The Fabulous E Girls

Can You Hear Me Now?

Jim and I have been asking this question a lot since we moved into our new house. Apparently we live in a Verizon dead zone and can't use the cell phones reliably when we're close to home. Despite being long-time, satisfied customers, I must admit I'm glad to have this easy excuse to switch to AT&T  because I have been dying to get an iPhone. In fact, I re-upped with Verizon when they first came out two years ago as a way of avoiding the temptation . . . I wanted one bad but didn't want to pay the early adopter prices. A two-year waiting period hasn't dampened my desire one bit. You can bet when our contract is up in 30 days I'll be heading out for a shiny new iPhone.

Today I was approaching our house and called Jim to check on his progress running errands with the girls. The call was choppy and he shouted, "You're breaking up!" I hung up and waited for their return. As we were unloading the car and getting settled into the house, Eleanor came up to me and asked in a very concerned voice, "Mommy, are you breaking up with Daddy?" I reassured her that Daddy and I loved each other very much and were not getting a divorce.

Verizon, now you know that your efforts to root out and eradicate dead zones could save a child from agonizing unnecessarily over the end of her parents' marriage.

Little Trouper

On our way out the door to go to the park yesterday, Eleanor was complaining about something poking her foot. I removed her shoe and felt around inside and checked her socks but failed to find the offending poky thing. A second pair of shoes proved to be equally uncomfortable. When I suggested she go find another pair of shoes or change her socks, she demurred, saying, "I have a way to fix it: Just get used to the pain!" And off she marched across the street to play. Having broken my pinky toe earlier in the weekend, I am going to try this suggestion.

Lazy Bums

After the morning's chocolate bunny high wore off, the girls were found crashed out watching TV in the basement. Big thanks to gramma for giving us her old couch so we can make use of the finished basement--clearly the girls already think our new family room is a comfy place to hang out.

The good news is that not long after this photo was taken, I was able to talk them into getting outside to ride bikes up and down the sidewalk. Now that we're almost done with lunch, I'm hoping we'll be able to spend the rest of the day outside in this gorgeous weather.

Lumberjack Days

Although the intent of this blog has always been to keep our long-distance family and friends updated on the happenings with Edie and Eleanor, many people have asked for information about Jim's new hobby, log rolling (or "log jogging" as Eleanor has called it).

As a Boundary Waters kind of guy, we knew our move would allow Jim to spend more time in "God's Country." What we didn't know is that the St. Croix River Valley is also a champion log roller incubator, with third-generation world-champion lumberjack Jamie Fischer teaching a class in the sport at the local YMCA. Jim signed up last fall, and this past weekend saw him compete in his first tournament. Given his recent entry into the sport, he was pleased to not finish dead last (instead, he got a respectable 5th out of seven).

The t-shirt worn by Jim's competitor here says it all: "I'm a lumberjack, and I'm ok." Or, as one friend commented recently, "I applaud you for commitment to going 'full-Wisconsin.'"

Easter Soldiers

Drill sergeant Jim prepared Edie and Eleanor well for a recent neighborhood egg hunt. Major props to the organizers for managing to hide almost 400 eggs in the parks surrounding our house so that nearly 30 kids could hunt far and wide to fill their baskets. Then after the eggs were all found, there were snacks and crafts and a pinata!

All candy from that event has been consumed so thankfully the Easter Bunny replenished their baskets today. I'm snacking on a chocolate covered marshmallow as I write this...

Welfare State

It started with just one. A sweet little boy named Henry. He was quiet and cute and didn't eat much, so a second one seemed like a good idea. Fifi joined us and we thought our family was complete. Now, a year later, we have Falla, Daniel, Allison, Hopper, Flip, Sally, Mia, Toshi, Ginger, Domino, Bretta, and Louise. You thought the Octomom was a sad story? Well my Edie is also obsessed with collecting children. Only two of our rainbow tribe are Eleanor's, and I'll confess that one is mine. But the rest are Edie's and I am ashamed to report that the child is neglectful. I spend my evenings in Webkinz World, playing Tile Towers (Webkinz mahjong) to earn Kinzcash and gardening to grow food, so I can help clothe and feed these virtual grandchildren that Edie keeps coming home with on allowance day.

Overheard, Part 3

My sister drives Edie and my niece to CCD each week, and I pick them up. We have noticed that our kids talk amongst themselves in the car as if we are not there, which is very useful for understanding what's going on in their little brains. In fact one friend of mine whose daughter is now in college (the horror!) told me that as soon as her daughter got her driver's license, she lost her chauffeur role which disconnected her from the goings on between her child and her friends.

This is only one of many reasons I am glad that we are still many years away from handing over the car keys.

Tonight on the trip over to CCD, my sister overheard a conversation that went a little something like:

Edie: Moms and Dads are always saying things like "young lady!" and "no!"
Sydney: I know! Gramma never says "no."
Edie: She always says "maybe."
Sydney: And "maybe" always means "yes."

Gramma, they've got your number. As if we didn't already know this.

To Sir, With Love

Jim is fond of reminding the girls that the special ingredient in his meals is love. Indeed, given the fact that he cooks most meals, they are used to delicious home-cooked food made with love (I can assure you that, when it's mommy's turn to cook, I order that take-out with love). One day recently we were having a family favorite: breakfast for dinner. As he served the meal, Jim confessed that he had tried a different brand of bacon, and he wasn't sure that it had turned out well. His fears were confirmed when Eleanor took one bite and remarked, "There is none love in this bacon!"

As an aside, bacon is not a favorite only in our house. At Thanksgiving this year, as we went around the table to say what we were thankful for, my nephew responded, "Bacon!"

Backyard Sledding

The lots behind our house are sloped, so the two empty ones have become the neighborhood sledding run. Overnight we got about 3 more inches of snow than were expected, so we all got another chance to go sledding this season. The girls are drinking their hot cocoa as I write this.

Who's the Boss?

The other day Eleanor responded to one of Jim's requests with "You're not the boss of me! Gramma is!" Jim reports that this evening, while I attended a work function, the two of them had a little showdown that gave her "a richer understanding of who is whose boss, and what the boss does."

I wonder if this explains that when I came in at 8:00, she was sitting on the stairs in her jammies waiting for me? And why she was so sweet and cuddly while I got her ready for bed? I like when I get to be good cop.