Not Quite the Same

Katie goes to bed every night to the sound of the ocean courtesy of her sound machine. Therefore, we thought that she would enjoy her first visit to the Atlantic during our vacation earlier this month. Au contraire... This video captures one of the few times she would venture near any kind of crashing wave. (We think she was distracted by the cool seaweed.) By the end, you may be able to notice her whining to get away from the scary waves. The video also co-stars Traci, Papa, and the renowned Aquinnah Cliffs. Thankfully, we didn't capture any of the dozens of nudists who were also there. Um, yeah...I would advise against happening upon a nudist beach with your dad on vacation with you.

Moms' Night Out

Traci had a big night out with her good friend Maureen (Connor's mommy) last night! They went to their first concert in ages, where they saw the Dave Matthews Band. (Unfortunately, our digital camera is not back from repairs, so we will just have this written report as proof.) After some good old-fashioned tailgating outside the venue, Mo and Traci settled into their seats (not lawn blankets like the old days) to re-live some of their favorite concert hits from college. Although the set list was a little on the mellow side, there were some fantastic songs played. The musical highlight of the night for Traci was DEFINITELY the band's cover of "Sledgehammer"...yep, that hit by the one and only Peter Gabriel (one of Traci's favorites). The girls also engaged in some massive people-watching. Traci had promised Mike that she would report back on what the "young kids" are wearing these days. From what she could see, all of the girls chose spaghetti-strap tank tops, jersey-knit dresses, or 80s-style bubble skirts. The guys all wore wife-beater tees with plaid shorts. So, we figured that high style was lost on this particular crowd. We also talked to some young'ens after the concert and extolled our sage, wise advice all around us. (Surprisingly, the college kids seemed to enjoy listening to us, even though we wouldn't give them any beer.) Anyway, Traci's decided that she can only enjoy a night out like this once in a blue moon because she was beyond tired today. Katie doesn't care if Mommy had a night out!!

Geno (1997-2008)

It is with very heavy hearts that we announce that Geno, our beloved racing greyhound, died of stomach complications on June 19th. He was 10.5 years old.

Geno had been lethargic in past weeks, but the kennel had to hospitalize him while we were on vacation due to stomach complications and his inability to keep food down. X-rays also showed a large mass between his heart and esophogus which seemed to be exacerbating things. With the knowledge that Geno was suffering and that he would likely not be able to survive any major procedures (due to age and past respiratory complications), Mike was forced to fly back home to put him down on Thursday. We are thankful that Geno held out for one of us to say goodbye.

We feel truly blessed for the 5.5 years we had with Geno. He was a fixture of our newlywed life in Chicago and a wonderful big brother to Katie since our relocation to Virginia. He was the original G-Man, and we will never have a better hound. Although we are comforted that Geno is chasing rabbits in a much better place, we will sorely miss him.

We know that many of you had a chance to meet Geno over the years and invite you to click on the photo album we have compiled to the right. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers...

Where Have I Been?

We returned from our travels late last night after a grueling drive home (seven new states for Katie!). Our week in Martha's Vineyard was fantastic. Katie was not quite as into the beach as we had hoped, but she absolutely loved having the run of our large rental house. Not to mention having at least three people doting on her at any given time. The weather was absolutely perfect and we were able to get to just about everything, including hitting every playground with bucket seat swings on the island. Highlights: Father's Day dinner, up-island drives, fried seafood at "The Bite," Menemsha beach, Chappaquiddick's flora and fauna, Brent and Lisa's visit, Mad Martha's ice cream, BBQ at the Tesoro's. Lowlights: stumbling upon a nude beach, Japanese garden, 3:30AM fire alarms, Bob's Subs & Pizza, realizing that we actually know a Bowflex owner. Thanks to friends Brent, Lisa, Shawn and Amy for visiting us on the island this weekend. And thanks again to Papa for joining us. Katie is still asking for you! Be sure to check out the MV photo album to the right.

This Blog is Cursed

Forget the Chicago Cubs' Billy Goat Curse... That curse has nothing on the one that has been placed on us and this blog by the technology gods. Our new digital camera has broken down (darn jammed lens!) and needs to be shipped to the Canon experts for repair. (This after we have already had to replace our camcorder, digital camera, and computer within the space of a year.) Of course, we will be without digital images for a couple weeks while we wait for the repairs. And, of course, this all happens the day before we leave for our beach vacation. Never worry - we are going to take our good old-fashioned film (gasp!) camera to Martha's Vineyard to capture all the great shots. But, we probably won't have any images on the blog for awhile. Sorry, once again.

To tide you over, here is an oldie-but-goodie shot of our buddy Patrick (4 years old) giving Traci a hand by being the designated swing pusher.

Um....Excuse me, Miss....

Today Katie and Traci went back to the waterfront in Old Town to enjoy the less humid weather. Lucky for the little one, she got a surprise treat! Lots of people hang out on the waterfront pier, throwing bread to the birds, fish, and other marine wildlife. Today we noticed a little pre-schooler throwing old Cheerios on the ground for the pigeons. Of course, Katie became VERY interested when she saw her favorite food being tossed right in front of her.

Although we had just come from eating ice cream, guess who plopped down and had a feast? Katie could learn a thing or two from the birds about sharing.

I'm a Survivor

Katie utilized several different strategies to survive yet another deliriously hot day. First, she and Traci browsed for books at the nearest Borders. Then, she sat in a shady patch of grass waiting for her buddy Sam at the local pool. Last, but certainly not least, she enjoyed one of the true joys of childhood - splashing around in a puddle. Phew - it's only supposed to be a high of 90 degrees tomorrow!

I Spy!

Thought this was a good action shot of Katie playing "peek-a-boo" with the shower curtain tonight. Still 89 degrees as of our 7:30pm bathtime. Sure glad we chose to head north on vacation this year...

Is that you, Daddy?

Who knows what Katie was thinking when she decided to hold this mannequin's hand at the mall today... Perhaps she was tired of waiting for her parents to buy swimsuits, shoes, sunglasses, and other items necessary for our big beach vacation. Or, perhaps she was giving the mannequin some advice on how to avoid future sunburns.

Chillin' Poolside

It's not even the "dog days" of summer, and we are already hitting a triple-digit heat index here in the Mid-Atlantic region. Thank goodness for good friends with pools! Sam (17 months) and Julie invited Kate and Traci to their community pool for Kate's first dip in a big pool for the year. She was delighted as soon as we all jumped in. She loved being thrown up and down, laying on her back, and splashing Sam. She was not a big fan of going the whole way underwater, however. We tried to coax Katie and Sam to the baby pool for a break on our arms and backs, but they would have none of that baby-ish stuff. They just climbed right out and headed back for the big pool. Afterwards, we just chilled at our chairs and shared some Cheerios and goldfish.

Flowers and Football?

Just one day after a tornado actually touched down in our town, Kate and Traci decided it was safe enough to venture outside again. This morning, we went to the local farmers' market, where the little one marvelled at the gorgeous flowers and bountiful food. She and Mom picked out some stuffed zucchini/peppers for lunch and pumpkin bread and chocolate/peanut butter fudge for later. Mike will be pleased.

Right next to the farmers' market is a huge artificial grass athletic field. As soon as she touched it, Kate took off as if she were scoring the winning touchdown for Notre Dame.





And, now she's ready for a huge goal line stand against USC. Bring it on, Reggie Bush!

The Price of Freedom

Katie's first week of walking:

Ramming into a picnic table...a busted chin.

Falling down on the sidewalk...a couple of skinned knees.

Losing her balance near the coffee table...a bruised cheek.

The freedom to wander wherever she wants to go...PRICELESS!

Going to Bed

Ahhh....nothing like a nice, little bedtime routine to get an active toddler tired and cozy for bed. Reading stories with Dad is one of Katie's favorite parts of the routine (of course, bathtime is her favorite!). Who wouldn't want to snuggle with Minnie, Bear, Daddy, a good book, and a cool rocking chair?

Share and Share Alike

Katie's buddy Connor (11 months) came over today to play with her toys. (All kids really only like toys when they are somebody else's, don't you know? Katie proves that theory at every playgroup.) The kids did a great job sharing...most of the time. Sometimes they would literally be chasing each other in circles around the condo trying to get some coveted toy. Here's a great pic of Connor so nicely sharing a little car with the princess in her throne.

Managers in Their Own Minds

13 years ago, Eric and Mike (fellow ND football managers) could have never guessed that they would be toting dueling McLaren strollers around Virginia. Yet, here they are in all their glory! This afternoon, Mike, Traci and Katie met up with friends, Eric, Kristina, Patrick and Ryan for a playdate/picnic in Old Town Alexandria.

When Katie stepped away from the swingset (which was not often), she had fun playing in the sandbox with Patrick and Ryan. She's walking all over the place now. Unfortunately, she has the bruises to prove it and added another scratch to her collection courtesy of the picnic table.

The evening concluded with a trip to the waterfront to feed the ducks, turtles, and several abnormally large catfish. Here, Kristina helps us take advantage of a rare family photo opportunity.