2 day recap

Well, I was on my way to town when Libby decided she didnt want to go anymore. Truth be told, I didnt really want to go that badly either, so we didnt argue about it. Of course, when I got back home and Eric took her out for a spin, she decided to work just fine for him. But I'm still not going. Its been raining here all day and feels like one of those days when you should just stay home, snuggle and make soup. So thats what we are doing.

Now for a recap. Apparently the lack of update yesterday had a few of you in an uproar. My apologies. I was busy finishing up the painting in the guest room so that I could dazzle you all with pictures today. The room isnt quite done yet - must be accessorized more - but for now, here are some pictures of it. This color is called Brown Teepee (or TP for those of you who prefer the juvenile version).

And here is the bathroom off of the guest room. Clearly, the pictures will be hung up as soon as my handy man gets around to doing it. And the walls not shown in this picture will be a lovely chocolate brown as soon as the painter recovers from painting the guest room.
The remainder of the afternoon yesterday was spent outdoors as it was a glorious fall day. Dylsie spent some quality time with his surrogate grandparents, Ingrid and Larry (our next door neighbors). First DD and Ingrid threw rocks into the lake. Then DD took Ingrid by the hand and took her out to the road to watch the tractors move dirt. Then DD and Ingrid went to Ingrid's house to wash his muddy hands and pick up a shovel to help Daddy with his Big Dig (the Big Dig is what I am now calling Eric's beach project - I have a feeling its going to take awhile - just as the Big Dig did in Boston). After that, we all joined forces and had a wonderful fall meal together. We had brats, beans, chili, sauerkraut cheese (which I thot was really good, Eric wasnt a fan) chips and some cold beers (DD had milk). Then, we decided it was a lovely evening for a fire. DD had his very first smore. I think, anyway? I don't recall him having one before, but I'm sure someone will call my bluff if I am wrong. Anyway, here are the pictures:

It seems as though I had something else to tell you all, but right now I am ready to wrap this thing up. Blogger is being a pain in the butt today, so I'm outta here! Ta ta for now!

Pecan Crusted Chicken and Brown TP

The guest room has now been painted a lovely shade of light brown. Brown Teepee, to be exact. I prefer to call it Brown TP tho. Is funnier that way. I think it looks pretty spiffy. Only 2 walls were painted. Who do you think I am - wonderwoman? I'm not THAT fast of a painter. Dylsie's nap ran short again, so I just barely finished the second coat on the two walls that I did get painted. I shall take a few pics of the room tomorrow once its been put back together and accessorized properly. So check back tomorrow for some pics to be added to this post. Perhaps I shall even get out the fall bedding just for the occasion! Woohoo! Cheap thrills, I know.


And for din din this evening, we had Pecan Crusted Chicken. Sounds good, right? It was. But I made it with Walmart chicken. In times of strife, people are driven to do stupid things - like purchase poultry from Walmart. Gross chicken! Dont buy chicken there! Anyway, will have to try it again with better chicken. The reason it was good regardless of the chicken - butter and buttermilk. Wuh oh! Calories galore! Oh well. Winter is coming and we must put on an extra layer for warmth.


Well, thats all I've got for today. The boys are outside stomping around on the saturated ground. This must mean I should mentally prepare for a dirty toddler to come through the door in an hour or so.


Adios readers!

Hurricane Dylan

Flying solo is so much fun with an almost 2 year old.  Heres a run down of the past day and 1/2 while Eric has been in the cities (this will also serve as your recap, Poppy, so dont be giving me your usual hand gesture of "go ahead and tell me everything"):

Tuesday Morning, 8am:  Hurricane Dylan is on the horizon.  Reports are saying that its gonna be a bad one, so I tried to button down the hatches.  Unfortunately, I was too late and it had already started.  Peanut butter laden stools, dumped blocks and strewn about pillows and blankies - all left behind in this first band.

9am: The Dollar Store, Brainerd: Hurricane Dollar Store must have hit right before Hurricane Dylan arrived. This place was a disaster area.  Figured it wouldnt matter if Dylan threw every football he could get his hands on.  Mental note tho - DON'T go back there with Dylan or risk not making it out of that place with my sanity.

10am: At the Brainerd Target.  Hurricane Dylan poured an entire sippy of water into DD's carseat - result: a boy with a wet butt.  And for the record, this was not my fault - it was Poppy's fault.  Yes, he's not here - but he was the one who decided we'd not use the little thingys that hold the water in.  

10:35am: Back in the wet carseat.  Hurricane Dylan devoured 5 peanut butter M&M's and screamed for more.  

11am: The Discount Liquor Store: Mom had to stop for reinforcements.  Necessary for survival later in the day.  Hurricane Dylan gains strength with a sucker given to him by the liquor store clerk.

11:15am: Hurricane Dylan hits Libby (my car) again with a douse of sticky hands and a chewed up lollypop stick.

12pm: Lunch time.  Hurricane Dylan eats his slice of pizza and then puts a giant mouthful of hamburger from the leftover pasta dish in his mouth, chews it up, and spits it out all over the floor.  Hurricane Dylan gets put straight down for a nap.

12:30pm: Hurricane Tracker Tricia works out to try and de-stress from the half day of destruction.  Little does she know, she should have saved her strength.  

1:30ish: Hurricane Dylan sneaks up on Tracker Tricia just as she is finishing her shower.  WHAT?!, she thinks?  The usual 2-3 hour nap reduced to MAYBE 45 minutes?!  I didnt even get a chance to clean up from when the initial bands that came through!  Hurricane Dylan then comes screaming back into the family room demanding we read every book in the house.  The path of destruction grows larger.  Now we have blocks, blankets and pillows, cushions, laundry that needs to be folded AGAIN, books and cars strewn all over the room.  The clean up is going to be treacherous.  Mention of a clean up sends Hurricane Dylan into a fit of hysterics.  Apparently hes not ready to wind down.

4pm: Just as Oprah's new season begins, Hurricane Dylan decides its time to "tip Mommy."  Apparently he is missing rough housing with his dad.  Mommy is injured more than once.  Luckily, Hurricane Dylan gives kisses when he hurts Mommy. 

5pm: Hurricane Dylan loses strength and demands he be fed.  He is replenished with a panini sandwich and edamame.  

5:45pm: Back at full strength, Hurricane Dylan takes his destruction outdoors.  He kicks up rocks and dust and dirt out by the road.  He throws all his toys into the yard and kicks his ball into the neighbors yard.  He screams when Mommy wont go get it.  He swings in the Honduran swing chair and squeals with delight.  He then decides its time to go back indoors when he's done enough damage outside.  

6:45pm: Back to the books.  Must read every book again before heading upstairs to destroy up there as well.

7pm: Time for bed.  Hurricane D must throw the pillows off of mom and dad's bed before heading to his own crib for the evening.  We must not leave a single room untouched.  Then, he remembers something he forgot to destroy....... Daddy's office had not been turned upside down yet.  He heads in there with a menacing look in his eye.  When I came in to stop him, it was too late! The file cabinet was tipped over.  The desk was overturned!  The loon picture was ripped in half!  Oh no!!!!  

7:10pm: Tracker Tricia wrestles the Hurricane into his crib, but not without singing each song twice.  Super Blankies in hand, Hurricane Dylan finally settles.

7:15pm: Tracker Tricia pours a gigantic glass of wine, puts on her swimsuit and drowns in the hot tub.  

The End.  

Ok, so I didnt drown, but I also didn't pick up all of Hurricane Dylan before my bedtime.  The glass of wine and the hot tub made sure of it!

Testing too!

Added a few of you to an automatic email update on the blog....just testing to see if it worked!  Sending this at 11:26am Central time!

Looking for advice

Im bored and was just admiring the new looks of the kitchen but thinking that it needs something more.  Relax Poppy, I mean at some point - not right now.  What I am thinking it needs is a backsplash.  Something to liven it up a bit in there!  As if the red walls arent enough!  Anyway - I'm open to suggestions!  Colors?  Materials?  Anyone, anyone?  Please see the pictures from the last entry to refresh your memories on what I am talking about here.  Its obvious I'm going to need a nice winter project and this is gonna be one of them.  Annnnnnnnnd GO!

Dylan's latest funny thing

So lately whenever we are about to do something that Dylan doesnt want to do - he has a very polite way of telling us he wants nothing to do with us and to leave him alone.  For instance, this morning, it suddenly got quiet and I noticed that I was able to sit at my computer for more than 5 minutes without someone screaming at my side yelling, "Mommy DOWN!"  (aka, get away from the computer NOW, Mommy!).  So I went to investigate and found that he had gone in his playroom and closed the door.  So I knocked and said, "Can I come in?"  I peeked in and a lovely (?) smell washed over me.  Ahhhh, so thats why he was hiding out.  He says, "No Mommy.  Bye Bye Mommy!  See you later Mommy! Bye!"  This is what he says to us now to get us to leave him be.  "Dylan, time to eat!"  "No, bye-bye Daddy!  Bye Bye Mommy!  See you later!"  Such a funny boy.  

Sunday, Bloody Sunday!

Well, after a stiff (ok, not too stiff) Bloody Mary, I am ready to write this installment of the blog.  A recap of the weekend, if you will.

Gma and Gpa Wikoff are here.  Gma came back with us earlier this week to get started on her wedding gift for us.  Staining the deck.  This was not my idea, but Eric's.  Men have different gift ideas than women, as you all know.  But nonetheless, Gma Kim did it with a smile. 

 

Gpa came on Friday bearing gifts as well.  He brought the boat lift for U.B. Pimpin' so that she will have a nice home next summer.  No more driving down the road to put her in and out.  Hopefully it works out tho.  They (and by they, i mean, the men-folk) seem to think there

 might be a problem putting it in due to the shallowness of the water and the silt buildup.  Fortunately, there is a plan in the works amongst the neighbors to seek and destroy all weeds and wild rice (there goes our livelyhood!).  So perhaps next spring, there will be exciting news that the rice and weeds are gone and UB Pimpin' is IN!  Stay tuned....

We took a lovely drive around the lake this morning.  Fall colors have not happened yet, but they seem close.  Had to wear a coat this morning, if that tells you anything.  Sadly, there is a pants shortage, so both Dyls and I have been wearing the same cold weather outfits repeatedly Luckily, I have Eric to remind me that, "its not a fashion show."  I wonder if i'll ever get used to that notion?  (No fashion shows up here in Hillman?  What?!)  For the record, I wore my lovely new Jcrew dress.  And people seem to like it.  However, that means that its memorable so I might be screwed on that.  Time for shopping!  Kidding....Poppy.....sorta!  : )  

Anyway, we went to church this morning and DD was a very good boy.  The service ran a little long, but it was all very worth it (here is where Eric's input comes into the blog) b/c DD saw his very first play.  It was more of a skit, in my opinion.  Anyway, Eric says it compares well to the Guthrie.  I disagree.  If the pastor and the communion boy worked on their lines a bit more, then maybe.  But as far as I could tell - they both needed a little work to get to Guthrie caliber.  The Gideon man, on the other hand, was very good.  I liken him to a Sean Connery type of character.  

As for the rest of this Sunday Bloody Sunday, we will be taking the boat lift off the trailer (and by we - I mean, not me), reading the paper, messing around outside, painting the white racing stripe left by the movement of the kitchen cupboards (thanks Danny!), reading up on how to use our new fancy microwave (thanks Dad!) and bidding adieu to Gma and Gpa Wikoff.

Thanks for reading everyone!  Without our fans, none of this would be possible!