Picture of the Day

Ethan has decided he likes blueberries.

On, Wisconsin!

The two of us before we left for the show

This man is absolutely incredible!

Not only did he get to try his first taste of Dippin' Dots, his jaw was perpetually open for the whole concert!

There really isn't anything else like a Badger Band concert... we'd heard about them for years, and finally on Saturday night Colin and I got to attend with Mimi, Bubba, and Dee Dee. Of course, within 10 minutes of parking the car my Dad ran into someone he knew. What a huge alumni network! Words can't do justice to the entire three hour, ear drum popping event. Suffice it to say, where else will you see pyrotechnics, flying band directors in sequins and red cowboy boots, a world renown steelpan and accordion player, a gospel choir, and a band 250 members strong?

Well, when you've said Wisconsin, you've said it all.

And for the record, Colin does think he might go to the "Bucky School"... and he's now fairly certain he'll play trombone. Because, as he said, "You have to play brass!"

Picture of the Day

Dubuque, Dubuque

Last weekend Mike and I had a quick escape to Dubuque. He was playing in the symphony there and thoughtfully contacted my parents to see if they'd take the boys so I could come along. Initially, he was concerned that I'd be upset because he had multiple rehearsals and performances, which meant I'd have to spend time solo. I told him it was every mom's dream to have uninterrupted time in a hotel room! We had a fantastic trip--conversation on the drive, beautiful weather for walking downtown, time to explore and to reconnect. And Dubuque is a fantastic town! Our weekend was capped off with his concert--one of the first times I've heard him perform in a long time! The following is a list of a few of the fun places we discovered:

• River Lights Bookstore (My new favorite independent bookstore... I spent an hour there Friday night and we were back on Sunday!)
• The Naughty Dog
• Cafe Manna Java
• L. May Eatery (amazing fresh and local food)
• National Mississippi River Museum
• Fenelon Place Elevator (This was not my favorite of the things we did, considering it was open air and I'm not a fan of heights!)

Outside of our wanderings, I enjoyed time reading, reading, and reading... oh, and I might have made time for a cable TV show I can't enjoy at home! (TLC and HGTV anyone?)

Now, I can't wait for him to book this gig again!

Ethan's Quote of the Day

"Don't worry Mom. I'm throwing my whining in the trash right now."

A child after my own heart

Today over lunch, Ethan and I were reviewing the latest Scholastic book flyers. You know, those colorful paper ads that come home from school almost weekly. Anyway, we were talking about our favorite books when Ethan turned the page. His eyes lit up as he saw a new title from Walter Wick, Can You See What I See: Treasure Ship. Ethan absolutely loves this series of books, or any book related to finding small hidden objects.

He looked at me and said, "Mom, we should totally request this from the library!" That's my boy!

Colin's Quote of the Day

A long time ago, when I was three, I used to think that the only people that lived on planet Earth were us, Nick and Jess, Cliff, and Christian. And the rest of the people in our neighborhood. And I really thought people lived on Mars. Isn't that funny?

Ethan's Quote of the Day

"You know something? You run so much faster when you're running totally naked."

Easter 2010

Mental note to self: next year have camera ready the night before to catch all of the Easter hunt excitement.

This year the boys awoke at 6:17 am. We know this because Colin announced it and then they both were out of bed and off and running. While the rest of us straggled out of bed, Dee Dee included, and located glasses etc., the boys were already finding eggs and looking for their baskets. I think they were "finished" by 6:30!

They both were thrilled that the bunny brought them giant super soakers. "Just like the ones we wanted! Now we can have awesome water fights!" Dee Dee, Mike and I gave them blue super scooters, just like the ones you'd find in a PE class. They already work amazingly well, having been tested both on the driveway and then again in the basement.

Mike headed out to play at a local church early, while Mandy, the boys and I got ready at a leisurely pace. We walked to our church for the 10:30 service and then we all arrived home in time for a special lunch: Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, melon, and some amazing bacon from Dan's. A very low key and fun Easter!

Spring has arrived!

Yesterday, Ethan and I shirked all responsibility and spent the morning and early afternoon simply loving the great outdoors--sunshine, soft breezes, and uncharacteristically balmy warm weather. We first went on a hike at the Nordic Trails with our friends Jaime and her little boy Isaac. The boys simply ran and ran and ran--and of course, tripped a few times and played in dirt. And we let them. Later on, we picked up Isaac's big sister and went to the park for a picnic. Perfect.

Today--yet another warm day--Colin and Mike had the day off. We packed another picnic and headed out to Rice Lake. After our picnic, we did the small trail with the boys. Official nature viewing is as follows:

• 22 painted turtles
• 1 black duck (our first sighting)
• 7 fish (5 alive and 2 dead)
• 1 "of those Geese from Canada"

All was undramatic, until Ethan managed to miss the trail and put his foot right into what turned out to be a very deep hole. He was in muck up to his thighs.... and loved every minute of it.