SPRING BREAK! Thursday

After a fairly uneventful Wednesday (a trip to the doctor for Gonzo and a few hours at work for mommy do not a fun day make), we were ready for our great adventure of the week. Auntie Al and Mr. Fix-It got Gonzo a family membership to the Children's Museum for her birthday, and it could not have been a better gift for two active little girls. Aunt Katie joined us for the trip, and brought her camera along to capture the morning. (Thank goodness Aunt Katie is better about remembering her camera than I am. She takes better pictures on her fancy new camera, anyway. If I could hire her to follow me and the girls around and just take pictures, I would. She wouldn't mind, as long as I paid well and offered benefits, I'm sure.)

Gizmo was true to her personality today, taking things in quietly and timidly, almost afraid to explore and interrupt other kids' fun. She did, however, have fun walking on the over/under circle,

hopping on one foot,

playing with turtles and blocks (in a room that was enclosed and quieter than the rest of the museum - this is where we spent most of our time this morning)

painting our own face (and Aunt Katie had some face paint, too - I wonder what the office thought of that when she returned to work!)

pressing pennies into discs, then adding different textures,

and building model train cars.

Gonzo got to enjoy her gift, too - she had a great time walking around in the blocks room and trying to climb this incline, which she was unsuccessful in doing. There were tears at the end, but she was easily distracted.

The poor kid was a trooper, since she had a runny nose and was well overdue for her nap when we left.

Today, as I was working in the house and enjoying the quiet when the girls were napping this afternoon, I, for a brief moment, wished I could be a stay-at-home mom so that the girls and I could have this type of fun all the time. Because we did have fun this morning.

The icing on the cake? Meeting Daddy for lunch at one of Gizmo's favorite restaurants, since Mitch's building is adjacent to the Children's Museum.

Life is good when McDonald's is the highlight of the day!

My First Trip To Target Field...I Will Now Retract All Of My Hatin'

While Boston and Katie were in the Northland to visit last weekend, we found time to take in a game at the new Target Field.  This was my first trip to the field, and while I was looking forward to a beautiful outdoor baseball game during the summer (it's what everyone has been so damn excited for for months!), I instead got to enjoy rainy, April-like conditions.  It sucked.  I missed the temperature control of the dome.  But, the field and entire stadium is very nice, and it did stop raining in the 5th inning.  I have no doubt that on a summer evening, this is the best place to be.

Despite the weather, the four of us managed to have a good time.  (Read:  drank enough overpriced beer to forget that it was raining.)

One of my favorite parts of the new field is the sign above center field of Minny and Paul, who shake hands and light up when a home run is hit.

Yeah, the Twins lost, and so they  never got to shake hands.  Boo.

The weather was just awful - while it stopped raining halfway through the game, it was cold and dreary - you couldn't even see the tops of the buildings in downtown Minneapolis.  But man, what a great view.

Our seats weren't too shabby either - we were in the second row right off of the third base line. We were so close, I could practically smell the Old Spice on the third base coach of the Braves.

While it was all fun, the best part of any ballpark experience (or any experience, for that matter) was the food.  Boston, Katie and I ate the obligatory hot dogs with grilled onion (they were quite good, but not as good as the Cell in Chicago), but Mitch decided to eat a cuban sandwich.

He clearly enjoyed it.

In the middle of the game, Boston decided to get nachos - he needed them to soak up the beer.  "Fun Boston" made an appearance at the game - so wonderful to see him again!

But by far the most entertaining part of the night was the consumption of cheese curds.  I was very excited to try the curds at the ballpark, and was even more excited to see that they come in a cute Leinie's canoe.

After I went to get mine, Katie decided that she wanted some, too.  She jealously sat as I enjoyed piece after piece of delicious fried cheese.

(Those jowels are produced by cheese curds from state fairs past.  Nice, I know.  Normally I would not post such a hideous picture of me, but Katie's face sums up the whining that she was doing about not having her own cheese curds.)

All gone!

(That look from Katie?  "Matt, you best get your ass up and get me some cheese curds now before I drink more $7 beers!) 

And this is how I felt after eating a whole boat of breaded cheese - 

Thankfully, Boston "got his ass up" and got Katie some cheese curds.  She still drank at least one more $7 beer.

We had a great time with Katie and Boston while they were in town.  I'll finally admit it - I enjoy spending time with my little sister now that she's all grown up.  The whining after I beat her in Clue the next night doesn't count.

If They Weren't Dorky Before....

.....they solidified it on Boston's news broadcast today.  I particularly liked the matching aprons, and also love the fact that they can't get through the segment without arguing!  Enjoy!

http://www.wicd15.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wicd_vid_813.shtml

I Caved

Katie and Boston were up to visit us this weekend, and I think the sole purpose for Katie's visit was to get a long-begged-for belly rub.  When they first arrived Thursday night, immediately Katie's eyes went to the belly, and she giggled uncontrollably for at least the first 12 hours.  On Saturday morning, I finally let her have what she had so patiently waited for.  

First, there was the laying of the ground rules - one hand only on the belly, no pressing her face up to it, no poking, and it could stay there for only ten seconds.

Once she understood the rules (and giggled for about another minute), she went in for the kill.

As you can see, she was just a little bit excited.

A close-up of the rub:

- and a SUPER close up.

I think that made her entire year.  

My New Motivation

It's well-known that my two sisters and I like to argue, fight, pick on each other, and out-do one another, all to become "MVK", or Most Valuable Kid.  Winnie, the 2nd daughter, and I are closest in age, and when we're all together we typically gang up on our youngest sister, Katie, who is six years younger than I.  I can recall many a times where Winnie and I would torment Katie, many times to tears.  When we were younger, Katie would sing tunes from "The Sound of Music" after she'd been put to bed, and Winnie and I would giggle in our shared room, then belt out, "The hills are alive!" to make fun of her.  This usually resulted in her screaming and crying, and us laughing even harder.  It makes me laugh just thinking about it now.  That's just one example of the terrible things we did to her growing up.  Now as adults, it's even worse.  There was one particular holiday where Winnie and I were merciless to Katie.  While doing dishes, Winnie said something to Katie to make her mad, Katie charged towards Winnie, and Winnie stuck her foot out, which Katie promptly ran right into and fell to the floor, clutching her stomach and crying.  To top it off, Winnie doused her with a handful of flour, which made her cry even more.  Man, was it funny.  And while I can claim that I had no part in it, my role is usually as the instigator in these types of situations.  Winnie and I got in big trouble from Dad for that.  And yes, I know that's mean.  But it makes for a great story now.

Anyway, I think that one of the main problems that Katie and I have in our loving, sisterly relationship is that we're the same person, and she feels like she needs to one-up me every chance she gets.  And she usually does.  We look alike and talk alike.  We both graduated at the top of our high school classes (she as valedictorian, I as salutatorian).  We both went to the U of I and were in the Marching Illini.  (She of course, graduated Bronze Tablet, which means she had one of the highest GPAs in her major.  I did not.)  She met and started dating her future husband, Boston, her junior year of college, just like Mitch and I did.  Boston, by the way, is the same person as Mitch - similar looks, similar family background, similar personalities.  She and Boston married one year out of college like Mitch and I.  And now, she and Boston have bought a townhouse right after they got married, just like we did.  It's actually quite scary how similar our lives are.  

One of the things that Katie is also doing like I did is putting on weight after college.  While it's really just mean, Winnie, Katie, and I have always affectionately called each other "Fatty-Fat".  Why and where it came from, I really can't remember.  See, Winnie had been the pudgy one of the group - she was stocky when she was little, and really packed on the pounds when in college.  Katie and I were always a little slimmer growing up, and made sure to not put on too much weight during school.  However, the tables have shifted - Winnie, after a few life-changing moments at ISU, got her act together and dropped a ton of weight, which she has managed to keep off for a very long time.  She looks fantastic now, and in true sisterly fashion I just hate her for it.  After Mitch and I got married, I steadily put on weight.  I blame most of it on my profession - always busy, never time to work out, blah, blah, blah.  I could give you a million excuses as to why my midsection and ass are significantly larger than they used to be.  Now that I'm nearing 30 (when did that happen?), I am becoming afraid that if I don't take care of it now, I never will.  Since we moved to MN, I have lost ten pounds.  A good start.

When talking to Katie on the phone the other day, she was complaining about how much weight she has put on since graduating from college.  While she was conscious of it for her profession - she was on TV every day - now that she has changed jobs, she has relaxed her eating and working out habits.  And it's showing.  So, as she is talking about how she's so fat, and has to get to the gym, and how she needs to do this and that, I thought of a brilliant plan.

I am one that needs some sort of motivation to make things happen.  I've been inspired in part by The Mrs.' weight-loss blog, although I am not doing so well in the weight-loss competition there.  So, I challenged Katie to an Ultimate Fatty-Fat Challenge.  

The Ultimate Fatty-Fat Challenge operates like this:  whoever loses the biggest percentage of her body weight by Christmas wins.  The loser will forever be the Ultimate Fatty-Fat.  AND, whoever loses must endure as many insults, put-downs and harassments as the other can dish out.  Mean, yes.  Effective, yes!  Now, we've kept Winnie out of the competition for two reasons - 1, she doesn't want to play, and 2, she'd definitely win.  Her willpower is incredible.  

I am determined to beat Katie.  I DO NOT want to be the Ultimate Fatty-Fat.  So, to help motivate me to work out, (and because we've been talking about buying one for a long time), Mitch and I bought a treadmill.

It's a thing of beauty.  It was delivered today by the lovely guys at Sports Authority, and it got its inaugural ride this afternoon.  This will be the tool that helps me beat Katie.  I plan on putting her picture right in front of the treadmill, pushing me to go that extra minute, that extra mile more, in order to kick her ass this Christmas.

Take that, Katie.  See you in December.