Happy Halloween

Here's a shot of our three jack-o-lanterns. There was supposed to be a fourth one, but it had gone bad, so we didn't cut into it. We invested in a new pumpkin carving tool that was invented by a North Dakotan. It closely resembles a beater from a hand mixer, and it attaches to an electric drill. Once I got the hang of it, it worked really well. Good old ND ingenuity.

Here's a shot of the window decorations that Brad and Connor made. Note the SNOW outside. Bummer weather for the kids on Halloween. The cold kept our trick-or-treating to a minimum, but the boys ended up with plenty of candy anyway. It's amazing how a child's face lights up at the sight of a big bowl of candy.

Spooghetti!

Tonight was the Spooghetti Supper at Northridge. It's a big fundraiser for the PTO, and since the kids can no longer wear their costumes to school on Halloween, it's their opportunity to show off their costumes for their friends. We brought along lots of family members, for a total of 10 in our party.

This year the boys went as Harry Potter and a little wizard. Dylan had been growing his hair out, so that worked right into his costume. Everyone was amazed at how much he resembled the character.

Connor was supposed to go as Harry Potter's owl, Hedwig, but the costume I ordered online NEVER ARRIVED. He was devastated at first, but after I found this wizard costume, he felt much better

F/F

[Sorry for all the inside jokes in this entry, but Shari and Dawn are two of my primary readers. I don't mean to be rude or exclusive, but this one's really for them.]

Shari and her landlord, Dawn, were in Bismarck last weekend. How nice it was to see them! We exchanged recipes and tossed back a few margaritas. Well, Dawn and I did, anyway. Shari was sipping something sophisticated and amber-colored while Brad dozed in and out on the couch. ("Kabobs!")


We were honored that they chose to spend an entire evening with us.


Dylan was thrilled to have someone with whom he could play two-player Lego Star Wars, and Shari, being the video game junkie that she is, happily obliged.



Shari-we've come so far from the days of Mr. Bubble. Hurry back now, y'hear?

Shades of Indigo

I used to be a real Indigo Girls fan. Fanatic, actually. I spent lots of money on CD's, guitar books, clothes, bumper stickers, posters. I even had an Indigo Girls license plate, although most people thought it read "North Dakota Go Girl". I had Amy and Emily sign a photo of myself with my license plate:

Funny!

We traveled east to see them play four times in the 90's: twice in Fargo, once at the Northrop in St. Paul, and once at the Shakopee, MN, stop of the inaugural Lilith Fair tour in 1997. Here's a great shot of Shari and me at that show:

Anyway, after Dylan was born, I sort of lost touch with much of my music, including Indigo Girls. I did manage to buy their new releases, but I dropped my fan club membership and stopped being totally obsessive. Then this week I stumbled onto their website and discovered that they have a new CD out. The online samples were really good, so I ran out and bought it. It's terrific! My favorite song is "Rock and Roll Heaven's Gage" with guest vocals by Pink. So cool!

I doubt that they'll oust Oasis from the top of my playlist, but it's nice to be back.

Class of 1872

The second-graders at Northridge have been studying pioneer life for the last few weeks. Their pioneer unit culminated in a graduation ceremony today, which parents could attend. For the duration of this unit, they have been known by their pioneer names - Dylan was George Baker, Jr.

They showed a Powerpoint presentation of a Pioneer ABC's book that they made.

They also had made vegetable people for a county fair-style contest. Dylan won "Most Creative" for his R2D2 made from a potato, carrots and celery.

White October

This was the scene today. The snow was that heavy, wet kind that is perfect for making snowmen, which the kids did later. We ended up with several inches by the end of the day.

CRAZY.

It's Fun To Stay At The YMCA

Dylan's birthday party with his friends was today at the YMCA. They had a blast, with an hour of swimming and then 1 1/2 hours in the Kids' Gym. There were Foosball, air hockey, basketball, dodgeball, and parachute games.

He's got a nice group of friends; they were very well-behaved boys.

Dylan didn't want cake, so he chose key lime bars and cantaloupe. Yum!

Yellow Roses

Here's a nice photo Rachel sent of her girls, Baby Josie and Tess (9). They are living in Ethiopia right now.

Cuties!

Happy Birthday, Dylan

Dylan turned 8 today. We celebrated with a small party for family, but he'll have a friend party next weekend. At school, Brad took his marimba to play for Dylan's 2nd grade class. The kids also got a chance to play a bit. They loved it!

Dylan is now a pro at posing with his gifts.
Lego

Harry Potter

Harry Potter

A new bike!


Quote of the evening: As Dylan opens a package containing new pajamas (and not a toy), Connor says, "What the...?" I think he learned that one from his Grandma Stockert.

Oasis In The Produce Section

I stopped by the grocery store (the new Central Market - very nice) tonight, and just as I am entering the store, I hear "Wonderwall" by Oasis. It was briefly interrupted by a page for a manager, but what a happy coincidence! Perusing the produce whilst being serenaded with one of my fave songs.

iTunes keeps count of how many times each song in the library is played, so I looked it up. "Wonderwall" has been played 159 times...well, 160 now since it is playing again as I am writing this entry. The next-most-oft-played song has a mere 66 plays.

I posted a really, really good video performance of this song earlier this year.

Maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me
You're gonna be the one that saaaaves me...

Papa's Pumpkin Patch

We spent some time at Papa's Pumpkin Patch this afternoon, and it seemed like everyone else had the same idea. It was PACKED! They even had the Mounted Police directing traffic in the parking area. There were tons of pumpkins and some new attractions, too.


It was a beautiful day, but the weather actually put a crimp in my plans. I had bought matching shirts for the boys, so I could take some nice pictures of them at the patch. However, they were long-sleeved shirts, which proved to be uncomfortably hot for this warm, sunny day. I made them wear them anyway, and the kids were real troopers, posing for a bunch of pictures before we let them loose to play. In the spirit of solidarity, Brad and I wore long sleeves, too.


It's just amazing to me that David "Papa" Pearce invites the public into his yard like that. The kids always love coming, and I think proceeds benefit charity, too. What a win-win.

Happy Birthday, Doug

Doug is one of Brad's oldest friends, so they have a long history of shared experiences. Here's a shot of them in the BHS bandroom, circa 1986.

Doug, Petrea, Brad and I celebrated his birthday and mine by double dating for dinner at the swankiest restaurant in town - Pirogue Grille. Talk about decadence! Exotic menu items, fresh silverware with each course, and impeccable service.

Night Cap

Connor insisted on going to bed tonight with sweatbands on his wrists and a cap on his head. This photo also shows how he often sleeps, with his arms stretched up overhead. Very cute. My friend Megan said I had to take a picture, so I did.

Retreads

Aren't these shoes the coolest? They were Dylan's first, and now Connor is wearing them. They remind me of the kind of shoes I would have had as a kid - something right out of Sesame Street (which premiered in 1969, the year I was born.)

Hard Core

We're hard core parade enthusiasts. It was cold Saturday, but we were there, along with a smattering of other people. There was some scuttlebut in the community about this parade, but I didn't really understand the whole story. Good thing it was short, because Connor was frozen by the time it was done. The boys still managed to score loads of candy, despite the cold.

Happy Birthday To Me

Yep. Thirty-seven candles for me this year. Actually, I've felt 37 for quite awhile already, so it's quite comfortable. Maybe someday I'll catch up with Brad. Ha ha!

I got some great gifts and cards, and Shari put a nice birthday wish on her blog. Even though I'm feeling under the weather, it still felt like a special day.

Fall has always been my favorite season - cooler temps, fall foliage, a fresh start at school, and MY BIRTHDAY!

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Today was rocket launching day at Gateway to Science. The original Rocket Day was back in July, but because of the burn ban, the actual launching had to be postponed. Dylan was the first kid to launch his rocket, and boy, did it go! It took quite a while to find it because it was windy and the nose cone separated from the body after launch. We eventually found the nose cone behind the BSC building on the left in this photo!

Dylan had a "blast" with his rocket.

Part-time Rock Photographer

Click here to jump to the Rift website, which features new band photos taken by Yours Truly. Click on "Members" when you get there for more pics. Note the hideous yellow background - that's our basement in its current state of mid-remodel. Actually, work has progressed since these photos were taken last week: the concrete is now painted white and there are 2x4 walls framed in over it.

Rift is in Minot this weekend, but they just got booked to play The Broken Oar in Mandan on October 6. Might have to venture out that night...

Happy Birthday, Liam

Liam Gallagher, singer for Oasis, turns 34 today. Here's a super-cool recent pic of him.

Yep, still hooked on this band. Given that most people I know don't share my enthusiasm about Oasis, I have curtailed posting about them. (See archives from March and April 2006 for the full extent of this obsession.) However, today I just couldn't overlook this opportunity to slip in a mention of them.

Ha! Take that!

Allergy/Asthma Update

Connor had his follow-up appointment with Dr. Piyamahunt today, and the news was good and bad. The good news is that he is doing much better with the new meds, the air purifier, and our stepped-up housekeeping. He has needed far fewer breathing treatments, his huge sinus infection has cleared up, and his mood has improved greatly.

The bad news is that he now has a touch of bronchitis, which stems from a bad cold that Dylan brought home from school and made its way through the rest of the family. Connor is back on another round of antibiotics, this time a tastier kind, so the bronchitis should clear up quickly.

We all soldier on...