Thursday, December 31, 2009

Merry New Year! 2010, Seriously?

Don’t judge me for what I’m about to tell you.

The Guenther family flew back to Seattle yesterday after an enjoyable, albeit a little nutty, visit with family in Wisconsin.  We celebrated Christmas Eve and the days leading up to it with my family in Plover and Christmas Day and the days following with Mike’s family in Minocqua. 

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So, I confess.  I still have status with Northwest which means I get complimentary first class upgrades when they’re available.  So, yes, I left my husband and 3 year old son in coach while my baby and me sat in first.  I meant to send the fresh baked molasses cookie and a cocktail back to them, but I fell asleep.  I did send Mike a text before take-off:

  • Me: “How’s your seat-mate?”
  • Mike: “Shhh, she’s rubbing my leg”

When we landed, my own seat-mate made a point of saying “that’s the quietest baby I’ve ever sat next to”.  I promptly invited him home to prove otherwise.  He’s coming over tomorrow.  Hey, if Mike’s seat-mate can rub his leg…

Kidding aside, the boys were champion fliers.  On a flight a few months ago, Greyson’s request to the flight attendant for a glass of orange juice started like this, “Hey, lady”.  This time, he remembered to say “Hey lady please”.

Graham is smiling like crazy.  His eyes are still blue and HUGE. Exhibit A:

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It was wonderful to see and spend time with our families and I want to go on record with a huge THANK YOU for putting up with my constant disheveled, sleep-deprived state, not to mention the baby ramblings (read, crying, wailing, whimpering) and little-boy tantrums.  Although it’s always hectic traveling with the kids, we still enjoyed our time with all of you!

Our 1st shipment of gifts arrived today.  The volume of extravagance our families spoiled upon our children required not one, not two, but three boxes to ship home!  Grey has spent the majority of the day riding his new scooter around the house, pounding the bongos, shaking his Polar Express bell and playing doctor.

GREY*isms*

  • G:  “Don’t worry kid, I’m a pirate”

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Happy New Year!  It’s freezing in WI and comparatively balmy out here (45 degrees @ 8:00pm).  We’re cooking up Dungeness crab tonight and will likely see the official start of 2010 sometime around 3:30am since we don’t plan to be awake at midnight.  Such is the life of us at the moment.  Perhaps next year.  Cheers!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Oh, the weather outside is frightful…(and I LOVE it!)

I promised a post before Christmas.  Technically, I’m following through.  In the spirit of the season, I intend to keep my sarcasm to a minimum and just rejoice in all that is sharing, caring, family and relaxation.  OK, maybe not a whole lot of relaxation but what do I expect with a 3-year old nutball who’s wiping his Cheetos-laden hands on his clean shirt as I type and my 9-week old (today) baby boy who is blissfully sleeping but won’t be for long.

It’s nice to be back in Wisconsin where it’s snowy and cold and Christmas-like.  Clark Griswold, aka Tom Kofler, showed up again this year and the rest of the neighbors didn’t do too shabby either.  Greyson is loving the lights and the snow and he had fun sledding right up until my niece Alayna broke her leg (it’s a LONG story, but thank you for your prayers- she’s a little trooper).

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I left Seattle too early to enjoy all of the cards we receive from friends and family.  It’ll be a little like an extended holiday when we get home and sort through them.  By now you’ve received our card and although I always appreciate the comments I get about how beautiful they are, I need to put on record that I cannot take credit for them aside from coming up with what I want it to say.  The photographer deserves the real credit.  I often get asked why I don’t send a Christmas letter and at the risk of offending my friends who do, I will tell you that I don’t do it because I grew up reading the letters of my parents’ friends and it was a family tradition to read them out loud in the kitchen and insert our own dialogue.  I’m sure this blog gets its share of ribbing and given that, I probably deserve it. 

We wish all of you a very blessed, healthy, happy & safe holiday and a 2010 filled with new blessings, experiences and milestones (like Graham sleeping through the night, Greyson going to bed without a fight and me losing the rest of my baby weight).

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

There’s Nothing Like a Packer Fan!

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GREY*isms*

  • G:  I can’t say ‘holy shit’
  • Mike: No, you cannot!
  • Me: Where did you learn that word?
  • G: From Marty
  • Me & Mike (in unison):  Who’s Marty?
  • G: (exasperated) Marty, from Back to the Future!

Giggles, our pixie elf, is back in town.  iphone 11-09 006He spends quite a bit of time in light fixtures and other high places so he has the best vantage point to keep an eye on Greyson who is having a tougher time staying off the naughty list this year.  (See above '*ism*)

If you follow the blog, you know that Greyson can tell Giggles all of his Christmas wishes.  This year, he has one simple wish.  Ask Greyson what he wants Santa to bring him for Christmas and you’ll get one answer…bongos.  I already know his wish will come true but I’m enjoying providing some mild torture when I, in the presence of Greyson, tell Giggles that he’d like some new underwear and maybe a new pair of socks.

  • Me:  Grey, what should we get Uncle Nate for Christmas?
  • G:  How about some bongos so we can play them together?
  • (good grief!) 

Some other *isms* I don’t want to forget:  Greyson asking for a kiss but when I bend down to give him one he says “no, the kind you eat”.  Singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town, “he knows if you’ve been bad or good so too bad for goodness sake”.  Calling my name as I sat at the dining room table at my laptop.  “Mom…you seem focused”. At bedtime telling Mike to "please shut the door before you bug out". Pointing to the cat on the cover of the Shrek DVD and asking, "there's Puss, where's Boots"?

Graham had his 1 month doctor visit last week and she confirmed that he’s gaining weight like a champ (10lbs 3 oz and 21 inches) and by all appearances seems to be a normal, healthy baby boy. He definitely hit the “baby’s fussiness may peak between 6 and 8 weeks” so that can go away any day now, please. He’s stolen my heart, despite the fuss, and I can’t wait for everyone close to us to meet him!

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I miss my family, friends and neighbors (a lot). We’re really looking forward to coming home for the holidays. I hope to post once more before Christmas and then I’m going to hang it up for a few weeks.  Until then, enjoy the faces of Graham.

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

On this day 10 years ago…

On December 3rd, 1999, NASA lost contact with the Mars Polar Lander moments before it entered the Martian atmosphere and Mike & I exchanged wedding vows in a ceremony that was memorable both because it was a gorgeous December day in Lake Tahoe and because our officiator sounded exactly like Howard Cosell.

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We were married in 1999, but we met and fell in love in 1993.  September 20, 1993, to be exact.  I was a Sophomore at Ripon College and he was a Freshman.  He claims he spotted me in the Commons but was too shy to say anything.  I watched him play football and wanted to meet him.  A friend introduced us at a fraternity party and we ended up talking until dawn.  The rest, as they say, is history.  He loved Snoop Dogg, I was obsessed with Ace of Base.  He was quiet, I was not.  We shared a love of football and family.  He owned 3 pairs of wind pants, the ugliest high-top sneakers, an infinite number of sweatshirts and dirty hats that were duct-taped to keep them together.  I wore boy’s jeans, oversized rugbys and Doc Martens.  We both tight-rolled our pants!  Oh, and his head was shaved bald- it was a football team thing.  Did you know that his head is not round?

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By December of that year, we were talking about our future together.  I’m not sure anyone would have predicted a wedding 6 years later, but that’s how it went down.

Not for one moment of the past 10 years have I looked back with regret, reservations, shoulda/woulda/couldas (well, aside from the terribly ugly wedding cake- I’d change that if I could).  We’ve survived the ups and downs, challenges and triumphs and we’re ready for the next decade and the decades beyond.

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So, Happy Anniversary, my love.  You are my favorite person in the entire world.  I’m loving every memory; past, present & future.  I can’t wait for our album to expand.  And those duct-taped hats?  They’re really starting to smell up the closet!