My Caucus Experience!

If you know me, you know that I am a little bit of a political junkie! This presidential election year is just making me giddy! There was no way I was going to miss my DFL caucus.

I got to the middle school near my house at 6:30 pm. There was a line of cars all the way down the street waiting to get in the parking lot. There were no spots available in the lot! It was packed full already. I knew this was going to be something else. I finally got a spot and headed inside.

It was amazing. There were more people there than I could even imagine. I have caucused before and have seen nothing like this. I waited in line for 1.5 hours to get in to register and cast my vote for who I back for president. I waited in line, talked to some very interesting people, and saw some of my neighbors. I marveled at the number of people and the diversity of the crowd. I got chills (I know call me a geek!) thinking about the democratic process at work.

While I was in the school cafeteria casting my vote they announced that they wouldn't be starting the caucusing until everyone is through the line and has a chance to vote. As I walked to my precinct room I realized that the line was just about as long as when I got into it. This was going to be a long night.

It was about an hour later before our precinct captain came in and started our caucus. Not everyone that voted stayed for the caucus but there was a good turn out. It was fun to be sitting in a room with my neighbors and talking politics. In the end it was 10:00 pm when I left - 3.5 hours after I entered the building. I didn't expect it take up my whole night but it was fun and so worth it to be part of the process.

Some may think this is going to be a long 9 months but I say bring it on! This is what our country is all about. Again, if you know me, you know that I am very ready for a change in the White House and that just fuels the fire. And in case you are interested - I back Barack Obama! Maybe I'll write a future blog about that!

Tina

Happy 2nd Birthday Brevin!

Our weekends in February are filled with many great events planned! This first weekend we helped our good friends, Heath and Jill, celebrate their son Brevin's 2nd birthday! Just like when Anna's birthday rolls around I can't believe that he is 2 years old already. It seems not all that long ago that we got word that he was born! Over the past 2 years we have had the wonderful opportunity to watch him grow and mature!

Brevin is one of the most loving and sweet little boys that I know. He just steals your heart with every word and smile! And he smiles a lot! :) It has been so fun to watch Anna and Brevin's friendship grow. They get so excited to see each other and really play well together. We look forward to the many years to come with those two together.

His party was a great success and oh so much fun. Between the Twister competition and some friendly tournaments on the Wii, a good time was had by all. We also enjoyed some great conversations with the Vosbergs afterwards that led to a late night and all of us wondering how in the world we ever got into the topics we did! It always seems to happen that way and we love it!

So, Happy Birthday Brevin! Wonder if you have come down from your party high yet and hope that you and Daddy are enjoying your birthday - day! We love you!

Chad, Tina and Anna

What will they say about our photos?

So, I am not sure how I come across these things. I am using reading blogs and following one link to another. If you would like to have a little chuckle on this cold and dreary week - CLICK HERE!

What Might Have Been

I stole this from a random blog that I read. I thought it was pretty humerous!

1. MY ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Abby Concorde

2.MY GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Snicker Doodle (huh?)

3. MY “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
T-Car

4. MY DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Yellow Monkey

5. MY SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Marie Monticello

6. MY STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Car-Ti

7. MY SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Pink Kahlua

8. MY NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
John David (they do all have two first names, don’t they?)

9. MY STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
Fruity Snickers

10.MY WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )
Marie John

11. MY TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Peterson Portland

12. MY SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Fall Cardinal

13. MY CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Pear Jeanie

14. MY HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
English Muffin Willow

15. MY ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + fave hobby/craft, fave weather + “Tour”)
The Scrapbook Sunshine Tour

Tina

An Old Post Worth Reading Again

I wrote this blog last spring of 2007 and posted it to my myspace page. I just reread it and realized how it really just hits home again and again. As we get within days of Anna's 4th birthday it makes me contemplate what this year will bring for her and our family! We have been so fortunate to have a fairly easy baby and toddler but definitely not without those phases we wish we didn't have to go through. But then I read this again and see that it is all worth it in the end. That we need to go through those phases to get to where we are today!

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When we became parents we knew that there would be days that we would be pulling our hair out and at a loss for what to do. Overall the first 3 years of Anna's life were pretty easy. She was a good baby and the 2's came and went without many sleepless nights. And then January 12, 2007 came and Anna turned 3!

I had heard that the 3's were worse than the 2's, especially for girls. I think they were right. Anna is 3 going on 13. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate her independence and love for life. What I don't appreciate is the crying, whining and blatant disregard for the rules we worked so hard to instill. I keep telling myself that this is a phase that we will get through like every other one we have gone through. But this one is different. I am realizing that how we parent now may have a direct impact on the rest of her life. Ok, maybe I am placing too much weight on my influence but it is a scary thought.

The independence Anna displays is at times refreshing and at times frustrating. Not a day passes that we don't here, "I can do it myself!" I am proud that we raised a little 3 year old that feels comfortable enough on her own or with our help! That brings me to the point of this blog -

I got home this evening after a wonderful dinner and book discussion with my husband to find out that Anna is sick. Her independence is thrown out the window. She needs her mommy and daddy again. She needs me to rub her back and hold the bucket and pull her hair back all with my three hands. She still shows me what a strong little girl she is by acting like throwing up is nothing and can continue on with whatever conversation we were having before the bucket came out again. But I am reminded through all of this that she is still just a three year old that relies on us to take care of her and to be honest that feels good. Tonight I don't feel like I am losing my little girl to her independent spirit.

So, my point is that even though we have our rough nights and days that I am in tears wondering what I have done wrong, I realize that it is part of growing up - both for Anna and for me as a parent. I am realizing that these formative years are so important and I just have to stay strong and realize that on the other side of this phase is another one that we will wonder how we will get through it. And maybe we should save the fretting for when Anna is 13 going on 30!

Tina

Post 30 Observations

When I turned 20 I thought I was so old. When I looked in the future to 30 it seemed like my life would be over by then! Of course now that I am 30, well actually 31.5, I don't feel "old". But I have noticed changes in me that magically started happening when 30 hit. And some of those I don't like very much!

Since May 1, 2006 the grey hairs on my head have multiplied to the point where I can't just pick them out and say all gone! I guess it is a blessing and a curse to have dark hair. Love the color but those grey hairs stick out like a sore thumb. Or maybe it is just me that notices them? Other hair changes too - like getting hair in places hair just shouldn't grow - like my chin, chest, belly, nose. Just kidding about the nose but I am sure one will pop out of there soon enough.

Since I turned the big 3-0, I get pimples again like I am in 6th grade. Nobody told me they would come back like this! And not just pimples but moles and "beauty marks" too. They freckle my skin now! And not sure if this is because I am 30 or because I have had a child but I can't sneeze without peeing my pants. It just isn't fair. I guess I should have taken the kegel exercises more seriously. (Sorry if that was too much information for you all!)

Now don't even get me started on weight gain! I have struggled with that for a long time including pre-30 years. But now the weight comes on so easily and I have to work twice as hard to get it off. Which does warn me about the next 8.5 years of my life! Let's do something about this now before I am 40 and it is 3x as hard. More to that to come in a future blog when I ask you all to help us stay accountable while training for our triathlon this summer!

Some say that children keep you young. I think that is true. We can live through them and their energy and excitement for life. It helps to recreate some of those same feelings in yourself. I am sure glad that being 30 doesn't feel as old as a 20 year old thinks it would. In some ways I feel like my life is just beginning as life changes happen in our lives. Bring on 40 - in the next 8.5 years I will prepare myself. Besides isn't 40 the new 20?

Tina

Becoming a Blogger!

Here we go! I don't know why we didn't start a blog a long time ago. I have been reading them for years. Love getting lost in other people's lives. Some I read to take me away to places I haven't been to before. Others I read to feel like I am not alone in this world and others are going through the same things I am. We have friends that have blogs and it is a great way to keep up with what is going on in this busy world. And then there are some blogs that I read where I have never met the people before. I got linked to them from other places and have been so enthralled by their writing that I keep going back.

We look forward to using this to keep you all up to speed on our lives and the inner workings of our family. We will update with pictures and words. We will recommend our favorite TV shows, books and movies!

Hope you enjoy this forum and enjoy reading our posts. Please leave us comments so we know you are reading this and enjoying it! This will be a work in progress that we will be adding things to as we go along so check back with us often! And I have actually been writing some blogs in the past few months but haven't posted them yet so there may be a rash of them coming rather quickly! Enjoy!

Love,
Tina, Chad and Anna