Gearing up for fireworks!

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" This northern slang phrase was a favorite with my Dad's side of the family--often said after something ridiculous was uttered or done by someone else. It also sums up my slowness at posting lately! The Ribclan has been busy--reorganizing our home after the garage sale (amongst other usual "to do's") and eagerly preparing for the holiday weekend otherwise known as Kdee's birthday! It seems like only yesterday that she was being born to the sound of fireworks on the 4th of July (born at 10:31, 1 minute after the fireworks finished...had I been on the other side of the hospital, I could have watched the fireworks!). She truly is our little "firecracker". As to be expected, she is SUPER excited about her birthday. I think she's also excited because, as one of the youngest in her Kindergarten class, she will now join the exclusive ranks of 6-year old. (There was a chart in her class that showed who was 5, who was 6...she was 1 of 3 left on the "5" year old side at the end of the year...) She hasn't made too much mention about what she wants for a gift this year, despite her parent's attempts to get some clues from her. Initially, she told us it was a secret and we explained to her how that would NOT work in her favor, so then she thought harder about our request. So far, she still hasn't come up with anything so we'll see what creative gifts we find! Oh, but on second thought, I don't want an adult daughter to hold a bad grudge against us for "that birthday, you remember the one, where you guys bought me that horrible gift".

What we do know is the party plans! Our holiday weekend will be spent up north at the family cabin--lots of swimming and playing in general, always up the birthday girl's alley. We're hopeful to do another fireworks show as we have in the past, especially since ribB attained a "pyrotechnic" license a couple of years back. ribB usually gets some wonderful help from his Uncle B and his cousin's husband J, so I'm sure the boys will be back at it with a bigger, better show this year. Some folks across the lake also put on quite a show, so all we have to do is sit back and enjoy the entertainment! After the holiday weekend, we'll prepare for the "friend" party on Saturday the 8th. Kdee has requested another water play party--complete with a triple-racer slip & slide, pool and lots of water balloons. We'll then let the kids decorate their own cupcakes (last year was a hoot to see how differently the boys & girls took on this task--girls meticulously decorated theirs, boys just loaded on tons of frosting and gobbled). It was a great time, and Kdee is excited to do it all again. She's also very excited to see a couple of her old daycare friends that go to different elementary schools than her, therefore she doesn't see much anymore. Last night she spoke to one of them (a boy, J, whom she's long said she'll marry...him or her friend E :-). Well, I got my first taste of watching my daughter talk to a boy on the phone. Complete with hair twisting and giggling. Me getting "shusshed". Oh my, this can only get worse!

With all of the birthday hoopla, little B is going about his days pretty well. He's begun to "sing" to the radio, which is a hoot. The other night he started to sing back to me as I rocked him before bed, and we just giggled. Very sweet. He is getting closer to opening doors--eek! He is definitely finessing his twists to door knobs around our house, with technique that will soon require those clunky, white, child-proof protectors. Like his sister, Little B is charming the opposite gender. At daycare, he regularly smooches a little girl, but I hear he also shoves her when she tries to sit on a chair with him. Ahh, here starts the long history of love-hate, even at such an early age. This past weekend his Kdee and him played on the slip-n-slide, and had a blast. Little B kept falling down on the slippery surface, but it didn't phase him from enjoying every moment of the fun.

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of being Aunt D & Cousin A's date to Kathy Griffin. It was such a fun show! As a woman with too much memory retention for celebrity gossip and pop culture, I loved Kathy's schtick of "gossiping" with the audience. Let me tell you, I learned plenty that night that isn't privy to regular media, and I was eating it all up! As always, Aunt D & Cousin A were awesome to hang out with--I always enjoy time with them. (Cousin C, you were missed, too!) While I was at the show, ribB had fun IM'ing and talking with my brother J about his very cool new ride. Congrats to him on his new wheels...

Have a wonderful & happy Holiday weekend! Eat lots of treats, enjoy a couple of lemonades and kick back in the sun!

Bayport Cookery ROCKS!

I have just had the most delicious lunch at an amazing local spot...and I just had to share the where/whats with everyone so you can try it out as well! If you're familiar with Stillwater MN, you know where Bayport is. Very close by, very quaint. Well, within this sweet spot is a hidden gem. Jim Kyndberg, one of the best chefs in the Twin Cities (not just my opinion, but that of many food critics, etc.) owns an incredible restuarant, called the Bayport Cookery. It's quietly situated on a side street, off of the main drag. Signage is minimal, but way worth a look. This restaurant has won 2 Zagat awards, last 2 consecutive years--an honor that is regarded as a first ever for the Twin Cities area. It is THAT GOOD. No, THAT GREAT.

My coworker and myself had the pleasure of meeting with him (so humble and likeable!), where he cooked us lunch. Just a little something he whipped up--a lamb burger with mediterranian spices/artichokes/tomato compote on a biscuit-y thing (sorry, don't know the technical language), argula with olive oil/balsamic vinegar/(kosher?) salt and freshly made potato chips with truffle salt. So, so yummy and seriously the best potato chips I ever eaten. Even more amazing, is that the prices are very reasonable and fair for fine dining. He has a fixed menu (9-5-3 courses available) or you can choose off of an a-la-a carte menu (if you like to pick your meal!). Right now the fixed menu is Morel Mushrooms, and they are used in every course (including dessert). Chef Jim also uses ingredients from local farmers, and bases his menu on what they have. Very big on supporting his community, which in this day and age is so honorable. Reservations are recommended for the weekends...heck, might as well make sure to make them anytime as the secret is starting to get out! Even if you're a meat-and-potato kind of person, you will LOVE this restuarant!

Find out more information at: www.bayportcookery.com. YUM! YUM! YUM!

Back in the swing of things!

Thank you for patiently waiting for my next formal update--it has been a busy and fun week for the Ribclan family. When I last wrote, we were anticipating (and doing many late night preparations for) our garage sale. I'm happy to report that it was a huge success--even with less-than-stellar weather! Amazingly, we have a fair amount of kid stuff left (and we sold plenty!), so we plan to donate some of it, and save the rest for a future sale. We were exhausted after the sale was done, but with lots of money in our pocket, it felt very worth it. Our big reward after the sale was done was a date night for ribB and me--golfing and dinner, which was so much fun! We don't have date nights too often, so we were very grateful for the time to play and act like crazy kids ourselves. We've been lucky to find 2 new babysitters who are very nice and great with the kids. Of course, babysitters are a pretty penny these days ($6-8/hour for 2 kids), but for the chance to get an afternoon or evening out of the house together, it's very worth it!

On Sunday, after Kdee's exciting hair cut, we celebrated the 3rd birthday of our family friend, I, with her parents/family/friends. Kdee had a ball "swimming" in the cooled down hot tub with the other kids, and most of the parents stayed dry during the excitement. Little B had a blast playing with I's sand/water table and managed to not get too dirty. It was nice to see our friends and spend a beautiful evening outside (complete with yummy food and cupcakes, too!).

On Monday, Kdee started "backpackers"--the school district's summer care program. Kdee did this program last year and really enjoyed it. More of her school friends are attending the program this year, so it's been a great way for her to keep these friendships close. As it was last year, there will be lots of field trips--starting with today's roller skating adventure and a trip to Fawn-Doe-Rosa later this week (ahhh, memories of fun there!). She is very, very excited (and is better than mom at keeping track of all these field trips). We are grateful to have such reasonably priced, and fun, care for Kdee during the summer. (Although it is an adjustment to get used to packing lunch, making breakfast and dropping her off at a different school...a routine that is already settling in a week later.)

Our week continued with lots of T-ball (Kdee), softball (ribB, who really enjoys his new team this year) and an exciting work event for me (a popular Twin Cities radio station (FM 107) did an event at my client's venue, which I had been working hard to make happen for the last year...it was a success and a blast to meet the talent). Other highlights of the week included ribB having a Little Debbie Swiss Roll smeared on the back of his shirt by a client ( a first that could only make us laugh) and my attendance at the "THINK BIG" event on Thursday with my co-workers (all I can say is cheesy--crazy sales pitches along trashy girls welcoming us into the convention center--but we did gain some interesting tib-bits from Jeffrey Gitomer and George Foreman. I couldn't stay long enough for the "headliner" Donald Trump, due to my radio event.) . I did enjoy time with my great co-workers outside of the office--they are smart, funny and fascinating women!

This past weekend, we ventured to La Crosse & Reedsburg WI to celebrate Father's Day with ribB's family. On Friday night, ribB went to a La Crosse Loggers' game with his dad (Grandpa B) and youngest sister (ribChan), which was a lot of fun for him. Kdee, Little B and I spent time with ribB's mom, Grandma C. Kdee enjoyed playing lots of "go fish" and both kids enjoyed all of the "new" toys available in Grandma's toy box. Later, Grandpa B, Grandma C, ribB and myself stayed up late talking until 1:30am--it was great to have a chance to catch up without the distractions of children. On Saturday, Grandma C and myself enjoyed some garage sale-ing (along with ribB's middle sister, ribChr, who joined us at the end), and Kdee played with her cousin D (including slip-and-slide time). We then enjoyed the beautiful day outside at Grandma/pa's riverfront home(including jet skiing). There was also the added thrill of the La Crosse Airfest--lots of amazing planes doing some wild stunts. With the house being near the airport, we had our share of ROARING military planes cruising over the house/yard--which literally shakes you to the core. I've never seen anything like it...truly unbelievable. ribB was able to enjoy some time fishing, which is always a treat at his old "haunts". He has many stories of time out on the water as a kid, so it is special time for him. That night, we enjoyed an early "Father's Day" celebration. Kdee wrote some really sweet things in her Dad's "card journal" and gave him 2 coupons that she made at backpackers--1 to feed the cats and 1 to help with the dishes. She was so proud! (Kdee also had alone time with dad on Sunday and told him "Dad, it's really nice to get alone time with you on Father's Day." Ahhh.) ribB was excited with the new hunting stand we gave him and Grandpa B was excited for his pound of sugar-free chocolates from the local candy maker and Mepps/Hula Popper fishing lures. We are very lucky to have 2 special Dads to celebrate and share our lives with. They are both wonderful, caring and supportive men! On Sunday, we went to Reedsburg (1.5 hrs south of La Crosse) to celebrate another special Dad/man--great grandpa R at a family picnic. The weather was perfect and it was great to see many of our ribclan family members that we don't get to see often enough (whom live in the Reedsburg/Madison/Stevens Point area). Kdee happily played with her second cousins (including a wonderful circus play!) and little B hung out with mom/dad and the other "busy busy" second cousins that are his age. After the festivities were finished, we began our 3.5 hour drive home--always interesting with 2 little, but loud, children in an enclosed vehicle! After stopping off at Eau Claire for dinner (where little B created 3 diaper changes & one outfit change for us--yikes, teething!), we made it home by 9:30pm. We were mentally exhausted, but very happy to have had a fun and eventful weekend where the kids did amazingly well. We had such a nice weekend, it was hard to take the kids to daycare today-- but alas, we're now back to life as we know it!

Photos for your reviewing pleasure: 1) pre-party set up for the FM 107 event; 2 & 3) Kdee and Little B entertaining themselves during our drive; 4) can 3 mothers actually get the great grandchildren to sit still for a very special photo op with great grandpa R? Ha! 5) 4 generations of ribclan men

Complete post coming soon! Busy! Busy! In the meantime, here's a picture of Kathryn's new haircut (with before photo)...she wanted a change and less snarls. Can't blame the gal, and she's loving the references that she looks "older". Grandma Honey did a great job cutting ALL THAT HAIR--so thick and straight, it's a tough bill! Have a wonderful Father's Day weekend...

Goodbye...

It's time to release the CD's of my youth at our garage sale. Yes, it's no longer necessary to have all of an artist's CD's to prove I'm a fan. Oh no. I'm now content to rely on the "greatest hits" CD in my collection for that satisfaction (plus my iPod that can house those few "awesome" songs that didn't make the greatest hits!). So, goodbye for now to: Rick Springfield, the Beastie Boys, Lenny Kravitz and Weezer. It's been a sweet jouney. Cross your fingers that they all find very happy homes...

Lunch date!

Today, I joined Kdee at her school for our last lunch together during the Kindergarten school year. If you've ever sat with a table full of Kindergartners, you know how entertaining these bubbly kids can be...and today did not disappoint! I always get a kick out of how structured the routine is at this age level, especially at lunch. Here's what I mean... Upon leaving their classroom, the class walks single-file down to the bathrooms where they wash up for lunch. Next, you get into the line of your meal choice (today=chicken nuggets). After the teacher has determined which line is the most quiet, you get to move to the tray line and wait for the lunch aide to hand you your tray. Then you move along the hot lunch options and enter your account number into the computerized system (no more lunch tickets!). Next, the different aides help with sauces, napkins, handling trays (silverware to the left!), etc. The lunches are actually pretty good, with lots of choices. Besides chicken nuggets, today's lunch also consisted of mashed potatoes & gravy, corn, strawberries & chocolate milk. As a special treat today, the Kindergartners got to eat outside in the school's "courtyard" with Kdee's teacher. As always, I was rolling with laughter over the topics being discussed: eating boogers (I kid you not!), business cards, painting fingernails, ants and patty-cake rhymes, just to name a few. It's really a special treat to spend time with Kdee during her day and see her in her "element"--such a fun time with her. After lunch I went out to recess with Kdee for a little bit and got to chat with her friends from other classrooms. Her best buddy is BlondeA, who's the girl in the attached photo. They've had lots of fun playing together at school and make lots of "you're my best friend" art projects for one another. Very sweet.

It's a beautiful day here, so the drive back to office was enjoyed with the windows down and music turned up! I've been so enjoying my Mother's Day gift of an iPod Nano/transpod, so there's always "perfect" music on the radio. I adore music (it adds nicely to my pop culture fascination) and have many genres weaved into the 370 songs that are currently on it (I still have room for 630 more-YIPPEE!-won't take long though!). As many folks know, my faves are Foo Fighters, Coldplay and Garbage...with a little Depeche Mode, LL Cool J, Miranda Lambert, Dean Martin and Justin Timberlake (oh, the guilty pleasure!) mixed in (amongst many others). Love, love, love music!

Fun Little B sidenote: After being put to bed last night, Little B started saying "owie!!" to see if we'd come back in. Too bad for him, he's the second child and we're well aware of those games...he he!

Today's pics: 1) Kdee & classroom friends; 2) our picnic table lunch; 3) Kdee's tricky moves outside; 4) Kdee & BlondeA

Celebration!

It's hard to believe that Kdee is almost finished with her first year of school. Somehow, being a first grader makes her seem so much older--and that her senior year is just around the corner. Everyone says that the time flies with children, and I'm beginning to believe it more and more each day. For now, I enjoyed a wonderful "Kindergarten Celebration" last Wednesday at her school to showcase how far these little ones have come in a year.(There are 4 Kindergarten classrooms at our school, with 4 elementary schools in our district.) The afternoon party kicked off with a slide show of the Kindergartner's first year--all of the field trips, classroom antics and diligent learning. The audience next enjoyed some fabulous singing performances (oh, how I've heard these songs over and over at home!) with a wrap up of refreshments & cookies. I then went with Kdee to her classroom where each child took a turn reading a story that they wrote. Kdee's story was about her recent acrobatic session of falling down our stairs. Her story was funny and filled with details, and she did really well reading in front of a large audience. I am constantly amazed at her writing and reading abilities as she is able to read whole (simple) books and write multiple word, detailed sentences. Kdee and I had a really nice time hanging out in her room, looking through the artwork she's done and a published classroom book that each student contributed to. After the excitement died down (and the kids quit hijaking the microphone), Kdee came back to my office to hang out with me and my coworkers. We all got an ice-cream treat from an awesome local ice cream shop...so, Kdee now thinks that is a regular part of my job. Ha! According to one of my co-workers, Kdee revealed that she hopes to be a substitute teacher in the future. Why? Because they only have to work 1-2 days/week and have the summers off. Ohhhhh, my!

This past weekend was a low-key one at home, doing "chores" (like buying another car seat thanks to the new WI carseat law requiring kids up to 8 yrs/80lbs/4'9" to be in a car seat...man, just when we were getting Kdee out of one! Argh!). I was able to get my plants potted and some more perennials planted, which is always fun for me. We were also busily preparing for our upcoming garage sale this coming weekend. We're selling all of our baby stuff, so it's quite the process to price & organize everything (especially when the majority of our time to do it is after 8:30pm). So, just know that if you don't hear from us over the next few days, we aren't dismissing you! Kdee had some fun social time this weekend with a playdate at her friend K's house (who recently moved into our neighborhood--yippee!) and at a classmate's birthday party. AndiR & ribB appreciated the breaks those visits afforded us in everything we had to do (even with Little B in tow).

Photos for your enjoyment: 1) Kdee in her classroom 2) Kdee at AndiR's office 3)Little B drinking mustard...ok, the cap is closed, but he thinks he is a mustard-drinking-machine...I swear, the boy eats everything!