What really happens at baseball.

Matt coaches:


















Tyler catches:

















Jackson celebrates:












Bring on summertime!

The charmed life of a little brother.

What else do you do at a baseball tournament?

Houston... we have graduates!

Wow, where do you start a post like this? All I can say is that time goes way, way too fast. I am proud of my niece and nephew today- they're graduates! OMGosh! It seems like just yesterday they were running around in diapers (and yes wow.. you know you're getting OLD WHEN...). Anyway, these are two great young adults with their lives stretched out in front of them; most definitely bright shining stars. Determined, driven, smart, contagious and amazing. Congrats on making it through high school and we can't wait to see you begin your next chapter in College this fall!!

When the helper becomes helpless...

I have nothing more to say than this:

When the helper continually runs off with tools, a father will solve the situation in any way possible. Oh, and be especially careful if your Dad is building shelves.

Prayers for Oliver and his Mommy, Ellen today.

Our friend Ellen delivered baby Oliver today, a bit premature. His story can be found on their blog, The Beaudry Beat. Ellen had a tough time with this little fella and he's here... but a little early. It sounds like he needs a few days to get underway on his own. In the meantime, it sure wouldn't hurt to send good thoughts and prayers his way.

We're thinking of you Ellen, Terry & Boys!!

Marriage and babies.

Crazy topic for a Thursday dinner at the local pizza joint. Jackson was on a roll, all started by a photo on the wall of the ORIGINAL Pino's Pizza Italian family. It looks like Grandma/Grandpa WAYYYYY back when in Italy, in a beautiful gown and suit.

Jackson announces: I'm never getting married.
Tyler asks: Why not?
Jackson: Because I don't want to have babies.
Tyler: Boys don't have babies.
Jackson: Mom- is that true? Only moms have babies?
Me: Yes.
Jackson: Why?
Me: Let's get back to getting married (wicked glance at Tyler to shut down the pending where-do-babies-come-from conversation)- you don't have to get married and have kids now.... but why not in the future?
Tyler: Yeah, you don't have to have kids when you're married.
Jackson: There's no way I'm changing diapers, for one. And, I'd have to spend all my money getting them toys and stuff - which would leave me no money for my own toys. It totally wouldn't work.

So we went back to eating pizza in silence wondering how a 6 year old thought that far ahead in life. Man, we're in trouble...

Warning: Locker Cleaning hazardous to your health.

Spring time: check.
Almost end of year: check.
Time to spring clean the school: check.
Time for an Emergency room injury related to cleaning your locker: check.

????

Yeah, today was visit the local ER after incuring an injury while cleaning his locker. Somehow Tyler had a run in with a dumpster (ok, there was a kid pushing on the other end) that has him in mega pain, in an immobilizing splint and on heavy ice/pain medicine tonight. No baseball here! Good news is: he'll live.

But... a warning to all of you who are about to embark on cleaning:
Stay clear of lockers and dumpsters. They can be hazardous to your health. ;-P

Grampy goes to baseball

Grampy made it out to a baseball game last night, even in spite of the windy weather. Tyler's game was in North Branch (yeah- no kidding) so we jingled Grampy and said HIT THE ROAD! :-) It was hard to get a smile out of Tyler, who lost the game by just one run... but nonetheless it was great to get out, visit with Grandpa and take in some spring air.

Garage Salers Gone Wild

Every year our community has a massive city-wide garage sale event. It is the event to eclipse all others- with bargain hunters bussed in from Wisconsin and all over the state. This year, there were over 700 'listed' sales in the directory (yes, they actually publish a directory that is available the night before for the hard core gotta-find-this-perfect-thing salers). If you think Bingo night is tough - that pales in comparison to the thrift-level in this town on a single day. Cute little old ladies will knock you over and eat you for lunch.... unless, (we found this year) you're with my Dad. They love him!!

In the midst of this, we have tradition. This is my annual date with my Dad. A day not for the faint of heart- but for the lion (and lioness) of salers- thrifty as all get out and snapping up deals. The day starts at Caribou or Starbucks for a Dad coffee, then we get underway... saling until we make our traditional stop at Hot Dog house #1 (they have a massive tent and grill dogs for sale- perfect idea!). Denise joined in the craze this year and we found a ton of things we didn't know we needed when we woke up that morning, including: barstools, hunting gear, cedar planters for the deck (Matt wasn't thrilled but hey, he didn't have to build them!), endless toys that multiply at night when left alone, and more. The big deal? Dad made us promise NOT TO LET HIM BUY ANY MORE FISHING POLES. From the photo you can see how well that went over.... :-)

The value of a dollar....

Just ain't what it used to be. Jackson recently took the liberty to draw us a schematic of tasks he'd like to perform, in exchange for money. Allowance type of stuff - only it's apparently been updated for the new generation of workers. I think his detailed depiction says it all- we're in trouble!!

Mind candy.

Some favorite quotes:

“There's no half-singing in the shower, you're either a rock star or an opera diva.”

"You haven't lost your smile at all, it's right under your nose. You just forgot it was there.”

"Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you may lose."

"Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude."

"Take care to not be so busy watching out what's just ahead that you don't take time to enjoy where you are."

"Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write and every conversation you speak."

"Life's disappointments are harder to take when you don't know any swear words."

HT

Houston- we have a white belt!

Jackson is new at Karate, but loving it. As a result he hit a milestone tonight- he got his first belt, a white belt. If you're as clueless as we are, I can only say it's a big deal and he was really serious about it as you'll see in the video where they 'tested him out.'

I am still getting used to the idea of a warm indoor climate activity for any of my kids but I do really appreciate what they're teaching. Discipline and respect.... and an outlet for kids who really want to whack something (what kid doesn't?). I mostly appreciate their motto, which is "Might for Right." It means, use your might only at the most appropriate times (in the studio). Although they really preach this, I'm going to go now....to remove the new bullseye on Tyler. I sense paybacks are coming.

Evidence. Plain and simple.

The discovery happened early this morning as Matt was hunting for deodorant. Anyone who has a teenage boy in the house right about now knows that where you put something it absolutely does not stay. Seriously.

Matt has a spot in our bathroom cabinet all carved out for his personal items, including deodorant. Unfortunately his was just *missing.* So, on goes the hunt - into the boys' bathroom. Imagine the surprise when Matt opened the linen cabinet to find an unusual trifecta of offerings: a bottle of shampoo (check), a stick of deodorant (check), and a fork nestled neatly on a stack of clean wash cloths(whah?). Yeah, a fork.

When the perpetrator was questioned, he initially denied all knowledge of the tool in question. Upon further pressing ('I can always take the cell phone'....) he simply had this to say "Sometimes I get hungry when I take a bath."

I never cease to be amazed around this joint.

Boys and their grammy.

The weather finally broke and we saw some sunshine... without snow and we collected Grandma for a visit. While here, she was on the run- to a hockey game, out to dinner, to a tea house visit, to a movie, out to dinner again, shopping and more. We ran, ran, ran and Grandma loved every bit of it. Tyler gave Grandma one of his jerseys and she promptly requested he sign it. He did, and then told her to hang on to it, because it'll be worth money someday. :-) Anyhow, these pictures were too cute not to post this morning- they tell it all!

Things that make a day better.

There are certain things in life that just make a day better. I dedicate today's message to my top 10:

10. Funny, yet meaningful email messages from my family and friends.
9. Finding my kids snuggling in bed *together* in the morning.
8. Finding money in the pocket of anything.
8. Taking difficult photos that actually turn out.
6. A great hair day. And I do mean GREAT.
5. Voice messages from my husband.
4. An unloaded/reloaded dishwasher.
3. Flowers. Anytime, anywhere. Flowers.
2. Pet rocks (yes, I'm a mother of boys).
1. Randomly listening to a voicemail I saved of Tyler.... before his voice changed and miscellaneous messages Jackson has left over time. My favorite? "Mommy, it's me. your son, Jackson. I really like your pink shirt. Loveyoubye!"

Anyway, in tribute of things tha tmake me happy, I'll post something that my sister in law recently dug out of the archives... it MADE MY DAY! It's so hard to believe it's almost 6 full years ago!

Hiiiii-yah!

Jackson has a budding interest in none other than K-A-R-A-T-E! Hiiiii-yah! He took his first class last night and fell immediately in love. Brace yourself for more obnoxious mommy photos of a kid in a uniform- it's seriously so cute!! er.... handsome, I mean. Boy mommies can't say cute, according to my kids.

Wanted: a good mommy with a memory.

Booyah. What a day.

At our house we have jobs. Matt's jobs include cars, insurance (house/stuff), house fixes, etc. On the flip side, my jobs include insurance (medical/dental), the right dishwasher soap, clothes that fit the kids- well, you get the idea. One of my most important (and often most challenging) jobs is keeping track of what happens around this joint. It's sometimes really hard to keep up with - especially when Tyler was in hockey season and Jackson had events... it was a lot of flying around by the seat of our pants.

So, imagine my shame, surprise and flabbergasted self today. I'm in a meeting at work at 9 AM and it's Matt's day to drop at school. I see my phone ring 2, then 3 times. Then my cell phone starts to buzz... and I look to see it's Matt calling. I answer, worried something's wrong.. and am greeted with:

"Hey babe. The next time Jackson has a day off, can you let me know before I take him to school?"

Bad mommy. I hope when I lay to rest this evening my brain wanders back my way- into my head. I really need it!

Cardiac. Point Blank.

I found this while surfing online tonight. Cardiac material, seriously.
..........................................

LOS ANGELES (TICKER) —Brett Favre could be having second thoughts about retirement.

According to a Los Angeles Times report, the former Green Bay Packers quarterback, who announced his retirement last month, is contemplating a comeback with another team.

Citing NFL sources, the Times reported Thursday that Favre has been quietly talking with teams about their interest in trading for the three-time NFL Most Valuable Player.

On March 4, Favre, who played with the Packers for 16 seasons, announced his retirement during an emotional press conference at Lambeau Field.

However, Favre, 38, has yet to give written notice of his retirement to the league or players’ union.

Favre’s agent, James “Bus” Cook, told the Times he was not aware of his client’s possible interest in resuming his career.

“That’s news to me,” Cook said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with anything. He’s retired, period, point blank.”

During his press conference, Favre denied he retired because the Packers did not make a more aggressive attempt to sign wide receiver Randy Moss.

However, Favre’s decision came one day after the New England Patriots re-signed Moss to a three-year contract worth $27 million.

Spring break's affect

Tyler is on spring break this week. This means chill, relaxation and limited motivation in the mornings- which we're fine with. Every kid should be able to relax when the opportunity arises.

Yesterday, however, was the pinnacle of Tyler reaching a new platform of chill. Here's the deal: he calls Matt and this is literally the conversation:

[Important note: it's 1:30 PM]

Phone rings.
Matt: Hello?
Tyler: Hey.
Matt: Did you just wake up?
Tyler: Yeah. Can you bring home some food?
Matt: Umm... I won't be home for another hour or hour and a half. Why don't you make something?
Tyler: We don't have anything I can make in less than 1/2 an hour.
Matt: *perplexed- we have lots of groceries* I think we've got a lot of food around.
Tyler: Yeah, but I don't want to make it.
Matt: Ok- but what's the real deal?
Tyler: I don't want to get out of bed.

Amazing, simply amazing. And, like I said- a whole new level of chill. When does school get back in session again?

Our little entrepreneur

Matt cleaned the garage this afternoon; hallelujah! During the 'cleaning' time, Jackson was spot on- helping with the broom, playing with toys Matt already categorized into a basket and helping put away hammers (but still hammering things along the way). By the time I arrived home, he had a specific, schemed plan. He found a few things he wants to sell. At the top of the list is his tricycle, which he has outgrown. His theory is that he plans to sell the tricycle for $109- which is the cost of a lego city set he has been eyeing up at target (don't even get me started on how the heck they can sell a lego set for $109!).

To help him think through this, we started asking questions and should have known what we were in for:

Us: How much will you sell it for?
Him: $109.
Us: It's not worth that much, you know.
Him: It's worth more than $109, that's a deal.
Us: Do you know how much it's really worth?
Him: How much?
Us: It's worth whatever someone is willing to pay.
Him: So, for sure $109.
Us: Where will you sell it?
Him: Target or Ebay or a garage sale, for $109.
Us: Target doesn't do trades and maybe not Ebay. Then there's shipping.
Him: So it would be more than $109.
Us: How about something like Craig's list?
Him: Who is Craig?

Horton hears a mother's scream!

We also had the *absolute* pleasure this past week of going to see the new movie, Horton Hears a Who. I recommend it to everyone- it's a Suess classic and well done by our pals Jim Carey, Steve Carrell and Mary Tyler Hart. Fast forward to this mroning- and imagine Jackson's delight when we went out for breakfast after his skate-fest this morning.... iHop got in on the action with a whole series of Horton foods and drinks. The kid ordered Whocakes and a Beezlenut splash. Translation: SUGAR to the 10th power. Pancakes covered in pink and blue goo (with sprinkles, of course) and a drink that starts with an innocent skiff of sprite... only to be invaded with full sugar red and blue Jello cubes. Simply put: if you see a kid rocket across the sky howling with laughter and bouncing like the best rubber ball you ever owned, wave to Jackson.

SK8R Boi

If you've been following our blog for a while, you know that Jackson's had skateboarding on his brain since early last summer. He set up ramps in the back yard and spent hours on them... and then progressed to skateboarding off the deck and doing stage dives into the grass. He skateboards on the wood floors in the house. So, with the obnoxious snow still falling here, we decided to get crazazayyy and head to a local skate park- Third Lair. Needless to say, he was livin' it up. We went back this morning where he got an actual 'lesson' to learn how to do it up right! I am now working on decoding words like 'deck,' 'truck,' and 'ollie.' Awww heck. Just when I had 'off-sides,' 'hat trick' and 'shelfed' figured out! A mother's work is NEVER done.

Consolation Champs!

**WARNING: SUPER HAPPY HOCKEY MOM TALK**
After a long weekend of hockey, Woodbury emerged as State Pee Wee A Consolation Champs! Heck Yeah! More pictures and info to come!

Respite from the cold...

Enjoy this lovely photo- we certainly enjoyed the moments around it! It showcases the lovely Space Coast of Florida- specifically, Melbourne Beach. Matt and I were lucky enough to sneak away for a weekend preceding a conference I'm still in Florida attending. I won't tell you how nice it is here (*ahem* 75 and sunny).

While away, I've gathered a top 5 list of things I heard from our kids while away:
5. "Everything's fine, Mom." - From Tyler... and then a shriek in the background from Jackson.
4. "I really love you. Can I go now?" - Tyler
3. "My phone is broken but I totally didn't do it. Auntie Dee will tell you 'cause i gotta go." - Tyler, in an effort to report on his broken cell phone, and worse yet he got is AUNT to do the talking!!
2. "Where are you and is Dad with you?" - Jackson, every day we called home to talk to him.
1. It's time for you to come home. You've been gone over a week. - Jackson (on day 2 of our whopping 3 day weekend).

On to State!

What a weekend! Tyler's team made it to state by winnng the Regional Championship game vs. Eagan. Way to go - they're now in the top 8 teams in the state!!

Recipe for a perfect night's sleep.

Jackson's checklist:

- Fluffy white blanket. Check.
- Pokemon/Pikachu pillow. Check.
- Crackers in original wrapper (with some mashed into Mom and Dad's carpet to make it feel the most 'homey'). Check.
- LAUNDRY BASKET. Check.
- Request for help getting out of the basket when legs fall asleep. Check.

Parental note: apparently the investment in super-soft and comfy mattresses in this house are over-rated. We needed a $6.99 basket from Target, a little snack and he was off to dreamland. Every kid's dream...

Congrats- District Champs!

< - - Warning: **Hockey Mom Talk** - - >

Tyler's team has really had a rockin' year; 2 Losses all year and they sniped the district championship from Eagan last night with a 3-0 final. What's next? Regions next weekend. 5 games total.... and the top two contenders from the weekend move on to state! Go Royals!

Remember Mikey?

You know, the kid who'd eat anything?

Well, we have one of those here, too. It needs no guessing to confirm it's Tyler; and he'll eat anything within range he can lay hands on. He is, after all, a growing boy. The challenge with him is that often times someone will plan to revisit their leftovers or expect something for lunch.... only to visit the fridge and it has completely gone AWOL. The worst is when you head off to bed and it's there...... and it's gone by morning. His reaction is simple: the furnace needs fuel at night, too!

So, I came up with my own strategy to protect my lunch. You can laugh all you want.. but hey, it works!

Top Ten things I wished for when I was sick.

I spent a lot of time in my bed this week. I'll complain lightly because I'm actually starting to spend time upright and my voice is returning after close to a week. With everything, however, there is a silver lining... and I spent a lot of time coming up with the lining components this week. So, here's the top 10 things I wished for when I was sick:

10. Anything but orange juice. That stuff's awful with a rough-feeling throat.
9. Better TV programming. I know every baby-mama from Maury, court case ruling from Judge Judy and psyched out guest of Dr. Phil. Enough! Where did TLC's a Baby Story go??
8. A nice warm beach with sand. This seems to be a consistent thought for me. Hmmm...
7. A hearing aid for my Dad. It doesn't work when I don't have a voice and he's hard of hearing!
6. Stepford children who say things like "Yes, Dad" and "I can't wait to clean the table for you, Dad."
5. A softer pillow for my bed. I intend to remedy this as soon as I'm Target-ready!!
4. More bedside serenades from my kids. Jackson got a guitar for Christmas and came to sing to me a few times. That really cheered me up! Greedily I wished for more.
3. A maid and nanny for my husband. He is an absolute rock star when it came to manning the fort with me dead to the world. That said, he does look a bit run down and awfully twitchy near second story windows after a week. :-)
2. Appreciating health. Why is it when you're sick you suddenly realize what it's like to be well? And why is it when you're well you never simply enjoy being *WELL*?
1. My Mom and a bell. I know I shouldn't admit this, but when I was small my Mom armed a sick kid in our house with a bell. If you had any needs at all, she'd come running to take care of you. Bells counted for crackers, soup, aspirin and most importantly, hugs. I sure missed her this week.

What do we have in common?

VICODIN!

Yeah, another round of strep in the house and I have a bad case of pain to the nines. Apparently my strep was taking too long to heal.. and with many sleepless nights I finally caved and re-visited the doctor. After a few comments of 'it's not quite big enough to cause an obstruction but it certainly is a bad scene' the doc took pity on me. Enter left stage: Vicodin. It helps for now, but I really want to open the windows wide and have a fresh breeze clear out the joint! Until then, I'll crack bad, inappropriate jokes about my favorite cheese head and our weirdo similarity for now.

Zebra in da house!

We keep hitting milestones in the Tuney house and this past week was no exception.
















Tyler recently decided to mix two of his faves: money and hockey. In doing so, he successfully worked an angle and figured out how to make a little bling while skating around and enjoying himself. So yes, it's true- he's actually officiating games! He worked two games this past weekend with a head ref who is a friend of the family (thanks Bill!). The thought of reffing a girls tournament had him thinking it'd be slower... however, both games he reffed were overtime games with big, amazing finishes. He had a blast and endured yet another day of his pesky mom at the glass with a camera. He teases and says "That's ok, I need practice for the paparazzi someday."

The bonus for us? We have hope that we won't always be full-time ATMs. :-)

Dreaming of warm.

Lately all I can dream about is warm. Warm weather, a nice beach and the sound of ocean waves lapping. Maybe it's the doldrums of winter in MN and maybe it's my subconscious challenging me to wisen up (what-the-heck-are-you-doing-in-the-cold-anyway?). Either way, I dream of warm.

I have a great view at my office- 29 stories up and watch the sun rise at least twice a week when I'm there. Yeah, yeah, those of you who know me well know that I'd rather be up and working than waiting in traffic. I watch it peek through the clouds and radiate itself across different cities, pouring through the clouds. I can't help but FEEL myself on a plane cutting through the clouds on the way to somewhere warm. I'm downright twitchy!

And, apparently that wouldn't be the worst thing. Jackson told me today that his arms are tired of wearing his big winter coat. He's worried they'll fall off if they have to endure much more. I wonder.... could we, as parents, be held liable if his arms fell off?

How do you spell happy?

F-O-A-M F-I-N-G-E-R!

Yes, I said foam finger. Jackson has been tracking the need for a foam finger for nearly a year now; in fact, his obsession started on a starry night in the dead of winter nearly 12 months ago. Jackson attended a Gopher hockey game when he noticed the magical, air invititing, view-blocking fingers waving in the student section of Mariucci. We're guessing the arena noise fell away because he spent the entire game gazing at the foam fingers and pining away for one. Fast forward another year (we're not sure how we got by without one, but we did). Jackson's mission this year in attending major sporting events (Wild, Gopher Hockey or otherwise) has been *ALL ABOUT THE FOAM FINGER.* So, last night the fireworks were lit. Matt and I snuck away to the Gopher vs. UMD hockey game and picked up a foam finger on the way home. When we brought it in for him, he was tucked into bed but half awake when he finally laid eyes on his very own foam finger. Needless to say, he's been with it all day. Did you know you could sleep with a foam finger? How about eat breakfast or play Nintendo DS? Well, we have proof. All you need is a buddy in the form of a giant's sized finger! :-) Who'd have known happiness might arrive in such a strange shape?

Ever feel like this?

At least I'm not alone.... so, greetings today my Penguin friends. Now I'm retreating back to the fireplace. :-)

We *heart* Kleenex.

'Nuff said. Germs- go away!!

Little doctor in the house...

Apparently the big weekend came with a little downside- Tyler's pretty sick. He visited the doctor today and has a sinus infection and bronchitis. As a result, he's been in bed most of the day. Coincidentally Jackson also had the day off school. He's been pacing around waiting for Tyler to get up. He got his moment to visit the patient tonight and here's a little recap of their chat:

Jackson: Tyler, I'm really sorry you're not feeling good. What seems to be the problem?
Tyler: I don't feel good. Everything hurts, especially my head.
Jackson: Let me see. (poking, prodding, looking closely at Tyler's ears, etc.). Does it hurt when I push HERE (pokes Tyler's cheek below his eye)?
Tyler: OUCH! YES! Did you figure it out, buddy?
Jackson: I know what you have now. You have a shy-ness infection.

Seems logical to me. I wonder how we cure a shy-ness infection...

I promised to follow up...

On what they do in Duluth when it gets really, really cold. Check out this guy below! He proudly sat largely in the front yard of a home we passed each day on the way to the rink. We found him really cool... and creepy all at the same time!

Hey. lookie what I found!

A tournament champ with a great big hug for mom! More photos to come... recap of the weekend:

- 23 below on Saturday morning
- 5 games for Tyler's team, 0 losses
- Championship game was against Eagan today

A great weekend had by all....

Finally Friday!

A long week; we're back to they rhythm of 'real life' post holidays. But- not so fast.

I'm blogging from even further north than usual- the shores of Lake Superior. We're in town for a hockey tournament and despite the bitter, biting cold it's great. The high today here was -2 without windchill. Not much of a high! So far we've conquered the following:

- One hockey game at a rink nicknamed 'Freezeberger' with a win 10-1
- Much swimming in the pool for Jackson and his pals (we have a great 'little brother' team'
- A UMD/Gophers hockey game that came out in a tie. But, who cares. Tyler's coach managed to cordon off a chunk of seats for the boys next to the U of M band and against the glass. They had a BLAST. My favorite moment I predicted.... the boys were messing around a little and wrestling. I leaned over to Matt and predicted the tuba player was going to take a check or sideways hit at some point.... and indeed, late in the third period it was so. Why is it so funny to see a tuba player unexpectedly lurch forward?? And, why was it so funny the band made up a song and played it for them afterward? The main lyrics to accompany the chant/music: Past your bedtime. We enjoyed seats just two rows up from the UMD bench- way fun, way fun.

What's next? A 7 AM game.... updates to come tomorrow with photos. You won't believe what they do with snow up here!

It's soooooooo cold!

A voice inside my head says 'suck it up, you choose to live here.' Then, the other voice says 'but this isn't right for any species. No wonder dinosaurs are extinct!'
Good thing I have a third voice in my head to balance it all out. Yeah, it's cold here and we're going into the deep freeze of winter this weekend without a doubt. So, what do you do when it's so cold?

My top 5 things NOT to do when it's this cold outside:
5. Don't: throw snowballs this week- in this weather they're ice balls!
4. Don't: run a lot of water outside and make a home-made luge. Cars might have a hard time seeing children flying at high rates of speed.
3. Don't: take a dare to run partially naked outdoors - no matter what! You'll really regret it and if it's attached to your body when you start you probably need it.
2. Don't: play poker with Matt even though he looks innocent, he'll shark you and I'm so not kidding!
1. Definitely Don't: lick the slide or flagpole!

My top 5 things TO DO when it's this cold outside:
5. Play a game with your family. They'll love you, even if the little one cheats.
4. Get the nerf guns out. Less injuries, same satisfying feeling!
3. Line the stairs with Star Wars guys, wait downstairs and then have the kids yell 'Dad, we need you right away- someone's hurt!' Have you ever seen a guy literally FLY on the stairs? We have. The aftermath wasn't as fun, though.
2. Surf the Web with the kids. A recent fave site? Almost Naked Animals!
1. Curl up by a fire and grab a kiddo, a book, maybe a movie and cocoa. Then remember the moment forever.

Naughty parents. Oh, and Happy Birthday.

Once upon a time, there was a little fella named Russ. He was a spitfire of a boy who found trouble at every turn. From shooting bullets in his sister's underwear (did you know they weren't supposed to go through silk?) to painting armadillos (have any idea how funny they look when they're yellow striped and running away) he has was always finding a way to get in trouble. As he grew up his pranks were still plentiful and his sense of humour neverending. Yesterday marked that "little fella's" 78th birthday. The birthday prank this year (that wasn't funny) needs a little set up:

Picture this. We agree to meet at his favorite restaurant for dinner, Red Lobster. Now, prankster Dad has a cell phone that he seldom uses while driving... it can be a little too much to handle and keep up with "all the driving idiots in the Twin Cities." Assuming his always-on-time-and-sometimes-early daughter was late, he called from the parking lot to confirm his arrival. What he didn't know is that I was already in a booth waiting for him. So the conversation goes like this (with neither knowing exactly where the other is):

Ring. Ring.
Me: "Hello?"
Dad: "Hey there, it's me!"
Me: "Where are you?" (me)
Dad: "Oh, I'm getting close to the restaurant.. where are you?"
Me: "You're talking on the phone while driving? What gives? I'm at the restaurant"
Dad: "Ok, I'll be there in a minute... oh... wait! Oh no! There's a train. Oh no, I'm stuck on the railroad tracks!!!"

- - - > S U P E R L O U D H O N K I N G H O R N < - - - -

Suddenly I can't breathe. The phone is quiet and I'm FREAKING OUT. My Dad was just run over by a train!!

Me: "Dad! Dad! Are you there? Are you ok???"
Him: (Laughing uncontrollably) "Yes, I've just finished honking my horn. I'll be right in- I've been in the parking lot the whole time."

Ugh. Who says kids give their parents grey hair?

Facebook & High Schoolers

Eden Prarie High School has received recent 'famed' attention recently due to Facebook photos cropping up... showing kids drinking. 42 kids were subsequently interviewed, 13 disciplined, receiving suspensions from sports and other activities. There is a lot of debate about rights, free speech, administrators going to far and 'the administration ruining kids opportunities in sports and attaining college scholorships' as this has come to light.

One of my favorite columnists, Katherine Kersten (STRIB, 'Think Again' blog) summed it up wonderfully, so I'm posting in support:

"You broke the law, and some of you broke your word. As an athlete, you signed a pledge not to drink or possess alcohol, and to be 'fully responsible' for your actions and their consequences. What is there about this you don't understand?

If you think breaking the law and breaking your promise have no consequences, well, you've learned something.

Don't give me the 'everyone does it' line. That never worked with my mom, and it won't work with the Highway Patrol.

And drop the privacy-rights stuff. There's a camera in every cell phone these days. If you do what is right and don't drink illegally, you'll have nothing to fear from other people's cameras.

Yes, you're 17 years old now, but there's a lot you don't know. The stakes here are higher than losing two weeks with the lacrosse team.

Imagine what would happen to your privacy and life prospects after you've driven off the road, paralyzed yourself or killed a friend. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, and makes it easier to discard your principles. It can lead you to abuse someone else, or become abused yourself. The consequences could transform your life.

Oh, and about your concern that the school's penalty was too harsh. You'll soon think of that as a Hawaiian vacation compared with going without car keys until the last snow melts this spring in Eden Prairie."

Things that make you go hmmm....

The big bad match up in yesterday's tournament was ER vs. Woodbury. Tyler's team met up with them a few weeks back and won, 3-1-- but they were really solid competition, the kind you like to meet. As we entered the rink, the parents were saying that this was likely to be a really good game, that ER was really going to want to win since we'd beat them once. In hindsight, that is THE understatement of the year. The score of the game was 0-0 AT THE END OF THE GAME! The first overtime was a 4 on 4 and ended with no score. The next overtime was a 3 on 3. With 8 seconds left, Tyler's team sealed the deal and we squeaked out the win. *WHEWWWWW*

Now, I don't want to be in the business of detailed sports reporting here (frankly, that usually bores me!) but this relates back to stuff that makes you go 'Hmmmmmmmm....'! Why is it that when your fella is in a high pressure situation you find yourself on the edge of your seat and holding your breath for them.... as if it will actually help? Maybe it's mama bear's instinct to protect them, maybe it's wanting to save them the discouragement of the loss even though it builds character and helps them learn. Or, maybe I just wanted a happy kid for the day ( Jackson usually lays it out for us: "I'm glad he won because when he loses he's really crabby.")

Either way, I guess I better buy a bottle of hair color to hide the grey these games will give me. After all, I figure I'll have to look good on the edge of my seat, holding my breath from here on out! :-)

And the clouds parted and the angels looked down...

Ok, a little dramatic but worth it. Both kids came home from school so very, very happy today. We have fits and spurts of 'good days' but the rarely happen on the same day.


Tyler: confirmed he is FINALLY pulling an A in Civics, one of his most aggrivating-fight-through-it-hard-to-keep-on-track classes. Whoo hoo! And to top it off they won their first game in the tournament tonight. Now we're on to saturday to play Elk River again.


Jackson: is at a new school post- holiday. I'll share more on that later. One of his highlights is a sister of one of Tyler's pals (and his friend). She's in 5th grade. He was delightfully aglow that she had a band concert during school. Direct quotes:
"I saw her in the band today and she is amazing. She plays the Clairminet just like Sqwidward on SpongeBob!" I'm sure she'd be amused at the comparison. Either way, he loved the band and at the end? She waveded at him.

Need a laugh?

You know you're a hockey parent when you...

30. have more miles on your '02 minivan than a '66 Chevy.
29. have had to Use a grandparent to take kid #1 to a tournament because Dad was in a
different state with kid #2 at a tournament and Mom had kid#3 two states away in a 3rd tournament all in one weekend.
28. know every single kid on every single team your child has ever played on...... But doesn't have a clue as to who his school mates are.
27. ground your kids for a week (except for hockey practice)
26. chuckle when a co-worker says his kids play soccer.
25. take out a home loan to pay for all the equipment and expenses.
24. complain about ice time when only 10 skaters showed up to that game
23. plan birth of next child so he has a good hockey birthday.
22. shout "Watch this, watch this" every time Junior touches the puck in practice.
21. find your new baby's first word is Zamboni
20. need new personalized license plates (again) since child changed teams.
19. find that the volume of hockey related e-mail at work exceeds business related email.... during the off season.
18. use the term "illegal recruiting" in a post discussing 96's
17. find that all your computer passwords begin with "hockey" or contains child's
number.
16. have been barred from more than one rink on more than one occasion
15. notice all photos of family vacations have a Canadian flag in background!
14. keep stats ..........................at practice!
13. can rationalize spending $159 on a Synergy for a 9 year old but won't spend $5 on a Birthday Card for his/her mom.
12. have more Hockey Mom T-shirts and Sweat Shirts than shoes.
11. hate sending Christmas cards, because the stats only show half the season!
10. had to explain that the pilgrims didn't play hockey, and Thanksgiving is actually a holiday, not just a tournament!
9. purchases a new $135.00 stick because old one didn't have any goals left in it.
8. can't compose a sentence, or have a conversation, that doesn't use at least one of the following words: "elite", "select", "AAA", Nationals", "premier" or "tryouts"
7. think a '93 Merlot Select is a new NJ hockey team, and wants to know when tryouts
are!
6. know a few 5 year olds that are good but "lack focus"
5. have had kids ask if Christmas is "home or away"
4. want to try for another, so we can start younger!
3. when asked to decide between try-out and first communion- asked church what his
options were!
2. received a letter from AAA Automobile Club and called for more info about tryouts.
1. when someone asks how old your children are, you respond "I have a 93 and an 90".

Laugh now, my friends. Laugh now.

H-O-C-K-E-Y. But who goes where?

We live it, we breathe it and we drive to it (a lot). We'll be living hockey like mad in January. 3 tournaments in the next 4 weeks and great match ups with some of our favorite College teams! Gophers vs. St. Cloud, Gophers vs. UMD, Gophers vs. the Sioux (and Tyler BETTER be wearing maroon and gold!!)!

But, in the midst of all this, we're finding ourselves in a strange spot. We've seen our friends do this for years. It's the dreaded 'conquer and divide.' Until now (mostly), we have been fortunate to go with the 'it's a family event' route for quite some time. Jackson goes to Tyler's events and visa versa. Tyler is a coaches helper for Jackson's hockey team this year, which means he's always on the ice with his brother. Nice, neat and a family all in one place.

BUT... we've officially arrived. We have 3 overlapping hockey events for both kids this weekend. One of us goes West, the other East. This is why, in this day and age, I applaud technology. Text messages will abound and we'll just blaze the path behind the generations of parents who worked this to an art before us!

Heading into a great 08!

So long, and adios 2007!

We're fresh off what seems like several weeks of no school and work and today is D-Day.. the day we have to begin normal life again. What have we been up to?

We celebrated the holiday season with loved ones (and yes, Uncle Frank is roasting a marshmallow on Chrstmas for Jackson... he reasoned "You have a fire, I know where the sticks are and I think my Mom hid chocolate somewhere.")

The boys enjoyed the outdoors (YES, nothing better than hot tubbing outside, in the winter, in Minnesota!)

And, of course a lot of hockey (we won a game vs. Elk River - how weird was that?)





I also learned that hockey boys no longer go to bed at midnight on New Year's Eve. We had a great group of kids (most of Tyler's team).... however, the actual bedtime still remains a mystery. Suffice it to say it was the wee hours of the morning.

So what are we looking for in 2008? It's simple: health, balance and peace. We're looking forward to speaking to each other with kindness more often, eating at home more and spending time with those we love. So, here we come 2008! Cheers to '08!

Waiting for Santa was hard work....

Hit 'play' below to see exactly HOW hard it was!



And later in the night, we ended up with a Blair Witch version of waiting for Santa....

Ode to Modern Technology

I don't use this space to promote often, however, all of my gal pals will surely appreciate this post. In fact, maybe all of you already know of what I speak(!?)

I was introduced yesterday (at Christmas Dinner) to Renolds Slow Cooker Liners. A revolutionary thought, really. Let's see:
- No more scrubbing the bottom of the crock
- No more mess
- No more trying-to-fit-it-in-the-dishwasher-because-I-really-really-really-don't-want-to-get-my-hands-in-the-dishwater

It's a great idea and something you simply MUST have if you use your crock pot often. I purchased a pack of four today and gave it a try via home made Spaghetti and meatballs simmering in the pot all day. Let me say- the clean up totally exceeded my expectations.

Ok, shameless promotion is now complete. Seriously, check these things out!

Our Holiday Letter : 2007

Friends and family,

We're breaking the mold with an online holiday letter this year. Actually, I hope it'll be more of an online brief! We can start with me (Heidi) - as you can see, I spent some of this year working up the Tuneberg chronicles. It seemed like so many things happen day-to-day in our lives that weren't being captured.... silly things the boys would say or do- and much, much more. It occurred to me one day that those moments are so easy to forget that I turned to my computer and worked up a Blog. Sometimes photos do the most justice. So, I combined a couple hobbies - photography and reporting on the kids into our online space. So far, so good!

Our family is growing and thriving, as always. This year finds Tyler at age 13 and Jackson at age 6. They are enjoying 8th and 1st grade, respectively.

At age 13 it can be argued that Tyler seems older than he is - mostly due to his growth in the past year. He now stands just shy of 5'8" and is 165 pounds... and grew over a FOOT since our last holiday letter. Indeed, a growing boy. He likes school about as much as most 8th graders (ha ha) but his passion still lies with Hockey. He spends all of his free time trying to play or watch it... and it doesn't matter who or where. :-) He attended his first 'away camp' this summer - which has it's own seperate novel buried in this blog. He continues to get daring on the wakeboard, play baseball in the spring and enjoy the good life. He is also learning the value of the almighty dollar - and worked at the Warehouse for Matt this summer. Not too strangely, after the portion of savings money goes away he always finds a place for the money in a new hockey stick. Although I would argue his major accomplishment in the past year is his transformation to a big-hearted young man, he would (without hesitation) tell you he is proud of what he's done in hockey. After much summer work at hockey, he made the A Pee Wee team this year. He also reported (in a rather thrilled manner!)the other night that he now has a 67 MPH slapshot and a 47 MPH wrist shot. Another reason I will never be goalie.

Jackson doesn't have to try hard to keep up - he keeps us spinning most days! He is 6 - but also going on 13. I often joke that he has the spirit of a little old man trapped in a young body. He played baseball for the first time this spring and enjoyed it most days. It's such a switch to see dandelion picking and resting (*ahem, laying!*) on third base from when we watch Tyler's games. He has transitioned now to hockey on his own and is on a Mite team for this winter. Again, he has a lot of fun skating around and checking the other kids... although it's really not something you should do... The coaches chuckle and we pray he catches on to what is acceptable for kids his age soon. :-) Jackson is also a budding artist and musician- he LOVES to paint, draw and sing (usually with Grandpa!). Sometimes he mixes his passions by drawing or painting anything Star Wars while humming away (by the way- I had no idea George Lucas could make things so complicated). He and Grandpa have been working up some serious tunes, which I hope to record and share sometime soon.

Matt continues at Midwest - and business continues to diversify. He co-coached Tyler's baseball team this summer and is a number one member of what I call the 'Pacers Club' at hockey. For those of you who may are not familiar - the Pacers Club is the group of Dads that stands (and paces) near the glass during hockey games. At the heart of it he's a great, involved caring Dad but we do need to make fun of him for his inability to just sit. He continues to work the wakeboard challenge with Tyler in the summer... however, knowing he'll never read this I'll confess: Tyler's got him schooled!

As for me- I continue on with a few hobbies, mainly photography, gardening and blogging. I made a professional change this year after much consideration and am now with a new company: MRM Worldwide. I continue to work very flexibly and part-time. I couldn't be more pleased that I can balance work and family and really love the work I do.

I'll keep posting here and hope to hear from you at the holidays and beyond. In the meantime, Merry Christmas to you and your families. Be safe and most of all do this: Be sure to tell those you love how much you love them each and every day.

It keeps falling from the sky....

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!

All about snow

We received a ton of snow yesterday. It is fabulous. As far as I'm concerned: if it's going to be cold, let it snow-snow-snow. But, when looking at the situation of cold and snow, there's always up & down side to it all.

Upside (as confirmed by Jackson): "It's great that there's so much snow and it's so cold. When we're outside we can see our breath and that means we're really alive! People wouldn't know otherwise."

Downside (as confirmed by ME): The snowplow tagged our mailbox last night and it's barely hanging by a thread. We're calling it the 'swivel' box.. but that's only until the wood finishes giving out.... Poor mailbox.... :-(