A Neat Blog Post About Some Random Thoughts on My Way Home From Work Today

On my way home from work this afternoon, I was channel-surfing the radio stations and on the oldies station they were playing "At This Moment" by Billy and the Beaters. I was immediately transported to my childhood, thinking of an episode of "Family Ties" where Alex P. Keaton and his girlfriend were dancing at a school dance (I think). Isn't it weird, and wonderfully cool, how music can do that?

Everyone can relate everything to a song. Movies do a great job of it. Who doesn't hear Kenny Loggin's "Danger Zone" and think of Top Gun? How about "Old Time Rock and Roll"? Of course, Risky Business. I know I'm naming a lot of Tom Cruise movies right now, but how about The Karate Kid and "Cruel Summer", or even "Strangle Hold" and Dazed and Confused?

I then got to thinking of those songs that trigger memories or time periods. Here are a few I came up with today:

• "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" - I used to ride the basketball bus with my friend Meredith, and we would listen to this song on our Walkman.
  
• "Heart of Rock and Roll" by Huey Lewis and the News - my friend Jill and I used to make up baton routines and dance around on her front porch to this song.
• Sublime's "What I Got" - freshman year of college. Man, did we crank the volume on that!
• Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" can bring back all sorts of memories, from my cousin Poke's impromptu rapping to Mitch's not-s0-finest moments......
• Meatloaf's "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" - high school dances. And my bachelorette party.
• "I Will Survive" - my friend Jill singing at her sister's wedding while standing on a speaker. (Music certainly helps me remember her a lot!)
• "Lean On Me" - church camp circa 1995.
  

What songs do you link major events or time periods in your life to?

Lookin' Good, Louis! Feelin' Good, Billy Ray!

Mitch and I have been transformed! Here I am at 31 weeks - we're getting close, now!


And here's Mitch's new look - he hadn't shaved in a couple of days, and a week later it looks like this:


General, I think you would be positively dashing with a beard.....

Random Comments

• Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr. day, and so both Mitch and I were off work. Between working on Gizmo's new room and the football games on Sunday, Mitch and my dad were almost out of beer. I had to run to a Dr's appointment on Monday morning, and so Mitch asked if I could pick up a twelve-pack on the way home. Nothing says trash like a 30-weeks pregnant chick buying Grain Belt Premium on a Monday morning at 9:30.
  
• I heard Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do I Do It For You" today on the radio. It was awesome.
• Gizmo loves her Aunt Winnie . She randomly will answer "Tim" to any question she's asked. On Monday night as she was eating shredded pork, she was asked where pork came from. She smiled and said, "Tim!". Winnie, I think she just insulted you for the first time.
  
• Baby #2 has flipped from breech position to head-down. She's prepping to get out of there! Only nine more weeks to go. I'll post pictures soon, as I am getting to be as big as a barn. I haven't put on nearly as much weight this time around, but nonetheless I seem to be enormous.
  
• Mitch is growing a beard. He was going to grow a neck beard instead, but decided it didn't say, "trust me" in his line of work. I can't decide if I love it or hate it. Either way, he's going to need the warmth on his face, since we're not supposed to be above ten degrees for the next three days or so.
  

Either We Are the Worst Parents in the World, or Gizmo is a Musical Genius, or Both

Tonight Gizmo was playing before dinner as Mitch, Grama and Pa Poke were playing with her and watching TV. In the background, "Two and a Half Men" began its opening credits. In perfect cue, Gizmo sang the last note - "men" - in tune.

Well, at least it was something better than singing "Puff, the Magic Dragon". For the millionth time.

The Last of the Christmas Posts

This past Christmas, my sisters and I decided to save a little money and draw one person's name to give a gift to. To save even more money and make things a little more interesting, we required each person to make their gift. While I'm not sure it saved us more money, it sure was fun!

Mitch had drawn Winnie's name. Inspired by a story, he set out to find some decorative Christmas houses at Goodwill. $20 later, this is what he had:


What story, you ask? Well, one Christmas when Winnie and I were in college we were home playing "Airplane", where one person lays on the floor and sticks their feet in the air, the other person rests on the feet, and they fly in the air. I was holding Winnie up, and she decided it would be funny to spit in my face. I screamed, kicked her off of me, and she flew across the room to land on Mom's treasured snow village. Once she landed, (and I remember this part very vividly), there was complete silence, then the pounding of Dad's feet as he came into the room. We erupted in a fit of laughter, she had broken a few items, and Mom was beyond mad. It makes for a great story now.

Anyway, as a "tribute" to that story, Mitch thought he would get destructive -



I had Boston, and decided to pay a tribute to his heritage and religion by building a box out of popsicle sticks -



I really think Santa adoring the baby Jesus makes the whole gift.

This gift-opening was certainly the highlight of the holiday when we all gathered at Mom and Dad's, and I think that everyone was more excited to show off what they had made instead of opening their actual gift.

Sarah made Katie some really beautiful homemade pieces of jewelry, in perfect Katie style -


Boston made Sarah some awesome dishes made of old vinyl records -


I made Boston the box -


And a few added gifts - I gave him the gift of song, serenading him with a rendition of "Winter Fun", a song my first graders sang at their recent holiday program. I think he was incredibly embarrassed. To make up for it, I also had a few containers of homemade spaghetti sauce in the freezer for him.


Winnie made me a snow globe with her and Sarah's picture in it.


Gizmo really enjoys the gift, as she looks at it every day and says, "Tim!" She has also declared Winnie her most favorite person in the whole world. That didn't go to Winnie's head or anything.

Winnie enjoyed Mitch's gift of the broken-house snowflake decoration -


And Mitch was impressed with Katie's comic book coasters.


It was certainly a unique holiday with the gifts that were created and given, and while some people *cough* the guys *cough* didn't think this was a good idea, I think everyone had a great time.

I HATE Peter, Paul, and Mary Right Now

Gizmo's favorite gift at Christmas was a book and CD set from Grama Jersey Girl and
"Pomp", as she calls Mitch's dad. The book is "Puff, the Magic Dragon", and the drawings are really quite beautiful.

We took it with us to Illinois the week after Christmas, and I was ready to throw it out of the car around Madison. Gizmo LOVES that damn song. It's not enough to read the book or listen to the song once. She requires that we listen or read it no less than five times in a row, and as soon as it's finished she gives you a squinty face and asks, "more, more!". She literally cries if you don't continue.

I'm not mad at Grama Jersey Girl and Pomp for buying it. Grama Jersey Girl gets to "enjoy" Puff with Gizmo every day.

It's Not Too Late for a Christmas Post, Right?

Gizmo was slightly underwhelmed on Christmas eve with the whole present thing....


...but on Christmas morning, she discovered the greatest gift under the present - an Elmo bag.


You would have thought this was the gift. In fact, we had to pull the tissue paper off to reveal what was really inside.



Could she be more excited? I don't think so.


The socks she got weren't too shabby, either.


Blocks and tables and maps were entertaining too, as long as there was milk and Elmo.


And she clearly has an artistic gift. Did you see the quality of those scribbles?


In case you didn't notice, she is holding the crayon in her left hand. Yay!

We had a wonderful Christmas as a family of three. We are truly blessed.