Coffee Philosophy

Today at my (almost) weekly coffee date with Karen we both found ourselves with tears in our eyes after a simple statement made by a Bolivian acquaintance, Roger. When Karen commented on how often he and his wife Galia have coffee together after dropping off their youngest son at school, he said something like, “But if we don’t, then I don’t get to see her until evening.” The thing is, he was genuine; he was serious – not trying to score points with Galia or Karen. This hit both of us deeply – as evidenced by the tears. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think it is a cultural thing. Some couples just do always seem so “together” - in the manner of love songs even. Are these the people that are soul mates? What defines soul mates from people in love with one another? Are soul mates always soul mates or do they go through rough patches?

Roger's comment reminds me of one of my favorite songs by Jack Johnson, Banana Pancakes. One section is, "…we got everything we need right here. And everything we need is enough. Just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms."

Whenever I hear the words, I get all mushy on the inside – the whole world fits inside of your arms. Wouldn’t our world be a better place if that’s what we all reached for, desired in our lives? So, today, take that significant other out for some coffee because you know what, otherwise you won’t get to see him or her until evening.

Happy Mood - thanks, in large part to former students

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity of participating in a book club discussion with three former undergraduate students - what a blast. These three were excellent students - Nate was a student three different semesters, Lindsay for two, and Angie one - and I totally felt like I got to watch them grow up. But, wow, the growth they've undergone in the past year has been amazing to see.

After graduation, all three of them applied for a resident teacher program co-hosted by our university and the school district - and all three of them were accepted. For the past school year, they've held teaching positions at Sophie and Lucy's school: Angie as a Kindergarten teacher, Lindsay in grade one, and Nate in grade two. During their year as resident teachers, they worked alongside an excellent mentor (and former first grade teacher) Jana. (Jana is on the right in the pic above.) The resident teacher program is awesome for first-year teachers as it combines teaching, mentoring, and Masters' study all within a cohort of nine other first-year teachers. I've worked with the program in various capacities since 2001 and can honestly say that the people who come out of the resident teacher program are absolutely some of the very best teachers I've seen.

In March of this year I approached their principal with the idea of hosting a professional book club with teachers from the school. My purposes were two-fold: to help the teachers at the school see what types of professional development the Red River Valley Writing Project can offer and to get teachers engaged in professional discussions about writing. It was a deal he couldn't refuse - I provide my services as book club facilitator, the teachers choose a book that has to do with the teaching of reading and/or writing, the Red River Valley Writing Project pays for the books, and Voila! - professional development occurs for those who are interested.

The school has a small staff so I was hoping for a group of 6-8 people... and honestly I was a little disappointed that four of the six people that signed up were involved with the resident teacher program and the other two were Sophie and Lucy's teachers. I felt like I had, perhaps, forced a hand or two into signing up. That really wasn't my intention, but from the turnout, that's how I felt. I felt better once I talked with them and they choose a book, Writing Essentials by Regie Routman. It wasn't they felt they had to do this because of fear of disappointing me, but because they were anxious for the professional discussion.

Our first meeting was in mid-April - a busy time of year for everyone but almost everyone managed to make it and everyone had read the first half of the book. It was eye-opening to see the three residents talk about curricular issues and classroom practices right alongside veteran teachers. The sharing of ideas was fast and furious and I think we were all surprised when 1 1/2 hours had passed.

Tonight's meeting was just as powerful. At one point Angie was talking about a district-wide assessment writing sample she did with her students today - she was feeling poorly about it because the kids were so used to having choice with their writing (YEAH!) that they were a bit off when given the prompt to write about their favorite memory of Kindergarten. I loved it when Lindsay jumped in to encourage her and spouted off research about how usually it's just the opposite - that kids are so used to being told what to write about that when given a free choice topic, they freeze up. I was soooo proud of them at this moment - and then I looked over at Jana who has helped them in so many ways throughout the year. She deserves so much credit for helping them make the connections between what they learned at the university, their gut feelings, and real-life teaching. It was a great night - more than enough to alleviate my bad mood for a few days!

So, my only question is: why can't we keep them forever?!?!

Bad Mood

I've been in a bad mood for a very long time - so long that I know it can't be due to any hormones (or lack thereof), allergies, or being overtired. I'm afraid it's become part of who I am - a part of me I can certainly live without (and I'm sure Dave feels the same).

So, what kinds of things are bothering me that don't usually create that "C'mon people! Think!" feeling? Rather than bombard you with daily blog entries ranting or raving, I made a List. Here it is, but please read it with caution and know that many of the things on the list don't normally bother me.

1. Sending reminder emails (yes, I know I've already ranted about this one.)
2. Getting calls on my cell phone when most people that actually have that number know I never, ever actually have it on.
3. Business phone calls on the weekend.
4. People using their blinker to make a lane change and then forgetting to turn it off.
5. Barking dogs (OK, you're right, they always bother me.)
6. Making supper - especially when, on any given night, only two people will actually eat it.
7. Washing clothes, drying clothes, folding clothes, and then starting all over the next day.
8. Sneezing twenty times in a row.
9. Peeing my pants after the fourth sneeze.
10. Putting kids' hair up in buns for ballet recital night - no matter how long their hair is I can never get it to stay in for the duration of the recital.
11. People talking during ballet recitals.
12. People texting during ballet recitals.
13. The overabundance of treats, gifts and flowers given to ballet dancers as young as three. (You should have seen some of the presents for the dancers.)
14. People asking for advice but then ignoring it.
15. Trying to find the right change for a babysitter.
16. People who wear fragrant lotion and don't shower before they enter the pool for lap swimming.
17. Cell phones.
18. Salespeople who don't trust you when you say you don't have the receipt but that you can name the date you bought the outfit and know you paid full price for it. (By the way, I did go home, find the sales receipt and did, ultimately, return the blouse and necklace for a total refund of $64 vs. the $32 offered.)
19. People who have made it necessary for stores not to trust their customers.
20. People who are always in a bad mood.

Yep, I know I totally fit that last one. I think I've spent more time apoligizing to people in the last few days than any other activity. I'm trying, I really am, to get out of this funk but am having trouble. So, if you have any "surefire" ways to get out of a bad mood - methods that last more than a few minutes, please let me know. I promise I'll give ALL suggestions a try... well maybe I'll do a little screening of suggestions since I'm sure I know one thing Dave would say to try!

View from the Hammock

I took this picture one morning last week as John and I hung out in the hammock. It reminded me of the following entry from my writer's notebook, dated April 18, 2002:

About a month ago I was walking on campus - hurrying toward the union for a meeting. I looked up and saw the kind of clear blue, bright blue sky that reminds so much of Sedona. Maybe it was the way the red brick buildings met the sky - much like the red rocks and sky converging in Sedona. A lady was walking by, hurrying with downcast eyes. I said, "Isn't the sky beautiful?" She stopped and said, "What?" I said, "Look at the beautiful sky." She paused, eyes towards the heavens for a full five seconds and said, "Thank you, thank you very much." I guess my sister Tori was right when she said you can see "Blue Sedona Skies" right here in North Dakota.

Happy Mother's Day

Things I love about Mom:

1. Her medical advice: Holding my hand and telling me to point my toes together everytime I had to get a kenalog shot in the butt. She still always has advice for us. A few weeks ago when John hurt his foot I called her up and asked her advice. Later John asked, "Is she really a doctor?"

2. Cooking Eccentricities: The way she pushes her tongue to the corner of her mouth when she beats batter by hand.

3. Writing Eccentricities: She has this thing where right before she actually puts pen to paper she "air writes" it - the pen hovers right above the paper and moves in circles. Tori, Roxy and I joked that if she had to write a research paper she'd write it all out in the air first.

4. Cleaning Advice: White vinegar is still the best "all in one" cleaner around.

5. Washing clothes: As soon as you take the laundry out of the dryer (or off the clothesline), you fold it... no ifs, ands, or buts. And if you're folding towels, you'd better do it the proper way!

6. Her Career Advice: Do what makes you happy.

7. Her sense of organization: Create systems that work for you and your life will be easier. (My friends will all attest this is one thing I'm really good at and I know I learned it all from Mom!)

8. Her obvious caring for Dad: Public displays of affection aren't a bad thing - they're just somewhat embarassing to your children.

9. Her independence: She taught me that I needed to learn how to use a screwdriver, a lawn mower, and a paintbrush. Women don't need men to get things done - it's just that it's often more fun to get things done together.

10. Love: Just because you love someone, it doesn't mean you have to agree with him/her on everything.

Glessner Family Traditions

Growing up, my family was never really big on candy; we were (and still are) definitely more dessert people. Give us a pumpkin pie, apple pie, sheetcake brownies, banana bread, or chocolate chip cookies over M&Ms any day. The Glessner family, on the other hand, is all about candy - no family gathering is ever complete without at least one bowl (usually 2-3) of candy.

The first time Dave and I hosted a family event I purchased all the ingredients for the Thanksgiving dinner: potatoes, butter, cream cheese, corn, fresh cranberries, sugar, pecans, pumpkin, Pillsbury pie crusts, evaporated milk, etc... Dave was in charge of purchasing the pop, beer, and the turkey. I was quite surprised when he came home from shopping with five large bags of M&Ms - three plain and two peanut. It hadn't even occurred to me that with the pumpkin and pecan pies I was making we would also need candy. Apparently I hadn't been paying very much attention to Glessner holiday gatherings - there was always candy around. The thing is - you can't take the dessert out of the girl so I still insist on making pies for the family events, only now I've learned no matter how big the gathering is, I only need to make one pie.

So tomorrow when we go to Fargo for Amy's college graduation party I'm sure there will be lots of bowls of candy spread around the house. And next week, when we host everyone for Sophie's first communion I'll make sure to include M&Ms on my grocery list. It's taken me almost 20 years, but I am learning.

It's never too late to start enjoying fiction...

In the almost-twenty years Dave and I have been together I’ve never known him to read a fiction book; in fact I’ve only known him to read a few “business” books along with tons and tons of trade magazines. This isn’t an adult habit, I’m thinking he’s always been this way since the only children’s book he entered into this marriage with was Fabulous Facts about the 50 States. When I was teaching at the university I once started to use him as an example of aliteracy but suddenly realized (as I was talking) that he doesn’t fit the definition at all – it’s just that he reads totally different material than I do and in my biased world I was thinking I was the "better" (as in stereotypical) reader.

Still, imagine my surprise when he went to my office and picked out a fiction book to read, finished it within a few days, chose another one, and has kept going for the past month. In fact, when he recently traveled to Dublin for a business trip he packed his usual trade magazines AND a fiction book.

I don’t know what brought about this change in Dave, but I surmise it might have something to do with seeing how much the rest of his family love books. One night before he left for Dublin the five of us sat around in the family room for a half-hour – each of us with a book in our hands and me with a big smile on my face. It was wonderful – now if I can only get him to go on a Barnes and Noble “date” with me…yeah right, don’t think that’ll be happening anytime soon.

Reminders (Note: This is a rant!)

Yesterday I had a regular (as Carmyn called it) "sh--fit" regarding sending email reminders to people. I refuse to do so but as this refusal has bit me in the butt a few times I guess I should reconsider my stance on email reminders. Just so you know, here’s my stance:

You are a professional. You signed up to be a part of this _____________ (insert one: book club, conference, writing group, committee). Part of your job when you sign up for something is to be a professional – as we know you are. So, for goodness sakes, mark the event down in your calendar. Don’t rely on me, the person who hates sending email, to send you a reminder email about a meeting that you should have written down in your calendar as soon as it was planned. I am not your babysitter; I am not your schedule maker – that is your job. You are a professional.

There, that’s my stance. Apparently, I’m in the minority. It seems the common thought is professionals need to be reminded two, three or even four times. And even then there’s a 50/50 chance they’ll forget about the event. Or, as illustrated by one case that happened last winter, people will think that since they didn’t receive a reminder about the meeting it must have been cancelled so they’ll schedule a lunch date with another committee member during the time of the meeting. Upon being reminded of the meeting, they’ll decide to show up – but will sit at said meeting with arms crossed and pouty faces throughout the entire event. Please don't do this; remember – you are a professional.

I do apologize for all the ranting. I guess I’ll stop now because I need to – guess what – send out a reminder email about an upcoming meeting.

Glory to God and Goliath

One of my favorite parts of church right after Easter is the sprinkling of the waters of baptism throughout the entire congregation followed by the singing of the Gloria. It starts with Glory to God in the highest, sing glory to God. Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on Earth. There’s something so very powerful about feeling the voices of 300 people reverberate throughout the church. Lately, I’ve particularly enjoyed looking at the kids during the hymns and seeing them singing along.

John’s version of the Gloria is quite a bit different than the intended version. His is Glory to God and Goliath, Sing Glory to God. Now, if you’re Catholic, grew up Catholic, or attend a Catholic church during the Easter season you’ll be able to sing this in your head… and John’s version does closely resemble the real one. Good for him though to be puzzled and wonder why we would praise Goliath, who was (in John’s words) a "bad guy."

In another hymn misinterpretation, my friend Shelby grew up thinking that the entire church congregation was saying her name during certain hymns; it wasn’t until she could read she saw the version people were singing (shall be)and everything finally made sense to her.

What are your examples of songs you've sang all your life only to hear the "real" words later? Post them here so we can all share in the remembering and laughter.

Swimming Again

I did it! Approximately 6 weeks after my foot surgery, I was back at the Y pool for lap swimming. Even though it was only 20 laps, even though my foot felt funny, even though I swam quite gingerly (which most definitely isn't easy to do), it felt wonderful. That, in itself, was a big relief for me. You see, I was nervous about getting back into the pool for two reasons - the obvious one being because I didn't know how my foot would do and I wasn't up for being disappointed in my progress.

The second reason might seem rather odd to some of you - but I seriously did worry about it. It's just that a few weeks ago a lap swimmer died right in the pool while doing his laps. His day more than likely started like all of ours - a little slow, maybe wishing he had time for that second cup of coffee before heading to the Y for swimming, but overall just a normal day. He gets to the Y, checks in and grabs a towel. Once in the pool area he tells the lifeguard good morning, smiles at the swimmer resting up in the lane next to him, slides into the pool, adjusts his goggles and starts off on his warm up laps. At some point in the next 15 minutes things go from being normal to tragic. As he's in the deep end of the pool ready to make his turn he realizes something isn't right - he heads over to the side, trying to pull himself up and out of the water but it's too late. He falls back into the water and sinks. The lifeguard jumps in, three other lap swimmers head over to help and they all get him to the shallow end and out of the pool. But he's already bluish purple, already gone. Even so, the lifeguard starts CPR as others get the defibrillator machine ready. The pool empties, swimmers cry and hug, and the ambulance comes to take him to the hospital to pronounce him dead.

That man died in the pool - not from drowning, but from a heart attack. I don't know his name, I don't know his family but I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. As I recuperated at home, I guiltily felt so very thankful I wasn't at that particular lap swim. I wondered who it was - was it the red speedo guy? The swimmer/walker dude? The kickboard/flipper guy? or the Tshirt man? I know the names of none of these men but I still know them. I know who wears what swimsuit and what his lane of choice is. I know who is good at flip turns and I know who likes to have a silent underwater race with me. I know them each - as a fellow lap swimmer.

I wondered what it would be like to swim in the same pool, possibly even the same lane, touch the same side of the wall as he did as he tried to hoist his body out. Is his spirit still there? It was with me yesterday, as I'm sure it is with all the swimmers who know. It wasn't with me the whole time, not even most of the time, but as I silently slid through the water I remembered him and wished his family well.

The Many Faces of Dave

On Easter I let the kids have control of the digital camera. As I looked through the 150 pictures later on, I couldn't help but laugh at what was most important to them... pictures of the two dogs that attended the Easter function, the bowls upon bowls of candy, their cousins, and their Daddy. So here you go - the many faces of Dave, as viewed by the kids. Look closely and guess which one really isn't Dave. Have fun!

More on Presents

In my opinion the best Valentine's Day present I ever gave Dave was a heartfelt rendition of John Prine's In Spite of Ourselves. We first heard the song one Saturday night a few years ago - a friend got married and prepared a CD of love songs for everybody on the guest list. Dave and I, after a few glasses of champagne and a little dancing, came home from the wedding and put in the CD. I'm not sure if it was alcohol induced but when In Spite of Ourselves came on, we laughed and laughed and played it over and over until we knew all the words.

Fastforward one month- instead of grading papers, I sat in my office revising the words to the song to fit Dave and me. I think one part was, "Even though your back's all hairy, you still manage to drive me crazy. You're my baby, I'm your honey, never going to let you go."

Fastforward another month and there I was with my friend Lori, in a practice room at the Hughes Fine Arts Center. She, bless her heart, had figured out how to play the song on the piano and, by doing so, became my official accompianist. I had a cheap tape recorder, my sheet of handwritten notes, and good intentions... just not the voice. After several singing attempts and another attempt at bribing Lori to do the piano playing and the singing (she declined), I finally managed to get through the song and be somewhat satisfied.

A few weeks later, on Valentine's Day, I presented Dave with the typed up lyrics and played the song for him. His only reply, "Geez, you must really love me to put this on tape." Yes, yes I do.

Now, just in case something happens to me all you blog readers need to promise this tape will not suddenly surface at my funeral or anywhere else for that matter. All that would do is prove my 6th grade music teacher correct - no matter how hard I try I certainly can't sing in tune. But, I can, once in a blue moon, give a pretty darn good present.

Introducing another blog by the kids - GKids

Sophie, after seeing my blog entry about her messy room, was most anxious to write her own entry about it - giving her perspective. So began the new blog - GKids. To access it, you can try the link on the sidebar or go to it directly, Gkidsathome.blogspot.com. Enjoy reading about our household ups and downs from the perspectives of a nine, seven and five year old.

Shortlived Household Organization

In the weeks before my surgery I went on a crazy organizing kick - similar to that of the nesting instinct they talk about with pregnant women. The bathrooms were all stocked with plenty of toilet paper and clean towels, the beds all got clean linens, the laundry, instead of being a heap on the floor, was all clean, folded and put away, and the kids had clothes laid out for the upcoming week. The fridge and pantry were well stocked and I even cleaned the kitchen junk drawer, organized the laundry room and got the kids' toy room in tip-tip shape. You get the idea...

I can tell it's been a week since then - yesterday John wore two mismatched (as in one blue camoflauge and one white) socks to daycare while Sophie wore a fleece pullover she's been wearing for the past six years and Lucy wore her Sunday dress to school. On more than one occassion I've been thankful I had the foresight to put toilet paper in the bathrooms as the roll has run out in the middle of a job. And I've given up venturing into Sophie's room with my crutches for her good-night kiss - it's just way too much of a mess to navigate. (The pictures can attest to the mess.)

So, tonight's the night - cleaning time for this family. I'll bark orders from the couch while they get busy stacking and putting away papers, toys and water glasses. I'll probably hear it from the peanut gallery, but hey, a clean house and a good night kiss should be worth it for all of us.

Healing in Process

The dreaded foot surgery is over and the healing has begun. The surgery was Wednesday afternoon and when I woke up at 6 pm I found myself very thirsty, but in no pain. That's the way it's been since - not a heck of a lot of pain. I've only taken one pain pill at a time and spread it out to eight hours between doses. It's not that I'm trying to be a martyer, but the nausea and dizziness caused by the medicine is something I can do without. So, as of this morning, I'm down to only tylenol. Here's hoping it goes well.

The surgery itself was supposed to only last an hour, but besides the hammer toe repair on two toes, they did find a neuroma to take out as well as a tear to repair so it took 2 1/2 hours. When my doctor came to talk to me I had just woke up so I'm still kind of foggy on the details, but I'll see him tomorrow morning and find out more.

I've spent more time on the couch in the last four days than I think I have in all the last ten years - and it feels strange, very strange. Until today reading was making me dizzy, so I've spent the majority of time either watching TV or napping. The other night Dave came into the family room and said, "Thank God - the TV is on a channel other than TLC or HGTV!" I think he might be worrying that I'm getting remodeling ideas from all that television.

There's been lots of visitors - thanks for stopping by everyone! Today my big day brightener was Michelle and Theo - Emmett's little brother and a guy after my own heart. Isn't he just such a sweetheart?!?! He's the one I got to watch most Friday mornings while Michelle took Emmett and John to gymnastics. She got to run around after two preschool boys while I got to cuddle with a baby... hmmmmm, I wonder who got the best end of the deal? Definitely me!

No, unfortunately, the swimmer on the sidebar is not me...

it's just a picture off the internet. I thought about having Dave come in and take a picture of me doing my laps but then I thought the other swimmers might think it a little strange. So instead, I found a picture that shows how I want to look - or how I might have looked three kids ago - or how I hope to look by this time next year; take your pick.

But, the good news is that last week, for the very first time ever, I swam a whole mile. That's 36 laps in the pool - or 72 lengths however you want to count. I think I actually did more than a mile because I lost track on my last set of five and I was going to be damn sure I did at least 36... I think it ended up more like 39.) All I know is I was absolutely beaming from head to [sore] toe. And I'm still so darn tired I haven't been back to lapswim since. Maybe tomorrow...

Heartfelt Presents

I've always hated the birthday present pressure, the Christmas present pressure, and the Valentine's Day present pressure. It's just so hard. Seriously, unless you read the book you purchased for your booklover friend, how do you actually know she'll love it? Who's to say that the little money ledger purchased at the Dime Store for a dollar is really perfect for a bookkeepr/business owner mom? We're taught that the thoughtful presents count the very most, but who doesn't actually want a new car with a big red ribbon around it for Christmas?

Yet, I think one of the very best presents I've received from Dave probably cost him less than $10. This particular present consisted of four uniball gel pens. Now this might not sound like a romantic gesture to you, but to a doctoral student writing her comps, it was absolutely perfect. It was so perfect in fact, that when the last one dried up a week ago I shed a tear.

I know, I know... you're saying "Get over it; go buy yourself a couple dozen pens already!" But the point is, Dave knew I really didn't need much at all, he knew where all my time and energy was being focused, and he put it all together. Who can't love a present like that?

So - what are some of your favorite, heartfelt presents? List them here - and maybe we'll turn the tide from the commercialism of all the celebrations to "thoughtful attention paying."

Foot Surgery

After two doctor appointments and an MRI, it was decided I'll have surgery on my second and third toes on my right foot on March 28. While he's taking care of the hammer toe issues, he'll also be on the lookout for a neuroma (which doesn't necessarily show up even on an MRI). It's a same day operation and a 3-4 week recovery period during which time I'll be on crutches without any weight on my foot. I don't think it's really hit me yet, but all in all I'm happy with the decision - it could mean that sometime in the future I'll be walking around without any foot pain, and that would be a first for about ten years.

Last week I decided that I'd go crazy with exercise - doing whatever the heck I wanted since the end of pain is near. That wasn't such a good idea - after spending an hour a day for three days on cross country skis I was in serious gimp mode. So, it's been back to swimming and swimming only. I'll save the skiing for the weekends and then only do it once instead of three consecutive days. Let's just say "I learned my lesson."

What to do with all this snow?

If you're not from North Dakota, you might not understand how much fun snow can actually be. Actually, this winter has been unusually mild for us too. But in the past few days we've gotten lots of snow and have had the opportunity to experience winter at its best. All that's missing are skating, sledding, snowman making, snowball fighting, and fort building. For those of you without the luck of having snow around, enjoy the pics and "think white."

Splitting Some Ash

"I'm going back out to split some ash." Those were Davey-baby's first words to me when he got home from work tonight. In my "no school, three fighting kids all day long" stupor, the words sounded more like "I'm going back out to kick some a--" But we all know Dave's not the fighting kind of guy. So here we are, the kids and I hanging out in the family room listening to the thunk, thunk, thunks as Dave chops us some wood. What a guy - gotta love him.

Crazy Daisies

Call us tacky, call us goofy… whatever you want. Still, the flower arrangement of choice here on Belmont Road is Crazy Daisies. It all started a few years ago when Dave decided to bring home some flowers from the grocery store and the kids were with him. Even though daffodils are my favorites, followed by lilies… the kids wanted the unnaturally colored daisies. They’ve been a hit ever since. Sophie was delighted with them on her ninth birthday and Lucy requested them for her seventh. If memory serves me correctly, even John wanted them for his birthday. From now on think of us and smile as you pass by the flower buckets in the grocery store and see the fluorescent-like daisies sticking out – because soon, I’m sure, they’ll be in a vase on our kitchen table.

Suite Night VII

Tonight is the big event - our seventh "Suite Night" party. It all started almost twenty two years ago when Dave started hanging out with a group of guys who shared his dorm room suite and second floor. Though we didn't start dating until two years later, I attended a few of their infamous parties thanks to our joint friend (and future matchmaker) Liz.

So around three o'clock this afternoon between 20-25 friends and their children will join us here on Belmont Road and relive both college and past Suite Night memories. We'll catch up with one another, the kids will play and then, after appetizers and a few drinks, the grownups will head to the hockey arena arena and our rented suite to cheer on our favorite college hockey team - the University of North Dakota.

In late July, the trend continues, except this time we all head to Minneapolis and a suite at the Metrodome to watch the Twins play. My preference of the two? I do believe it would be Minneaplis because then we leave the kids at home and Dave and I get a mini-vacation. But whatever the case, it's all about fun and catching up with dear friends.

Pictures, Updated

We're home and I've finally got the pictures uploaded... so if you're interested in London scenery, go back and take a look. I thought one of the neatest things was to find the webcam of Trafalgar Square on the internet... if only I would have known that earlier we could have called the kids and told them where to look as we waved at them. Oh well... live and learn.

Wicked

Last April, our niece Kylie, went to New York City with her chorus and came home raving about the musical Wicked. It sounded somewhat strange to me - what's all this about the Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba) being a good person, a person who tried to stand up for what she believed in and make a difference?! But then we read the book by Gregory Maguire for book club and I, too, became a strong supporter of Elphaba. As we researched theatre productions in London's West End, I was thrilled to see Wicked on the list... and we managed to get 7 tickets for our last night in London. I built it up so much in my mind, and to the others, that I was afraid that it could never live up to our expectations. In fact, I told everyone that before they complained about it, they had to read the book and then, only then, would I accept complaining emails - one a day for the year.

But I was soooo wrong. During the first act, Lorraine looked over at me and gave me a thumbs up. At the intermission, Jonathan and Maureen loaded up on the soundtrack and t-shirts for their son David, and Brian even bought a t-shirt for Caroline (his 12 year old daughter). In the meantime, I loaded up on ice cream and couldn't wait for the second act to commence.

Although it did, at times, vary from the book, it was fabulously well done. The two leads were so well joined together - and yet so very different. The careful movements of Elphaba's hands to illustrate her passion versus the flighty hair "toss, toss"es of Galinda were in sharp contrast to one another. I will admit that after reading the book, I couldn't imagine where the music fit in - songs such as Popular and Defying Gravity... but they, too, were absolutely perfect. I went to sleep, long after Dave's snores started, thinking about Elphaba and her attemps at making things better for all... and thought, "If only we all could do the same..."

Thanks for the Phone Calls!

Hey Mom and Dad, we loved hearing from you.

On Sunday we decided to take our new interest in basketball to a new level and so we (the kidderoos and your guest blogging babysitter) went to the YMCA to practice shooting some "hoops." John got better and better as the day went on. Sophie and Lucy were dribbling fools and were both pretty good at making the shots.



Later in the afternoon we decided to see a matinée of Night at the Museum. We loved it. There were so many great characters in the movie it is impossible to choose who to "be" when playing the story out at home. There's the Easter Island statue who calls Larry "Dum, Dum" and Teddy Roosevelt, and the head of the Roman soldiers, Sacajawea, Rexie, and Attila the Hun to name a few.

London Days (Monday)

Just look at the view from our hotel room... the fountain and courtyard was beautful to see and walk through on our way to the hotel lobby. Today was the day for the whole group to hang out – the meetings were finished and everyone was able to relax. I got the most relaxation with an hour long Sodashi massage in the morning while Dave, Jonathan, Maureen, Harley and Lorraine headed to the Eye of London. Later, Brian (who enjoyed his own relaxation and lie in) and I walked to Trafalgar Square (bottom left) to meet up with them at Waterstone’s bookstore.

From there, we all trekked in the rain, taking occasional pauses from the rain underneath doorways and in lobbies. We made it to St. Paul’s Cathedral where Harley looked around as Brian and I, after carrying almost empty coffee cups for 45 minutes, managed to spill their remains all over the marble floor in the lobby area. The joke then was that we spent the afternoon mopping up the floor of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Brian, the Irishman, was surprised that the ticketsellers then took the cups from me and threw them in the garbage. (The reason why we carried the empty cups around was that there were not any garbage bins in sight – one less place to put bombs.)


We then headed to Sloane Square so I could buy some wool for our dear babysitter and knitter extraordinaire Carmyn. After lunch/supper in a pub, we headed to a china shop and back to Harrods so Harley could see it. Our night then ended with a West End Theatre production of “Wicked.” That, however, deserves its very own post!

The picture on the left features Dave, Lorraine, Brian and Harley... and Big Ben.

Monkeyin' Around

Well, we had a FULL Saturday. I had no idea what sorts of crazy times I was signing on for. We started the day bright and early... 6:30 am on a Saturday. Like I said, I had no idea! And then before lunch we made a library trip (I had books to return and books to get for myself so it seemed like a great idea...) The kids settled on 8 books each... for an even two dozen. I thought that sounded about right! ;) We may actually read most of them before mom and dad return too... Today we read a couple Tacky the Penguin books and one called The Ballad of the Pirate Queens and Skippyjon Jones. We practiced some knitting and I even made an eye patch for Pirate John. Then we decided it was time to get ready for the big night.

The half-time show of the girls basketball game.

We got the hair done, the suit on, and we were off to the ballet company for practice... We fed Sophie some snacks before she left us--bananas, of course. And then the rest of the crew ate at the basketball game. There was a wee bit of miscommunication though. We thought the game started at 7:15 and would be done at a reasonable time... Ahhh, no. It started at 7:45 and so the halftime show wasn't until much later. We were ready to leave then (or shall I say, --I-- was ready to leave then) but there was no way John could leave until he saw if his team would win. And his team? Why whichever one was wearing blue. In this case, the "away team"-- the Spartans. So, he and Lucy cheered for their opposing teams and when the half-time show was done Sophie joined in. Lucy was recruited to draw the winning ticket for the 50/50 drawing. I think we have some future Knights on our hands.

The performance was fantastic. Our little monkey, I mean Sophie, did such a great job. They were one of three numbers and I overheard a man say theirs was the BEST of all of them. Of course they were all good, but I sort of agree.

I will say I am a little shocked at how little Lucy and John seem to know about basketball. And it was a bit of a test for me to try to explain the game in 5 year old terms; I think we covered fouls, free throws, jump balls, traveling, how the points are done in twos except for free throws and silly me, the three point shot. We also talked about sportsmanship, standing for the opposing teams school song etc. John even had an idea for how they could add goalies to the game. Each basketball hoop could have a person up there with a big stick to knock the ball out of the way. I said I thought that might be dangerous, but he explained they would wear a helmet. "That would certainly keep the scores low," I replied. "Yeah, like in hockey" was the response.

The Knights won; the day was fun. Don't even ask when they got to bed.

London Days (Sunday)

While Dave has been in meetings all weekend, I’ve had a wonderful time exploring London. Our hotel is located in an excellent area – it seems most areas of interest are only a 10-15 minute walk away.

Each day I’ve enjoyed a “lie in” and then met the girls: Maureen (Isle of Man) and Lorraine (Princeton, NJ) for brunch.

After brunch today we walked two blocks from our hotel to Buckingham Palace and saw the changing of the guard – it was so very crowded but I still managed to get a few pics.

From there we managed a 15 minute walk along Constitution Street to Knightsbridge where we admired the shops and did a bit of shopping ourselves at Harrods. (The picture of Harrods was actually taken Monday evening.)

After Dave’s meetings were over, we went to a pub to watch the highly touted Ireland/France rugby match. Poor Brian (Dublin) had tickets to it, but was stuck watching it with us rugby ignorant Americans while Fiona and her father got to see it in person. As we watched I found I preferred all the action to American football (gasp!) and was sad to see Ireland lose in the last minute of the match.

Finally, we gathered at Simpsons on Strand for a dinner with the whole group. While there, we were surprised to see a side order called Bubble and Squeak. Fortunately, Maureen was able to explain that it is a dish made up of fried-up leftover vegetables.

It was nice to have Pat and Ellen’s (Scranton, PA) kids with us. Every time we saw them they were all smiles, and Patrick (the 15 year old) even tried the goose pate as a starter. Harley (Lorraine’s husband) raved over his sponge cake dessert so much that our waiter, Talat, brought seconds just for him. Not to worry – we all helped out with seconds.

Manners Don't Matter... tee hee

Woo Hoo... glad you made it to London. Sounds like you are having a great time. And let's hope your "dogs" hold out with all that walking, Marci. The kids loved the double decker bus and now are convinced they need to see that show... will there be another trip to London just for Scooby-Doo?

Our Friday was pretty typical. We just hung out around home and for supper we feasted on spaghetti... or Parmesan noodles for John, and as you can see we were all on our best well-mannered behavior. Before bed we read some of a pirate Geronimo Stilton book. Guess who picked that one. We love you too.....