Go Cubs Go!

More photos!

http://gallery.me.com/hannahrae#100379

Face 2 Face

On to happier posts...

The hubby and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary (two days early) at the Billy Joel/Elton John concert at Wrigley Field last week. They played a set together at the beginning and the end, which was super cool. Brad and I kept trying to recall who had written each song, but it turns out that their music sounds alarmingly alike! BUT...

The music was great, as expected (and loooong.....3.5 hrs!), and I was blown away by Elton's piano improvisation. WOW can that guy play. Unfortunately, he's lost his upper vocal range, so I missed the crazy high notes in "hold me closer, tiny daaaancer," and in "he shall be Levon." I saw Billy Joel in concert 10 years ago, so I was prepared for his banter with the audience and stellar performances. A new gimmick, however, was the giant fly swatter he brought along to whack away the bugs through the entire performance. It sort of detracted from the sobriety (a word Joel should Google, by the way) of "Candle in the Wind," but he's still a great artist.

("Goodbye Norma Jean SWAT. Though I never SWAT knew you at all, you had the grace SWAT to hold yourself SWAT...")

Best part of the night? During the second to last refrain of their last song, they both went off mic and let the crowd sing. It was truly magical listening to a full Wrigley crowd croon, "Sing us a song, you're the Piano Man..." I didn't get it on video, but this guy did. Visit 5:30 for the a capella extravaganza...and 3:49 for some mad Elton skillz.

Protest Shmotest*

*Contains adult content

Last week's Billy Joel/Elton John concert began with a startling surprise. And not in a good way. I want to get this part of the experience off my chest first, because overall it was a wonderful evening, but this was not a great way to start. And I'm a little fired up about this (still), so I'm not going to be able to write with my usual wit and charm (insert rolling eyes and sarcasm HERE). The next post will be a bit more cheery (cheerier? sounds like cereal), I promise.

When we approached the gates of Wrigley Field, where the concert was held, we were stunned to see protesters across the street, touting some pretty offensive signs. Here's a random sampling:

- God Hates Fags
- Gays Go Home
- You Will Eat Your Babies (um, huh?)
- Jews, This is Not Your Land (Billy Joel is Jewish? Who knew? (Who cares?))

As my friend commented (sarcastically), "I love it when people use the Bible to spread hatred."

Amen, sistah.


(I'm turning off the comments on this one. These sort of posts tend to attact The Crazies. No need to spread the hatred any further.)

Q.T.

Lately, I find myself in the throes of multitasking. Now that The Much is mobile and usually disinterested in his toys, he is also quite the independent explorer of his environment, leaving me with a little time to check email, eat, do dishes, fold laundry. I realized that I am almost always trying to get something else done when I'm caring for him. And, as a result, I'm missing stuff. I'm missing the look on his face when he closes the bedroom door for the 87th time; the spitup that he ultimately mops up with his shirt when I'm not looking; the glee with which he bangs on the pan that he pilfered from the cupboard. It frustrates me because I'm constantly complaining that my baby is growing up too fast and too soon, yet I'm too "busy" to notice all his little triumphs and tribulations.

And then, yesterday happened.

4:30 on a Thursday rolled around with only one nap in its duration, and a cranky 10 month old in the path leading to bedtime. Too late for another nap, but we thought we'd hunker down for a snuggle. So we just rocked in the glider; him with his paci, me with...well, with him. He laid his head on my chest and stayed there for a full 30 minutes, in the quiet, fully awake. Then we played a silent patting game: he'd pat my arm, I'd pat his back. Then it turned into a "hmmmm"ing game. He'd say, "hmmm," I'd say, "hmmm."Then it turned into peekaboo. Then it turned into Tickle Torture, and that was the end of our peaceful moment. But, boy, was it nice while it lasted. Just me and my baby. Rockin'.

QUATRO/QUATRE/FOUR

Engaged! 2004


Married! 2005


Honeymoon. St. Lucia, 2005


1st Anniversary. Maui, 2006


2nd Anniversary. New Zealand, 2007


3rd Anniversary. Lake Geneva, 2008. (I was a 64 months pregnant.)


4th Anniversary. Billy Joel/Elton John Concert. Chicago, 2009


I love you, HB. Can't wait for four more!

Things I Learned on Vacation

Last week we took a family (and I mean FAMILY) vacation to Lake Ontario, in New York State.

For those readers unrelated to me, my mother comes from a family of eight children, six of whom were present at this "reunion," with their children and some with their childrens' children. If you're keeping track, that means I got to play with my husband, son, mom, sister, aunts, uncles, 1st cousins and 1st cousins once-removed (did I get that right, Aunt Barbara?). Some of us (read: me) are quite emphatic that we refer to ourselves correctly. :o)

The last time Brad and I visited this particular spot, which was five years ago, he proposed! This was a very sentimental trip for us both, even if he was only able to stay for a few days. (Oh, and that's why there aren't many good photos. Brad is the family photographer, when we're out of the house. I'm really terrible at remembering to actually TAKE pictures, though I'm great at remembering to pack the camera. Also, this will be the last trip I take with ye olde point-and-shoot. It just doesn't cut the mustard in comparison to our Canon Rebel SLR.)


Anyway...Things I Learned/Was Reminded of on Vacation:

1. My lack of knowledge of American history and geography is offensively horrendous. I am reminded of this every time I play Trivial Pursuit.

2. It sometimes takes two hair-washings to eradicate the smell of a campfire.

3. The campfire smell is completely worth it if it yields S'Mores. Which it should. Always.

4. Cottage floors are gross--doesn't matter how often you clean them. I know because I have washed all the Munch's clothing TWICE, with SHOUT and with OXYCLEAN, and I can still see dirt in his shirts. Ew.

5. I better have more babies because I actually felt awkward holding my little 1stCOR (1st Cousin Once Removed), Mary-Grace, who is four weeks old. She felt all floppy and stuff, and I was afraid I might break her.

6. Photos of the sunset are cool. Um, let me rephrase: The first 10 photos of the sunset are cool. After that, you go blind.

7. The Trolley has the best soft-served ice cream anywhere in the USA--so far.

8. Between all of us, we can now navigate the entire Henderson Harbor/Henderson/Stony Pointe/Sacket's Harbor/Watertown/Pulaski (pronounced Pula-sky, for you Chicagoans)/Syracuse Airport area by car, boat, kayak, and possibly small plane, if Uncle Tom is around.

9. My Aunt Jody thinks The Munch should refer to her as "Grey Aunt Jody." (Get it? Instead of "Great Aunt Jody?") I'm pretty sure she stands alone in her wishes.

10. Poop should never be stirred. (For you, Aunt Nancy.)



Enjoy the photos! Thanks to Cousin Marah for sharing some of hers, too.
http://gallery.me.com/hannahrae#100368

Turn the Radio Up

Some days it feels like all I do is feed the baby, clean the high chair, feed the baby, clean the high chair, feed...you get the idea.

And then there are days when things like this happen:

I had switched on our new Music Together CD in his room, but then we moved to the master bedroom to fold laundry. So I turned the monitor up as loud as it would go, and LIKE MAGIC! we could hear the music! He has been toting that monitor around for an hour now, watching the lights bounce up and down with the volume, pressing the buttons, holding it to his ear (!). It's the best free toy I've ever purchased. And by free, of course, I mean that we already paid for it, but it's fulfilled a bonus purpose in our lives. Brad and I say that those types of things aren't "free", but "included."

Baby Monitor: $ who could remember
Music Together CD: $ price of admission
Baby "turned on" by Music: Priceless

Tigger Dance

Anyone remember that song from the 80s called, "Da' Butt?"

I googled and found out that it was originally recorded by "E. U." It was the first thing I thought of when I saw this:

Aaaaand....He's Off!!!

Our lives have changed.

Gone is the child who sat still. Gone is the child who loved his toys. Gone is the child who contentedly played on the rug while his mom made dinner.

He has been replaced with a Moving Machine. The Machine immediately headed for the stairs, followed by the dog's bowls, followed by the phone table (which he likes to drag around the kitchen). He hasn't touched a toy in days. Technically, he's not textbook crawling. Technically, he's "army crawling." But officially, who cares. Our lives have changed. And we're tired.

10 Months

Dear Munchkin,

You've officially reached the point in your life when you've been "out" longer than you were "in." So difficult for me to believe....and handle.

You are my little engineer/scientist, always trying to figure things out--usually with much success, to my chagrin. :o) Here are some of my very favorite things from the last four weeks:

- Playing peek-a-boo with the blanket in the stroller, and with your Pooh Bear blanket in your crib.

- Handing me all the toys from the shape sorter box, one by one.

- Trying to feed Oliver your snacks.

- Eating from Mimi's ice cream sundae at the Botanic Gardens.

- Swimming on your tummy in the tub.

-Getting "on the graph" in the weight department!

- Mimicking "Uh Oh."

- Diligently trying to figure out how to manipulate the snack trapper. My little engineer.

- Rejecting your sippy cup in favor of my glass of water (yes, glass).

- Pointing at EVERYTHING. (Almost) saying "that?"

- Waving "Bye Bye" to EVERYTHING and EVERYONE.

- Turning the pages of your books.

- Sticking your finger in the holes of the Very Hungry Caterpillar book.

- "Army Crawling" efficiently enough that we (finally) have to put up the baby gates.

- The look on your face when you sample new foods.

- Scarfing down turkey cold cuts like you haven't eaten in a month.

- Discovering that you and I have the exact same tickle spot on our backs. One barely has to breathe on it and it sends us into fits of giggles.

- Crawling again: As I said to your dad this morning, it's the ends...not the means. So whether it's clinical crawling or not, I don't care. It's enough that my life has UTTERLY CHANGED in the last four days you've been doing it.

- SAYING "Bye bye!" I swear!

- Pulling yourself up for the first time...in the bathtub.

- Wanting to be so fiercely independent. I think you'll be dressing yourself in no time :o)

(Photo Credit: Erielle Bakkum. More to follow, soon!!!)

Facebook Friday

Hannah's "fat jeans" are officially too big. Let's hear it!

Hannah's responsibilities at work have significantly increased; she is wondering when her pay raise is coming through.

Hannah hope's everyone is taking her feeling's about apostrophe's into consideration.

Hannah thinks she should have just hired the handyman to purchase and install the *correct* baby gates and drawer latches. At this point, it actually might have SAVED money.

Hannah's house is FHA approved! Come back, potential buyers!

"Hey, Dad! Wanna Have a Catch?"

Yep, that's the actual name of the event we attended last Saturday.

For what might be the coolest Fathers' Day gift ever, Bradley and Harvey (aka: Grand Dede) had an opportunity to play catch on Wrigley Field. I'm told Uncle Scott also contributed to the gift, and this author would have LOVED to see him play catch, too. {Wink.}

Not only did they toss the ball around, they also ran the bases, slid into the bases (ahem), staged pics of catching outfield balls in the ivy, etc. The Munch hung around Granny while I had the pleasure of photographing the event. Turns out, we really could have used a telephoto lens. (Someone is making a note about this for Christmas, I hope.) But I did the best I could. I shot about 7 zillion photos and Bradley narrowed it down to about 6 zillion. Here are few faves, and you can click the link if you want to see more!









http://gallery.me.com/hannahrae#100367