With gusto

While Zoe is a more adventurous eater, our Roman likes his 'sketti. It's fun to eat. I thought I'd attempt a little pesto as a diversion from the normal, and that was fine with him. It was fine with Zoe the first time too, but the leftovers were "too spicy". Ok. 

Actually Roman REALLY likes his "ceral". Which becomes a battle. One can not live on "ceral" alone. Sure there are Cheerios, Kix and a rotating mixture of other varieties, but it kind of kills an appetite for real food (I can vouch for that). We work on that, but we don't do big battles.

Milk. Does a body good.

Note the cars next to the plate. They're never far away. And Mach Five (actually Mach  Six, but Ro refuses to concede because he can't read the big ol' 6 on the door and he doesn't believe us) is a current favorite. Go Speed Racer! Go!

One way Zoe differs from George H. W. Bush

One word: Broccoli.

The other day I took some fresh broccoli out for lunch. Before I had a chance to chop it up, Miss Zoe grabbed a chunk and took a bite. I should have been happy. But what I did instead was to grab it back and tell her "no, I need to cut it up into smaller pieces". She left the kitchen wailing. I stood there, thought about it and decided that maybe it was JUST FINE to let her gnaw on a huge chunk of broccoli. I mean really.

So I lured her back with the promise of broccoli. Not every mom can say that. And these are the pictures that followed.

Mind you, this is not "normal". There is NOTHING predictable about what you're going to eat. But I sure wasn't going to make you cry by taking your beloved broccoli away. Reminds me of a story your uncle Dan told about your cousin Mina when she was really little.  In the grocery store she asked "Dad, can we get cauliflower?" How do you say no to that?

Name: TBD (or Teeby D)

I'm not saying we're getting a dog anytime soon, but if we were I would research whether a Pug is a good idea. I love this dog! Something about those wide set eyes and worried looking crease in the middle of its forehead. He just looks so...worried. Curious how I relate to that (or maybe not).  Reminds me of my affinity with Eeyore. 

But MAN is that dog adorable.

Taken from Cute Overload's best of 2011.

Roman

Are you going to be president someday, Roman?
"Yeah, I'm gonna be a present and be in a box and jump out and go "AAgh!".

Might be less divisive, buddy.
God Bless America.

Zoe,

at the dinner table to her burping brother:
You're supposed to say 'I'm excuse me".

Yes, the world would be a better place.

When your child changers her own diaper/pull up/etc, you know you got issues. I noticed this tonight (after a couple glasses of wine - yes, yes it feels good).

And yes, I KNOW you should be totally potty trained by now, but we're of the mind that we aren't going to force the issue too much. Although we were talking last night and the Easter bunny may not make a visit if you're still in diapers. And this summer when it's warm there definitely will be time to pee pee in your pants and suffer the consequences. I think ultra absorbent diapers don't help our issue. Although one child is very aware of these functions and the other totally oblivious. The other day I was thinking that parenting is an interesting sport. Once you got it figured out there's a new challenge. And those above are probably a year old already. More have arrived.

Caspar

I've been voraciously attempting crossword puzzles of late and now your Dad is in the act (at least at the beginning of the week). Tonight I got home a little late and found the family in the dining room, the kids with their 'sketti and Dad pouring over the Tuesday puzzle.  Naturally I put in my two sense worth.
1980s defense secretary Weinberger
Casper!

"Casper?" said Roman in his little boy high pitched questioning voice.
"Casper the ghost?" ask Zoe.
"Casper Weinberger" answered your Dad.
"Casper Weinberger" practiced Roman.

You never know when this may come in handy, Roman and Zoe. Judging by the highly repetitious crossword clues it may be in just a couple of weeks.

And it's Caspar

C

A

S

P

A

R

 crossed with 

OSCARMADISON

And since work has been taxing on the brain and seems to seep up all every last drop of attention I can give to computer work this blog isn't getting updated. A Lull.

And I must say you are more challenging little folks as of late.

I sometimes wonder if you're too much for your Grandma Jane (because sometimes you're too much for ME), but then I hear about playing choo choo train. I had you re-create it one of the last times we were out there.

All aboard!

And then Grandma tells me you guys were so much fun with your little imaginations. 

Go Grandma.

Thanks for that, judge

An article in the Star Tribune caught my eye.

A Hennepin County judge and vocal critic of a lack of weapons screening at three suburban courtrooms says he is refusing to hear cases at them until stronger security precautions are put into place.I'm tired of driving to Brookdale, the courtroom everyone who knows agrees is the most likely place for a shooting or violence to occur, and not know whether I will be carried out in a body bag that day," District Judge Lloyd Zimmerman wrote in an e-mail to his judicial colleagues Wednesday, citing the high number of domestic violence cases at that courtroom.

Huh.
I understand the point he's making - he's arguing for better security in the courthouse, especially in light of a recent shooting in a court up north. I get it.

But I also feel conflicted about something and I'm having a hard time trying to articulate what it is.
This hits close to home. Worrying about the safety of our part of town is not a new thing. Just a few weeks ago I told your Dad that I think I was okay with where we were at, house wise. Actually the house hasn't  been an issue (dining room! we need an extra room in which to eat!), but it's location has. The night after declaring this, I fell asleep on the couch and woke up hearing yelling and pounding footsteps on our driveway. Then I heard "get down on the ground or you're going to get tazed". Lights (camera, action). It all kind of happened fast and I wanted to know what was going on, but there was NO WAY I was going to look out the window. Duck and cover. Good thing your dad heard the sirens and saw the lights because he's all over checking out that kind of action...The bad guy got taken away (or as your Dad reported "cuff 'em and stuff 'em). AND the baddie was wearing the newly released Air Jordans. What? Yeah, your dad noticed that. What? Yeah.

At any rate, when I saw the quote above from the judge it kind of bothered me. Unsettling.
This is the courthouse that's in the same building as our library.
As the story above illustrates, I'm under no illusion we live in Mayberry. But that commentary is unsettling.  I've kind of made peace with some things (i.e. start reading the paper and you'll see nasty things happen EVERYWHERE). But ugh.

Thanks Annie!

We LOVE craft time and you certainly got it right with Princesses and Cars.

By the way I just started reading "Cinderella Ate My Daughter" last night after reading a comment on a blog about the new pink "girlie girl" Legos on the market. Book report to follow. Or not. It's good food for thought at least. I must say there has been more than one occasion when I've wondered if dressing my kids in advertising (Princesses of all varieties, Lightening McQueen, Mater, Spiderman, yadda yadda yadda, is a good thing). The book raises some interesting ideas about raising girls. I've actually had my own responses to some of the questions raised...So maybe a book report will follow.  On another, but somewhat related note, I've still got a post in "draft" mode contemplating a judge's comment about our local courthouse. What do the kids want to read about later on (assuming they will want to read)?  Ruminations about where we live? Maybe. Maybe not. Certainly it's different than sharing cheesy grin photos.

Om nom nom nom!

A  week or so before Christmas I finally took out a birthday present from your Uncle Andy and Aunt Laura (shown below on Christmas Eve). A Cookie Monster play dough set. Make some shapes (letters, broccoli, a banana...) and "feed" it to the blue guy.  I tell ya. It's the simple things in life.

One whiff of that play dough and I was brought back to being their age. And I wanted to taste it. I didn't, but I wanted to. And did we do a good job of keeping the colors intact? No way, Jose.

Too bad we didn't get Lucy in the shot - you guys LOVE little Lucy...Maybe soon.

Zoe complied.

I asked them to do the "happy elf" (I think discussed here before - they got this look off the cover of a movie on Netflix).

More Christmas

Breakfast of Champions

Animal pancakes, courtesy of Nordic Ware (of more accurately Grandma Jane)

Love it. 

out of season, i know

The photographer had to play down the "cheese" factor.  The first few times she said to smile Roman made is closed eye "cheese!" face.

better.

and there was time to confer with Santa.

"princesses"

"cars"

And the carousel was back in Maplewood Mall. Zoe decided she was ready to actually sit on a horse.

Big girl.

Roman, he sat with dad in a carriage. 

more from Dick's

He misses prison food

He begged daily to run away from home.

Talk is cheap...

..and so am I

Hairpiece

a new hairdo

Not a good picture, but aunt mandy was festooned with straws and umbrellas.

You guys had a good time with your family. 

Zo and Ro were pretending to be Jared and Amanda for the next couple of weeks. "I'm Jared" and "I'm Amanda". Now if I could only say they'd then do something really embarrassing.... Well they do, but only under cover of their real names...By the way after a couple more restaurant visits following this we decided no more with the kiddos. This time was okay, but usually when it's just the four of us it's total chaos. It was easy for a long time, but now, well now not so much. "No! don't play with the salt/the sugar/the ketchup!". "Put your shoes on!" "get your feet off the table" "quit blowing bubbles in your milk" "please sit still"  "please eat your carrots" "french fries DO NOT belong in your nose" 

Fail.

I know....Let's take the Northstar train downtown for Holidazzle. It's free, no one else will have the same fantastic idea, especially if they're getting on from the 5 or so stops BEFORE this one.

While waiting for our carriage we got to listen to some guy make small talk with another person about how fabulous the trains are in Europe. Wow, that sounds really pretentious. Yes. It does. Even though I'd be one to agree with that. I like being able to travel without a car. But then I realized I've forgotten more about my travels than I remember. 

We heard chatter that the train was full. I wasn't buying it. Well, I was HOPING it wasn't true. But in came the train and sure enough, it was sardine-packed. The conductor said the next train would be along in 10 minutes. So we waited. 5 minutes later an announcement came over and said THAT train was full. So much for that attempt. By that time I was ready to go home. Forget it. It's cold, let's just go home. And we did. STILL haven't seen the Holidazzle. Another year.  But I guess we could still do a Northstar trip this winter. Up north and back again. 

Rested?

This time of year is so exhausting. Been in a bit of a "funk" for the last month, but I'm going to declare it gone. Just gonna. I got home before 5 today, which is such a treat. Decided 4 "short" days was a better bet this week, even though it removes my day off with you tomorrow. I've been doing that more than 3 years? It's hard to believe. I look at you, usually when your Dad picks you up, and wonder how this happened. You're SO tall.  Oh my, we're probably closer to school age than we are to your birth date.
Don't want to think about it.

We're in the midst of a hacking cough (Roman). It's so sad, although it doesn't seem to bother you as much as it does your Mom or Dad. Get well, rambunctious ever active child.