Chopping Up a Watermelon at 4:00AM

"Why are you chopping up a watermelon at 4 o'clock in the morning?", my dear husband asked.  My reply, "I don't know what else to do at 4 o'clock in the morning." 

You see, sometimes in life you have to view your circumstances and take advantage of opportunities that otherwise will not come around again.  The watermelon on the counter at 4:00am was one of those "opportunities."  Carpe Diem.

Last night I fell asleep tucking Jett in. (It's about 60/40 on any given night this will happen. "Curious George and the Baseball Game" is a really relaxing book.)  I woke up around Midnight to have a brief conversation with my husband that included his intention to be ready for the day by 4:00am so that he could get to the farm to plant. This meant that I needed to get up and shower and prep for the day at 3:30am. (Why? Well that's a good question that involves a toddler who is a light sleeper, a noisy hair drier, and a fear that I'll be faced with a day of meetings and my hair sticking out in all directions, or worse, hair that's still wet.)

So, by 4:00am, I had a choice, a) go back to bed, and risk bed-head in all of its glory, or b) get up and start the day.  Obviously I went with "option b".  Now normally this would be my perfect time to do homework, but I submitted my last final for the semester on Sunday night.  The list of things I could do at this time of the morning is quite long (and apparently includes blogging) but the watermelon was there starring me in the face, as I came to the realization that now would actually be the only time I could cut up the watermelon.  What an "opportunity"...

So there I was standing in the kitchen holding a large knife, hacking up a watermelon in the wee hours of the morning. I contemplated life, Costco, and why I bought a watermelon in the first place.

I couldn't help but think back to my high school musical "Guys and Dolls", standing on stage more than a decade ago in character as Miss Sarah Brown, watching Sky Masterson sing "My Time of Day", and thinking about what a romantic concept the early hours of the morning were. 

Chopping up a watermelon at 4:00am was not exactly the picture I had envisioned...

Good morning friends!  I hope you have a wonderful day, and if you have a hankering for watermelon, I have three tupperware in my fridge ready to share.

Spring Break 2013

I figure we are about two weeks away from the 2013 barrage of friends' photos from spring break trips from Cancun to Key West.  So I'm really super excited to be the very first among you to post pictures from our thrilling spring break staycation.

This trip was a big deal for our little family as we determined that it was the very first time we all stayed away from home together for more than one night.  So as my little sister packed for her semester-long Italian adventure, her big sister's family hit the road for a thrilling weekend in Beatrice, NE. Leaving after work, we made a stop at Grandma Clara's for pizza and playtime, and then proceeded to roll into the big city around 10pm.  Way past everyone's bedtime. 

Daddy left the next morning bright and early to work cattle, leaving Jett and I to a day of exploration.  First we enjoyed the gourmet breakfast bar at the hotel, where Jett enjoyed watching the pancake machine.  We were upgraded to a room with a view.  Jett's favorite view of a Ford dealership, and just beyond the horizon we could see the shining bright green of a John Deer implement.

After taking in the view and lounging in our suite, we set out to see the sites and found a very big, very orange playground at the YMCA. 

It was a balmy 40 degrees so before long our course was changed indoors where we watched elementary basketball practice.  All that exploration made us hungry again and Jett got to have his very first McDonald's Happy Meal.  Excitement didn't quit as we got to watch a man in a red lift and bucket fix the lights on the golden arches. 

Our morning adventure left us feeling quite exhausted so back to the resort we went for a little siesta.  We woke up just in time to join our cousins at another fun park.  For a little afternoon snack, we visited Dairy Queen where it was about 105 degrees, and if you closed your eyes and used your imagination the Blizzard machine sounded just like the roar of the ocean.

Soon it was time for the main event, the St. Paul Lutheran School carnival.  There were games of all kinds from cake walk to bean-bag toss - our favorite! 

There was even a big fake cow that we got to touch. We happily waved goodbye to everyone and finished our adventure with pizza at a quasi-alfresco cafe on a beautiful deck looking out on the inside of the furniture store in the mall. 

 

I sincerely hope that I haven't made you too jealous. I wish you lots of sunshine and excitement on your own spring break trips this year!



Our Summer Home

I love vacations.  I mean really LOVE vacations, to the point of obsessing about what I’m going to pack months in advance.  I love to plan and daydream about what we will see, do, and eat.  I think this all stems from wonderful family vacations growing up and my parents making the experience really delightful, whether we were visiting Fort Robinson or Walt Disney World. 

I always had this secret dream that someday mom and dad would spring for a “summer home” or a timeshare somewhere fabulous.  Something that would guarantee we’d continue these trips for a long time.  I dreamed this would be a condo in Estes Park, a beachfront shack in San Diego, or a magical Disney timeshare.  Even though my parents never went for it (at least not yet) I still had high hopes that when I grew up and had my own family, this might become a reality.  Not in my wildest dreams did I believe this would happen in Virginia, NE.  Virginia Beach, yes!  But Virginia, NE, where in the world is that?

A couple of years ago Kevin and I had the opportunity to buy land that came with an acreage, and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take a step closer towards his dream.  With this acreage was a cute little place we refer to as our “summer home,” although right now we are blessed that his cousins are living there all year long.  To say I was reluctant at first would be a gross understatement, but after this weekend’s trip, it’s starting to grow on me.

       

My baby looked at the corn in awe, smiled widely while he “drove” the tractor, and chased his cousins around the yard all afternoon.  It’s certainly not Disney World, but I have a feeling my little guy will grow up believing this is the greatest place in the world. 

And while it may never become a reality, you better believe I’m still dreaming about that beach front property…

16 Hours to Superhero Status!

"It's no big deal, really.  The set comes in three boxes, and most people can put them in the back of their van.  It might take you a good afternoon to get it set up."  Says the woman at Sam's Club that was obviously not a part of the backroom construction of their floor model, that no doubt caused cursing and likely tapping into the stash of wholesale liquor.

It was over the course of the next five days and 16 hours that I witnessed my husband's true dedication to daddy-hood as he, two of his high school students and a friend (who is also fortunately a shop teacher,) labored over Jett's new swing set.  Working in the hot sun, I wasn't sure if Poweraides, pizza and chocolate chip cookies would be enough to get them through, but they prevailed.

Daddy, I'm not sure this is right...

One of my favorite moments was when I thanked one of the students for his help and said, "Thank you so much, Jett is really going to enjoy this for a long time!"  He replied excitedly, "No problem!  I had a play set like this growing up and I played on it until, like third grade.  And mine wasn't nearly as cool as this!"

This smile made it all worth it!  Through all the hard work, Kevin didn't complain once.  Watching him tackle the project with patience and pride, will be one of the moments that I look back on in our life and say of my husband, "I love him more every day!"

Mr. Mom

I couldn't be more thankful for my wonderful husband that took on the unexpected roll of "Mr. Mom" this weekend.  Canceling plans to go to the farm, study for his graduate final, and golf for the first time this year, he opted to stay home to take care of his very green, disgusting wife, and give Jett a very happy play filled weekend in spite of the looming flu.

Not only did Super Dad wrangle kiddo and chiweenie, but he did all the laundry and dishes, and checked on me regularly to make sure that I was drinking enough fluids.

Thank you Mr. Mom, you are my hero!
-Love your fluish wife.

When Your Husband Buys a Semi

When your husband buys a semi truck, this is what you should do.
1. Start mixing up a pan of brownies as bribery for the neighbors and to soften the blow of their new view for the next 48 hours.
2. Say a prayer for grace and good naturedness.
3. Pull out the Borsheims and Coach catalogues you have stashed away, and put them on the kitchen table.
4. Give your husband a hug and if you've nothing nice to say, say only,"Wow, you bought a semi."
5. Start a Google search for "semi truck and car seat safety."

My husband bought a semi.  A real, really big semi truck.  I didn't believe him.  He told me while I was at Walmart.  His strategy was wise, to tell me when I was in public, with only 20 minutes to get groceries, get through the check out and be on my way for a meeting in another town.  I had a very short window to flip out.  I used that window very effectively.

As I drove home I still didn't really believe that he bought a semi.  But here it sits.  I'm getting out the Borsheim's catalogue now...