Zada's "birthday" outfit

Zada wore what was to be her Easter outfit for her birthday dinner, which is fitting since this was to be Eme's cardigan but it fits Zada instead. We birthday-swear to take good care of it!

In our efforts to keep the kids busy while the moving team wreaks havoc on our house, we made a last stop at the nearby farm and fed the animals. Next up are the post office, shopping, lunch and naps at the hotel.

If it is any indication of how our day is going, I wasn't even surprised to find this mitten at the bottom of the dishwater. Actually I was glad I didn't run the garage disposal. Thank God for small miracles (and really clean mittens).

Look Mom, Kasey Kahne!

Subliminal messaging can work, as evidenced by this photograph of Zada pointing to "her driver" Kasey Kahne, whose name Aunt Naomi has been whispering in her ear since birth. Darby is going his own way by choosing Kyle Busch as his NASCAR driver, though we all suspect it has more to do with him driving the yellow M&Ms car than with his renegade driving style.

Back in the saddle

In spite of the snow that is still falling here, we have resumed our family's regularly scheduled programming. Zada went to school and her new favorite thing, lunch bunch, and Darby and I attended our gym class at the Y.

I'm thinking of sending out a spring photo of the kids, but probably not this one.

Ms. Fix-it rides again

Sometime in the 1980s, my dad was the instructor for the Ms. Fix-it Girl Scout badge, most memorably showing our troop how to conduct minor toilet repair, something I've used time and again.
Today I put that fix-it mindset to work on our vacuum and held an impromptu teaching session of my own.

A case of the Mondays

When your day starts with this,

and this,

who knows what is coming next? The snow will melt, no need to fire up the thrower, the rain will stop, hopefully before I put out a life-size pile of cardboard boxes for tomorrow's recycling; but the big question is, was it something she ate or is it perhaps something catchy? Let's all hope it was the all-barf, I mean, all-beef hot dogs. As for us, we are keeping the hand sanitizer close and the ice cream buckets closer. Ew. 

M.F.E.O.

While we had a babysitter at the house yesterday, Troy and I headed to Starbucks and worked through our growing stack of paperwork and moving checklists. Then we took a big, fat break from it all and went to the movies. We bought the tickets, picked up the snacks and walked into The Adjustment Bureau, starring Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and New York City; kudos to you, NYC. Anyway, we enjoyed it and in spite of the mixed reviews it has received are recommending it here. Will these two lovely people end up together? You'll have to find out for yourselves, but I can tell you the large pop, popcorn and M&Ms were indeed meant for each other.  

Ground rules

As part of our being able to move back to Minnesota, Troy has assumed a new role with his company, meaning he will be traveling a great deal, maybe 80-90 percent of the time. I am accepting this arrangement as part of the trade-off for living where we feel most at home, however, I do feel a few ground rules should be established sooner rather than later. Here is a quick list:

1) The next trip to Target will include extra clothes for every household member. I'm not saying who should be doing the laundry more often, but I will say the laundry can be counted on to not sort, wash, dry, fold or put away itself. Believe me, I've tried.

2) At no time should there be any less than two cans of Diet Coke, or alternately, two scoops of ground coffee in the house. As previously mentioned in She's not the only one, this family's machine takes plenty of caffeinated fuel to stay running.

3) Likewise, chocolate should also be in constant supply. Living up to their unpromising name, semi-sweet baking bits really are only halfway satisfying, meaning one may need to double the amount of baking bits eaten in order to meet one's 2:30 p.m. chocolate requirement. Not a pretty picture, I assure you; even worse, the kids are starting to ask questions.

4) Blogging should not be done after any of the previous rules have not been met. No one likes to read the ramblings of a wrinkly clothes-wearing, caffeine and chocolate-starved, stay-at-home lunatic. Or do they?

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!

Cool, cooler, coolest

It turns out it's a little tricky to ride your McQueen trike wearing your McQueen boots, tricky but really funny!

Vicks VapoRub is funny

Even if it doesn't have any scientifically proven medical benefit, Vicks VapoRub is a hit at our house. At the end of any long, snotty, congested day I can rub those kids' chests with a mitt full of menthol and they invariably giggle, a good way to end a day. (Now off to bed, you Kleenex-consuming germburgers!)

Model year-end closeout

Pictured here is the empty car lot and the throne on which said lot was emptied, for back story see Thwarted. Is Darby fully toilet-trained as a result of all this? No. Am I in a happier place because he has had more productive toilet trips? Yes. Is he in a happier place having five more cars to play with? Absolutely.

We will continue leisurely with this bathroom business during our transition period (the moving truck arrives in two weeks and we close on our new house one month from today), and should you visit our new place in Minnesota, please don't be surprised to find a little boy streaking through the house or yard, holding five Cars cars, with nothing on but a Buzz Lightyear T-shirt and a smile.

The "ice cream stand" at the park.

Fashion police are on their way

Zada after dressing herself today:

Darby after dressing himself last night: 

Me too!

Thankfully we've been able to get to the park a couple times this week. Here you'll see Darby holler Zada over and then follow her every move, in his own unique way.

She's not the only one...

A change of plans

Zada was dying to go to IKEA today, to play in the Småland area, and as much as I love IKEA I didn't need anything there. Traveling 20 minutes to a store just to play seemed like a waste of time, and inevitably money, so as a bit of a distraction I offered up that we could get her hair cut instead. She being keen to the idea, there was only a quick call to make, a fast lunch to eat and we were there. This is the same place I bring Darby for haircuts, so he knows the drill and hung out in a toy airplane seat watching Bob the Builder while we both waited for Zada.

She had originally asked for a haircut like her friend Abby's, but given that she's had longer hair for some time, I thought we might ease into the shorter 'do, maybe save it for the first bonafide summer heatwave.

Before

That Scarecrow is so funny!

After

Thwarted

In the car today I made the mistake of saying to Zada I had found something special for her school lunches at the grocery store. While I was bringing the mail into the house, unbeknownst to me both kids started rifling through my car's back storage area. A squeal of pure delight snapped me to attention and I followed that gleeful, although for me foreboding, sound. I knew individual milk boxes and a bag of baby carrots and snap peas did not warrant such an ecstatic response.

Instead I found Zada clutching the LipSmacker pink purse with lipgloss I had bought for her birthday and Darby pointing insistingly at the pack of Cars I had bought for his birthday or toilet training bootcamp, whichever came first. I had purchased both items weeks ago, and thinking I would be doing a great deal of household organizing and purging ahead of our March 31 move to Minnesota, I had left them wrapped up in a shopping bag in the back of my car.

You won't be surprised, I think, to hear Zada chose to have the lipgloss today as opposed to waiting for her birthday, though I will be sure to remind her of it when that day comes, and I am pleased to say Darby is earning each piece of his five-car set one productive toilet trip at a time. 

Who knew the Sheriff would be the first off the lot?

At least I know my taste was spot-on, even if my hiding skills need help.

Central Illinois shout-out!

Since we visited Illinois for Christmas, shortly before starting this blog, that wonderful trip has maybe not received its due. I was browsing through our photos and thought these warranted sharing.

Darby's new bball gear should come in handy this month. 

Ladies in red...

Darby working on his fort

Zada working on her fort

Troy working on, I mean, resting in his fort 

The Age of Aquariums

The Great Lakes Aquarium is one of our favorite stops in Duluth, as is Bulldog Pizza. During our recent visit we managed to hit both in one day, with a short side trip in between to grab a dry set of clothes and boots for Darby, who loves to work the locks and boats featured at the aquarium. Zada most enjoys feeding the fish and panhandling at the gift shop, where she can be found plying any number of grandmas for Skittles and stuffed seahorses.

Don't get fancy, just get dance-y

During our stay in Minnesota we met up with some pals at Giants Ridge and spent Friday night catching up in so many ways. Thanks to P!nk for supplying the soundtrack for the evening and congrats to all party-goers for looking no worse for wear Saturday morning.

Now you know we must be moving...

In my efforts to prepare for our upcoming move back to Minnesota, I took this, my favorite light plate, off the wall. It has traveled many miles, having hung in two of my houses and now on its way to a third. It once graced the wall of my Grandma Leona's dining room and thereby witnessed its fair share of cake and ice cream birthdays, plum pudding New Years and busted Trivial Pursuit games.