Happy Halloween!

Preparing the pumpkin

What city family doesn't take that annual fall trip to the hardware store parking lot to choose their pumpkins? Can't mess with tradition.

As Nori said, "lets jack-o-lantern" this one! She is big on making up her own verbs including getting "cozed" into bed and "hi-ing" people on the street.

My whole house smells like pumpkin, I might throw up. Despite posing in these photos, I did not touch any pumpkin guts...I just wanted to be there for the official memory.

Someone is super excited to be a tiger for the second year running but she has already learned that "too much candy makes me sick". I love to brainwash.

Time to rest up, the big day is tomorrow!

Saga of black jeans

This is the view from my kitchen window. Two years ago we were so impressed when our backyard neighbors finally fixed up their overgrown yard after their old, mangy dog passed on. It was a glorious summer, their gardens were gorgeous! Well, things have started to slide, but the oddest thing is this pair of black jeans. They have been hanging out there for months! They started on that overhead beam but the wind storms of this week blew them into the "decor". I think I should monitor this situation and see where the black jeans end up.

Halloween party at daycare!

Lana, Nori, Josie & Dagney. Not pictured: Tammy dressed as Snow White

The classic Lady Bug and Tiger dance

Age two and a half-ish

By Cider Press Studios

Sunday from here

Watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse before dawn

Guess who is home from Winona? We were so happy to have her back, despite her cranky attitude...must have been the gummy withdrawals. She won't say much about her trip but judging by her 4 hour nap yesterday, I think she had fun. Thanks Gramsie Hol, Grandma Liz & Grandpa Steve for taking care of her!!!!

Ever heard of a game called Settler of Catan? We have a date to play this with our life group and I am told, "it's really easy for smart people to pick up". Oh, S-H-I-T! I have a lot of good qualities, but picking up strategy games, staying up late, attention to detail, running & high impact sport, caring about action movies, math, proper grammar, punctuation & spelling, fashionable footwear, and drinking beer are not one of them. Shout out to my new reader Marie who is also playing SofC and thinks my blog is funny. Finally, someone who gets me..
.

Another party!

Pizza party and bonfire! Make your own pizza bar, cheesy artichoke dip, salad and Smore's with some of our favorite people (most of them anyway). The kids even told spooky stories about rockets ships flying to the moon and witches in the forest. Pat is going to go as Don Draper for Halloween, pass the booze. We got to see the Ho's remodeled bathrooms and new mudroom/laundry room...ooh la la!

Julia with Child

Last night was Rachael & Joel's final elaborate dinner party before their baby is born. While anyone else would be curled up on the couch, she made a gourmet truffle dinner party for 12 with wonderful mushrooms Joel brought home from Amsterdam: Fillo crawfish appetizer, Manchego, wine, amazing salad with truffle oil, mashed potatoes, and red snapper. Perhaps the classiest part of the night was when I made the defleshed snapper open up and chew it's own eyeball.

Ready for relaxing day at home with the fam, you should be too!

Happy Wednesday!

I don't really have anything to say, but I thought maybe you missed me, so "hi". My babe is in Winona this week spending time with her beloved grandparents. It was kinda of a last minute plan, spontaneous even. She won't even talk to us on the phone, she is too busy having the time of her life. Yesterday, Gramsie took Nori to Bloedow's for a pretty sprinkle donut AND a pumpkin cookie. Today they were baking chocolate chips cookies with Papa Michael and Darlene. Don't forget the FRUITS and VEGETABLES!!! Just wait til Grampa Steve gets his gummy bear paws on her. Grandma Liz is hanging with her for the next two days and hopefully we can arrange a retrieval sometime on Friday.

Jake & I are kinda at a loss for what to do with ourselves without her home. We did rediscover that we have a dog! Where has she been for the past 2.5 years? I do miss waking up to my little pajama head in the morning begging for milky and her toys look so lonely strewn about the house where she last left them. However, I am happy she is so secure and in love with everyone over the age of 55 in Winona.

this blog doesn't write itself

foliage

Loyal reader, I know I owe you a good post, however this will not be it. Someday your dedication will be rewarded with some gem that will finally make you think, so this is why I sit through weekly accounts about cleaning the bathrooms (all three) and homemade soup (butternut squash).

lady & the tramp

Guess who had her second trip ever to the dentist? No, not me. It was Nori! Yes, I found the office this time and did not bash my car into the parking ramp. After a rocky start relaxing in the big chair, Nor calmed down enough to start giggling while her teeth were being cleaned. She liked the water squirter and suction, too. The best part a tiny pink polka-dot puppy they gave her which she has been clinging to all weekend. My poor child may be spending lots of time in the dentist/orthodontist office in the years to come, so we try to make it fun W e are going to incorporate flossing into the nightly routine as well. For me, I mean.

The second Tracy Berhow

We also celebrated another wedding this weekend! If you are wondering how many weddings we went to this summer, let me count: Cole & Traci, Jana & Tyler, Josh & Kati, Sabrina & Tim. Is that it? Yesterday Jake's cousin Zach married his fiance Tracy at the Enchanted Barn in Hillsdale, WI. The farm had horses so we had fun feeding them hay and an apple. Grandpa Steve, the enabler, kept trying to feed Nori bowl after bowl of gummy bears. It was a beautiful fall day to witness a marriages in the country while simultaneously overdosing your only granddaughter on artificial ingredients and sugars.

Do you think they like gummy bears?

Sags & Bags, new self proclaimed nicknames

Casey stayed over last night after a late gig at Mystic Lake and we went out for breakfast this morning. I think he enjoyed being woken up by a hyper girl in flannel pajamas. I would be remiss if didn't mention my entire family's outstanding napping skills this weekend, we hardly saw daylight at all. It's fall and our bodies simply shut down from October to March, big deal. In the animal kingdom, this would be an evolutionary advantage. This afternoon I sat down (and by "sat down" I mean woke up) and watched few minutes of the Vikings game only to find several people from my favorite blog playing. Mile Austin, ex-BF of the Kim Kardashian, Tony Romo ex-BF of Jessica Simpson and Brett Farve, of the peen scandal. Who knew sports where so fun?
Extra points if you know my favorite blog. Off to lay on the couch!

ole

Another great adoption panel at LSS tonight with Tasha. Lots of good questions and conversation as well. We enjoyed huge Chipotle burritos afterwards, extra guac.

Jake got an iPhone

...and this is what he sent me this morning. So lucky.

Happy 21st Birthday Fluffy!

10-10-10

ferosh!

Another weekend bites the dust! It was a lazy, family-filled affair where not much got done other than Jake re-caulking the bathtub. Here's the highlights:

Thursday night we met up with life group friends for yummy chocolate cake and Jake sharing his life story...truly riveting, especially the parts after he met me! Hol came into town on Friday and we went out to lunch with Aunts Jill, Tracy & Wendy at Cafe Latte where an aunt may have gotten stuck in the back seat of our Pilot. On Saturday we had a BBQ at Tracy's For Sale home in Vadnais Heights where I met the ravishing Darlene Walsh with her boy toy, Papa Mick. Saturday night Jake & I had a real date... supper at Granite City and the movie Social Network. Today the Seltz fam came to town for Ellen's 21st birthday celebration at Brasa! Viva la fall!

Nori & the pips

wee

pervs

Mrs. Bunyan

Cheers to Ellen!

cake!

Happy 21st Birthday Ellen!!

Major Boo Boo

Collision with the toy box at Tammy's house. Rx is Popsicles and cuddles with mommy.

I love that tramp!

boots

I love you to the stampede! That was what Nori said to me, which of course is a Lion King reference. I love you to the Scar! I love you to the Simba! It's all very meaningful to me.

It's super annoying when living your life gets in the way of writing about it on the Internet. First off, it's fall and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I used to love fall and winter when I was younger, but now that I suffer from dual diagnosis of Snow Allergies and Sun Deprivation, it's kinda harder to take. Nonetheless, I am making the most of it what with baking homemade apply crisp, taking longs walks in the crispy leaves with the family, and not shaving my legs. Perhaps the hardest thing for me is the fall/winter fashions. Leggings? Skinny jeans? Sigh. When will this terrible trend pass? I know this makes me old, but skin tight pants do not flatter my pear-tasic body, nor my bulky cartoon character shoe options.

Dear Fashion Week,

Bring back carpenter pants or cargo pants or even flare leg. Please.

yours,
SoS

you're not normal

dancing with Unc Dunks

In the last week we caught up with Bloom friends Dawn & Rodney at Punch, I coordinated a huge (though not terribly well-attended) event at work, had Casey & Jaimie over for pork chops on the grill, played in the park with our friends Liam, Lo & Makenna after a pizza picnic, slept lots, and watched the Twin Cities marathon while eating donuts. Now, the moment you have been waiting for! I know what you are wondering..... wait for it........wait.....what will it be? Baked potato soup!

go runners

I leave you with a clip from our new favorite old movie (yes, we read books, too) Lady and the Tramp.