The Seiler Haus Blaug

Sweet Charlotte

2010-04-11T16:48:00.003-05:00

Catherine made Aunt Brooke and I cry today when she decided to sing, in her endearingly Catherine way, "Sleep Sweet Charlotte"...

"Sleep sleep Charlotte, sleep deeply Charlotte
Dream of shells and twinkle bells, you'll find your dreams in your heart"

and indeed Charlotte snuggled into her arms and slept in a very contented manner.

Where did this child come from? What a gift.

The Ungrateful Daughter

2009-07-19T20:44:00.002-05:00

This is an "IN YOUR FACE" to my mom who only gave me this plant because she couldn't grow it and I am sure she didn't want to be responsible for its ultimate death. What would be a better idea than to give it to someone who is notorious for killing house plants? Little did we know that the perfect conditions for this particular plant would be found in my living room! What are the odds? Anyway not only does this plant now thrive, it is growing flowers!!! Ha ha ha mom.

A Weekend Away

2009-07-19T19:51:00.002-05:00

Don has had several weekends of on call work in the last month so we thought it would be nice to take a break. The kids have constantly been asking to go to the fondly-remembered Kalahari water park. While going to the Dells in the summer sounds rather like a recipe for disaster, we thought "why not?". We did however keep putting off making reservations for one reason or another until there were no good deals left. We decided to head somewhere local instead, so we thought we would try out Tundra Lodge in Green Bay.

Headed to GB on Saturday and lucked out with early check-in. Got to our room and Catherine was thrilled to discover her new all time favorite thing: bunk beds. She immediately claimed top but allowed Liam to hang out up there as well.

After changing as-fast-as-humanly-possible into suits, we made the trek down the long hallway to the elevator and down to "the most amazing place you have ever taken us" (quote from Catherine).

Don and I liked the fact that it wasn't so huge that we wouldn't ever be able to find Liam again if he decided to bolt. (Which you know he did on several occasions.) His favorite activity was going from bear paw to bear paw using the rope assist. I think he must have done it about 100 times. At first he kept falling off because he thought it would be smarter to just cross by running from pad to pad. After nearly drowning all those times he smartened up and started using the rope. By the end of the weekend he was a pro. (Of course)

Catherine was thrilled that she was tall enough to go down the tube slides by herself on her very own inflatable. Liam was not pleased that he had to be chaperoned but in the end the fun of it outweighed his displeasure. I attempted several times to catch them coming out of the tunnels but they were so quick this is the best I was able to get... you can almost make out that it is Liam and Don, and that they are smiling.

Catherine also found out what having a Connor is like. She met Taylor and of course they were "best friends forever"! The two of them spent most of their time together running around like crazies which is how I had a hard time getting photos of them. It was indeed a sad parting on Sunday when Taylor's mom said "Get over here right now young man! It is time to GO! Don't make me come in there and get you!" and he was physically dragged away. Ah, young love...

There was also a lazy river that James would have been proud of. There was a section that had geysers bubbling up and the kids thought it was great. Don and Liam got stuck in it.

Overall, four tired family members had a great weekend.

Best picture ever. (Love the hair on my boys)

Trip to the Lighthouse

2009-07-11T20:25:00.002-05:00

Don was on call so I thought it would be nice to do something I thought would be entertaining with the kids. It had been really hot so I decided that the best thing would be to venture out early in the morning so that we could enjoy ourselves without sweating. What could be better than a trip to the lighthouse? Apparently a lot of things.

The kids were not keen on being there and plodded along reluctantly asking "do we have to go all the way out to the lighthouse?" Being the stubborn individual that I am I said "absolutely". After using all of my tricks: count the boats, look at the seagulls, etc. they were most entertained with the idea of playing dead on the X that we found that marked the spot. Liam is a natural. Catherine's pose is confusing, perhaps she was told to put her hands in the air before she was "ended". We'll never know.

We did reach our destination to find many colorful thoughts written all over the lighthouse. Fortunately for me Liam cannot read. Unfortunately Catherine can. After a discussion of what things should not be written or repeated in public we made our way back.

After promises of strawberry shakes to whomever would stop complaining about the never-ending walk, we reached the car. Tell me again why I bother trying to come up with adventure ideas?

Visiting the other Jane and Don

2009-06-24T22:15:00.002-05:00

On Saturday we rose early and decided to head out to visit some old friends who we refer to as Aunt Jane and Uncle Don even though they are no relation. Unfortunately we did not all fit in one vehicle so we had to travel in groups of boys vs. girls. Don and Matt seemed to have an interesting conversation but Liam was not impressed. I think he missed his partner in naughtiness. Meg and I got to chat because Catherine was obsessed with her music.

When we arrived we were bowled over by the heat! I decided that I am a mid-west gal to be sure. I fizzle quickly in the sun. After being welcomed by Jane and Don we took a little walk around the yard and Liam found Uncle Don's tractor. Of course he climbed right in and looked for the keys. Poor guy, no luck.

The kids found the tree fort.

Liam got the opportunity to walk Aunt Jane's goat. She is holding the leash because she is worried the goat will take off with Liam attached. She didn't realize that Liam is one strong and obstinate little boy. We think he gave that goat a run for it's money.

Don also took a turn holding onto the goat. See how excited he is?

One of the few times we did get to see Catherine (the rest of the time she was playing with her new best friends) she informed us that it was "hot". Ha ha.

We did get to have a short visit with the other Jane and Don and also got to see Jess, her children, Audrey's daughter Loren, as well as Eve's stepson "Bug". We had a lot of Liam watching to do because there was not a lot of 3 yr old stuff to do around the house (that we wanted him to do). Still managed to have some great margaritas and a nice lunch.

Headed back home and spent the rest of the day lying on the couch exhausted from the heat. The kids got to take a "night swim" and then we planned our return flight. It looked like flights were going to be tricky on Monday and Tuesday so we decided to go for the sure thing and leave on the mostly open flight on Sunday.

Arrived home tuckered out Sunday night but with lots of memories to last us till next time. Thanks Meg and Matt for your generous hospitality!

Makutu's Island

2009-06-24T21:57:00.003-05:00

How much fun could it be the second time? Apparently as good as the first. The kids enjoyed going down all of the slides and meandering through the tunnels. Liam especially liked the zip line and frequently butted in line. Those AZ kids are tough though, and wouldn't let him take advantage. (Of course that didn't stop him from trying)

Catherine got to go to a special class to learn how to hula. Ask her to show you.

When we got home Matt graciously offered to smoke us a chicken. The kids and I watched the process and were suitably impressed. Lots of fire!! Who wouldn't like that? It was exciting and delicious. Probably wont be able to get our own or Liam might burn down the neighborhood.

Liam is holding the scorpion I found in Megan's washing machine. Glad it wasn't real. But I took a second look before pulling it out. I thought she was pulling a grandma Lauerman on me but she claims she has no idea where it came from. Sure, sure...

Appreciating the chicken. Mmmmm...

Splash Park Part II

2009-06-24T21:42:00.002-05:00

Another hot day in Phoenix. No, really. Took the kids to a splash park and they got to play for a long time. It was refreshing for the adults as well. Had a lovely picnic lunch and got to enjoy watching all the different things the kids there were doing. My kids aren't the only crazy ones. Don laughed a lot at one little chubby guy in particular but I don't think we caught him on film.

I Want an Octopus!

2009-06-17T22:01:00.003-05:00

Liam and Catherine started the day shortly after 5am. Guess they are still on Wisconsin time. Ugh. Liam crawled in bed with Meg and Matt and then the laughter began. I guess Liam is full of funny material.

Spent the morning at a really nice park where Liam antagonized a little girl for the majority of the time we were there until she left. It was very bizarre. For whatever reason he did not like her one bit. Then we went to a splash park because Catherine said it was "too hot" to play at the regular park.

Catherine and Liam made friends with two boys at the park and they played together for quite some time. It was a nice relief from the hot sun. Then of course the rest of the day was spent in the pool, swimming and splashing. 90 degree days sure beat the 60's back home. Don could only take so much...

Tucson?

2009-06-17T21:27:00.002-05:00

Time for the annual pilgrimage to visit the Milanas in Phoenix. Just ask Catherine and she could have told you "We go to Arizona in the pink month!" (On our calendar the month happens to be on a pink background.) And ever since we made the plans to come both kids have been asking "When are we going to Meg Meg's house?" The day finally arrived.

After doing the last minute packing I am famous for, we were prepared for an early morning on the road. Got up at 3:30am and were on the road at 4:30. Made the trip through Milwaukee and Chicago uneventfully, thank goodness. After stopping for what we thought was a quick breakfast we got back on the road and realized that we were running late. We wanted to make the airport by 8am and it was already 8:10. Then by the time we got to the check-in desk it was 9 and the lady tagged our luggage as "late arrival" and told us not to expect it if we did get to Phoenix on the 9:25 flight. We went through the security check and made it to the gate but unfortunately all of the standby seats were taken. After a call to Meg we tried to get on another flight that was leaving at 9:40 but had a stopover. Also booked solid. The next flight was at 10:40 but the woman at the gate told us there was no way we were getting on that flight either. Apparently there were an unusually large amount of people that were trying to get to Phoenix. Another call to Meg, and a frantic fit from Catherine later (why are all of the planes leaving us here?), and we found another flight but it was going to Tucson instead of Phoenix. Meg said "Get ON." We were to board the flight at 10:20. The plane was late. Then after we were on the plane they found a leak in the bathroom so someone had to come on board and fix it before we could take off. By the time we finally made it to the runway the kids and parents were crabby. The takeoff was a big hit for Liam and he seemed to enjoy flying until we got above the clouds and he couldn't see anything anymore. Then he started going stir crazy. When I was just about ready to jump off of the plane he fell asleep. Catherine had put on her headphones and immediately nodded off. 3 1/2 hours later we touched down in Tucson delighted to have put that part of the journey behind us.

Meg picked us up and we got to drive for 2 hours through the desert to Phoenix. Note to all: there is nothing exciting between Tucson and Phoenix except for an ostrich farm. Then we got to go to the airport to find our luggage which did indeed make it. Our luggage could get to Phoenix but we could not? Grr. Day 1 down. Liam and Catherine did get to go in the pool. Hooray.

Of course, why wouldn't he get it?

2009-06-13T18:44:00.002-05:00

Liam has developed a chalazion.

A chalazion is a lump in the eyelid that is caused by inflammation of a gland within the skin. Typically, a chalazion goes away within a couple of weeks. If so, no long-term consequences occur. If the chalazion lasts for weeks or comes back, then your ophthalmologist evaluates whether the lump should be removed surgically. The lump is rarely associated with an infection or a form of skin cancer. (thanks to www.emedicinehealth.com)

Glad we could help everyone learn about another medical wonder. Thanks Liam.

Sidenote to Meg: Check out those eyebrows huh?!?

Violent Tendencies

2009-06-13T18:22:00.003-05:00

Liam is in true form once again demonstrating that there is nothing he will not do; and the less sense it makes, the better. Yesterday he threw a flashlight and hit Catherine in the mouth (resulting in an hour long sob fest of "Liam, you're grounded!" from her). She is currently reevaluating her stance on sending Liam to military school. (Her original thoughts were that it was mean of Don and I to suggest it.)

And the affected area:

Note to future visitors: give yourself a nice cushion when in Liam's presence as you never know what may get launched (or shot) your way.

Guess Who's Older

2009-06-13T18:07:00.002-05:00

Watching Liam and Quinn together is always interesting. They each like to do their own thing and Quinn is a big help in watching Liam because she is sure to let me know what he is doing in a blow by blow commentary. Ex: "Janie, Liam is playing in the hose now, he just turned on the water, now he is running around the yard, oh, he is climbing on the roof of the house, can I climb on the house...etc"

Both kids decided that it would be more fun to be on the playhouse instead of in the playhouse so Liam climbed up first and then Quinn was too small to hoist herself up so Liam was sweet and reached down a hand to pull her up too. They stayed on the roof for quite a while. Liam by choice, and Quinn because she couldn't get back down. Ha ha. (And just in case you're wondering, no, I couldn't help her down.)

Soccer Year II

2009-06-13T17:57:00.002-05:00

Soccer was a bit of a letdown this year because several of the games were rained out; there wasn't really as much progression of skill through the course of the season. However, I am not sure that it would have mattered much, as Catherine took her usual laid back approach again this year and was contented to hang around the net as goalie. If she was placed on the field, she took to skipping around after the pack of ball hungry youngsters, enjoying the game from an onlookers perspective. What a funny girl we have?!

The following are some of the highlight shots of her practicing.

Dance Recital

2009-06-13T17:48:00.002-05:00

Catherine finally had her dance recital after many months of practice and preparation. She was in two different numbers and did beautifully in both. She was one of the few that were on the beat so we were proud.

Ballet costume

The recital was attended by her godparents - Jen and James, and Hummy and Papa. I think all were impressed and entertained with her skills.

She was however relieved to be done for the summer. "Mom, do I still have to go to dance class?" "No, dance is over" "Thank goodness".

Ooh La La

2009-06-13T17:15:00.004-05:00

Not exactly sure who took this lovely photo montage with Liam but it made me laugh to find them.

Sassy...

Flirty...

Bringing it Home!

Out of the House

2009-04-06T15:40:00.003-05:00

I raked all of the leaves out of the front yard and bushes to prepare for the spring and Don played in the driveway with the kids. Catherine got a new bike this year and was getting lessons on how to ride it and Liam was tooling around on her old tricycle. Then Liam got bored so Don put him up in a tree. Then of course Catherine had to go in the tree too. At least everyone had a good time. Except mom. Raking stinks.

Too much Wii?

2009-04-06T15:33:00.009-05:00

Question:

How do you know that Nintendo has too great a role in your children's lives?

Answer:

Your daughter tells you that she wants to name her future children Rosalina, Yoshi, and Toadette.

A Lost Tooth at Last

2009-04-06T15:02:00.003-05:00

Catherine has been dying for a tooth to fall out ever since she had seen Gavin's quickly emptying mouth. "When will my teeth fall out mom? When?" is all I would hear from Catherine on a daily basis. She would come to me with her whole hand in her mouth with her fingers on her teeth trying to demonstrate their wiggliness. Sadly it was just her vivid imagination.

Then last week when she came to me claiming for about the 100th time that she had a loose tooth, I gave her the "sure, sure whatever". But then I checked, and saints be praised - a wiggly tooth in the bottom row. (Oh no. I hate teeth, the thought of pulling them out and blood, ewww. I am sure it has nothing to do with the forcible removal of half the teeth in my mouth by a sadistic orthodontist.) Aunt Kate came over and had a go at trying to force it out while I retched in the background, but alas, little tooth was just not ready. This was a job for Aunt Jen, the tooth specialist.

This Sunday when everyone got together for our typical Sunday afternoon of food and games Catherine stepped into the powder room with Aunt Jen and several seconds later the sounds of screaming and elation could be heard simultaneously. Catherine was happy her tooth was out but when I cringed at the blood she went crazy with hysterics. (Leave it to mom to ruin the situation.) After calming down Catherine was more than happy to show off her prize tooth and also the new hole in her smile.

New Chairs

2009-04-06T14:47:00.002-05:00

Well, they are sort of new. Newly refurbished anyway. At 3 hours apiece I will really be appreciative if Liam is good from now on and decides to stay away from sharp objects.

They were indeed a chore. The obsessive compulsive genes that I inherited from my mother demanded that I take apart each chair and get all of the material pulled just right and all of the cord stapled on so they looked as close to perfect as humanly possible. Liam did try to help with the electric stapler but I was not too keen on that idea.

Here is the before. Nasty, worn down padding...

And here is the after...

Ahhhh, just look at that nice poofy seat. A treat for the butt to be sure. And another project under the belt.

Crimes and Misdemeanors

2009-03-02T15:12:00.003-06:00

It has been a long time since the last blog update. Don't let that fool you into assuming that all is going calmly here. Chaos greets us every day as soon as we wake up.

I have been too busy/lazy to catalog Liam's latest crime wave but here is a rough rundown:

1. Stabbing the dining room chair

Yes, that's right, stabbing the dining room chair. And here is the victim.

It was a nice funeral. All remaining chairs in the family were in attendance. Thankfully there were no other casualties in this vicious attack. (There has been a rumor that the family is going to enter a witness protection program a.k.a. become reupholstered, but we are waiting to ensure that there are no further attacks)

The following weapon was found at the scene...

***No, of course the butter knife was not the culprit, it is just being used to demonstrate the magnitude and utter fearsomeness of the actual weapon used. Sigh.

2. Slashing the kitchen sink hose.

I honestly cannot blame Liam for this incident as I have no concrete proof, but there is an uncanny relationship in the several knife crimes of late that add a certain suspicion to this...

I was rinsing some fruit out in the sink and had it in a colander. I pulled out the hose to spray the fruit and water squirted all over the kitchen instead. If I hadn't known better I would think Chris or Devon had showed up and pulled the old "rubber band around the sprayer" joke. Unfortunately I found that it wasn't the sprayer at all but the hose that seemed to have a very neat cut severing it almost all the way through. FUN!!! (Don read later on the internet that hoses can crack but this looked too neatly done and the hose isn't that old) There was an exciting period of looking under the sink to find any other damage associated with a leaking hose. Ugh. It appeared that luck was with us (go figure!) and there was little wetness under the sink. Thank goodness. Thanks to dad for passing on the handy genes; I later replaced the hose.

3. Breaking and Entering (and eating)

Liam has an annoying habit (ha ha ha) of constantly asking for food. He wants to eat at all times of the day except mealtimes. I can hardly blame him as I myself am a snacker by nature. Anyway, he kept asking me if he could have pizza and I told him "no, he would have to wait until I was done talking to Aunt Laurie" (thanks Skype!). Savvy as Liam is, he waited until I was wrapped up in my conversation to sneak into the kitchen (I say sneak but the truth is he walked in bold as brass), got in the fridge, and got out the pizza that he wanted. You can see by the following evidence that he was not at all repentant for his behavior, taking the relaxed munching approach.

Jen called today to update me on our 4K info for fall. (Liam and Quinn will be going to school together) A maniacal giggle erupts from me every time I imagine their teacher...

Another Fun Adventure

2009-01-18T18:48:00.002-06:00

Don - "Liam, Liam, where are you and what are you doing? Ohhhhh......"

Note #1: See the lack of chairs or anything used to climb onto the counter. That's right.

Liam - "GET OUT OF HERE!!!!" (Translation: You are spoiling my plans)

Note #2 - This is one of the cupboards with the lock as you can see. How did he get in here???

Note #3 - See those scissors? This cupboard will be raided in the future with those in mind. Oh yeah, he'll remember exactly what is in here.

Liam's probable thought process... "Wow, would you look at that!! I am sure I could do a LOT with this thing. Look at all my options. And I really didn't get enough weapons for Christmas. This is great!!"

"I have made my choice. Fear me..."

Note #4 - We are currently interviewing potential military schools, and penitentiaries. I only cry sometimes.

Oh NOOOOOO!!

2009-01-18T18:46:00.001-06:00

Another computer addict. People say that he looks more like Don all the time. This would have to seal the deal for me.

End of 2008

2009-01-18T18:21:00.002-06:00

Unfortunately, the end of the year went by in a blur with many parties, occurrences, and events. Don and I were not smart enough to have the camera with us, or were too lazy to take pictures, so this last entry for 2008 will be a hodge podge of stuff. Bear with us...

Liam informing Santa that he wants "guns, bow and arrow, guns..."

Catherine refused to sit on Santa's lap claiming that if it wasn't the "real Santa" she wouldn't be participating. What is up with this kid? An old, wise person trapped in a young person's body.

Catherine's Christmas concert at school. Don, Liam, mom and I attended. What a hoot. Don's favorite was the "Counting to 100 Song".

"They aren't really going to count to 100 are they?" Apparently so. The concert went about 45 minutes overtime. Ugh. Liam did not approve.

One of Liam's favorite presents (broken by day two). He also received three guns, a bow and arrow set, a whip that makes a cracking sound, and lots of other good stuff. His arsenal is complete. (Oh no...)

Christmas Eve at the Seiler's. Good times for all. And good presents. Catherine modeling her scarf/hood/mitten combo from Don's cousin Mi Sook.

Pippin!! Yes, yes, I know he is Jen's dog, but I made him a sweater. Isn't he sooooooo cute!!! Just look at that little face!

That rounds out the year pretty well. There was a lot that happened that I don't have record of, but then, I guess that means that we were having fun. Time flies...

Thanks to all family and friends that made 2008 a great year to remember!

First Big Snow of the 2008-2009 Winter

2008-12-10T08:41:00.003-06:00

Well, I guess it is going to be a white Christmas. The forecast called for 6-10 inches of snow on Sunday but by Monday they had amended that to 8-14 inches. On Tuesday school was cancelled (group "Hooray" from the kids) and the adults were left to snowblow/shovel their collective ways out of their homes. Here are some shots of just how much snow 8-14 inches looks like.

The railing of the porch outside our bedroom.

Accumulated snow on the deck.

One of our trees. (That lump is our sandbox)

One very happy little girl.

Being Evil is Exhausting

2008-12-10T08:35:00.002-06:00

I was working on the computer one afternoon after a particularly busy day and I heard what I thought was a snore. It couldn't be a snore though, it was 4pm, and the kids were playing in the den. Right??? I looked around me but there was nobody in sight. Then I heard it again. Definitely a snore. Hmmm. I looked under the table and laughed out loud.

He couldn't even be bothered to lay down on the floor. Just bent over a chair.

All of that evil planning takes a lot out of a guy.

6 Years Old

2008-12-09T15:04:00.004-06:00

Our little girl is six! We are so happy to have made it to this milestone, with so many good memories along the way.

We had a great dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, Catherine's favorite, and all of the relatives came over for cake and ice cream. Here are some of the birthday highlights...

Ah yes, the Wall E dvd.

A fold out fairy book.

Good times with Aena and Quinn, Catherine's two bestest friends. (Catherine is so sweet, she told Quinn that she could blow out the candles on the cake.)

The three layer cake. Normal cakes have two layers but Liam decided to eat one of the layers from the first cake and mom had to make an entirely new cake so there were three layers. Thanks Liam.

"15 Lbs. in a Peck"

2008-11-24T14:00:00.006-06:00

Brooke took Catherine, Liam and I to visit grandma and grandpa. For my own sanity I didn't tell the kids we were going until the last minute because as it was Catherine kept asking "When do I get to see grandma Bonnie?" until I was ready to gouge out my eyes. When we arrived, we were able to surprise grandma and grandpa (they only knew that Brooke was coming), and then we all went to bed, because it was after 10pm.

In the morning grandma made us all her famous "breakfast for 30" and it was great!!!! Catherine and Liam loved the pancakes, especially catching them.

After breakfast Jenny came to help grandma clean the stove. Grandma had a fire in the oven the day before and used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. It was a big mess. I removed the oven door and took it apart in an effort to try and clean the glass window. Sadly, nothing could be done and the window is still clouded over. But at least the oven still works.

We had a nice visit with Tom, Jenny and their kids. We hope that our bodies have not been chemically altered from eating the pizza contaminated with fire extinguisher residue. (Note: I kept calling Caleb Gavin because they look so much alike!! It is uncanny.)

After lunch Tom and Jenny left and Brooke and I took the kids out to a school play area so they could get some exercise. It was very cold so we did not play there long, but the kids seemed to like getting out for a while and we hoped it would give grandma and grandpa a short break from the cyclone that is Liam. When we returned to the house we found that grandma had put out a spread for us, complete with margaritas. Cheers!!

Here was grandma's idea for keeping Liam manageable... just kidding.

Aunt Sue and Uncle Fred came over to share dinner with us. It was quite the collaborative effort. Aunt Sue read the directions to me and I tried to execute them, and grandma buzzed around getting the side dishes ready. I got to try grandma's neat meat thermometer but I didn't use it right and the meat was undercooked. We had to put it back in the oven for another 1/2 hour or so. We got to have some lively conversations while it cooked and finally it was done and we could eat. It was worth the wait! Pork tenderloin with peppercorn sauce, yum. After dinner we all helped clean up and Uncle Fred washed the dishes!!! (Don, take notes)

After Aunt Sue and Uncle Fred left, we got the kids in their jammies and put them to bed. Then it was quiet enough for the adults to hunker down with some coffee and talk. We learned some interesting things about growing up Lauerman. Grandma regaled us with stories about grandpa's youth (I don't know how much is actual, and how much is contrived, but they were amazing stories and Brooke and I ate them up!) While we talked I gave grandma a pedicure! Her toenails are now a beautiful red color and she is ready for anything. Well, almost anything.

We got up the next day and tried to help grandma get a few of the household tasks taken care of before we left. Brooke vacuumed and I fixed a hook in the bedroom closet. I also counted out their weekly medication and tried to organize it - what a job!! (Hard to believe you need so many pills for just two people. Those things better be working for all the trouble they are worth.) After a couple rides around the room on grandpa's Jazzy we were ready for our photos. We tried to include kids and dog but things weren't going too well and we opted for whatever we could get.

With Liam and Mika

Without Liam and Mika (hm, maybe we should have left them home; well, not Mika)

The ride home was very quiet. The kids and dog had had enough. I think we were all ready to return home to the comfort of familiarity...

Thank you to G & G for putting us up (and putting up with us) for the weekend and to Brooke for getting us down to IN and back safely. Thanks as well to Mika for enduring all of the kids' antics.

FYI: There are 15lbs. of potatoes in a peck. Grandpa will never forget because he had to bag them at his parents' store.

Travel Fun

2008-11-24T13:19:00.004-06:00

What's more fun than a barrel of monkeys? Try four hours in a car with two kids and a dog.

On Friday night Brooke picked up Catherine, Liam and I and we headed for great grandma and grandpa's house. After loading the carseats into the back of Brooke's car we let Mika climb in and we were off. Poor Mika. She is used to having the whole back seat to herself. Unfortunately she was displaced by the carseats and Brooke was hoping that she would resign herself to lying on the floor. Mika would have none of that and tried to fit on the small scrap of back seat remaining between the carseats. It was a tight fit and she didn't care for it at all. She kept turning around, confused about where all of the roominess she was used to had gone. She tried sitting in Catherine's lap, which Catherine thought was funny, and then she would stick her butt in Liam's face, which Liam did not think was funny. Then there was the introduction of "confusion smell". Mika emitted one of the worst smells I have ever come into contact with, and then we all shared in her misery. ("Mika is that you? You stink!" - Catherine) Brooke and I continued to try and coax her onto the floor where there was a lot more room but she just wasn't catching on. I told Brooke that she should climb into the space so that Mika would be able to watch her and know where to go. Brooke was thinking she might have to do just that. Finally Mika got the hint, or just decided that it was way too tight between the kids, and made her way to the floor. She fell into a sound sleep. All that moving around and confusion wore her out.

I have to say that it went a lot better than I thought it would. Good girl, Mika. Good dog.

A worn out Mika

Still worn out

Showing her good side

You Can Only Hope to Contain Him

2008-11-17T22:42:00.003-06:00

Last week I got up from my desk and went upstairs to get a drink and see how everyone was doing. When I turned the corner into the dining room, I was greeted by this:

Jane was raking in the front yard and needed to keep Liam in the den, and she wasn't messing around.

Ironically, later this same day he charged at one of the windows in the front room with his fists out and smashed it. Miraculously, as with the other window he smashed, he was unhurt.

Wedding Well Wishes from Catherine!

2008-11-08T12:12:00.000-06:00

(Ignore the off-camera coach whispering)

Do I Hear the Baron?

2008-11-01T16:11:00.014-05:00

This Halloween we all dressed up as four of the characters from The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Jane spent weeks sewing almost all the pieces of clothing that we wore, and all were impressed. Catherine and Liam's costumes were beautiful and they looked VERY cute in them. Unfortunately Liam wasn't too pleased with the oversized ears, but we were just happy he wore the rest of his costume.

Here's a picture of the gang:
Clockwise from upper left is Don as Adolphus, who can hit a bull's eye from miles away (with his blunderbuss); Jane as the Baron Karl Friedrich Hieronymus von Munchausen; Catherine as Berthold, who would be running with super-human speed if it weren't for the leg irons; and Liam as the dwarf Gustavus, with super-sensitive ears and lungs.

Here some real-to-reel comparisons:

Here's some pics from the Herald Times-Reporter website:

A Well Executed Plan

2008-10-28T08:25:00.003-05:00

It is too quiet... something must be afoot...

Aha...

An open box of ice cream sandwiches!!! The plot thickens...

Yeah, I think I see something there...

And Bingo! The thief enjoying his spoils. Another successful plan enacted.

Final score: Liam - 1, Mom - 0 (Time: 8:15am, this is going to be a great day)

MyChew - My favorite new candy and commercial

2008-10-26T10:01:00.002-05:00

Aena gave Don and the kids some candy that she got from Korea. It is a-w-e-s-o-m-e!!! It tastes really good (made from fruit juice) and is kind of like gum but eventually dissolves. Don compares it to Starburst, but I think it is much better. Now the only problem is... how the heck do I get MORE!?!?!?!?

PUB KOREA MYCHEW 2
Uploaded by pierrot77

The Salvage of Don's Sanity

2008-10-17T16:44:00.003-05:00

After several days of working pretty continuously (day and night) at his job I was able to extract Don from his basement office to enjoy a gorgeous fall afternoon with Liam and I. We took Liam to Lower Cato Falls park and walked around and played at the playground. Liam thought it was "Awesome". The colors of the trees are probably not being justly portrayed in the photos but it was glorious. The crunching beneath our feet was well appreciated by all. Liam was intent upon swimming in the river but we nixed the idea and had him pose on a really big rock instead. He thought that was a good tradeoff. Enjoy our pics!

Jane's 33rd Year Celebration

2008-10-17T16:37:00.003-05:00

Ah yes, I am the big 33! To help me celebrate were the Vaters, Seilers, and Maurers. Thanks to all for the wonderful gifts and the warm well wishes. Thanks to all those who phoned or sent cards or both (we won't mention the forgetters, you know who you are!!!). Hopefully we will be able to share many more of these special days together.

Old Windows No More

2008-10-17T15:51:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, Oct. 4th mom and dad came over to help install the new front windows Don and I bought. You may need a reminder of why we bought them.

Liam thought that since he broke it he ought to help fix things. He got out his tool belt and his drill so he could work side by side with daddy. Note that he needs to be right in there.

And......After! They still need to be stained but what a difference. Special thanks to Dad for his help, and mom for letting dad help.

Now we can really spy on the neighbors. Doris style. (For those that are unaware, Doris is our cantankerous neighbor who has a frighteningly accurate knowledge of all that goes on in the neighborhood)

Pumpkin Picking at its Finest

2008-10-17T15:36:00.003-05:00

We went pumpkin picking with the Maurers and had a great time, as always. The kids were very specific in their pumpkin choices, although Quinn felt there were several that were worthy (every other one). No pumpkin would have been left behind if she had gotten her way. Often did we hear the phrase "I only have so much money!" from Jen. Fortunately we had plenty of money for all of our great pumpkin choices and everyone got to get what they wanted. And of course there were the famous poses on the haybale background. (Everyone was vying to touch the biggest pumpkin in the photo.)

Boulder Junction Vacation

2008-09-29T09:54:00.009-05:00

This weekend we went to visit Brooke, Jay and Mika and experience Beef-a-Rama. Were we in for a whirlwind time. After arriving shortly after 8pm on Friday night the kids tried out the new hot tub, ahhhhh. I think they really enjoyed their warm swimming pool.

In the morning Brooke and Jay left for their Rump Roast Run and we stayed behind to wake up a little more and prepare for a day of BEEF! We met them after they finished their run and were ready to hit the town. The girl in green holding the beef is a 5 time winner. I am going to run next year and beat her. No one should be able to monopolize all that meat.

Also along for the day of fun were Jay's parents, John and Gloria. Catherine enjoyed hitting all of the booths handing out free food with Gloria. Lots of little snacks to keep her busy. Liam liked the pirate ship with real pirate activity (they were shooting flour out of the cannons on the boat).

We spent the better part of the morning visiting little shops and eating lunch in an Irish pub. Unfortunately the day was overcast and chilly or I am sure that we would have stayed longer for the parade of beef. We went home at around 2pm to have some down time after all of the excitement. Brooke surprised the kids with cupcake baking and decorating which they loved. Sadly, Catherine got a little too close to the fresh-from-the-oven cupcake tray and got a nasty burn on her chin.

Brooke, Liam and I took a walk in the woods to keep Liam busy. He liked the large variety of sticks and rocks for him to choose from. He also liked that he could run pretty much anywhere and not get yelled at.

By nighttime the kids were exhausted and went right to sleep and the adults could spend some much needed kid-free time in the hot tub relaxing with some drinks.

On Sunday morning we went to the Outdoorsman for breakfast. It was delicious! Liam spilled his whole glass of chocolate milk in mom's lap but other than that things were great. Just look at how happy Catherine is with her breakfast.

We went back to the camp and went for a walk to enjoy the beautiful colors and get the kids out and active. Brooke taught the kids some tight rope walking and then we got to go for a canoe ride. Catherine even helped to paddle.

On the walk back to the cabin I got stung twice by a wasp which is why my pant leg is hiked up. Then when we went into the house to sit down I got stung three more times by the same wasp that was somehow in my shirt. Brooke saved me by getting the wasp off of me only to get stung by it as well. That was one pissed off wasp. Sorry Brookie.

We said a sad farewell to Mika who had begun to get used to all of the extra cuddling and was thinking maybe we were moving in. The kids certainly made themselves at home in her cage. (Hey, where can I get one of those. Is it still illegal to cage children? What if they are enjoying it?)

Thank you Creaghs for an exciting and memorable vacation, we have the burns and stings to prove it!

P.S. On the drive home the kids didn't even make it to Minocqua

Ready to Dance

2008-09-29T09:47:00.002-05:00

We enrolled Catherine in a ballet/tap class that is every Monday from now until the spring. At the end of the dance year they have a recital (which I hear is a real hoot). Stay tuned for updates on her progress...

In these pictures Catherine is showing me her "moves".

Catherine's First Day of School!

2008-09-08T21:52:00.003-05:00

Catherine had her first day (and week) of school last week. So far things are going great. She came home with a Problem Solver badge today!

The hardest part is seeing Liam so sad when he can't ride the school bus.

Fishing with Papa

2008-08-26T11:46:00.002-05:00

On Sunday we were able to go fishing with Papa! A fun time was had by all. Incredibly we remained on the lake (and in the boat) for a couple of hours, trying as we might to catch those elusive fish. Finally we were able to get a few, along with many laughs and many cries of "Liam NOOOOOO".

Highlights:

1. Catherine and Liam's smiles when they reeled in the fish

2. Liam throwing all of Papa's waxworms over the side (sorry Papa) I guess he watched E.T. one too many times (SAVE THE FROGS)

3. Catherine crying and scaring all of the fish away after dropping one of Papa's measuring tapes in the lake ("Mom, you have to swim down and get it!")

4. Don fishing

Uh oh, broken

2008-08-21T14:49:00.004-05:00

As if dislocating his elbow and getting a staple in the head weren't enough, it seems that Liam also found time to bust through the front window. Hooray. Thanks Liam. I guess that is the last time he is going to squeeze between the couch and the front window. Oh wait, he doesn't seem to be learning from his mistakes...

Mom and dad sure are having a fun time paying for this stuff.

They say that children are priceless? I am thinking that I could put a price on this one... think Liam, tied to a stake in the front yard, with a FREE sign around his neck. Any takers???? I am pretty sure nobody in this neighborhood would do it.

Mini Golf

2008-08-21T09:29:00.002-05:00

We have had some pretty nice weather lately so we decided to take Catherine and Liam mini golfing. Liam fell asleep on the way over to the mini golf course so we left him in the car and had a nice game with Catherine. (Not to worry, the parking lot is right next to the mini golf course so every couple of holes we would go peek in on our sleeping boy.) Catherine liked the game quite a bit and enjoyed the challenges that each of the different holes brought. After a while she did get frustrated and would just pick up her ball or push it with her putter into the hole. It was a nice break for the three of us to be able to play a game without the constant worry of "Where is Liam and what is he doing?"

Corn!

2008-08-21T09:23:00.002-05:00

Eat your heart out Uncle Matt! We had a corn party and boy was it great. Liam kept saying "Corn is AWESOME!"

911

2008-08-12T12:23:00.003-05:00

Liam got to visit the emergency room today! We got up, ate breakfast, and were lounging in our pj's having a regular lazy morning and decided to play a little wrestling and tickle torture. Liam and I were having a good time when Catherine decided to join in on the fun. While I was busy tickling Catherine, Liam launched himself over me and went head first and upside down into the entertainment center. Before he even got over the initial impact I had grabbed him and made a run for the kitchen. Then the blood started flowing!!! Screaming ensued: Liam in pain, me for Don to come quick, Catherine in sympathy for Liam's wound. I ran upstairs to throw on some clothes (there was no way I was going to the ER in pajamas), and we were out the door, in the car, and on our way to the hospital. A few minutes with a nurse and one staple in the head later and we were back home again good as new.

A quick note: If you need to go to the ER, Tuesday morning at 8:30am is a great time. There was nobody in the waiting room and that is the fastest I have ever had a doctor respond to an injury ever. Wow. (He did try to use the stapler upside down at first - Don wanted to know if there was a wet bar in the doctor's lounge...)

Liam's Third Birthday

2008-08-12T12:04:00.002-05:00

Liam made it to 3 - Yippee!!!! Thanks to all those who rescued Liam from danger, drowning, or destruction. Let's hope that we can keep him going for a couple more years at least. Here are some of the highlights from his exciting day.

Daddy's Bay Beach Birthday!

2008-08-02T18:11:00.003-05:00

Don turned 32 this past Monday and we all went up to Bay Beach.

Mommy and Catherine on the train:

Here's Liam shooting down the bad guys:

Here's Catherine and Mommy trying to touch hands on the swing:

Here's Daddy and Liam in the caboose on the train:

After that we had a fun lunch at the Hu Hot and Daddy never had a better birthday!

Beaker's Ode to Joy

2008-08-02T10:25:00.001-05:00

Catherine wanted to share this with everyone. My favorite is the top center one when he starts hitting the high notes.

Liam's First Major Injury!!!

2008-07-31T14:15:00.002-05:00

How has he made it this long?

I had to take Catherine to her 6 yr old doctor appointment today and sadly Liam must accompany us on these trips. I hate to take either of them there when they are well since we invariably come home with a new illness. Anyway, we had a crazed wait in the waiting room with lots of running around, me yelling at Liam to stop climbing over the toy house and just play in it, stop running over the old people's feet who are waiting for hearing tests, and mostly not to play with the gate to the front desk because those ladies certainly don't need him back there. (In my opinion they are asking for trouble by having that little gate anyway)

We finally get ushered back to the other waiting room and Catherine is told to wear a little gown so I am helping her change into that and Liam is touching all of the thermometers and other gadgets he can get his hands on. I finally just picked him up and said that he was going to be held and that was that. TIME OUT!!! He didn't like that one bit and started his best 'I am having a seizure' wiggling and squirming. All of a sudden he starts screaming like he has been stabbed. He keeps repeating "Don't touch it, don't touch it" and cradling his arm. I figure he just pulled a muscle or something so I just let him cry for a while. Then he really starts screaming and wailing. (Meanwhile I am waiting for the nurses to run in and find out what the heck is going on in this room, but no one shows. Does this happen a lot?) I decided that something was really wrong because he never carries on this long with injuries. At least we are at the doctor's office!!!! What a stroke of luck. I wait, and wait, and wait, for the doctor to come in. Finally I poke my head out and say "Um, I think my son has a broken arm or something, can I get some help?" The nurses fight over who has to go in because they are all busy. Unlucky nurse gets nominated and she comes in to take his temperature? What the heck?!? There is something wrong with his arm... hence the screaming and the clutching of the arm... Whatever. She assures me the doctor is on his way. Hooray, the doctor finally arrives and takes a look at Liam's arm. "How did this happen?" is of course the first question. I give my best "Who knows?" shrug. Next is the incredulous, "This happened in here?!!?" After feeling various points on Liam's arm the doctor makes the assessment that he has popped out his elbow joint (quite painful) and it needs to get popped back in. He proceeds to do just that with some quick twisting and a flip of the arm. Amazing. A couple of stickers later and everyone is happy. Time to head home for that drink.

P.S. Catherine got a big thumbs up on her health.

Catherine CAN'T stop

2008-07-31T14:10:00.003-05:00

I have caught Catherine several times now biting her nails, unfortunately that also includes (gasp) her toenails. When I told her it was gross and she needed to stop she looked me right in the eyes and said "Mom, I really want to stop but I just love it too much." Then she walked away. So much for that little talk.

Catherine's First Sleepover!

2008-07-16T22:32:00.002-05:00

Catherine had her first sleepover this past weekend, spending the night at Aunt Jen's house! Luckily her blankie shreds made it back safe and sound. Now if only we can get her to sleep in her own bed for a whole night!

Million Dollar Smile

2008-06-29T13:16:00.002-05:00

Father's Day

2008-06-29T12:47:00.006-05:00

I know it is long past but we just downloaded the picture and I thought it was a really nice one of Don with the kids. A perfect Father's Day photo!

Mr. Chips Strikes Again!

2008-06-29T09:22:00.000-05:00

First Pool Day of the summer

2008-06-29T08:51:00.003-05:00

It was finally hot enough to put up a splash pool on the deck and let the kids play. They thought it was a blast and had a great time getting in, getting out, getting in, getting out...you get the idea. After a while Liam became disgusted with his ill-fitting swimsuit and decided to go au naturale. You would have thought he would have been extra protective of his body now that he was "free" but it didn't slow down his daredevil nature at all.

Mr. Liam Bean

2008-06-23T12:35:00.000-05:00

Bay Beach

2008-06-21T15:42:00.004-05:00

Our first Bay Beach trip of the year! When we woke up this morning it was 60 degrees. By the time we got up to Green Bay it was probably closer to 80. Nevertheless we were prepared and brought shorts for the kiddos. Since we chose to go on a Thursday we were able to get on most of the rides right away. In fact Liam rode the planes by himself (with no other riders on the ride) about 5 times. He thought they were the greatest ride ever. I was getting a headache from the little "beep beep beep beep beep" of the guns. I feel for those ride attendants.

Aunt Caryn took the kids on their first Tilt-A-Whirl ride ever! Boy did they like it. I thought Liam's face was going to split in half his smile was so wide. (Naturally I stayed on the sidelines so that I could elude the motion sickness that is sure to accompany any ride that spins around.)

The slide was also a favorite but unfortunately it was running slow and we continued to get stuck. We ended up having to push our way down which is never good. For those of you that have experienced the slide on a good day you know what it is supposed to be like - FAST. We abandoned the slide and Caryn and Catherine hit the swings. Liam once again opting for the planes.

All around a good day. Liam crashed on the way home and I was able to lay him on the sofa for the rest of his nap/coma.

Birds???

2008-06-18T08:17:00.000-05:00

We found a nest of baby birds in one of the trees in our backyard. They are very ugly and pink without feathers (they must have just hatched). In the midst of our conversation about this new discovery Catherine gave me a very interesting lesson in the life cycle of birds.

CATHERINE: Baby birds are called snoogleboops.

JANE: Oh really? I didn't know that.

CATHERINE: Yes, they are. And then they eat worms and grow up and they become violinsos.

JANE: Wow. I had no idea.

All that college and not once a mention of a snoogleboop, what a crime. Thank you Catherine. Aunt Meg is going to eat this up.

Goodbye Mr. Chips? We wish

2008-06-13T15:56:00.003-05:00

It would seem that the boy named Liam likes his chips. Can't get enough of them in fact. Each day we are bombarded with a new chip mess of some kind. Why don't we hide the chips you might ask. But where would the fun in that be? And what humorous anecdotes could we write if we didn't have these chip shenanigans? This photo happens to show Liam just after a particularly satisfactory chip caper in which he got a bag of chips, dumped them on the floor, and proceeded to roll in them, crushing them into tiny pieces. Then he watched his movie and ate the chips lying around him. All in a good days work for Mr. Chips. (certain family members find these little stories entertaining so I will try to chronicle Liam's adventures - the problem is that I am usually so frustrated and angry I clean up the mess first and then think to capture it on digital "film" later) Believe me when I say that these events are not small in number and I am sure that if you tune in there will be many more...

I'm Tired

2008-06-13T15:44:00.005-05:00

Well, it seems silly to recap what Megan said about our visit to her since she did such a nice job. To see what I mean, visit her blog. I would like to add that a while before we left, and ever since we returned, Liam has been using the phrase "I'm tired" whenever he gets yelled at or asked to do something he doesn't want to. Unfortunately, we hear this phrase several times a day in all situations (Liam likes to do NOTHING we ask). I think this picture is a good summation of what life with Liam is like right now. (By the way, when he tells us he is "tired" and we tell him to "take a nap" he suddenly has a burst of energy and runs away, or cries) Sadly, I feel the ones who are tired are mom, dad, and Catherine.

Parliament!

2008-05-17T13:50:00.003-05:00

Me again. Finally got out with my camera on Friday evening and walked around the Parliament. Here's a shot I got from out front:

Here's the beautiful rotunda in the back, which I'm told is the Library of Parliament:

There are a lot of beautiful statues on the grounds, known as "Parliament Hill". Most of are of former Prime Ministers. Here's on of the cooler ones:

Here's a statue of the head of state, Queen Elizabeth II:

My co-workers told me that the Queen still has the legal authority to veto bills in Canadian Parliament. And of course she is on some of the paper and coin money.

This next one threw me. There is a small little shelter just for feral and stray cats on Parliament Hill, right next to the Parliament. I have a hard time thinking this would be accepted next to the U.S. Capitol building.

Lastly, this is the final week of the Ottawa Tulip Festival, so there are tulips EVERYWHERE. I'm told there is a really large planting at the other end of the Rideau Canal, but there were quite a few around the Parliament grounds, here's a close-up:

You can also see some in that picture of the cool statue up above. The link above tells you:

The Canadian Tulip Festival has grown into the largest Tulip Festival in the world from a gift of International Friendship given six decades ago. In the fall of 1945, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands presented Ottawa with 100,000 tulip bulbs. The gift was given in appreciation of the safe haven that members of Holland's exiled royal family received during the Second World War in Ottawa and in recognition of the role which Canadian troops played in the liberation of the Netherlands.

That's about it from me for touristy stuff for now. There's a lot more that I hope to walk over and see in my free time, and will get some photos when I can. Ottawa is a nice place, but I definitely miss home!

First View of Ottawa

2008-05-12T21:53:00.003-05:00

Here's the view from the balcony of my hotel room in downtown Ottawa. My office is just on the next block. There's some awesome sights to see that I'll get pictures of later this week and upload them to my Flickr set.

Due to some bad weather in Chicago yesterday, I had to wait in the Green Bay airport for 3 hours. Fortunately my connecting flight to Ottawa was also delayed, and I just made it on before they closed the doors.

So far the biggest differences I've noticed are that people pronounce "process" with a long "o" sound, the same hockey game is broadcast on two channels, one each for French and English, and that I should qualify for this TV show.

I'll try to get more pictures and shorter, more frequent updates for the next few weeks.

Three Knots!

2008-04-23T22:41:00.001-05:00

Liam re-enacting a scene from one of our favorite movies "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen". He actually does an AWESOME Berthold, I'll just need to get it on video.

The Next #4 to Be Retired ...

2008-04-21T21:03:00.002-05:00

Catherine has started playing soccer! She plays for the YMCA program on Saturday mornings. Contact us for a schedule if you want to come watch! See more photos on our flickr page.

Catherine draws her escape plan

2008-03-29T20:45:00.001-05:00

Catherine didn't appreciate being cooped up with Liam in the den while mommy and daddy tried to get some things done around the house. She even took to diagramming for us that she and Liam (on the right) need daddy (on the left) to open the gate (noted by the arrow).

Daddy's Trip

2008-03-19T23:15:00.005-05:00

Hi Catherine! Here's the pictures I promised for you to show you what I'm doing.

Here's the view from my seat in the school. You can see my teacher, Jim, teaching us stuff ... probably something awesome about recoverying from datafile block corruption!

I'll try to get a picture of the outside of the school building. It's a tall building called the Zurich Towers in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Here's the view from the hotel room where I sleep at night. No, I don't sleep at the school!

Here's the pretty fountain in the lobby:

Those are the pictures I have so far. The rest were too blurry. I'll try to take some nicer ones tomorrow. It's not a very exciting place and I miss you lots. See you on Friday!

UPDATE (21-Mar-08):

Here's a picture of the school building, although the school is only on the 16th floor.

Here's a picture of the car when I walked out of the hotel this morning. It is snowing a lot down here now.

See you tonight! xoxo Daddy.

Sicko Kiddos

2008-03-15T11:57:00.002-05:00

This is what we have been doing for the whole of 2008 so far. Lying on the couch and being sick. We began the year with vomit and moved on to serious head colds with phlegm and then we went through super high fevers with headache. Hooray. So far it has been a great year!!! We will update when we actually do something.

HIDING!

2008-03-15T11:56:00.001-05:00

Here's Liam in his hidey hole, which also happens to have all the potato chips and pretzels and fruit snacks.

Catherine ROCKING OUT

2008-02-19T14:08:00.001-06:00

Here's Catherine doing some serious head-banging in 2004.

You Can't Touch This

2008-02-19T13:35:00.002-06:00

Here's my mom during her rocker days. So glad I found this pic on an old scratched-up CD in the bottom of my desk drawer.

Here's the whole band. The one on the left has some attitude. My mom is seated in the front.

Liam doesn't need no stinking sled!

2008-02-12T16:08:00.001-06:00

Here's Liam running down the sledding hill, where he would normally just fall on his face and then get up and try to run off. He didn't want to use the sleds. He was very naughty.

A Blast from the Past

2008-01-31T13:50:00.001-06:00

Chris just had me dig up his photos from the old album, and I re-discovered the old photoshop contests. I uploaded the Catherine 2005 contest to our Flickr. I'll upload the Brooke one later. Perhaps we need to start up this tradition again!

Catherine riding the bus!

2008-01-17T09:25:00.000-06:00

Catherine started taking the bus to school on Wednesday!

Playing in the Snow

2008-01-14T14:37:00.001-06:00

The snow has come and gone, but the kids got out a couple times and had some fun.

Hoppy Holidays

2008-01-03T10:25:00.001-06:00

Uncle Douggy gave the kids a Jump-o-lene for Christmas. It's already been patched once but gets well used every day. Catherine has discovered that you can turn it upside down to make a big tent, although Liam still likes to jump on top of it.

Liam also likes to leap into it from the arm of the couch. He has some real daredevil in him. We'll probably plan to put more into the flex-spending account in the next few years.

Elfed!

2007-12-27T11:40:00.001-06:00

We Elfed Ourselves.

Cheese!

2007-12-17T11:43:00.000-06:00

Just a little pre-Christmas picture for everyone.

Snow!

2007-12-02T15:42:00.001-06:00

It snowed a lot last night! After daddy shoveled (and a neighbor helped with nice snowblower), Catherine got to go outside during Liam's naptime.

Happy 5th Birthday, Catherine!

2007-11-29T00:00:00.000-06:00

Catherine turns 5! Here's a look back and her birthdays so far, plus one just prior:

Mommy-to-be with Catherine out front!

Hello, world!

First birthday, 2003.

2 years old in 2004.

3 is a magic number, 2005.

4 more years! 2006.

Wishful Thinking!

2007-11-15T13:14:00.001-06:00

Here's Cat and Liam looking through all the Christmas toy catalogs that seem to come in the mail daily.

Catherine meets Google

2007-11-06T23:17:00.000-06:00

Catherine called me over to help her find a Barbie pajamas dress-up game on the web. When I got to the computer, I saw that she had already done some searching on her own! She is truly hooked on phonics.

Trick or Treat!

2007-10-30T14:36:00.001-05:00

Jane turns 29 for the 4th time

2007-10-22T13:21:00.000-05:00

Up North!

2007-10-22T13:17:00.001-05:00

Here's Catherine doing all the work to make uncle Jay look good. More pictures from our trip to Brooke & Jay's northern retreat on our Flickr set.

Catherine Goes to Kindergarten!

2007-09-09T23:12:00.000-05:00

Catherine started her year at the new 4K program at the YMCA this week!

Life's a (Bay) Beach

2007-08-22T16:27:00.001-05:00

The Seilers and Maurers made a trip to Bay Beach. Don shared his big slide technique with Owen and now demands a rematch! See more photos here.

Liam's Jeep Ad

2007-08-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

Jeep used a picture of Liam with the remote control Jeep he got from Hummy for Christmas. It appeared in the NY Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today on August 13th and 24th 2007. See if you can find him!

Original picture of Liam and his Jeep.

Happy Birthday Liam!

2007-08-04T08:46:00.001-05:00

For pictures, check out the birthday set!

Hillbilly Bonnie

2007-07-31T12:06:00.001-05:00

Liam Flaunting the Rules!

2007-07-09T10:55:00.001-05:00

NO JUMPING!

All I learned I learned from Sesame Street...

2007-06-28T14:30:00.000-05:00

Don wants to know why I get a kick out of pushing people's buttons. I must have learned it from the master... Ernie! (Also, I love Bert's psychotic laugh at the end.)

The Lighthouse Family

2007-06-24T11:32:00.001-05:00

The Lighthouse Family, originally uploaded by Seiler Family.

The Seilers and aunt Lauren took a walk out to the lighthouse yesterday. Lauren snapped this picture, there are more in our flickr pool.

Domino Rally

2007-06-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

Another racing Junior

2007-06-14T11:14:00.001-05:00

Pictures 062, originally uploaded by Seiler Family.

Knock-knock Joke Transcription and Analysis

2007-05-29T11:47:00.000-05:00

Some of you might not fully understand what's being said here, so I'll provide a transcription and some explanation to help out.

Joke 1

Catherine: Knock-knock
Liam: Who's there?
Catherine: Peach!
Liam: Peach Who?
Catherine: Peach you gonna lock the door?
Liam: Ha ha ha.

It took me a few days before I realized that the joke should have been "Orange you gonna lock the door?" where "Orange" is like "Aren't" in classic knock-knock verbiage. Catherine probably assumed that all fruits are interchangeable and went with our fuzzy friend, the peach. Liam still liked it.

Joke 2

Liam: Knock-knock
Catherine: Who's there?
Liam: Ahhchoo!
Catherine: God bless you who?
Liam: Ha ha ha.

This one is a bit easier to understand. Liam gave the punch-line when he should have just said "Ahhch" and Catherine responded in kind. Then Liam laughed at his own awesome joke.

Prepare to have your sides split

2007-05-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

Huh?

2007-05-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

Catherine Posing at the Milwaukee Zoo

2007-05-03T21:39:00.000-05:00

Thanks to aunt Kate for the photo!

Owen's Nuptials

2007-04-16T16:53:00.000-05:00

I just showed Catherine the footage of the movie that James took of Owen's First Communion.

She said "I didn't know Owen got married!!!" She was very shocked.

My mother-in-law the child pornographer

2007-04-05T12:03:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, up until recently I hosted some Gallery installs for my family and my in-laws. I've stopped offering this and have convinced most to switch to flickr, but I hadn't yet removed the old pictures.

So last week, the ISP that hosts those old galleries forwarded me this email:

----- Original Message -----
From: "Telefono Arcobaleno" <reports@telefonoarcobaleno.com>
To: <redacted>
Cc: <newyork@fbi.gov>; <children@interpol.int>;
<nit.procura.siracusa@giustizia.it>
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 5:48 PM
Subject: Pedo hard pics (4290/2007)

>
> Hello,
>
>
> we wish to inform you that the following internet site/s hosted on your
> server/network were marked out as containing pedophiliac material (pedo
> hard pics)
>
> http://www.vater.us/gallery/v/Family-Album-2005/album31/album26/
>
>
>
> Thank you in advance for your co-operation.
> Awaiting your kind reply to
> reports@telefonoarcobaleno.com
>
> -------------------------------------------------------
> Telefono Arcobaleno (Rainbow Telephone),
> a non-profit making Association for Children's Rights
> via Cavour, 68 - 96012 - AVOLA (Siracusa) - Italy
> http://www.telefonoarcobaleno.org
> +39 0931 562098 (phone)
> +39 0931 564950 (fax)
> -------------------------------------------------------
>

That's right. The FBI and Interpol were even brought in. I've since pulled all of the galleries, not because of this garbage, but simply because I had been meaning to do it since the end of last year. That particular link went to an album that my mother-in-law had set up entitled "Rub-a-dub-dub, Three kids in a tub" and had pictures of my daughter Catherine and two of her cousins, Gavin and Quinnie. NAKED IN THE BATHTUB!!!!!!111

I pulled a backup and am presenting you with the most offensive picture in the group, tastefully censored for God-fearing eyes.

The scandal! Thankfully this was the only photo where YOUNG PENISES were on display. I'll say nothing of the bare, female chests. AVERT YOUR EYES!

The rest of the photos pretty much only show above the waist, and anything below the waste is always underwater. Leave it to Italy's finest to keep things in line.