A New Photographer

Claire has a new hobby! She loves to take Daddy's camera and snap shots of everything in sight. Here are some samples. There is a trend with pictures of people (no foreheads!).

sweetest EVER.

sunglasses
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

I know I'm her mom, and of course I think these two pictures are the sweetest pictures ever taken, but...aren't they??

We were walking to the car at the park, right into the setting sun.
Claire: Mom, the sun is in my eyes.
Me: Do you want to use my sunglasses?
Claire: That would be great!

I hand her the sunglasses and she puts them on, we continue walking a few steps.

Claire: Mom, you're the best.

Cut off!

The power cord that charges my laptop battery has finally broken down for good. I've ordered a new one, but it just can't get here fast enough. I feel so lost without my computer! All the pictures I need to download, all the blogs I want to read! Then again, I'm not nearly as desperate as I would have to be to go down to Circuit City or somewhere and buy one off the shelf. They can't even sell me the correct one, I'd have to buy a plug adaptor in addition to the power cord. I paid less than half of the cost Circuit City gave me by doing a little research online, and I'm getting the exact cord I need. Come to think of it, I could have paid for overnight delivery and STILL saved over $100 dollars!

Rock Climbing and Lobsters

You can't go wrong moving to a place with world renowned rock climbing and lobster restaurants.

More House Pictures

Here are some more pictures of our new house. We love it and can't wait to start making it our own. This one is the back yard, which has a nice fence to allow two-year olds to run free!


Here is a picture of the living room taken standing in the dining area.



...and a limited view of the kitchen (the fridge is staying thankfully!).

Its Monnie's Birthday!

Happy Birthday Monnie!!

A big group of us went out for dinner on Saturday night to celebrate at Old Fashioned. Its a cool restaurant in Madison that uses all Wisconsin products throughout their menu. Great food and great views of the capitol.

Its been a long time since I've posted anything. Claire has been sick the past two or three days, so mostly I've been sitting with her on the couch, while Mike does laundry. Or Mike sits with her on the couch while I do laundry. We have a lot of towels, but we can't seem to keep enough clean. I'm hoping today is the turning point, and so far, it seems to be.

Success!!

Our House
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Our trip to Maine was a huge success! We found a house we love in the perfect area with great neighbors. We are so excited to move in. It has three bedrooms, a fenced in backyard and a garage (rare in Portland). There are parks and a library within walking distance, and across the street is full court basketball and a huge open and flat field. I can't wait to get there and start making it our own. Claire thinks it should be a purple house. Think she'll settle for a purple bedroom?

Also, on Sunday, we went rock climbing. And by 'we' I really mean Mike and a bunch of people went rock climbing. My new friend, Nicole, and I watched and laid out on the warm rocks and played with Nicole's dog, Gus (a huge golden doodle). We also went for an accidental hike trying to find a second cliff where some of the climbers were. We misjudged and ended up blazing our own path through the woods trying to find the bottom of the mountain. It took us just about an hour to do, and my quads are horribly sore today!

We also ate lobsters. What a fun (and busy) week. There are more very impressive rock climbing pictures on Flickr. I'm such a wimp, I was afraid just watching.

eavesdropping

talking
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Claire is talking to my mom on the phone. I've been listening to her half of the conversation.

"Grandma? Are you still talking? I want Grandpa to be on the phone."

This girl knows what she wants.

Claire's "Friend" Grant

Most of you who read this blog don't know Grant. He is a friend of my brother's, a big tall guy who is as nice as they come. Claire does not like him at all. She really doesn't like boys in general, but Grant is different. Its like he is the Leader of Boys, and therefore the one to be most cautious of. But at the same time, she's curious about him. For example, if he happens to stop by to see my brother, Claire will hide under blankets or in the bathroom until he leaves, and then for the next three or four mornings, she'll wake up saying "I don't like Grant". But, when we are playing and I ask her what her pretend puppy's name is, it will be Grant. Or I'll ask her who she thinks is calling when the phone rings, and she will say it is Grant. And today after we finished drawing a picture for Uncle Dave, Claire wanted to make one for Grant. So we did. I always include some quotes from Claire on her art. Here is what Grant's drawing had written on it:

"Claire what do you want to say to Grant?"
"I don't say anything to Grant."
"What does Grant look like?"
"He looks like a banana."
"What does his nose look like?"
"A big circle."
"What is his favorite color?"
"Purple and blue. Blue and purple."
"Where does Grant live?"
"At the North Pole."
"Does Grant smell pretty?"
"Like a birthday cake."
"What do Grant's toes smell like?"
"Potatoes." (laughs for the first time during the conversation. Up to this point it was ALL business.)
"What is Grant's job?"
"He delivers presents. For Christmas Eve."
"Do you want to say anything else to Grant."
"Not anything."

splashing around

splashing around
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Mike and I have been very busy since he got back from the cabin. We knew we had a lot to learn about buying a house, and we were right. But I do feel like we have a good handle on things, and we have some great resources both here and in Maine. I really can't wait to get there and look first hand in a few days. There is so much going on right now, but so far, not very much to actually report. I'm sure that will change soon enough.

And while Mike and I are house hunting, Claire will be doing whatever she wants with her Grandma and Nana. I'm pretty sure my mom never let ME splash water around until the rugs were soaked.

More cabin pictures.

Eric sent the pictures he took, and I made a set on Flickr of all the cabin pictures. They are really beautiful, check them out.

Cabin 2006

silhouettes
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Everyone is back, and we have pictures already (courtesy of Sheng). The beach looks amazing in the winter.

I said I'd post a few pictures, and I tried to get them all to show up without having to click on links, but it turned out to be too much work. So click away!

Dancing Silhouettes

Sunset at the winter beach

Black River Falls

A Marine

The guy from RiverDance

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Match Day Madness is still sinking in around here. We have a million decisions to make in the next few weeks. Hopefully Mike and I will be able to fly out soon and do a little house shopping, and after that I think quite a few things will clear up. It certainly is an exciting time in our lives right now.

Mike and his friends took off for the cabin last night. This is the tenth year the guys have gone, though I'm not sure they ever have gone in the winter. I checked weather.com, and its definitely cold up there, getting down to 6 degrees tonight. Makes me want to put another sweatshirt on just thinking about it! Brrr! Meanwhile, Claire and I are in Green Bay spending some time with my parents, watching some basketball, and just having fun in general.

Got What We Called For!

We're going to Maine!

Basketball Night

Originally uploaded by shalberg.

After taking a week off because of being sick, Mike was back to playing basketball, and Claire and I were back to cheering him on (in a new style). They even played the yellow team, or "The Big Lemons" to those of us on the sidelines. We giggled about their yellow outfits the entire game.

Match Day tomorrow. We'll post the destination as soon as we can.

A Message for Nana:

Things Are Improving

We are definitely on the mend. Every day we feel better and have a bit more energy. What has been really nice is that Mike is one day ahead of me. He got sick the day before I got sick, and his daily improvements are exactly what I experience 24 hours later. So as I type this, I am feeling pretty good, but I know that by tomorrow night, I will be feeling great. I can't believe how much this bug took out of us, it was such a huge drain. But its going around, a middle school in the area closed down Thursday and Friday because 248 students and over 20 faculty called in sick with the same thing we had. That's crazy! It sure is good to have some energy again, and if all those kids are following the same course we have, they'll be ready for school tomorrow morning with no problem.

So on with the Match Day Extravaganza! Its this Thursday! Three more days!! Match Day has been such a big thing on the horizon for such a long time, something we have done so much to prepare for, that it seems unreal that it is this week. It is exciting, to say the least.

Sounds like Potty

We ventured out for a grand total of one hour today to get necessities. When Claire and I ran into the library she had to go to the bathroom. This entails taking off the "Claire's Sick" layers of clothing and then waiting for the family restroom to open up, all the while praying I am not to late! Finally it was our turn and Claire started peeing. I said, "Claire, sounds like tinkle tinkle." She scoffed her reply, "No daddy, it sounds like potty." We did eventually leave the library and as always, made sure to jump over the cracks on the way out!

Call her Miss. Riddle!!!

We are all still sick, but it has given the three of us lots of quality time watching Dora the Explorer and sipping Ginger Ale. On Dora, there is a Troll who asks Dora and her friend Boots (aka Mr. Riddle), lots of riddles which they must answer to cross his bridge. Yesterday I thought it would be fun to ask Claire a few of my own.

Dad: What is red on the outside and has white teeth and a tongue inside?
Claire: No, daddy, yellow on the outside! (She wanted the answer to be banana)
Dad: It's not a banana Claire.
Claire: banana?
Dad: No, not a banana. Try again, where is your tongue?
Claire: Right here (pointing in her mouth).
Dad: What is that?
Claire: My tongue!
Dad: Okay...Where do you put your food?
Claire: In my kitchen!
Dad: No, No...What about your chocolate milk?
Claire: I dropped it on the floor.
Dad: Let's start over. What is on your face right here (pointing to my mouth)?
Claire: MY LIPS!
Dad: Are you joking with Daddy Claire?
Claire: Ha, Ha, Ha.
Mommy: Claire, where are your teeth?
Claire: In my MOUTH Mamma!
Mamma smiles and daddy faints.

If you have any good riddles let me know and I will post Claire's response.

Being Sick Wasn't Part of the Plan

We are all sick today. I was awake for less than three hours yesterday and Sheela is yet to get up today. Claire is still sick, but slept only an hour or two (including last night). Hopefully we will feel better soon, it is cramping our social schedule.

Note to sickies: Watch out for Tylenol (acetaminophen). I typically take the normal Dayquil, Robitussin regimen when I am sick. Today I was looking at what I actually took yesterday - too much acetaminophen. Dayquil (two gel caps twice during the day = 1000mg), Robitussin (normal adult dose 2TBSP twice during the night=2000mg), and Tylenol for my headache (two Tylenol twice=2000mg). Total is 5000mg, and I took everything as prescribed!!! The maximum dose for people with a healthy liver is 4000mg, putting me over the limit, and I definitely would have taken more if I hadn't caught myself.

Surrounded by Sickies.

Mike and Claire are sick. Nothing too bad, just some belly aches, congestion, tiredness, low-grade fevers and on Claire's part, general crabbiness. They both are camped out in the living room watching Sesame Street, and I'm hoping they fall asleep sometime soon. So far, I don't have any symptoms, and I'm pretty sure that it has something to do with the Moms Can't Get Sick Rule. Growing up, I remember my mom getting sick one time, and I was sick right along with her. She claims its because of The Rule, but I have a suspicion that there is a second part of The Rule, Moms Can't Get Sick, And Even If You Were Sick, Moms Don't Get Sick Days.

We're a pretty healthy group, so hopefully this will pass quickly and we can get back to normal around here. In the meantime, I'll be using handsoap and anti-bacterial gel like there's no tomorrow.

Happy (almost) Birthday, Dave!

Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Mike and I took Dave and Sharon to a Bucks game last night for his birthday (which is on Tuesday). We went out for dinner before the game at Colonel Hart's, which doesn't look like much from the outside, but is actually a very fun sports bar on the inside. The game was a lot of fun. We lost and lagged behind almost the entire game, but a huge comeback in the 4th quarter got everyone on their feet, so it was a really fun game to see in person.

And just so everyone knows, this picture shows exactly what $150 seats look like...so HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE! Nothing but the best for you!

My Butt is Broken!

Tonight Claire was looking in the bathroom mirror and noticed a problem. "My Butt is Broken" she said, "It has a crack in it!" I don't know if this is contagious, but you may want to check your own butt for cracks tonight!

Basketball

"GO BLUE TEAM!"
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Claire and I tagged along tonight to watch Mike play some league ball. It was great. Claire totally got into it, cheering "GO BLUE TEAM!!" and "GO DADDY!!". And she waited very patiently for her time to go out on the court and dribble during time outs.

Mike's team won, I actually got to watch the game, and Claire got chocolate chip cookies and an excuse to yell. Lots of fun for all!

While you were out.

Last weekend while I was in Green Bay, my dad and I blew up about 100 balloons, and then my mom stuffed them all in my brother Dave's closet. Then when he got home, he had this to deal with:


Ha! Fun times. We all laughed a lot harder than Dave did, but thats the point sometimes. My dad is always playing little pranks on my brother. My favorite one (its happened a few times, from what I understand) is the bubble wrap on the tire of Dave's truck prank. Bubble wrap can really make some noise when you run a car over it, especially to an unsuspecting driver. Its pretty funny, you should try it (not you, Mike :).

laughter

happiness
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

I really wish there was audio to go with this picture.

Four Days Left

This has been a crazy month! I have been working my butt off at the hospital (as you can tell by the pictures of me sleeping all over the house!). But in just four days I start my month of vacation! Best of all, I just got my board scores back = PASS! This means that I can relax during my month off and enjoy match day (March 15th I think).

Remember, there is a giant party coming after I graduate!

Mike

Dinner with a 2 year-old.

Originally uploaded by shalberg.

She's eating apples, see?

There is more to see at flickr, if this isn't enough. Mike was sitting across from her either copying her faces, or making the face for her to copy. Fun fun.

Sunday Afternoon

sleeping
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Hope everyone had a Sunday as relaxing as ours.

The Dad Fish

The Dad Fish
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

There has been some speculation about The Dad Fish and his wrestling abilities. So I went and asked The Dad Fish if he wanted to wrestle Samantha Fish.

As you can see, The Dad Fish went and hid behind the snail's sign.

No Swiping!

Yesterday I asked Claire where the blue clip is that I use to close the spinach bag in the refrigerator.

"I swiped it!"
"You swiped it? Where did you put it?"
"Better check the map, Mom."

Of course. The map. This can only be a direct result of the game we were playing at Nana and Bapa's house a few weekends ago where Mike would swipe something and hide it while I drew a map showing how to find it. Then Claire would go on an adventure to get it back. Its not quite as much fun, though, when the 2 year old is the one doing the swiping.

Also, we got two goldfish today. Claire had one fish a few months ago, but it didn't last more than three days. I hope these fish last a bit longer, and if not, well thats really okay too. Claire had them named before we got home: Samantha and Dad.

Changes abound!

It started last week when I was watching Mason. Jalyn came with Elissa to pick him up, and when she was here, she used the bathroom. Claire asked me where Jalyn went, and I said "Jalyn is going potty on the toilet, because she is a big girl", and I swear I saw the lightbulb go on in Claire's head. Since then, she's been wearing underwear (just like Jalyn) and going potty on the toilet (just like Jalyn). She had one accident since Friday, due to the fact that she was playing computer games and couldn't quite tear herself away in time. But otherwise she's perfect. We've even made a few trips to the store and to Jalyn's house without a problem.

And so, because she is a big girl now, I took the front off of her crib and she adores the new freedom. Now she has a "big girl bed, just like Jalyn". She only fell out one time last night, and immediately wanted to go back to sleep in her big girl bed. I didn't plan it, but its worked out really well because Claire has put the two things together. Going potty in the toilet means a big girl bed. Its good motivation. And having a 4 year-old friend that Claire idolizes is really wonderful.

Jokes

"Claire. Why did the chicken cross the road?"

"Huh."

"To get to the other side!"

silliness.

silliness.
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Claire and Mason, James and Elissa's youngest, acting silly.

I have a perfectly sweet picture of these two, but where is the fun in that? This one is much more interesting as well as accurate.

Balloon Love.

a 'baby' balloon
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

And a picture to break up these text-only posts.

This is Claire's 'baby balloon'. She loves it so very much, as you can see.

Who can I blame?

I have been so tired lately, and that has translated into being lazy. So I have been trying to find things to blame it on. For a little while, it was Brazil. Never mind that I gained FOUR HOURS of sleep on the plane coming home. It was low-quality sleep gotten on a plane, after all. I could blame Mike. He hasn't been sleeping well, and he could be keeping me up at night. Or, it could be that I am not sleeping well, and I'm keeping him up at night, but I doubt it because then I would have to blame myself. Then there is Claire, kicking up the "I'm 2 year old" attitude, which is a giant drain on energy. And the weather? Cold and cloudy. Not exactly uplifting. So really, when you look at it, its no wonder why I'm tired!

My projects.

I've finally started knitting Mike's second replacement mitten. I have had the first finished for a while now, but somehow, that second one has been slow in coming. Honestly, I've knit three other pairs of mittens, a pair of socks, and a scarf since I finished the first mitten of Mike's. Sorry, Mike. Now I really want to start a pair of socks for myself, but I just can't justify it if Mike's mittens are not done. Hopefully he'll still get some use out of them since its only February. I also want to try hand-dyeing yarn. I've been reading all about it and getting pretty excited to try it out, but again, not until that mitten is finished.

Mike and Jim were in a tennis tournament last weekend, and they took third. It was fun to watch Mike play again, its been a while since I have. And it was thanks to Nana that I was able to. Claire wanted to walk around almost the entire time, and Nana went along with her every time. Claire actually did spend a few minutes watching, kind of.



After the last match on Sunday, we went to the Kinsella's for the Super Bowl. I will agree with most of the reviews I have heard and say that it was a good game. I cheered for the Steelers, but I definitely wasn't very excited about the whole thing. I paid more attention to the commercials than anything else (my favorites were the ameriquest and sprite ads). And now we wait for the next season to start!

Talking with Claire

Me: What is your mom's name?
Claire: The Boss.

Claire: Mom. Come here in the living room.
Me: I can't right now.
A few seconds of silence...
Claire: Just try mom. I know you can. (Obviously we've been working on 'trying' lately.)

More pictures!

We're Here!
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

I just remembered Mike's camera had a bunch of pictures on it too, so I was able to put a few more on Flickr.

This picture of Mike was taken within the first three hours of being in Brazil. It was right after I got sick. The roads we were on were so twisty and hilly my stomach just couldn't take it. I felt better looking out the window. Maybe because I could see what was coming, or maybe because I had views like the one in the picture.

People Who Love Me

Claire and I rolled out a long piece of paper today and started drawing stick figures. She quickly titled the work "People Who Love Me", and so we started assigning names to the drawings. I drew most of the people, and Claire would finish up the faces. She did an especially good job with Bapa's face,




but when it came to her daddy, she insisted on drawing the entire person herself.





I was very impressed, I had no idea she could draw a stick figure so well. As we were drawing, we talked about each of the people we drew. Here is what Claire had to say.

Daddy: Daddy can jump...like this! (Claire would jump up and squat way down)
Mama: Mama does this. (Claire began to spin in circles)
Monnie: Honk! Honk! Monnie says Honk! Honk!
Jim: Uncle Jim is funny.
Bapa: Do some exercise.
Nana: Nana has green hair.
Grandpa: I like to drink hot coffee with my grandpa.
Grandma: Grandma likes shopping at the shopping store.
Dave: Dave swinging me at Grandma's house.
Sharon: Sharon likes balloons.

When we were finished, we taped the paper to the wall. Claire looked at it and said, in a very quiet voice, "Oh Mama. Look at all the people who love me". What a sweetie.

A present for Mike?

Its a 'Clocky'. Many people have heard the stories about how Mike can sometimes get a little confused about what time it is when he wakes up, or a little concerned that the alarm clock won't actually go off and wake him. There have been many nights that he has gotten up at 1am convinced he is late. He has even gone as far as showering, shaving, and eating breakfast before he realizes he has four or five more hours of sleep to get (I generally sleep through all this). Most nights he sets two alarms, just to make sure he wakes up. So I think the Clocky is a great thing for him. Its a normal alarm clock until you hit the snooze button. Then its wheels start to turn, it rolls off the nightstand and into some hiding spot in your room. When the alarm sounds a second time, you have to get out of bed and track it down to turn it off.

Sounds like a fun idea, but I think the design could be improved upon. It looks pretty strange to me.

Brazil!

Brazil 2006
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

What a great time! We got back yesterday morning and drove off right away to pick up Claire. We both missed her so much, and its great to be back home, even if it is 50 degrees colder.

Brazil was fabulous. We went to at least one beach every day. We ate amazing food, went to parties, concerts, and clubs. Ana and Luiz were wonderful and showed us a great time. They took care of everything, and it was a truly relaxing week for Mike and I.

A few things I remember:
1) Traffic is insane. Motorcycles ride between lanes of traffic. Everyone drives 80mph or faster. People walk and ride bikes across highways. On city roads, there are speedbumps everywhere, some of them completely unmarked. At one point, we were behind a policeman. He pulled over to let us pass so we could go faster. Luiz is an incredible driver. He can park his VW Polo in a spot three feet long.

2) Pretty much everyone has a year or two of English. The first phrase they learn to say is "the book is on the table". Its kind of a joke (they have a SNL-style skit where two people are having a conversation in english and the portuguese subtitles only say 'the book is on the table'). Every person I met who didn't know English said "the book is on the table" to me. Or I would say it to them and get huge laughs.

3) We had a few funny misunderstandings. Mike and I were telling Luiz that snow is good for children, they like to play in it and so on. He understood us saying that snow is good for chickens. Mike was laying on the couch and Luiz came into the room and said "Upstairs!" when he meant to say "wake up!". Mike started to go upstairs until he realized Luiz meant wake up. Ana was giving us a few options of things we could do while she was at mass. We could go along, take a nap, go to the beach. Mike thought she said we could come to mass and sleep.
"People really do that?" he asked her.
"Yes, of course"
"Really. Hm. Thats interesting."

3) One night we were going to a birthday party that was at a house in the middle of a banana tree forest. It had been raining a bit that day, and we got a late start, so we were driving through the banana tree forest at night, in the rain on a road much like the one to the cabin in Ironwood, when we came up over a hill and saw a huge puddle blocking our way. We couldn't tell how deep it was, and decided it was not worth it, so we turned around. It rained all night, and the next day, we found out the people who had already made it to the party had to call a tow truck ($400!) to get the cars out. The water was more than waist deep (they found out because one person decided to try it and got very stuck.

We did and saw so much, I don't think I even have a favorite. It really was a vacation of a lifetime, and we are already planning to go back! Thank you so much to Ana and Luiz, and their family and friends. You all made us feel so welcome!

A little post-boards fun.

Granny gave us a 1994 Plymouth Acclaim. Jim was able to drive it from Ironwood to Ripon. Tonight, we went to get it and bring it back to Milwaukee, and we had an adventure! We stopped at a gas station in Ripon to fill up, and as we were leaving, Mike noticed a loud and horrible noise coming from the front right tire. He decided at first that maybe it was okay to drive since Jim had just driven it all the way from Ironwood with no problem, but after a very short time, he figured he'd better turn around and go back to the gas station. I was following him in my car thinking that maybe he forgot which way to go (I was helpful by flashing my lights at him and putting my turn signal on where we were suppose to turn. He ignored me.). Back at the gas station, neither one of us could really see much under the car, being 9:00pm and all, so we borrowed Claire's flashlight. The flashlight is shaped like a big blue hippo, the light coming out of his mouth, and when you turn it on it laughs a loud dopey laugh. I felt very grown up. But even with the flashlight, we couldn't see anything. Still the noise was so bad and horrible it sounded like the tire might be falling off, or maybe when we weren't watching, a bunch of kids came and replaced our perfectly good circular tire with a square one. We both were stunned that we couldn't see a thing wrong, even with our levels of expertise, given the noise. Finally after calling our dads, we decide to drive it back to Russel Manor rather than drive it home, and decide the next step later. As I'm following Mike out of the parking lot, I noticed sparks coming from under the car and then right in the middle of the street, the wheel actually did fall off. Because he was turning, it kind of turned around backwards and got pushed up against the wheel well. Twenty minutes later a tow truck showed up, and I was surprised to see a large puddle under the broken tire. The truck driver told us that when the tire fell off, it pulled the whole axel with it, making a large puddle of transmission fluid. So, I guess thats that.

But we finally made it home. I think Claire had a really good time hanging out in the gas station for about 45 minutes while we talked on the phone, pretended to make decisions, and then finally sat and waited for the tow truck. We really didn't talk about the situation then, but on the way home, we were able to laugh about it. Like the part when I noticed the wheel fell off, and the first thing I thought to do was flash my brights at Mike. The horn would probably have worked better, but in reality, as the driver, HE NOTICED the wheel had stopped functioning. Or the part when Mike got out of the car, looked at the wheel and then tried to push it back to its correct spot. Or Claire's perfectly concise summary: That blue car is broken. In the end, we were pretty lucky the whole thing didn't happen on the highway, or any other place not as convenient as directly in front of a gas station. And anyway, we'll worry about it when we get back!

Love for Uncle Jimmer

See Jimmer?
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Claire and I were chatting and eating lunch today:

Claire: Who will take care of me?
Me: Who do you think will take care of you?
Claire: Jim.
Me: Why will Uncle Jim take care of you?
Claire: Uncle Jim lives at Monnie's house. Monnie lives at the rainbow. Jim and Monnie and me slide down the rainbow. See my daddy.
Me: Uncle Jim is going to take you to slide down the rainbow?
Claire: Yes. Jim funny. (laugh)

So there it is. No pressure, Jim, but your only niece is really counting on you sliding down the rainbow with her.

winter is back!

drip
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Who would have thought we'd get snow again in January? I was kind of getting used to those 40 degree days. What a crazy winter. It was a wonderful surprise to look out the window and see the snow falling. Claire and I wasted no time getting outside to enjoy it, and then went back out yesterday for more. It was beautiful, not very cold, and everything was covered in a layer of snow. It was one of those days that after you come back inside you can't see anything because it was so bright outside. We had a lot of fun, and I took a lot of pictures.

Other than that, today is Boards-Eve, and thats big news. We're also getting very close to Leaving For Brazil Day, and I can hardly contain myself I'm so excited. A vacation! And one that does not include interviews!! Wheee!

dress up

Originally uploaded by shalberg.
















All the cool princesses wear their crowns backwards.

Doesn't feel like a Friday.

Congratulations to James, he matched in ophthalmology at Madison. He and Elissa (and the kids) sound very excited about living there. I'm very jealous they already know. Our Match Day is March 16, still about eight weeks away. Eight weeks too long, in my opinion.

There is not much to blog about. Mike takes Step2 on Monday and he's using his time to study. Claire and I are hanging around at home for today and tomorrow since we don't have a car. Mike's is getting a new ignition module after an providing an unpredictable drive to Motocross last week. It is kind of nice to not have a choice but to be at home. January sure has been busy. I think February will be slower, and a nice change.

Boy did I have a hard time getting out of bed this morning. Claire was jumping on the bed, all excited for the day. "Mom! Lets paint! Lets make cupcakes! Lets go to the library! Lets play computer games! Lets spin around until we are too dizzy to stand, and then run in circles for an hour!" Ugh. "Lets go back to sleep until noon" was my compromise, but it was NOT accepted. I got up and we painted. I guess I can't win them all.

Mama told me.

Claire was in the store with my mom today, and they had this conversation:

Claire: Grandma. Mama told me.
Grandma: Mama told you what?
Claire: Mama told me buy some chocolate.

I of course didn't tell Claire to buy some chocolate, and when my mom told me about it, Claire wouldn't even meet my eye. She sure is crafty.

The Bachelor in Paris

I have not watched any of this season yet, and honestly, I don't think I will. I've heard enough from other 'medical spouses' to completely turn me off. The bachelor is an ER resident, but from what I've heard that little tidbit about still being in training somehow fails to be mentioned. And all the girls comment on his doctor hands, and get really excited when they hear he is a doctor because he is their type all of a sudden, and so on. I wasn't even thinking of posting about this, but then I found an idea another med spouse had, and I love it:

The show should have a "Joe Millionaire" twist. The ending would go something like this: You have just won the heart of a doctor...in training! He makes $30,000 a year. He has over $200,000 in student loan debt. He will consistently work 100 hours a week and, when home, have the mental capacity of a drunk! CONGRATULATIONS!

Now THAT would be a show I would watch.

Syracuse is Family!

I arrived in Syracuse today. I'm getting to hang out with family that I haven't seen in years (and they are GREAT). Tonight we saw my third cousin Steven's basketball game and also went to see Great Aunt Pat (and Ken, Ken and Tom). If you follow this you are one step ahead of me!!! What fun.

Motocross Adventure

Dave and I got FREE tickets to Motocross today!!! Tons of high flying motor bikes and more mullets than you can imagine. It was Dave's first tour of downtown Milwaukee so we walked around a bit and saw the sites. I leave tomorrow morning at 6:00am for upstate New York. Mary Hellen is taking me in (she is soooooo nice). We have been talking a lot lately about the big birthday bash in New York (I was like 8?). If you have any memories of this trip please leave comments because mine are fairly foggy (I am really hoping for a good Uncle John comment here!).

Here you go, Mom.

Oh-My!
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Claire and I were walking through the store yesterday, when she stopped and reached up to hand me something. "Here you go, Mom."

I couldn't really see what it was. "What is it, Claire?"

I took it, and found out it was a huge booger. "Its from my nose, mama."

But I had already taken it, so now it was my problem. I guess I should just be glad she didn't eat it.

january?

red
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

What a great day today! Claire and I spent quite a big of time outside in the fifty degree weather, catching up on our vitamin D requirements. Its so nice to have a sunny day once in a while, and its like a super bonus when its sunny and warm in the winter. Usually such a bright clear day goes right along with 'too cold to play outside for long'. So we definitely took advantage of it.

I love this picture. Claire goes everywhere in those ruby slippers.

mooching.

Claire and I have been visiting my parents for the week. Mike is doing his intense study for the boards routine, so Claire and I packed our bags and made our escape. We've actually been pretty busy. I submitted our applications for Brazilian visas, just in time I'm sure. Actually, we have yet to find out if they were submitted in time, but I got 'em in as soon as possible, so there really isn't much more I could do. The Brazilian Consulate "does not expedite tourist visas". So whatever. It took so long. They (the Brazilian Consulate) really wants to know a lot about your trip. Ana even had to write a letter stating how she knows us, what our purpose of visiting is, and a day-by-day itinerary. And then she had to have it notarized before she faxed to me. It seemed like every time I was ready to submit, they came up with one more thing for me to track down. But its finished.

I started and finished a blanket in record time. I used a blanket my cousin made, and my mom ended up with at the Annual VanLaanen Christmas Party, as a guide. I actually really liked the one my cousin made, and stole it from my mom. But I really didn't mean to steal it, I just put it out with all of our other stuff when leaving, intending my mom to see it and then it would be a joke. But the next thing I knew, we were home and so was the blanket. My mom did get it back, so I had to make one for myself. I used really soft flannel, and it ended up being the perfect size for Claire, or for your lap, but usually Claire has it. And with the blanket finished, I started knitting some socks for my mom. She bought some yarn for me, so I could make her a pair. I'm working them from the toe to the cuff, opposite of what I've done in the past, so I can make the leg as long as possible and not worry about running out of yarn before the foot is done. I like it, its fun to mix things up, and the yarn is great too.

the good life

the good life
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Claire and I lived up when we were in Rochester. Mike was gone most of the time, so Claire and I ate M&M's, jumped on the bed, ran up and down the halls and rode in the elevators. And that was just at night. In the morning, we ate bagels in bed, watched back-to-back Dora episodes on cable, and then wandered the city (via some pretty incredible skywalks) stopping at toy stores, drinking some chocolate milk at Barnes and Noble, and playing computer games at the public library. We sure had a blast.

Claire and Gina

Claire and Gina
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

Gina and Devon watched Claire for us one night so Mike and I could go to one of the applicant dinners. Looks like Claire behaved herself just fine.

All of Us

all of us
Originally uploaded by shalberg.

At the Mall of America. Claire thought it was great. It gave me a headache. We didn't buy anything, not even a ride on the merry-go-round, but we did get to see some cool and yummy things.

On The Trail Again.

Mike, Claire and I are spending the week in Minnesota. Mike is busy with some serious interviewing, while Claire and I are laying low and having some fun. We're staying with Devon and Gina, and they really couldn't be more welcoming. Its been so nice staying at their house.

Yesterday Claire and I spent some time at the Community Center. They had a preschool open gym that was a lot of fun, and they have something called The Blast. You know those tube and slide setups they have at Chuckie Cheese? Well, thats what this is, but times 100. There are all kinds of different climbing things and bridges, and there are a couple space ships mounted on big springs you can climb to and play in. Its two stories high, and there are a few slides that go from top to bottom. Claire had a lot of fun, and as soon as Mike got home, she wanted to go back. All three of us had a great time crawling around. Today I think we'll check out the Mall of America, depending on when the interview finishes up.

The other cool things are Devon and Gina's two dogs, Ohmy (I don't know how to spell it, but thats how you say it: Oh-My, and yes, it is a fitting name for this dog) and Vinny. Claire and the dogs get along so well. They jump up on her and lick her face and she loves it. She gives them kisses, and they don't seem to mind. And they follow her everywhere. Yesterday, I put Claire down for her nap and a few minutes after she went down, both dogs were in her room, sitting by the pack'n'play just watching her sleep. I really wish I would have had my camera, it would have been a great picture.

So we're having a great time and the interviews are going well too. I also have some pictures to post, but I haven't quite figured out how to get online with my own computer, so I will have to post them later.