Testing the video upload feature! Yay, and it's cats too!

I guess this probably goes without saying, but don't press the PLAY button if you don't have a high speed connection, it's a 2MB streaming video file. You have been warned.

And if you can't press that button, well that's a real shame, because the video is absolutely hilarious!

Sam's a big boy now!

And he's very happy about it!
 
 

Multi-tasking

First off, Sam gets a battery powered Thomas the Train set from Mimi (adorable talking cat sold separately).
 

Then, Sam gets a guitar just like Daddy's so we can rock out on Guitar Hero together. (I think Mom already has pictures of that...if so, they'll be up here soon I can bet!)
 

And, as only a child can do, he finds a way to make the train and the guitar play together!
 

Sneaky little boy

I don't know what was on Sam's mind here, but it sure looks like he's trying to abscond with a present...one that is clearly marked FOR JAY. He just has a shifty look on his face.

Whoa. This is weird now that I think of it. The present ended up being The Eagles latest album. And The Eagles are one of Sam's favorite bands. Maybe he can see through wrapping paper and was after it because he knew what it was. I'm going to have to keep my eye on this kid from now on, that's for sure. Especially when there are presents around.

 

Hey! That's mine!

Now Sam is trying to take over MY gift. He's enjoying it though. The only good part is that I really kick his butt in the game (for now!).

 

Does he look excited or what?

 

Still enjoying the tent...

 

Sam loves Jill's present at Christmas #1

Well, Jill got Sam a big pop-up play tent for Sam in the shape of Thomas the train. Sam loves trains, by the way. Please be sure to click the pictures so you can blow them up and really see how excited he was when that thing started coming up the stairs.

 
 
 
 

I saw Santa today

True story. Coming back from Sam's show, there was Santa Claus on the corner waving to everyone. Cool thing I had my camera still!
 

Sam's Christmas show

Sam had his first Christmas show today. He's the little dip in the middle of the line (as if you couldn't tell!). He appeared to be completely shell-shocked on stage. He didn't move, smile, clap or sing! He's been practicing all week too at home. Hayley and I have overheard him in the next room playing by himself and singing Christmas songs. It's pretty cute.

I've entitled this first picture: "The Dip." Because, as you'll see, Sam is just the dip in the line!
 

This is Sam's teacher walking him off stage.

 
 

25 Signs that you've grown up

Culled from another site here.

You know you are finally a grownup when:

1. Your houseplants are alive, and you can’t smoke any of them.
2. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.
3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge. (Exhibit A!)
4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.
5. You hear your favorite song in an elevator.
6. You watch the Weather Channel.
7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of “hook up” and “break up”.
8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.
9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as “dressed up”.
10. You’re the one calling the police because those %&@# kids next door won’t turn down the stereo.
11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.
12. You don’t know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.
13. Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up.
14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonald’s leftovers.
15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.
16. You take naps.
17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.
18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.
19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.
20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer “pretty good shit”.
21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.
22. “I just can’t drink the way I used to” replaces “I’m never going to drink that much again”.
23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.
24. You drink at home to save money before going to a bar.
25. When you find out your friend is pregnant you congratulate them instead of asking, “Oh shit, what the hell happened?”

Elves, elves, and more elves!

I think the title says it all...

We're all elves! Really. You can make one of your own here. (If you're suitable silly enough, that is!

OK, Mom's is here. And here's another one from Mom.

And now Sam's favorite, Rani, Lucy and Hosta!

Hey look! It's grandkids!

If you want to make you're own silly elf video, make sure you click "Copy this elf" when it's over then email the link to me (just start a new email and click Edit->Paste).

Once upon a time...

...I was in India. And here's the proof finally! I finally bought a scanner. Then I finally started searching for all old "photos." Then I finally found them! How cool is that?

 
 
 
 

Sam & Lucy Decorating the tree

Sam was SO excited to help put up the tree.

 

Planning every little inch.

 

And this one goes right here.

 

And there is Lucy as the current Tree Guardian. Go Lucy!

 

And there's Kornnepflaque as the spiritual Tree Guardian. Go Kornnepflaque!

Ah, those were the days

Here's a picture of my fridge while I was in college. No lie. A while after college (like 11 years) I got married and the beer changed from Milwaukee's Best to Bass Ale. (All things being equal, two incomes rock--highly recommended, by the way.)

 

Then the beer changed to food. Imagine my dismay.

Then we had Sam, and the food changed to formula.

Today, I have warm Coor's Light in the cooler in my garage--and a fridge full of food.

Many people far older and wiser than me call this "character building." Well, I'm waiting for it to build me up a fridge full of beer again. I guess I'll just keep eating the food while I'm waiting.

Two cats...one smart and one not so much

So we've got two cats here watching out the window. Only, one of them seems to have failed Window Watching 101.

I still have both these kitties to this day, and Hosta (on the left) is still just as dumb!

I imagine it went down something like this:
Lucy: Hey Hosta! Do you wanna watch birds again?
Hosta: Yeah! Sounds great. Let's go.
L: Gonna have some fun now that's for sure.
H: (Jeez this Lucy is stupid. I have no idea what she gets out of this. Oh well.)

 

Hey this is neat...er..oh no, paisley..send help...

There I am. Overwhelmed by all the paisley surrounding me. No wait, it's my first 300 pound TV! And in stereo.

I mean, paisley wallpaper? C'mon.

 

Wow! I love the web!

So. The year is 1981. Cast your mind back. No, back further than that. Way back. What did everyone universally love to do then? Well, I don't know the answer either, but from the photo evidence it seems to be...Greaser Day?

 

This is me and Tom. Tom was my best friend through all of junior and senior high school. Then we went away to college and Tom moved to Indiana and we've never seen each other since. I know it's a sad story. But here's the cool part: I recently found his little corner of the web (Yay Google!) and (after 18 years) we've been emailing back and forth and catching up a bit with each other. It's been pretty fun. So Tom dug up this picture of the two of us before heading off to one of the junior high "theme" dances. The theme here was obviously to wear something so ridiculous we wouldn't be faced with the prospect of actually dancing with anyone.

This picture is not photoshopped either! Tom really was (and I presume) still is that tall. I think he was about 6'2" in those days. Or maybe it just seemed like it. Also, if you notice, Tom was doing the nice thing and not even wearing shoes in the picture. Then the height difference would have been really noticable!

But here's the really funny part: When we arrived at the school to go in, the person at the door didn't believe Tom was actually a student! They took him into the principle's office to grill him about his homeroom teacher and his class schedule until they finally believed him and let him in! What a riot.

So that was me and Tom and the Greaser Day dance. I don't even remember being there, but I always remembered this picture, that's for sure.

One of my favorite pics of my kids

More Pictures for Tom from Annie

Rob and Jill (I think!)

Annie and her kids and grandkids on her 60th birthday

Annie and Rob

Annie and her two children whom she loves bestest in the world