The Schmidt House

Today I was told once again by the littlest member of our home that the lunch I prepared tasted like the dog's feet. Don't know if I should be more worried that I served something that lousy or the fact that he evidently knows what the dog's feet taste like.

Had a nice dinner this evening with my PW friends. We have been a "group" going on 13 years now. We talked tonight how we have really grown up together and how our friendship is one of the healthiest things in our chaotic worlds right now. We have come a long way from when we were labeled "the cheerleaders" at work way back in 1994 by a disgruntled co-worker. At the time, all of us found the nickname rather insulting, except Nikki because she really was a hockey cheerleader - Go Falcons! After the cheerleaders, we moved on to the title, "part-time friends" because we saw one another at work everyday and had a life outside of the George Jetson looking building we worked at where we hung out with our "full-time friends". Eventually we ended up with the Piggly Wigglys during a weekend getaway after meeting a bunch of ladies who too met at work in about 1959 at the Piggly Wiggly. Our husbands don't really think much of the name, but we really don...

JG, NB and MO started "big boy" hockey. Watch out world. They are the youngest of the group, but are doing well. JG scored a goal last night which, "was way cool."

AE and I went with our good friends and neighbors, the Roses, to the last Harry Potter book release hurrah. We had a great time, the kids got their faces painted, ran around answering trivia, learned how to make potions and all other kinds of fun things.We were #546 in line for a book and managed to get out of there in less than an hour after the official release at midnight. Our friends the Roses, all decked out in Hogwarts attire, sorting hat and Mad Eye Moody garb. AE learning how to make bat's breath potion, gotta remember those safety goggles. AE and NR round about 11:48 p.m. this standing in line thing is old already... Still can't believe they managed to line up 800+ people in an orderly fashion throughout all of the books at Barnes & Noble. Our "line leader" honest to Pete could do voice overs for Julia Child if that talent is ever needed, we couldn't help but giggle every time she walked by barking orders. FINALLY, book in hand at 12:55 a.m.....

AE , KB and AP went to their 2 nd Janet Karvonen basketball camp last week. They had a great time and were completely wiped out each night after 6 hours of ball each day. So we definitely got our money's worth.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT buy your children a Webkinz , or two or three or in our case FOUR . Because you will never get to use your computer during daylight hours again. Just take my word for it. Since Cocoa, Flip Flop, Kirby and Luna Lovegood (from Harry Potter) entered my children's lives I have not seen my blog, which I love so... Being of sound mind (most of the time), as a parental unit in the Schmidt House I will be instating a computer time limit tomorrow of minor Schmidt children in order to re-instate said parental unit's sanity and link to the outside world.

I got the job.

but am too tired to possibly write anymore right now. Will update tomorrow, must go to bed now. Small child has tennis lessons at 8:30.

I am embarassed to say this has happened at our little Como Zoo.

OK heard back from the IT director, sourcing guy and have a meeting with my former client and another person on Friday. The position is actually 8-12 weeks - which is perfect. Just enough time to see if I still have it. The one thing I know for a fact I do not have is appropriate attire. This stay-at-home gig really doesn't do much for the wardrobe. Don't think I can show up in my mom uniform of Gap Cargos, flip flops and Banana T. What do you think?

The other day JG and I went to go pick up AE at one of her friend's house. While we were waiting for AE , JG spotted some squirt guns at a neighbor's garage sale. Little man went over and worked his JG magic by batting his long eyelashes and ended up walking away with a bucket load of Super Soakers for $1.25 (it's all he had). JG, NB and MO had a blast. I have never witnessed the three amigos stick with anything as long as they did yesterday...

You know that feeling you used to get when you were waiting for the first day of school or that acceptance letter from college? Yeah, that butterfly feeling with a tinge of trepidation. Trepidation is for what might not happen like you have it planned so perfectly in your mind. Well, I am on the verge of one of those times right now. I had been toying with the idea of maybe going back to work a bit in the fall when little man enters kindergarten. So I have been out scrounging around looking for a part-time job maybe at the library or for the school district. Some of the jobs look like they may be fun - others not so much. I didn't really look at the pay as being the fulfilling part, but more so getting out of the house and having more adult interaction that does not turn confrontational, like on the tennis court. DLS had a good point when I brought over a job description for the library, "Why do you want to go work three hours at a job where you spend all of your earnings on ...

Little man's best friend NB has all of these little curls on his head which many times have a mind of their own. JG has been fascinated by NB's hair for quite some time especially since JG's is so straight and sticks up in multiple directions at any time during the day based upon the activity of choice. JG stated the other morning during breakfast after much thought, "Mom, God must be really busy if he has to come and put curlers in NB's hair every night to make it look like that." Can't even imagine his awe in God's hairdressing techniques if we ever run into Miss Diana Ross on the street. Then again, I think we might be pretty safe here in Maple Groove from a Supremes invasion.

We have had a very busy week and am looking forward to the weekend and maybe resting a bit. JG went to Bug Camp with his bestest buddy NB, they seemed to have a good time and will go for a few days again next week. AE went to a Kidz Art camp through the local school district with a few of her good friends. She had a fabulous time and created many beautiful pieces - I must say I was impressed. There was even a final art show today where AE and her friends showed off their many accomplishements.

Just read the new Ann Brashares book and put in my two cents .

Reason #237 not to wear stilettos .

My grandmother is going to be 94 next month. She is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. She grew up during the Great Depression in a small town in southern Minnesota where her father published the local newspaper. She then graduated from the U with a journalism degree and moved to little Aitkin, MN where she met my grandfather, the county attorney - later judge - and fourteen years her senior. They married, had four boys in five years and she settled into a life of being a mother and volunteer. Every summer starting about the time I was 14, I would spend time with her. I hung out with Esther, Elsie, Naida and Eva going to bridge and coffee. Even in college when my friends were planning getaways I got in my car and drove to be with her on the weekends. We always had the most amazing time, doing nothing really. Maybe we would play Scrabble or do the crossword. She even taught me how to drive in her 1964 Buick Skylark at the deserted fairgrounds with the Virgin Mary on the ste...

So happy - Venus won for the fourth time... Now if only Andy had been able to beat Federer it would have been a perfect day. However he lost to the French guy who then lost to Federer so will have to wait until the US Open and hope Andy isn't in the same bracket as Roger and then will be able to beat everyone to make the finals. Then an act of God would need to happen and Federer would need to completely implode - then Andy would win... A girl can dream right?

I have been wanting to add a Schmidt House tangent for quite some time now. Karen and Bobbi have inspired me with their offshoots of creativity and the time has come. So here's the question: What more is there to write about? I already feel that I could go on forever with the more than enough fodder generated right here in my own home. But, does anyone really want to read more about some of the hair brained ideas I've tried that ended in disaster, or how AE is 9 going on 29 or that JG is driving me insane with his wwhhiinniinngg? Really, more Schmidt drivel? Then it came to me...I catch myself many times during the day thinking like many of you: I should share this experience with someone. Example: a good book, movie, music, restaurant, shop, new product, new dish etc. I searched around the web and found some good examples of other women sharing their two cents on the most mundane things and decided sharing my two cents it would be. I find myself telling many of my recommend...

In a moment of weakness last weekend I told the kids they could each get a fish. I did this because both children had plastic cups filled with tadpoles wanting to take them on a two hour journey home. So, what do I do? I say: "We can get fish when we get home." Monday bright and early we traveled to PetSmart to purchase a green fish for JG and a pink fish for AE. We soon determined we didn't want goldfish, but two beta fish. Less work, less food, plus they come in these cool little tank things. We drove home anticipating a long, fulfilling life for Trixie (AE's fish) and Sponge Bob Super Rock Star (JG's fish) because beta fish are "supposed to be easy" according to our friendly sales guy. It is Thursday and the one positive thing I can say about Sponge Bob Super Rock Star is that he lasted about 23 hours longer than AE's first fish Josie. JG evidently tried to see if his fish formerly known as Sponge Bob Super Rock Star could do any cool tricks. What...

AE can't get The Doodlebop's theme song out of her head thanks to JG. For some reason unbeknownst to anyone in our home, JG decided he HAD to watch the Doodlebops for the first time EVER. Go figure. I asked AE why they chose to watch this particular show this morning. Here is the answer I got: "Well mom, we didn't have much choice. There was Go Diego Go, The Doodlebops or The 70 Year Old Club." I asked for clarification and determined, "The 70 Year Old Club" was actually The 700 Club which is on immediately following America's Funniest Home Videos on ABC Family. AE said, "Oh, I thought it was named that because you had to be 70 years old to be on the show. Who knew?"

Well, it's the 4 th of July and I am sitting here halfway around the world. Happy Birthday America! The more I see of this country, I know I wouldn't want to live anywhere else than the U.S. I like the openness of home here you have no privacy. I feel so out of it. I don't even know what's going on in the world. Today is the last day of Wimbledon and I don't even know who is in the finals! Now that's sad. I have to go to a tea ceremony and flower arrangement lesson today sometime. I think Yuki is going too. The sun is finally shining - I can't believe it. I am so glad I have this journal - I don't know what I'd do without it. This book is my best friend right now - sometimes I can't wait to get home to write in it. Ten years from now I'll look back and read this and probably laugh at how stupid I was. I wonder where I'll be in 1997? I'll be 26 - that is too scary to think of, I don't think I want to know. Did I mention I can...

JG has informed us that after he graduates from college he wants to go to Mexico and work in the buffet line at an all inclusive hotel... Why you may ask? Because they get to wear fun, parrot colored shirts and get free food and drink - most notably flat Naranja (orange) Fanta in small plastic cups and burnt french fries.

All of us are finally together, including Mimi, in our own home for the first time in 9 days... Sigh.