Photos
Cosley Zoo, Pet Stores, New Words, Daddy and Mary’s Party
A short time ago I took Emma to the Cosley Zoo in Wheaton. It is a small zoo that is close and FREE! We got to look at cows, horses, lamas, sheep, ducks, owls, hawks, pigs, turtles, foxes, deer and other small animals. Emma was a good girl and really enjoyed going into the old train caboose where the inside was decorated with plants and leaves. I recommend this place for a free and enjoyable excursion. Emma has become a fond admirer of pet stores now. She loves going there–there are 2 of them close, she calls one the old one and the other the new one. She loves looking at the fish and …Read more […..]
July 4th in Wisconsin, Talking to Poppie, The Italian Feast, 1st Penis Sighting, New Words–Good & Bad!
This 4th of July was a very nice one! We spent it at the lake house with Nonnie and poppy. Emma had a great time swimming and finding jewels in the water that the “mermaids” brought. Nonnie started the tradition of throwing little knick knack jewelry items into the water and claiming to the kids that mermaids brought them. This tradition has continued for almost 20 years now. The fireworks were very nice as usual. Emma loves watching fireworks–as long as the loud ones are far away…. We watched the town fireworks from our house across the lake and then the people around the lake started …Read more […..]
Grean Beans! Ballerina Costume, Nonnie was Here, Pink Eye-Yuch
So, it has been a heck of a time trying to get Emma to eat vegetables. Ok, she has been eating carrots for quite awhile…But that is it… She has been refusing all kinds of veggies for a looong time…Until now! Woohoo! She now eats green beans! We had been offering her them for a long while and it was when we didn’t offer them to her that she actually asked for them! How is that for reverse psychology?! Emma received a ballerina costume a while back and recently tried it on. Well, once it was on….it was staying on! Watching her looking in the mirror at herself, posing and talking …Read more […..]
The Great American Role Reversal?
Emma & Nona(Her Great-Grandmother) in 2008 Good article about the changing roles men and women are going through–or have been going through for quite some time. Women as breadwinners: The great American role reversal? By Michelle Goodman NWjobs Speaking of households being turned upside down, you probably saw Sunday’s NWjobs article about men being laid off at a far more rapid rate than women. As Patrick May of the San Jose Mercury News reports, in an increasing number of households, women are being thrust into the role of main breadwinner and laid-off men are stepping into …Read more […..]
Uncle Jeff & Auntie Jo, Wake Up Daddy, Its Christmastime, Christmas Parties, Santa Was Here! Aminals
It has been about 5 months since Emma has seen my Uncle Jeff and his wife Jo. The last time she saw them she loved Jo but wouldn’t go by Jeff although she did start to play Peek with him from a distance. They came over and spent a nice evening with us recently. At first Emma was leery of Jeff and, of course, was immediately receptive to Jo. It didn’t take long however, for her to warm up to Jeff. At first, while Melissa & I talked with Jeff, Emma kidnapped Jo and took her into the living room to play. After awhile we all ended up in the same room at which time Emma kidnapped …Read more […..]
A “Merry Christmasâ€
Just had to add this clever take on “Twas a night Before Christmas” as the politically correctness has gotten way out of hand… *Twas the month before Christmas *When all through our land, *Not a Christian was praying *Nor taking a stand. *See the PC Police had taken away, *The reason for Christmas – no one could say. *The children were told by their schools not to sing, *About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things. *It might hurt people’s feelings, the teachers would say * December 25th is just a ‘ Holiday ‘. *Yet the shoppers were ready …Read more […..]
Happy Thanksgiving! Snow!! “I Don’t Need You Daddy and I Don’t Need Momma, I’m a Big Girl”, Abonabo, The Bodeepot
Thanksgiving was busy, busy, busy! Emma got to go to Grandma & grandpa’s and played with her cousins Lauren & Nicole. She really loves Lauren since she is younger than Nicole. I think Lauren is about 8 or 9 and Nicole is 13. Emma kept Nicole busy that is for sure! Emma also got to “play” with her 95(I think) year old Bucia. Funny how she has always been attracted to her…Maybe because she sees her as somewhat of a child? Bucia loved it too! Watching her, she looks at Emma with a wonderment that rivals my own! Even at that age, she seems to be reliving her own childhood. After Grandma …Read more […..]
Trick or Treat! Halloween Party! New Friend Jack
Well, Halloween has always been a big holiday with me and I am pleased to say that I think it will be for Emma too. This year she got into it and enjoyed it very much. Emma was Tinkerbell and boy did she look cute! For the last 7 years I have put a fog machine in the bushes in front of our house so that I can scare/entertain the kids who come here trick-or-treating. This year we had unbelievable weather–it was 70 degrees and completely still. The fog that I made just lingered in front of our house and eventually the entire culdesac. It looked like a movie set. The kids who came here loved …Read more […..]
TV Commercial Filming Trip, You’re Not Going Away, Emma’s 1st Sleepover
A week after getting back from Disney World we went to Los Angeles. It was something we could not pass up–at least I couldn’t. Since my days as a child model for Spiegel, Sears, and others, I have had an itch to do something like that again. Last year, both Melissa and I were in a Sleep Number Bed commercial. A few weeks ago they contacted us and said that everyone remembers us and that they would like to fly us to California to shoot an infomercial. Well, we jumped at the chance… Emma & Walter (Foo-Foo) To be treated like a celebrity for a day was quite the experience. When we …Read more […..]
Megan & Chrissy! The Witch! Tigger & Pooh! My Name!
So, we just returned from our 2nd trip to Orlando and Disney World. We got to stay with Emma’s uncle Mark, aunt Tina, and her cousins Chrissy and Megan. It was a very fun time watching Emma with her 2 cousins. They played well together, in general. There were some pushing incidents throughout the trip with a sort of power struggle going on. Nothing serious but we got to see a “bully” side of Emma that I have never seen before. When we got home, Emma kept talking about them and how she wants to go back to “Mark’s house.” We had lots of fun at Disney World…again. Emma got to see “The Witch” …Read more […..]