Meet Henry Harlan

J & J sure breed em big. Henry was born this morning at 5:23 weighing 10 pounds, 10 ounces and measuring 23 inches long. HUGE! Mama and baby are both doing great. Non and Appa (Aud's names for us) are also doing well with our first overnight sitting venture. Honestly, if you can't handle Aud, you can't handle any kid. She is such a sweet thing and sleeps like a bear in hibernation. Gotta love that. We took Aud to visit her little brother today and she shared her Cheerios with him. Way too sweet. Anyway, Jeanne wins the prize for biggest baby I know of delivered naturally. Whoa. She's quite the trooper. Henry starts Bears training camp in July, we'll keep you posted.

HUGE!

Over the years Rick has brought me many treasures from his treks through the woods with Ozzy (and our Chuckie). Wild flowers, animal bones and hides and teeth, golf balls, archery arrows, etc. Today I got a giant mushroom. Thanks Honey. You're too sweet.

Still no Squatch. Two days past the due date. I'm sure he will bring his mom home a few mushrooms in his day. We just can't wait to meet the little guy. We decided to do some painting today. Nothing major just the steps from the garage to the house and some touch ups from last spring's deck project. But you know as soon as we get set up to paint, or perhaps, smack dab in the middle of painting, Squatch will come. Like lighting a cigarette while waiting for the bus, as soon as you do the bus arrives. I happen to think it's a brilliant idea.

Lauren came home from school yesterday. She is officially a Senior. Wow, that went fast. Next is the GRE in June and grad school apps in the fall. Meanwhile, my hallway is filled with the contents of her apartment and there is still more to come. I think last year the crap stayed in hall for 3 weeks until I finally lost it. I don't want to be a bitch but three weeks, really? Let's keep track this year and see if she can break her record!

Squatch Watch

Four days until J&J's baby is due. Rick and I are on call to stay with Aud while they (really, let's face it, JEANNE) go have baby number two. Being the crazy family that they are - I have no idea where they get it from - they have nicknamed their unborn son Squatch. Short for Sasquatch. Apparently the little guy is extremely hairy. And he and Aud both have their Daddy's feet. The 3D ultrasounds they have these days are amazing. The detail is phenomenal and we have been lucky enough to have seen many pictures of the baby before he is even born. Just crazy. So my bag is packed and ready, just waiting for the call to head to the OP.

Mother's Day was fabulous. We had Shirl, Mike and Debbie over along with their families. And Lauren surprised me with a visit home. She had finals all last week and her last two today so it was definitely a shocker when I went to take out the garbage yesterday and and there she was when I opened the door. Scared the SHIT out of me but the best Mother's Day gift ever. With her was the new BF Charles who we like more and more each time we see him. Finally a normal boyfriend! I'm pretty sure Lauren is starting to figure it out. When I say it, I mean life. As if any of us ever figure it out.

It's a gorgeous day in the HG today. Gonna put on the ipod, gas up the John Deere and cut me some grass. Think I'll wear my Wild hat. That's a shout out to my girls!

Enough with the Bacon

When we first moved to the HG 17 years ago the only "restaurants" that were nearby were McDonalds. Not long after came Dunkin Donuts, then Taco Bell, Burger King and Wendy's. During the real estate boom, about 5 years ago, came Chili's. Not that Chili's is our favorite place to eat but it was the only place withing a 5 minute drive. We were ecstatic until recently when Chili's "revamped" their menu to include Applewood smoked bacon in almost every entree. Easy enough to order anything without the bacon but, honestly, must we put bacon in everything? Yesterday, while enjoying a winning afternoon at the OTB, I noticed they now have bacon in almost all of their entrees as well. What is the fascination with the bacon?! This country gets fatter (including myself) and more unhealthy every day. Do we really need all this bacon? It's out of control. SAY NO TO BACON!

In other news: It has been much too long since I last posted and much has happened. I spent the first three weeks of April in Kentucky. First two weeks with my hubby at the lake house and the third week with Nancy in Lexington. There is almost nothing better than a week with my girls. But this trip to Lex would not be the usual girl's week. She Be Wild got hurt during a workout a few weeks ago and required surgery on her pastern (basically, her ankle) and is out of commission for 6-8 months. We were all devastated, especially Nancy. Needless to say she did not run in the Kentucky Oaks last Friday. So, while I went down to Lex to provide support for my BFF, turns out I am not the support I would have like to be. Upon seeing She Be for the first time two days after her surgery, I broke down. Nancy immediately called Colleen and told her the support system had failed. Us girls had a good laugh over that one. Long story short, the first thirty days after surgery are crucial and She Be Wild is doing fabulous after 15 days. Only 15 more to go. If you're at all interested, She Be Wild has a fan page on facebook. I do not belong to facebook and never will. I have my own blog and I don't need to know what my kids are up to every second. I would rather not know. Ignorance is bliss. Besides, the last thing I need is for some loser from high school to find me. No thanks.

Skating season is over but the new season has already begun with tryouts yesterday. Should know this week what team Lauren makes. This is her last year. I can hardly believe it. What am I going to do with all the extra money? Rick will finally be able to retire!

We got to meet Lauren's new boyfriend, Charles, a few weeks ago. He seems very nice but more importantly he adores my daughter. That's all he needs to do to be in good with me and the big man. He sends her flowers and buys her little gifts for no reason. She has always dated "bad boys" and is enjoying having a real boyfriend who does real boyfriend stuff. What a pleasant change.

Lauren also got a job for the summer. Crazy, I know! But a real job with a real paycheck. She will be working promotions for Chicago Twenty Something. Check it out. Right up her alley. Her first event is the Chicago Mustache Contest. So proud of our baby and looking forward to closing our checkbook!

Grass-carrier Wasps

I have finally figured out what it is that nests in my windows. The Grass-carrier wasp. Who knew. Check this out. http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/node/144 I truly enjoy cleaning my windows each spring. Call me a weirdo, I'm fine with that. But it is so satisfying to look out into our woods through sparkling clean windows. I spent the better part of yesterday doing just that. The kitchen, family room and mudroom are all finished. That only leaves about 10 more rooms and the basement! Every year there are these nests in some of my windows. None of my neighbors have ever seen or had these nests in their windows. I had searched google before trying to determine what these critters were. Perhaps I was not as specific in my search terms because when I searched it again this morning this link came right up. At least I finally know that it is nothing to be concerned about. But how gross. Every year. I almost can't stand it. Here's a post from awhile back that sums it all up.
http://bishand.blogspot.com/2008/04/this-is-not-right.html

Precious

We spent the day with our little Audball yesterday and Grandpa got to read her bedtime stories. There's a particular book (not this one) titled Knuffle Bunny that has a cartoon picture of an old man with glasses, a mustache and no hair that Aud likes to point to and call Appa, her term for Grandpa. She waits and waits for that picture and when the page is turned she points to Appa faster than you can begin reading. Way too cute. Rick is the best storybook reader. We look forward to lots of bedtime stories, not only with Aud, but with Dos as well

Boycott Blago

I cannot believe that a judge allowed Blagojevich to be a contestant on The Apprentice. Anyone who watches this show with him on it should be considered an accomplice. The next thing you know he will be crying that he can't get a fair trial. This guy is a crook. Plain and simple. Please do not line his pockets by watching this show. It is embarrassing enough to live in this state, now this? Really? My prediction is Donald will fire him quickly. Too much hair competition.