowance. All of it he had saved for years in order to buy his new toy. I complimented him again on his new purchase but this time it was with a bit of awe. And he was clearly proud, not just of the toy, but of his accomplishment.

I remember when I was a kid and trying to save up enough money for something I wanted. It seemed to take forever and I think the longest I ever had to go was only two months. Two years is an awfully long time for a kid. I'm impressed with his determination and fiscal responsibility. I've heard that the younger generation has no idea about delayed gratification. This is a shining example for me about how that isn't the case.

Sick and Guilt

If I'm quiet today it's because I'm not feeling great. I was home all day yesterday with bronchitis and am only today starting to feel well enough to be at work. I cough a lot and my chest hurts and I'm a bit whiny. But that seems to be the standard for the last week or so. The internet is finally back up at home. Jeff finally badgered the company enough that they sent out a technician yesterday to find that someone had screwed up our wiring. Jeff felt vindicated that this wasn't our problem and happy that the company had finally sent out a tech. We'll see how long access lasts. I'm hoping this is fixed for good now.



I've been kind of selfish this week and I'm feeling bad about it. My parents have been taking care of my neice and nephews all week and I have not been over to help out yet. I had not planned to go Monday because I was meeting friends for drinks and then had a guild meet that night. The drinks fell through and I couldn't attend the guild meet because of our internet issues. I had planned to go Tuesday but Jeff was in such a bad mood that I hung around the house to try to cheer him up. Wednesday is traditionally my knitting night but after spending all day in bed coughing I thought I should stay home. So tonight I'll head over and spell them a little. I'm sure they are in need of a break.



So I've been home most of the week and not able to do most of my regular things. I've been reading a lot and watching a lot of TV and feeling pretty selfish. I did get a huge surprise last night when I finally was able to log into WoW. I guess on Monday they did some promotions and I was one of the players who was supposed to be promoted. Since I couldn't make the meet, they waited and promoted me last night. I'm now an officer in the guild and can help make guild policy. I know for most non-players that doesn't sound exciting but I'm thrilled. I look forward to helping out as much as I can. It was a nice bright spot in what has been a bit of a crappy week. (did I mention I've been whiny). Now I just have to catch up on the officer portion of the forums.

At Work Vacation

I have a friend with two young kids who always used to say that she went to work to relax. I never quite understood what she meant. Today I do. My brother and his family came into town this weekend and I spent the whole weekend playing nerf wars and running around. This morning I could barely move. (which shows how incredibly out of shape I am). So today I'm at work, and it actually feels luxurious just to sit for most of the day.

I've never been in great shape but a couple years ago I was in good enough shape that I could run around with the kids outside and not get terribly winded. I could walk for miles without getting tired. Not so much this weekend. Friday night was quiet, with just dinner and some quiet games at my parents house. My nephew has been a very good chess player and was trying to stir up games with anyone who would play. He beat me easily but the larger shock was that he beat my father who is a fairly decent player. But that was quiet.

Saturday was a bit more boisterous. There was lunch and then shopping. Jeff and I had to get a new battery for his computer (WoW destroys his battery and we have to get it replaced every year or so). But we walked that mall back and forth with my brother. Then at home the kids were interested in a nerf war. We ran around on the front lawn with nerf guns, shooting each other and having a great time. I finally found a nerf gun I like. Then after dinner, another nerf war. Lots of running around on uneven terrain in bad shoes. In the evening we played Sardines (a hide and go seek variation) and had a blast. One of my favorite games.

Sunday was exhausting. I had a bout of insomnia again Saturday night and didn't get to sleep until 4 a.m. Sunday morning. I had already promised a friend that I would walk with her at nine so it was up at 8 with just 4 hours of sleep. We walked a trail near my house that's about 3 miles and I was awake after that. Jeff and I headed out for breakfast alone and then joined a lunch already in progress with my brother and family. Then there was more playing and more running around. My brother and his wife left to head home around 4, leaving the kids with Grandma and Grandpa (my parents) for the week. So Dad and I headed down to the park with the kids. Where we ran around more with nerf guns and shot each other. My feet were hurting by this point and I was due to raid that night so I finally headed home after dinner and a quick stop at the hardware store. We raided Ulduar last night until 11 and I finally dropped into bed exhausted at midnight.

Today I woke up to find that my legs didn't want to move. I'm a hurting girl today with both of my quads screaming in pain everytime I stand up. I'm enjoying my office chair immensely. Tonight I'm meeting some friends for drinks and dinner and then heading home for a late night guild meet. Tomorrow it will be more nerf wars and running around. I'm going to start looking at work as a vacation. I had a great time this weekend but man am I tired.

Recharging

This won't be long. My brother was in town this weekend with his family and I am completely worn out after playing with the kids on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning. Add that to the fact that I have seen my parents everday since Thursday and have been on the go since last Tuesday. So I need a bit of down time to recharge.

We did have a blast on Saturday though. We met everyone for lunch and then me and the boys ran around the front yard shooting nerf darts at each other, which was the most fun I've had in a while. And good exercise. In the afternoon I stayed home while most of the guys went to see the new Star Trek movie. But even then I didn't get to relax. My nephew Keith decided he wanted to stay home with me so we played with his Star Wars miniatures and then looked at everything under the sun through a microscope. I even grossed him out by slicing open my thumb to get a drop of blood for him to look at. I loved that I could gross him out. But when dinner came that night he wanted me to sit next to him.

I went out to breakfast with Jeff on Saturday but didn't make it to the library that day (a newly formed habit that I love). Other than that I have not had a meal with just him and I since last weekend. Last night after seeing them my brother's family off at about two, we went office supply shopping and then I went walking with a friend. When Jeff said that I was signed up for Naxx that night I begged off. I sat in front of the TV like a pile of goo and tried to draw.

So tonight will be quiet. I just need some time to recharge. Sorry about the rambling. I'll try to have something better tomorrow.

So Have You Read Anything Good Recently?

I get this question a lot. Since I tend to read a lot many people ask me what I've been reading recently and whether I would recommend it. In turn I ask the question a lot. I love book suggestions which is a good thing and a bad thing. The good part is that I get a number of great books to read next. The bad part is the fact that I can hardly keep up with the stacks of books that I want to read. 

But most recently I was asked this question by the most unlikely of sources. I had just joined my brother and his children for dinner at their favorite restaurant, Cosi Cucina. I sat down ordered a glass of wine and my 12 year old nephew turns to me and asks me what I'm reading. I literally dropped the menu. That is not a question that typically comes out of a 12 year olds' mouth. And he actually wanted to know. He was looking for book recommendations. And then he had one of his own. 

This kid reads everything he can get his hands on. And I'm so proud. He is working his way through books that are well above his level. He'll be starting the Tolkein trilogy soon. He's already worked his way through the Hobbit. When I think back I don't think even I was reading at this level. 

I just had to share this. I was shocked. I was awed. I hope he one day reads this and realizes how impressed I was with this question. Until then he and I will continue to trade book ideas. He has a lot to teach me.