The Schmidt House

sports overload

2011-10-02T23:59:00.002-05:00

today was one of those days that from the moment we were up we were going...to sports, sports and more sports.

started the a.m. in blaine with allie and her mg team, they won both games. she wasn't very happy with how she played, wished she had some do-overs. the high school coach said that she has to DOMINATE this year and think that is top of mind. she wants to dominate, but that also means that she needs to get the ball which still isn't an easy feat in 8th grade basketball. getting easier, but i swear girls don't "see" the court. oh well. it will come. she went 8/8 from the line, so that was very positive.

little man had two baseball games and what a two games they were. he went 7/7 from the plate and was on fire. he was so proud and most of all confident. no funks. which is such a good thing.

back to the daily routine tomorrow, oh wait, today. must get to bed. have just accepted a new role at work, think it will be announced tomorrow - start that new adventure nov 1.

The boy is growing up

2011-09-26T23:37:00.003-05:00

and I don't think that I like it very much. Gone are the days of holding my hand, saying goodbye, and telling me how much he loves me. I know that under the tough guy exterior he still wants to give me a hug, tell me loves me and he really wants to tell me I am the best (and only) mom he has ever had.

Many a Family Tree needs pruning.

2011-08-21T22:39:00.003-05:00

I have always been interested in genealogy - I know it is really looking back, not forward, but there is much to learn about yourself from the ones who went before you.

Over the past 15 years or so I have been digging into my family history, back when you would have to go to the local LDS library and start looking through microfiche. Let me tell you it was very frustrating and you would have to often times go to the small towns and dig through years of newspapers for one little blip telling you that Mildred luncheoned at Mamie's house last Tuesday noon. Was not for the faint of heart of fairweather tree hunters.

Over the past 3 years of so Ancestry.com has really hit it out of the park with all of the changes they have made with their site. They actually make genealogy kinda easy and at your fingertips, how great is it to have a PDF of a 1840 US census at the click of the mouse. I currently have 859 people in the Galarneault, Hulett family tree and add more every day. It is addicting.

Recently I have had a few amazing experiences that I plan to share through this little outlet, it is easy for me to put the links in and have my dad (who is a bigger fanatic than me) be able to just click and he will be there. I will share the story about Wilma Ackerman, the house on Bridge St, and how I thought my relatives were buried in a small country cemetery that is now a drainage ditch another day.

Today I want to tell you about how I found my mom and aunt a cousin they never knew existed...

This story is about my great-grandmother Lillie Jackson Hulett - Lillie was born in 1867 to a Civil War veteran, grew up in Illinois, homesteaded in Nebraska in the 1880s, owned a general store in Wisconsin and passed away in the 1950s. She was extremely close to my grandfather Frank as he was her only child...actually there was an adopted son Howard that my grandfather Hiram got off of the train going to St. Paul, but again another story, another day. I always thought that my Grandpa Frank was her only birth child.

I was wrong - we all were.

Going through some old letters of my great-grandmother I found a few Christmas cards for "mom", which were not from my grandpa. I dug through and found out they were from Ralph and Marna Smith and their daughter Lorraine. There were many photos of Lorraine growing up and a wedding photo, but didn't have a clue what her married name was or what her husband's first name was...

So I have been looking for answers for awhile, who was this Ralph? Why did my grandmother leave a child? I found out Ralph was Lillie's son from her marriage to an Edward Smith who lived in Nebraska. Ralph was born in 1887, but never had record of him living with a mother, just his father and an uncle. There were so many questions.

A month ago I finally found Ralph's only daughter, Lorraine Smith Johnson (ok could we have two more generic surnames???) Glaser on findagrave.com

Unfortunately Lorraine passed away the day before Christmas Eve 2006 at the age of 80. It felt like I had been kicked in the stomach when I realized Lorraine was gone. I had never met the woman but got teared up. How were we supposed to know what happened? Again, so many questions that will left unanswered.

In Lorraine's obituary online there was a son listed, so I did some more digging and found him and his phone number. His number has been in my bag for three weeks and on Friday night I got up the nerve to call.

I was pleasantly surprised by the conversation, I honestly thought he would just hang up on me - you never know. It was quite the contrary. He didn't realize that his granfather Ralph's mother left him and had another family, he said his grandfather didn't talk about his childhood except to say it wasn't an easy one. Seems like there were a lot of things left unsaid...

At the end we discussed meeting for coffee (his home is across the road from the club where I play tennis). My mom and aunt didn't know that he even existed, or that I had called him. So I filled them in on Saturday and they were amazed to hear the story about their grandmother Lillie and have many of the same questions, they are excited to meet their new "cousin" they never knew they had.

Will post if we meet our new relative, hope to learn more about his life and his mother, the cousin my mother never knew she had.

Sanctuary

2011-07-21T21:48:00.004-05:00

Almost two years ago I had a post entitled, "Empty". It was about my grandmother's home in Aitkin.

I visited the post today and it took me back to how I was feeling when I wrote it - the house was empty and so was I. Well my friends, empty no more.

My dad just purchased the little house and I couldn't be happier.

I know it isn't on a lake or a river, but it is perfect just as it is. It will be our

little retreat in the middle of lake country and most of all it is the setting of some of my most beloved childhood memories...now we will be able to have our children make their own memories.

Oh, btw it is open to any blog friends who would like a "in town" north-woods retreat.

ok i am done with this whole heat wave thing, airline change fees and 6:45 basketball practice

2011-07-20T23:17:00.002-05:00

***warning - there will be whining in this post***

don't know about the rest of you but i have had it with this warm. first we were in TN with the miserable heat and then we come home and it is worse here. plus i don't know if our air is really working as it should...i suggested to the home office that we could have blown the fuse again, but that wasn't received well.

about 4 years ago i ended up calling minnegasco when the air wasn't working, dan left and went to work and left me here at home looking like a complete idiot when the guy showed up, told me nothing was wrong with the a/c and flipped the switch/fuse and instant cold. i am hedging my bets that it might be the same case, but i am not going to fall for the minnegasco trick again. btw the same thing happened this winter with the furnace, dan left me here alone looking like the inept homeowner. i am sensing a pattern here...

i have to go to st louis next week and do a presentation to like 375 people - ugh. little nerve racking, but i am sure i will have another out of body experience, go on autopilot and then when it is done wonder what the heck i said. feel pretty prepared for the whole thing, only glitch was the flight which i had to change due to change in the agenda. if i wanted to fly home on thursday night it was going to cost and additional $783.00 - highway robbery. so i am staying overnight and paying $9.79 + $150 change fee for an extra exciting night in st louis.

ok that is enough whining. i need to get sleep allie has open gym with the HS basketball team at 6:45am. Crazy, just crazy.

summer is flying by

2011-07-18T23:47:00.002-05:00

don't know where the time is going this summer. seems like yesterday was the last day of school and now all of the school supplies are out at target and the kids are already talking about the first day of school...

the summer is going well, the kids have a nanny this year and absolutely love her. she is the greatest and is driving them all over kingdom come. wish that nannying would have been an option for when i was in hs. seems like when i was a kid i babysat the entire week for like $20 and i felt that was a fortune.

just got back from TN with allie and the national aau tourney - they finished 6th in the nation. everyone got along for the most part and the girls had fun - the should be so proud of their accomplishment.

brief respite

2010-10-16T20:34:00.002-05:00

I feel like every time I fall off the face of the Earth I come back saying, "Boy, have we been busy..." Well, it's the truth. Boy have we been busy - until today.

Today Joe had a football game - they won, the weather was fall - brisk, and we didn't have anything the rest of the day - I was bored.

oh, to be twelve again...

2010-07-25T23:15:00.003-05:00

i am amazed at how otherworldly our daughter is.
she sees no bad in anyone (except maybe her brother),
the world is always new to her,
she speaks before thinking
and is pure in thought.
she has no filter
and i love that about her.
she doesn't know how to judge others.
what a beautiful place to be in the world,
oh to spend a day in her shoes
and see the world from her eyes.

i am proud of who she is
and who she will be.
in the same breath
i wonder what she will do
when she goes out into the world on her own.
when she will need to balance her own checkbook,
cook her own meals
and actually have to earn money to support herself.

i appreciate each moment i have with her
and continue to shake my head in amazement at
how the world truly is new to her
each and every day.

to nashville and back

2010-07-07T21:04:00.005-05:00

we had a great vacation, the basketball could have been better, but we saw america from the family truckster. the kids didn't fight...that much and dan and i didn't get into one domestic thanks to the lovely garmin.

garmin are a life saver.

oh and did i mention...

i suck at being a blogger think i might be voted off blog island...sigh

When I Got My Hockey Equipment - By JG

2010-06-01T17:29:00.002-05:00

One day I asked my Dad if we needed to get new hockey equipment. On Tuesday my Dad came in with a big bag of hockey stuff...

He tried to put my shoulder and chest pads on but my head was too big. Then my Dad went to the store for bigger ones, but I did not want to wear them to practice.

It was my game but I still did not want to wear my equipment.

Then it was the end of my game. My Dad asked me if I wanted to wear my hockey equipment. I said on Monday.

I was at practice and my Dad put my equipment on. I went on the ice and I didn't like my hockey equipment for awhile but...

I got used to it. I thought to myself it was the best hockey equipment ever! I told my Dad this is the best hockey equipment ever.

Finally, I told him to never throw my equipment away.

The End

When I was a kid, just about every summer we'd take a vacation. And you know, in 18 years, we never had fun

2010-06-01T00:29:00.005-05:00

***To my mom Sharon - don't worry - the blog title for this post comes from a Clark Griswold quote from National Lampoon's Vacation - I really DID have fun on our family vacations.***

We had a very busy weekend as I am sure was true for everyone. I managed to get a lot of the chores done due to procrastination of work commitments. Not a good place to be, but have it all done now and need to get to bed.

The work commitment is due to continuing to do my old job as well as my new one. Can't tell you how happy I am going to be when they get someone in to do my old gig. AE asked me if I was being paid for two jobs and I smiled and said, "No honey, that's not how it works." I am trying to be a good former team member and help out versus just leaving them holding the bag - not my style.

Dan and the kids went fishing today while I got the first Schmidt family Griswold adventure planned out. AE's team is going to Nationals at the end of the month - gosh can't believe it is going to be here already.

We will be tooling through the Heartland on our pilgrimage to Nashville...we are visiting Mammoth Cave, Elizabethtown (Twins minor league team game), Fort Knox (maybe), Cardinals baseball, the Great St. Louis Arch, and Mark Twain's home...any other suggestions?

happy monday music

2010-05-31T07:00:00.001-05:00

Don't know if everyone listens to The Current, but have been enjoying Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. Love them, they are coming to Mpls this summer and thinking it would be a fun show to see...

go figure

2010-05-30T23:34:00.005-05:00

Dan took JG and his best bud JV up to Mille Lacs yesterday for a little fishing, they went on one of the charter boats - Dan figured it would be "easier" with the boys and was hoping that JG would have a good experience and want to fish more this summer. Dan has always wanted a little fishing buddy and now he has one.

Guess that JG caught the first three fish on the boat of 12 charter fisherpeople.

Third time was the charm.

Little man managed to land a 7lb. 7oz walleye - it weighed as much as he did at birth! He was the envy of the boat and was so very proud.

When Dan got home all he said was, "I have been fishing 33 years and have only caught one walleye bigger than JG's in my whole life. The kid goes out and catches that after his third try."

Lucky little cuss...

two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

2010-05-21T23:26:00.004-05:00

this past week has been a whirlwind to say the least, i have barely had enough time to fit in breathing. i am drained and energized all at once...is that possible?

i am at a cross roads of sorts, i am starting this new journey and am so very excited to enter the "sweet spot" of what i have been wanting to do for years. this new gig truly is my dream job...

then on top of all of this i have been encouraged to think about my career in a new light and potentially go places that i have never dreamed of. . .

when i was spoken to all that kept going around in my head was the title of this post... a poem i wrote a paper on twenty years ago in college - in 1990 i said that i would travel the "grassy road" that wanted wear...

now in 2010

i hesitate...

and am thankful i have time...

i need a lot of time...

because time will tell if our family will travel the road not taken and maybe someday...

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

so here i sit in a freezing hotel room in Memphis

2010-05-17T23:21:00.003-05:00

wishing I was home. flew in last night about 9:30pm, got up around 6:00am and have been going non-stop. I am exhausted, mentally and physically. this whole class has been an exercise in patience most days since you take 20 people and try to have them come to agreement and on top of it walk out with a recommendation. thought it would be easy, but nothing ever is - however through the process i have met some amazing people, who have taught me to look at the world differently. which i appreciate.

went to a cotton warehouse today that holds 320,000 bales of cotton, pretty cool - have never seen real life cotton after it comes out of the gin. went to another grain elevator, i am getting pretty versed in those and am the IP police - sigh :) so once again buzzkill -

i need to get some sleep - did I mention that I am freezing

exhausted...

and wishing i was home?

a few moments of quiet and peace...kinda

2010-05-07T07:20:00.002-05:00

so this morning i woke up with dan's alarm, which was way to early for me - his business is busy again, thank goodness. things were touch and go for awhile there, however they are all putting in extra time now and people are wanting to build houses again. let's hope that this continues, he is much more pleasant when things are busy.

i thought i would just lay in bed and listen to the rain (soon to be snow unfortunately - wth) and reflect on the past few weeks and try to catch up on email, the news, and life. the quiet has been out of the picture thanks to our daughter and her iPod - every morning she gets ready and blares justin bieber...sigh.

all i have managed to do though is figure out what happened on lost (have been a little lost), realize that i need to update the hotel for nationals in nashville, so got caught up on the flooding and sit here and contemplate how horrible that person who had a typo must feel when they realized they sent the stock market into an tizzy. i mean how bad would it be to be them right now, cause you know everyone is going to find out. so, on that thought have a good day everyone cause you know it is going to be better than that poor schmuck who can't decide whether to type in a "m" or a "b".

Many parents made a mental note, "No hanging out with that Schmidt kid."

2010-04-29T22:56:00.004-05:00

JG is making his First Communion this weekend, we went a few weeks ago to the final class with his group where the kids were able to do a "test run" of the whole process. This is where the life with JG fun began...

Let me set the stage...

about a month ago JG came home and informed his parents that he can't wait to get to college, rationale was - you have lots of fun and drink beer. Where he got this I don't know, he has been hanging out with some of the older boys in the neighborhood - who knows.

So Dan asked, "How do you know that is what you want to do? How do you even know if you like beer?"

Dan had a beer and let JG smell to which little man said, "Not so bad." Then he put a little taste on his finger which resulted in major dramatics, imagine feigning choking, spitting repeatedly and stating, "That is the worst thing that I ever tasted in my whole life!" So we thought case closed, end of beer drinking dreams in college.

Fast forward two weeks to religion.

JG had to go up and during the test run was encouraged to taste the wine - once again major dramatics and an exclamation for the ENTIRE church to hear.

"Hey mom, that wine tastes worse than beer."

I wanted to crawl under the pew...

4.26.10

2010-04-26T22:39:00.002-05:00

So, my mom and my mother-in-law both said that they have been missing The Schmidt House - I have to admit I kinda do too. It feels like I am not keeping up my end of the documentation bargain - so need to get back into the groove of telling stories and sharing our chaos which seems to be plentiful.

I don't know if anyone knew, but I just took at new job at Cargill - will be starting next Monday - so very excited, I am moving to "the business". This new gig is really my dream job and can't wait!

More details to come -

Oh, will still be spending my time in grain elevators :)

2010-03-04T22:48:00.004-06:00

This is our last weekend of traveling basketball for 09/10 season, we are so ready to move forward.

Dan told AE tonight, "You have to start practice (with her other team) on Monday. Are you ok without a break." She didn't miss a beat, "Dad, that's ok. I am fine with it because I am going to have fun. I don't need a break."

We are off to Kansas in a few weeks, I believe that it is me in the minivan with six screaming pre-teens.

This past weekend my sister and I headed to California for Auntie Shirley's retirement party - we had a fantastic time with Shirley and my mom, we were finally able to meet so many of the people I have heard about for years. One guy said to me, "I know all about you, hey wait you're not ten years old anymore."

Sonoma is AMAZING. Completely, totally, absolutely love the place. Need to take some girls weekends out there. Shirley has the cutest little house and the land is breathtaking. Can't wait to get out there again to visit and see more when we have time.

I also realized that my sister and I travel very differently, actually it went well. No fights - dad you would be proud. However I wondered at the start of our journey when she decided to grab something to eat before we took off to SFO. She showed up after, "last boarding call" with a bowl of soup. Sigh. Fortunately she didn't spill it on anyone (namely me) and she was able to keep her questionable suitcase in the overhead bin.

Adventures included: complete confusion how to start the rental car, intoxicated person laid on our car (after we started it) at a stoplight thanks to Amy making eye contact, my sister got peed on by a dog before dinner, found some great deals ($70 Lucky scarf for yes, $5.99), blew a fuse, got lost, accosted by aunt's neighbor insistent I needed to buy two dozen homemade tamales, and slept with four dogs (long story).

What a lovely time, great memories, and of course lots of laughs.

I really need to get going...

2010-02-09T07:13:00.002-06:00

but I would rather just stay nice and snugly here in our bed with little JG who is snoring up a storm. He came in really early this a.m. with his toothless smile showing his Tooth Fairy reward for his 2nd lost tooth in two weeks. He has finally lost the two front teeth and has the cutest little lisp going on. It reminds me of my Grandma Mayfred when she would take out the dentures and soak them in Efferdent for the night.

Last week at his conference his teacher mentioned that she is having some difficulty understanding him with his new gap, oh well it is only temporary and I want to savor every little minute of this new little milestone is my big, little boy's life. He is growing up way too fast. Gone is the little boy, however am so thankful that he still wants to snuggle his mommy and tell her that she loves her - only when no one is looking.

Wild world

2010-01-28T20:05:00.002-06:00

This past week or so has been a blur -

We went to Iowa for a tournament - girls did fine - think that they got 3rd overall. Will meet up with the teams again when we go to Kansas in March.

Got home from Des Moines @ 6pm Sunday, was at the airport by 8am Monday.

Off to Kansas City for a training class, actually am really excited to be selected for this, it is "High Performing Managers" and there are only 15 people per class. I about choked the first day when they said that the company is making an investment in us - $15K each. I think that is more than I spent on my entire college education - wow.

Got home Thursday @ 10:30pm went to work Friday, and then had a busy weekend.

By Monday thought I was seriously having an aneurysm - ALL last week felt like someone was trying to put a stake through the back of my head and really couldn't focus at all. Think that the plane ride back to MN did me in. So went to Dr. who scheduled a MRI for yesterday a.m. Really kinda scared me to think that it could be something serious cause to me MRI, CAT scan whatever acronym you want to call it scares me.

All turned out ok - the Dr. said that I have not the mother, but the FATHER of all sinus infections and put me on some high powered stuff which if it isn't working by tomorrow they will start steroids - ick.

So, how is everyone else doing? Need to catch up on my blog girls...

Desiderata

2010-01-12T22:00:00.004-06:00

At my mom and dad's house there is this plaque (I guess you would call it a plaque) that hangs on the wall in the living room. It has been ever present in my life for as long as I can remember.

The plaque was made by my uncle, I guess during a woodworking phase and is quite well made. My uncle was and still is a perfectionist and it is perfect. On the plaque there is what seems like a lot of words when you are a kid.

When I would get in trouble and have to take a break I would sit and read this to pass the time, eventually I memorized it pretty much word for word - not because I was naughty all of the time, but rather because I wanted to. It was a challenge to see if I could do it.

I can't remember the whole thing now, however whenever I start out a walk by myself I find the words coming easy almost like a little chant, "Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence."

It is a habit, however tonight was reminded that I wanted to see if I could remember the rules to life and Googled it and never realized it was written by a man, an attorney from Indiana named Max Ehrmann. He wrote it in 1927, however the poem did not gain momentum until after his death.

It is rules for life, and as I read I am reminded that I don't always follow the rules, but it is good to have the little bird in your ear with Gigi's voice giving you a little help now and then. So tonight, I will select some of the pieces I want to work on in 2010 and memorize the words and recite to myself on cold winter nights when I walk in the snow.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, 1927

Insomnia, pigeon problems and Toyotas

2010-01-05T20:09:00.005-06:00

AE is having trouble sleeping - I don't know if it is this whole preteen thing, but let's just say it is getting a little old having a major crab apple EVERY day this xmas break.

My good friend Lori said her son MW is having the same issue and suggested that I maybe sleep with her for a week or so and get her caught up with her sleep. It has only been two nights and she is already more pleasant!!! We are also able to chat every night before she goes to sleep she has told me more in two nights than she had in a month.

Every night she has been asking for funny stories, last night I was spent in the humor department and thought about a movie I saw on TV over the weekend. It had been awhile since I originally saw the movie, but every time I think of it I laugh.

The movie is "Forget Paris" with Debra Winger and Billy Crystal. Overall the movie is pretty bad, but it has its moments. One of the scenes AE and I laughed until it hurt - its a little story about a lady and a pigeon, while scanning YouTube I found another favorite scene that my sister and I used to have a good time with whenever we got bored. The older fellow in the clip is Billy Crystal's father-in-law who is kinda losing it.

Enjoy friends - a little laugh to start the day.

Actually clip #1 I shouldn't make too much fun of because it could seriously happen to me someday.

You asked for it you got it Toyota...

I am usually an open book...

2010-01-01T16:57:00.003-06:00

however have made the decision to have The Schmidt House be invite only, you are the ones that I want to share our lives with - if there is someone that I have omitted by mistake, please let me know. Think that there are some family members that I do not have email addresses for, so will need to track those down.

I have found that I have been a little blog "stuck" for the last few months knowing that there were a lot of people who read my site and I became a little self conscious about what I was writing as to not offend anyone - not like I go out of my way to offend, but after awhile you realize that there are some pretty sensitive folks out there. I know it takes all kinds for the world to go around, however I don't want to have to worry about it when I am here.

So now I feel a little more free to speak my mind which you all know has never been a problem, but now I feel I am among friends.

Thanks for sharing this little adventure with the Schmidts...

Hope everyone had a merry little christmas

2009-12-28T21:57:00.002-06:00

i know that we did - it went so fast that i can hardly remember what happened. i am wiped out - truly wiped. we had a great time with family and friends, had a lot of laughs and made a lot of memories.

jg and his cousin he were kids captains @ the t-wolves game saturday night - they actually won which was an added bonus!

dan and i were chatting are realized that jg has played between periods at both the gophers, and the wild, been kids captain twice at the t-wolves met his IDOL adrian peterson...and he isn't even 8 years old yet.

gosh, hope we haven't set him up for disappointment for the next ten years, don't know what we can do to top those...

No, this really didn't happen at the Schmidt house...

2009-12-21T22:06:00.003-06:00

but really could have.

We have to start every meeting at work with a safety story - since our business is a mostly production environment - large grain elevators and soybean crush plants - this would make sense.

Last week one of the guys on my team shared the following story about his buddy - which I can totally imagine would happen at our home.

The story:

My co-worker's buddy's family had a squirrel problem - two took up residence in the family's chimney and with the cold weather the husband decided that something needed to be done about the squatters. So the wife suggested that they call an exterminator to relocate the squirrels. The husband decided that he would be able to handle the situation himself.

So, he decided to smoke out the squirrels.

He started a fire in the fireplace, and waited.

One of the squirrels panicked and rather than going up and out it went down and out - through the fire - and started its tail ablaze (poor squirrel).

Husband panicked and started chasing the flaming squirrel

Squirrel ran to GET OUT of the house and ran to the sliding glass door -

which resulted in the drapes starting on fire.

So there the guy was with burning drapes and burning furry rodent.

He managed to open the door - squirrel went outside and he managed to put the drapes out.

Let's just say the wife was none too happy and reminded the husband that it would have been cheaper to just call the exterminator...

Xmas Eve on the 19th

2009-12-20T22:20:00.003-06:00

We went to the Jost Xmas get together last night at Dan's aunt Diane's house. As usual it was good fun, the family just keeps getting bigger and bigger, we added three little ones over the last year (all adorable). AE and JG are actually becoming the "big" kids because the former "big" kids are now in college - how did that happen??? I seriously think that there 50 people there.

We had a lot of laughs with Dan's aunts Diane, Kathy, and Sharon. Never a dull moment...

So am I ever going to change?

2009-12-15T22:05:00.002-06:00

Probably not.

I am finding that the older I get the more set I am in my ways, the way that I am wired I can't explain. Does anyone else have those traits that are so embedded that no matter what you do you can't change them? They are non-negotiable. Really, truly. Can't change. They define you.

One of these items in my make-up is rules, I am all about rules. If the rule says that it is A and not B then B does not exist to me. People who break the rules and aren't truthful - I can't deal.

There is right and wrong - deal with it - please teach your kids. If you don't have your integrity - there really is little else.

So ready for a few days off, is anyone else?

2009-12-14T21:59:00.000-06:00

This December has been especially crazy and I am looking forward to a few days off to relax with the kids. I have a few items on the to-do list:

1) See "The Blind Side"
2) Start scanning photos with new printer we bought back in September. Finally got it hooked up (already checked that off the list)
3) Read at least three books - entire library book bin is full
4) Clean out the DVR - think it is full - don't want to look actually
5) Finally hang the pictures back up after Dan painted the basement this summer
6) Goodwill run - or maybe pull stuff together for garage sale in May for Nationals fund raiser :)
7) See friends that I am sure wonder if I am still kicking
8) oh yeah...what was the other thing???

9) RELAX

Basketball diaries, part three

2009-12-11T23:26:00.004-06:00

Alright really hoping that this will be the last installment of the "basketball diaries" until next year. Didn't want to blog again but had to tell the latest sordid tale.

Warning this post is not warm and fuzzy like last post, instead let me start by telling everyone that warm and fuzzy is gone - how can you be warm and fuzzy after being called a ho? I will explain.

Last night was finishing up my senior high registration and needed to follow up with one last kid, he called on Wednesday and left a message and wanted to get him registered.

So I called the number he left on the voicemail.

Woman answers phone...

Woman: Hello
Me: Hi, is Bob (changed his name to protect the innocent) there?
Woman: Oh, no you just didn't.
Me: Didn't what?
Woman: I can believe that you ***beeping*** called here for Bob, you need to text him you ho. I'm not taking this.
Me: What? I am calling about basketba...

Woman hangs up...

I sat stunned. What just happened? Had a moment to collect thoughts. OK, I thought, maybe she has me confused with someone else...OBVIOUSLY. So I looked up number again and dialed.

Woman answers phone....

Woman: Are you "special" or something???
Me: Excuse me? I was calling about Bob and trying to get him signed up for basketball.
Woman: I said: are you ***beeping*** "special"???
Me: You know what? Yes, I am special. I am just try...

Woman hangs up....

So guess that is my swan song for registration '09 being called special - looking forward to this weekend and relaxing....

in a gym....

watching basketball....

I truly have this feeling that basketball is mocking me...

sigh

It is all worth it...

2009-12-10T00:29:00.003-06:00

So, was feeling a little guilty about my rant about the basketball thing. It is a tremendous amount of time and frustrating at times sending out, "Thank you for your email, I am sorry to hear that you are incapable of navigating a website...." I don't really say it that way, am much nicer than that.

However, tonight I received a note from a kid, or should say young man, I have been working with this past week. He is a senior and emailed himself to say that he really wanted to play basketball and didn't have any money to pay for it. I spoke with him and inquired if he would be able to come up with half (about $75) and the association would cover the rest.

He said that he is working at Burger King and that money goes to help out his family since his mom lost her job. Dad isn't around. I told him I would follow up and I forwarded his info to one of my fellow volunteers with a note and asking what we could do for him. I hadn't heard back from him until tonight.

I received a quick email while I sat in my car waiting for the kids to finish religion class, admittedly I started to cry.

It said:

Mrs. Schmidt,

I appreciate all you done for me. I spoke to the vice president and she got me the full payment scholarship, you really helped me to get on the basketball team. I wish you good luck in the future.

Thank you
JR

So, yeah it is all worth it...

Basketball, basketball, basketball...

2009-12-07T22:51:00.004-06:00

About a year ago I made the decision to visit and ultimately join our basketball association board, I know yet another thing that I sign up for thinking that I have enough time when in the end time is the one thing I am very short of...

Long story short - I ended up on the executive board and was asked to be in charge of registration - we have about 1,500 kids overall in the program and most make it through the process with no intervention from the registration coordinator = me.

Well, that was until today when I received since last night @ 12:48 a.m. - 117 emails thanks to the Senior High kids who evidently do NOT know what a registration end date is.

I am done now and don't want to be on the computer ANYMORE. The only redeeming factor that is keeping me going right now is that Cargill has this Care Points program where you are able to submit your volunteer hours for donations. I think that with the amount of time I have put in it will be something like $500.

So that is my little happy place, the fact that maybe seven kids who are in need will be able to get scholarships to play basketball because I volunteered my time.

Oh, gotta go email 118 just arrived.

Happy happy friends!

a picture IS worth a thousand words...

2009-11-09T22:08:00.003-06:00

So, this is what our kids do when we aren't around...

they fight over the new computer.

i really need to turn off the iMac and go to bed

2009-11-07T01:39:00.001-06:00

i am still completely obsessed with the new computer. it is pretty, its screen is clean and it works when i want it to.

we have a busy tomorrow and i am typing away at 1:40am. SUSAN GO TO BED!!!

ok think i will.

more tomorrow friends.

here is a little music to brighten your morning - think of little man dancing around our kitchen singing this tune while playing air guitar:

2009-11-04T23:55:00.002-06:00

OK so this is the first post from the new iMac...everything looks the same for the most part. Can't tell you how nice it is to have a computer that actually works. The laptop we bought last year never really worked right - EVER. I was thinking this a.m. that I never dreamed that I would ever live in a house with FOUR computers. The worst thing about having four computers is that your stuff is scattered throughout the house in different states of OS and consistency. My family tree stuff is downstairs, basketball email is upstairs, movies are in the kitchen and work is in the laptop bag hanging in the laundry room. Each PC has different passwords etc.

Oh well, too tired to conquer that right about now...will avoid it for as long as possible, but for now am very, very thankful of the new "home share" on iTunes.

Did someone step on a cat?

2009-10-06T20:43:00.004-05:00

We are entering uncharted territory here at the Schmidt House since AE decided that she wanted to join the band because choir is "painful" and the clarinet is way cooler.

About two weeks ago we went to the district sponsored "pick your instrument" night where my former instrument of choice (clarinet) was chosen by our pre-teen. After the meeting I immediately called my dad to see if he would be able to locate said clarinet for his granddaughter to try out.

He called last week informing me that it was nowhere to be found and I would need to go rent one for the time being until the woodwind was located.

This week has been crazier than usual and I completely forgot everything about the clarinet until...

Tonight at 7:08pm AE mentioned, "You know I have band tomorrow."

Oh crap. So began the calling to music stores that I could remember from the parent's night and by 7:25pm a clarinet had been located. So we got in the car and headed to A to G Music.

We waited awhile for a fellow 6th grader and his mother to secure his sax, then AE and I sat down for the "transaction".

The owner said to me, "You must be Susan and this must be AE."

AE sat down and began to fill out an address label for her clarinet.

I looked down at the finished product. She wrote:

Name: AE Schmidt #38
Address: Inland Ln #9830
City: MG MN 55311
Phone: 736-580-7167

"AE what is that?" I asked.

"My info."

"Really, what is with the #38? Plus we don't live at #9830 and I have never seen that phone number before."

Silence.

"Wow. Huh." Is all I got from our daughter. "I guess I put the end of dad's phone number as our house number cause I couldn't remember what the number was and we have a 9,8, and 0 in our house number and I think that the phone number is kinda maybe all of our numbers combined."

She added, "Oh, and #38. That is my number at school."

The store owner looked at AE and said, "Did you just move?"

AE stated, "Oh no. I have lived in my house my whole life."

I think the look on the guy's face pretty much conveyed his concern for his instrument that he was renting to us and whether or not he would ever see it again.

"Here, why don't you fill out another label."

"OK," AE obliged. This time she got it right.

I don't think that I am ready for this whole teenage thing and how they completely forget everything.

When we left I asked AE what happened, "I don't know - guess I had a brain-freeze. Oh wait, Coach Ron calls it a brain-fart."

We got home and put the clarinet together, all I could be reminded of was Ferris Bueller and his declaration of "I've never had one lesson."

However think JG said it best after his sister's first attempt...

He walked away saying, "Yeah, I don't think Squidward has anything to worry about."

Wish it was meditation versus mediation

2009-10-05T20:56:00.002-05:00

Today in one word:

draining

We have been working through our "stucco" issue for two years, yes I said two years. And today it ended, from a legal perspective.

So very happy to move on with out lives and not wake up in the middle of the night panicking that the front is going to fall off and we are going to have to figure out what to do about it.

2009-09-30T21:00:00.001-05:00

Well I'll be darned it worked.

2009-09-30T20:59:00.001-05:00

Trying out this mobile posting thing.

Empty

2009-09-29T22:20:00.008-05:00

My favorite place in the whole world for a very long time was my grandma's house in Aitkin. It to me was a sanctuary from everything going on in the crazy, crazy world especially after we moved back to Minnesota. I could go to her house and everything seemed right with the world and I was in a 14 year old cocoon reading John Irving under the trees while grandma sat in her chair in the lawn drying her hair on a Saturday afternoon.

Since grandma left us almost a year ago I have waited for the day to come when her house would be ready to be sold to another family where little girls would hide in the storeroom and sit under the maple trees.

Last weekend I searched as I do every week for her house and this week I found it there. I was taken aback at first almost scared to click on the button that would unveil my sanctuary for the world to see. When I finally did, I found only a house, with bare floors and strange colors.

There were things so familiar and some in front of me for the first time. In the end I felt sad more than anything and wanted to wish back my click and leave it the way that I remembered it in my memory full of life and not so empty.

Summer is over...

2009-09-04T21:33:00.003-05:00

How did that happen?

This has been one of the fastest summers that I can remember it flew by. However can't say that I am disappointed that school is starting on Tuesday. We are ready for a routine.

I worked from home today and had most of the day planned out for the kids, however the plans went a little awry when little man was in a "mood". I did a SOS call for our neighbor NR to watch JG when I just couldn't take it. At one point I thought about just leaving and going to the library for some quiet, peace, and wireless. Devil may care what happened to the house.

We made it through and I am ready for the weekend, so am watching a little tennis, having a little wine, and enjoying the quiet and peace...

10U AAU Nationals

2009-08-19T22:07:00.003-05:00

Here is a video I found out on YouTube, it is of the champions for 8U, 10U Division 1 & 2. We played in Division 1, placed 22nd overall.

The team that won the whole thing was from Tennessee. Check out #42 - she seriously was at least 6'0" and could move. They had another girl that was 6'1" or 6'2". They are 11!!! It is amazing how well these girls play...it is sooo much fun.

It's on like Donkey Kong

2009-08-19T21:54:00.002-05:00

This past weekend JG was exposed to Donkey Kong for the first time at our friends' cabin. Their son JT had a Game Cube in the basement and Donkey Konga was the only game available, Donkey Kong and some bongos.

I must admit that I am completely clueless when it comes to most video games, but laughed when I saw little man with the bongos. For some reason whenever I see bongos I think of Matthew McConaughey and his unfortunate incident. I digress...

JG became a Donkey Kong bongo playing clapping fool for the weekend. It was rainy and the kids were stuck inside and all you could hear was the beating of the drums.

It must have made an impression on our young son because I have been awoken the last three nights to someone clapping in the night. At first I was scared thinking that someone was in the house and trying to wake us up, but no it was JG clapping away in his sleep on to his all time high on Donkey Kong.

Had to laugh again because Dan said that when he picked JG out of bed to go into his he played the bongos (in his sleep) for at least a minute.

Really rethinking the purchase of "Guitar Hero" for Xmas...

Ok - enough is enough

2009-08-16T22:10:00.003-05:00

I have been waking up at night feeling guilty because I am not blogging - good 'ol Catholic upbringing again. I am realizing that I am not documenting our life at the Schmidt house as the kids are getting older and I feel like the bad mom.

We have had a very busy summer (now that summer is actually here!) we went over to Chetek this past weekend to spend about 29 hours with our friends the Tordsens. Dan and Noel went to high school together and have seriously been friends since they were something like 5 years old. They used to do some pretty stupid things together and after this weekend it is good our children live far away from one another because it is very true that history repeats itself.

We went boating yesterday on Pokegama Lake and Rachel (Noel's wife) said she laughed so hard at JG her cheeks hurt. He was in rare form this weekend. Most of his conversations start a little something like this: "So, what do you think would win...a badger or a wolverine?" He is completely obsessed with animals and natural selection.

I am glad to be home and gearing up for a busy week - we head out Friday for another weekend at the lake - we go to Gull Lake with our neighbors and then will be with Dan's family for the remainder of the week. JG just wants to fish until "he can't stand up anymore."

Here are some photos from this weekend's adventures:

Are we ready for this?

2009-07-13T23:35:00.002-05:00

We leave for Florida in 30 hours. AE is getting really nervous she asked today, "Mom, what if we get down there and all of the girls are really good?" I responded with, "Well, AE they wouldn't be there if they weren't."

This is going to be a whole new adventure.

All the info is posted here:

http://www.aauresults.org/girlsb/re_nationals.php?lkid=&s=115&y=2009

We have two of the top five finishers in our pool right off the bat so guess we will find out right away if we have what it takes, might as well get it out of the way. Our pool is a team from Maryland, Indiana, and Georgia.

We are staying at two houses, all 26 of us and the girls think that it is going to be one big slumber party, however they are going to be in for a rude awakening when they have two games a day.

Dan and JG are going to do some "just JG" things, like go to Animal Kingdom etc.

We will keep everyone posted on the girls' progress, say a little prayer for the little Stars.

What part of this was a good idea?

2009-06-15T22:32:00.002-05:00

Guess the home office brought down the house in some dive bar in Biawabik singing the following tune in bad karoke.

Biz Markie - Just A Friend
Uploaded by rikma. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

i like...

2009-06-09T00:51:00.002-05:00

this song - it's been in my head all day - "Don't Cry" by Olivia Broadfield.

Happy Mother's Day...28 days late

2009-06-07T17:39:00.004-05:00

AE wrote me a card for Mother's Day, I was going to post it then obviously got busy and came across it today and wanted to share.

mom

awesome - authentic - amazing

wishes to have peace on earth
dreams of reeses peanut butter cups
who wants joe and allie to stop fighting
who wonders what goes on in my head

who fears scary movies
who is afraid of spiders
who likes watching my basketballgames
who believes that i start all the fights

who loves joe and allie
who loves to read books
who loves a vacation
who loves piano

who knows i love her
who plans to conserve energy
who listens to classical music
who is my mom - the great

Seriously

2009-06-07T11:52:00.002-05:00

I don't know what is wrong with me and what I really have against this whole blogging thing now - I have become a fair weather blogger and deep down I hate it because there are so many things going on I would like documented.

Summer is upon us and I feel completely and utterly unprepared. Case in point, we do NOT have childcare next week since the Kidstop does not start until 6/15. Dan and I actually spoke about this on Thursday and realized that we didn't have it covered. Thank goodness for grandparents! My mom and Dan's folks are going to be here during the week to help out. THANK YOU GRANDPARENTS!

Then Dan leaves on Thursday a.m. for his annual golf weekend with 7 of his friends. The kids and I have to head to Des Moines Friday because AE plays at 6:00 pm Friday night in the Midwest Bash. Then Mimi has to go to Auntie Shirley's house for a night with her cousin dogs. Then my sister and family will be there Saturday night with 5 dogs. By Sunday at 9:00 pm our family will be back together under the same roof.

This is seriously how life has been the past six months, like you are on one of those spinny rides at the fair and if you look around for even a split second you will suddenly feel like you are going to throw up. That is our life. I know that everyone's lives are going at the same pace, but there are moments that I would love to pack up everything and move to the middle of Wyoming - maybe Thermopolis and let the world go on around us.

Don't really know what to do with myself

2009-05-16T13:42:00.003-05:00

I had two days vacation this week now am in the middle of a basketball free weekend and I don't know what to do with myself.

It's crazy, if we aren't mach 10 with our hair on fire I don't think that we are doing enough. Oh well, I managed to get all of the laundry done, going to mark some clothes for a friend's garage sale, and am finally taking AE in for a very long overdue haircut. The kid has more hair than anyone I know it is crazy how much hair she has.

She can no longer go to Kids' Hair because she looks like she is 15 and has more hair than 5 kids combined. I realize how much she is growing up and am thinking she and I need to go and hang out. JG is going to a hockey game and then having a sleep over with his best buds. AE is growing up and I want to stop the clock, make it go backwards a bit like Benjamin Button.

I know that deep, deep down they love one another...I think

2009-05-05T01:16:00.001-05:00

Sibling love as I walked with one arm on each of my children's shoulders having a nice stroll on a beautiful Spring day.

JG: I am gonna buy a shirt that says, "AE is a dork."

AE: Oh yeah. Well, I am gonna get a shirt that says, "I'm with stupid."

OK, so he's back

2009-05-04T20:20:00.002-05:00

JG's back in rare form.

The other night after AE's game one of AE's teammates mom congratulated JG on his game winning goal.

"Thanks," said JG. "I shot it right in the five-hole."

AJ's mom (who has three girls) looked puzzled.

"Five-hole?", she asked. "What's that?"

JG with a completely straight face said, "That's when you shoot the puck right at his nuts."

I wanted to crawl in a hole, but not a five-hole.

MN Stars Martin - Farview

2009-05-03T10:30:00.002-05:00

Take a look at our website when you get a chance - I am having a pretty good time as the admin.

http://www.mplsladycardinals.com/page/show/64624-10u-martin

Wow...just WOW

2009-05-03T10:05:00.005-05:00

**Warning - (kinda) bragging parent post - also update for Auntie Shirley**

Yesterday was Schmidt sport day - the kids were able to play most of the day and then we had three different games, two sports, two locations in three hours. Whew.

The mini-van was moving yesterday folks like a pinball in a machine.

Stop1 - Cooper HS - MN Stars Martin 10U vs. Rochester Shock 11U
The girls moved up for this weekend to play 6th graders basically because there isn't a 5th grade team in the state that wants to play us. Don't know if that is good or bad, probably good. AE and team played awesome, poor baby girl had a few errors throwing the ball in during the press. I wonder sometimes what is going through her mind and then have to remind myself - SHE IS ONLY 11!!! Her coach told her if she kept doing that she would run 10 killers every time she does that again. Think that got her attention. The girls won 46-23.

Stop 2 - Plymouth Ice Arena - Renegades vs. Buffalo
Little man skated like a mad, mad man. He was having a great time and you could just tell he was a little powder keg ready to go off. He and one of his bestest buddies JV were on defense and did a great job, sometimes he forgot he was supposed to be back and had a few offside calls, but in the end JG scored the winning goal and was on cloud 9. I think my mom almost had the "big one" when the puck went in. I missed the celebration because I was checking on her. :)

Stop 3 - Cooper HS - MN Stars Martin 10U vs. MN Fury 11U
This game was the best game I have watched the girls play ALL SEASON. It was close, a little too close, but oh so very fun to watch. All of the girls stepped it up and stayed the course. The game went to OT and the girls were able to pull it together and won 41-37. AE fouled out, so did her friend NJ, but AE had 6 pts and about 10 blocked shots.

Let's just say all of us slept so very well last night.

The Girls from Ames

2009-05-02T12:24:00.003-05:00

I need to share this with my blogging friends, and others of course.

Last weekend I picked up People and went right to the book pick section (always go there first) and there was the Critics Pick of the week for "The Girls from Ames" by Jeffrey Zaslow. It chronicles the friendship of 11 women who grew up in Ames in the 60s and 70s. To this day they are friends who get together every year for a reunion and are one another sisters.

I made a mental note to request it from HCLIB, however never got around to it until it was too late - 209 requests and 6 copies in the whole stinkin' library system.

So...was at Costco the other night and took a break because my work shoes were killing me and lo and behold there it was in front of me: "The Girls from Ames". I bit the bullet and bought it (even though my resolution was to NOT purchase anymore books since I have a library of unread books in the basement).

Last night after a very trying couple of days at work - can you say pandemic preparation??? whole 'nother story - I picked up the book at 5:00 and was finished by 9:30.

Loved it. I have always been a bit of a voyeur into other's lives (must be why I love biographies) and I enjoyed how these women each have had their own trials, were willing to share (however, you kind of feel like you got the Cliff Note version of a couple of their lives). I even found myself crying - which I never do when I read - at certain points.

So, friends if you need to pick up a quick gift for Mother's Day I would recommend heading out and getting a copy of this for your favorite mom, sister or girlfriend.

32 days

2009-05-02T12:13:00.002-05:00

That is a record.

I haven't posted a bit in 32 days. Can't say that I haven't thought about it but just am in a writing funk and can't think of anything to say. My little muse is growing up and saying very serious and not so many silly things these days.

My baby is growing up and I can honestly tell you I am not liking it. Well, I am liking it a little bit (I can relax a little bit when he walks out the front door), however I want my snuggly little guy back who would give me kisses whenever I wanted them and wouldn't be embarassed to hug mom when she was leaving. I am also no longer "mommy" but now just mom.

Short and to the point - MOM.

OMG - I love your purse

2009-03-31T00:16:00.005-05:00

Had a good laugh this weekend at the basketball tourney, I sat with the parents between one of the games and one of AE's teammates brother sat down to chat.

I moved my Mary Poppins' Dooney & Bourke bag so he could sit down.

"OMG your purse if so cool."

"Why thanks CS."

"That is just so cool that you got your purse at Dave & Busters. How many tickets did it take to buy it?"

Hello again...Hello

2009-03-30T22:29:00.003-05:00

Now I have that stupid Lionel Richie song in my head -

So, how is everyone in Blogland? I have really fallen off the face of the Earth the past few weeks. Think that it is I am completely full up with everything else that life is throwing at us right now and just have nothing left to say by the end of the day.

We finally had our first low key weekend at home in months. It is our brief respite before Spring basketball and hockey go into full swing. AE and I went to watch, imagine this...basketball. Her friends were all playing at Maple Grove HS this weekend and then Dan and I had the opportunity to clean the garage.

We managed to complete the task without a fight (small miracle). He did at one point tell me to get out of his space, if I recall, the quote was, "You have the rest of the house - in fact you took over the last spot that was mine (the basement), so now this is all I have (the garage) and here you are." I believe that is when the door fell off the cabinet and he was distracted and didn't kick me out.

Here are some highlights of the past few weeks:

- AE & I traveled to KS and back with her AAU team, 5 girls in a mini-van for 14 hours makes you really, really tired. They played great and had fun at KU.

- JG had his Mite Nite for hockey - he decided to be "The Shark" vs. "The Gravedigger". He's already chosen his moniker for next year, however do not know if it is going to fly. He wants to be:

Joe "The Bull" Schmidt

Don't think bull and Schmidt should be in the same sentence for the same reason I didn't name little man Jack (even though I love the name).

- AE and I hosted mother/daughter book club. All went well and Dan was not compared to a dictator.

Will make an effort to post more, that way my mom and dad can keep up and know that we are still kicking at the Schmidt house.

!!!!!!!

2009-03-11T07:25:00.002-05:00

Last night I was laughing as little man read "Clifford's Red Sled" to me. He is working on punctuation at school and they must be on the exclamation point this week because he would read a sentence, get to the end, see that there was an exclamation point, then re-read the sentence with feeling.

"OH NO CLIFFORD COULD NOT FIND ROSEBUD!"

If you ever wondered how often an exclamation point is used in a child's book, you need not wonder any longer - I can tell you.

Too much!!!

Also another little funny, AE couldn't find something (can't remember what).

AE: Mom, where is the blah, blah, blah?

Mom: It's in the junk drawer under the phone.

AE: Where?

JG: MOM SAID IT IS IN THE DRUNK DRAWER!

Nice.

Tightrope walking on a string

2009-03-06T22:41:00.002-06:00

This has been one of "those" weeks where I often find myself scared to slow down and assess the situation because when I do I start to get this really tight feeling in my chest and I feel nauseous.

Does anyone else get that? When life is going mach 10 with your hair on fire...and if you stop you just might fall right over from that string you are balancing everything on...

I am going to bed.

Cocky and mean. That's the word on the street about our girl...

2009-03-01T13:18:00.004-06:00

We played in the MSF state tourney yesterday. The girls went 2-1, AE played well and had fun.

I had to laugh, one of AE's best friend's (AP) mom (AP plays on the other Maple Grove team) told me about a little exchange she had with another parent while watching our game.

Guy: You know I've heard about that #44 on Maple Grove (#44 is AE)

AP's Mom: Really, what?

Guy: Yeah, I heard she is cocky as all get out and has a mean streak.

AP's Mom: Seriously?

Guy: Yeah, that's what I heard. What are you the mother?

AP's Mom: No, but close enough my daughter is one of her best friends.

Guy: Oh gee, so is she like that?

AP's Mom: The way you described couldn't be further from the truth. AE is the most humble, gentle child I know.

Guy: Silence.

I find it amazing how someone could possibly think that about our daughter. I told Dan this morning, had totally forgotten about it because it was so absurd.

His response, "You know that would really bother me if I didn't know it was the complete opposite of how our kid is."

Now about JG....that's a whole 'nother story....our little Boogaard has two parties, two games today and is ready to go "knock some heads" out on the ice tonight "in front of the big crowd".

If we could only morph the two together we would have even tempered, kind, aggressive enough kids...

but then again we love them for who they are and wouldn't change them for the world.

Oh, please tell me she didn't just say that

2009-02-28T07:05:00.005-06:00

AE and I were asked to join a mother/daughter book club last summer. The members are old friends from Weaver Lake and her new friends from Rush Creek. It has been a great experience for both of us, she has her friends and I have met some new friends, really great women.

However, each month I have to hold my breath a little for fear of what might come out of my child's mouth. We have raised her to speak her mind for which I am very grateful, however we need to now work with her on filtering what she says/doesn't say. AE has no filter.

Example:
We read "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit" and were having a discussion about how the family in the book had to flee Germany since the father (a newspaper writer) had opposed Hitler and the family went to Switzerland leaving her beloved pink rabbit behind.

One of the mothers asked, "Is there anyone in the world today you girls would compare to Hitler?" (looking for maybe Saddam Hussein...)

AE raises her hand enthusiastically, "I know!"

"My dad."

What????? Dan???? Seriously. I wanted to crawl under a rock.

"He makes me go to bed at 8:30 pm each night."

Oh, man. She doesn't get it. When we got to rating the book all of the girls gave it a 9/10. When we got to AE, she said, "I give it a 3. Nothing happened they just rode around in a train."

Last month she gave the book a 4.

This month she gave the book a 5 - we are moving up the scale...

She also walked into the her friend SE's house and loudly announced, "I really like your kitchen. It is so clean. Not like ours."

Sigh.

We are hosting in March, she has selected "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman for the group to read.

It is a story of a young boy who's family is killed, he flees to a graveyard and is raised by the ghosts who inhabit the graveyard. I have started it and it is good, really good.

However, I can't wait to hear what the discussion will be.

There's always someone cooler than you...

2009-02-27T16:07:00.003-06:00

one of life's hard lessons summed up by one of my faves Ben Folds. Love this song. I have been trying to explain this concept to my kids (except hopefully the part about mom f'ed you up)...it is life.

**btw I so love Ben Folds and his music, however feel that the world has not embraced him enough, therefore I am going to share Ben with you all on a weekly basis.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2009-02-24T09:22:00.004-06:00

AE is 11 today - yikes!!! Happy birthday honey!

Plusses and Minuses

2009-02-23T00:31:00.002-06:00

This is going to be one of those "purging" posts - getting it all out on the table. The Schmidts went to Rochester this weekend for a tournament, here it goes in plusses (+) and minuses (-) in chronological order...

+ we were going to Rochester
+ we had a hotel
- with one king bed for 4 people
+ the Newskis had inflatable mattresses
+ we got on the road
- traffic stunk (thanks to SNOW, when will it end????)
+ we made it to Rochester
- in 3.5 hours (normally takes us 2)
+ everyone was having fun at the pool, saw Amy, Brad, and kids
- time for bed
+ kids went to sleep
- Dan went to bar
- Susan woke up @ 2:45 a.m. NO DAN
+ Susan found Dan
- - Dan had partaken in a bit too much fun
+ Dan found the room
- Dan only got 2.5 hours sleep
+ Dan made it to car for 8:00 a.m. game
+ MG5A won (barely)
+ Dan and Joe went to let Justin (my sister's dog out)
- Justin ran away
+ Justin came back
+ MG5A won 2nd game (barely)
- Dan thought he had the flu (self-inflicted kind)
+ went to mall for lunch
- Newskis called, Mia (our dog) got locked in the house, they can't get in to let her out
+ remembered we had spare key in garage
++ Newskis found the key, Mia is safe!!!
+ AE finds super cute shirt at mall
+ Susan finds Dan's friends at the mall, meets new friends
+ AE and JH given independance to hang out at Apache Mall
- AE and JH do not come back
-- Susan calls Dan to tell him, have lost AE at mall
- 3rd game in 25 minutes
+ AE and JH found...in JCPenney (the last store I would ever think to find my daughter)
+ Made it to game in Sean's clown car (seriously 9 of us in Impala)
- had to listen to Sean's music (think redneck Johnny Cash)
--- MG5A lost
+ time for the pool
++ WATERSLIDE!!!!
- time for bed
-- Susan turned up heat WAAAAY too high
- woke up at 5:30 a.m.
---room temp 86 degrees
+ time to check out
+ leave hotel for game
- return to hotel, forgot favorite pillow
+ MG5A takes 3rd place!!!!
+ lunch w/friends
+++ ALL of Applebee's sing AE birthday wishes (not until Tuesday)
+ got on the road home
+ made it home, sweet, home
---think Mia (our dog) has gone psycho, she went for teeth cleaning last Thurs and hasn't been the same dog since...hmmm
- make mental note to call vet in a.m.
+ start laundry
------ JG throws up all over newly cleaned carpet
--- clean up carpet
------------- decide to vacuum after what was thought to be "dry" carpet after cleaning
+ Dyson works wonders
----------------- sucks up puke and it is all over precious vacuum
--------------------- clean puke out of Dyson
+++ Dyson still works, yahoo!!!
+/- go to airport
+++ mom is home
+ Oscars, liked it this year
+ everyone is in bed
+++ get to blog about complete crap weekend
-------realized laundry room smells like puke
+ went to bed
++ blogging
+++ turing out light after checking out the morning...
- crap have 8:00 a.m. meeting...

---- am I getting sick?

They're playing basketball...

2009-02-15T19:11:00.002-06:00

So here is Dan's first production, a highlight film from the trip we took to Iowa last month with AE's AAU team. I had to laugh at Dan's music selection, the girls listened to Beyonce when we were down there, however he never listened to the lyrics. Technically all of the girls are single ladies since they ARE 9, 10, and 11.

It is pretty amazing to watch this team, they had four practices and like I mentioned all of them are 11 and under. Wow. It is going to be a lot of fun watching them this year.

AE is #34.

Ostrich approach

2009-02-14T23:27:00.003-06:00

This life is getting pretty hectic.

Therefore, I am going to start adopting the "Ostrich approach".

I am just going to bury my head in the sand and hopefully when I pull it out of the hole in a few months the world will be normal again...

I know that this isn't facing my problems head on, however I need to cocoon for a bit and come out swinging...

Trust me on this, this too shall pass...

B is for boy, boat, and...

2009-02-13T22:38:00.006-06:00

The kids didn't have school today, why? Can't remember, must be Workshop #41 for the school district.

AE spent the night at a friend's house, so I was looking forward to no fighting from the get-go this a.m. JG woke up at the crack of dawn and was in rare form - he wanted to call a friend to play at 8:00 a.m.

Finally at 10:00 I gave in and thought it might not be a bad idea, had to better than JG antagonizing Mia and making her bark which seriously resulted in me doing a conference call from my closet at one point because I had the phone where the mute button doesn't work and didn't think my co-workers wanted to hear me "lose it" on the phone.

Little man's buddy JV came over and the world was right.

Until...

I heard the water running,

in the bathroom,

with the door locked.

The six year olds decided to have a boat race in the kids' bathroom and forgot to turn off the sink...

of course while I was on another call.

Cleaned up the mess.

To find the boys launching Webkinz across the family room.

With one of my bras.

I retrieved my unmentionables and then...

I forgot to mute the good phone and my co-workers heard my son yell:

"Mom, you're no fun. Give me back your bra."

Hiatus no more

2009-02-08T08:05:00.002-06:00

I don't know what it is about January, but 'round about January 15th I go into a complete and utter funk - hence no blogging. It is as if I need to cocoon for a bit, metamorphosize, and re-enter the world in February.

This year has been especially bad due to our chaotic schedules with the kids, plus I have been working almost 60 hours per week as it is budget time and we are determining what exactly does "hunkering down" look like. Don't worry, work is still fun, challenging might be a better word. I truly love my new job, actually it was a promotion - didn't officially know until this week, so that jump starts the old engine as well.

Other than that I have also realized in the last week my body is really, really mad at me. Things are just not working as they should and finally made the decision to go see the doctor who helped with the torn ligament a few years ago. Bottom line, just haven't been taking care of myself and he cracked me around a bit so can sleep at night and also is having me "detox". I normally wouldn't even think about it, but since I need to jump start everything thought I would try it for two weeks the least it can do is help me to start thinking healthy again, drink water and not eat a pint of Haagen Daz in one sitting.

So here I am re-entering the blogosphere, excited to start the day, and drinking a detox smoothie that seriously tastes like sawdust.

BB highlights

2009-01-13T23:04:00.001-06:00

My gift for Xmas was a new video camera. Here is Dan and JG's first video production of AE's championship game this weekend. Love the Benny Hill Theme music...

Baby girl is #44. She had 16 points in this game.

So...this is what I do all day

2009-01-11T22:22:00.003-06:00

This ad helps explain what I do at my job, everyone asks me and this pretty much sums it up.

The systems we support:

buy the grain,
identify it,
trade it,
then we export it all over the world.

That is why I have been down at the export plants with the rats, making sure our systems are safe.

As I have always said, not the sexiest thing in the world, but people have to eat.

I bet you think I am nuts

2009-01-11T22:18:00.003-06:00

by all of the changes to the blog look lately...

I really liked the fun flowers, however couldn't read a blasted thing on the iPhone.

Hope you all have a great week!

one last letter - 7/3/87

2009-01-09T20:58:00.002-06:00

Mom, Dad, Amy, Sam, and Hailee,

How are you? I'm fine, but a little tired today. It is raining again today, it sees like all it does is rain here. How is the weather at home?

Sorry again about calling at 1:00 a.m. in the morning. Yuki and I went shopping yesterday and I bought this paper at the bottom is Mt. Fuji.

I am kinda excited at school. I am sad they are done with their tennis and basketball unit. Now we are starting swimming - yea!

Last night at dinner we had a salad with cucumbers and tomatoes. Well, I was pushing the alfalfa to the side and I found this purple thing - it was raw octopus. It had the suction cups and everything - I about died. It tried it - didn't taste like anything. So I guess it wasn't that bad.

All I do since Yuki is gone today is try to find my way around the neighborhood and watch TV. I think I've seen "An American in Paris" three times. I write a lot too.

Tomorrow I am going to a flower arranging class somewhere. Next week I am taking a trip to a Buddist temple with a YFU group. I took some pictures of the neighborhood and they're getting developed today so I'll send some in this letter if I can find the place where they develop pictures.

Well, suppose I should get going, but there is not much to do today. You would not believe how popular Baskin Robbins ice cream is here. So is Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonalds. I tried a hamburger and it was gross.

You wouldn't believe how much walking I have done this past week, I had a bike but it was too small for me. It had this bell and everything, funny. I haven't been eating very much lately . I am just not hungry. The other night mom fixed this egg pudding stuff I about gagged. And the other thing I don't like so much is seaweed.

The weather is humid, the air just stands still.

Well going to go - you better write.

Love,
Susan

P.S. Don't suppose you could send some chocolate chip cookies air mail? Could you? Please.

A happy little tune

2009-01-09T20:48:00.003-06:00

after the downer kind of post yesterday (really after I typed up the note from Gram I was sobbing), but I guess I needed it because today was a good day.

I heard this song this morning and sang it all day...I want my money back.

Lenka - The Show

Old letters...

2009-01-08T18:00:00.000-06:00

I was looking for one thing and came across something quite unexpected. I somehow had put some old letters in a box and forgot about them. It was a bittersweet surprise.

They bring back so many feelings and memories.

I am really missing Gram.

September 29, 1995 - Gigi to Susan

2009-01-08T17:59:00.002-06:00

I guess I had some disappointment at work - can't for the life of me remember what it was - must have been big because my mom told Gigi.

Dear Susan,

I talked to your mom on Sat. and learned of your disappointment at work. As usual here comes grandma's unsolicited advice. Every day I say a prayer for all of the grandchildren which includes the following: "May they go forward with open and receptive minds to meet their future, that they may live and face up to disappointment, that they may learn to accept themselves and not lose heart."

Growing up you learned that life has its peaks and its valleys. You have much for which to be grateful. It is good from time to time to take stock of the plus side as well as the minus side of the ledger. Just keep applying your many talents to your job. The day will come when you can say, "All is well that ends well." Amen!

Enjoyed your card and am still enjoying my birthday goodies. My writing is terrible - hope you can read it. May have to practice my penmanship. Hi to Dan.

Remember - chin up!

Lots of love and hugs,
Gram

July 14, 1986 - Mom to Susan (in Aitkin)

2009-01-08T17:43:00.004-06:00

Dear Susan,

It is unbelievable how quiet & lonely the house is without you and Amy. The dogs keep watching the doors waiting for someone to come home. They practically attacked Grandma when she arrived yesterday.

The Evanses decided to leave a day earlier than planned, so Amy left on her trip yesterday (Sunday) at 7:00 a.m. She & I had to really scramble to get all her clothes and supplies ready, plus we had to get the donut down from the garage & ready to go. She called us from Salt Lake City last night and said all was going well, with the exception of Donny's driving. I am trying to not worry too much, however, for me that isn't an easy job.

I understand Dad called you the other morning to make sure you got a conversation with him. I know he misses you both a lot, but of course he doesn't say much.

Friday night around 7:00 p.m. the doorbell rand there was Erin Lefdahl. She was driving a large station wagon and wanted to know if you wanted to go "cruising" for awhile. She said that had a fantastic time on the band trip and managed to attend the trail end of the volleyball camp. I told her you would call her when you got back.

***I would like to dedicate this portion of my letter to Grandma***
Dorothy - Thank you once again for the $20 you gave me when you left. I certainly used it for a needed curl.

I also want to thank you for having Susan with you again. She so enjoys being with you and learns so much from your knowledge & example. There are times when Susan needs to get a break from her life here and you and Aitkin are her haven.

Thank you again. I love you. Sharon
****
Well Susan, I'm sure you would love to be home when I tell you my plans for this week - the garage and basement. Yes, I can just see your disappointment! I knew you would be happy to see those big projects done.

I saw Jeani drive by with her family yesterday, saw Jerry's car in the driveway over the week-end, so they haven't left yet. Not much else to report.

I'll write again soon - give Grandma & yourself a big hug & kiss from me. I miss & love you very much. Have a wonderful time honey.

Love,
Mom

He's a Jost...

2009-01-06T22:27:00.004-06:00

Every year at the Jost family (my mother-in-law's family) Xmas Eve we do the White Elephant gift exchange. Usually you walk away with something you gave the year before, however JG walked away with the six-year-old mother load this year.

He was a little bit disillusioned when he opened his gift and there was a piece of paper with a bunch of tickets stapled to it. In fact he almost threw it away, thanks to Dan it was recovered. Dan was definitely more excited than his son.

JG received numbers for all of the college Bowl Games.

JG and I had completely forgot about the numbers until Dan's aunt Debbie called last night to check in on JG's numbers.

I read her what he had and she said, "We have a winner!"

JG won $45 bucks on the Cotton Bowl.

Dan's mom is not going to be happy when she finds out her grandson has gone to school and informed all of his friends during his class sharing time:

"Yeah, I won $45 this weekend with my numbers. I like gambling cause you win big money."

I would imagine we may receive a call from his teacher tomorrow...or his Grandma Schmidt.

I am so mad I could spit - ok maybe not really cause I've heard you can go to jail for that, plus my mom said spitting is bad manners

2009-01-05T17:30:00.006-06:00

I have had it.

Over the past two weeks I have lost my drivers license. Then we couldn't find our Chase replacement cards - they did come in the mail last month - where they went I HAVE NO CLUE.

So old card was cancelled and replacement was sent.

Then on Saturday my Wells Fargo debit card was flagged for fraud because they sent me a new card on DECEMBER 3rd which I didn't receive.

So old card was cancelled and replacement was sent.

Today in the mail there were two envelopes. One was from Chase and the other from Wells Fargo. I was soooo excited!!!

Both contained new cards...

with the old numbers.

I called to ask why and no one could explain why they sent out cards with old numbers that will not work for ANYONE. Got completely lame standard response, "ma'am I do not know what happened but we did send you the card and you lost it, however I apologize for your inconvenience... blah, blah, blah..."

They are both sending another set of cards which could take 5-7 business days.

In the mean time I can either go into my local bank - which is closed now and they can give me a temporary ATM or I can write a check like anyone takes checks anymore especially without a picture ID. I had to take newly laundered $ from the spare change crock in the laundry room for lunch today...I never carry cash, but rather my trusty (no more) debit card.

Oh wait, I got my new/old license in the mail. It is reassuring I can once again prove I am who I say I am.

The one bright spot in the lost license saga was looking forward to a new picture. Dream was thwarted when Charlene at the DMV informed me that they don't take new pictures when you lose your license.

So if I am looking at this with my glass half full glasses on at least they didn't put my Kathy Bates from Misery photo on there again from 1995.

Brief respite be gone

2009-01-04T22:11:00.004-06:00

How did the past two weeks go by so quickly??? I am not looking foward to tomorrow and getting back to the daily grind. At least I managed to decrease my work email from 848 to 103. That my friends is an accomplishment which will allow me a better night sleep tonight. Here are a few photos our our Holiday...

Memories...misty bad short wearing memories of the way we were...

2009-01-03T10:29:00.004-06:00

One of my good friends from childhood put a picture out on Facebook that I have not seen for 25 years (gosh, it seems so strange to say 25 years). It is of our 6th grade school basketball team and what a motley crew we were. I was 12 when this photo was taken.

It is actually quite embarrassing.

We were the Paintbrush Pirates and had to wear these God awful uniforms with white, yes white shorts that would pretty much be classified as a swimsuit nowadays.

I do remember the day the photo was taken, I even curled my hair for the occasion. I just received a curling iron and was still trying to figure out how it worked as you can see from the photo. Always had a hard time in the early years trying to make sure I didn't turn it the wrong way and end up with a crease.

Did anyone else feel my curling iron pain?

Well here we are...if you can't guess I am #50. As I can see now, my mom was right, I did need the reminders to "stand up straight!" Look at my posture, I was really struggling with being the "tall girl".

Through the lovely invention of the Internet (thanks to Al Gore - hee hee) I have been reconnected with: #13 (lives in San Diego); #11 (lives in Washington DC and is an archaeologist); #25 (lives in WY, is a teacher - has a daughter in college - YIKES); #12 (lives in San Diego and Italy - and is the source of this photo); #33 (lives in WY - her little sister was my sister Amy's bestest friend); #32 (lives in WY and is a county attorney).

Unless you really, really want to, don't watch the X-Files movie

2009-01-03T00:19:00.004-06:00

Dan brought it home tonight, fell asleep and then I watched the whole thing for some reason.

Completely confusing. Was there another movie that came before this one cause when did Scully and Mulder hook up? I missed that. I used to watch this show, but I don't have a clue what is going on.

The best part of the movie is the music playing during the end credits...

** out of 10 stars. That is being generous.

Resolutions '09

2009-01-02T17:09:00.004-06:00

1. Blog more. Need to document the Schmidt happenings, I feel like I forget so many of the little things the kids say/do. Plus my mom really, really likes to read what we are doing because she can never get us on the phone.

2. Start book? Just need to figure out what to write about...perhaps crazy family? Who wants to proofread?

3. Stop procrastinating. Don't know if there is any hope on this one, but thought I would give it another go before I turn 40. After then, not gonna try to teach an old dog new tricks. I will forever be on Galarneault/Schmidt time and up until 4:30 a.m. Christmas Eve.

4. Purge. Just when I have done it, there is always another round. I feel like I am suffocating with the amount of "stuff" we have in this house. Do I really need 17 empty bins/containers/holdy things??? If there isn't anything in them maybe they should leave the house. Does anyone need any holdy things?

5. Do not buy anymore books from book store. I have at least two bookcases full of "would really love to read, but never seem to get to them books, because I think I have ADD." Oh, can get them from the library too. Love the library, haven't mentioned that in '09. LOVE THE LIBRARY. Will save $ from cost of books and no purchase of Barnes and Noble membership ($25) right there.

6. Learn how to cook some new dishes. We seriously eat the same 7 things over and over and over. The kids don't seem to mind, but I am starting to tire of spaghetti and tacos every week. Also now with age am having to take Alka Seltzer every night after tacos and spaghetti.

7. Be a better mom, wife, daughter, sister, auntie, friend. Life gets crazy and I tend to cocoon when it gets nuts. I need to spend more time living and not working.

8. Be thankful. When the world is so messed up like it is right now and everything you hear, read, and see is so bleak I would like our little corner of the world to tune it out and be thankful for what we have. This too shall pass.

9. Be healthy. Even though this work thing has really put the damper on the tennis game, there is other stuff I can do: e.g. take Mia for a walk, use the elliptical in the basement - yes we have a club certified elliptical in the basement collecting dust, drink water - versus Diet Coke, eat something other than bacon grilled cheese, chips, and krispy treat from the cafeteria EVERY DAY at work, oh and get some sleep - I do not need to be up until 1:30 a.m. every night putzing or doing work emails.

10. Stick to resolutions... so that next year there will be something else to improve on...

Candidates for 2010:

Insist mom and dad finally join the 21st century and get a debit card!
Learn to knit - maybe.
Pick up dry cleaning before they call and say they are going to give it to homeless people.
Return items left at our home, right now they go into return to owner bin and do not see the light of day until someone inquires - which I am finding isn't very often. Maybe they figure if they left it at the Schmidt House it is lost forever. Wait, maybe need to add this to this year since most items in bin will no longer fit children (owners) in 2010.
Proactively put salt in the water softener versus waiting until the white dust gets all over the plates and makes me really, really crabby.
Make children pay for items they do not put away, e.g. clothes, games, school books. Might be able to get their attention that way.

For DeAnn

2008-12-30T12:39:00.005-06:00

About a month ago, my family (without me - can't remember why I wasn't there) went to the Original Pancake House in Eden Prairie for breakfast. While there, Adrian Peterson came in with his family. My sister, never being one to just sit by and watch life go by walked up to the table and asked one of the people at the table a question.

"Is that Adrian Peterson?"

"Might be," responded the man.

"Oh, are you a Viking too?" she asked.

The man turned to her with a smile on his face and said, "No maam, I'm his daddy! You know what I like you. Adrian, get over here and take a picture with this lady, I like her."

I guess JG walked up to him and said, "I have you on my wall!" (He has a Fathead of him in his room). Adrian was very humble and was so kind especially to stand and take photos with these crazies.

Until tonight I didn't know, nor did I care a new Bentlely Continental cost almost $200K

2008-12-30T01:59:00.005-06:00

Tonight the kids and I went to Bedtime Stories with my mom and aunt, we all liked it really well. Both of the kids gave it a thumbs up - only thing I was so-so on was a scene where Adam Sandler sprays Xmas tree fire retardant in his eyes. Little man re-enacted in Hollister with the cologne, much to the chagrin of his mother and sister. Think it hurt enough he won't do it again....

I digress...

After the movie and dinner we needed to stop at the local Holiday station for some gas to make it home. While standing in the flippin' cold waiting for the pump to work I noticed a rather sleek automobilie drive up.

It was pretty, really, really pretty and looked like this:

I didn't even notice the person driving the car get out to buy something inside, I was looking at the pretty, pretty car. A carload of 20 somethings drove up and said, "OMG! OMG!!! It's him!!!"

"Him who?" I thought.

"It's Adrian. Adrian Peterson!!!", one of the girls screamed. They all seriously jumped out of the car so fast one lost her shoe. Sad.

Adrian was so gracious to take a photo in 16 degrees with an Under Armour shrit and sweats on - no coat.

I told the kids, "Hey, look there is Adrian Peterson."

Both looked and seemed unimpressed since their encounter at the Original Pancake House with Adrian last month...Joe looked up from his DS and said, "Oh yeah, I know him."

Oh, her little corner of the world has life

2008-12-27T21:07:00.001-06:00

AE has started blogging again, she was inspired by her friend Kylie who has been blogging on her mom's blog...

Her first blog after a year hiatus was similar to her first blog ever...

griping about cleaning the house.

We've made it through the holidays...so far

2008-12-27T20:55:00.002-06:00

This past week has been a blur. We have seen pretty much everyone in our family, plus extended family, and we have more family to see next week. It
is good to connect with everyone.

The kids got everything they wanted from Santa and family that they could have asked for. Joe got a Mario DS and Allie a Nano (but you guys already knew that). She is so excited. I realized about an hour after they opened their gifts that we purchased gifts which encourage no interaction with any other member of our family....was this really a good idea?

Yesterday I played tennis with my good friend Jody and another friend Sue. We did well and took 2nd, I can't say that my good foot is better for it. I seriously cannot walk. It is like when I tore the ligament last year. NO GOOD. I am hoping it will be better tomorrow, I've got too much to do.

Just saw this photo and it made me laugh, it was entitled, "Cows are Stupid". Karen - I am sure Monkey might laugh as much as JG.

House Rules (according to AE)

2008-12-22T18:39:00.002-06:00

The kids started Winter Break today and near as I can tell Dan must have put them to work because when I got home, hanging on the fridge there was a list of rules (i.e. grievances) put together by our dear and loving daughter.

AE's Laws

1. Make a mess, clean it up. (I can't wait to tell her, please refer to law #1)

2. JG is not allowed in AE's room.

3. No going over the speed limit. (Wondering if Dan got a ticket today, must ask youngest child who spills the beans on everything.)

4. If you borrow anything from AE you only get it for a maximum of 30 days.

5. Only kids, 10 and up, can play AE's DS.

6. Any damage to these laws (rips to paper) and will (look at #10).

7. No throwing anything of AE's away without permission - yes, I'm looking at you dad!

8. Whoever is closest to the door has to let Mia in.

9. You may NOT take any money around the house that is not yours without permission.

10. If you break any of these laws and you owe AE $5.

P.S. AE approves this message.

JG's Video Pick of the Week

2008-12-21T20:03:00.002-06:00

If another person asks me if I am done Xmas shopping...

2008-12-09T00:32:00.003-06:00

I am going to scream. I have to scream because if I don't I will cry.

The answer is: NO

Can't remember the last time I was this discombobulated.

Oh, and I need to go to Houston two days next week. Might be able to pick up some stocking stuffers at the airport.

Me in 1960

2008-12-01T20:33:00.002-06:00

the world really is flat.

2008-11-30T23:01:00.002-06:00

I need to start this post with the following:

DAUGHTER OF MINE IF YOU ARE READING THIS YOU NEED TO STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER AND QUIT READING ANY FURTHER - THANKS, MOM

Xmas is coming and AE has a pretty short Xmas list - she really, really, really wants an iPod Nano - green to be exact.

She said her life will be complete if she receives this from her loving parents, or Santa.

On Black Friday while my lovely sister was out fighting the crowds for JG's perfect gift - thanks again Amy!!! - I went online and ordered up AE's dream gift in less than 5 minutes with no lines involved.

I logged on tonight to take a look at shipping progress and Dan and I were shocked. The new Nano will be the most traveled member of our household this holiday -

it is traveling more than half way across the world for our little girl -

SHENZHEN CN to LANTAU ISLAND HK to ANCHORAGE AK to...the Schmidt house.

I know all the words for the entire song

2008-11-26T00:08:00.001-06:00

because AE has played 349 times over the past week...

Even JG can recite the Kanye part. He thinks the "pea coat" part is funny. It is really hard to explain what a pea coat is to a six year old boy because in the end he can't figure out why it isn't named for a bodily function or a vegetable he hates.

It is a catchy little tune, which I guarantee will be in your head the rest of the day.

Has anyone else...

2008-11-25T23:46:00.002-06:00

clicked on the Next Blog link at the top of the page?

There is some weird stuff out there?

It got me to thinking, maybe our little diary of daily life has been someone's Next Blog and they thought:

There is some weird stuff out there.

For Bobbi and her curtains

2008-11-24T00:36:00.002-06:00

This is one of my favorites...got a good laugh tonight thanks to Bobbi's curtains

A long, long, time ago in a galaxy far, far away

2008-11-23T23:10:00.001-06:00

OK still hooked on Facebook - tonight had a pleasant surprise with one of my former classmates from Gillette stopping by (on the screen) for a little chat.

She and I sat by one another in choir during Junior High, she was always eccentric (in a good way) and I really enjoyed getting to know her and her good heart. She went through some tough times when we were in school - we all remember how cruel kids can be and unfortunately she was on the receiving end of more than her fair share. Through it all she has become an amazing woman with a family of her own and stories to tell.

We chatted about many things I had forgotten, the good, the bad and the very, very ugly. I found out one of my best guy friends from the tennis team committed suicide a year or so ago. I always wondered what happened to him, he had such big dreams, planned to go to Harvard, see the world. I am saddened by knowing he is no longer in this world.

We also laughed about some of the paths our classmates have taken with their lives. One is married to a satanist and lives in California - she was always after the shock factor and pretty much takes the cake.

Don't know if she will make it to the reunion (I have been invited BTW by the official committee).

My friend asked, "Do you think she will come? I wonder if she is a shape shifter?"

"Hmmm," I replied. "Bet she will be the black cat in the back of the room"

"Black cat, no way," she responded. "Bat, yes."

We had a good laugh and signed off, I still have a smile on my face. She was so kind and remembered me fondly.

She said that I was well liked and was kind to others - what more out of life could you want?

Putting the pieces together

2008-11-22T11:52:00.003-06:00

I know Bobbi blogged a few weeks ago about Facebook, Karen and Stromer have mentioned it as well... I am now addicted - big time. I am connecting with people from all through my life and places I have been.

When I was young we moved quite a bit because of my dad's job. Before I was five we lived in:

Sioux Falls, SD (where I was born)
Rochester, MN
Maple Grove, MN (I drive by our old house every day)
Rapid City, SD

I went to school in:

1. Rapid City, SD - Grades K-4 - Meadowbrook Elementary

2. Gillette, WY - Grades 5-10 - Paintbrush Elementary, Sage Valley Junior High, Campbell County High School

3. Pine City, MN - Grades 11-12 - Pine City High School

So, guess I have always felt a bit like an orphan how it all chunked out. When people ask me where I am from I say, "I grew up in South Dakota and Wyoming, but graduated from HS in Minnesota." They then usually look overwhelmed by too much information which I can't say that I blame them.

However, with Facebook I am connecting with friends from each of the chunks of my life and having a great time - it is one of those things where you think maybe people won't remember you because you didn't officially graduate with them, but I am finding out that the opposite is true.

I am connecting all of the pieces and people and not feeling so orphan like anymore, but instead feel very blessed to have so many diverse people and experiences that I can call my life.

After the last two weeks with the extended family...

2008-11-15T21:36:00.005-06:00

I think I am going to buy this shirt:

Dorothy Galarneault

2008-11-12T23:27:00.003-06:00

Age 95, passed away Monday, November 10, 2008. She was a longtime resident of Aitkin, MN, and recent resident at the Terraces of St. Therese,
Hopkins, MN.

She was born August 30, 1913, in Wells, MN, the daughter of Emilie (Schweer) and Edward Kuechenmeister. She was a graduate of Wells High School and the University of Minnesota where she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and president of Theta Sigma Phi, journalism sorority. She came to Aitkin in 1936 to join the staff of the Aitkin Republican. She married John T. Galarneault of Aitkin at St. James Catholic Church on August 6, 1938.

Throughout the years she was active in school, church and community affairs, serving as president of the Aitkin Parent-Teacher Association, the Aitkin Public Library Board, St. James Council of Catholic Women, Brainerd Deanery CCW and chairman of the Aitkin County Citizens Committee on Aging, the Aitkin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority and the East Central Regional Library Board. She was a charter member of the Aitkin Hospital Auxiliary and one of the organizers of the Lawyers Wives of Minnesota, serving as the first treasurer. She served two terms on the Advisory Committee of the Brainerd Community College, was a member of the State Committee on Library Services, a member of the Blackrock Terrace Board, and served as secretary for the Aitkin County Committee for the Minnesota Statehood Centennial in 1958.

She was presented the Aitkin Area Centennial Outstanding Female award in 1971 and was named Aitkin's first Senior Queen of Riverboat Days in 1986. In 1989 she received a Certificate of Appreciation from the County Committee on Aging for 30 years of valuable contribution. She was selected by Senior Options North as winner of the "Success Over Sixty" award in 1990 in recognition for her outstanding service to seniors. That same year the community room at Maryhill Manor was dedicated in her honor. During the ceremony she was presented a Certificate of Commendation from Gov. Rudy Perpich in recognition of her role as a community leader and volunteer in Aitkin County and in honor of her years of volunteer work in aging programs as well for her hospital, library, church and educational organizations. She also received a Certificate of Superior Service from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in appreciation of 25 years of faithful and honorable service to the Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Aitkin County.

She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, St. James Council of Catholic Women, the Brainerd Deanery of Catholic Women, the Seven County Senior Federation and the American Association of Retired Persons.

Surviving are her four sons and daughters-in-law: John K. and Margarita, Golden Valley; Edward and Sharon, Pine City; Robert and Phyllis, Minneapolis and Thomas and Carol, Delano; one sister, Mrs. W.D. Highsmith, Chapin, SC; nine grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, the Honorable Judge John T. Galarneault, her parents, two brothers and three sisters.

Dorothy's life will be celebrated with a Mass of Christian Burial 11 AM Friday, November 14, 2008 at St. James Catholic Church, Aitkin, followed by interment at St. Thomas Cemetery. Visitation will be 5-7 PM Thursday evening at Sorenson-Root-Thompson Funeral Home, 31 Minnesota Ave., Aitkin, and one hour prior to Mass on Friday. Memorials preferred to the Seminarian Fund at the Diocese of Duluth, 2830 E Fourth St., Duluth, MN 55812.

$1,074.60

2008-11-10T23:47:00.005-06:00

My grandma loved to laugh, and I honestly believe she is laughing right now after the adventure I have had trying to get the word out that she has moved on to a better place.

Gram wrote her obituary 20 years ago and asked that I "update" it once she passed, so yesterday morning I got up and started typing the hardcopy, manual typed pages into Word. Finally I decided to call the Aitkin Independent Age to check on when exactly I would need to submit it to make the deadline.

At 10:37 a.m. I called and found out that it was due by noon.

So I got to typing and updated all of the info and let it go off into cyberspace all 572 words telling of Gram's life. I gave them my credit card and they charged me $60.00 for the obituary in the weekly paper.Next step was pulling everything together for the Star Tribune. I knew I was going to need to scale it back a bit, but wanted to make sure I still captured many of the important events in her life. So, when all was said and done it came to 295 words.

I went online, submitted everything and decided to call to see how I should pay. I spoke with a very lovely woman named Irene and she was so very helpful. She informed me that they put the text into the layout and then call with a quote. I told her that sounded great and thanked her for her help.

Irene called 10 minutes later with the quote.

Irene: Hi Susan, I have your quote.

Susan: Great, I have my credit card here and I'm ready to go.

Irene: So, for two days the total will be $1,074.60.

Silence

Irene: Are you there?

Susan: You've got to be kidding.

Irene: Well it was 50 lines at $9.95 per line times two days is $1,074.60.

Susan: Wow, and I trimmed it back. So, tell me how do those people do it that take up a whole column? It has got to be more than the whole funeral.

Irene: Well, I don't know about that. Most of those people are Star Tribune employee's families.

Susan: I am going to need to think about this. I can't imagine my grandma would be very happy about me spending over $1,000 on her obituary.

Irene: I understand.

Susan: No I don't think you can understand the talking to my grandma will give me when I get to the other side if I spend $1000.00 on her obituary.