Twenty Eleven

The last day of 2010 was sad in that Luvae Anderson, Kelly's grandma passed away.

She was 94 years old, and I can only imagine all that she saw in those 94 years. I am currently reading a book called "How to Live". It is one person's account on the search for wisdom. This person decided the best way to search for wisdom was to interview a series of individuals all over the age of 70.....for wisdom comes with age.

The author should have interviewed Luvae.

The Anderson's lived in Albert Lea. Lionel and Luvae built a home, and a family through trying times that I have only read about in books. Lionel amassed considerable wealth by working for the same company for 40 years, and investing in little companies like IBM when a computer weighed about 4000 lbs and took up 3600 sq ft. Lionel made great decisions...but as they say...behind every great man is a better woman.

The support behind Lionel was a little spitfire named Luvae. If she were to be interviewed for "How To Live", she most likely would have shared little gems like "you can reuse those little brown bags you pack your lunch in...." She would have told the author that lunch is not a meal to be eaten as quickly as possible and consisting of whatever you can heat up fastest in the microwave. Rather, sit down...enjoy each others company, and have a good meal. Then take a nap.

I first met Luvae about 8 years ago. Kelly took me down to Albert Lea to meet her grandparents. When I was introduced, Luvae politely said hello and then turned to Kelly and said "How is Mike doing?" (Mike was Kelly's long time boyfriend from high school). Obviously, I would need to work to earn her respect.

Over the past 8 years I came to know a grandma who cared deeply for her family, who would speak her mind, and was highly independent. After Lionel passed away, we occasionally would visit Luvae, but it was tough to get on her schedule. That is right, this was the only 92 year old I knew who had a busier social schedule then I have had in 35 years.

Luvae was excited to hear when we were pregnant with Katelyn. When we told her a couple of years later that we were pregnant with Ashley she emphatically replied "oh goodness...." as she knew my wife ran a business and did not stay at home....

Luvae eventually accepted that Mike was no longer going to be in the picture, and was a wonderful great grandma to our kids. Every time we got together, it was fun to chat briefly with her to hear about her schedule, and learn about everything going on in Albert Lea. Until a year ago, Luvae could still be found driving around town in the Buick. Spitfire.

So, it was a sad end to 2010, but I can only imagine that Luvae wanted to bring in the new year with Lionel and as my older sister said "I am sure heaven just got a little livelier".

So what will 2011 bring? Obviously we hope health and happiness to all of our friends and family, but one thing we know for sure is that we will be bringing one more precious little princess into the world. We don't yet have a first name for our little girl, but Kelly suggested that Luvae be her middle name.

I can't think of a better tribute, and how lucky the little one will be to have such a strong role model represented in her name.

Because my littlest continuously yelled "Happy New Ear" and tackled me with a hug...and my oldest ends every night by saying "I love you, Happy Dreams"......I love my girls......

I don't have a chance.....

So, one of the things we deal with in the Smith household is daycare. We have it pretty good in that our daycare is two houses down from our house. It makes it easy for drop off and pick up. The only problem arises when our daycare lady, Rhonda, requests a vacation day. Either my bride or I need to take off a day of work to be home with the kids.

Side story here:

I often get asked why I still refer to Kelly as "my bride" even though we have been married for 6 years. It dates back to my days as a used car salesman. I had heard the used car manager, Whitey Herzog, talk about his bride. Not knowing Whitey well, I figured he had just gotten married. I learned a little while later that he had been married for 22 years. After a while, I got to know him and one day asked why he referred to his wife as his bride. He said that she had been his wife for 22 years, but that it all started the day she became his bride. So, Kelly will forever be my wife, the mother of my children, and the love of my life, but it all started the day she became my bride.

Back to Main Story:

I like to think I am a good father, but when it comes to who my kids would rather stay home with....I don't stand a chance. You see, when I stay home it is typically a day filled with some sort of cartoon marathon (i.e. Spongebob or Scooby Doo) microwave corn dogs for lunch, and some Wii or computer games.

When my bride stays home with the kids they get this:

Rolling dough, making cookies, and decorating them. This is how the day started....After of course chocolate chip pancakes, and some Christmas Carol singing.

A Jam packed day with mom that led to this:

So to me, she will always be my bride. To them, she will always be their cool mommy who is good at everything and super fun to be around.

Because they still "pretend" to be excited when I get home from work.....I love my girls......

Christmas Cards Can Be an Adventure

So....the Minnnetrista Smith's are much like any household in that when Christmas comes it is time to send out the Holiday Cards. Our cards are much like those you receive, pictures of the little ones with Holiday wishes to our friends.

The household rule is that we continue to send Christmas cards to everyone who sends us cards....so if you want to stay on the list, make sure to send us a card to.

Why is it an adventure you say....well, we took our kids to Target for the photo op to pick our Christmas cards. My 5 and 3 year old were beautiful in their special Christmas dresses and were angels during the photo shoot. I am very excited to send out the Christmas cards this year as the pictures turned out fantastic.

One caveat though....we finished with the photos, and of course then needed to sit down to pick which photos we liked best. The kids were playing in a little area for kids and we started looking at photos. We turned around to check on the kids after 1.5 minutes, and the three year old was missing. Literally.....missing.

We yelled for Ashley and immediately sprinted out of the picture area, my bride heading east, me heading West. Yelling, SCREAMING her name as we tried to figure out where she went. It was the scariest 2 minutes of my life. The Target photographer had picked up the phone and declared a kid missing, so they shut down the exits....

After a frantic search, I was told that my kid was on the other end of the store, and my wife was with her. It turns out that Ashley did not know where we were, and decided to go looking for us. We were two feet away, but with our backs turned she did not recognize us and therefore she went on a hunt. In thirty seconds she had ended up on the completely opposite side of the store. What can I say, apparently the kid's got some wheels.

We hugged her for a good 19 minutes when we found her and even received three hugs from random mothers that were helping us in the search.

Never again will I make fun of a parent who misplaces their kid. Where as I used to say "how could they lose their kid", I now understand and instead of making fun of their parenting skills will always assist in the search.

The good news is that the photos did turn out spectacular. As a matter of fact, when we went to pick up the photos, the photographer told us that our kids were selected to be used in their advertisement on the walls. They wanted to use my little princesses likeness on their walls. So, if you head to the Super Target on 101, you will see my little ones smiling back at you on their portrait selection wall.

Our compensation for this: Four dollars off of our purchase.

Hey, it's four dollars I didn't have yesterday.

Because one has speed rivaling Flash Gordon, and both were so cute they earned dad four dollars....I love my girls.....

So much to be thankful for......

As we approach another Thanksgiving....I have been thinking through what we are thankful for. First, thanks to my older sister for hosting Thanksgiving this year. We have traditionally hosted Thanksgiving, and although we enjoy it....for those of you who know my wife, you know there is always a plan attached. I refer to the spreadsheet created by my wife when preparing for the feast as "The Matrix". The matrix is an excel spreadsheet that defines what needs to be done from cooking to cleaning, and the timing in which all of them need to be done.


This year, there is no matrix, as Kerry has volunteered to host. Thanks be to Kerry.

For those of my readers who have not heard, we are also thankful to be welcoming our third little princess into our family. As much as I tried to tell everyone that we were having another girl, we did not officially find out until yesterday. Here is the first picture of [insert name here].

That is the new littlest girl sucking on her thumb. These ultrasound pictures require a little imagination...but that is what they told me. I prefer the above picture over this one that was also taken:

In this picture, I see no thumb sucking or cute little baby girl. I don't know about you, but I see an alien.

My two girls were very excited to learn that they would be having another sister. When told, Katelyn exclaimed "Yes!" and did a little fist pump. When we told Ashley, she exclaimed "Can I go play the computer..." (We are working on the excitement level with Ashley).

For those of you keeping score, this means that there will be Kelly, three little girls, a female dog., leaving the only two males in the house to be me and.......Spencer.

Spencer is the cat. As aforementioned in previous posts....I hate him. But, when we (and by "we" I mean my beautiful bride) told him, he seemed to take the news well:

Because all my girls (including the one in the oven) will understand when dad needs to go down to the basement and watch something besides Barbie, Dora, Strawberry Shortcake, TinkerBell, E News!, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Kendra, to take in a ballgame....I love my girls....

Putting the plan into action......

So, for those of my readers who have not yet met me....you should know that I am a fan of food.

I also have Crohn's disease.

This is a blessing and a curse. You see, Crohn's disease is an intestinal disease that causes anyone who has it to frequent the restroom. This is the curse. The blessing is that since food goes right through me, I don't think I have gained as much weight as one should when consuming as much food as I do.

One of my vices is Chinese food. I have found that a single order of Chinese food is good...but a Chinese buffet is something special. When I die, I am pretty sure that my version of heaven will have multiple Chinese buffets each boasting of 110 fresh items daily.

One of my favorite Chinese joints is in Plymouth. I found it one day while on a lunch break. It was great. I frequented it often. It is one of those mom and pop Chinese places that the owners run themselves...and I think this one is actually called "The Chinese Place."

I don't often go to lunch with anyone, so I frequented it often alone. After a multitude of visits, I figured I couldn't keep this gem all to myself any longer so I invited a few friends in my department to attend one day with me.

True story, I walked into the place, with 4 other people from my department and the owner walks up and in her cute little voice she says "Oh so good to see you. ha ha...(literally she said "ha ha") One of my co-workers on cue said "what's so funny" and I swear to god she replies "Oh...he usually come alone...."...

I tell you this story because at the end of the feast you are given the fortune cookie. My fortune cookie on this day said "You will become an accomplished writer"

Obviously, Confucius knows what he is talking about...because I think fame and fortune is right around the corner. If you read my earlier post, you know that I recently sold a lunchbox on e-bay. To my pleasant surprise, the gentleman who bought it paid me rapidly and sent me the following feedback:

Positive. GREAT SELLER< RAD LUNCHBOX< WILL YOU BE MY WRITER? Now, I don't know much about the buyer other then his name is Jack and he lives in Illinois. So I googled "Jack, Illinois and Publisher" It turns out that there are 1,457,453 hits to "Jack, Illinois and Publisher". So, I don't think it is that big of a stretch to assume that the Jack who bought my lunchbox IS a publisher and wants me to write some sort of novel that will most likely sell millions of copies.

I am relatively sure this is the EXACT same way J.K Rowling got her start.

Because I know they will help me stay grounded when I am rich and famous.....I love my girls.

Three Letter Words

I have been working with Katelyn on spelling. Being that spelling is about my wife's only nemesis...I thought best that I take charge of Katelyn's spelling education.

She is five. We have some time to learn, so we have been working on three letter words. I would say the word, and she would sound it out and spell it.

Run.....Cat......Fun.....Two......she did really well. You may think 4 words is not a lesson...but when all your kid wants to do is color of play computer, it was good to have her attention for 9 minutes. Then she impressed me. She said:

"Daddy, you forgot one. B. O. O. BOO!"


She was right, although I don't know that their costumes would have scared anyone this year:

Katelyn is obviously a cat. She has had a plethora of costumes this year as their was Halloween at Dance, Halloween at Preschool, and Halloween at Daycare. She was Sleeping Beauty at all of these, (thanks Mom for sewing an unbelievable likeness) but for Halloween we needed to be warm and Katelyn wanted to bring back the cat from last year.

Ashley is a horse. Thanks to Target, we found a cute little outfit. Ashley's legs were the back legs of the horse...and the rest of the horse was stuffed that she held up by the reigns. She ran around all night yelling Giddy Up! Occasionally though she would all of a sudden lay down. When I asked her one time why she did this, she looked at me and said "the horsey is dead...."

?????????????

I am hoping that she simply thought her costume was scarier if the horsey was dead versus having some sort of psycopathic tendencies....

Because they have two very distinct personalities...one as gentle as a "Meow" and the other riding a dead horse....I love my girls......

Big Weekend Plans

In my opinion, one of the greatest conversations in a movie ever is from "Old School" starring Will Farrell as Frank. A funny movie in general (although I could have gone without seeing him "streaking") but the lines fit my life to a tee.

Frank: I told my wife I wouldn't drink tonight. Besides, I got a big day tomorrow. You guys have a great time.

College Student: A big day? Doing what?

Frank: Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time.

You modify the stores just a little (i.e. include Target), and you are looking at the life of Dan....which brings us to this weekend.

We were comparing weekends at work, and I was listening to my assistant talk of the Halloween parties she was attending (she was born in 1982). Then I listened to my old assistant talk of the Gopher game she would be attending (she was born in 1980). Then I went over my weekend which made me realize that I sound like I was born in 1930...

Kasey (current assistant): I have three Halloween parties. One tonight, and two tomorrow. I am trying to figure out what to wear, and how we are going to get home from the bars.

Cara (previous assistant): I am going to the Gopher game on Saturday...not sure what time we are going to start tailgating, but most likely about 10AM. Then, heading to Uptown to see the costumes.

Dan (me): Tonight we are closing on our mortgage refinance, and tomorrow we are having our new couch delivered. Tomorrow night we are going to have movie night with the kids and sit on our new couch.

Sighhhhhh

Monday, we will all compare notes. I think to demonstrate that I can still "kick it" with the younger generation I will let them know of the crazy wrench I am going to throw into this weekend. You see this weekend, I am also going to visit........Great Clips.

When my girls are old enough to hear stories of how cool their parents are, I plan on leaving out the nights that we were excited to go from 5.375% to 4%.

Because they still look at me like I am cool, even though our weekends are consumed by cleaning the house and Target.....I love my girls.

Back in the game.......

That's right.....after a year long hiatus....I am back in the E-Bay game.

I have been slowly cleaning out the basement. I found my metal Dukes of Hazzard lunchbox from when I was a kid. Here is my post on E-bay:

I was the coolest kid in town in 1980 when I used this lunchbox, and now you can be the coolest kid in town by owning it.
The lunchbox is used...I would say it is in fair condition. Handle in perfect condition..the metal is a little scraped up. Because my mother was a little overprotective, my name is written on the top of the lunch box. I was already pushing the boundaries of getting beat up by the school bully because I owned a Dukes of Hazzard lunchbox....imagine how excited I was to learn that mom decided to write my name on it. I think the name will come off with a litttle elbow grease...but I am letting the buyer try it so as I don't ruin the integrity of the scene in front of Cooter's garage. The thermos is in like new condition as I don't think I ever used it....I mean, we had milk tickets back then and who didn't love the chocolate milk out of the cardboard container....
So, you should buy this item. You should put it up on your shelf and enjoy it. You should also know that Bo and Luke Duke were much cooler then their cousins Coy and Vance. Who names their kid Vance? Unless of course, your name is Vance and you would like to bid a lot of money on this item. If that is the case, I am totally jealous that my name is not Vance.

Good Luck Bidding!!

The result: $20 cold hard cash. SOLD. (Buyer paid shipping)

Because I have decided their college tuition is going to be funded by my E-bay adventures...I love my girls.

The things they say....

Today I spent the day with the kids as Kelly went to visit her grandma in Albert Lea.

So, we started at gymnastics. Katelyn is in a class from 9:15 to 10:15....I took both the kids. Ashley kept telling me that she was excited to go to "the jungle"...I had no idea what she was talking about.

When we got to the gym, I realized then what she meant. You see, for those 5 and younger, they painted the gym as a jungle with giraffes and lions and snakes...it was hilarious to see Ashley's eyes light up. It was more fun to see her run around when Katelyn left the room to jump on the trampoline....

But....from there we went to Target. I am Mr. Excitement. The kids were hoping to go see their cousins...but the problem was that Jake and Maddie both had a cough. Not a big deal...but also not worth the risk for me to get my little ones sick...so the backup plan was Target. I told them they could each get a toy cause it was "daddy day". Katelyn picked a littlest pet shop and Ashley picked a Zooloobies or some weird thing that cost me $5.04. Both toys excited the kids. Both toys will most likely be forgotten about by tomorrow. I spent $13 for toys for the kids...and where as some would say "your kids have enough toys", I would respond, I would burn $13 a day if it made my kids that happy every day.

But, what are the "things they say" that I referred to in the title of this post? Well, we got home, Ashley and I played "airplane" which consists of me flying her around the house. Eventually, Katelyn said she needed my help. I asked her with what, and she said that she could not beat a level on the Wii so could I help her. I sat down, and beat the level.

She looked at me, and with a completely straight face said;

"Wow Daddy, you've got some talent...."

Because one likes the jungle, an one respects me for my gaming abilities....I love my girls....

One looks like me......

It has often been said that Katelyn looks a lot like me. I know....I'll say what you all are thinking...."Lucky Girl"...

But the littlest (at least 'til April) is the apple that didn't fall from the Mommy tree.


You be the judge:

Because one looks like mom, but both are lucky to have her in their life....I love my girls.

Katelyn's Day

It was her birthday. Every year my daughters get to spend their birthday with Mommy doing ANYTHING they want to do. Ashley went to the zoo with mommy...this year Katelyn started the day with sprinkle pancakes at Perkins.

She just ate them...and had to take a color break. Then it was off to the Mall of America for some rides.

Katelyn had a great time riding the rides. Why is Kelly not riding with her you ask? Well, they don't let pregnant women on the rides. That's right....we are expecting our third. The due date is April 12th. Sort of. The due date is a few days later, but the doctor performing the C-section is on vacation, so we are scheduled for the 12th. Kinda neat, because Kelly's grandma's birthday is on the 12th. Place your bets, but I am pretty sure it is a girl. Please feel free to submit your name choices.

After the rides, Katelyn had to take another coloring break.

She had a great time coloring the pig at the mall. She knows that pigs are mom's favorite animal.

Then, they ended the day with ice cream;

Katelyn had an AWESOME time. Thanks mommy for taking a day off to make your five year old so happy. When they got home, Katelyn got to open her birthday present, and immediately she went to work. She is five....and already I get to deal with;

So our third girl will have a good teacher when it comes to applying makeup as Katelyn is apparently an expert at five.

Katelyn also won a stuffed animal when playing that crane video game. You know, that one where you typically have to put in 73 dollars before you get the crane to actually pick up a stuffed animal my kid won on her first try.

Because when I asked her how she won the stuffed animal, my daughter shrugged her shoulders and said "huh....natural talent.."....I love my girls.

A Prayer of Thanks

I have been trying to get the kids ready to head back to Sunday school....so started asking them occasionally if they wanted to pray before we went to sleep. I have had limited success with this adventure....so I thought maybe if I made up a prayer....we could make it fun. I have yet to come up with a kid version prayer...but the following is what I came up with one night when thinking about what I would pray for:

A Prayer of Thanks

Before falling asleep I fold my hands, and get down on my knees
Suddenly I realize....most prayers begin with please

Please help my kids grow up healthy, wealthy, and wise
Please help me become a hero in their little eyes

Please surround me with a family providing unconditional love
Please help me in my faith, knowing you're up their above

Please help me to deal with the everyday stresses of life
Please help me be a good father to my kids, and husband to my wife

Since you have done all this for me, I am not sure where this ranks
But the purpose of this prayer, is simply to say thanks


Because when I asked the youngest one last night if she wanted to pray, she folded her hands and said "Jesus, thanks for the fish sticks and catsup"......I love my girls...

Sounds Worse Than It Is.....

So, I worked from home yesterday because both of my kids were diagnosed with "Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease".

This sounds horrible I know....but after a multitude of research I came to the conclusion that this is a very long term for "a cold".... but still no going to daycare.

As many people know, I lead recruiting efforts for a multinational fertilizer company. This occupation leads to many conversations across the nation.

My first conversation of the day was with a candidate from Texas for a sales role. It went as follows:

Me: Hi there Mark, how's it going?

Mark: Great, how are you?

Me: I am doing great, but working from home today as both of my kids were diagnosed with Hand, Foot, Mouth disease. I am not sure if you have ever heard of that?

Mark: Sure I have......in cattle........

(Side note here: Hand, foot, Mouth Disease can emulate itself in both humans and animals. Humans cannot carry the animal version, and animals cannot carry the human version).

Me: Ha ha, I know...the disease can be in both humans and animals..Thankfully, my kids have the human version

Mark: Yeah, that is good.....when my cattle had it.... I had to shoot them......


After a continued conversation around the offer I was presenting Mark for the sales role, I assured him that I would not be shooting my children :)

My day continued without incident....the kids were really okay...we built a fort with a couple of blankets and chairs (thanks dad for teaching me this skill) and the little ones watched a lot of Scooby as their dad had more conversations for work...

Because they survived a disease that sounds a lot like the Bubonic Plague, but in reality meant a couple of runny noses.....I love my girls.......

Could use more of these.....

Today it was somewhere between gorgeous and heavenly outside. 70 degrees and sunny with a slight breeze coming from the southwest. We had nothing on our plate this weekend except for gymnastics this morning. I could use more of these types of weekends.

The morning arrived, and we quickly came to realize that it was just too nice outside to go to gymnastics. Instead, we played outside. The television was off limits today and surprisingly the girls were okay with that. Dad decided that it was a great day to clean out the garage. So, promptly at 10AM, I removed EVERYTHING from the garage.

The girls thought this was great because that meant that all of their toys were accessible. I thought this was great because that meant I was finally going confirm that my garage floor was actually cement and not a mixture of dirt and grass. I used the leaf blower and created a dust storm to rival those in New Mexico when cleaning out my garage.

Mom thought this was great because with the girls outside with Daddy, she had some time to catch up on things inside the house, with an occasional break to catch up on her magazines while sitting outside in the sun with us.

We decided since the day was going so well that we should start potty training Ashley. We figured at almost three years of age, one should actually start to use the "big potty".

So, we explained to Ashley no short of 793 times that she was not going to wear diapers today. This meant that as soon as she had to go tinkle, she should let mommy or me know (so that we could take her to the bathroom...a fact you will soon see should not be assumed).

Things were going well, she was playing with the rocks outside, in her Capri pants wearing panties. About 30 minutes in, she stood up, looked at me and said "Daddy I need to go tinkle".... and then promptly peed down her leg. Smiling the whole time as I think she was proud that she followed our instructions to a tee....I mean she did tell me before she went potty.

Happy to report that the rest of the day went smoothly. We did resort back to pull ups when we went to 'Trista Day" as we know we are not quite out of the woods yet. Trista day is a celebration that Minnetrista has at city hall with all of the firetrucks and police cars and even a helicopter. Our guess was that the mayor of Minnetrista would not appreciate a two year old using the city's helicopter as a bathroom.....

Because one is trying her best, and the other let us know that if Ashley gets an M&M for using the potty that she should get one too......I love my girls....

Simple Mathematics......

232 Washers + 104 Nuts + 158 bolts + 1021 Screws + 366 Pieces of wood + 128 random parts =

It is done. Yes that is a bay window. The above is one view from my deck. For reminders, the following is a different view from my deck:

The above are real numbers. I added the parts list up.

Happy to have it done. Happier when the little ones start using it.

Because they made the day easy and gave mom lots of hugs on her day.....I love my girls.

They grow so fast......

So....many of my avid followers may remember this photo from a while back:

Well, that little pumpkin who in the above picture looks mad for having to eat lunch, has turned into a very thoughtful individual.

I mean, who else contemplates all of life's questions over a happy meal:

On a more exciting note: THE PLAYSET IS COMPLETE! My next blog will encapsulate photos as well the love hate relationship I now have with wood. Let it be known though, that I am participating in a presentation training for work in which I am to prepare a 5-7 minute presentation on the topic of my choice.



The title of my presentation: "How to Build a F*%$!!! Play System"



Because I know that they will, I mean BETTER, enjoy the swingset more than a Popsicle after dinner.....I love my girls....

Wait for it....wait for it......

So, quick update on the "Play System"....

Recap: We live 83 feet from a park.

I am now 19 hours into building the play system, and happy to say it is usable. The swings are up, the slide, the rock wall, etc....

Many people know I have been building this play system. I find it odd then when everyday someone asks me how far I have gotten....I tell them that the kids are now able to play on it and the most common response is "so your dad came over huh..."

Sadly...my response is yes. I am 34 years old and do not currently own a drill. Yes, my dad came over.......twice. Thanks dad.

When Dad and I finished it enough so that the kids could actually use it....Katelyn walked right up to Mom and asked...."Can I go to the park"....... I held back my "I told you so" (see previous recap on why I did not think we needed a play system) but in my head the score was Dan 1 Kelly 0.

On a different note, I am concerned as to how old Katelyn really is. My fear is that she is already a teenager. Why you ask? Well, for fun...this is what my supposed 4 year old wanted to do last weekend:

Yes, Katelyn is getting a pedicure. She was upset because the pink that they had was not her favorite pink. Thankfully she did not complain too much.

Can anyone say "Like mother, like daughter....."

After some research though, I came to the conclusion that she is indeed four years old. For when I was traveling last week, Mom let her make her own dinner. She could have ANYTHING she wanted, and this was the creation:

For those of you that want the recipe...this is a chocolate chip pancake, with chocolate sprinkles, covered with whip cream....and yes....shredded Colby Jack cheese.

She ate it all.

Because I know one is still four, and the other is between two and twenty one.....I love my girls.

What's at the end of the Rainbow?

What is at the end of the Rainbow? I am afraid I may not know until late July.

You see, my wife and I bought a Rainbow play system for the kids. Many of you know that we live 39 feet away from a park.

A large park.

If you would like to take up the argument with my wife on whether or not this Rainbow "play system" is necessary....feel free. A long time ago my father taught me to "pick my battles". I have chosen to pass on this one.

But I digress. I do not know how many of my loyal readers have purchased Rainbow play systems...but let me tell you one thing. They can fit A LOT of wood in 4 boxes.

Kelly's mom and brother, and my parents came over for Easter brunch...and after a great meal and good conversation my mom came up with the idea that we should build the swing set. After spending 7 hours with Uncle Jeff, and my dad....and only getting to step nine (of 36) I came to the realization why they call it a "play system" and not a swing set.

When I grew up we had a blue metal swing set. I think there was one swing...and a crazy two person seat thing. The whole thing was rusted....when you swung high, the whole system shook out of the ground...and I am pretty sure that we had to get tetanus shots regularly due to all of the rusted metal. I WOULD NOT HAVE TRADED IT FOR A "PLAY SYSTEM".

That metal swing set probably took my dad 19 minutes to put together, and provided years of fun. I spent another two hours tonight (total of 9 so far) and all that I built was a rock wall.

I will keep you posted, and would be happy to take bets on the over under. Currently I am projecting 49 hours to build the damn...I mean awesome thing.


On a completely different note....

In an effort to separate our children from their third parent, (television) my wife took Katelyn to the library tonight.

Katelyn picked out this book:








When we were in the other room, Katelyn decided she should answer the first question the book asked:

We told her that she did a great job spelling her name... but that she should not write in library books anymore.

She asked if we could keep this one....to which their was no other response but my wife's "well we probably can now".

Because at the end of this Rainbow I know there will be hugs for daddy.....I love my girls.....

Peter Dan

So....I've been thinking.....

I know, insert all the jokes here:

Did it hurt? Do you want an award? etc.. etc.. etc....

But seriously....Captain Hook's nemesis...Peter Pan didn't have it all right. You see....Peter Pan never wanted to grow up. He had it partly right...

That's why I've decided that I am going to change the philosophy.....and call it the Peter Dan view on life.

Peter Pan didn't want to grow up. As I have been reflecting....Peter Dan just doesn't want to grow old.....

But I am thriving on "growing up".

Don't get me wrong...15 years ago my biggest concern was whether or not I left my credit card at the OP. For those UNI alums you know this was a popular bar on "the hill". I was known there. I had MANY great nights there...most of which I remember. Great times...with great friends...and multiple pitchers of beer.

Back then, I did not have a care in the world...but today I have so much more to care about. So I am thankful that I am now a "grown up".

I think I am still "young at heart"...but I would not trade my life today for then.

The joy of becoming a grown up is gettng married, and having children. Have you ever talked to an adult who has said "I wish I still could party all night, with no one to answer too......"

My girls are 4 and 2 years old. I cannot wait to get home, give Katelyn "100 hugs" and learn whether or not Maddie bit either of them at daycare. I can't wait to learn what they will create with play doh or what picutre they will "paint" of daddy with his "muscles".

You see, there is nothing wrong with growing up. It is play doh today... and it is prom and then marriage and grandkids in the future.

I am in no hurry. I will enjoy each step along the way...but seriosuly...being a grown up has too many perks to not be excited.

So, I am Peter Dan.

Growing up....but not growing old.

Because they bring countless smiles....I love my girls.....

Odd Ya See.......

Sorry....I meant Odyssey.



My garage now looks like this:







That's right....after much deliberation....the convertible dad wanted took a back seat to the Honda Odyssey. That's not to say that Kelly WANTED a mini-van...she is just more practical than I when it comes to getting kids into car seats.



MOM- WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY PREGNANT. But for those of you who don't know....my wife is a planner. The "plan" is to have a third kid...and since the lease was coming up on the Infiniti....my argument of the need for a convertible held little water.


So....I have talked to a few mini-van owners prior to joining the club and they all have said "you will not know how you ever survived without one". I have owned one for three days now...and I am pretty sure the biggest winner in this whole experience are my little girls.


They currently sit in their back seats cruising.... watching the pop down DVD, listening on their wireless headsets, in the dual zone comfort control of the back seat. Chillin' with their chocolate milk in the removable middle console cup holders.....It is like "pimp my ride" for toddlers.



Seriously....wireless headsets???? I remember catching a ride with the Gillham's one time to school and H.J. and I got to sit in the way back. That was living.....no wireless headset...no DVD...just the opportunity to sit in the "way back" of the station wagon was excitement enough for us kids...



Side note here...we were rear-ended on that ride by a Chem-Lawn truck that shattered the glass of the station wagon and we all walked away without a scratch. Therefore, I am not convinced that my kids need to be in a car seat until they are 9 years old or weigh 185 pounds ....in fact, according to the regulations...I am pretty sure my wife should still be in a booster seat... but that is a different blog.



So....we are still cruising around in the Infiniti until the end of the month as the lease is paid through then....but at that point I officially become "Mini-Van Dan".


Side not hear.....cool people give themselves nicknames before anyone else can.


Because even though the wireless headsets were designed so mommy and daddy could listen to the radio while the kids watch their DVD....they choose to sing along at the top of their lungs to whatever they are watching....I love my girls...

Rain or shine....

So, I typically drop the kids off on Wednesdays and stay at work late....but today was a little different. I had to be at work early for a meeting in which we discussed "Global Human Resources Restructuring to Prioritize and Emulate Corporate Strategy and Senior Leadership Vision"......

I learned this morning that this really meant "Let's review the new org chart...."

But since I had to be there for the meeting, my wife agreed to drop off the kids at daycare. The kids enjoy this because as dad runs them out the door to get them to daycare and off to work...mom spends time with them on their outfits, and what shoes match what .....blah blah blah...

Today, my wife had them all ready to go to daycare when she realized it was raining. We have had two umbrellas that we were going to give as Easter presents....but for some reason my wife decided that the kids should have them today. We were going to give them as a present on a holiday that celebrates Jesus...but reality is that God made it rain today....so who am I to argue. The result is as follows:

They love it. Mom loves that there outfits are so darn cute and that they have umbrellas. Dad is confused is to where all of these new things came from...

I have a feeling that this is just a glimpse into how much having two girls is going to cost me in regard to clothing and accessories...

On another note...as I was putting Katelyn to bed tonight she told me she wanted to be four forever. When I asked her why, she said "Because I always want to be your little girl.....'

Seriously....I teared up writing that...... You HAVE to agree that is one of the cutest stories you have ever heard. Not sure where it came from....not sure why she said it...but I promise you I gave her one of the biggest hugs I have ever given.

Because when today brought rain, they shrugged it off and were excited to use their umbrellas reminding all of us that every cloud has a silver lining....I love my girls....

Pigs In A Blanket

I love my girls......

The conversations make me giggle

So...life is stressful.

More stressful the older you get.

So.....my profound advice is that when you have a stressful week /day / minute.... you should have a conversation with a four year old.

You will soon realize that there is nothing more important then the innocence we so often let go of as we get older.

My week has been horrible... deadlines, deadlines, deadlines...but please let me share with you some snippets of conversations I had with my four year old when I have put her to bed that have kept me going:

Monday

Me: Goodnight Katelyn

Katelyn : Daddy, is Miss Tammy sick (Tammy is our daycare provider who got strep this week)

Me: Yes, she isn't feeling well

Katelyn : Oooohhh....Poor thing. I think she will be better in twelve days.

Tuesday

Me: Goodnight Katelyn should we say a prayer?

Katelyn: Yes..you start and then I will go and then you go and then I will go.

Me: Dear Jesus

Katelyn: Thank you for the food

Me: (not quite sure why she is thanking for the food at bedtime but none the less I went with) And thank you for our family

Katelyn : And thank you for our cousins

Me: And Jesus, please make sure mommy gets everything she ever wants

Katelyn: And daddy too

Me: And Katelyn too

Katelyn: And Ashley too......except...well.......not everything she wants because she wants to stay up past bedtime sometimes and she shouldn't get that.


Wednesday

Me: Goodnight Katelyn

Katelyn: Goodnight daddy...do you like Barbie or Hello Kitty

Me: Hello Kitty, do you like Hello Kitty or Tinkerbell

Katelyn: Hello Kitty duh...can we color?

Me: No it is time for sleep, do you like Tinkerbell or Barbie?

Katelyn: I like everything you ask about. So whatever you say, I will say I like them

Me: (because it was a challenge) Do you like Monsters?

Katelyn: NO!

Me: (not willing to let it go) Where do monsters live?

Katelyn: I don't kn.....wait....in caves.

Thursday (tonight)

Me: Goodnight Katelyn

Katelyn: Did you toot, because it smells in here


So...as you can see in the previous conversations, my four year old and I did not solve all of the world's problems this week.

But as you can also see...I laughed and smiled and hugged the cutest 4 year old I know. I realized because of her this week that whether or not I hit my deadlines, or whether or not I was praised by superiors or whether or not I move up the corporate ladder....my four year old just wants to make sure there is hello kitty, and no caves that monsters live in nearby.

Innocence is profound.

Because if I were to tell them that daddy is stressed, they would most likely tell me that Ursula is mean and Ariel is beautiful.....I love my girls.

While I'm traveling for work.....

So....I am in Florida on business this week. My wife is taking care of the kids. Good news though...tonight was "Kids Eat Free" night at Perkins.

Both my kids ate pancakes with sprinkles and whip cream. Although both had the same thing, there were two very different reactions.


First, Ashley:

Who apparently thought my wife was force feeding her liver and onions...not a plateful of sugar.

Then Katelyn:

Who apparently loved the plateful of sugar and was already feeling the effects.

On a different note, I realized tonight why I don't watch the news. In an effort to educate myself about what is going on in the world, I tuned into Larry King.


Tonight they were discussing whether or not the stimulus package is working to save the economy. Now, I would normally find this an intriguing topic. My issue is that is "expert panel of guests" included Tonya Acker, Stephanie Miller, Ben Stein, and Penn (of Penn and Teller).


I am not kidding...let me break that down for you: Someone I have never heard of. Another unknown, although apparently she hosts "The Stephanie Miller Show", a guy who is best known for saying "Bueller" repeatedly in a movie about Ferris' day off, and a magician.


This is why I don't tune in. The expert panel of guests next time will most likely be Fred, Shaggy, Velma and Daphne with special commentary by Scooby Doo.


Because they will learn of current events through conversations and schooling versus watching a TV host that looks like Skeletor....I love my girls.

Star in the making,,,,,

As many of you know...my wife owns a marketing agency. As many of you also know... I have no idea really what this means. She talks in a code that only other marketing professionals would understand with phrases like: "I talked to creative last week and they are running the blah blah blah..."

Creative is not a person. You cannot talk to "creative". Unless of course...you own a marketing agency.

I was excited though as a few weeks ago...my wife was "talking to creative" and they needed a small child to model for a photo shoot. Katelyn's new career was born.

You may think the fact that my daughter got to star in this photo shoot was because my wife's company was paying for it. I like to think that the start to her illustrious modeling career was due to her unsurpassed beauty that was unmistakeably given to her through her father's genes.

Either way, Katelyn got to participate in a photo shoot for Land O Lakes. Once she is granted the rights as the official spokesperson for Land O Lakes Cheese...I will retire and pursue my dream of living in a tricked out RV while touring the world for her other photo shoots.

Because both are beautiful...and at least one will soon be famous....I love my girls.

1944 - 2010

I know I have been away for sometime....and unfortunately it is a sad event that brings me back. My father-in-law passed away yesterday...and I don't know where else to write my thoughts of him...so my hope is that he will read my blog.

Denny Wold was my father-in-law. He has been battling Parkinson's for ten years. I met my wife about 8 years ago, and thus her family as well. Therefore, I have never known Denny without Parkinson's...and this is something I will always regret.

Denny was a man that all who met would speak highly of. With a quiet, introverted manner....Denny made friends where some would have enemies. He was an electrical engineer, with a passion for what he did. Beyond his intellectual capacity I knew a man who loved his family, and had a wit that would rival many professional comedians. I can only speak of the few conversations I had with him...but I enjoyed talking with him as he had knowledge of so many capacities including current events and especially sports.

He had a dry humor, one that you would have to listen closely to in order to understand the joke. But if you did that, if you gave that extra effort...you would find yourself chuckling days later about an off the cuff comment that he made during thanksgiving dinner.

He raised my wife....or had a hand in it...and therefore I can't help but love him. She is the kindest, hardest working, most dedicated person I have ever met. That does not happen without the love of a devoted father.

Denny Wold lived 65 years....but many could take note in that he LIVED those 65 years. He worked hard to give back to is family...he traveled, he showed his family a world that so many do not see. He gave his heart, and he gave his soul to raising his family.

As many of you know who have read my blog....my dad is my hero. But....if and when I pass on....to be remembered as Denny will be remembered would be an honor as well.

Because they told me today that "Grandpa Wold is living with Jesus"....I love my girls....