Join the Club

Well, friends, we've gone from this:

to this:

Because I found my girl in the bathroom, clutching a pair of scissors, filling the sink with this:

So, we had to go see one of these:

Now we've got a cute little girl with a cute little bob. We've got the scissors hidden away in a high place. And we got to donate 8 inches of hair to kids that really need it.

A lot of good came from that naughty little event. Just don't do it again, Maggie dear.

Another Milestone

Question: At what age does a person figure out that the marshmallow charms taste better than the toasted oat luckies, thus picking out the charms and leaving the sad little luckies--the only redeeming quality of the cereal-- behind?

Answer: 16 months.

And now I'm done buying them.

A Thanksgiving Message

If you like, you can call me and I'll sing it for you. It's really a jaunty tune.

A Start

This morning I ran a mile.

I didn't time myself.

I didn't see anybody I knew.

I didn't feel like it was the funnest thing ever.

I didn't feel like it was going to kill me.

I think it was a success.

Maybe I should wave my arms more when I run, though. It works for Maggie.

Turkey Trot

Yesterday I had a facebook conversation which changed my life. It was Hillary, who has known me since we were 6, saying things like "I'm coming for Thanksgiving so I can hang out with Maggie" (people using me for my children happens you know) and "After we hang out will you blog about it?" and other related chatter.

And then she told me I was going to run 4 miles with her. In a race. Me.

I told her that the last time I ran was for a bus in Europe 5 years ago. And before that I was in 9th grade P.E. class. But she was undeterred. So I promised her I'd think about it. I haven't stopped thinking of it since.

I ride my bike every day. I do fat people workouts with Bob Harper. I feel better toned and more fit than ever before. But. I. Don't. Run.

I would like to. I kind of would. Even though I know if I tried it in a quarter mile my lungs would start burning or my side would ache or I'd see a candy machine and I'd stop. Or maybe I wouldn't. Maybe I'm not a quitter anymore.

What do you think? Advice? Is there any way that a non-runner could run 4 miles with 3 weeks to train?

I've Loved You Since The Day I Met You

Which happens to be 5 years ago today.

Happy 5th anniversary of love, Danny.

I'm Afraid of Grown-Ups

When I was a kid I was so afraid of adults that I used to run home from my friends houses whenever their fathers came home from work. I would watch for my friends to be outside before I went over to ask them to play for fear of their parents answering the door and having to talk to them. I can talk and make a fool of myself in front of kids, but if an adult enters the room I get all nervous and quiet.

And the sad thing: I realized that I'm still afraid of grown-ups, but now I am one. How's that for ironic?

Family Tree

Dan and I pretty much think family trees are the bee's knees. In the early days of our marriage we constructed an enormous 6 generation chart that Dan printed onto a huge 5 feet by 6 feet piece of paper. It rocks our socks. We picked both of the twins first and middle names off that chart.

But I've been on the lookout for a bit of a more functional/aesthetically pleasing display for our house. And I think I found {some glorious options}:

Wouldn't those be rad surrounded by family pictures?

And another question: why does everything I want have to cost $95?

It's always $95.

Best Costume 2009

I've seen a lot of adorable things this year. A lot.

But {this wins}:

Oh my word! Can you even stand it?

This Guy Knows a Good Read Aloud

My dad is a genius when it comes to the English language. I remember the {Swedish fairy tales}he used to read me at night when I was a kid. I remember the poems he would quote for us in the car. I remember how he would pull out the enormous 25 pound Webster's Dictionary every night after dinner to further explain one of the topics or questions that had come up during our evening conversations. I remember the {Dobie Gillis} tales he would read to our 9th grade English class and how we all used to laugh so hard tears streamed down our faces.

So, when my mom snapped these pictures of my pops reading to Maggie the other night, it really made me happy. Sure it was just that dumb Disney Princess book we checked out from the library, but I hope Maggie knows how lucky she is that The English Genius read it to her. And now she can look forward to the Dobie Gillis when she's older.