Thursday, February 26, 2009

An Ikea Birthday...

This past Sunday we went up to the Twin Cities to celebrate Diane's birthday. We met at Ikea and then went to Molly & Chris' place to celebrate. Grant made the chocolate cake of all chocolate cakes. Anne took a few photos and passed them on to us (below).


Sammy the executive...
...at home at Ikea...


A man was making balloons for the kids at Ikea...
...Sammy of course asked for a white horse...
...unfortunately the balloon popped...
...all that was left was the head...
...so we left the horse's head on a bed display at Ikea...


Maker of chocolate cake of all chocolate cakes...
...Grant puts finishing touches on the cake...


The birthday girl and her cake...

Conversations with Sammy

Occasionally we post conversations with Sammy. We try to be as accurate as possible to what he said. What follows really happened...today.

Sammy found a replacement button which came with some new clothing Michele had purchased. He approached his father asking him to take the button out of the plastic bag so he could play with it.

PAUL: I'm not so sure I should take this out of the bag.
SAMMY: I want it.
PAUL: Uh, well, go bring it to your mother.
(Sammy exits with the button in the plastic bag...then returns with the button sans the bag)
SAMMY: See Daddy?
PAUL: Huh.
SAMMY: Daddy says no. Mommy says yes.
(Sammy smiles at Paul then walks away and starts playing with the button)


This really happened...today. Sammy just turned three. God help us.

Uke-aposition...

What happens when you juxtapose a soprano ukulele with a bass saxophone in a duet?


At first we were scratching our heads until the sax joined in...

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Sammy's Virus...

Sammy came down with a virus of some sort early Monday morning. Michele too. While Sammy recovers, the house is pretty quiet...and that's when we start to notice Sammy's little touches...


Sammy stationed a valiant sentry by his mother's bedside
-- wielding a lethal paper clip --
presumably to guard her skin lotion...

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Sammy's 3rd Birthday Party - More Pics

Later in the day, we had cake and started to open Sammy's presents. Much later, an old family friend named Yukon Jack stopped by, but that's another story.


Sammy admiring his cake...



He then asks for assistance...


Sammy blowing out his candles with help from cowgirls Avery, Kendara, and Michele...


Benton amazed us with his track laying abilities...
...in mere moments he had a complex layout that we could never create...


Demure Diane forsook Gaucho Grant for Cletus the 3-headed cactus...


Jilted by Diane the Demure...
...a sad Gaucho Grant faded away into the sunset...

Guess who's birthday is coming up?

Make sure you tell Annie Happy Birthday this week coming up!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIE!!!!

Sammy's 3rd Birthday Party - Cowboys, Banditos, and Mustaches

What would a cowboy birthday be without real(istic) cowboys? For Sammy's birthday we had a whole herd of rip-snortin, darned-blasted cowboys (and cowgirls). Here are a few shots of some of the various hombres at his party earlier in the day.


Gaucho Grant and Demure Diane...
...check the paper for any "Wanted" listings about them...


Groucho Grant, Demure Diane,
Abeline Annie, Frito Bandito,
Juniper Jessica, and Johanna Bandanna pose for a photo...


....only to find out it's lawman Sammy who is the photographer...


All day long Sammy was putting wayward cowpokes in the clink...


This isn't PhotoShopped...
...Veto the Cat actually sporting a mustache...


Gaucho Grant went straight and became a lawman...
(see badge on his shirt)


The good guy always gets the girl...
...at least in Southwest Rochester...


Frito Bandito (sans the mustache) plucking the ukulele...
...he was later apprehended and convicted on being woefully out of tune..

Sammy's 3rd Birthday Party - Preparations

Preparations for Sammy's 3rd Birthday cowboy took more work than a Texas-sized roundup. We corralled his Aunt Diane into working some of her magic with the food. And Grant figured out how to inflate Cletus the cactus (after Paul and Anne scratched their heads for 30 minutes). Thanks Diane & Grant!

The carrot cake from Daube's Bakery was wonderful. We had purchased western-themed napkins and plates with a cowboy on them. When Michele took the napkin to the bakery, they said they'd do the same on the cake. Cowboy Sam was pleased with how the cake turned out.



Mice eggs...

More vittles by Diane...


Cletus the 3-headed inflatable cactus...


All ready for the festivities...


One of the napkins we had purchased..


Sammy approving of the cake...


The cake...
..keep in mind they were working with icing...
...not fresco/plaster like in the Sistine Chapel..




Monday, February 02, 2009

A Super Superbowl...





“I think it’s meaningful for everybody, for America in general,” said Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. “You don’t have to be a big-market team. You don’t have to be a big-market player. We don’t have any superstars on our team that require attention. To do it with the humility and the unselfishness that this team has done it with sets a good example for teams to follow.”
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28973195/



We have been Steelers fans going back to the 1970s. Paul's father grew up in Western Pennsylvannia, so our family always loved the Steelers. Three years ago Paul watched Super Bowl XL with his father. It was the first time in over 25 years that together they got to watch the Steelers win a Super Bowl. While they watched the game, newborn Sammy rested at the hospital with his generous mother Michele (who let Paul slip out to be with his Dad).

This year Paul's father could not be with him but Sammy could. So the father/son tradition of watching the Steelers win a Super Bowl was continued. Paul becomes uncharacteristically (very) animated when watching the Steelers -- and Sammy picked up on that right away. When Steeler Harrison ran back an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, Sammy started running around the house shouting, "Go Steelers!"

It was moving to watch the Steelers this season. They had the hardest schedule in the NFL, playing the toughest teams. Their offensive line was porous. Their trademark running game non-existent. While they had the best defense in the NFL, in the end the miracles had to come from the arm of Ben Roethlisberger. Ben executed 5 come from behind victories during the 2008 regular season. But the most moving part was the fact that they played as team...when one person or unit faltered, another stepped up and carried the team.

Super Bowl XLIII was exciting. Although we would have preferred the Steelers to win by a high margin, in some ways it seemed more fitting they came from behind at the very end. Roethlisberger's two minute drill was something to see as he repeatedly lumbered between defensive players long enough for a receiver to break open. Watch this link here to relive it. Six come from behind victories this season were exciting...though hard on Paul's cardiac system.

If you get a chance, take a look again at the video of Harrison's touchdown return interception. There are like six Steeler defensive players involved in providing him blocks for his 100 yard run. Also, notice at the 25yard line how Cardinal Fitzgerald -- who eventually tackles him (but not in time)-- actually runs into a Cardinal on the sideline who is not a player on the field. A good analysis of the play can be read here.

Oh, and for a moment Paul mistook Bruce Springstein for Tony Bennett.

GO STEELERS!!

Sunday, February 01, 2009

In Old Southwest (Rochester)...

In Old Southwest Rochester, we had a rip-roarin', root-tootin' celebration of Sammy's third birthday. We'll post some photos later, but here's a teaser photograph.

The Tooth Biscuit Gang had struck again! This time they had absconded with the tooth of a fair maiden named Avery. Cowboy Sam was soon on the trail of those felonius theiving incisor rustlers. He tracked them down and got the drop on them. The Tooth Biscuit Gang never had a chance and thus a shot was never fired.


Sammy posing with the captured Tooth Biscuit Gang...