Thought I should probably update this thing. Should be writing a paper right now, but I'd rather do this. Since my last post Ellen turned 3. We had a little party for both the girls up in Clear Lake, and then they both had their own little things just with us here at home. Ellen still really doesn't get it, but she likes to sing Happy Birthday. We got her some toys, and I came by yet another good deal on a kids bike. Got Mara a bigger bike back in August, but it's still just a bit too big for her liking. So I set out to find Ellen a deal on a 12" bike. I found one at a Local Bike shop. You could consider it a boys bike since it's red and has flames on it, but the way Ellen rides, i find it quite appropriate. The first time I put her on a bike after riding a trike for a while, she took off. I had to put down my coffee in a neighbors driveway and run after her because she doesn't know how to stop yet. The last couple of times we've gotten the bikes out, she likes to go around the block. She goes all the way around without stopping and she doens't like it when anyone is in front of her. I'm so proud. But I do have to go ahead of her at the corners to make sure she slows down for the turns.

Ellen and Daddy on the home stretch.

Ellen and Mara both like to ride their bikes in the driveway and garage now. We either block the end of the driveway with the van, or we just stretch the garden hose across the driveway and tell them not to go over it to keep them out of the street. Surprisingly, they both respect the garden hose boundary.

Mara and Ellen on bikes. (Mara's new bike, that she doesn't like yet).

We'll continue to work on this biking thing.

Lot's of other stuff has been going on. Went to Des Moines the last two weekends. Once for a family gig with the Schwartz's that ended up in Brian going to the ER on Saturday and Mara on Sunday.

If you were ever wondering what would happen if you tried to break on 8ft fall from a bridge to the bottom of a ravine, well, here ya go:

Brian followed me over a mountain biking obstacle, and didn't quite make it. But I really do admire him for giving it a go and taking his first broken nose like a man. From here on out, he's not quite the pretty boy he once was. His neck pain immediately following the crash bothered me. It bothered me alot. So we hiked out of there and called Jen to come and take him to the ER. I went back and tackled that skinny one more time in is honor. Funny thing happened though in all of this. Just a couple miles into the ride, Brian wasn't diggin' his dark glasses. So he took them off. Couple miles after that, he got a skeeter in his eye. My helmet has a visor on it that doubles as a skeeter blocker, so I gave him my amber lensed glasses to wear. Unfortunately, neither his helmet nor my glasses survived the crash. Dammit.

Mara developed a fever on Saturday and into Sunday. On Sunday whilst all the others were at church, I kept the kids at Pam and Gary's. I felt Mara's head after a while and she was burning up. Turned out to be a 105.2 degree fever. So with the advice of a friend, I took her to the ER. They helped get her fever down but did little else. Stacey took her to our doctor on Monday and it turned out she had Mono. I've never heard of a kid her age getting mono, but apparently it happens. She was out of school for a week, and we got some much appreciated help from Gramma K on Tuesday and Wednesday and from Gramma S on Friday. We really apprecitate the help. Mara is back to her old self again now.

Mara in the ER. This was the worst she looked. Good thing Doggy was with us.

Got a big weekend of bike races coming up. I'm stoked.

9/11

I remember exactly where I was when I heard about the terrorist attacks of 9/11 on the twin towers of NYC. I was working with my cousin-in-law in Woodale IL. Just a smidge from Ohare. Stacey was working in downtown Chicago. She was in easy visual distance of the Sears Tower (she could also see the center of Soldier Field from her office. Go Bears.). When the sky was clear of all air traffic, the sky was eerily quiet. You don't notice a Jetliner taking off and landing every 35 seconds after a while until it stops momentarily. I remember not being worried about myself but wanting my wife to get the fuck out of downtown. Fast. Everything obviously turned out fine for us, but even though it may sound trite, I feel it's important to tip our brows to the folks that paid the ultimate price that day. They went to bed the evening before just like I'm about to. Thinking it'll be another average Tuesday. Some of them probably left for the day on a sour note with their kids and/or wives, unbeknowst to them that it would be the last time they ever see them again. I remember the patriotism that followed. The comraderie. The togetherness. It's sad that it took an event like that to make us all feel like that.

Been a long time

I've got no excuses for ignoring this blog. I haven't been particularly busy other than some travelling here and there. Been riding some bikes, drinking some beer, playing with the kids a lot, generally just laying low.


Went on a Family picnic one day.


Mara's B-Day Party at our house.


My Buddy Reed got married in August. It was a very simple wedding, and its simplicity in my opinion made it the most beautiful wedding I have seen or have been part of.


Stacey and I at the reception.

Finally I'd like to talk about the upcoming start of the NFL season. I don't do this very often, but I have to commend the Chicago front office for offloading ol' noodle arm to Denver.




Cutler may have a reputation as being a whiner, but Denver isn't exactly the most hospitable place to be a QB. Ever since Elway left, they have been waiting for his clone to show up out there and it just ain't gonna happen. I may eat my words, but all in all, Chicago is in better shape than they were at the end of last season. Opening night I'll be sittin right here with a pint of 1554 and some chicken wings. The NFC North is going to be a division to watch, though I'm hoping Adwewale Ogunleye takes Favre out once and for all.