Minnesota is Heaven, But Virginia is Home

http://www.sweet-juniper.com/ I find his posts about urban spelunking and exploring to be some of the most fascinating on the internet. This story is about a school in Detroit that was recently abandoned...I guess everyone just walked away at the end of the school year, leaving everything, books, annuals, records in the school. Including students' psychiatric records. I really had no idea what a mess Detroit is in until I started reading Sweet Juniper. Just an interesting story...

Today is my lil' nephew Gus' birthday. August. Does anyone actually call him that? I don't think I've called him that since telling people his name last year at this time! August does sound a bit mature for a one-year-old, doesn't it? Anyway, little Gus is one today. This year has sped by on wings. It seems like just yesterday that I was waiting as patiently as I could to call my mom for news from Rochester. We knew his birthday because it was scheduled, but my obstinate sister refused to find out if Gus was a he or a she, so we had that mystery yet to contend with. Let's just say we weren't exactly surprised to find out that Gus was Gus. If anyone is going to end up with a house full of wind-pant and sports-theme-T-shirt wearers, it's my sister and Scuba! There will be loads of testosterone flying around in Tatertot Hotdishville! Gus, sadly, I've only gotten to meet you one time, but you are a sweetie and I love you. I'm sorry that li...

I mentioned on Facebook that we went to see the dentist yesterday. I shamfacedly admit that my kids hadn't seen a dentist in over a year...I was confused about where to take them. There is a dental clinic here on base, so I kept assuming that when the time came, we'd go over and make an appointment. Come to find out that not only are the ladies who staff the desk at the dental clinic total crabs, but that they won't see the families of active-duty personnel, just active-duty personnel (aka: Hans). So I found out a little too late that we have to go on the economy. Which makes me nervous because I get nervous anytime I have to go out and deal with the Germans. Especially in a medical/dental way--will there be a language barrier? I mean, medical/dental is not an area in which you want to misunderstand each other, right? My friend Jen suggested a good German dentist to me, so I made an appointment and yesterday was our day. I made sure to re-explain to the kids on the drive ov...

At last the great 2009 car sale has reached completion...the buyer's check cleared today, my check was cut today and she and I made it over to the vehicle registration office and got all the necessary documents changed and signed. Wheeeeeeeewwwwwwww . Deep sigh of relief! I am so glad to finally have that over and I truly hope never to have to sell a vehicle myself again. Both Josiah and Annika went to the CDC today. That's the Child Development Center, not the Center for Disease Control...I still think of Mankato's bout with Legionaire's Disease circa 1995-ish whenever I take the kids over to daycare. That was a dramatic time, though, dealing with that Legionaire's Disease...the company I worked for at the time was heavily involved in the situation and I remember having to go up to the armory for a shot, or maybe it was pills. Whatever it was, it made my pee bright orange. Wow, that's a digression if I ever saw one. Anyway...Annika could hardly wait to go...

Just a quick message to let everyone know that we made it up to the air terminal at Ramstein and Hans' flight left around 8:15 p.m. Germany time. He told me that the flight lasts around seven hours, which surprised me...I thought it might be a 3-4 hour flight. What a surprise that I would misjudge distances over here, right? This is the same person who thought it would take six hours to drive to Rome. Uh-huh. I'm glad that he's gone for one reason: because now every moment that passes is a moment closer to having him safely back home again. Thanks to everyone for phone calls, e-mails, prayers and thoughts.

So, 4/5ths of my family of origin are on Facebook now, including my Dad. If any of you aren't on Facebook yet, you should try it out. I was resistant to it at first, but Gen soon turned me over to the dark side and now I spend probably half an hour on Facebook every day. Dang, is it ever a blackhole, except that it is so neat reconnecting with people you haven't seen for years. I've been on since November, but all of a sudden, folks from my graduating class have started trickling in. I think the person I was most tickled to "friend" on Facebook was my cousin Bobbi Jo. At least, I think we're cousins...her grandma is MY grandma's twin sister. Does that make sense? I can't ever figure it out past first cousins. Donna probably knows. Anyway, Bobbi and I had lots of adventures back in the day, out on our grandparents' farms in heavenly southern Minnesota. Those were the days. I went to her wedding I think and saw her a couple of times in Man...

New Little People Learning Village--Packed with Learning Goodness A very Alpine-looking cow from Grandma D. Heidi--Hans confiscated the cheerleader costume for himself! Opening gifts The droopy Mickey Mouse cake These lasted all of five minutes... Annika, having her dream lunch of mac-n-cheese, pickles, grapes, mandarin oranges and corn Enjoying Grandma's wonderful new pillows New "like bike"--no pedals Thank you very much to the grandparents, the aunts and uncles and cousins and friends who all made Annika's day very special. We had a very intimate little party for her--just the four of us, my super-awful (but still tasty) Mickey Mouse cake and a bunch of great gifts. She had a great day being treated like a little princess--it's not over yet. We still have a dinner of her choice (I can just about guess what she'll want) and a "mani-pedi" with her favorite clear sparkly nail polish. We're very lucky to have you Annika. You are the ...

A trip back through time...2nd Birthday @ Stuttgart 1st Birthday - Newport A few days old with Grandma Kuehl (and looking much happier) I pull this picture up whenever she cries, because she still looks like this when she cries...maybe it will keep her from crying? Well, I can hope. She's just a few minutes old in this picture and obviously, was not very happy to have had to leave her pleasant home.

I just ordered $45 worth of leotards, tights and ballet shoes for Annika. I'm such a sucker...I couldn't resist the leotard with the sparkles and attached tutu. I know that a plain and simple short-sleeved pink leotard would have worked just fine. Heck, a T-shirt and leggings would have been fine for 3-year-old ballet, but...how is that any fun? If she's going to go to ballet, she's going in her pink, tutu leotard, pink tights and pink slippers. Yeah, I'm that parent. But seriously, how adorable will she look? I'll take pictures. She starts the first Wednesday of March and she's so excited about it. She keeps twirling around with her arms raised so delicately above her head. She learned it on "Little Einsteins". OK, and I showed her once, but then I decided that the people downstairs probably don't want to hear my huge butt leaping around upstairs. Hans has the day off today, which is nice. Sometimes, the Army here gives folks an ex...

Sorry, there's nothing very newsworthy about our weekend, except for this: We all went to a movie together. This would be the first time that Annika went to the theater to see a movie and the first time the four of us were simultaneously in the theater. We saw Disney's new animated movie Bolt ...it was okay ...my socks were not knocked off or anything. It had a few cute parts, but it certainly was no Cars . What have I learned from the experience? That Annika is still not ready to sit completely still and quiet through an entire feature film. I think she did well. She made it until there was only about 15 minutes of movie left...I can't blame her. I can hardly sit still through an entire movie and I'm 34. We left when she started getting a little noisy and went out into the lobby to wait for Hans and Josiah. I also learned that we won't be going to movies together every weekend, since it cost 29 Euro for tickets, one popcorn and two Cokes. Of course, I smugg...

This is what I found when I got out of the shower this morning. They had run their own bath, added the bubbles (and in moderation, I might add--I would have expected the entire bottle to be gone) and were happily bathing together. Someday they will hate that there is a photo of them naked in the tub together on the internet. Anyway. Potty-trained--check. Dressing themselves--check (though some of them are better at undressing than dressing--see last post). Feeding themselves--check. Now bathing themselves? My job is getting easier and easier. Next lesson: cooking. I'm sure that after three lessons, they'd be better cooks than me! After all, I have it on authority that their father was busy making his own mac-n-cheese at a very tender age!

Annika has discovered the appeal of Barack Obama...I think she watched part of the inauguration with me. Now every time she sees his picture or him on TV, she screams "Barack Obana, Barack Obana!!! We have a tough time keeping clothes on her, too. Last night she came streaking into the living room just before bed, buck naked, saw her new boyfriend on TV and started squealing "Barack Obana!!!" and jumping up and down. Needless to say, her father is not pleased...about the nudity problem or the fact that she's a Democrat.

I'm sure (positive) that I can come up with something new to bitch about in a couple of days. I know, you're all going " Whaaaaat ?" Me, making mountains out of molehills. I wish I could learn to channel the drama into something creative, like painting or mime or something. Mime. I kill myself. Like I'd ever succeed at anything that required me to be perfectly silent!! Anyway, in case anyone (quit yawning over there) is curious about the ending of the car drama here it is: My original buyers were able to get a loan. We'll get our check this coming weekend. The end. Stay tuned for a new episode in the endless drama of my life...coming soon. Probably sooner than anyone cares for!!

More experimenting with holding the flash down...blurry but I still love the expression on her face! Studying I was trying to grow her bangs out long, but they were in her face so much that I finally put this ridiculous ponytail in... Josiah's Condor for Grandma Jan Annika's Play-Doh snails See the bangs? A few days later they both had haircuts.