Sad how it usually takes a tragedy to get you to truly connect with people normally reserved for Facebook niceties.  That’s how it’s been for me today once I learned from a phone call this morning about my former co-worker’s suicide.  His wife, my good friend, found him last evening with their 2-year-old daughter.  She’s okay, thankfully.  Some 15 years ago I introduced them; Dave & I attended their wedding in 2005 when I was newly pregnant with Charlotte.  Of course my heart breaks for her and her daughter.  Talking with mutual friends today in Mississippi, Nebraska and California, there was some frustration expressed of course over how he could do something so selfish.  I don’t know there were any signs other than to learn he had been down the past couple weeks.  We all get down, so it’s tough to discern a more serious situation.  One of my eventual thoughts was to offer her our basement as a place to temporarily land with her daughter on the path to rebuilding.  Then I opened my devotional and read today’s entry:  Do not let fixing things be your top priority.  You are ever so limited in your capacity to correct all that is wrong in the world around you.  Don’t weigh yourself down with responsibilities that are not your own.  My close friend, also a widow, had some good advice.  She said be there for your friend after the funeral is over and she’s truly alone.  That’s when she’ll need me the most.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 41

Again this year Dave and I are sticking to everything the kids get at our house for Christmas is from Santa.  The benefit is two-fold; we don’t have to wrap the stuff, just put it in the stockings and set it out, and we can’t get blamed if the old man in the suit didn’t deliver something requested.  Fortunately, Charlotte and Thomas don’t care enough or are young enough the latter has never been an issue.  They are always thrilled with what awaits them Christmas morning.  Later at Nana/Papa’s they get to “open” presents.  Initially I planned to wrap some stuff from Mom & Dad and put it under the tree.  Then I thought, they’re 3 & 5, so sitting out presents with their names on them in advance of the day they’re opened would be too tempting.  (My sister was great at getting busted for “re-wrap” attempts.)  Not only that–wrapping additional presents means buying more and/or too much.  Santa’s haul will be plenty.  And outside of a few wrapped and gift-bagged items for my family and friends, this elf’s energy is going to baking.  Yeah, right.  I just wanted to make sure you read this to the end for a good laugh.

Benefit for Joan Nicholson, severely injured in hit & run motorcycle accident, this Sunday from 4-10pm @ Electric Park Ballroom in Waterloo.  Band, silent & live auctions, raffles, food & beverages–all ages welcome.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 41

I don’t get why so many people complain about Black Friday and how much they hate crowds.  Clearly a lot of people are not being honest, because when my mom and I showed up at WalMart around 11:30pm Thanksgiving Day hundreds of others agreed it was worth the trip.  Granted I was a bit overdressed having just come off the news desk as I smiled and stared at countless groups of shoppers huddled like cattle in aisle after aisle waiting for the electronics sale to begin at midnight.  I confirmed today when I asked a manager all 987 carts were in use inside the store that night!  No big ticket items for me.  I did snag a 3-feet-tall doll that looked just like Charlotte for 10 bucks.  (Will she read this some day and figure out I bought some of the Santa stuff when she still believes?  Better be careful what I post.)  Character pajamas were also a steal.  But in the end, we left with not much.  I needed more time and more energy.  Forget about Target.  The line outside was incredibly long and only small groups were being let in once it opened.  We sat in the car near the door, rolled down our windows and cheered when the first guy in line came out pushing a cart with his new flatscreen TV.  There is something exhilarating about getting usually over-priced stuff for so much less.

The Holy Walk, a family tradition in Postville is back this holiday season.  This Sunday, Dec. 4 from 5:30-7:30pm in Lull Park.  The interactive reenactment of Mary & Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem takes 20 minutes.   Park at St. Paul Lutheran Church to be bused to walking trail. 

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 41

The build-up to Thanksgiving was just too much for my two.  Nana and Papa are here, school is out and Charlotte and Thomas are over-tired… so the big meal was missing a 3-year-old to fill out his hand-painted vest and headdress.  He was lying on the kitchen floor in protest when he didn’t get to sit at the spot Sissy had already claimed. 

At least the 5-year-old’s pre-written prayer went off well.  Her meltdown came tonight when I had to go back to work.  It’s sad when it comes to holidays in that by the time your children are old enough to handle all the hustle and bustle and out-of-town visitors… they won’t even want to hang around us because they’ll be hiding out in their rooms texting friends and making plans to meet up with them ASAP.  On to Christmas!

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 41

Figured out a new trick to getting stuff done around the house with two little ones–if they are old enough, that is.  Put them in the bathtub, let them soak and play and soak some more as you race around cleaning and periodically checking in WITH TREATS.  It works!  I told Charlotte and Thomas to listen for the vacuum to stop and, as long as they weren’t fighting or splashing too much water outside the tub, that meant Mommy was coming in with another Gusher.  I admit it’s a sad ploy.  But I got the main floor organized and presentable for Nana and Papa in the process.  Eventually they jumped out, ran naked through the living room and pretended I was going to “get” them with the vacuum.  Screaming ensued.  It all ended well, minus the shriveled fingers and blue tongues.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 41

(This is my attempt to make myself feel better about working a day most of you are home.)

1) The rest of the world has the day off so you don’t have to put forth much effort.

2) You won’t make yourself sick with return trips to leftovers because you don’t have access to them.

3) Most of the managers don’t work so the underlings get to run things.

4) You get a day back (mine is Friday) or overtime.

5) People feel sorry for you and are amazed at your dedication.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 41

Wouldn’t you know this week it’s my turn to partner with another mom to provide the craft and snack for the Girl Scout meeting.  Charlotte loves being a Daisy.  Funny thing when I finally got the iron out of the basement to put on the vest patches, she said that was the first time she had ever seen one.  An iron, I mean.  It’s true.  I have never had one out in front of her because I never use it.  Daddy, thankfully, did all the ironing-on!  Back to the craft/snack… since Staci is able to attend the meeting, she is handling the craft part.  And that leaves me with the snack portion of the program–the suggested ones being something called Incredible Edible Nests or the classic Ants on a Log.  Both are no-gos as listed because peanut butter’s involved.  Yogurt cheese is suggested as a substitute.  Never heard of it.  Fortunately, a chat with Charlotte’s Troop Leader Amy gave me the green light to use cream cheese with the shredded carrots and pretzel sticks.  You shape the cream cheese and carrots into a nest, then stick on the pretzels.  I told Amy it sounds like a mess, but she was fine with it.  That’s why she is the perfect mom to lead this group–she’s laid back.  I am most excited about the cookie sale, of course.

Stop by the Casey’s Pub on University Avenue in Waterloo this Saturday from 2-8pm.  It’s a fundraiser for 7-year-old Jersey Barfels, recently diagnosed with Wilms cancer.  Walking tacos and another meal option will be offered for a free-will donation.  $10 t-shirts and $5 bracelets also for sale, along with a large bake sale and raffle.   

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 41

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 41

I confirmed today my hate/hate relationship with macaroni.  Years ago, in a story regularly retold by my husband and family, I attempted to cook macaroni on the stovetop then put the noodles in a strainer… then poured the milk I was supposed to add–in the strainer.  Why is it running out, was sincerely my initial thought.  I like to think I’ve reached a certain level of intelligence that apparently doesn’t leave room for much common sense.  Fast forward to this morning when Thomas requested his regular breakfast choice of macaroni.  No problem.  I grabbed one of those convenient single-serve cups ready to go in the pantry and popped it in the microwave, being sure to cover it with a paper towel so it wouldn’t overflow.  No worries about that happening as 30 seconds in a burning smell filled the kitchen and I peered through the door to see the container smoking.  In shock, I shut it off and carefully pulled out the charcoaled noodles.  Trying to be smart, I grabbed my cell phone and recorded a clip of the smoldering macaroni in case I needed documentation for a consumer complaint.  

Click here to view cell phone video.

Then it hit me.  Duh, Tara.  You forgot to add water!  Which reminds me I need to call Dave and let him know the burning odor that will meet him at the door is nothing to be alarmed about.

Hope to see some of you at Sunday night’s PurpleLight Vigil for pancreatic cancer in Cedar Falls.  Survivors and supporters will gather at the Overman Park Band Shell from 7-7:30pm.  Click here to sign up for free.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 41

The stuff that comes up chatting with kindergartners at a lunch table is pretty entertaining.  In typical 5 or 6-year-old fashion, each child always tries to one up the other.  Sitting with Charlotte and her classmates today, I noticed one of the apple slices on her tray still had the Washington sticker on it.  I pointed it out to her and mentioned most of the apples we eat are grown in the state where Daddy grew up.  So she, of course, shared that with the other kids only to be told by the girl beside her that HER dad had been to Washington once and she had a map with a mark on every place her father had visited–including another place in Iowa that is really far away.  Then the topic of age surfaced and distinctions were made between who is halfway to six and who in the class has already reached that old age.  That led to birthday party talk and I chimed in that Charlotte will be inviting everyone in her class to her party in May.  (Having not made the cut for a classmate’s slumber party in 7th grade, I refuse to put other children through that.)  Another sweet girl at the table informed me not to schedule the party on Sunday because she has church or on Tuesday because she has ballet.  I reassured her we will keep those days open.

Mini-dance marathon for Oliver Palmer (Waterloo boy with terminal brain tumor) this Saturday from 1-4pm @ Waterloo’s Phelps Youth Pavilion.  Oliver loves to dance and you’re invited to join the party!

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 41