BadgerCubinMN

Pitch 2 Pitch

2012-02-20T10:38:00.000-06:00

Saturday was a nice day for activities. My son played in his next-to-last basketball game of the year. I'll get some pictures up later this week. Surprise, surprise ... in case you haven't seen the pics from this winter so far, my son's team is red (just like his fall team), AND ... my son knows how to dribble and pass. I'm so proud of how hard he works, how close he listens to his coaches, and how team-oriented he is. Go Bloodhounds! One more game.

After basketball, we came home, changed, and headed out to the local dome for some 'sandlot' baseball. It was our first time, but I've heard of the company before (www.pitch2pitch.com) and I thought my son would like it. It was pretty awesome. The dome itself is pretty new, and there ended up being only 7 kids in his age group (6-10 year olds), so they had the entire dome to themselves. They split into two teams (4 on 3) and the instructor pitched while the boys hit, fielded, and ran themselves ragged. The boys all had a blast (including the instructor!) and it was 90 minutes of great fun!

We have two more sessions we've signed up for, but may end up doing more.

Thanks CJ and Matt for putting this together and working with the boys!

Food Critic

2012-02-19T23:55:00.001-06:00

So, I said I'd give a review of the Nectar Wine Bar & Bistro (Osseo, MN) ...

On a scale of "Really Yucky" to "Really Yummy", I'd give the overal experience a "Kind of Yummy." Of course, I may be bias because of the great company (my wife and our two good friends, our ex-neighbors).

We started off with the Mixed Greek Olives, Shrip Cocktail, and a bottle of La Bete Petite Noir. All were very nice and good "starters." I think all four of us enjoyed at least two of the three. So dinner started off well. The bread and olive oil were also very nice.

After deliberating (and, of course, not choosing what anyone else decided to order), I went with the Beef Tenderloin Bourgogne on Au Gratin Potato Cakes. De-licious. I would say that the entree itself was a "Really Yummy" - maybe even too rich for this palate that does not experience it too frequently.

The night was finished off with after-dinner cocktails (Leinie's Bach for me) at Dick's across the street. I recommend trying the combination of establishments some time, as an early dinner at Nectar is very quiet (and happy hour is nice), while Dick's was also laid back with a number of televisions, but also fairly comfortable for conversation. For us, it was a nice quiet night with our friends.

Nectar Wine Bar & Bistro

2012-02-17T15:55:00.001-06:00

Date night this weekend. I'll give my reviews later ... :)

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Ok, technically my daughter won ...

2012-02-16T21:25:00.000-06:00

And even not-so-technically. It was family game night, after all. And I could not gain my revenge on my daughter's winning ways from the other day. My wife even was able to take part in the weekly gaming ritual, having been able to get home in time before her evening work dinner. After she left, we played another game, and I still couldn't get a win.

Oh well, the night ended with two kids in bed with me, listening to me read a book from the "Captian Unerpants" series and the "Weirder School" series as well (Mrs. Roopy is Loopy ...?). I'd be in heaven if only the Badgers hadn't lost tonight and it wasn't 33 degrees outside. I guess it is February in Minnesota, so I'll have to be okay with that - the second part - not the first.

I'm all-good, though! "The world always looks brighter from behind a smile." - Anonymous

An afternoon with my daughter

2012-02-15T16:02:00.001-06:00

Not that I don't usually spend the afternoon with my daughter; however, today, she had every intention of playing board games with me. I was totally up for it, so we started with Zingo (in which she beat me 4 out of 5 times ... legitimately), moved on to Chutes and Laddes (again, beat me legitimately - but only after we had each taken the big slide at least twice), processed on to Gobblet (which I think I may have actually taken 2 of 3 from her while playing; not sure because I took some beatings this afternoon), and finished with a few games of Sequence for Kids (she finished me off with a two out of three victory).

Good thing that Family Game Night is coming around soon (or at least I think it is), because I need to get some payback on my daughter. Gotta make sure that Farkle Trophy finds a semi-permanent home on my nightstand.

"At the end of the day, the value of our lives isn’t found in how many items we crossed off our lists, but in how we lived, and what we learned."

2012-02-14T22:31:00.001-06:00

- Flynn

via http://gradnessmadness.tumblr.com/

Seriously, take a gander at GradnessMadness (one of the Blogs That I Badger) if you get a chance.
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"Set aside half an hour every day to do all your worrying; then take a nap during this period."

2012-02-13T13:15:00.005-06:00

- Anonymous
http://www.irealm.org/quotes/dispquote.php?page=anon

http://www.d-65.com/blog/tag/zebras

"the Barn"

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Went to "the barn" on Thursday. With my son. That's him below. Wore his Jon Leuer jersey.

We watched enthusiasitcally as some omnivorous creatures from the Mustelidae family took some extra time to devour a group of small burrowing rodents.

We sat in the top row, by the way. And that was our view (above). It was cool. We had lots of room and my son could even stand, kneel, sit - whatever he wanted - without disturbing anyone. I think he started one of the "Defense" cheers that arose from our UW Alumni section, as well.

My #Badgershirtstreak continued, by the way ... and the Badgers won in overtime (in case you can't interpret the messages above - or weren't paying attention to college basketball this week). All in all, pretty cool ... although I don't know that I'll ever actually call Williams Arena, "the Barn" out loud. The Barn I remember was way cooler to watch a basketball game in.

FYI ... I'm deleting stuff

2012-02-07T13:56:00.000-06:00

I just realized what happens when I delete photos from my google-whatever account when I need more space. It looks kind of goofy, so don't go back more than a year or two trying to find my posts - or at least the pictures from those posts. It looks like this:

I keep hitting my limit on how many images the server (or whomever is running this free site) allows me to have online. So ... I've been saving my blog posts via Microsoft Word on my computer (to print out at some point ... although I'm not sure what I'll do about the video ... I guess I have that somewhere on the compute here, just like the images). Anyway ... I've been deleting images off the server so that I can add new ones - which I just did when I wasted one image spot with the stupid pic above.

Bloodhounds ... drop a dime! :)

2012-02-06T17:05:00.000-06:00

"Super" Weekend

2012-02-06T12:30:00.000-06:00

It wasn't really about the Super Bowl, although that was a pretty good game to watch. It was about the family and friend time this weekend. Saturday was family time spent cleaning and prepping for the weekend - including making Badger sugar cookies with icing. My son had a basketball game (which I'm pretty sure they won again - this is 2nd grad ball, so they don't keep score - pictures/video to follow). Our new neighbors had most of th neighborhood over for a soup and chili open house on Saturday night. Sunday was spent at church, relaxing, finishing cleaning, and with friends watching the big game.

All in all, not bad. Just wish I would've been watching the Pack.

Middle 3 next session! My daughter is officially a swimmer! :)

2012-02-03T14:45:00.000-06:00

Just so we're clear: this is the daughter who wouldn't put her head in the water, was afraid to do "humpty-dumpties", and was in one particular level of swimming lessons for three consecutive sessions.
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No longer.
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She has officially moved from Little (whatever number) to Middle 1 to Middle 2 to Middle 3 in three straight sessions. [Proud daddy!] She is a wonderful little swimmer ... and learner!
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Happy Groundhog Day!

2012-02-02T15:55:00.003-06:00

Thursday. February 2nd. Sun up. Cannery Square. Sun Prairie, WI.

2012-02-01T09:29:00.003-06:00

Why can't I sleep?

2012-01-29T21:26:00.000-06:00

It might be that I ran for almost an hour on the treadmill before going to bed last night. Or it could be that I took in quite a bit of caffeine while keeping up with the kids. I know I fall asleep horribly without my wife around (and she happens to be in Flordia for work). But the fact remains that I fell asleep around 1:30am on Saturday night - er - Sunday morning to be more accurate.

The late night doesn't sound like much until you remember that I have a 5- and 8-year-old that wake up fairly early. Thank goodness that they both made it until around 7am Sunday morning. That gave me a good five and a half hours sleep to be ready for an early-morning get-ready routine for church. God only knows how my wife works on those hours, but I simply cannot.

I was planning on running again tonight after I put the kids to bed, but ... plans change. Especially when it takes a bit of energy to get the tired kids to bed. Oh ... did I mention that I realized that I had to hop on the computer to finalize some group work for my masters class? That sealed the deal. No running tonight. I'll have to get back at it tomorrow.

Until then, let's see if I can hit the sack and get some decent sleep so that I have some patience tomorrow for my awesome kids. Have I told you lately how special my dancer, gymnast, swimmer, t-baller is? Or how unreal my quarterback/receiver, triple-double point guard, and all-star switch-hitting catcher is? They are.

(And so is my wife.) Now, let's see about catching that REM cycle!

Tom Le Goff / Getty Images stock (c/o: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30604641/ns/health-mens_health/t/snooze-strategies-help-you-sleep-better/)

Another "Day Off" Here in Minnesota

2012-01-27T09:09:00.001-06:00

The kids don't have school, so we're off to see these guys today. Wish us luck!

For those not from 'around here' ... that'd be Sea Life at the MOA, and the Minnesota Zoo.

Walla Walla, Washington to Kalamazoo ...

2012-01-25T23:07:00.000-06:00

If you've spoken with me about my masters program, you know that I'm thrillled to be attempting to learn more about teaching - especially differentiating instruction for ALL students. A few problems, though. We have over twenty (20) students in our online cohort, so many of them have questions and don't advance as quickly as I would like. A lot of the material thus far has also been repetitive - not in the fact that after three classes we have gone over similar material in each, but rather, that my previous education (from high school through six -yes six - years of college) and inservice experiences included quite a bit of this. So be it. I'm still learning. My expectations were different, but I've got good people to learn with and from, so I'll be fine as long as I'm patient and willing.

I do have to admit that the process has caused me to look at things in ... well ... different ways. The instructor for our current class asked us to write a letter to a 'fictitious' colleague, explaining the difference between assessment OF learning and assessment FOR learning. We were to use our current book as support. At first I had a hard time thinking of a specific audience, for the 'fictitious' colleage seemed vague to me. Then I realized that I would never write a letter to said person. If I felt comfortable enough bringing the topic up, I would probably either email a quick note or just go right to a person-to-person conversation.

In the end, I found my direction and wrote to Mrs. Donovan of the Kalamazoo Public Schools. I recommended the book as a means to enage in a continued passion for educating students. I explained the difference between "OF" and "FOR". And I extended an offer to speak in the near future regarding these topics.

Signed,
"Teacher"
Walla Walla, WA

By the way, the letter was actually pretty well written ... and Mrs. Donovan was Charlie Brown's teacher - look it up - it dates back to 1966.

Farkel Party

2012-01-24T11:50:00.001-06:00

Since the new year began, we've been doing some sort of 'family game night' every week (usually are less-busy Thursdays) and then watching a 'family movie' on another night. It's been pretty nice to sit down and relax with the family. One problem: I'm the only one in the family who hasn't won on family night yet.

We've been playing a game introduced to us by the "Ohio Six" and so far my luck has been far from great. I could've sworn I won at this game when we played in Marysville, but, alas, I have zero luck here in Minnesota. Oh well. I guess I'll have to wait at least until this week's family game night to be able to place the traveling Farkel Trophy on my night stand. Yes, there really is a trophy - made at school by my boy (and won at school as well by the young man). Pictures of it to follow ... once I win!

Not Much A Parent Can Do

2012-01-20T07:46:00.001-06:00

I ran into two different events yesterday that had me thinking, "Not much I can do to help." Both involved my children.

One: My son was sick. He didn't have strep throat or a fever. No upset belly. Just some type of virus that made his 'head feel heavy' and his 'throat sore' (according to him). He stayed home from school and rested as much as he could in his uncomfortable state. Thank goodness he got so much sleep yesterday/last night. He now feels better and able to head back to school. (He even aced the spelling words this morning as we practiced them. He MUST feel better.)

Two: My daughter was doing her 'homework' for pre-school. One sheet of paper. Lots of 'extra' material. Dress a snowman however you want. I could definitely suggest what to do, but one hand near the little woman (yes,the snowman was actually a snow-woman) and I got yelled at, "Daddy, don't touch! I can do it!" Needless to say, she is growing up (although she's ALWAYS been independent).

Not much I could for either of them except talk and make sure they were okay. Starting to get the feeling that this isn't going to change much for the next - I don't know - fifty (50) years ... at least. They need me. I need them. Not sure what to do every instance. But always there for them. :)

Gingerbread House, Winter, and Chops

2012-01-18T11:56:00.002-06:00

I wouldn't mind living in my daughter's gingerbread house ... at least for a while ... until I ate my home and had to move.

Better Rudolph's nose red than any of ours. (Knock on wood.) We haven't had those debilitating illnesses (yet) this winter. Thank goodness.

Although any of the above pics could have been about 'Winter', technically THIS is the one. My daughter went to a dolphin-themed birthday party. And 'Winter' is actually the name of the dolphin from Dolphin Tale. Yeah, face painting!

Chops for the hair - way overdue - this Monday. My son looks as normal as he can again - you could've actually grabbed him by his hair before. And my daughter decided to chop inches off hers. My wife thinks she looks 'like a 13-year-old' now. I think she still looks cute. (Ok, so does my wife, and I admit - my daughter DOES look older with the shorter hair.)

A Day "Off"

2012-01-16T11:48:00.000-06:00

It's interesting that today would be called a day "off" for many people across the country. It is a day to honor and remember a great man, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The day is not "off" for many of us, especially those of us stay-at-home parents. I would rather call it a day "different."

The kids don't have school. My wife doesn't have to go in to work. But the day is far from "off." Still doing laundry. Still cleaning up after breakfast. Still making sure the kids don't kill one another and are at least fairly well entertained without turning an electronic device on every frew minutes. Still thinking about what's for dinner. And still working on how to make sure bed-time isn't a complete disaster without my wife around.

Either way, it's nice not to have to get the kids to school - and to have the time to spend with the entire family. I'll take the day "different" - even if others may actually have the day "off." :)

It's almost time ... less than a month 'til Jimmy's prediction!

2012-01-10T14:17:00.001-06:00

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=app_2915120374#!/Jimmythegroundhog

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World Champs!

2012-01-07T12:19:00.003-06:00

Hustle, Loyalty and Respect

... next to ...

The Brahma Bull
The Great One

The People's Champion
The most electrifying man in all of sports entertainment

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Family, Friends, New Years, New Pics

2012-01-04T16:46:00.000-06:00

First post of 2012

2012-01-03T17:03:00.002-06:00

We're back from the extended holiday trip to Wisconsin and Ohio. It DID, in fact, snow this winter - which was a bit iffy for a while there. And everyone is healthy and glad to be home.

Our travel to and from Ohio included a 3:30am wake-up on both Monday AND Friday last week - as we departed for Ohio on a 5:26am flight and returned on a 6:30am flight by the end of the week. The drive home on New Year's Day wasn't without a 'roughness' to it, either, as 25-50 mph winds push the van around throughout the four hour drive home.

But we did seem to come home without contracted a flu bug or rotovirus that seemed to be exploring our extended family's home in Ohio, and we even got all of our wonderful presents back home without incidence.

All in all, the adversity of the trip seemed to be overcome! :) We DID, also, have A LOT of fun with our families. The kids had a hard time saying good-bye to their cousins, and us adults were already comfirming our next dates for 'get-togethers.'

Christmas is a time of joy and peace - and we certainly appreciated ALL of our family being able to spend time with us and add to that joy and peace. Our friends helped us celebrate the New Year as well and made the transition from 2011 to 2012 special - as usual. Where would this BadgerCubinMN be without family and friends? ... Not nearly has happy. That is for sure.

Happy New Year, everyone!

A Very Merry Christmas

2011-12-30T15:10:00.000-06:00

We drove down to Sun Prairie for a Christmas Eve celebration with my family ... Unfortunately it was still more of a green Xmas than a white one. Thankfully, we got to enjoy the good company of grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, sisters, and brothers. My daughter and her younger boy cousin seemed be attached at the hip for a few days. Christmas Day had its own celebration with family in Cottage Grove - with our kids making a 'haul' in the book exchange ... Thanks family!

After a 4am wake-up call Monday and a flight to Dayton (via Detriot) we enjoyed a few days with some more of the fam in Ohio. Laser tag, tubing, the flu, and a broken side-mirror may have been the highlights (and lowlights?) of the trip, but the real special parts were seeing "las tres amigas" (my daughter and her 2 girl cousins) and "los banditos" (my son and his older boy cousin) become inseparable. We watched one indoor soccer game (Congrats on the Championship, Cole!) and made it back to Wisconsin without bringing the flu back (thus far).

With about one day left in 2011, we'll try to find a way to deal with another 4am wake-up call having tired us this morn. The white stuff on the ground did already provide for some Grampa-Grandson shoveling time ... and a small snowman - who apparently is a Cubs fan! Happy New Year a day or two early, everyone!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T09:35:00.011-06:00

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-23T09:34:00.000-06:00

My wife and kids decided last weekend was time for cookie baking. So they got the island clean - which is always a big task in itself - and got down to business. I helped as best I could - by staying out of the way (although I cook, I'm not much of a baker ... yet). My daughter unrapped some kisses for the chocolate-topped peanut butter coookies - yum! And my son really got into mixing the dough. Everyone got into the cookie-cutting act - including a "W" cookie from my son - On Wisconsin! The best part always seems to be the decorating - with colored frosting and sprinkles. Then again,maybe the best part is eating them ... or just spending the afternoon baking cookies with your mom! :)

That's My King!

2011-12-22T10:41:00.002-06:00

That's My King! from Albert Martin.

I suggest hitting the "all screen" mode in between "HD" and "vimeo" to get the full affect.

Holidazzle (part 1)

2011-12-19T10:23:00.003-06:00

If you can believe it, it was our first trip to the downtown Minneapolis Hollidazzle parade. My daughter liked the Circus Train (so did I). My son preferred Captain Hook's pirate ship. No matter their favorite part, it was a nice way to end the weekend! We loved it. (Especially since it's been 'not-so-cold' here.) Thanks for taking us, Jack, Nancy, Noah, and Amelie!

If you watch the clip below, wait for the ad, then pause 15 seconds in. Yep. That's my daughter and her friend. All the footage (including the proposal) was right in front of us. We got there early, sat on some blankets right on the curb (front row!). The nice tented bleachers were right across the street - which is where the proposal took place. Awesome.

Holidazzle (part 2)

2011-12-19T10:18:00.001-06:00

Seriously, where was this for my wedding?!

2011-12-17T11:37:00.000-06:00

I was looking around online today for some final Christmas presents. I'm from a Badger family, so obviously I was looking for University of Wisconsin stuff. Found this. Un. Real. Awesome!

Seriously. Where was this for my wedding?! :)

Challenges? Who challenges you? Do you challenge yourself?

2011-12-16T16:29:00.001-06:00

"The kind of mistakes you make define you. The more interesting the mistakes, the more interesting the life. If your biggest mistakes are missing reruns of tv-shows or buying the wrong lottery ticket you’re not challenging yourself enough to earn more interesting mistakes."

- Scott Berkun
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#Badgershirtstreak - select locations across the nation - 250 days today.

2011-12-14T15:50:00.002-06:00

Decorating the Tree ... and other fun things.

2011-12-13T14:42:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, we put up the tree. This year we just put up the artificial one, so it was a lot less work ... well, kind of. The box is pretty heavy and I keep it up on a shelf in the garage ... so it is kind of a work-out to get it down, carry it into the front room and put it up. But it takes a lot less effort than packing everyone in a car and getting a 'real' one, I guess.

Needless to say, the house is nicely decked out, thanks to my wife :) Who then proceded to leave for Barcelona this week :( We'll be anxious to get her back soon. While she left for Spain, my son and I took a nice trip to Green Bay and back on Sunday. Eight hours in the car in one day ... only to end up where you started (at home) is an interesting choice. However, watching the Packers with your son at Lambeau Field makes the decision VERY MUCH worth it. Bonus: my dad came up to spend time with my daughter (and cover the time period between when my wife had to leave and I returned with my son). Thanks Dad!

Oh, and bonus ... bonus: My kids getting along (at least for a little while) -

Fall Family Photos ... the B-sides ...

2011-12-07T21:24:00.000-06:00

Okay, maybe a few of these made the cut, but most are just plain fun ... or funny :)

More visual evidence ... of a Carolina wedding

2011-12-06T14:31:00.003-06:00

The last few weekends ... in pictures :)

2011-12-02T14:58:00.000-06:00

Check out more of the 40th anniversary pictures from an earlier post (11/27/11):

http://badgercubinmn.blogspot.com/2011/11/happy-40th-anniversary-mom-and-dad.html

Great weekend!

2011-11-28T15:21:00.001-06:00

So, the weekend started out with a thud as I got some sort of stomach bug and ended up delaying the family trip back to Sun Prairie for Thanksgiving. Instead of heading back on Wednesday after school/work, the sick one (me) slept as much as possible; then we headed out around 8am so we could watch almost all of the Packer game.

They won. The Packers, that is. It was nice to watch the game with my dad. We enjoyed watching the team go to 11-0 on the year. I also thoroughly enjoyed seeing my fantasy combo of Romo and Robinson do some damage on Thanksgiving and help me secure some points. Dinner was great - as usual. Mom prepared a great meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and a great homemade apple pie :)

My wife and mom hit the stores at midnight and got some great deals. Friday, we did some relaxing (and some additional shopping). And my brother and his family came home later that night.

Saturday was a pretty special day, then. My son and I enjoyed the Badgers thumping the Nittany Lions (and securing a spot in the innaugural Big Ten Championship Game). It rained, but we were warm and loved seeing Montee Ball up his TD total to 34. Once I told my son about his total, he kept track and told me the number as Ball scored his 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th TDs of the day.

That night, we surprised my mom and dad on their 40th anniversary. More than 50 of their family and friends got together at a local restaurant, and we relaxed and enjoyed time together and some after-dinner snacks and drinks. My mom and dad had ZERO clue. But they enjoyed the night - as we all did.

Happy Anniversary (a day late), Mom and Dad!

You are great role models - and 40 years says so much to all of us. Wishing you many more!

Happy 40th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

2011-11-27T23:59:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T23:59:00.000-06:00

Snow, snow, snow.

2011-11-21T16:03:00.000-06:00

It was a nice weekend in Charlotte. Loved watching Katie and Michael get married and seeing all the family. Traveling went really well. The kids had fun. The only bad part was coming home from 60's and sunny to 19 degrees and snow on the ground. Wasn't here when we left! Oh well. We do live in Minnesota, after all. Happy Thanksgiving, early, everyone!

Braces ... gone!

2011-11-16T10:37:00.000-06:00

Well, my top ones are completely off as of Tuesday morning. They glued staple-looking devices (really small) behind my four top-fronts and they left the six bottom-front brackets on for a week - until they can glue my permanent wire behind my bottom teeth. But it does feel good! I can crunch on carrots (done!), and I can chew gum (also done!) without worry about breaking something in the back or getting stuff stuck all over the place. The best thing is that my bite feels great. Plus, I think my smile looks pretty good, if I do say so myself :)

I touched the axe!

2011-11-13T23:26:00.002-06:00

Yes. That is right. Sat seventh row, 45 yard line in some Gopher season ticket seats at TCF Stadium here in Minneapolis, MN. Watched the University of Wisconsin throttle the University of Minnesota footbal team. Then, after most of the fair-weather Gopher fans had left, I waited and watched as the Badger players carried Paul Bunyan's Axe to both goal posts and "chopped" them down. They then proceded to parade the axe around the walls of the stadium - and let fans touch it. I almost didn't get to touch it, as one Badger decided to detour back over to the visiting sideline. Thank goodness for Chris Borland - who stepped in, stole the axe, and made sure those of us hanging over the wall behind the Gopher bench got our own chance to touch the rivalry's most famous item. Having won the Border Battle in football eight consecutive times, and having personally watched it the last two (one in Madison, one in Minnesota), I can honestly say it never gets old.

On Wisconsin!
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Thank you to ALL veterans!

2011-11-11T09:56:00.003-06:00

Especially this one. And my other grandfather.
Both World War II veterans whom I remember today.
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"Protecting our children must be everyone's top priority."

2011-11-10T17:12:00.000-06:00

- Jennifer M. Granholm

Reminder of why we do this ...

2011-11-07T18:23:00.001-06:00

L - O - V - E - !

Monday ... I'm on fire ...

2011-11-07T18:14:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I'm not really on fire. However, having figured out that my chat sessions on Monday nights are pretty much a complete waste of my time, I have figured out a way to multi-task to the n-th degree. So, really ... I. Am. On. Fire. Got more research and more of my annotated bibliography done tonight while listening to a library 'specialist' show me how to ... do ... research. :)

Wisconsin, the West Coast, and Weddings ...

2011-11-06T12:02:00.001-06:00

The Badgers rolled up Purdue on Saturday. That was fun. Went over to our Wisconsin friends' house on the lake and watched the game with Jack while our sons played. That was after my son's basketball practice. Had to clean the house, too. See, we're having some more Wisconsin friends (who actually live in Madison) up for next weekend's Border Battle for the Axe. And my wife is headed to San Francisco for the week. Apparently, she doesn't trust me to clean the house by myself (just kidding - she was a bit nervous, but wanted to feel like she did her part, so we cleaned before she left for Cali).

Anyway, it WAS a nice weekend. Even got to watch the new(er?) Phineas & Ferb movie with the kiddos on Friday night. But the week ahead will be an anxious one - waiting for everyone to come to our house this Friday/Saturday/Sunday. Did I mention that my folks are coming up Saturday, too? Yeah! Unfortunately my high school alma mater lost it's state quarterfinal game, so they won't be playing next Saturday. Thankfully, that means my dad will not need to keep stats for them ... and my parents can come up to enjoy the weekend with us and my dad can go to the Badgers-Gophers game as well.

Our neighbors are moving sometime this next week, too. So we're thowing a going away party for them on Sunday afternoon - next week, Sunday. If this all sounds like it's a lot to do during a weekend, then you'd understand why my wife was a bit nervous before she left and wanted to help with the house cleaning :)

All this might seem like it's plenty to be going on in the near future. But ... that's not all! With your full weekend, you also get: a 2nd grade basketball game on Saturday, a orthodontist appointment on Monday (for my son's braces and expander to be put on), and a short week to prep for a trip to North Carolina for a Wedding!

We are SO excited to be able to travel to Katie and Michael's wedding! We cannot wait!

This week may be a bit hectic, though. So, forgive me if I miss posting some pictures of gymnastics, swimming or other general fall photos of the kids.

Just know that I'll be anxiously awaiting having so much fun NEXT weekend - sitting 50-yd-line at the football game, spending time with our great friends from Madison, enjoying the weekend with my parents as well, and throwing the going-away party for our neighbors.

Have a good week, all! ... and ... On Wisconsin!

Need a hug? :)

2011-11-03T12:58:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T23:36:00.000-05:00

Well this just ruins an otherwise decent Monday ... and on Halloween, too!

2011-10-31T15:40:00.000-05:00

I was going to upload pics of my daughter at dance class ... dressed up as Wonder Woman. And, I was going to upload video of my son making three layups in a row ... during warm-ups. And, I even had pictures from today's Halloween parade at school (my son is a gangster - think 1950's).

But, blogspot doesn't like me today. It went back to the old method of uploading pictures ... and then THAT didn't even work. Plus, I don't even have a link to upload video today.

The Badgers might as well have lost two football games in a row to really ruin my mood ... Wait ... What?

Awwww, crud!

Baseball ... Go crazy! ... Unbelievable! ... I don't believe what I just saw!

2011-10-28T15:56:00.004-05:00

And honoring a father with his own call 20 years later.

...

Apple Jacks and Pumpkins

2011-10-26T14:18:00.000-05:00

Silent so long.

2011-10-24T13:34:00.000-05:00

Yes, I was. In my defense, my wife was in London until Wednesday, we just finished up football and baseball - so, far less activities during the week - and I was pretty much intent on ... well ... being intent on the Badger football game this Saturday night.

And ... that ... didn't go so well. We happily enjoyed watching the first three quarters at our neighbors' house before coming home to put the kids to bed. The fourth quarter was a mess ... and so was I ... as the Badgers fought back to a tie ... only to have a Hail Mary pass answer the Spartans' prayers for a victory. Honestly? I didn't sleep. Seriously. It was 5am before my eyes shut ... and I was up by 7am for church. Needless to say, two hours sleep is no good.

Thankfully, the Packers also played this weekend. And though they didn't look great, any win in a dome in Minnesota for a team from Wisconsin is fine by me. It also raised my spirits a bit - that, and the chili I made. And Sunday night's bed never felt so good.

Anyway, that's all behind us. My daughter did have her swimming lessons last Thursday - which may be a shock to some in Minnesota, since most things shut down during our statewide educators' convention. Speaking of which - allowed us (as a family of four!) to go to an apple orchard on Friday morning.

Yes, it is past prime and ALL the apples are picked. We didn't go out into the orchard like normal to find our apples. Instead, we picked them from the bins in the red barn. The kids played 'king/queen of the hill' on a big pile of hay. Three nice pumpkins were selected for our front porch - the two kids and I each get one, while my wife plays 'helper' to our carving. The best part of the trip to the orchard is always the 'extra' goodies: apple donuts and apple fritter bread. Enjoyed the bread today - battered and fried up as french toast, with a little syrup. Yum ...

Red Bull Victory only adds to "Big Red" Saturday

2011-10-17T13:55:00.000-05:00

The Badgers obviously took it to Indiana this past weekend, but while the UW gridiron gang was throttling the Hoosiers, my son's 1st/2nd grade basketball team was winning a close one. They do some skill competitions before they actually play the game, so you will see my son shooting some lay ups and short shots, but I've also posted the video of him competing in the dribble relay.

On Sunday, we (the Blue Titan 2nd grade flag football team) competed in our last game of the 2011 season, too. We got to play on the new turf that will be under the new dome at the high school. The lines were a bit confusing and the wind was a bit chilly, but we got ourselves another victory to end the year at 5-1. Not bad. Not bad at all. Congrats Titans!

My eye

2011-10-15T12:12:00.014-05:00

Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.

2011-10-14T02:56:00.006-05:00

An Ode to Fall Baseball

2011-10-13T14:43:00.004-05:00

It was long and it was three times a week.

It was warmer that it was supposed to be.

Ball was played - not always well.

But they all worked, played hard, and still

Had fun with all their friends.

Those things matter in the end.

Fall ball was good and it was right.

Now there's no more sun at night.

So we'll move on to indoor games,

Meet more friends and learn more names.

But we'll look back at fall and say

To the week: Add another day!

Red Bull Basketball

2011-10-12T21:27:00.001-05:00

Books I've read lately ... or am reading ...

2011-10-11T13:17:00.000-05:00

Exceptional Students (Taylor, Smiley, and Richards)

Keeping Katherine (Susan Zimmerman)

Conducting Edcuational Research (Daniel J. Boudah)

Writing Literature Reviews (Jose L. Galvan)

Love Wins (Rob Bell)

About Alice (Calvin Trillin)

Wideness and Wonder (Susan Goldman)

The Silent Don (Scott M. Deitch)

Blue Titans lose, but Packers win ... so all in all a decent weekend

2011-10-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

No Badger football this weekend, so our heart was a bit more into Sunday football this weekend. My son's team (that I help coach) WAS undefeated before Sunday's game. Unfortunately, we haven't had the best practice players - so eventually it was going to catch up with us. We have a lot of skill and some good kids, but they have a hard time focusing. So ... fakes and reverses catch us out of position on defense ... and ... offense tends to be big hit and big miss. Thus far, the big hit (i.e. long touchdown runs and passes) have outweighed the big misses (dropped handoffs, missed blocking assignments, running the wrong play); and we have been able to make up for missed tackles on defense by running down ball-carriers and scoring in big chunks on offense.

Not Sunday. The other team was disciplined and focused. They ran the right play everytime and stayed home on defense. We were still probably more skilled, but we missed blocks and ran the wrong way several times on offense. Our OLBs ran in when the play went outside on defense. We dropped two handoffs, and our backs forgot to get outside to block for their fellow runners. Oh well. It was fun. We stopped the other team four times from inside the five yard line. And we had a chance for a comeback victory at the end - only to throw an interception on the last play of the game.

Did I mention that the Packers won? Good, because that was a good way to end the weekend :)

No training wheels? ... balancing ... but not quite biking ... yet.

2011-10-07T10:46:00.000-05:00

"This is a break from the party - the game." - Kirk Herbstreit

2011-10-03T12:57:00.002-05:00

Listen to the ABC guys talk about the student section's rendition of "Fill Me Up, Buttercup" below or listen to the entire song http://youtu.be/gnYCdKDI5hk

Impressive - much like the Badgers themselves, and the Packers. It was a rather fun weekend - even with my wife in Portugal. The kiddos and I had some fun together, we enjoyed a spaghetti dinner and watched the first half of the Badger game with our neighbors after my son played a fall baseball game and went to his first basketball practice. Our family from Onalaska came late in the night and watched the kids early Sunday morning while I (painfully) ran 10 miles in the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 mile. Then, we enjoyed Sunday with the fam and my son's flag football team pulled off a win with a touchdown run on the last play of their game. Pictures to follow. Promise.

Are you ready for some (flag) football?!?!

2011-09-30T18:41:00.000-05:00

Delayed 10th Anniversary Trip to Duluth, Gooseberry Falls, and Split Rock Lighhouse

2011-09-29T13:33:00.001-05:00

BadgerCub wishes he was going to be in Madison this coming Saturday night!

2011-09-27T13:43:00.000-05:00

Just in case anyone was wondering - Yes, this BadgerCubinMN wishes he was going to be in Madison, WI and at Camp Randall this coming Saturday night. If you are going to be in Madison this coming weekend, join all Bucky's friends on Bascom Hill for ESPN's College Gameday - and show the world what kind of party (and support) Wisconsin can bring! Students - show up early! or at least on time! And all you old folk in the stands - stand up and JUMP AROUND! Make this the true House of Pain for the Huskers! After all, WE are the Big Ten's true Big Red! On Wisconsin!

PS ... don't try to call me Saturday ... really.

Dancin' Machine

2011-09-24T09:07:00.002-05:00

Ok, I seriously am doubting my ability to post things right now. Oh well. If you so choose, you can take the link below to my youtube video of my daughter dancing to One Republic's Stop and Stare.

Gotta say that it's pretty cute - and she IS a dancin' machine! Love! It! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF-mK21Lcbo&feature=player_embedded

Twins win 19-17

2011-09-23T08:47:00.003-05:00

One game of my son's doubleheader from this coming Saturday got switched to Wednesday evening. Before I was asked to keep score, I got a few pictures and a video in. The Twins (my son's team) were down by two heading into the bottom of the 6th (last) inning. They didn't know it, but they were down to their last out as well. But they came back and scored four runs to win it. (They play 6 full innings no matter what - which explains the 2-run comeback victory without the case of a home run.)

They're really swinging the sticks well, and I wish I would've had my camera ready for my son's two sliding catches in left field. But I kept score instead. Oh well. At least they're ready for their game on Saturday ... which ... is ... now ... cancelled - never mind. The joys of 2nd grade fall ball :)

By the way, my son went 4 for 4 on the day (2 for 2 from each side of the plate, with a few RBI and a double). At least I got his first hit on video!

Gymastics

2011-09-22T12:56:00.011-05:00

My daughter is in the third week of her second year of gymnastics. This week, she met a new girl at the gym, and her teacher paired them so that my daughter could help the new girl figure a few things out. I was pretty proud of my little 'teacher.' She's so strong, too! Proud of how much she enjoys moving her body and learning knew things.

It is Autumn, after all ...

2011-09-21T10:16:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday ... again?

2011-09-20T08:17:00.000-05:00

So, birthday's only happen once a year, right? It seems that my kids get to celebrate at least twice ... if not more, every year. No one to blame but us parents, I guess. Oh well. We enjoy spoiling them ... it's just the repercussions of being spoiled that test my patience from time to time. Anyway, my son spent the second part of his 'birthday' celebration with two of his friends (and me) at a Twins game. They lost. Big. No pictures. Depressing ballgame. But fun for the boys. Then we came back to our house for an evening of fun ... and a sleepover. I think there was a campfire in there, too, but who can tell?

All of a sudden ... my daughter's a fish!

2011-09-17T04:39:00.032-05:00

Big Guy turned 8 on Wednesday!

2011-09-16T16:39:00.001-05:00

Football, too! Titans rule! 1-0

2011-09-15T14:01:00.005-05:00

My son had his first flag football game this past Sunday, too. He went out for coin-toss as a captain. Played a little defense (got two flags). Completed a pass as QB (1 for 1, first down). And generally made his family proud! ... Oh, and they won! Keep working and having fun, buddy! Go Titans!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUDDY!!!

2011-09-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

Baseball ... the Twins ... wouldn't you know it!

2011-09-14T05:49:00.007-05:00

My son started his fall ball baseball season recently. He's been practicing on Monday and Wednesday nights. They had their first double-header this past Saturday. They didn't know what team they were until Friday. Wouldn't you know it ... he's a Twin! (Hopefully these Twins play better than the REAL ones.) Anyway, here's a pictoral review of the day ... some beatiful weather; a happy, hard-working, fun-loving baseball player; and his teammates and cousins:

My girl ... grown up? ... dancing and going to school

2011-09-13T13:46:00.000-05:00

Nice weekend ... no pictures ... yet

2011-09-12T14:15:00.001-05:00

I actually do have pictures ... I just haven't downloaded them. And my wife took the camera to work with her after dropping my daughter off for her first day of pre-school this morning. Here's a picture of our nice camera (well, not really OUR camera, but close enough) in case you need something to look at while reading my brilliant writing :)

The weekend WAS awesome. My brother and his family showed up late on Friday night. My daughter and my nephew quickly fell back at ease playing together the next day. My son had two baseball games and went either 4 for 6 or 5 for 7 at the plate (batting left-handed his last time up). He also looked completely comfortable catching during the one inning he was behind the plate, and caught a pop-up while playing second base, as well.

Weather was gorgeous, and being able to see the end of the Badgers throttling of Oregon State left me in a good mood. We had outdoor mass at church on Sunday morning, and I even was involved - reading the second scripture, as well as the prayers of the faithful. My brother and his wife seemed to have a nice time at the wedding they had up here in the cities, and I know we really enjoyed having them and our neice and nephew. My god-daughter couldn't stop smiling at me, and I even got to feed her a bottle, cuddle with her and put her to sleep on Saturday night.

After my brother and his family left for home on Sunday, we had a flag football game to go to ... and I couldn't have been more proud of my son. Completed a pass while playing QB, made two tackles ('flags') on defense, blocked well when not running the ball on offense, and generally LOOKED the part of a football player. My wife promised me that she took pictures, so I'll see how good a photographer she is tomorrow when I can post them - just kidding, of course. I know she does a great job. Thanks for snapping a bunch while I coached, honey!

My daughter greeted me after pre-school today with a HUGE smile and a BIG HUG! She looked proud - and I was certainly proud of HER, too. I believe I am really going to enjoy another year of learning with my children. Love you guys!

TGIF

2011-09-09T18:35:00.001-05:00

All you need to know is that the Badgers won last Thursday, the Packers won this Thursday, school is done for the week - including MY grad school work - and my wife comes home from Germany tomorrow (Saturday).

I AM happy to have my brother and his family coming to town tonight. And it'll be nice to see my son's fall baseball practice and football practice pay off with a doubleheader tomorrow and a gridiron opener on Sunday!

First Day of School 2011

2011-09-07T00:59:00.000-05:00

The big guy is going to be eight soon. Second grade should be pretty cool, we're thinking, but it'll be challenging and learning experience, no matter what. The big girl is already five and doing a district pre-school this year. She doesn't start until next week, but she wanted to be in on the 'first day' fun, so she got all ready to go, too. (Then we changed and went to gymnastics after all the other kiddos went to school.) It's always a rewarding day for me, and a difficult day for my wife. I love to see my son head off to interact and learn. I hope he keeps trying to do just that - interact and learn - for the rest of his life. (And soon, I will wish the same thing for my daughter.)

Good luck this year, kids!

Labor Day Weekend at Wrigley

2011-09-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

I wasn't going to mention anything about this weekend, because the pictures say a lot. For instance: the state fair post only has pictures because you can see what we did - animals, rides, tractors, food, and friends. However, Wrigley Field was pretty cool this weekend. We got one out of two wins (My son and I, anyway; my Mom and Dad stayed for Labor Day's game and got another W). But my son also got to run the bases after Sunday's game! Which was really cool! Nice weekend, for sure!

Gorgeous day to start the game on Saturday!

We're ready - got our dog, brat, fries and pepsi for 25% off since we were there so early :)

Skyline is always cool to me.

Soriano even started for the Cubs - a rarity for when my son and I go to a game!

Castro is definitely the future of these Cubs!

My son had got almost as excited to see this bird stay on the wire for a couple innings as he did anything else on Saturday.

Pena walked four times on Sunday. Here he is at third base on Saturday, though.

Hard to see D.Lee in a Pirates uni!

The rains came right after the Cubs went ahead 5-3.

Grounds crew got an ovation for their quickness in covering the field.

Most of us fans thought the Cubs would get the W on Saturday. Too bad D.Lee hit the grand slam to steal it for the Bucs.

Sunday was a nice day again.

It was bit windier, but not as much as Monday. And Grandpa and Grandma came along for Sunday, too.

With the blowing just right, I got a good shot of at least 2 flags of my fav Cubs of all time.

Wells really pitched well on Sunday - no pun intended.

Campana played well, too. He's fast!

And after the game, we went onto the field through the RF corner. Here we are making our way to 1B.

No zoom necessary here. We walked directly over the opponents' bullpen mound and even touched one home plate.

They moved the tarp so that we wouldn't walk on the grass.

Really, the entire 'on field' excperience was a blur. We got to 1B and the kids took off!

My son touched every base - and passed at least 30 kids before touching home plate.

Needless to say, it was a cool experience being ON Wrigley Field!

Of course, my son's expression says it all. Go Cubs Go!

The Great Minnesota Get-Together!

2011-09-04T00:23:00.002-05:00

It's almost Labor Day ... Summer is nearly over. Here's a recap ...

2011-08-31T09:48:00.000-05:00

2011-08-29T09:14:00.000-05:00

The weekend: a blast, some ball, and a blur

2011-08-28T22:28:00.002-05:00

Family came to stay this weekend. My aunt, uncle, and cousin arrived late on Friday - ok, technically REALLY early on Saturday. My cousin came to play softball - fall ball in the area. They came after a high school football game in Wisconsin, and they had to get up pretty early on Saturday morning for a softball tournament ... well, back in Wisconsin. Yes, it was just in Hudson, but it sounds funny the way I wrote it, doesn't it? :)

Anyway, I had my grad school orientation, so it was a blessing to allow the kids to spend most of Saturday with my aunt and uncle and cousin. It sounds like they had a really nice time - and another aunt, uncle and two more cousins even got to meet up with them at the softball fields. I was both a nervous wreck and bored out of my mind at my grad school orientation. I guess it was nice to learn many of the in's and out's of what I will be doing for the next two years, but it was also both boring and nerve-racking to hear about ALL that will go on, as well.

I was glad to be with a bunch of teachers, if nothing else, on Saturday, because we ended up getting out early from the orientation, and I was able to enjoy some softball with the rest of the fam for much of the late afternoon and evening. As usual, I stayed up too late talking with my aunt and uncle. Thank goodness my morals allowed me to let us sleep in and miss church. It has been three weeks, but I'm sure God will forgive me this month, since sleep was in desperate need.

Sunday brought some nice weather for some more softball. We also ended up being in the town of a friend (and his kids) and decided to spend some time playing at a local elementary school playground. The kids enjoyed the time to play - and we even decided that a DQ run was in order. As my wife is out of town - well, out of country really - I'm sure she wouldn't have minded that we had dessert BEFORE dinner - much like we did throughout our most recent family vacation. We'll just say it was in 'honor' of our family vacation and hope that flies :)

After frozen pizza and "Over the Hedge", the kiddos enjoyed their baths and went to sleep without much fuss. Sleeping like logs now - I hope they decide to sleep in again so we can have the energy to enjoy yet another highly active week.

We love you, Honey! Hope you read this in Paris and know that we miss you!

Love,
Your Family

SeaLife Minnesota and MOA

2011-08-26T16:07:00.000-05:00

It's hard to think of a trip to the Mall of America without a journey through the tunnels underneath the sharks and fish. Of course, my daughter loves the rays (not the Tampa/St Pete baseball variety, but these living, breathing marine animals).

The jellyfish were especially intriguing today. Not sure they changed anything at the exhibit ... or that the creatures themselves were any different. Maybe the lighting just seemed different because I was hyped up on my venti mocha from Starbucks this morning.

The horsh-shoe crabs were pretty hyped up, too. They were all over the place inside their tank. This one crawled up the side of the tank that was along the wall of the exhibit. Reaching the highest point it could get to, the crab 'surfed' upside down on the bubbling water and landed wrong-side-up on the floor of the tank. The kids were worried that it was stuck, but it quickly jiggled back and forth and got back on it's feet ... er ... legs? - whatever it crawls around on.

Mr. Seahorse here was looking very nice and 'posing' for me, but this fuzzy picture was the best I could do. Next time, I think it'll be worth it to take my nice camera along, instead of relying on the camera on my new phone - which isn't bad, but still.

My daughter was happy to watch even more rays swim around and over us in the tunnel. Good mood for all, as we eventually journeyed through the gift chop at SeaLife, a Nickelodeon 'Toy' shop, and the Lego World. (No purchases required for happiness - only the promise to put things on a birthday/Christmas list.)

The shark above may be what's scary in real life, but I think my son was just acting. He's seen these creatures more than the normal human being. They were pretty active today, and we even talked quite a bit about the South American tank and the Minnesota Lake Waters as well.

This guy was in the South American waters. His whiskers are cool. Not sure how good he'd taste, though.

This lake sturgeon was pretty friendly. I think that's a smile, but I could be wrong. We can never find any muskie, though. Someday we'll have to ask if they actually have any in the tank or if they just list them on the roll with the others to have us stand around longer, looking for the hiding fish.

We had some lunch after we 'shopped' (really just looked) in the stores. That part of the trip never seems to warrant any pictures, but the kids do enjoy their Asian Wok, and Sbarro food. We even are able to share without incident. Maybe Woody was the key ingredient to a wonderful morning at the mall. Who knows? :)

I'm nuts ...

2011-08-25T20:51:00.001-05:00

Seriously? Did I honestly think that taking care of two kids in (or nearly breaking into) elementary school was going to be a 'walk in the park'?

Anyway, my son likes sports (of course), and my daughter likes ... well ... she likes a lot of activities. This summer they both did baseball (well, tee ball for my daughter). They also both swam - once a week, and on the same day. My son did a couple camps/clinics - golf for example. But it was pretty low-stress.

That's over.

Stress is here. As the summer finishes up, school is almost here. So we have two seperate open houses. Yes, on the same day. Yes, at different schools ... at roughly the same time.

We also have fall baseball that night. (Oh, did I not mention that we signed up for fall baseball?) Yes, fall baseball was supposed to be on Saturdays. Oh, but it also comes with practice once or twice a week - Mondays and Wednesays for the first couple weeks anyway.

So, we'll miss that next Monday's practice ... so we can be at flag football practice. Which practices three days a week until school starts. Then we can alternate. Monday - baseball. Tuesday - football. Wednesday - baseball. Thursday - football. And of course GAMES begin shortly after school starts, so we'll include: Saturday - baseball game(s). Sunday - football game.

And that's just my son for the most part. My daughter will begin dance on Wednesdays after school starts as well. She'll keep doing swimming, too. Thank goodness that's during the day - while big kid number one is still in elementary school. See, preschool is only half days, three days a week. Which is nice, because then we can get her gymnastics in during the day, too.

But we do have church school (or faith formation, if you will) starting up later in September. That'll be on Tuesday nights, this year. Oh, and did I mention that fall basketball will register in September and start up in October, too. That'll be on Saturdays, so hopefully it's at different times than the baseball games - which overlap for a couple weekends.

Did I mention that I don't know what time the football or baseball games are yet (never mind the basketball)?

Yep. I'm nuts! Certifiably.

Iowa ... sitting back, relaxing, fishing

2011-08-23T11:43:00.001-05:00

The trip to South Dakota, Colorado, and Kansas City was enjoyable. We saw cool national and state parks, took in a couple museums, enjoyed time with family and friends, spent a couple evenings watching major league baseball, and spent some quality time on the road enjoying each other and the views out the window.

But Iowa was a nice chance to relax with my brother and his family. Friday was a time for us to relax and get caught up (well, it had only been a few weeks, so not TOO much catching up). Saturday was fun in the sun - with water and friends from the neighborhood. We went to the little pond to fish with a the kiddos, and we had a blast there, too. You'll notice a couple decent-sized bass were caught. Drake hooked the biggest. And Cade almost hooked a frog somehow. Anyway, we had fun ... but in the end, Sunday had us coming home from our 10-day road trip.

Kansas City: City of Fountains, Monarchs, and Royals

2011-08-22T08:19:00.001-05:00

Negro League Baseball Museum. Museum President, Bob Kendricks took our picture here.

The kids loved the exhibit with the 'life-size' players the best.

I had the 'Pork-Pulled (open face)'; wife had the 'Chicken-Half'; and kids shared the 'Turkey'. Awesome!

Union Station, Kansas City - including Planetarium, Science City, Railroad Experience, Art Exhibit (The Art of the Chopper), and lots of nice FREE stuff (of which we took full advantage).

Fire Fighter exhibit - lots of 'retired' fire fighting equipment

Irish-American Museum

Old Freight Bridge

Ceiling of interior of Union Station

Old trains.

World War I Monument and Museum

JC Nichols Fountain (at Mill Creek Park)

Kansas City Performing Arts Center (you had to be there to really capture the view).

Power and Light District near the Sprint Center (Kemper Arena)

Enjoying the room and Rebecca (our American Girl doll)

Building Legos (thank you, Steve and Barb!)

Kauffman Stadium (Royals vs. Red Sox)

Red Sox fan decided he could help a young Red Sox kid (we didn't tell him that it was just his coach-pitch team this year.)

Tired. No nap today. (Before the game ... I think)

Obviously beautiful fountains.

Especially when in full action.

The camera works well. The big guy and I took a walk to left field. The girls were still in our seats in the shade by first base.

He's all confused. KC hat. Sox shirt. Neither Gonzalez nor Ortiz played. Bummer.

She DID wake up - and enjoy some of the game - with her popcorn :)

Nice seats near first base in the shade.

Francouer signed his extension the day we were at the game.

And 'The Laser Show' did play, too.

Nice trip to KC. On to Iowa!

Fort Collins and Denver ... recap in pictures

2011-08-21T15:35:00.004-05:00

Denver and KC

2011-08-18T09:41:00.003-05:00

South Dakota was obviously a lot of fun - as you could tell from the pictures, I'm sure. We REALLY enjoyed the different natural landscapes that we drove through in the Badlands, up to Mount Rushmore, and down through Custer State Park and Wind Cave Park. The cave was a bit treachorous for me (since I forgot to duck a couple times), but the entire family loved going 20 stories under ground! And seeing the buffalo and donkeys up close in Custer State Park certainly brightened the faces of my two kids.

We spent Sunday in Fort Collins and are so thankful to have family there that were so hospitable. It was also a blessing to be able to go to Denver on Monday to enjoy more time with more family and go with EVERYONE to a Rockies game. (Of course, my daughter will tell you that SHE told Giambi to hit the walk-off home run ... and THEN HE DID!) Loved the time there. Bought some tires at The Tire Store (Highly recommend Greg Lopez's store for quality/friendliness!), and drove through some foot hills.

Unfortunately, there was a bit of a change to the trip on Tuesday. Early in the morning, my Grandma had a stroke. No, she wasn't traveling with us. She was with my aunts in Estes Park. Thankfully, the medical teams got her to Swedish Hospital in Englewood very quickly and gave her a drug that helped get her basically back to baseline (or 'normal') pretty quickly. Blessed. Blessed that she was with someone. Blessed that she could get to Swedish so quickly. Blessed that we were in town to be with her as well. Thank God! ... and God bless YOU Grandma! Hope to have you home in Wisconsin soon.

We actually stayed with some friends in Englewood on Tuesday night and got up to drive to KC on Wednesday. Kansas is boring. But we got to KC, and our hotel has a bunch of water to enjoy. So we're doing that on Thursday. We'll try to hit a few KC highlights - Negro League Baseball Museum, Arthur Bryant's, Arabia Steamboat Museum, JC Nichols Fountain, Mill Creek Park, and Union Station, to mention a few.

... and pictures WILL hopefully follow. We were MUCH too busy having fun in Denver to take many ... so you'll have to live with what I put on later for Kansas City and beyond :)

Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Wind Cave

2011-08-14T07:42:00.001-05:00

Badlands

2011-08-13T19:03:00.001-05:00

The Pope, The Packer Fans, and The Bear

2011-08-12T16:17:00.001-05:00

The Pope went on vacation for a few days to visit the rugged mountains of Alaska.

He was cruising around the campground in the Pope-mobile when he heard a frantic commotion just at the edge of the woods. He found a helpless Viking fan wearing shorts, sandals, a 'Go Vikings' hat and a 'Vikings rule' shirt.

The man was screaming and struggling frantically, thrashing all about, and trying to free himself grom the grasp of a 10-foot grizzly bear.

As the Pope watched in horror, a group of Packers fans wearing Packer shirts came racing up. One quickly fired a 44 magnum slug right into the bear's chest. The two other men pulled the semiconscious Viking fan from the bear's grasp. Then, using baseball bats, the three Packers fans finished off the grizzly. Two of the men dragged the dead grizzly onto the bed of their pickup truck while the other tenderly placed the injured Viking fan in the back seat.

As they began to leave, the Pope summoned all of the men over to him. "I give you my blessing for your brave actions!" he proudly proclaimed. "I have heard there was a bitter hatred between Packer fans and Viking fans, but now I've seen with my own eyes that this is not true."

As the Pope drove off, one Packer fan asked his buddies, "Who the heck was that guy?"

"Dude, that was the Pope," another replied. "He's in direct contact with Heaven and has access to all wisdom."

"Well," the Packer fan said, "he may have access to all wisdom, but he doesn't know squat about bear hunting! By the way, is the bait still alive or do we need to go back to Minnesota and get another?"

Thanks for the joke, Mom!

Quite the perfect birthday

2011-08-11T08:24:00.002-05:00

I don't need a lot for my birthday. Don't need a cake. Don't even really need presents. I like myself a few good cards to read from family and friends - and I sure did get a few nice ones yesterday - but other than a good 'Happy Birthday!' wish, I'm not picky.

Well ... okay, what I REALLY want for my birthday every year is a baseball game. Got one yesterday. The weather was PERFECT! and the Twins played well. I think I've increased the Twins' record to 6-1 when I'm at games this year. Blackburn pitched well, again, but didn't get the win. Offense came to life in the 8th. And a couple of buddies bought me a burger and fries, and two beers to celebrate - the win and 36 years in the books.

I got another present - as the Cubs won! ... AND my third favorite team - whoever's playing the Cardinals - won too! Soon, we'll be off on our whirlwind trip to Coors Field, Kauffman Stadium, and other points, interesting. And eventually this month we'll take in Wrigley as well. This IS a good start to year 37!

Mostly, though, it was nice to spend the day with the kids and open cards and presents with my wife. Thanks to everyone for all the birthday cards, presents, and well wishes!