Polish people

Just trying to scare the neighbors...it worked.

Educational Polish decor

Yesterday was our Palbicki Party. We had a red & white (national colors of Poland, of course) house decked out with Polish books, maps, trivia and even custom I'm a Palbicki beer mugs complete with family crest. Jake even made a special trip to the Polish deli in Minneapolis to get authentic kielbasa and kraut.

Melanie & Katie are hiding but there were there.

To say it was a blast would be a lie. In fact, it could be the shortest party on record. How do you say this in Polish, "They came, they ate, they left"? Jake might have said it best when he said "it was the lamest party ever...and it was at my house". No really, it was great to see everyone for a few seconds. Grandma Sylvia, Melanie & Maddy drove up from Winona, Jeremy, Katie & Grace from Rochester and everyone else from around the cities. Norelle was terrified to wake-up finding all these Polish people at her house so she clung to me like an a 23-lb baby orangutan the entire time while Jake manned the grilled, so we really really didn't get to chat too much. Thankfully, my tan Dad & Linda organized all the food in my suddenly tiny, cramped house for the crew.

Unlce Rick with his wife Dana, kids and grandkids. And his toupee.

It was wonderful to see Uncle Knob, who has completed 3 rounds of chemo and now has a week off. He is tired, skinnier and has more pain so he is really going through a lot. He has decided to just go on disability instead of trying to work since it's more stressful than anything. He LOVED the funny cards you all sent him so feel free to send more to keep him smiling! It's a scary no-fun time but he has many people giving him love everyday!

After most people left, Mekensie played the drum leading a Polish parade. They got laughed at.

Happy 3rd Birthday Lo Lo!

Patiently waiting for her serenade

Star of the party!

Little friends (Liam, Nori, Lo and Makenenna)

Is this weird?

Not my actual dad because I am pretty sure he wears speedos in there

I was looking at a Father's Day ad and it suggested buying your dad a canteen as the ultimate gift. This prompted me to a) laugh and b) think about what my dad would actually like. All that I could come up with is tanning oil. My dad goes tanning. Weekly. He has for years. It's bad for you but he doesn't really care... he always looks like he just got off a cruise. So, to my original question: is this weird? And this one: how can I get him to stop?

I saw myself in this article...

about Jon & Kate. This part, here:

We've all known (or read the blog of) an intense mother who cannot shut up about every banal detail of the household, who (as Kate does) surrounds herself in the minutiae of the mundane -- the trips to Gymboree, the perky Bible verses on her kitchen wall

And then, I didn't:

Also there's the anachronistic, psychological freak show: Daddy is a sure-shooter and Mommy's body is a clown car; we have no purpose other than to eat, sleep, argue, reproduce and grow. Perpetuation of the family gene pool is our only purpose, and all costs (material or emotional) are beside the point. Biologically this makes some animal sense, and it's no accident, at least on my dial, that these shows play out so close to the travails of the Serengeti.

Peruvian Preview

We are finalizing our trip planning and I am getting really excited for my first South American trip! Take a peek at what we are planning...

On August 29th, we fly to Lima for brief overnight stay and then fly out to Arequipa the next morning. In Arequipa we are staying at the adorable Casa Arequipa B & B for two nights while exploring all the local sights, restaurants and cultures of Peru's "White City", the county's second largest.

From there we fly in to Cusco, elevation11,000 feet, to tour historic buildings and enormous Catholic churches built on Inca ruins, view Incan art, and try new culinary adventures such as cuy (roasted Guinea pig) and ceviche. Did I mention you can get an hour long massage for $15?

After two nights at the Hotel Rumi Punku in Cusco, we will trek to Machu Picchu

The rest of our trip will be in the Sacred Valley for some R&R and Ross & Yesika's wedding at our resort, Aranwa Hotel Spa just outside of Urumbamba. We fly home on Sept 7th, perhaps with an appreciation for pisco sour?

Want to come along?

How lucky am I?

My little baby girl is a riot! Yes, her newfound legs are WEARING me out as I chase her from one end of the yard to the other and watch her try to climb ungracefully on concrete steps and retaining walls. Jake taught her to pray so she knows to fold her hands and bow her head for brief prayers before bed. Her new favorite game at daycare is Puppy Doctor. Tammy rotates toys and just brought out lots of little puppy kennels, puppies and doctor kits so the kids go around caring for the sick and tired puppies to make them all better. I wonder if Nori will try to take over when we take Dorothy to the vet tomorrow?

But her new vocabulary is hilarious. We taught her how to rub noses together so she likes to do that but she loves to push mine and Jake's faces together so she can watch us rub noses. She insists we do it over and over again, forcefully guiding our heads. She would not let us stop so I said to her "you perv" and she replied back "perv!" This morning she brought her shoes over saying "shoes" so I put them on her and then she said, clear as day, "go outside?". Somehow she graduated from animal nosies to conversations in no time at all. I really don't know where she gets it from because I am super shy and unassuming and Jake only speaks Spanish.

This blog is turning in to a mom blog.

It walks and talks...

I'm not scared of you!

I recently read this article about how mothers who teach their babies about other people's feelings greatly help develop their social kills. So when Nori recently colored on the wall I told her it made the wall feel sad. Do you think I am doing this right? Anyway, not only does T.McB walk but she talks too! We went to the Como Zoo (along with every single elementary school in the state of Minnesota) where Nori got up close to "rooooaaar" at the lions and "eee ooo" at the gorillas who were eating corn on the cob. She even said "that big" when pointing at the buffalo. Later she busted out a whole sentence saying "I want that!" and then "that mine!". Now, when we ask her, "Who is pretty, pretty, pretty way too pretty?" she knows to says "Me! Me! Me!". I can not believe the changes I am seeing!

At Jeff & Katie's big baby shower we caught up with the Winona crew and Nori hung out with the kids: Mason, Gavin, Grace, Olivia and baby Nova. Nori takes after Gramsie Holly as she could suddenly walk like a fiend, making multiple beelines for Cafe Latte and Quince gift shop (my mom also has increased mobility and energy spurts when shopping or near cheesecake). It was a fun day and we are all very happy for the Harringtons!

Jake's only fan

Yesterday us Seltzes all woke up early to make homemade blueberry muffins and lounge in our jammies. Nori & I walked to the park to play and then later over to SPA to watch Daddy play tennis. She shrieked when she realized it wasn't just some guy we were watching but rather her daddy and has been playing with his tennis rackets ever since. Future tennis star in the making?