1 Month and Counting

Today Lucy had her 1 month check up. According to the doc she is doing well. She weighs 9 lbs. and is 21 inches long, hitting the 50% mark in both categories. She also got her first post-hospital shots. She hated them so much I cannot bear to tell her she will be getting them every time she sees the Dr. for the next 2 years...

The Terrible Tale of Booger Stew

I enjoy food. I love cooking & baking. This is no surprise, most of you have probably heard me yapping about recipes or have had me force feed you things from my kitchen before. It's kind of what I do. I am also a big fan of vegetarian dishes. I pride myself on transforming Todd from a die-hard carnivore to someone who enjoys portabella burgers and kids that request such oddities as spinach lasagna and pesto spaghetti.
So last night, I tried something new. Split Pea Soup. Rex even helped me make it, adding each ingredient for me as I held Lucy. When it was finished, I thought it was delicious, healthy, and perfect for a cold day. Then I presented it to the family. Lisa said no thanks, Harry said he doesn't do pea soup. Rex and Nate giggled because it is "pee soup" and stared to concoct "recipes" of their own. Then Todd did the unthinkable. He called it "Booger Stew" and sent the kids into a frenzy.
I can forget about them ever ingesting the stuff again.

Roll On

Last night was bowling night. Yes, I am at the age when bowling is the primary way I gather with my friends. Granted, we use it more as an excuse to drink heavily and a way to ensure a babysitter every month, but we are in a bowling league nonetheless.
For me and the other wives the bowling is a vehicle for booze and gossip, while the hubbies throw a few back, make fun of each other, and compete. For obvious reasons, I have not had a drink with my favorite bowling ladies in quite a while. Until last night. After a good 10 months, I hit the ground running with my gal pals. A few (literally 3) Blue Moons and I was back to bowling as (I think) it was meant to be done. I bowled my highest game ever (161), enjoyed some awesome conversation, and forced Todd to take me to Taco Bell when it was all over.
I spent all morning with a headache and all day with a belly ache, but I had a damn great time!

Love Is In The Air

When my cousin Jenny announced her engagement, I was hardly surprised. Immediately after we met her fiance, Jarrin, Todd & I knew he would eventually be family. He is just as much a perfect fit for the Kordas clan as he is for her. This fall Todd's step-sis, Alex, announced her own engagement to longtime boyfriend Craig. They did surprise us a little, but only because I recall Alex saying she was not in any rush to the alter this past summer (something Todd said all girls say when they're not sure the boys are ready...). Thankfully Craig was and they're already starting to plan a beautiful vineyard wedding for next September.
I can't say enough how insanely excited I am for both of these unions. (And the weekend getaways to Indiana & [crossing my fingers here] California.) Fueling this fire are the glorious wedding web pages and blogs both couples are using to keep family & friends in the loop. Being a blogging junkie, I love and appreciate the thought, creativity, and passion that goes into every note and pic displayed on their sites. Every post brings us all closer to their vision of the perfect day, and helps me relive moments from my own wedding that were so special and seem (despite 5 years) like yesterday.
If you have time take a quick peek, share in their dreams, and recapture some of your own beautiful memories...
Jenny & Jarrin
Alex & Craig

Man's Best Friend is Now My Worst Enemy

When we had Boris the Beagle I would tell people all of the time how Charles Schulz had to have owned a beagle because of how he captured every aspect of their personality in Snoopy. I told people I could not imagine a dog with more of a personality, that our beagle went through the same emotions as Snoopy (weeping, gloating, laughing) and in similar fashion (always over the top). When we got Otis, our German Shepherd/Lab mix, I imagined he would be sturdy, lovable, and smart. I assumed our overly dramatic doggie days were over, replaced with the sensible sides of both hardworking and intelligent breeds.
Don't get me wrong, Otis is very lovable. He would do anything for his family, play until he dropped dead from exhaustion, and cuddle until he suffocated you. Before and during my pregnancy, he would follow me everywhere to make sure I was safe, wait outside the bathroom door (or on the bath mat if he could break in) while I showered, and sleep at my feet. He was by my side constantly. That was then. Since the birth of Lucy, I admittedly have been less patient with the dog. Overwhelmed by baby duties, the dog's antics have me feeling more smothered than loved. I push him away, scold him more than scratch him, ignore rather than play. It took him three weeks, but now he is onto my routine and I think it is safe to say he is not a fan.
To prove this point he has found a new way to force me to play. When he goes outside, he has decided he is in charge of what he does and when he comes back in. Since our yard is not fenced (this has never been an issue before) he runs over to the neighbor's house and plays with their (poor, unfortunate) fenced creatures by running up and down the length of their caged yard. (The fact that the neighbor dogs wait at the corner of their lot for Otis to come outside does not help either.) He grabs his soccer ball and runs around by himself, rolls in the snow, and chases (and almost catches) squirrels. When I call him to come in, he does not run eagerly to the door as he did a week ago. Instead he plops down in the snow and begins his standoff. The more I call, the less he moves. If I open the door, he stands up and prepares to flee. If step outside, he grabs his ball and tries to entice me into play. When I play, he is happy. If I call him to come in again, we just repeat the process: plop, standoff, play. I find this very tiring, so yesterday I left him outside after the first round. Despite the cold, he sat there in the snow for 45 minutes until Nate got off the bus. Nate called him and he came running (tail wagging) to the door and right in. (How's that for personality?)
Today (as Todd advised), I started the day off being overly affectionate toward him. Lots of love, ear scratching, and belly rubbing. He seems to be very happy with this, however I have yet to let him outside...

To Turbo, With Love

Dear Turbo,

Today, as you embark on your thirty-third journey around the sun, I want to wish you the best trip ever.
To celebrate this year, I've decided to do things simply. I did not buy you gifts (sorry, no gummy boobs, engraved flasks, autographed books, or, to Nate's displeasure, video games). Rather than give you things that collect dust, or an awesome sandwich that won't last the hour, I wanted to say thanks for the things you do every day that make you special to us.
So...Thanks for making us laugh every day (even if you make us mad first), for keeping your cool when I lose mine, for being a voice of reason. Thanks for warming the car up when it's cold, making dinner when I'm tired, helping with homework when it's too hard. Thanks for teaching us life lessons (like getting up early is just as cool as staying up late), for making great coffee and even better pizza pannies. Thanks for the big stuff (like choosing to go to work every day) but most importantly for the little stuff (like waking up with us every morning).
Tonight, instead of a pile of gifts, you'll be welcomed home with kid-crafted cards, a special dinner, and a cake made by your favorite budding chef. I hope you enjoy it.
Happy Birthday.
Karleen

Year in Review - #2