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....

Real Life

Swimming lessons were canceled last week because a kid pooped in the pool.

Seriously.

I didn't know that happened in real life.

Because they had not jumped in yet....I love my girls.....

Only because....

I sat in my bed this morning....realizing that I did not need to get up early to help take care of the kids...

Thanks mom.

Kelly and I had a date night last night. I will tell you about it in a second.

I have been sick for the past three days. I hate being sick, and I wish H1N1 on no one. I don't think I had it...but man whatever I had...if the R2D2 is worse then that....no thanks.

Mom watched the kids for the night...so Kel and I went to Wildfire. We were supposed to go on Friday...but i couldn't move...so we went Saturday instead. We did not have reservations, as we were not sure if I would be feeling well enough to go.

We waited 1.5 hours for a table. After waiting one hour, the manager came up to us and told us that he would be buying our dinner. Our entire dinner.

I can eat.

So, we started with a fondue, moved to an appetizer...my beautiful bride enjoyed a flute of wine, and we had salads and entrees followed by a "trio" of desserts.

One hundred and ten dollars later, the manager came up to us and thanked us for being so nice about the wait.

???????????

We had terrible service at Lola's and a horrible meal...and the manager saif he would buy us some cheesecake.....

Yet at Wildfire, we waited 30 minutes more then we were "supposed" to and we ate like royalty..... for free.

I know my readership is 19 people....but trust me you 19...go to Wildfire. Even if you do not get a free meal....you are eating somewhere that is thankful you are there.

Because my hope is they will always eat like royalty, whether it is a happy meal now.....or escargot in the future, I love my girls....