Noah is Seven.

Happy Birthday to my larger than life kid.

Details and pictures of the day to follow!

Noah has his first loose tooth.

I think I am going to have to buy him this.

What your tattoo location says about you

How to use bacon

Camping!!!

Memorial Day Weekend we went camping at the Old Barn Resort in Preston, MN. It was the first time I camped outside of a state park. Instead of sites separated by trees, there was a big field with gravel roads leading to the individual sites. At first, the lack of privacy was unnerving, but once we set up camp, we hardly registered the people next to us and the RV's across the way were just our TV for the weekend. We tuned in only when we wanted amusement.

We went camping with Sarah. Our last adventure with her before she moves to California to be with Jesse. Sarah is an amazing camper. She rolled our tent and sleeping bags into impossibly tiny rolls and packed the car as expertly as a UPS employee. She loved swimming enough to brave the indoor unheated pool not just once, but twice. She also kept the boys entertained with card games when the parents needed a break. Sarah is the awesome.

The true masterminds of the trip were the Zarate family of Ulises, Erica and Oso. We were invited for the fun and are glad they shared their weekend with us. Thanks to them, we biked into Lanesboro on the Root River Bike Trail. We spent a great afternoon there having lunch, hanging out at the park and partaking in wine tasting at the local winery. We had a meet up snafu, so we missed having dinner with them and attending the live local version of "A Prairie Home Companion." Instead we were stuck eating to live music so painful we considered shoving our knives into our ears, but since we wanted them for later, we resisted the urge.

The last day we packed up and went in search of a cave tour. We were thinking of going to the Mystery Cave, but chose the Niagara Cave instead, since it was closer. We skipped eating in Lanesboro and headed for Harmony on the way to the cave. Unfortunately, all of the restaurants (3) in town were closed but there was a grocery store open. We bought fried chicken and potato salad from the deli and ate it at a picnic table we found behind the town bank. The cave was fantastic, but so was heading home. At that point, we were ready for civilization again.

One other facet of the trip worth mentioning was the weather. While we didn't get rained out , we were ill prepared for the chilly evenings. At night, fog descended and the temperature dropped so low we could see our breath. Noah and Stan slept through it all, but Sarah and I were shivering. We should have gotten up and layered our clothing, but even the thought of leaving our sleeping bags was torturous. Thankfully, we learned from our mistake, and the second night we put on 2-3 layers of pants, shirts, sweatshirts and socks. That night it was cold outside, but inside the tent we were warm, or at the very least, not dying of cold.

Camping rocks. I hope to do it at least once more this summer!

Best Idea EVER

OMG. So should have done this at my wedding.

Brian & Eileen's Wedding Music Video. from LOCKDOWN projects on Vimeo.

Why you cryin?

How to impress a hipster

Tips on how to fit in with people who are cooler than you.

I just read. . .

Echos From The Dead by Johan Theorin.

5 out of 5.

Great book. Interesting. Balanced just right.

I am going to list books as I finish them. Hopefully this will help me begin my list again vs. when I was trying to do it monthly.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Birthday to me.

Last week was my birthday. Tomorrow is Mother's Day. In just one week, two days are set aside to celebrate my life and my motherhood.

I am struck by how lucky I am in my life. We live in a safe country, state, city and neighborhood. My kid has many friends on our block which he loves to play with. He goes to a good public school. We can pay our bills and both Stan and I have stable jobs.

Seriously, my biggest concerns are:

1. Credit card debt (how fast can we pay it off?)
2. Losing weight.

Those are not huge concerns in the grand scheme of things, especially since #1 was achieved by means of not putting Noah in daycare the first 5 years of his life. Yes, that was a HUGE sacrifice on our part, but we are proud that Noah was cared for by his parents vs. strangers. We got to experience all of the stages he went through. We didn't miss a thing, and for that, we are grateful.

And #2? Well, that is my own fault. Such is life, and all that jazz.

Seriously though, I am happy. I have learned a lot in the past year and gained insight and focus that make me feel wiser. I have gained friends that drive me to become a better person, to use my talents, my education and my skills. These people also make me laugh, which is especially useful when I am crying.

I know this is all maudlin, sentimental sounding crap, but I really do feel that 35 has been a year of growth and preparation for action. 36? You better watch out!

Now I am not just afraid of clowns. . .

I am terrified of them.

I blame the parents.

I ca't believe it either!

What Nightmares Are Made of.

UPDATE: Even better? He's a registered sex offender.

I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep again.

Roger Ebert is the man.

Seriously. I loved reading his article: "Why I believe in God."

Baby Hulk

I love kids. Especially when they belong to someone else.

The Internets Now Has Everything.

"Normally you wouldn't think an arsonist would be good at sex. Boy was I ever wrong!
Thanks Conjugal Harmony!"

Save the Date!

When? Saturday, May 2nd

Where? The Keathly Home

Why? To drink!!! I mean, to celebrate! Sarah is graduating from her master's program! Jesse will be in town! Lisa's birthday is on Cinco de Mayo! Also, I needed an excuse to buy a GIANT pinata. The only thing I need to figure out is what I am going to fill it with . . . besides the obligatory candy.

I'm sure at least one Facebook invitation will be generated, possibly three, but for now, mark the date!

Who wants to go camping Memorial Day weekend?

I do! I do!

Join us here. We will be staying in the campsites. We don't go for that fancy RV camping. Might as well just stay home, or crash in someone's trailer for the weekend. Shit, man. . . you don't bring a TV and microwave camping!

We do have an extra tent someone can borrow.