Alden and I went into Ashland for the 4th of July Parade. He became obsessed with going to see it after we saw a picture of a parrot watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. (Don't ask!)

Even though we are all a little under the weather, we decided to do a little geocaching today. We got a late start (after noon!), so we only went for one cache at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center.

AJ gifted me with several bugs for Christmas, so we placed our first one today! I can't wait to see where it goes.


All of us started to feel tired, so we hid the cache and headed up to the center. Alden had forgotten about the mine exhibit. By the time we left, he had detonated several charges of dynamite...hehe!

As I learn more about designing for the Web, I have discovered several current design trends. It's always good to be up on the trends in your industry, especially because it may take a while for them to filter down to real-world clients (read: those with smaller budgets). Here are the top five Web design trends I have noticed:

1. Retro: Bold 70s stripes with more modern color combinations (think brighter oranges and greens, rather than the burnt orange and avocado of that era). Other eras come into play, but the 70s seem to be the go to period at the moment.
   
2. Grunge: Torn paper backgrounds, splotchy ink stains, and distressed fonts.
3. Botanical: Green color schemes, with silhouettes of plants. Especially popular for environmental sites.
   
4. The Stage: A hardwood floor background with a "curtain" header. The header usually doesn't look like an actual curtain, it simply implies the idea of a curtain. These are everywhere right now.
   
5. Minimalist: This is the Web 2.0 look. The background is usually white, and the logo has a subtle reflection under it.
   

February flew by, with nary a peep from me. Truth be told, I've been sucked into the time vortex that is Facebook. Even though I cumulatively spend about an hour each day on there, I feel like that is my writing/playing/socializing time. So, my poor blog has suffered. Here's a quick update, and jeez, I hope to have some real crafty/artsy/thrifty commentary to follow in the weeks to come.

Shredding hit a snag in early February, when we all successively battled a week long stomach bug. Now, we are dealing with The Cold That Never Ends (this is week three, if you can believe it). I plan to get back on track with the "30 Day Shred" tomorrow, even though it is going to kick my ass. My cold is finally gone and I don't have to work, so I'm out of excuses.

On the home front, I am gearing up to clear out a lot of accumulated junk. We have baby stuff, clothing, and household stuff that is just taking up space. My biggest question is: Do I sell it or donate it? I'm leaning towards donating anything worth less than $10. That way, I don't spend a ton of time selling lots of little stuff.

As for crafting and thrifting, I haven't done much of either. Thrifting has been put on hold until I clear out what we don't use. I also need to be careful about my purchases, and only buy what we actually need. Crafting has taken a backseat to organization of this chaotic mess. I will feel more capable of being creative in a clean space!

That's all the incoherent babble you'll get from me tonight. More, soon...

Holy Hannah do I feel like rubber. I didn't feel too sore today, which surprised me. After tonight's workout though, my arms and legs are screaming "WTF!!!!!"

And yes, more interesting blog posts will be coming soon.

Happy New Year! I've decided to set real, attainable goals for myself this year. One of the things I want to do is get in better shape. (Who doesn't, right?) I'm already below my pre-pregnancy weight, but I definitely could lose a few more pounds and tone up. More than that, I feel sluggish and have a hard time keeping up with the boys. I know exercise will be an all-around help.

For Christmas, AJ bought Jillian Michaels' "30 Day Shred" for me. I put it on my wish list after one of my favorite mommy bloggers talked about using it (along with kickboxing) to get back into shape after her son was born. She and I had the same due date, but I neglected to jump on the fitness bandwagon after Elliot was born.

This blogger has an older son who is about the same age as Alden. She manages to work part-time, be a mom, keep her house clean, and exercise. The exercise part is where I have been failing, miserably.

That all changed tonight. I just finished "shredding" for the first time, and let me tell you, I'm tuckered. I can barely type. Yes, this workout is so good that I can barely move my fingers! I shudder to think about what tomorrow will be like, but I look forward to coming out the other end of these 30 days a whole lot stronger!

It's been a bummer of a couple days here.

First, I discovered I left a bag of gifts at the Target in Duluth two weeks ago. I didn't notice it until yesterday because I threw all my shopping bags in a pile to keep them away from prying little eyes. When I went to wrap everything, I couldn't find the bag of stocking stuffers.

I called Target, and they said everything would have been reshelved. They have a record of it in their computer, so it wouldn't be a problem to pick stuff up. I can go back to the store to get everything at some point, but is it really worth it when it's about $20 worth of stuff?

Second, we ran out of propane last night. This happened despite signing up for the Keep Fill program, which they now say we *didn't* do. Grrr! We also have a -30 degree windchill today, so our house is getting colder by the minute. The fuel truck should show up soon, and then our furnace should get the house back up to temp in a couple of hours.

These have been a couple of ugly little bumps, but I still think this week will end on a bright note. I can't wait to see the boys open their presents on Christmas!

I started on the great holiday craziness today. Alden and I put together garland for the entry, and I'll create my annual wreath tomorrow. This will be the first time since we bought this place seven years ago that we will put lights up for the holidays. (I'm really looking forward to stringing some up on the arbor my mom presented me for mother's day.)

Besides decorating, I'll be baking and making all this week. We have pumpkin pie waiting to be tossed in the oven. That, and chocolate chip cookies should keep us sugar-loaded 'til the holiday gift baking happens this weekend. Then, I'll be putting together my ornaments for the Holiday Ornament Swap. I want to send them out on Saturday, so I needs to get crackin'.

What are you doing to welcome the holiday season?

Elliot cut his first tooth on Saturday. It poked through his gums with some suddenness, although he had been fairly bitey and fussy this past week.

Tooth Number Two won't be far behind. I can feel it sitting just below the surface, and it seems to be giving him more trouble than the first one did.

Today, the boys and I met up with Krista at The Black Cat for coffee and visiting. Alden loves playing with the goodies in the toy room, and today was no exception.

At one point, he gathered a group of MegaBlocks together and proclaimed them to be bowling pins. (He has been fascinated with bowling since we started playing it on the Wii.) I asked him what he was going to do for a bowling ball. After a moment of hesitation, he place his hands palm-side up under each side of his chin and pulled toward the ceiling.

I laughed, and asked him what he was doing. He replied, "I want to use my head, but it's stuck and won't come off." After which, I laughed even harder...

A little comedian, this kid is. =)

My new niece arrived at 2:02 a.m. Both mom and baby are doing well, and hopefully I will get some pictures to share soon!

My sister Melanie is in labor right now. I'm on edge, waiting for the call that tells me I'm an auntie. In honor of the impending arrival of my first niece/nephew, here are a few baby photos for comparison.

I can't wait to add the newest little one to this mix! Looks like I'll have to stick it out until the morning to find out, though.

We've made some small changes to the house over the past six months. We finally have a new furnace (no more wood mess in the basement - woohoo!), new electrical, some interior paint, and even made some aesthetic choices that we haven't finished yet (ripped out the carpet in our bedroom, and removed the paneling off the living room walls).

Now we are contemplating a larger transformation to the house. We would really like to add another bedroom and bathroom to the upstairs. We also want to move the stairs into a tower on the front of the house.

To help us change this house into the home we really want, I have been saving images from all over the Web. Here are a few of my favorites for the exterior of the house.

Alden, after a playful swat on the butt: "Ow! Now I have to go to the doctor."
AJ: "Really? Why is that?"
Alden: "Because doctors are for fixing butts!"

I decided to start cleaning up our library space today. This room, formerly the dining room, has been the catch-all place for about a year. Besides the books, which are supposed to go there, piles of random junk sit in the middle of the floor.

While sorting through a box of papers, the contents of which were assembled in 2001, I stumbled upon an old notepad. The notes scribble on each page contained what I did on any given day that year. From household chores to writing tasks, they were all there.

It was amazing to think that I used to accomplish so much in a day. As I paged through each list, I had an "Ah ha!" moment. I used to list everything I wanted to get done in a day, and then I actually did what was on that list! With the date duly noted and each task itemized, I didn't feel overwhelmed by possibility, I felt empowered by probability.

So I'm starting to make lists in my little notebook again. Let's see what's next...

It began as a dreary, gray day, with rain threatening to pour from the sky at any moment. I spent the morning playing with the boys and trying to usher in a sense of purpose for the hours that lay before me. Finding nothing other than piles of laundry and dirt dishes to wash, I dug in to my regular household chores.

The grayness clung in the sky like a child who does not want to go to bed. As the afternoon approached, the light grew dimmer. It almost seemed as though the sun took one look at all the clouds and decided to call it a day. The drumbeat of raindrops started sometime around the hour Elliot finally nodded off for a nap (that being 2 p.m.).

With my chores mostly done, Alden and I set about baking some cookies to pass the time. We happily munched on our goodies (with tall glasses of milk, of course). Then, we read a book about the Mighty Bulldozer digging large holes and moving massive amounts of mud.

As we sat quietly enjoying more cookies, there was a sudden shift in the light. The back of the front that had brought us all the rain sat on the western horizon. The sun peaked below it, ready to set. It's as if the light was trapped inside a cloud prison, and upon its release, it hurried to bathe the world in a golden brilliance.

Elliot squawked from his crib, so I scooped him up and brought him downstairs. Then, slipping my shoes on and grabbing Alden's hand, we all slid out into the yellow, gauzy light. On the front stoop, we looked up and saw a rainbow peering down at us. I ducked back into the house to find a camera to capture it before it floated away on the coattails of the front that was headed to Michigan.

The dismal dawn had held no hint of this colorful finish. I had started the day dreading the hours of tedium that lay before me. Each gray-filled moment had compounded itself, until I felt completely weighted down.

As we enjoyed the last rays of the sun sinking over the horizon, I let the heaviness of the day leave with it. Tomorrow, I will look for another surprise ending.

When he gave his concession speech last night, I felt we were seeing the real John McCain again. This is a man who stands for something other than the mudslinging that went on in his campaign; he is an honorable war hero who deserves respect and admiration. His dignity and grace cemented my appreciation of him, even though I don't agree with some of what he believes in.

That feeling of understanding I felt last night now extends to his supporters. Even though we may have disagreed on who was best to lead this country at this moment, we do agree that change will be for the better good. Now that the election is over, it is time for us to come together, as one people, to make a difference. We need to heal the slights that have happened in this election, and work together to move beyond petty partisan politics.

To start the healing process, blogger Ze Frank has started a photo project. He has invited Obama supporters to reach out with gestures of reconciliation to McCain supporters. Several photos have already come in (including one from a McCain supporter, who also offered conciliatory comments). I hope to add my own when I get a spare moment.

We might not agree on everything, but I bet we will agree on a lot of things. Yes we can!