No, It's Not Peony Park

Wow, you leave town for a few days and they put up a roller coaster.

At least that's what Dad thought when he rode his bike past Fun Plex Monday morning. The coaster stands about as tall as the one that used to be front-and-center at the former Peony Park (now a Hy-Vee).

The next thing that Dad thought was how much fun he's going to have taking the girls on the coaster this summer. Really. This one isn't nearly as big - or as fast - as the ones he passed on at Worlds of Fun a couple of years ago. (Yes, Emily was brave enough to join Mom when Dad wouldn't budge.)

So there's something to look forward to this summer...

First Communion, Dress Rehearsal

Lauren is less than 24 hours away from making her First Communion. But first, pictures had to be taken and a practice run had to be made. That meant Mom had to help Lauren get ready. With ringlets in her hair and Aunt Bridget's veil on her head, she was ready to go.



Clockwise from top left: Mom tells Dad to quit taking pictures and start helping; Mom tied the perfect bow; Lauren practices her best folded hands; Mom makes sure everything looks A-OK.

Emily's Bedhead

A couple months ago, Emily purchased a blog entry in our weekly garage sale. It entitled her to have Dad help her do her on entry on this site.

So Saturday morning, she decided that she wanted to cash in on her blog entry. It started out by taking her picture, which shows off her beautiful bedhead. The rest of the entry, though, is still to come...

Reading at Bedtime

Bedtime is becoming a little bit easier for Mom and Dad now that we've gained another reader in the house.

Yes, Julia is quickly becoming proficient at reading stories and sharing them with her younger sisters, Olivia and Veronica. We'd also have to say that she's very good at using expression in her reading (Lauren is also good at this) and she's not afraid to sound out the hard words when she comes across them.

This post wouldn't be complete without mentioning Veronica's attempt at reading. If you ask her to read you something, she'll open a book (usually it's upside down) and mumble a few words that only she understands. At least she's trying...

T-Shirts - Instead of Pajamas
Kind of like "stuffing - instead of potatoes," some of the girls prefer to wear Dad's T-shirts instead of pajamas. This irritates Mom, who sometimes goes to great pains to pick out pajamas. (Not to mention Santa Claus, who also provides a set of sleepwear each Christmas.)

Oftentimes, Julia will take the shirt right off Dad's back. In tonight's case, that meant the Toyota-United T-shirt he wore while mowing the front yard. Of course, Mom would have none of it - and told Julia she couldn't wear a shirt that smelled like freshly-cut grass and sweat. Undeterred, she ran to Dad's room and grabbed a clean T-shirt. If you look at the picture above, you'll see both girls are wearing Dad's T-shirts.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

The April showers are going to bring more than just May flowers. Dad thinks they'll bring lots of weeds.
It's been raining since Monday night. That would be fine and dandy, except Dad was gone for more than a week and the lawn looks like it. So if - and when - it finally stops pouring, he will have quite a jungle to work through. At least the grass is green, right?

The fact that none of the girls are playing soccer this spring is not lost on us. While we miss seeing them play, we don't miss the two or three-times-a-week practice schedule. And with the switch in schools, practices would have been in Bellevue, not just down the street. So that is something we have to be thankful for as the rain water piles up on the porch.

Learning The Rosary

While Lauren is just days away from making her First Communion, Julia is learning how to pray the Rosary.

Tuesday night, she brought home the "Rosary Box" from Ms. Lewis' kindergarten room. Inside were instructions on how to pray the rosary, as well as several rosaries and a statue of Mary (pictured at right). Mom put Dad to the test to see if he remembered all the prayers (we'll score him at 50 percent) and Julia learned about the mysterious of the rosary.

Veronica enjoyed praying the rosary, too, because she liked all the pretty beads on it. She's actually very good when it comes to night-time prayers. She folds her hands and mutters some words (that only God can understand at this point).

Lauren's First Communion

Lauren spent part of Monday night getting ready for her First Communion. With Mom's help, she made a collage that will be hung in the church with the rest of her classmates' artwork.

In other news, Dad is finally home. Yes, it was a long 12 days. He is pretty tired, but glad to be home with Mom and the girls. Here are a few pictures from his trip:


This is a restored railcar that Dad slept in during his stay at the "Choo Choo Inn" in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Dad's friend, Jodi (seen at left), took the picture of him on the right at the summit of Brasstown Bald Mountain, Georgia's highest peak.

Recognize The Guy In The Background?

There's Dad, in the shades and Toyota-United podium cap.

Dad's Team Wins

Ivan Stevic is the Serbian national champion so that's why he wears a special white uniform, instead of the red, white and blue kit.
The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team pulled off one of its biggest wins in its short history when Ivan Stevic won Stage 2 on Tuesday at the Tour de Georgia.

And, of more interest to the Y-D girls, Dad is picking up souvenirs along the way...

Toyota-United Racing At Tour de Georgia

You sometimes see some unusual things at a bicycle race. Take, for example, the Delta Airlines mascot (pictured at right).

Dad's team is racing in the Tour de Georgia, a seven-day, seven stage bicycle race in the Peach State.

Monday's race covered 97 miles and the racers completed it in three hours and 25 minutes. That's pretty darn fast. They were helped along by a tailwind for the majority of the distance.

Tuesday's race is 139 miles long. Hopefully the weather will continue to be nice (mid 70s) but without the wind.

Dad makes an appearance on a Tour de Georgia blog. Take a look by clicking here. What he didn't realize at the time is that he was being filmed. (That might explain why he is making weird gestures toward his computer.)

Poop on the Red Deck

While baking some muffins for breakfast this morning, Mom was officially "grossed out!" Emily came running into the kitchen to announce, "Thank Goodness Dad isn't here; there's poop on the red deck. (For all of you who have never seen SpongeBob Squarepants in action; there is an episode where he and his friend, Patrick have to repeat everything that their boss, Mr. Krabs says. Once while on the phone with his mother who stubs her toe on a rock and screams, "Oh Mother Pearl, poop on the red deck!" Mr. Krabs repeats what she said and it came down the line to SpongeBob who repeated the phrase throughout the show.) Ever since I can remember, Emily has used this phrase to make me laugh. The phrase actually came true today with actual poop on our actual red deck. Eeeeeeew!!! Any volunteers to come clean up the neighbor's dog's poop?

Veronica: Approaching 19 Months

Veronica is rapidly closing in on the 19-month-old mark. So Dad thought it would be time for an update on what she's like to have around.

First, Veronica likes shoes. Bigger shoes. She'll take a pair of Mom or Dad's shoes, put her feet in them and trudge around. That might explain why her older sisters sometimes have a hard time finding their shoes when it's time to get dressed in the morning.

Veronica learned to say "yum yum" around the time the Easter treats were being passed around this past Sunday. She's also good about tugging on your pants or shirt and leading you to the refrigerator or sink when she needs a drink.

She knows lots of animal sounds, particularly if you ask her things like, "Veronica, what does the cow say?" She also has a piercing scream that Dad refers to as "the worst sound in the world." If she's not happy about something, she'll unleash that scream (more often than not in the Suburban).

At nearly 19 months old, she is down to a single nap a day. The night-night bottle of milk is long gone and she is on the verge of being able to crawl out of her crib. If she doesn't get her way with her sisters, she's likely to pinch them or scratch them. She is certainly not afraid to pick a fight and has been known to bowl over Olivia.

As she has gotten older, her reputation as a "destructor" has only increased. She can wipe out a clean room in a matter of seconds. She also tags along with her older sisters whenever possible. That fearless attitude carries over to her enjoyment of being held upside down.

As far as talking goes, she can say most of her sisters' names: "Emmy," "Lo-Lo," "Julia" (which sounds just like everyone else says it) but she has trouble with "Olivia" and her own name.

Emily's Final Tooth Fairy Visit

About two weeks ago, Emily lost her 20th - and final - baby tooth. It was a momentous occasion, as you can imagine. There was even a bit of sadness, too, as she knew that this would be her final visit from Lu, the Tooth Fairy.

So we waited and waited and waited and waited for Emily to put that final baby tooth under her pillow. It wasn't until last night, though, that Emily finally gave in and left it for Lu. (Coincidentally, Lu also visited Julia - but that's a story for another day).

This morning, we awoke to find that Lu had indeed made a stop at our house (despite the overnight snow) and that she had left behind more than just money. There was confetti all over Emily's room, along with a note under her pillow, and, as we would find out later - $20 in coins hidden all around.

Here is what the note (seen above) said:

My Dear Emily,

It has been my pleasure to have been your tooth fairy over the years. It has been so much fun to watch you grow and mature into such a beautiful young lady! I have enjoyed getting to know you and hearing about all of the lovely things going on in your life. I truly hope that you will always remember me and treasure our friendship as you know that I do.

I will try to check on you as you sleep whenever I have to visit one of your sisters.

It is always bittersweet to pick up a No. 20 tooth. That means that it is very exciting for us fairies, we have a little party (in your room). Sorry for the mess, but it is also sad, as I have to tell you goodbye. But hopefully not forever...

You see Emily, as you grow up, fall in love, get married and have children of your own, all you have to do is request that I be your children's tooth fairy too! And the fun will begin all over again. Ooh, I am all excited just thinking about it.

Since losing your last tooth is such a special occasion, I have hidden 20 of these fancy gold coins around your room. When you find them all, you will have $20 for your final tooth! That is a lot of money! But I OK'd it with the Dental Queen.

I am proud of who you have become Emily. Keep it up!

I regretfully bid you aduo, farewell, adios, caiou, dag and bonsoir!

With all of the love in my teeny, tiny, heart,

Lu

Getting the Finish Line Ready

The finish line is ready for Saturday's US Open Championship.
Dad was in Richmond, Va., over the weekend for the inaugural US Open Cycling Championships. It was quite an event - with two-and-a-half hours of coverage on NBC Sports. Unfortunately, his Toyota-United team didn't pull off the win. But it was an epic day.

The riders awoke at 4 a.m. to find snow falling in Richmond. The conditions worsened as they drove the 50 or so miles east to the start in Williamsburg. That forced the officials to postpone the start for an hour. In the interim, the team went to a Starbucks and bundled up for the race that would start with temperatures in the high 20s and snow falling at the rate of half-an-inch an hour.

Dad drove the Toyota Tundra team truck as the third team car. Here are a few pictures he took with his camera phone:



There were three helicopters and one fixed-wing airplane following the race (once the y rode out of the snow). At the finishing circuit in Richmond, the sun was out and there was no snow on the ground. Still, it was chilly and there weren't more than a thousand spectators (when 70,000 were expected).

Dad's New Column

If you didn't already hear, Dad has switched from writing for The Reader newspaper to writing for the Omaha City Weekly.

It's much more visibility (as you can see from the banner ad that's on their website at right), more space (read: more money) and a staff that is extraordinarily friendly. You can read his daily rants here or check out the weekly column he writes for the print edition by clicking here.

It's Springtime!

All the girls dressed in their (Palm) Sunday best.
Every year about this time, the tree in front of our house blooms some beautiful flowers. (Or at least that's how Dad describes it.)

Unfortunately, the effect is short-lived. Three or four days later, the flowers drop off the tree. So before the process took place this year, Dad snapped a picture. He also took the picture of Mom and the girls after church (above).

The warm, sunny weather has also allowed Dad to spend many a day working outside, instead of being cooped up inside the house. Having wireless access to the Internet for his laptop has been wonderful. Unfortunately, the weather is expected to turn colder by Tuesday.

The Big News

Posted April 1, 2007

In typically YD fashion, we are making a big announcement today.

It has to do with the No. 6. While some might believe this isn't the proper forum to break such big news, we thought it was a good way to get the word out.

So get ready for another big event in September!