Ted's proud father Ed
The Mariacci Band (which was phenomenal)
Monday, August 25, 2008
I am looking at 12-story billboard of P Diddy right now
and I don't like it. The boys saw Central Park yesterday. They saw a lot of women who looked like John Lennon. They also walked down 5th Ave. Today they are headed to the S.O.L. (Statue of Liberty), the Brooklyn Bridge, Ground Zero and other attractions in lower Manhattan.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
15-Month Weigh-In!!!
The BBB (Big Baby Boys) went to the Doctor on Wednesday for their 15-Month check up. They also got shots. If there is anything that can bring Donovan and Hayden to their knees, it is shots. Not shots in the sense of JagerBombs. Shots with a Sharps or a Syringe. Hayden saw the Sharps coming for him and he simply broke.
The BBB are growing a lot though! Donovan "Chunka" Gulya weighed in at 25 lbs 3 ozs (50th percentile). He is 31 inches long.
Hayden "Tubby" Gulya weighed in at 21 lbs. 10 ozs (15th percentile) He is 30 1/4 inches long.
Hayden now bites Donovan when Donovan the Klepto comes out. Since Hayden now has teeth on top and on bottom, we hope he will start eating different foods so he can catch up to the solidly built Chunkadillo.
The BBB are growing a lot though! Donovan "Chunka" Gulya weighed in at 25 lbs 3 ozs (50th percentile). He is 31 inches long.
Hayden "Tubby" Gulya weighed in at 21 lbs. 10 ozs (15th percentile) He is 30 1/4 inches long.
Hayden now bites Donovan when Donovan the Klepto comes out. Since Hayden now has teeth on top and on bottom, we hope he will start eating different foods so he can catch up to the solidly built Chunkadillo.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Something to think about
Two things happened today compelling me to blog.
Today I found out my friend Skye’s husband passed away yesterday night after a courageous battle with cancer. This loss for her and her young son is unimaginable and brings tears to my eyes just thinking about what they are going through.
Second thing occurred at about 5ish right outside my house. While packing suitcases in our living room I heard a crash. I can’t describe exactly what it sounded like other than to say I knew right away it was not a car vs car sort of crash. This was the sound of a car vs bike type of crash. The woman hit was laying face down and motionless in the middle of 63rd street (on the opposite side of Wisconsin as I am on). After dialing 911 I watched from my house as people gathered around her while she laid completely and totally still. After a little bit I could hear her moaning and saying help me. I was hoping she had just been knocked unconscious and when she came to she would get up. I am assuming her coming to and not getting up could not have been a good thing. After what seemed like forever but I am sure could only have been a couple of minutes the ambulance arrived (and blocked my view). About ten minutes after arriving they put her in the ambulance and after about another ten minutes drove off with their sirens on. I am hoping she is going to be all right, she did at least have a bike helmet on. The neighbors were all out there so maybe they will know more the next time we talk.
Life really does just hang in the balance.
Melissa
Today I found out my friend Skye’s husband passed away yesterday night after a courageous battle with cancer. This loss for her and her young son is unimaginable and brings tears to my eyes just thinking about what they are going through.
Second thing occurred at about 5ish right outside my house. While packing suitcases in our living room I heard a crash. I can’t describe exactly what it sounded like other than to say I knew right away it was not a car vs car sort of crash. This was the sound of a car vs bike type of crash. The woman hit was laying face down and motionless in the middle of 63rd street (on the opposite side of Wisconsin as I am on). After dialing 911 I watched from my house as people gathered around her while she laid completely and totally still. After a little bit I could hear her moaning and saying help me. I was hoping she had just been knocked unconscious and when she came to she would get up. I am assuming her coming to and not getting up could not have been a good thing. After what seemed like forever but I am sure could only have been a couple of minutes the ambulance arrived (and blocked my view). About ten minutes after arriving they put her in the ambulance and after about another ten minutes drove off with their sirens on. I am hoping she is going to be all right, she did at least have a bike helmet on. The neighbors were all out there so maybe they will know more the next time we talk.
Life really does just hang in the balance.
Melissa
Monday, August 18, 2008
Pool Time Fun
The boys spent another uneventful weekend at the lake. Here they are chillin' in the pool on Sunday!
There dad built a bean bag toss game and Grandma Sue made beanbags. It is green and gold with Packer patterned bean bags. A lot of time will be wasted playing the bean bag toss game.
Megathanks to Scott and Laura who are going to watch the Big Baby Boys on Saturday so Melissa can go to her 10 year reunion and so Kyle can go to Ted and Erica's wedding in Chicago. Following is the link to Laura and Scott's blog. I am sorry that it is not as cool as Donovan and Hayden's blog. http://scottlauraschiffner.blogspot.com/
There dad built a bean bag toss game and Grandma Sue made beanbags. It is green and gold with Packer patterned bean bags. A lot of time will be wasted playing the bean bag toss game.
Megathanks to Scott and Laura who are going to watch the Big Baby Boys on Saturday so Melissa can go to her 10 year reunion and so Kyle can go to Ted and Erica's wedding in Chicago. Following is the link to Laura and Scott's blog. I am sorry that it is not as cool as Donovan and Hayden's blog. http://scottlauraschiffner.blogspot.com/
Monday, August 11, 2008
Another Week at the Lake
The boys had a fun week with Momma-ma up at the lake. They went to the zoo, an outlet mall in the Dells, Paul Bunyan's World's Worst Possible Service Buffet (even the Paul Bunyon (sic) is spelled wrong on the sign inside), Walmart, Pritzls and numerous other fun places. They got to visit with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Katey, Aunt Karolyn, Cousins Carson and Sonja, and accompanying pets for the week as well.
the boys hung out a lot on the slide in their kennel. And what we have here is not only a failure to cooperate, but an unwillingness to cooperate:
From a developmental update, Donovan no longer walks like a penguin. He walks like a human. Hayden still walks like a penguin. Both like to toss food and Donovan is really good at feeding Mini Schnauzers.
the boys hung out a lot on the slide in their kennel. And what we have here is not only a failure to cooperate, but an unwillingness to cooperate:
From a developmental update, Donovan no longer walks like a penguin. He walks like a human. Hayden still walks like a penguin. Both like to toss food and Donovan is really good at feeding Mini Schnauzers.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Big Baby Boys went to the Zoo today
I'll let you know the details when I find out.
Hayden got really scared from the thunderstorm Sunday night. I felt really bad for him. The thunder was really loud. Melissa got up to console him. It was almost like last fall/winter when one of them would wake up in the middle of the night. Hopefully, all is quiet up north.
Hayden got really scared from the thunderstorm Sunday night. I felt really bad for him. The thunder was really loud. Melissa got up to console him. It was almost like last fall/winter when one of them would wake up in the middle of the night. Hopefully, all is quiet up north.
This guy addresses the Favre-created Fiasco very well!
Favre to blame for nasty divorce
By Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports
Aug 5, 2008
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers dropped back, set his feet and prepared to release a routine slant pass when he heard the squeaky voice from behind the fence. The fourth-year quarterback paused during an individual drill late in the Green Bay Packers’ training camp practice Tuesday afternoon and spied a little boy, maybe six, among the hundreds of spectators lining the Oneida Street side of Clarke Hinkle Field.
“We don’t love you,” the kid said. “You suck.”
Rodgers didn’t respond to the taunt, nor did he acknowledge the pockets of fans chanting “We Want Brett” and “Bring Back Favre” at sporadic points during the practice. But given the way things had played out since a certain legendary quarterback’s dramatic return to Titletown less than 48 hours earlier, there was an obvious message that should have been delivered to the kids – and the people acting like them – going to pieces over the messy divorce between the Packers and Brett Favre.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Aaron Rodgers era has begun in Green Bay, and if you don’t like that, you’re taking it out on the wrong quarterback.
“I know people are emotional, but that’s an interesting way of expressing yourself,” Rodgers told Y! Sports after Tuesday’s practice. “All I know is we have a really good team, and we’re excited to get ready for the season.”
It’s a season which, it now seems painfully clear, will take place without Favre in a Packers uniform for the first time since 1991. And if you want to know who’s most responsible for that, Packers fans, take a look at that No. 4 jersey in the mirror above your dresser.
There have been numerous tactical missteps made by Favre and the bosses he publicly suggested are dishonest – general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy – during this month-long saga, and Packers fans have a right to be frustrated at both camps. But if you believe that the quarterback will soon be leaving Green Bay, most likely via trade to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, because those merciless meanies just didn’t want poor ol’ Brett around, you’ve got more than cheese clouding your head.
As McCarthy stated in his news conference after Tuesday’s practice, and as Favre himself had stated more clearly in his latest woe-is-me interview (this one to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen) earlier that morning, the reason the future Hall of Famer couldn’t come back to the Pack was that he can’t let go of his ill will toward his employers.
Rodgers, meanwhile, has every right to be bitter about the way things went down since Favre stepped onto the tarmac at Austin Straubel Airport on Sunday night. Yet he’s the one biting his lip and acting like the adult.
Let’s see it from his perspective: After waiting three years for his shot, and without much warmth or mentoring from the guy he was playing behind, Rodgers finally was told he was The Man after Favre’s tearful retirement news conference in March. Shortly before training camp, a story surfaced that Favre had the itch to return. Favre, via text message, dismissed the report as “just rumors,” which was a lie.
After floating his desire to come out of retirement, Favre waited for Thompson and McCarthy to embrace him as the reinstalled starter, just as he so often has demanded to be indulged over the latter part of his career. This time, they didn’t respond positively – partly because they didn’t believe he wanted to come back and play, partly because they had already committed to Rodgers and didn’t want to destroy their relationship with a talented quarterback they’d spent years grooming, and partly because they were tired of being in a subservient position.
Favre got more and more resentful, lashing out publicly and privately demanding to be released. The team held firm, insisting that it would only trade him to a team outside its division. To force the issue – and thanks largely to the intervention of commissioner Roger Goodell – Favre secured his reinstatement, flew to Green Bay and, in a shameless bit of showmanship, showed up at Lambeau Field with his wife Deanna to watch the team’s “Family Night” scrimmage from a luxury box.
In that glorified 11-on-11 drill, with some of the 56,000-plus fans booing him, Rodgers completed just 7 of 20 passes. Afterward, he fielded questions from reporters and learned – from them – that the Packers had supposedly declared an open competition between him and Favre for the starting job.
Gulp.
“It was news to me,” Rodgers admitted Tuesday. “All of a sudden people are talking about ‘open competition,’ and I’m wondering what happened.”
For the next day-and-a-half Rodgers, like the rest of us, wondered what it all meant when Packers CEO Mark Murphy said the team would welcome Favre back “and turn this situation to our advantage.”
On Monday night, as Favre was staging meetings with his superiors that dragged on so long that McCarthy had to cancel a quarterbacks meeting, it certainly didn’t seem that things were working to Rodgers’ advantage.
Nonetheless, publicly and privately, Rodgers did what Favre can’t seem to do these days: He kept his cool.
“If I was going to get mad, or throw something against the wall, what difference would it have made?” Rodgers asked rhetorically. “All I can do is control the attitude I bring into every day, stay positive and think about leading this football team to the best of my ability.”
Favre, meanwhile, couldn’t overcome the negativity that apparently has been swirling inside his mind for quite some time. In that lengthy vent session last month to Greta Van Susteren of Fox News, Favre complained that he couldn’t trust Thompson because, among other things, the GM had ignored his pleadings to acquire Randy Moss and hired McCarthy over Steve Mariucci, the one-time Packers assistant and former 49ers and Lions coach with whom the quarterback was extremely close.
Think about that: Favre was affronted because the Pack’s general manager wouldn’t follow his quarterback’s decree about who to hire as head coach.
The Packers hired former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer as a PR consultant but, in truth, Favre is the one more in need of such image management.
Consider that Favre, in another interview, said he only wanted to play for another NFC North team – in order to play the Packers twice a season. Now that’s loyalty.
Yet, for all his regrettable posturing, Favre still had the image war won when he stepped off that plane Sunday night and received a hero’s welcome and an invitation to return to the Packers’ roster. At that point, the coach of another NFL team told me, “The game’s over. There’s no way Favre won’t get his job back now. If you don’t start him, how are you going to explain it to all of those fans?”
If Favre, as some suspected, was preparing to engage the Packers in a game of chicken, be it in an attempt to go where he wanted to go (Minnesota) or to get his old job back, this is what he should have done:
1. Not attend the scrimmage. (Perhaps he and Deanna could have stayed home and rented a DVD.)
2. Apologize to McCarthy and Thompson for having called them dishonest, and assure his bosses he had overcome his ill feelings and was embracing a return to the organization under any terms.
3. To prove he that he was totally on board, show up for practice on Tuesday, wave to the adoring fans, meet with reporters afterward and tell them, “I just want a chance to compete for my job and help this team” – even if he believed the competition was going to be a sham.
4. Quietly push for a trade or his outright release and wait for the Packers, facing the prospect of a season-long quarterback controversy and a $12 million tab for a player they’d hoped would stay retired, to blink first.
Alas, Favre couldn’t help himself. On Tuesday, while still in discussions with McCarthy about his future, he took a break to call Mortensen and confirm what many of us had suspected all along: Favre, despite another public statement to the contrary (“My intentions have always been to play for Green Bay,” Favre had told the Sun Herald of Gulfport, Miss. before returning on Sunday), was the one who wanted out.
“The problem is that there’s been a lot of damage done and I can’t forget it,” he told Mortensen. “Stuff has been said, stories planted, that just aren’t true. Can I get over all that? I doubt it. … So they can say they welcome me back but, come on, the way they’ve treated me tells you the truth. They don’t want me back, so let’s move on.”
Move on is what most of Favre’s teammates were eager to do on Tuesday, even some of the Packers who’ve been most supportive of his return.
“I think it should end today,” veteran cornerback Charles Woodson said. “We should be talking about the team; instead, we’ve talked about one guy for the last five minutes. This is a situation unique to itself, and it has become its own monster.
“You’ve got fans out there yelling ‘We Want Brett,’ yelling A-Rod this and A-Rod that, Ted Thompson this and Ted that. That’s not looking at the grand scheme of things. It’s not helpful at all. You’ve got fans that are diehard Brett fans, and they’ve put that above the team.”
If Favre, by forcing the issue, did the Packers and his successor one favor, it was this: We’ve gotten a small taste of Rodgers’ demeanor under intense pressure, and to the young passer’s credit, he has kept his cool a lot better than the outgoing legend.
“Aaron Rodgers has done everything right,” McCarthy said during his news conference. Later, the coach talked about his conviction that Rodgers will succeed in his new role.
“You just have to believe in a number of things,” McCarthy said. “Number one, I think he’s prepared himself for this opportunity. I think he has the tools, physically, mentally, emotionally. I mean, you talk about what he’s been challenged with emotionally of late, this is great (training). Who’s had better training to play in the National Football league than Aaron Rodgers, and I think he’s handled it well.”
Hopefully, that maturity will start to rub off on Favre – and the fans who can’t find the grace to cope with the fact that their hero willfully abandoned them.
By Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports
Aug 5, 2008
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers dropped back, set his feet and prepared to release a routine slant pass when he heard the squeaky voice from behind the fence. The fourth-year quarterback paused during an individual drill late in the Green Bay Packers’ training camp practice Tuesday afternoon and spied a little boy, maybe six, among the hundreds of spectators lining the Oneida Street side of Clarke Hinkle Field.
“We don’t love you,” the kid said. “You suck.”
Rodgers didn’t respond to the taunt, nor did he acknowledge the pockets of fans chanting “We Want Brett” and “Bring Back Favre” at sporadic points during the practice. But given the way things had played out since a certain legendary quarterback’s dramatic return to Titletown less than 48 hours earlier, there was an obvious message that should have been delivered to the kids – and the people acting like them – going to pieces over the messy divorce between the Packers and Brett Favre.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Aaron Rodgers era has begun in Green Bay, and if you don’t like that, you’re taking it out on the wrong quarterback.
“I know people are emotional, but that’s an interesting way of expressing yourself,” Rodgers told Y! Sports after Tuesday’s practice. “All I know is we have a really good team, and we’re excited to get ready for the season.”
It’s a season which, it now seems painfully clear, will take place without Favre in a Packers uniform for the first time since 1991. And if you want to know who’s most responsible for that, Packers fans, take a look at that No. 4 jersey in the mirror above your dresser.
There have been numerous tactical missteps made by Favre and the bosses he publicly suggested are dishonest – general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy – during this month-long saga, and Packers fans have a right to be frustrated at both camps. But if you believe that the quarterback will soon be leaving Green Bay, most likely via trade to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, because those merciless meanies just didn’t want poor ol’ Brett around, you’ve got more than cheese clouding your head.
As McCarthy stated in his news conference after Tuesday’s practice, and as Favre himself had stated more clearly in his latest woe-is-me interview (this one to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen) earlier that morning, the reason the future Hall of Famer couldn’t come back to the Pack was that he can’t let go of his ill will toward his employers.
Rodgers, meanwhile, has every right to be bitter about the way things went down since Favre stepped onto the tarmac at Austin Straubel Airport on Sunday night. Yet he’s the one biting his lip and acting like the adult.
Let’s see it from his perspective: After waiting three years for his shot, and without much warmth or mentoring from the guy he was playing behind, Rodgers finally was told he was The Man after Favre’s tearful retirement news conference in March. Shortly before training camp, a story surfaced that Favre had the itch to return. Favre, via text message, dismissed the report as “just rumors,” which was a lie.
After floating his desire to come out of retirement, Favre waited for Thompson and McCarthy to embrace him as the reinstalled starter, just as he so often has demanded to be indulged over the latter part of his career. This time, they didn’t respond positively – partly because they didn’t believe he wanted to come back and play, partly because they had already committed to Rodgers and didn’t want to destroy their relationship with a talented quarterback they’d spent years grooming, and partly because they were tired of being in a subservient position.
Favre got more and more resentful, lashing out publicly and privately demanding to be released. The team held firm, insisting that it would only trade him to a team outside its division. To force the issue – and thanks largely to the intervention of commissioner Roger Goodell – Favre secured his reinstatement, flew to Green Bay and, in a shameless bit of showmanship, showed up at Lambeau Field with his wife Deanna to watch the team’s “Family Night” scrimmage from a luxury box.
In that glorified 11-on-11 drill, with some of the 56,000-plus fans booing him, Rodgers completed just 7 of 20 passes. Afterward, he fielded questions from reporters and learned – from them – that the Packers had supposedly declared an open competition between him and Favre for the starting job.
Gulp.
“It was news to me,” Rodgers admitted Tuesday. “All of a sudden people are talking about ‘open competition,’ and I’m wondering what happened.”
For the next day-and-a-half Rodgers, like the rest of us, wondered what it all meant when Packers CEO Mark Murphy said the team would welcome Favre back “and turn this situation to our advantage.”
On Monday night, as Favre was staging meetings with his superiors that dragged on so long that McCarthy had to cancel a quarterbacks meeting, it certainly didn’t seem that things were working to Rodgers’ advantage.
Nonetheless, publicly and privately, Rodgers did what Favre can’t seem to do these days: He kept his cool.
“If I was going to get mad, or throw something against the wall, what difference would it have made?” Rodgers asked rhetorically. “All I can do is control the attitude I bring into every day, stay positive and think about leading this football team to the best of my ability.”
Favre, meanwhile, couldn’t overcome the negativity that apparently has been swirling inside his mind for quite some time. In that lengthy vent session last month to Greta Van Susteren of Fox News, Favre complained that he couldn’t trust Thompson because, among other things, the GM had ignored his pleadings to acquire Randy Moss and hired McCarthy over Steve Mariucci, the one-time Packers assistant and former 49ers and Lions coach with whom the quarterback was extremely close.
Think about that: Favre was affronted because the Pack’s general manager wouldn’t follow his quarterback’s decree about who to hire as head coach.
The Packers hired former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer as a PR consultant but, in truth, Favre is the one more in need of such image management.
Consider that Favre, in another interview, said he only wanted to play for another NFC North team – in order to play the Packers twice a season. Now that’s loyalty.
Yet, for all his regrettable posturing, Favre still had the image war won when he stepped off that plane Sunday night and received a hero’s welcome and an invitation to return to the Packers’ roster. At that point, the coach of another NFL team told me, “The game’s over. There’s no way Favre won’t get his job back now. If you don’t start him, how are you going to explain it to all of those fans?”
If Favre, as some suspected, was preparing to engage the Packers in a game of chicken, be it in an attempt to go where he wanted to go (Minnesota) or to get his old job back, this is what he should have done:
1. Not attend the scrimmage. (Perhaps he and Deanna could have stayed home and rented a DVD.)
2. Apologize to McCarthy and Thompson for having called them dishonest, and assure his bosses he had overcome his ill feelings and was embracing a return to the organization under any terms.
3. To prove he that he was totally on board, show up for practice on Tuesday, wave to the adoring fans, meet with reporters afterward and tell them, “I just want a chance to compete for my job and help this team” – even if he believed the competition was going to be a sham.
4. Quietly push for a trade or his outright release and wait for the Packers, facing the prospect of a season-long quarterback controversy and a $12 million tab for a player they’d hoped would stay retired, to blink first.
Alas, Favre couldn’t help himself. On Tuesday, while still in discussions with McCarthy about his future, he took a break to call Mortensen and confirm what many of us had suspected all along: Favre, despite another public statement to the contrary (“My intentions have always been to play for Green Bay,” Favre had told the Sun Herald of Gulfport, Miss. before returning on Sunday), was the one who wanted out.
“The problem is that there’s been a lot of damage done and I can’t forget it,” he told Mortensen. “Stuff has been said, stories planted, that just aren’t true. Can I get over all that? I doubt it. … So they can say they welcome me back but, come on, the way they’ve treated me tells you the truth. They don’t want me back, so let’s move on.”
Move on is what most of Favre’s teammates were eager to do on Tuesday, even some of the Packers who’ve been most supportive of his return.
“I think it should end today,” veteran cornerback Charles Woodson said. “We should be talking about the team; instead, we’ve talked about one guy for the last five minutes. This is a situation unique to itself, and it has become its own monster.
“You’ve got fans out there yelling ‘We Want Brett,’ yelling A-Rod this and A-Rod that, Ted Thompson this and Ted that. That’s not looking at the grand scheme of things. It’s not helpful at all. You’ve got fans that are diehard Brett fans, and they’ve put that above the team.”
If Favre, by forcing the issue, did the Packers and his successor one favor, it was this: We’ve gotten a small taste of Rodgers’ demeanor under intense pressure, and to the young passer’s credit, he has kept his cool a lot better than the outgoing legend.
“Aaron Rodgers has done everything right,” McCarthy said during his news conference. Later, the coach talked about his conviction that Rodgers will succeed in his new role.
“You just have to believe in a number of things,” McCarthy said. “Number one, I think he’s prepared himself for this opportunity. I think he has the tools, physically, mentally, emotionally. I mean, you talk about what he’s been challenged with emotionally of late, this is great (training). Who’s had better training to play in the National Football league than Aaron Rodgers, and I think he’s handled it well.”
Hopefully, that maturity will start to rub off on Favre – and the fans who can’t find the grace to cope with the fact that their hero willfully abandoned them.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Melissa's Birthday!
We spent Melissa's birthday weekend up at the lake! We had a nice time! Melissa's friend Jenny L. (formerly Jenny Q.) came up with her Mini Schnauzer named Baxter. Baxter is one, Hailey is three. They hit it off but both are fixed!
Melissa's Grandpa and Marge came up as well as her Aunt and Uncle Brian and Laurie and her cousins Matt and Andy.
Melissa's mom got Melissa a cupcake birthday cake.
The night before, I asked Melissa's sister Laura to go to the store to get Melissa some nice ice cream for her birthday. I was busy destroying Laura's husband Scott in Wii MarioKart during this time. Melissa was sleeping. Laura made the late night run to Walmart and brought back MooseTrack's Ice Cream! It was a hit! The boys liked the ice cream. Melissa liked it so much that she asked me to bring it in to our family picture!
In addition to the ice cream, Laura also got balloons and streamers. Melissa's cousin Breanna and Greg's girlfriend Rebecca helped put up the decorations.
Laura, Scott and me and Hayden went to Home Despot (purposefully misspelled) today to get wood, paint and other stuff to make a bean bag toss game. It is still in the works, but I will post the final product once it is finished. Melissa spent the day waterskiing. A good weekend.
Melissa's Grandpa and Marge came up as well as her Aunt and Uncle Brian and Laurie and her cousins Matt and Andy.
Melissa's mom got Melissa a cupcake birthday cake.
The night before, I asked Melissa's sister Laura to go to the store to get Melissa some nice ice cream for her birthday. I was busy destroying Laura's husband Scott in Wii MarioKart during this time. Melissa was sleeping. Laura made the late night run to Walmart and brought back MooseTrack's Ice Cream! It was a hit! The boys liked the ice cream. Melissa liked it so much that she asked me to bring it in to our family picture!
In addition to the ice cream, Laura also got balloons and streamers. Melissa's cousin Breanna and Greg's girlfriend Rebecca helped put up the decorations.
Laura, Scott and me and Hayden went to Home Despot (purposefully misspelled) today to get wood, paint and other stuff to make a bean bag toss game. It is still in the works, but I will post the final product once it is finished. Melissa spent the day waterskiing. A good weekend.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Twitter, Jardine Cribs and Pink Buckets
Melissa is Twittering. Not me.
Our cribs suck! Jardine, the crib maker, posted a recall of our cribs. Now we have to disassemble them, send back specific parts, order new cribs (different design since they don't make these anymore), put those cribs together, dance a jig, get a rebate check from Jardine for the old cribs, get reimbursed from Babies R Us pay the difference for the new cribs, bang our heads against the wall, hope the new cribs don't get recalled, and not be pissed off. The old cribs were cool. Not too expensive, and we bought a matching changing table/dresser. We had hoped to find cherry cribs similar to ours but to no avail. The new cribs will not exactly match the changing table, and the new cribs are more expensive, but more robust. We plan to have a crib assembling party with two cases of beer, chips and a potato gun.
This guy may like his new crib. Funny thing, we use to give them baths in these buckets when they were in the NICU and when they got home. Funny how big they have gotten.
Our cribs suck! Jardine, the crib maker, posted a recall of our cribs. Now we have to disassemble them, send back specific parts, order new cribs (different design since they don't make these anymore), put those cribs together, dance a jig, get a rebate check from Jardine for the old cribs, get reimbursed from Babies R Us pay the difference for the new cribs, bang our heads against the wall, hope the new cribs don't get recalled, and not be pissed off. The old cribs were cool. Not too expensive, and we bought a matching changing table/dresser. We had hoped to find cherry cribs similar to ours but to no avail. The new cribs will not exactly match the changing table, and the new cribs are more expensive, but more robust. We plan to have a crib assembling party with two cases of beer, chips and a potato gun.
This guy may like his new crib. Funny thing, we use to give them baths in these buckets when they were in the NICU and when they got home. Funny how big they have gotten.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
What's New?
well, what is new? Donovan is walking around pretty regularly. Hayden is still choosing to crawl even though he could probably walk more than he does. We plan to start teaching them baby sign language. Their vocabularly is pretty limited to momma-ma, dadda-da, dis, dat, and Brett Favre. Everything else is pretty much the norm. Melissa and I realized that we have to catch up on about 5 episodes of Lost, the Office and other shows that we DVR. We will eventually get to watching all of them, but not this weekend.
Melissa will not be getting a new tv, a new minivan or bling for her birthday. Instead, she will be getting a slight home remodel to the kitchen, downstairs bathroom and family room. We will make some subtle changes which will make the house a better home and should help elevate the price of the house should we ever need to sell. We are not planning on selling, but if someone gave us a great offer . . . .
We also did not win the free stroller. Dang. Oh well.
Melissa will not be getting a new tv, a new minivan or bling for her birthday. Instead, she will be getting a slight home remodel to the kitchen, downstairs bathroom and family room. We will make some subtle changes which will make the house a better home and should help elevate the price of the house should we ever need to sell. We are not planning on selling, but if someone gave us a great offer . . . .
We also did not win the free stroller. Dang. Oh well.
Randomness
Chunkadillo at dinner at the Milwaukee Ale House!
Tubby at the pool!
Tubby getting ready for bed!
Tubby at the pool!
Tubby getting ready for bed!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Shopping
We started like this...
and ended like this...
Can anyone guess the first boy I had to remove from the car?
Melissa
and ended like this...
Can anyone guess the first boy I had to remove from the car?
Melissa
Monday, July 7, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
Independence Day!
Donovan and Hayden celebrated Independence Day by being completely uncooperative in picture taking (as you can see below)! They celebrated today and went swimming, played a lot, refused to take a morning nap, hung out with Craig W., ate tacos, and did a lot of other fun stuff! Special thanks to Craig for visiting us for a few days. It is always nice to see him!
Melissa and I looked back today at pictures and videos from last year in the Fourth of July! Last year the boys were carried around in slings and slept, cried, ate repeat. It is difficult to even remember those days after the boys were born, but it was good to look back, see that we had a good time, and can see how well the boys are doing. Some peace of mind is an essential part of independence.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Day in the Dells
We went to Wisconsin Dells today to go to a waterpark and to just see the sites. It was tough to go to the Dells without taking a moment to see the devastation left by the draining of Lake Delton. We had seen the news, the video, and pictures of what happened to Lake Delton, but seeing it in person gave a whole new appreciation for the power of nature and the unfortunate circumstances faced by those with property, homes, and businesses on that Lake. We drove all around Lake Delton where we could get visible views including going near the area where Highway A collapsed and caused the drain of water out of Lake Delton and into the Wisconsin River. It was like visiting a wake. The lake was empty except for tree stumps and absolutely stupid tourists, and their children, walking around in the remaining puddles of water--where sewage was dumped--when the lake drained. It is scary to think this was such a freak occurrence--one that could happen to us. Lake Delton is a good sized lake--about 270 acres. To put it into perspective, consider if the lake that we camp on was washed away (Lake Sherwood, 250 acres).
After paying homage to Lake Delton, we went to Riverview Park and Waterworld. Tickets were only ten bucks each so it was cheap. Since the boys are barely walking, and since they sink like rocks (not very good bouys), we figured there was no sense in going to Noah's Ark or Family Land. We had a good time in the children's areas. The Wave Pool was shut down in memorial of Lake Delton. Melissa and I went down a few waterslides. The slides were pathetic, but we still had a good time.
We went to dinner on the way back to the camper on Castle Rock Lake at Carlson's. Carlson's is a decent Wisconsin-style restaurant with a great salad bar. Just be aware of the deceptive spelling in the menu. Only in Wisconsin will you find a fine-dining restaurant with the audacity to serve Lobster, Alaskan King Crab Legs, prime cuts of meat, and, in certain dishes, "Krab." Now what is "Krab"? Go to Carlson's, read the menu, order a dish with Krab and find out (hint, it is imitation crab meat). For example, Carlsons will include large shrimp, good-sized scallops, cod and Krab in their seafood sampler (bad news, it is mostly Krab--about 75% Krab to go with my 3 shrimp, 3 scallops, and 3 small snippets of cod). It is not to say that Carlson's did not warn you, since the menu says the seafood sampler includes Krab. Additionally, Carlson's house speciality, the Seafood Newburg, is also loaded with Krab. More like "Krap." Either way, if you are going to eat at Karlson's (not Carlson's anymore), then consider ordering something without the Krab. Also, the cheesey baked potato is just a baked potato with hot cheese sauce dumped on top--truly the product of culinary vision. The view at Karlson's though, is very nice, and a good stroll on the beach is always nice after dinner. We will probably go back--but no Krab.
After paying homage to Lake Delton, we went to Riverview Park and Waterworld. Tickets were only ten bucks each so it was cheap. Since the boys are barely walking, and since they sink like rocks (not very good bouys), we figured there was no sense in going to Noah's Ark or Family Land. We had a good time in the children's areas. The Wave Pool was shut down in memorial of Lake Delton. Melissa and I went down a few waterslides. The slides were pathetic, but we still had a good time.
We went to dinner on the way back to the camper on Castle Rock Lake at Carlson's. Carlson's is a decent Wisconsin-style restaurant with a great salad bar. Just be aware of the deceptive spelling in the menu. Only in Wisconsin will you find a fine-dining restaurant with the audacity to serve Lobster, Alaskan King Crab Legs, prime cuts of meat, and, in certain dishes, "Krab." Now what is "Krab"? Go to Carlson's, read the menu, order a dish with Krab and find out (hint, it is imitation crab meat). For example, Carlsons will include large shrimp, good-sized scallops, cod and Krab in their seafood sampler (bad news, it is mostly Krab--about 75% Krab to go with my 3 shrimp, 3 scallops, and 3 small snippets of cod). It is not to say that Carlson's did not warn you, since the menu says the seafood sampler includes Krab. Additionally, Carlson's house speciality, the Seafood Newburg, is also loaded with Krab. More like "Krap." Either way, if you are going to eat at Karlson's (not Carlson's anymore), then consider ordering something without the Krab. Also, the cheesey baked potato is just a baked potato with hot cheese sauce dumped on top--truly the product of culinary vision. The view at Karlson's though, is very nice, and a good stroll on the beach is always nice after dinner. We will probably go back--but no Krab.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Climbing Now Too
Well, the boys have been strolling for several steps and now they have taken to climbing up to the upper level of our fifth wheel trailer. We have a large bunk area and bathroom in that area. The boys climb all the way up, scream, play, and then climb back down (about a two foot drop if they miss the big step down). Then we take them to breakfast and Rinse. Repeat (climb, scream, play, climb down).
The is pretty ominous today with thunderstorms predicted. We still plan to take them into the lake again. Odds of a lightning strike have got to be pretty small.
The is pretty ominous today with thunderstorms predicted. We still plan to take them into the lake again. Odds of a lightning strike have got to be pretty small.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Well, I guess we swim and walk now!
The boys both took some steps tonight, and then promptly fell to their hands and knees. They laughed and had a great time. We got some great video of Donovan taking a few steps. Hayden was already tired out by the time we got the camera. I figure they will be strolling all around by next week.
Swim? We don't even walk yet.
Call me crazy but I decided to take the boys to this cute wading pool at the park behind our house...by myself. These are the only pictures I got because I spent the rest of the time trying to keep their face/head out of the water.
Melissa
Melissa
Question
Did anyone get a good picture of Donovan and Hayden at their B-Day party? I am trying to do a photo thank you card (late I know, give me a break) and here is a sample of what I have to choose from....
Thanks! Melissa
Thanks! MelissaWednesday, June 25, 2008
Laundry Baskets -
In celebration of Former Alderman Mike McGee's conviction for bribery and misconduct in office, the boys decided to get stuck in the laundry basket.
Unstuck!
Unstuck!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Good Bouncer For Sale!
Multiple height settings. $15.00 (Purex and Cat Litter not included).
Send me an email if interested at kgulya@ yahoo . com
Friday, June 20, 2008
Shenanigans
The Redneck outdoor bathtub up north--an inflatable tube, a table cloth, the outside shower to the camper and no shame!
Get back here now before you float away!
The great escape (but they are going the wrong way . . . you can't climb out through a closed window)!
Get back here now before you float away!
The great escape (but they are going the wrong way . . . you can't climb out through a closed window)!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Unfortunate Happenings
Keep Grandma Carol (Kyle's mom) in your thoughts and prayers. She fell from a wall in Honduras while on vacation and broke all her ribs on one side, her clavical, and she collapsed a lung. She is in the hospital in Myrtle Beach for several days. Mom, make a quick and full recovery.
Also, keep our friends Jenn, Mike and Maddox who live in the Iowa City area (Coralville) in your thoughts. Right now, their home is not in imminent danger of flooding, but most of Iowa City, including the University (which is their employer) is faced with devastating floods.
A good portion of southern Wisconsin was damaged by the recent flooding. Fortunately, we have been spared any damage, but our thoughts go to those who have lost as they rebuild.
Also, keep our friends Jenn, Mike and Maddox who live in the Iowa City area (Coralville) in your thoughts. Right now, their home is not in imminent danger of flooding, but most of Iowa City, including the University (which is their employer) is faced with devastating floods.
A good portion of southern Wisconsin was damaged by the recent flooding. Fortunately, we have been spared any damage, but our thoughts go to those who have lost as they rebuild.
OffStar
We have had an interesting week. Melissa took the boys to Wausau to help prepare her Grandma Lucy's property for an estate sale. Grandma Sue and Melissa took the boys out one afternoon. When they got back to Grandma Lucy's house, the boys were still sleeping. They decided to let them continue sleeping in the car. Unfortunately, the car doors locked with the boys and the keys inside and of course with 80+ degree heat.
So, Grandma Sue made a few phone calls to Grandpa Dan and Melissa's cousin's husband Tony, the Wausau PD and to OnStar (since the car was a Chevy Trailblazer). Needless to say, Grandma Sue didn't subscribe to OnStar, but she was more than willing to subscribe to get the doors unlocked.
The call to OnStar was anything "commercial" like. It went something like this:
"Hello, this is OnStar!"
"Hi, my dear grandsons are locked in our car. We don't subscribe to OnStar, but we'd like to subscribe if you can unlock the car!"
"F%&# uou for not subscribing to OnStar!"
"Well, we'd be happy to subscribe, we just need to know what to do . . . after all, you could unlock the car remotely once we subscribe . . . right?"
"Well, to subscribe to OnStar, you need to be in the car and pushing the OnStar button. But, I guess you are screwed, because you are locked out of the car. Maybe you should have continued that trial subscription . . . ."
"Oh, well we will just push the button with a stick by jamming it through the opening the window. We are pressing the OnStar button, is anything happening?"
"Nothing is happening. Are you stupid? Don't you know how to push a button? Maybe you shouldn't lock yourself out of cars."
- Law enforcement arrives and speaks to OnStar!
"OnStar, can you unlock the door, since a law enforcement officer is now here?"
"We won't do it unless the police are there"
"Ma'am, I am the police. Please unlock the door."
"Oh, well we can't unlock it. Sorry, I guess you will have to smash the windows. But don't be surprised if OnStar responds to report a possible theft. Thanks for calling OnStar. If there is any way we can help you rot in hell, then please press the OnStar button."
By this time, Dan and Tony got the window open and the Boys were safe. Our thanks to Grandpa Dan, Tony, and the Wausau PD (very courteous officers). No thanks to OnStar.
So, Grandma Sue made a few phone calls to Grandpa Dan and Melissa's cousin's husband Tony, the Wausau PD and to OnStar (since the car was a Chevy Trailblazer). Needless to say, Grandma Sue didn't subscribe to OnStar, but she was more than willing to subscribe to get the doors unlocked.
The call to OnStar was anything "commercial" like. It went something like this:
"Hello, this is OnStar!"
"Hi, my dear grandsons are locked in our car. We don't subscribe to OnStar, but we'd like to subscribe if you can unlock the car!"
"F%&# uou for not subscribing to OnStar!"
"Well, we'd be happy to subscribe, we just need to know what to do . . . after all, you could unlock the car remotely once we subscribe . . . right?"
"Well, to subscribe to OnStar, you need to be in the car and pushing the OnStar button. But, I guess you are screwed, because you are locked out of the car. Maybe you should have continued that trial subscription . . . ."
"Oh, well we will just push the button with a stick by jamming it through the opening the window. We are pressing the OnStar button, is anything happening?"
"Nothing is happening. Are you stupid? Don't you know how to push a button? Maybe you shouldn't lock yourself out of cars."
- Law enforcement arrives and speaks to OnStar!
"OnStar, can you unlock the door, since a law enforcement officer is now here?"
"We won't do it unless the police are there"
"Ma'am, I am the police. Please unlock the door."
"Oh, well we can't unlock it. Sorry, I guess you will have to smash the windows. But don't be surprised if OnStar responds to report a possible theft. Thanks for calling OnStar. If there is any way we can help you rot in hell, then please press the OnStar button."
By this time, Dan and Tony got the window open and the Boys were safe. Our thanks to Grandpa Dan, Tony, and the Wausau PD (very courteous officers). No thanks to OnStar.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
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