g is for gramsie

she dressed herself

My mom has been hinting about wanting to take a trip so I splurged and took her to IKEA for Swedish design and horse meatballs. She loved all the stuff but kept her purchases under control, opting for a cake decorating kit and picture frames while I scoped out storage ideas the girls' stuff. We also had lunch at Cafe Latte and window shopped on Grand Ave on this warm sunny day. The girls are happy to have her and Harley here and so am I!

Henny makes Nanny Tree-Tree put in piggies

we love our mom's mom

k-i-s-s-i-n-g

watching half of Brave in our PJ's

freakin weekend

old toys become new again

I am sitting here with my mom who is making us watch E! a mere five hours before the Oscars actually start. Guilanna and Ryan aren't even there yet!!  See where I get my celebrity "news" knowledge from? Jake left for San Francisco today so my mom is here to help out and in case you are wondering yes, I am scared to be alone with my girls.

All is swell here! We enjoyed ourselves this weekend, streaking around our new basement in joy!  We had friends over for dinner, visited my dad, went to Lo Lo's 1st ever swim meet, had lots of quality family dancing time, practiced Sunday morning yoga & coffee with Missy, and packed for our upcoming vacation. First up is the Most Awkward  Road Trip Ever to Iowa for Casey's graduate recital on Friday. He owes me so bad.

Did I tell you I went to a geneticist for my genes? She says my family history is suspicious with 4 cases of pancreatic cancer, but not definitive for familial pancreatic cancer syndrome since I need two 1st degree relatives with it and /or clusters of breast, ovarian, or colon cancer. Neat. Go stem cell research.  I am trying to be even more diligent about eating lots of veggies & fruits, avoiding charred meat and processed foods, using chemical-free products, and exercising. I may be screwed anyway, but I might as well try not to die. Unfortunately, God does not want me to do cardio. Ever since I hurt I my feet,  I have struggled to find ways to get my heart pumping. Running is out but biking and deep water running worked for awhile until I blew my back out having a (wonderful,  much-wanted) baby and once that healed, bursitis set in. Next time you want to skip that run, do it in honor of me and my failing parts.

Okay, one quick tip.... you need to make this recipe today, it is so tasty!

Crispy Gnocchi with Brussels Sprouts and Peas

Serves4-6

30 minutes or fewer

These gnocchi (Italian potato dumplings) are crisped in the pan directly from the freezer, completely eliminating the need to boil them first. The result is a consistency that’s something between pasta and a pan-fried dumpling. For a little extra crunch and protein, add a handful of toasted nuts to the dish.

·         2 Tbs. butter

·         1 16-oz. package frozen gnocchi (I didn’t use frozen – I bought gnocchi from Trader Joe’s that’s just off the shelf at room temperature)

·         2 tsp. olive oil

·         1 cup peas (I used frozen)

·         8 oz. Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced crosswise (3 cups)

·         1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)

·         ¼ cup shaved Parmesan

1.      Heat butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add gnocchi, and cook 4 to 5 minutes, turning often, until browned. Transfer to large bowl.

2.      Pour olive oil into pan, and add Brussels sprouts. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, or until sprouts are crisp-tender. Add peas and garlic, and cook 1-2 minutes more.

3.      Return gnocchi to pan, and sauté 2 minutes, or until warmed through.

4.      Garnish with Parmesan

Love,

Megan

Jake with a pony tail

happy in Momma's fleece

she knows how to throw a party!

friends!

The Royal Ball

this pose was her idea

before & after

Family Room

Before

After

after

Play Room

before

after

Office

before

after

with built in fort

Mechanical Room

before

after

yuck

I totally have trypophobia. I never had a name for it until I read this article. The fruits do not bother as much as this, the Surinam Toad which grows its babies on its back. How revolting is that. Now you have it too, I bet? See more here

day late

I am a little delinquent on photos this week but just imagine us in our jammies with chocolate smears on our faces and you get the idea. The best news ever is that Nori got the 36 out of 40 available kindergarten spots at Twin Cities German Immersion School. Yes, I am a little too exited about this, thanks for noticing. Would we even have kindergarten if not for the Germans? We loved the school because it is K-8, small class sizes, emphasis on world cultures, great test scores, and a strong community so the German language is just bonus. As is the free part. They are moving to a new building next year near Lake Como so they will finally have a permanent school in a nice neighborhood setting. Jake & I want to learn some basic German so we are going to get Rosetta Stone... eventually. Other than that excitement, we had with a visit on Saturday from our birth family in which we took them to the unhappiest place on earth, Chuck E.Cheese. Never go there, it is the worst place ever. On Sunday we lounged, made soup, had play dates, did yoga/tennis/swimming lessons and generally tried not to go insane. Some days, not going insane is my whole goal. So far, so far.

xoxo

the couple that bathes together, stays together

 

 

 

I surprised Jake at work and took him out for a romantic business lunch

supper's ready

cute on a stick

patriotic Valentines from HC

big girl can write ( eHeHeH spells Henley)

braids = curls

curly girlie too

l.o.v.e.

meow

nanny cam

still here

Nori's lunch: Fifty Shades of Orange

You know how I always complain about my problems and then say, "send cookie dough"? Well, it actually happened! My best girls from back in the day sent me a care package with all the must haves: lotion for dry old lady hands, magazines, cookies & dark chocolate, purple nail polish (a favorite of  the pre-K crowd), games, gift cards as well as other treats. Quit being so nice everyone! Thank you Susie, Ann, Chelsy, Jill, Katie, Stace, Erin and Kristi ( at least four of which are pregnant, btb!)! You made my day!

don't mind if I do

Hen enjoys the Super Bowl Party

My mom came to visit! I was desperately overdue for some Holly time since I have barely seen her since Thanksgiving. I wish she could have stayed longer to take care of  me and all of  my responsibilities while I hid in bed, but the snowstorm forced her home early. Come back soon, Mom!

signing Valentines with Gramsie Holly

Harley is jealous

never too young to start the flashcard drills

Henny has found her words! She can repeat anything and is talking in short sentences. She is also full of love- she came over to me, pulled my shirt off my shoulder, gave my shoulder a big smooch and said,  "I love you".  My first unsolicited I love you!  She loves to make up and sing her own songs too including future Top 40 hits, That My Baby and Pajamas! Sleep!  Nori is gearing up for Valentine's Day at school and told her dad, "we are making cupcakes for someone very special, but I can't tell you who...".  We are 37 out of 42 on the waitlist for Yinghua Chinese Immersion so I guess that is out, but I have a good feeling about the Twin Cities German Immersion lottery on Friday. C'mon, no whammy!

how do you get dry erase marker out of your couch fabric?

My dad is doing well this week! He seems to be back on track with his meds, hopefully we have a  better system down that will keep him independent a while longer. He is getting set up with an in-home health care program for people with chronic illnesses and I hope to have meals start coming this week. He has agreed to move in with us when the time comes (we have been begging for months). We might set up the Bill Palbicki Suite in our basement so that he can start staying here if he has a confused spell. We met with Dr. Blaes on Friday and she explained more about the liver condition - the cancer is not in his liver but has caused a clot in his portal vein which is making his liver wonky. A wonky liver leads to confusion, sleepiness or worse if meds are not taken correctly.  He is likely going to hold off on chemo until after our cruise since the cruise is very important to him (chemo is not curative anyway and may cause more complications with his liver, infection, and ability to live alone). There was lots of other DRAMA this week, but I am trying to keep my ulcer at bay by letting go of the negative. It's really too bad I don't drink because it would be a double martini  day everyday.  I have set up a website to coordinate help from friends & neighbors so hopefully that will help keep him happy and safe at home.

big sister

little sister

double espresso

best people ever

Friday did not start out great. On my way to the gym,  I realized something was wrong with my dad  so I drove out to Plymouth with the girls and took him in to the clinic. True, I was wearing my new yoga clothes which is a major step up from the night I took him to the ER in my pajamas. I digress. Jake left work to meet me at Masonic and take the wild girls off my hands (and lap). My dad's liver is not working well and his ammonia levels are high, causing serious issues. He has agreed to stop driving so he now qualifies for in-home healthcare which will help. Needless to say, I was sad, stressed, and exhausted that day. I knew Jake had planned a dinner out for the two us, so I tried to rally but really I would have been fine staying home. Little did I know there was a master plan in the works...

Jake picked up the babysitter at 6:00, although he seemed in no hurry to leave. I wanted to be off duty ASAP and since were already paying the babysitting, I was antsy to go!  The big surprise was running late due to traffic so Jake had to stall. Apparently, Andy suggested  via text that Jake stall by faking an IBS attack in bathroom. So he did. Classy, and convincing.  Finally, Jake said he "felt good enough" to leave and I got in the car. He then spent 20 minutes slowly brushing and scraping the snow off. He then turned the car off, grabbed me by the shoulders and  said "Get out".  I assumed he decided he wanted to drive the Accord instead. As we walked down the driveway, I stopped in panic - there was a limousine....waiting in front of our house!  I was instantly embarrassed and honored when I realized it was for me. I almost started crying when Mick, the driver, greeted me and opened the car door. Inside the car were our wonderful friends with glasses of champagne. I am so NOT a cry-er but after all the sadness and stress of my dad's illness, the kindness of people planning a surprise for my birthday really touched me. Naturally,  I bawled. In case you are an unsophisticated hick like me and have never been in a limo, it's cool : starry lights that twinkle on the ceiling, a bar of course, and yes, a little window that open to harass Mick. Jake arranged the whole night: limo, friends, and the Chef's Table at Stella's where we got the inside scoop on the Skuna Bay salmon and guilted the chef in to making homemade chocolate sauce after someone spied a bottle of Hersey's syrup  in the kitchen. We had drinks and shared calamari, mussels, sushi, spinach dip, beet salad, apple & walnut salad, salmon, brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes, chocolate torte, gooey brownie &  ice cream, and red velvet cake.  We followed this extravagance with Grasshopers and beers in between yawns at Nye's Polonaise Room, probably the only bar in Mpls where we were not the oldest people out.  It was an awesome night! I can't remember the last time we all went out without the kids (who would have been so jealous, BTB) and stayed out until midnight. This will go down as the coolest birthday ever!!!!

Note to self: whenever you having a tough day, you are going to remember the feeling you had when you got this surprise and remember that  you are loved.

.

tears in the limo, just like on The Bachelor

arriving in style

 tears at dinner, just like my kids

for me?

Thank you to Pat, Angie, Sandi, Justin (in abstinecia) Andy, Missy, Mick, Noah, Chef Chad, the older blond waitress at Nyes, and especially The Best Husband in the Entire World, Jake Seltz, who has set the birthday bar very high for all other husbands.

p.s. I totally called my mom and said, "Guess where I am?".  She was very impressed with Jake and finally thinks he is worthy of me after 17 years.