Scene's from Christmas

I'm finally able to upload photos! Woop. Here are some shots from Christmas. It's been so long, I won't bother with the recap and will just include some captions. Enjoy...

The cousins, just before it's time to open presents...

Me and Mel with our pretty Christmas drinks.

Time for presents.... Mia checking out her new quilt.

Seeger received a piggy bank that he could decorate.

Nicklas and his tickets - a Red Wings game and an Indiana University basketball game.

Seeger is pretending to be a present.

After presents, we enjoyed a Norwegian custom. Mia made porridge and a peeled almond was hidden in the dish. The person who receives the almond in their dish wins a prize.

The next morning, it was time for stockings and gifts from Santa...

And then more presents. Nicklas models his Norweigian hat from Mia's family.

Seeger's hat w/ his pillow that Mia made and the Barrel of Monkey's - also from Mia.

And then next day... Christmas with the North family.

This was only pictures of three of the six Christmas celebrations we attended. We are VERY lucky.

The mom letters...

I don't have much time to update (are you seeing a recurring theme here??) so I thought I'd share some recent communication between myself and Mia's mom.It actually provides a somewhat decent, albeit limited recap of the past few weeks.

12/25/09 - from Vibeke
The Family sends "Marry Christmas" to you
I am back in Kristiansand for a coupel of houers , I had to drive my Father back to the city so that he can take his car back to Larvik. It was so bad weather two day`s ago so he had to drive take the Mainroad to Kristiansand and go up to the Farm with me. Because of all the snow we used twice as long time as we normaly do BUT we made it :) ♥

12/25/09 - from me
Glad to hear you made it through the bad weather. Mia mentioned that Norway received a lot of snow. We haven't had much, enough for the boys to make a snowman but it's melting already. Hopefully the weather won't be too bad for our drive to New York. We're getting excited about our trip but first we have one more Christmas celebration. We're currently at my mom's house and we're waiting for my brothers to come over so we can unwrap presents. The boys are very excited!!

12/31/09 - from Vibeke
We still are in Winther-land ... It`s so nice with the cold weather & lot`s of SNOW. I really enjoy it.
We are off to some friend`s house in Lillesand , a City/Place close to Kristiansand , we are there for New Year every year. Hope you will have a nice evening & all the best for 2010.
How was the Porridge for Christmas , did Mia manage to make it :-) We have not yet resived the package BUT I`m sure it will turn up next week. If not I would need the poastal-number to track the package
Best wishes for a Happy New Year

1/5/10 - from me
Hi Vibeke - I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply. We've been really busy with packing up the Christmas things, painting our house, and doing some home improvement projects. And of course, right after Christmas, our computer stopped working. So after a couple of days, we finally bought a new one.

Anyway, we had a great Christmas and yes, the porridge turned out well. I'm not sure how much Mia liked it - she kept telling us to put sugar in it. But I thought it was good and everyone enjoyed learning about the Norwegian custom.

Mia said you received the package and I was very relieved! I looked for the tracking number and couldn't find it. It got lost with all my Christmas receipts.

I know I'm behind on my blog and I do have photos from Christmas and our trip to New York. Hopefully I'll get them posted this weekend. I think that's all for now. School and work started up yesterday so we're just trying to get back in the groove.

1/5/10 - from Vibeke
Don`t rush on my Behafe ... I can imagine how busy you are - adjusting to your new job & weekday`s away from home.
I`m sorry but the package that came, was from my nice , Elisabeth in Texas BUT hopefully it will come soon - she sendt that one earlyer than you did I think.
I am looking forward to see your pictures BUT do it when you have time
Take care and my love to you all

1/20/10 - from Vibeke

Hope you all are doing fine and that you are setteling in in you new jobb and that you all are getting used to not haveing you arround all the time.
I guess the weekends are Presious :)
Wish you all the best and hope Mia are doing fine at school and at home and behaveing....!!
There is not much news from here I have had it hectic at work but part from that we are doing fine and enjoying our winther with snow and nicew cold weather
Take care
Vibeke

1/20/10 - from me
Hi Vibeke! Sorry I haven't been good about writing. I'm not on facebook much lately. Things are so crazy - with the commuting and new job and trying to get the house on the market. We've been really, really busy but doing everything we can to not disrupt Mia and boys' routines. Hopefully we've been fairly successful.

Did Mia tell you about her trip to Washington DC? I think she really enjoyed it. She flew there on Friday and returned on Monday. She stayed with my 25 year old cousin, Emily. On Saturday, they walked around the Memorial Mall and past the White House. They went to Georgetown and walked around and did some shopping. That evening, they went to a dinner party that one of Emily's friends was hosting. Sunday, they visited the Holocaust Museum and then Emily made them dinner and my other cousin Molly, joined them. On Monday, Mia did a tour that allowed her to get on and off buses as they went around DC in different attractions. I think she enjoyed doing this on her own and being independent.

I think Mia is still enjoying her stay with us but I think she still struggles to follow our rules. She never disobeys but I can definitely tell when she thinks we're being unfair. It's definitely a learning experience for all of us - we've never parented a teenager and she's still adjusting to stricter rules. But I think even when she's not happy with us, she thinks of some of the other exchange students who don't have as much support from their host families. One of her friends is scared of her host mom who yells a lot. Another had to quit swimming because her host family got tired of driving her and picking her up from practice. So hopefully Mia is happy with us!

I'm glad to hear you finally received our package. Hopefully everything arrive all safe and sound. I can't believe it took so long to get there. I'll remember that next time! did Arne like everything Mia and I picked out for him? Hopefully he likes the shoes we got. did the ornament survive the trip?

Hopefully work slows down for you AND me! We've had some snow but its almost all melted now. It was pretty cold but things have really warmed up for us.

We almost have our house ready to be put on the market to sell it. It's been a lot of work to get it ready - we had to paint everything and finish the construction on our basement. I'm looking forward to things calming down when the house is finished. We're hosting the other Aspect families this weekend. We have a party in a few weeks and then it will be time to start thinking about spring break. I don't think we'll go anywhere, but we definitely want Mia to use the vacation to do something. She will likely go to Florida with a friend and her family. I'm sure she'll enjoy being in the sun and warm weather.

Have you thought much about whether you'd like to visit us and Mia sometime during her stay? You are more then welcome to and we'd love to meet you. We'll be planning a goodbye/going away party for Mia when her stay is coming to an end and that would be a great opportunity for you to meet everyone. And of course, Arne is welcome to visit too! Anyway, it's something to think about.

Well, this is getting long but I know I haven't been great about communicating lately so I wanted to give you a big update. Hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

Natalie

Alright already...

I know, I know, I know. I promised pictures. And I had every intention of posting them. I even brought my camera cord with me this week (which was the missing piece last week) so I could upload photos. But then I forgot my camera. Duh.... So no pics and really, I'm having a hard time coming up with the activities when I don't have pictures to go with them. SOOOOO.... I decided to post a RTT (since I missed last week, and the week before, and quite possibly the week before.) Here it goes...

1. I love the view outside my window at work. It's awesome to see the students walking by and since there are lots of trees around the building, I can't wait for fall!
2. We got LOTS of snow two days last week and both days, Uncle Bill cleared off my car for me. Isn't that so sweet?
3. We didn't really get LOTS of snow - only about 6-9 inches. But it feels like a lot when no one knows how to drive in it, the schools are all closed, and the maintenance people have a hard time clearing it off the roads and sidewalks due to lack of equipment/experience.
4. Did I tell you about Uncle Bill yet? He's my dad's brother and I stay with him during the week. He's the property manager at a state forest and lives in a log cabin in the forest. He's the sweetest guy and he's never been married and everyone desperately wants him to find a mate. So if you know of any single ladies, looking for a nice - but fairly shy - but really, really sweet guy, let me know. He's a good cook and he clears off your car when it snows. What more could you want?
5. Quilt camp is approaching. Huzzah!!!
6. It takes SO MUCH EFFORT at my new job not to go around saying, "Well, when I was at Purdue, we did it THIS way." I'll admit, I've said it a few times but I really need to stop it.
7. When I was first dating my husband, I used to always say, "I dated a guy once that did this...." He didn't take too kindly to that so I learned to keep quiet. I thought the habit would never go away but it eventually did.
8. Three things to be thankful for.... Mother Bear's Pizza, upcoming Lady Gaga concert (YES, I GOT A TICKET!), and quilt camp.
9. And more importantly - I'm very thankful for my wonderful husband who is home with the kids all week, trying to get our house ready to be put in the market, while being a single dad. He is THE BEST GUY EVER.
10. One last shout out of thanks to PepsiCo. Diet Pepsi = awesomeness.

Random Thought Thursday

1. I'm writing this on Wednesday but not posting until Thursday. I'm tricky like that.

2. The Polack and I are watching the last episode of Season 2 of Moonlighting which features Whoopi Goldberg. Old school!

3. I'm so proud of my boys. They were off school yesterday so I stayed home with them. They were off school today but I really, really didn't want to miss another day of work. So Nicklas stayed home - all by himself - and Seeger came to work with me. Both did a GREAT job of following the rules.

4. The Polack did NOT have two snow days at his school. That's the downfall to having him work at a different school district that what the boys attend.

5. Why does it take Freddie FOREVER to find a place to do his business. I walked around for 20 minutes with him tonight. And it was so cold! And there was so much snow that everytime he squatted, his little behind would touch the snow and he'd stand up and look for another spot - only to go through the whole ordeal again. Poor Freddie.

6. We went to Kroger tonight and purchased the following - hair conditioner, milk, grape jelly, strawberry jelly, and two bags of donut gems (powdered and chocolate.) Aren't you glad I shared that with you?

7. In this episode of Moonlighting with Whoopi Goldberg, Judd Nelson is also in it. He's got really bad hair. REALLY BAD.

8. So I went to the hospital today for an appointment. I had to have a thyroid ultrasound and as I was lying there on the table with the gel goop all over my next and the tech talking to me, I feel asleep. I woke up when I felt my body twitch. Embarassing.

9. Earlier tonight, we watched an episode of The Greatest American Hero. I was so in love with William Katt when I was little. And Bo Duke. I was a sucker for blondes with longer hair/curls.

10. *sigh* I still miss Seeger's long hair.

I am alive....

I promise I'm alive and I haven't given up on blogging. I have tons of excuses, none that really matter but I promise I'll be back in full force soon. Well maybe not full force... the new job and new living arrangements might make it difficult for me to blog on the regularity I've grown accustomed to. But I'm not giving up! In fact, I'd spit out a bunch of blog posts right now because so much has happened in the past two weeks (Christmas, New Year's, trip to New York, blah blah blah). But unfortunately, I'm currently without a camera cord so I don't have any accompanying photos.

Oh yeah, for those that don't know.... I have a new job and the family and I are in the process of relocating from old town to new town that is two hours away. The Polack, Mia, and the boys are staying in our current house in old town and finishing out the school year. Once Mia leaves this summer, we'll all move to new town. For now, I'm living in new town during the week and old town on the weekends. While I'm in new town, I'm staying with my uncle, the forest ranger. He lives in the middle of the forest. With no internet or cell service. AT ALL. I will survive but it will be interesting to see how well I do with no technology.

I'll try to get back to RTT and hopefully do some real posts this weekend!

Seeger and Mom

Seeger visited me at work the other day and decided to do some drawing. My favorite is the photo of him and I holding hands.

Random Thought Thursday

It's that time of the week! On with the randomness...

1. I have a headache which is appropriate since I had an optometry appointment today and replied "No" when asked if I experienced headaches very much.

2. Another one for the "It Figures" files. The Polack and I have been meaning to purchase Microsoft Office for our home computer. Since I'm leaving the University, I thought I better take advantage of their software agreement with Microsoft and purchase it at a discount of $50. I felt pretty proud of myself until the day after I installed said software and checked out the software agreement Microsoft has with the new University I'll be working out. Guess how much I would have paid had I waited? Yep, NADA. It would have been free. Oh well....

3. So the Polack and I have been meeting with realtor's in preparation of getting our house on the market. What a stressful task. One wants us to paint, another doesn't. One wants us to finish the basement, another doesn't. One pointed out everything little improvement needed, another one barely glanced at each room. All of the suggested listing prices have come in and they differ by $30K. How are we supposed to make a decision on what to do and what to list at when the "experts" vary so much in their suggestions?

4. None of this really matters to me because in exactly 53 minutes, I'll be sipping on margaritas with my homies.

5. Do people use the word "homie" anymore? I think I've been watching too much of The Wire.

6. Instead of writing on my blog, I really should be cleaning out my office.

7. Nicklas has discovered my blog. He's been reading my new posts, going back through my old posts, and then rereading everything again. Except all the stuff about him at school. That's too boring he said. Nicklas, if you're reading this right now, I hope you remembered to brush your teeth and put on your deodorant this morning. You need to do this EVERY DAY, not just days you feel like it. Okay, honey? I love you!!

8. Tomorrow is Seeger's holiday party at school. The holiday party I was guilted into organizing. The holiday party where I promised to come up with a really craft and haven't yet.

How do I get myself into these situations??

9. I'm looking around my office... whoa I have a lot of stuff. I'm definitely not going to be able to carry everything all the way to the parking garage. Must figure out a plan.

10. Margaritas.... mmmmmmm.... T minus 47 minutes.

Apparently I spend about 10 minutes writing RTT. That's 1 thought per minute. I wonder if that's good or bad?

Morning Conversation

While taking the boys to school this morning:

Seeger: "I wish buses had tv's. And then I could have the remote and turn the channel whenever I wanted."
Me: "Some buses do have tv's. But not school buses."
Nicklas: "Really? Which buses? City buses?"
Me: "No, not school buses or city buses. But there are nicer buses that people can pay to ride on to take them from city to city. Once when I was in high school, my marching band took a bus from Indiana to Florida and it had a tv on it."
Nicklas: "That would be cool."
Me: "It also had a bathroom."
Seeger: "A bathroom?!"
Nicklas: "I wish the school bus had a bathroom. I would use it."
Seeger: "Me too!"
Me: "Do you sometimes have to use the bathroom when you're on the school bus?"
Seeger: "Yes."
Nicklas: "One time my bus driver ran over a mail box and a kid had to go to the bathroom really bad and he couldn't wait so he just peed in someone's yard."
Me: "What? I'm confused. Did the bus driver stop so he could pee and then she ran over a mailbox?"
Nicklas: "No, she ran over the mailbox and then went to pick it up. We had to wait for the police and we were like an hour late to school. Everyone thought she was going to get arrested."
Me: "Whoa."
Nicklas: "Yeah, and I was happy because I just kept reading my book and I got a couple of chapters read."
Seeger: "I want to pee in the yard."

Those kids.... They definitely keep me entertained!

Norwegian package

We received a holiday package from Mia's family the other day. Mia always enjoys Norwegian packages because they typically contain Norwegian chocolate. The latest package also had Christmas presents AND a birthday present for Nicklas. He was super excited!

Thanks Vibeke!

Tree Trimming

We finally got the Christmas tree decorated last week. The boys take turns putting the star at the top of the tree every year. This year was Nick's turn but he decided Mia should do the honors.

For the second year in a row, we also put up another tree - affectionately called the Sports Tree. The tradition of the Sports Tree was started by the Polack's family when he was growing up. Ornaments consist of Big 10 University ornaments (we have them all minus the Minnesota one I broke last year) and sports related ornaments. Not surprisingly, this tree seems to have a red and white feel to it. Nicklas loves the Sports Tree and did most of the decorating himself.

We still haven't gotten the lights up outside and with the colder temps, it's debatable on whether this will happen this year. With everything else going on right now - you know, finishing up at current job, starting new job, getting house on the market, prepping for vacation ON TOP OF REGULAR HOLIDAY MADNESS - I'm pleased enough that we were able to decorate the inside of the house.

Random Thought Thursday

1. When I was in college, once I picked up a couple of hitch hikers. They were very nice and helped me pass the time while driving. They were from the south and amazed at the summer foliage.


2. My Grandma made my dad call to congratulate on my new job. I love the woman but I really need her to encourage father/daughter bonding. Our thrice yearly visits are more than enough for me, thankyouverymuch.


3. Did I mention that I have a new job? Yep - it's big news in Kubatski world. I'm changing universities which means the family will be moving to another part of the state. I feel like I should be like ohmygodwhathaveIdone??? But instead, I'm super excited and thrilled about the opportunity.

And although I'll miss my family and friends, I really believe we'll be back to visit often so it won't seem like a huge change for them. I hope I'm right....

4. Mmmmm.... Cheetos.....

5. The blizzard that seems to have hit most of the Midwest somehow missed us. I'm a little bummed. It's so cold this week which I wouldn't mind if snow accompanied the cold.

6. When I was a little girl, I loved to wear black patent Mary Jane's that clicked when I walked. I called them my tappers and I would try to tap dance everywhere when I wore them.


7. I have a pair of boots that lost the cap on the heel. I was complaining to Mia and she mentioned that in Norway, shoes often come with extra caps. This is the best idea ever! why don't American shoes come with extra caps?

8. As much as I loved the fall finale of Glee last night, I was a bit disappointed that Schu and Pillsbury got together. What happened to the days of Who's the Boss when a potential love story was drawn out for several seasons?

9. Don't Stop Believing really IS the most downloaded song on iTunes!

10. What's up with the overpowering fragrance that pours out of the doors of Abercrobmmbie and Fitch? I can barely stand to walk past the store, much less venture in to actually shop.

Barnes & Noble book fair

For the second year, I volunteered to organize the elementary school book fair at Barnes & Noble. I learned a lot last year and was excited to make things even better this year. I didn't get as many pictures and I'm blaming that on the fact that we were so much busier, we had many more activities, and lots more volunteers. It was great to see everyone come out to support the school. With the holiday theme this year, we were able to have Santa come and visit. Seeger enjoyed talking to him TWO TIMES! And even Nicklas was willing to sit on his lap and give him a Christmas list (money and gift cards).

Komet time

A few weekends ago, we took Mia and the boys to a Fort Wayne Komets hockey game. We always enjoy Komets games. It's nice to be in a smaller arena and we like not paying as much for concessions. Before the game, Nicklas was down by the ice watching the players warm up. One of the players gave him a puck. He was so excited!



We thought Mia might enjoy the experience. I'm not sure she would sign up for another game but she's always a good sport.

Nicklas had a great time but he pointed out that he'd never been to an NHL game before. He really wants to see a Redwings game. Some day, Nicklas... Some day.

Eat the Turkey

Nicklas had to write a persuasive paper a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed reading it and wanted to share it with you:

Eat the Turkey
by Nicklas

We should eat the turkey. We should eat the turkey because we don't usually get with family, it's healthy and it's a tradition. I love turkey!

To begin with, we usually don't get with family. On Thanksgiving we do! We also get to spend time with them and some of them we might not see very much. Some we don't see a lot. For example, I have an aunt that lives in New York that I only see about two or three times a year. It might be the same for you too. Also you might learn something. I know that my parents usually talk about past Thanksgivings.

Another reason, is that it is healthy. It's not fat. It only has 0.5 grams of fat, and it has vitamin A and C which means it's healthy. Plus it only has 200 calories. Most things have about 500 calories.

Also, it is a tradition that started in 1621. Back then America was run by Indians and pilgrams! Ben Franklin (inventor) thought the turkey should be the American bird. It wasn't because the Bald Eagle is.

Hence, we should eat the turkey because it's healthy, you get to see your family, and it is a tradition. I love turkey.

I should point out that Nicklas only scored 17 out of 22 on this project. He received a 4 out of 6 for content (stayed mostly focused but had some random thoughts/ideas). He received 6 out of 6 on organization. He scored 4 out of 6 on style (for having repetitive and inaccurate info). He scored 3 out of 4 for language-in-use (there were a few grammatical errors). But it's obvious he put thought into this and hopefully learned a little more about being a better writer.

Random Thought Thursday - Double Dose

Okay, okay, okay.... I know I never got around to posting RTT last week. But considering it was Thanksgiving, I think that's, like, one of the best excuses ever. Right? Anyway, to make up for it, I'm posting a double dose this week. Hopefully that's okay with y'all. If you don't want to read everything, check out the quick recap at #20.

1. My kindergarten teacher played the piano all the time. I loved her and loved how much we got to sing in her class. When I was six, I told myself I wanted to grow up and be a teacher. But since I didn't know how to play the piano, I thought this wasn't possible. I actually believed the piano playing was a requirement.

2. Do any of you read Lucky 13 and Counting? This blog is quite entertaining but I've never felt compelled to leave a comment until yesterday's post about Sandi's unmotivated college freshmen son. It really hit home with me and reminded me so much of my younger brother who is 24, dropped out of college because he didn't want to take on student loans, is currently working as a waiter, and has no car. What bothers me about his situation is that he has no motivation to do more than what he's currently doing. I tell myself that he's happy and healthy and that's what matters. I TRY to believe that and remind myself that not everyone has to fit into the lifestyle I feel is appropriate for someone with his intelligence.

3. I love traditional Thanksgiving fare. Why don't we cook turkey w/ the fixings more than once a year? (Maybe you do but I certainly don't. But I should!)

4. I'm considering joining SparkPeople. I want to do it but I'm afraid I won't stick with it. I think I need to psych myself in to it. Maybe I should hop an a scale? That would be motivation I'm sure.

5. I always make sure that the number of posts regarding Nicklas and the number of posts regarding Seeger are equal. I fear being judged as loving one more than the other. Is this valid or OCD?

6. Speaking of.... the other night I was tucking Nicklas in to bed and I said my typical, "Good night - I love you!" Only this time I added, VERY MUCH. And it totally threw him off. He was like, "Why are you saying that? What's going on?" I was surprised and explained that I just wanted him to know how much a love him. Then he asked who I loved more, him or Seeger. So then I went into the whole - I love you both equally, you're both special in your own way. Then HE said, how are we special in our own way. It ended up being a 20 minute conversation which is probably a good thing because I never get to converse with Nicklas one-on-one for that length of time. But dang, I felt pressure to say the right things.

7. I wish I was quilting right now.

8. My new favorite iPhone app is Lock 'n' Roll. It currently overrules my fascination with crocheting.


9. I don't read to Seeger nearly as much as I read to Nicklas at that age. Bad mommy.


10. Mia bought a snuggie last weekend. Bahahahahaha!!!!! She said she loves it but she wishes it had pockets. And a belt to keep it wrapped around her. I was like, "They make those. They're called ROBES."

11. I love ska. Why don't I listen to more ska?

12. I don't know if I can believe in karma but I truly believe things work out the way they're supposed to.

13. I'm surprised at how many people have commented on my Little People post. Brenda's kids are so lucky for getting to play with vintage Little People! maybe they'll invite me over to play sometime?

14. I really want to listen to Christmas music but it's hard to be motivated since I haven't even begun to decorate my house.

15. I'm feeling very blessed to have wonderful family members who are always willing to help the Kubatski's out when needed. (Yes, I'm sucking up to the in-laws right now for reasons that will be divulged soon.)

16. Next week is the fall finale of GLEE. I hope you've all be watching - at least those of you who have been a part of the show choir family. It's a great show.

17. The Polack and I booked a trip to Vegas with some friends. Vegas baby, Vegas!

18. I still haven't figured out how to handle the boy scout popcorn incident. Money is due Sunday so I need to get a move on it. I was hoping the magical boy scout prince would come take care of everything for me but unfortunately, that hasn't happened. What? What do you mean there's no boy scout prince? Why didn't anyone tell me that?!?

19. What a difference a generation makes regarding technology use. We got our phone bill the other day. Mia sent over 3000 texts in one month (compared to my usage which is around 400). Her voice usage? ONE MINUTE. For the whole month - that was it!

20. Summary: Snuggies are funny, I have great childhood memories, there are ways I fail and succeed as a mom, quilting/iPhone apps/ska/Vegas = awesomeness, and holy cow 3000 texts seems like a lot.

Can't get enough randomness? Then check out Global Keewee at Unsolicited Opinions.

Black Friday

We decided Mia's year in America wouldn't be complete without experiencing Black Friday. This is the third year I went and I have to say, I actually enjoy the adventure. I never set my expectations high, I go with a plan, and people are generally in a good mood. We left the house at 4:45am and headed to Target. It was super cold out and we arrived a few minutes before 5. The line was halfway around the store so we opted to wait in the car until everyone got in the store. We were still able to get everything we wanted. After Target was Kohl's and then the Mall.

I think Mia had a great time. The girl loves to shop and she was on a mission to buy her brother (and herself!) some clothes. Everything is so much cheaper here so she felt like she really scored some deals. She did the most damage at the Buckle and while I couldn't fathom spending $25 on a t-shirt, she felt like she hit the jackpot. A similar t-shirt in Norway would cost nearly $100.

Here's a quick shot of our loot.

Look at how pretty Mia is despite getting up at 4am. I was sweat pants!

Celebrations

A group of our friends decided to split up the holiday's this year and take turns hosting everyone. The Polack and I volunteered for Thanksgiving and decided on an ADD (apps, desserts, and drinks) gathering. There were eight of us - the perfect number, mostly because we can fit eight comfortably around our table.

The food was so yummy!

After eating we decided to play a game. Right away the boys said "boys against girls". Very interesting considering they got stomped on in both Cranium AND Guesstures.

Eight people and seven bottles of wine consumed. Hmmmmm.... it's a good thing I didn't have to work the next day.

Monster Mini Golf

On odd number year birthday's, the boys get to have a big birthday party to celebrate growing a year older. This year was Nick's turn and he decided he wanted to invite his class to his party at Monster Mini Golf (an indoor themed miniature golf course).

Except for one mini tantrum during musical chairs, the kids all had a great time.

In addition to musical chairs, the kids played wrap the mummy.

We invited some younger siblings so Seeger would have some kids his age.
Even Mia got into it!

After the games, it was time for cake.

Every year, I bake the kids' birthday cake. And every year, I do worse than the previous birthday and tell myself I'm going to buy a cake next time.

But the kids don't seem to care. Or wait, are they laughing at a funny joke or my sad cake?

And of course, we opened presents. Nicklas scored some cash and gift cards so he was happy about that.

And finally, it was time to golf.

Halfway through the course, everyone sang happy birthday to Nicklas over the microphone.

While the kids were waiting to be picked up, they played arcade games and redeemed their tickets for prizes. Hayden (whose mom blogs here) was a big winner!

It was a fun - but exhausting - day! Nicklas has made one purchase with his gift cards - a new nunchuck for the Wii. He's saving the rest until after Christmas. I suspect he might be hoping to have enough to buy a Nintendo DS - something the Polack and I are adamantly against. We'll see what happens...

Boy Scouting

Nicklas received some awards recently during Boy Scouts.

I would be cheering this however Scouts is a sore spot in my world right now. It's popcorn delivery time. We have two boxes of popcorn, sitting in our hallway, waiting to be delivered. So what's the problem, you ask? Well, I've somehow misplaced the popcorn order form. So I don't know who the popcorn goes to. At all. Or who paid. Or what they paid for. Troubling because checks from our neighbors have been cashed. People are expecting their popcorn. So my action plan is for Nicklas and I to load up the wagon and go to the houses we know purchased popcorn. We'll knock on the door and ask for help in identifying what they purchased. And then we'll ask for payment (which they may or may not have already provided.) Can you say awkward?

This is just another example of how my brain hasn't been functioning lately. I'm so forgetful and unorganized. This is a recurring problem and I fear it's a sign of getting old. It's little things like forgetting to pack Seeger's lunch. Or not thinking to send Nick's birthday party invites out until six days before his party. OR LOSING A BOY SCOUT POPCORN ORDER FORM! (Okay, that's actually a big thing.)

I told the Polack I've been spending too much time playing Bejeweled and not enough time doing Sudoku.

High School Musical

We took the kiddos to see the local high school's production of High School Musical. It was decent which is a little disappointing considering the quality of productions from said high school was much higher 10 years ago. The kids had fun anyway.

(Nicklas was eating sour candy during intermission.)

Movember

The Polack participated in Movember for the first time this year. For those not familiar with Movember, it's a month long effort to grow a mustache and raise money to fight men's cancers - all in the month of November. Although their team wasn't the most organized, I think the Polack enjoyed participating and feeling as though he was making a contribution.

During the Indiana/Purdue football game, he and a friend decided to visit the tailgating lots and ask for spare change for their Movember efforts. They pitted the schools against each other which was a great idea. The IU fans were putting money in one bucket and the Purdue fans in the other bucket.

$350 later - yes, you read that correctly - they raised $350!

It's not too late to donate if you'd like. Visit the Polack's Movember page for more info.

P.S. I'm very anxious for the mo to be gone!

Little People

My kids are very fortunate. They have nearly everything they could want or need. (With the exception of a DS, we won't let them have one of those. Yet.) But every so often, while browsing through the toy aisles at Target, I catch sight of the Fisher Price Little People toys. And it makes me a little sad. Because the Little People of today are nothing like the Little People of my era.

Growing up, my neighborhood friends and I would spend HOURS playing Little People. It's pretty much all we did unless we were outside playing. (Until that blasted Atari came around, anyway.) Forget dolls or games or coloring. Nope, we only wanted our Little People. We would lay everything out in the middle of the room and one by one, we'd take turns picking which sets we wanted, which people we wanted. Then we'd each set up our own area, eventually creating a whole neighborhood. We'd beg our mom's to let us keep everything out so we could continue playing the next day.

When did Fisher-Price change the Little People? Now they're bigger, fatter and aren't interchangeable between sets - the fireman can only go in the fire truck, the farmer won't fit in the bus. You get the picture. I miss my vintage toys. I eventually outgrew them and they were sold in a garage sale. Such a travesty.

I had all of these, with the exception of the house of the house in the first picture.

11-22-00

Nine years ago today, I was in the hospital. I was the young mother to a newborn and very overwhelmed by all that was happening around me. Actually, I was freaking out. Not about having a newborn. Not about being a mom. I was freaking out because my child was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

It had started the previous day. I woke up early that morning with some contractions. After reading every birthing book written I knew that I wanted to wait as a long as I could to head to the hospital. I got up, took a shower, got dressed and headed to work.

My co-workers rallied around me all morning. They knew I was having contractions. They knew I was uncomfortable. I wanted to go about my regular business for as long as possible but after seeing their apparent nervousness, I made a call to my doctor and got an appointment to see him around 11am. I called the Polack and we met up to head to the doctor's office. I explained the contractions, he did an exam and determined I wasn't completely effaced or dilated. I was told it could be awhile - maybe even the weekend - before my baby would be born. Since it was only Tuesday, I was NOT pleased with this news.

After the doctor's appointment, I called my mom and told her the news. I was pretty sure the baby was coming soon so she decided to make the three hour drive to be with us during the birth. While waiting for her, the Polack and I went to lunch and decided to walk around the mall, hoping gravity would do it's job. My contractions were growing more intense and I often stopped to lean on the Polack, while rocking back and forth, waiting for them to pass.

When it was about time for my mom's arrival, we headed home to meet her. She asked if it was time for the hospital but I knew I wasn't ready yet. I suggested a movie, hoping it might distract me. We headed to the theater and bought our tickets to see the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. It wasn't a wise move - I was so uncomfortable sitting there in the dark theater!

After the movie, we headed to visit the in-laws. The Polack's brother and his wife were there for dinner and as they sat eating their pizza, I was pacing, trying to make it through the contractions that were growing stronger. After seeing their worried faces (and becoming annoyed with the attention) I asked to go home (actually, I think I commanded to go home). I need some privacy and wanted to mentally prepare myself for what was coming.

I decided to take a hot shower, hoping the warm water would help with the contractions - which at this point felt like the most intensive back cramps ever. The shower did NOT help. I decided the pain was severe enough that it was time to head to the hospital. I got dressed and called to my mom and the Polack that it was time to go. I don't remember much after that although I remember being very annoyed that they weren't moving fast enough. I think I yelled, "It's time to GO RIGHT NOW!" That got a reaction and we headed to the hospital checking in around 10:30 pm.

Soon after getting settled in the birthing room, our doula arrived. I had decided that I wanted the birth to be as natural as possible and I hoped she would help guide me through things and serve as an advocate. As the hours ticked by, my contractions became unbearable. A few times I said I wanted an epidural - it hurt so bad! But I held off. Eventually, I stopped talking and was only making horrible moaning signs. The Polack was definitely freaking out about how much pain I was in. The contractions were all in my back and constant. There was no relief! Finally around 4am, I decided the pain was too much, and I ordered the epidural. It was the. best. thing. ever. As soon as that miraculous pain reliever started flowing through my body, I became a completely different person. I was smiling, cracking jokes, laughing and joking around. I was enjoying myself. The Polack was so relieved to have his wife back.

By 5:15, the nurse said it was time to push. She called the doctor, everyone got ready and I was told to push once. Then push a second time. And it was as easy as that. My sweet baby boy was born at 5:36am. He weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. As we held and loved on him, our family members were invited in to meet him.

After about an hour, I noticed Nicklas starting to turn a shade of purple that I was pretty sure wasn't a good thing. I asked the nurse and saw her worried look. "Let's go ahead and take him down to the nursery," she said.

Five hours later I still didn't know what was going on. I had moved to a new room, I was anxious to hold and love on my baby, and it was important to me that he nurse soon. But this was all put on hold. The Polack didn't know much. The nurses didn't seem to know what was going on and he was taken to NICU. We were all waiting for news.

It turns out his body wasn't producing enough sugar. He was admitted to NICU for several days while his body was taught how to properly regulate itself. We spent a week at the hospital while he got better. It was a long seven days. I was so young and overwhelmed by everything. I struggled with nursing and felt his health problems were my fault. I could have eaten better. I could have not gained as much weight. I could have been more active.

But the seven days passed and we were finally allowed to take our precious baby home. And now - nine years later - it seems like a century ago. I am so fortunate to have such a great kid. He's so smart. And works so hard to please those in his life. He cares about what people think of him and does everything he can to not disappoint us. He's passionate about the things that interest him - he could spend hours talking about a certain subject. He wants to try and experience everything but is always cautious and nervous the first time. He sits about and takes things in - always reflective, always thinking, often lost in his thoughts. He's taught me so much these past nine years and I know I'll continue to learn more from him than I ever thought possible.

Happy Birthday, Nicklas!

Boilermaker Special

On the Friday before home football games, Purdue's Boilermaker Special offers rides around campus. With Seeger's love of anything related to trains, I've been wanting to take him on a ride. We finally had the opportunity last week. He loved the fact that the train engine drove on the road!

Random Thought Thursday

I know, I know - I've been a bloggy slacker lately. Were you worried about me skipping RTT? I might have except a few people have called me out on my slackiness this week so I'm feeling sorta obligated. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

1. If you want a little insight as to what I've been doing instead of blogging lately, check this out. I've probably spent a good 5 hours working on this thing and that's all I have to show for it.

2. After complaining to the Polack - yet again - about my stupidiPhonekeyboardthatdeletesthingsanddoesn'thavespellcheck he finally laid his cards on the table and said, "Then let's trade. You can have your Blackberry back and I'll take your iPhone." I ACTUALLY CONSIDERED IT. Then I came to my senses. Why worry about grammatically correct emails when I can play bejeweled and flood-it until my hearts content?

It's all about priorities. Clearly.

3. I tried and tried to obtain Lady Gaga tickets last week and was very unsuccessful. They were offering presale tickets to university students and staff. I called and called starting at 10 on Friday but continued to receive a message to try again later. I went to the campus box office at noon and found out that people who'd been waiting since 8 am didn't get tickets. (There were people in line over 24 hours!) I got on tickemaster.com at exactly 10am the next day when public tickets were made available. And somehow the they were sold out by the time my stinking computer had me type FLERGERT for the word verification. Unbelieveable. So no Lady Gaga for me. And the concert is the day before my birthday. So - you know - if you need gift ideas, I have a suggestion.

4. At least I have my ticket for New Moon tomorrow. Scratch that. I HAD my ticket for New Moon that a friend asked another friend to give to me. But I failed to put it in my purse and then forgot all about it. Luckily, she found it on her couch. I hadn't even realized I lost it. What kinds of Twilighter am I?

5. Speaking for forgetfulness.... I got a call from the aftercare program the other day. Guess who didn't pack a lunch for Seeger? I had a 30 minute window to walk across campus to my car, drive across town, swing through McDonald's, and drive back to campus for a lunch thing. And of course, I was out of gas. And it was raining.

That'll teach me.

6. You know what really sucks? Waiting. I'm feeling particularly impatient this week.

7. Hmmm... I'm only at number seven and I'm out of randomness.

8. I think I'm getting a headache.

9. I can smell my leftover lunch that's in the trash. Sesame Chicken courtesy of Weight Watchers.

10. I'm sleepy.

Wow, that was a weakass ending to Random Thought Thursday. I'll try harder next time. I promise!!

I'm lazy, so sue me...

I know, I know, I know.... I haven't posted in a week. I have no excuses other than I'm lazy and lacking in blog fodder. I think I'm feeling pretty bored with things lately or something.

So while I don't have photos, stories, or anecdotes from Kubatski-land, I do have an entertaining blog post to recommend for those that have five minutes to spare. Check out this video on Mommy With a Penis. It's good for a laugh and let's face it - we could also use a good laugh.

(I could have posted the video on my own blog but I don't want the scary Scientologists after me!)

Random Thought Thursday

Whew! It's been a BU-SY week for me. Anyone else feeling the stress to keep up?

1. Poor Mia. She hasn't been feeling well these past couple of days. It's probably some bug going around although it may have something to do with her over scheduled life which includes swim practice, cheerleading, fundraisers, and an overactive social calendar. I hope she can take it easy this weekend.

2. Speaking of Mia - lucky her - she's experiencing the drama of being an American teenager along with the I-heard-from-someone-who-heard-from-someone-who-said-you-said-something-about-me. She abhors drama and gossip but she's handling it very well.

3. My last random thought about Mia... She went with me to visit a some friends for dinner the other night. Afterward, she commented that she was closer in age to one of them (T is 25) than I am. Gee, thanks for pointing that out, Mia.

I still love you though.

4. "Me love you long time." I saw Full Metal Jacket for the first time. Gotta love Kubrick.

5. Speaking of movies... I have my tickets to see NEW MOON. Even though I didn't like the book very much, I'm super excited. (I happen to be going with my 25-year-old friend. No judging me!)

6. So Owl City was featured music on 90210 the other night. I'm a bit disappointed. (But I still love you, Adam!) We won't point out the fact that I'm being judgemental for crying sell-out to a musician who is featured on a show I watch. (Clearly I hold my musicians to higher standard than myself. Clearly.)

7. Lady Gaga is coming to Purdue in January and I REALLY want to go. I don't have a date. But I am considering buying pre-sale tickets tomorrow with hopes of finding someone to go with. Even though I was annoyed with the Polack for buying U2 tickets when he didn't have anyone to go with. Of course my tickets are only $35/each whereas he paid *cough*over100*cough* dollars.

8. Teenage drama, 25 year old friends, Twilight, 90210, Lady Gaga. Sheesh, am I ever going to grow up?

9. I do partake in grown up things sometimes - I promise! For example, I'm organizing an event for the boy's school. And I'm a mentor for a group of college students. And I quilt. And I have a will. See? Grown up stuff. Despite the fact that this can interfere with my America's Next Top Model tv watching.

10. Just don't make me start drinking coffee. That's too grown up for me.

Back Blogged

I've been meaning to post this...



For Mia's parenting class, she signed up to bring home a "baby" for extra credit. She had to take care of him from 6pm to 8am and keep his total crying time to less than one hour. Seeger loved meeting Mia's baby Lucas. (She picked the name and choose to use a C in Lucas instead of the traditional Norwegian K because it seemed more exotic to her.) As soon as Lucas and Mia arrived home, he brought out his own baby and they all spent the evening together. Just like a little family!