Big Mama Tammy

Big Day!

2011-07-15T07:53:00.001-05:00

Pajama and pool party followed by two nights at Grandma Betty and Grandpa Bill's house. Life doesn't get better than this for Vivi Mae!

The universe is telling me

2011-05-12T12:37:00.000-05:00

that is time to buy new makeup.

St. Patricks Day Preview

2011-03-16T21:10:00.001-05:00

Have I ever mentioned that Vivi likes shoes? I showed her these flashy kicks as incentive to get ready for school tomorrow and she instantly wanted to wear them. She was excited about the look and the noise they made. (tap, tap, tap). Thanks Grandma G. and Baba! You have another wardrobe hit on your hands .

Investigative Reporting

2011-03-16T20:58:00.001-05:00

I know that "Sweeps" are over; however, I am conducting my own investigative report. Just how long will malfunctioning lights stay on in children's shoes? This shoe has been glowing since Saturday (four days) without any wear. Attention News Directors: I would tune in for an answer, for sure!

Brock Olivo

2011-03-11T20:20:00.002-06:00

OK, this is a weird one. While getting ready to take a bath, Vivi starts singing the name "Brock Olivo", former Mizzou football player, to Handel's "Messiah" Alleluia chorus. I haven't uttered this man's name in years so I was beyond surprised that Vivi confirmed that was what she was singing. Guess all I can say is "Go Tigers!"

Mindy Strikes Gold Again

2010-12-01T09:36:00.000-06:00

From Mindy Myers 2010 Photoshoot

Here is the results of our annual photo shoot with our dear friend Mindy Myers. She stuck gold again! Thank you so much, Mindy!

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

2010-11-24T09:04:00.003-06:00

From Yo Gabba Gabba Live - KC

To quote DJ Lance, "Singing and dancing to music is AWESOME!" Words can't describe how much fun we had. This was Vivi's second Yo Gabba Gabba Live show and it will be hard to top. The venue was perfect. Every seat was great, plus there was a open spot by the bar that served adult beverages through the show that was perfect for dancing. I think we were in our seats for less than two minutes.

From Yo Gabba Gabba Live - KC

But the best part was that the beautiful, vivacious and generous Leslie Hall took us to the VIP Backstage Party where we were able to meet the Gabba Gang and learn the Razzle Dazzle Dance from Ms. Hall. I'm not sure who had more fun, Vivi or me.

A Very Spidey Halloween

2010-11-23T19:39:00.004-06:00

Her Grandma G. offered to purchase her costume this year from Chasing-Fireflies.com. Grandma was thinking something along the lines of a cute fairy costume, but one look at the Super Hero options and it was all over.

After careful consideration, Vivi decided on Spider Girl. She loved her costume, but being the shoe girl that she is, her favorite part were the Super Hero boots.

Thanks Grandma G. for outfitting our superhero this Halloween. We think YOU are super!

October 2010 Pictures

Old Pictures

2010-09-04T08:57:00.002-05:00

This is a picture from our family photo shoot with our extremely talented friend Mindy. I finally uploaded them just shy of a year later. With Vivi turning 3 on Monday it is amazing to see how much she has grown in one year and to remember my cute two year old. We have been so fortunate to have Mindy capture our family's life starting with our wedding. These photos are truly a treasure. Thanks Mindy!

Check out all of the photos here:

2009-10-18

Peach Fuzzies

2010-08-29T18:51:00.001-05:00

My Aunt Lo Lo and Uncle Tom lived just up the street from us growing up. On hot summer days when the peaches were ripe , they would walk down the street so my cousin Kelly and I could play and the adults would enjoy a couple Peach Fuzzies as the sun was setting. We were allowed sips and I remember the drinks being delicious. A few weeks ago, I scored the recipe from my mom and am looking forward to making them this evening.

Here is the recipe:
1 can of lemonade
1 can of vodka
2-3 cut peaches with skins
Ice

Blend and enjoy!

My cousin Kelly has developed a recipe for any leftovers called the Peach Fizzies.

Freeze left overs until them become a slush.

Scoop desired amount out into glass, add 7-up and enjoy.

My Super Hero

2010-07-17T19:55:00.001-05:00

Here is Vivi modeling her cool glasses that she made at school. I think they make her look like a Super Hero ready to right the Metro's wrongs.

On our way!

2010-07-13T18:27:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up, the default location for photos in our house was the fireplace. Our front patio is becoming the "Go To" spot for Vivi's photo ops. Typically, when we are heading out the door somewhere. It is the perfect time because her clothes are stain free and her hair sometimes is brushed.

Item of note: The Care Bear sticker on her shirt is in recognition of Vivi using the potty. I am starting to believe that Will and I will once again have a diaper and baby wipe free life. Oh what a day that will be!

He likes his mama.

2010-07-10T10:09:00.001-05:00

Last spring and summer, Vivi watched a lot of Classical Baby. Today, she wanted to watch it with her imaginary friends, The Babies, for the first time in a long time. When cuing it up she commented,"He likes his mama". This is true as the baby in the cartoon calls for his mama at the end of each episode. Like I said, we haven't watched this much since last year. Her memory blows me away.

It's not Summertime

2010-07-09T17:46:00.001-05:00

"It's Hottime!" Vivien informed me while getting into the car.

VIvi's Imaginary Friends

2010-06-11T08:25:00.004-05:00

About four months ago, Vivi's imagination started to explode and has been gaining momentum with each passing day. After a trip to visit my parents in Florida, Will and I had the opportunity to meet Vivi's first imaginary friends, The Ants.

The Ants appeared when we were playing our new game "Airplane Ride." The game consists of giving a robot a ticket, buckling ourselves into our seat, taking off, landing and then going to the beach. Vivi carried the ants through every step and took great care in buckling them into their seats. Our best guess on the inspiration for The Ants are the ants from "Ni Hao Kai-lan."

A few days later, The Ants morphed into the babies. Over time, Will and I have learned that their are two babies: one boy and one girl. My best guess is that the "Super Babies" from Dora are the inspiration.

The babies go pretty much everywhere with Vivi. They go to bed with her, ride in the car and eat with her. The best is when she cooks for them and puts them down for naps. I get an inside look on what I sound like as a parent during these tasks and it is interesting to see how Vivi is processing all of the things we are trying to impart to her. I feel pretty good that I've only cringed a few times when listening.

Recently, we have learned that Vivi has a brother and a sister. They have not fully developed but she talks about them from time to time. At first, I thought she was talking about the babies but she told me that she has the babies and siblings. I'm interested to see who will show up next.

Change is good

2010-06-11T08:21:00.002-05:00

I like to change things up a regular basis so I was excited to learn that Blogger had some new basic template offerings. I'm pretty pleased with the new simple pumpkin (otherwise known as orange) template. What do you think?

How my sweet angel says goodnight

2010-05-28T21:35:00.002-05:00

I just said goodnight to Vivi and here is a transcript.

Me: Goodnight Vivi.
Vivi: Mama, hug. Now a kiss. Now a kiss for you and one more hug. Enough.

Do I have an sweet angel for a daughter or what?

Creative Eating

2010-04-09T20:21:00.001-05:00

Will came up with a great solution this evening. Vivi needed to eat but was too busy swinging to consume food.

Family Jam Sessions

2010-03-28T10:08:00.008-05:00

Will and I have enjoyed encouraging Vivi's connection to music since she was in utero. During her cooking phase, she had an intense connection to anything performed by the Rolling Stones. After the first notes of "Paint it Black" or "You Can't Always Get What You Want," she would start doing summersaults and kicking her feet inside her belly home. Then when Viv was a newborn and was in a middle of a crying fit, nothing calmed her down quicker than swaying with her dad to Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy" or "Galveston."

Since those early beginnings, Will has moved on to buying musical instruments. The first purchases were the Parent's Bee Bop Band Music Set for Vivi and a cowbell for me.

Next, I think, was the harmonica, followed by a snare drum and then a crash cymbal and tempo boxes (I think that's what they are called). While noisy, there is nothing more enjoyable than engaging in Family Jam Sessions. Here are a few examples of Vivien's musical stylings.

Toddler's Harmonica Stylings

Toddler Drumming 1

Toddler Drumming 2

I think she has the makings of the next Cindy Blackman, Lenny Kravitz's drummer, but again, I am her proud mama.

cindy blackman - kravitz groove - drummer live 2007

Surviving Winter 2010

2010-03-27T09:57:00.002-05:00

The snow has been gone for a solid week, so I finally feel safe in saying "Goodbye Winter 2010." It was a long, snowy one. I don't know what we would have done without my old toy horse. It was in good shape because according to my dad, I didn't ride it much but Vivi rode this day and night and reached amazing heights. This video will make our chiropractor cringe, but you do what you have to do.

Click here to see her in action.

About three weeks before winter's end, Vivi caught serious cabin fever. She started obsessing about her swing set and blowing bubbles.

From Grandma G's Pics

Due to the two feet of snow in the back yard, Will and I would draw pictures of swing sets and slides and took her to the Science Center where they have an indoor bubble station.

My uncle and I talked about why we stay in this cold tundra that we call home a few years ago and he said "I like winter because at the end you felt like you have went through something." This winter was something for sure and I am happy to have made it to the other end.

Is it Party Time?

2010-03-24T18:10:00.001-05:00

We are eating dinner at a local grocery store this evening. A lady's phone just went off with quite the snazzy, dance beat. Viv's looked up at the celing lights and asked me, "Is it Party Time?". I had to write this down right away because it was too funny.

Vivienisms

2010-02-20T17:57:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago Vivi pronunced "thank you" correctly. Perfect "th" sound. I experienced pride and sorrow all at the same time. So before she has a stronger grasp on language and the world around her I wanted to document her isms that crack her dad and me up.

- Tanks = Thanks
- Puter = Computer
- Blue Beans = Blueberries
- Beans = Edamame
- Baba = My dad
- Turn light off = Turn the lights on.
- I carry you = Carry me
- I help you = You help me or I help you. (this one gets tricky as you can imagine)
- Baby = She wants to be swaddled like a baby after her bath.
- Holds her own hand when you ask her to hold hands, sometimes. Looks like she is praying while she walks
- You go play, Mama. = Go away, Mama. I don't want to do what you say.
- I play cards = I want to play some games on your iPhone.
- I paint = I paint with watercolors or I use the Spin Art ap on your iPhone.

Stay tuned for more. . .

Getting Things Done Report Out

2010-01-04T13:03:00.003-06:00

Last year I detailed what I hoped to accomplish during the Winter 2009. It turned into my list of aspirations for the whole year. As they say on "Go Diego Go," "Let's review."

1. Finish loading all of my CDs into iTunes.

Did not happen. I never even attempted it.

2. Hang pictures on our walls in our home.

This sorta happened. My husband and handy-man hung some but not all of the pictures I wanted to get up. This will move to the 2010 list.

3. Create a website for my business.

Yee-haw! This was accomplished. Now I just need to blog more on my biz blog.

4. Sell some stuff on eBay.

This sorta happened. I took some items to a e-bay consign shop. I still need to settle up with them and collect my money.

5. Make a pie.

This was one of my biggest accomplishments for the year. Check out my work.

2010 To Do List

1. Run a 5K.

2. Blog more about Miss Viv and my Biz.

3. Finish hanging pictures in our house.

4. Finish loading all of my CDs into iTunes.

5. Stop. Look. Listen. In other words, live in the moment.

Number five is of a more a spiritual thing but over the past year, I have woken up to the fact that today is all we have, all that we know and we should make the most of it.

Best of luck to everyone with their personal to-do lists for the year. I hope that we all have a happy and productive 2010.

Ten Funny New Things about Vivi

2009-08-14T15:44:00.005-05:00

Oh my, have I been a bad blogging mother. We have had an extremely busy summer so here is a quick hit list of a funny new things Vivi has done.

1. Vivi loves to dress up like a flapper. These pictures were taken during a recent trip to an amusement park. I was amazed that she stood still while getting dressed and posed for several pictures.

Click here for video.

2. Vivi loves inflatables. She took to them like a fish to water. She had no fear and even went into the big kid's one and held her own. This is video from the toddler inflatable.

Click here to watch video.

3. "Eveie, Eveie, Eveie." Vivi talks about her friend Eveie non stop but who could blame her. Even is AWESOME! They have a ton of fun together along with Even's brother George.

Click here to watch video.

4. Viv's digs African drumming, as do I.

Click here to watch video.

5. She also likes a good merry-go-round ride.

6. Vivi is going through a naked stage. She refuse to wear pajamas and whips off her diaper any chance she gets.

7. She cries if we walk past the ice cream shop near our house. Her favorite ice cream treats are chocolate soft serve, chocolate sodas and watermelon gelato.

8. Vivien loves to pretend she is Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba while watering flowers

9. Danger Vivi is addicted to her new swing set. Every night when she comes home she demands to go down the slide and swing before entering the house.

10. Viv lives for Peter Pan and watches it at least once a day. "Mama. Dada.Peter Pan. I watch. Watch Peter Pan. I watch. Peter Pan." is one of the first things we hear every morning.

Mother of the Year Award

2009-07-24T12:55:00.003-05:00

Besides being one of the most generous people I know, I love my mother for her sense of humor. Growing up her and her friends would swap parenting stories and often would talk sarcastically about their latest "Mother of the Year" moments. I learned from these stories that nobody is perfect and that you have to laugh at yourself, including yourself as parent.

My favorite "Mother of Year" story happened one night when I was probably 11 years old. My mother and father attended a party with their friends Rick and Mary. I and Rick and Mary's daughter, Jenny, were allowed to stay home, order pizza and baby-sit ourselves. Shortly after our parents left, tornado sirens started going off. Our mom's called us and told us to go down to the basement and stay there no matter what. Then a flash flood warning was issued so our mother's called us to tell us to get out of the basement but we were not there to answer the call.
After about fifteen minutes in the basement, Jenny and I had decided to see if her neighbors with the finished basement were home so we could watch TV and be safe at the same time. Meanwhile at the party, our mother's thought we were not answering the phone because they had told us to stay in the basement. I can't remember how our mother's found out that we were at the neighbors, I just know that they were happy that we thought to go there and I was happy that we were not in trouble for not following their instructions and that we got to watch Miami Vice.

Now that I'm a mother, I am now giving Mary and my mother a run for their money. I humbly submit this video snipet into this year's competition for "Mother of the Year." Not sure if I will win since Vivi stopped crying after less than a minute but I bet I'll be nominated.

Click here to view video.

First Freckle

2009-05-27T15:48:00.002-05:00

A first freckle is not a normal "first" that anyone marks down in their baby book but I guess I don't always fit the normal mold. I've been keeping a close eye and tons of sunscreen on my daughter's skin to protect her from developing freckles but after a year and half, Vivi has her first freckle.

It was bound to happen. To quote an old dermatologist of mine, I'm a "very moley girl" and Viv's papa has quite a collection of freckles and moles too. While I will continue to slather her with sunscreen every chance I get, I have to say that her freckle is pretty cute.

Take a look . . .

Can you see it on her leg by the yellow ribbon? Here look closer . . .

Pre-Vivi Weight Achieved

2009-04-23T08:25:00.002-05:00

Yee-haw! Pre-Vivi weight was achieved at 7 am this morning! Still have bigger feet and ring fingers but I will take it since most of my old clothes fit again. Yee-Haw, again!

Stop! Garden Time!

2009-04-16T17:07:00.003-05:00

Today, I accomplished the first gardening task of the season, uncovering the flowerbeds. Yeah, me! Last fall, I decided not to cover the flowerbeds with leaves; however, this naturally happened. The leaves obviously were not as deep as when I purposely raked leaves on the beds instead of inserting them in compost bags to save time in the fall.

Since that first task didn't take as long, I went after the front lawn with a rake. This left several large grass less patches. Not so nice but I kinda expected this outcome based off of the large patches of dead grass with zero green blades.

In my neighborhood you don't talk to your neighbors unless it is nice outside and you're working on your lawn or you are walking on the sidewalk. Which is just the way I like it. Friendly but nobody gets up in your business. So it was above 60 degrees today, so I talked with one of my neighbors that I noticed aerating. Typically, aerating is done in the fall but he assured me that you could do it in the spring. Add new task to the list.

I mentioned to him that we are going to take care of our own lawn this year instead of hiring a service. He said that he has been forgoing paid lawn care for three years and that we will struggle but the struggle is worth the savings. Saving money I like but I don't like the struggle part. I'm going to try it for at least a year. OK, at least until the dandelions bloom.

Toddler War Paint

2009-03-10T21:01:00.003-05:00

As a mother, I know that I am my daughter's first teacher but time and time again I find myself regretting teaching her some things. One example is teaching her how to play baby computer games on fisher-price.com. Now, Vivi loves to bang on keyboards and mouses thanks to my little lesson.

The most recent, "D-oh! Shouldn't have done that." moment came after putting chap stick on her lips. A few days later, this happened.

Click here to watch if video doesn't appear .

Bye Bye Beyonce

2009-03-10T20:24:00.007-05:00

My husband started some time ago giving Vivi choices and recently she has really gotten into it. When given a visual choice, she will choose what she wants for dinner, what she wants to drink and, now, what she wants to watch on You Tube. Here are three music videos that she now chooses over Beyonce. (Thank God! Beyonce is fantastic, but hearing the same song ten times a day makes a person go slowly insane.)

Click here to watch Feist 1, 2, 3, 4 from Sesame Street

God bless, Sesame Street! I'm 99.9% positive that Vivi enjoys the first two videos because her main man Elmo is in them and the "Jai Ho" remix because of the good beat and the dancing. I need to find a video of Glen Campbell singing "Galveston" or "Rhinestone Cowboy" and see if she still has a thing for those songs like she did when she was a newborn. I'm doubting it though.

25 Random Things

2009-02-27T19:46:00.010-06:00

About two weeks ago, my sweet toddler who was happy most of the time and went to sleep really easy was replaced by a whiny, temper tantrum prone, night owl who doesn't want to be left alone. In light of the recent transformation, I feel the need to remember the really nice or interesting things about her so I don't lose hope that this is only a temporary condition.

25 Random Things About Vivi

1. She was born in the middle of a downpour which required snowplows to clear the streets of water.

2. She was born with a full head of hair.

3. She had her first haircut at five months.

4. Her first airplane ride was to Florida to visit her grandparents at six months.

5. She has blue eyes that have changed from sapphire blue to a cornflower blue.

6. She loves our cat Gigi.

7. She loves to dance.

8. She loves her red cowboy boots.

9. She uses a pacifier. Her favorites are blinged out Munchkin pacifiers.

10. She slept in her car seat for four months.

11. She sung herself, more like moaned, herself to sleep until she was about a year old and still does it on car rides.

12. Throws kisses when saying goodbye and to strangers on the street.

13. She loves the beach.

14. Gets a kick out of Elmo.

15. Makes me fast forward to her favorite parts in "Classical Baby."

16. She ate part of her "Pat The Bunny" book one day right before I fed her lunch.

17. Her alter ego is "Danger Vivi."

18. She likes silk blankets and her favorite one is a pink leopard print take along.

19. She calls oranges "apples."

20. She knows some sign language.

21. She calls blueberries "beans."

22. She likes to put perfume on.

23. She likes to go out to eat.

24. She looks fantastic for the two seconds she leaves a hat on her head.

25. She likes to wear frilly dresses.

My Funny Valentine

2009-02-14T11:30:00.000-06:00

My husband is a bit camera shy so there are not too many videos or pictures in cyber space of him. His aversion to sharing information online carries over to my favorite Web 2.0 application, Facebook. He believes that Facebook is evil and refuses to join even though he asks me to friend people on his behalf since he will not join. At least he doesn't lurk on Facebook under my account like some of my Facebook friends' spouses. Melissa, we are all so onto you!

Anyway, back to why I'm posting. Since my husband is camera shy, I have to go commando sometimes to capture sweet moments of him playing with Vivi. Here is the pay-off of two recent missions.

Thanks, Will, for being such a wonderful husband and father. I'm so happy that you're my Valentine. I love you!

She's Blinded By Science

2009-01-28T20:26:00.001-06:00

Today, my mom, who is visiting from out of town, and I took Miss Viv to the Science Center so she could blow off some steam. Vivi loved running around the big open spaces and seeing the exhibits. Her favorite exhibits were the ones that involved balls. Everywhere we turned she would say "Ball!" Vivi saw tennis balls, golf balls, green foam balls, plastic balls and this huge ball, a Foucault Pendulum. This was one of my favorite exhibits at the Science Center when I was growing up so I got a kick out of her fascination with it.

She also really enjoyed watching my Mom and I make huge bubbles in Bubble Bay, running around Toddler Town and watching people experiment with bundling fake eggs in packing materials and dropping them from a two story drop. Every time a package would drop Vivs would say "Boom!"

The last time we visited the Science Center, Vivien was only twelve months old and she really didn't interact much with the exhibits. It was amazing to see what a difference four months made.

Another Vivi Fav

2009-01-12T08:16:00.010-06:00

In my last post, I mentioned that one of Vivi favorite songs was "Mr. Heatmiser." Well, her love of that song pales in comparison to Beyonce's "Single Ladies." Vivi has been fascinated with this song and Beyonce's dance moves since her appearance on SNL. Almost everyday, Vivi will come up to me and say "Oh, oh, ohhh" and pat the computer or take me to the iBoom so I will play the song for her. To date, I haven't been able to capture her dance moves on video but when there isn't a camera around she GETS DOWN! In the meantime, here is a video of her vocalizing.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-11T08:10:00.012-06:00

I had grand plans. Grand plans, I tell you. I was going to master my digital editing software and make a Christmas picture montage set to Vivi's favorite Christmas song, "Mr. Heatmiser" with the music fading up and down to include video snippets like the two below. It was going to be wonderful.

But, I've spent too much time of my free time on Facebook and the "Look what we did at Christmas!" expiration date is approaching or has already past. So instead, I invite you to hum "Mr. Heatmiser" while you watch the videos of Vivi trying to merge her new ornament and book, enjoying her second helping of Grandma B's tea roll and to check out our Picassa gallery to see our Christmas pictures.

Getting Things Done

2008-12-19T14:11:00.005-06:00

I have accomplished two things that I have wanted to do for years. I mailed Christmas Cards and have made Christmas treats to share. I still can't quite believe it but I figured that if I didn't get it done this year while staying at home with the babe I never was going to do it.

It's got me thinking about what I want to accomplish this winter and I thought I would post it in hopes that it will motivate me in the new year.

1. Finish loading all of my CDs into iTunes.
2. Hang pictures on our walls in our home. Have lived here 5 years and still haven't gotten around to filling the walls.
3. Create a website for my business.
4. Sell some stuff on eBay.
5. Make a pie.

I'll stop at five and see what happens.

MornigStar Bomb

2008-12-02T14:24:00.005-06:00

I was craving a Philly Cheesesteak the other day and my husband offered to go the store to get the fixings. He came back with these to replace the steak.

I am a big fan of MorningStar Farm products. I have loved everything I've tried especially the mini corn dogs so I was game to try them.

I cooked up some onion and added the steak strips. I took a taste after they had been cooking for awhile and they tasted awful so I dumped a ton of A1 sauce in the frying pan. It still tasted funky after that so I hoped that a bun, some mayo, mustard and cheese would help and I stuck it under the broiler for a few minutes.

The result: edible but pretty nasty tasting. My daughter just moved the food from one part of her high chair tray to another. Needless to say, I plan to stay away from this product in the future and stick with their other items.

Thanksgiving Tidbits

2008-12-01T20:44:00.009-06:00

This Thanksgiving had a very Yin and Yang vibe. The downside of this year was that my poor mom who was visiting fell sick with the flu on the big day. The upside was that Will, Vivi and I chilled at home while we cooked a yummy Thanksgiving dinner which we have been eating for days. With the extra family time, we were able to capture Vivi in one of her finest Toddler Moments to date.

The other thing I was able to do with the help of my DVR and the extra time at home was to watch the entire Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. I will never watch it live again! I was able to fast forward through the current cheesy teeny bopper bands to my old school cheesy teeny bopper hearthrob Rick Astley. After wondering what the hell I had witnessed for about five hours, I went out with my Catholic High School gang and their Sig O's and found out that I had gotten RickRolled. To celebrate Rick Astley's new found cultural relevnace, I helped lead a verse or two from Rick's smash hits, "Never Gonna Give You Up" and "Together Forever." Thank goodness the bar was very loud and none of the other tables seemed to mind.

Here are links to two of my favorite recipes from our Thanksgiving Feast:

Green Bean Bundles

Italian Sausage and Dried Cherry Stuffing

What's the dealio?

2008-12-01T20:25:00.005-06:00

I have retired my older blog due to my husband's security worries and the reality that I am the one in our family that blogs so I felt a re-branding of the site was warranted. I hope to post more often as I have bought into the Google solutions hook, line and sinker and am starting to use my MAC laptop more than our slow desktop PC. I will be loading older posts in the near future so my year of baby blogging will remain intact.

I hope that you enjoy the changes I have made to my blog and that you stop back again soon.

Catchup Time

2008-10-15T08:59:00.008-05:00

We've been busy living the good life in the big city and haven't posted anything for quite awhile.

In the past two months, Miss Vivi Mae celebrated her first birthday, has started dancing and has continued to increase her vocabulary. In the first video, Vivi shows her dance moves off for my parents, Aunt Lois and Uncle Tom. Her favorite dance tunes include anything by Dolly Parton and the B-52's.

The second video shows Vivi saying my favorite word in her repertoire. Other new words include doggy, kitty/GiGi and ducky. I've been trying to teach her to say Obama since she can say each part of his name but so far no luck. Maybe by election day. . .

Best Baker Open Ever!

2008-08-20T15:20:00.004-05:00

The fourth annual Baker Open took place on August 9th. I was lucky enough to help out as Event Coordinator this year. I had a ton of fun geeking out on updating the Web site, sending out e-mails and organizing RSVPs. I don't know why I love to do that kinda stuff but I do.

122 golfers played and the raffle raised over $4000 for Jake VanValkenburg's memorial scholarship fund. But the highlight was a surprise wedding proposal that Team I got to help coordinate.

Head on over to http://www.thebakeropen.org/ to see more pictures from the event.

Irish Fest 2008

2008-08-20T15:12:00.004-05:00

Vivi and I had a blast attending our first Irish Fest in Milwaukee last weekend. We drove up with Uncle Jeff and stayed with my Uncle Jim and Aunt Linda.

I think our family's rallying cry should be "Have Kilts. Will Travel." Check out our Picasa Web Gallery (click on the Pictures slideshow at the right) to see more pictures from the weekend.

Baby's Got a New Pair of Shoes

2008-07-31T10:29:00.002-05:00

We went shopping with G.G. yesterday and she purchased a pair of Pedipeds for Miss Viv. Pedipeds are leather soled shoes that are in between bare feet and Striderites. As you can see from the video, Vivi likes them but needed to get the hang of walking with something on her feet.

She's Walking and Talking and Eating Pork

2008-07-29T16:29:00.001-05:00

Vivi has been vertical and on the move for two weeks now. What started as a few steps here and there has become more steps than I can keep count of.

She continues to increase her vocabulary. "Uh-Oh" is the latest word that has been perfected.

Her taste buds are expanding also. Her favorite foods right now include watermellon, cuban pork and mango gellato. Oh, and I can't forget sugar cookies thanks to G.G.

Five years ago. . .

2008-06-21T21:10:00.001-05:00

Will and I got married. It was a wonderful day and, while much more low key, today was just as wonderful. We had a very nice dinner from Christopher's and opened a bottle of wine that was a gift and a bottle of champagne from our nuptials. I hope the next five years are filled with as much fun, family and friends as the first five were. Thanks to everyone who has made our life together so wonderful.

Getting SO BIG!

2008-05-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

Vivi has been very busy growing up this month. We have eight days left in the month but so far in May she has:

Started feeding herself cereal

Begun waving and saying "Hi"

Learned how to clap

Begun babbling "Mama" and "Dada" while looking at Will and me

Pulled herself up in her crib and playpen

Learned "SO BIG" from Grandma Shutters

Started waking Will up by tapping, actually slapping is more like it, his head

The way she's going, I'm sure she will pull out some new tricks before the month's out.

Man, That Mindy is Talented!

2008-05-20T07:55:00.001-05:00

Mindy Myers is a great friend of ours and is one of the most talented photographers I've ever seen. And, she throws one heck of a Christmas party. Besides being lucky to have her as a friend, we have had the good fortune to have her capture the special moments in our lives; our wedding, Vivien as a newborn and, now, Vivien at seven months. Check out all of the great pictures she recently took. She managed to capture all of Vivi's expressions and it is something that we truly treasure.

Leaving for India

2008-05-15T22:35:00.002-05:00

Our friend, Kristin is leaving for India today. She will be working at the Principal offices for three months.

We will miss her but are excited to hear about her exciting adventure. Kristin's husband, Jay, has taught her how to upload pictures and to post travel tales to their blog, www.JayandKritsAdventures.blogspot.com.

Safe travels, Kristin!

Busy Family Times

2008-05-13T19:46:00.001-05:00

We have been caught up in a wonderful family whirlwind for the past few weeks.

On April 26th my father-in-law, Bill, laid down his overhead markers and officially retired from teaching. In his 4o plus year career, he has taught thousands of students complicated math theories and the finer points of driving on the road. It has been fun figuring out which friends of ours he has taught over the years. Betty, my mother-in-law, threw Bill a surprise retirement party at one of their favorite local restaurants. I wondered if he was surprised because he walked in to the party and seemed to take it all in stride but he did say that he was truly surprised.

The next week, my parents, Kathie and Steve, came to visit from Florida. We had a great time hanging out with Vivi and watching her tricks. She pulled out her first word while they were here. It was "Hi!" and she topped it up with a wave. While Grandpa and Grandma G. were here we went out to our old house and got pictures taken in front of the Crab Apple tree that Dad and I gave to Mom on Mother's Day many moons ago.

Then, the majority of the Quinn clan, including Jim and Linda from Wisconsin, were in town too to see my cousin Conor receive the sacrament of First Communion. There were so many kids receiving the sacrament (over 200) that they held two different masses. Conor looked quite dapper in his new duds and received the Eucharist like a pro! Congratulations Conor!

Check out our Picasa Gallery to see pictures from all of the festivities.

And she's off . . .

2008-04-28T16:00:00.001-05:00

Vivien officially started crawling last Wednesday. She had been taking one scoot forward and then rolling over and pushing herself up to a sitting position. While she was able to get around this way, I didn't count it as crawling until she took two scoots forward. As you can see from the video, she is cruising' now.

Social Networking Sites

2008-04-27T09:58:00.001-05:00

In recent months, I have become addicted to social networking sites. I'm active on Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace. My favorite is Facebook and one of my favorite applications is Lil' Green Patch.

The premise of Lil' Green Patch is that you send friends plants for their virtual gardens. From time to time you have to rake leaves, chase deer and rabbits away and perform other gardening tasks. For every plant you send, you save a few square feet of rain forest. It's a fun way to help the environment.

I've sent enough plants that I have access to a "Greenie On the Go." Each time someone clicks on my little friend here, we save some of the rainforest and I earn access to more plants and Green Bucks to buy virtual tools to tend to my garden. I know it sounds crazy but it is a blast. I encourage you to try it out especially for those of you who do not have a "real" green thumb.

Our baby does it too . . .

2008-04-10T12:02:00.002-05:00

Laughing Vivi

Laughing You Tube Baby

You might have seen the laughing baby on You Tube that won the Most Adorable category in 2007. Just thought you would like to know that our daughter has a lot in common with that baby. Besides busting a gut over paper being torn, they have the same haircut. Vivi probably would have fallen over too if she wasn't strapped in.