It's a bird, it's a plane, NO...it's Axel finally on a bike of his own (or rather a gratefully accepted hand-me-down). Several garage sales and two sporting goods stores later, the only helmet and training wheels we were able to procure are, yup, "kinda pink".  No big deal to this stop and smell the flowers kind of rider, he's not so much interested in his gear, speed or other users of the road...he's in it for the "neighborhood puppy tour".

So while we're busy teaching our son to ride a bike and painting the house in it's entirety, we did hire just one thing out...NEW CARPET!  It's a beautiful thing when you finally throw in the do-it-yourself towel and HIRE SOMETHING OUT!!!

I've discovered two new things this week, Lily of the Valley (which Nana pointed out in my yard and said they remind her of her mother...and smell exquisite), and one banned piece of literature.  The book being "Fanny Hill", which was written in 1748 (yes, the 18th century) and banned until 1963 for obscenity.  Although considered a profane piece of fiction, it's like profanity with a side of 1749...the verbiage is descriptively tasteful and quite often hilarious.  It's known that I am a fan of the written word...much more so of anything kept off the shelves for over two centuries!  I recommend the read for...historical purposes.

So, both physically and mentally, Axel and I are off to the races this week, new floor coverings and all. 

Happy Memorial Day to all those remembering people from our past, and on the flip side honoring those carrying us into the future.

new carpet...no furniture

lily of the valley, sweet and oh-so-fragrant

fanny hill...see above

Sanity minus one month and I'll be moving into my new digs...my new stomping grounds... and christening a new kitchen.  While I love that this apartment allows me storage in the oven and sewing right on the counter top, I am looking forward to reinventing my culinary passions (or culinary frustrations if you will).  I may even buy myself a new apron to sweeten the deal (similar to buying new running shoes to get me on the streets...it lasts a few weeks at most).

So, as I'm sure that we'll ride into Sartell on a wave of take-out and frozen foods, soon the unpacking will be finished and I'll be cooking up Eggplant Parmesan and Fried Avocado Bites (yup, I've been thinking about those two for a while now).

Recent news would include Axel teaching himself to use the computer at the library.  Headphones and all, his tiny hands work the mouse and he follows the on-screen directions.  I have no idea how he learned such skills as he has never taken an interest in the home computer (just something he decided to do I guess).  Also, Jahred and I were suckered into a trip to "Build a Bear" (magically expensive I assure you), but we came home with another addition to the plush family named "Stuff"?  Maybe he chose the name because to add the "stuffing" to his friend he got to exhibit his mad sewing-machine-foot-pedal-action-moves.  It's almost like a game of chicken we play.  At random my little ankle biter sneaks under the sewing/kitchen table and adds a burst of pressure to the foot...my reflexes are improving!

As a final piece of interest, Oscar, the most ignored Beagle on the block, has waged a protest against all things material.  As in the past, once he notices the boxes, things disappearing, and furniture being rearranged (so that it's easier to hoist out the door), he starts to get all territorial.  Poor dog, he has no idea how green his own grass is on the other side!  Surely he'll be doing a little "christening" of his own.

Axel has recently taken notice of my favorite household appliance...the Nikon.

Not at all interested the point-and-shoot camera I carry around in my purse, he decided to jump right to the big guns and took a few photos around the house yesterday.  Three photos in all, each one taking quite some time to shoot...having to balance the disproportionately large camera, look through the all-too-tiny window and actually find the subject he set out to photograph.

photo one:  Papa's Chair

photo two:  Oscar (notice the choke hold I have on him to keep him in front of the lens...behind every photographer is a willing assistant)

photo three:  Mom (I actually don't mind this photo of myself diving in front of the camera...you'll notice it now graces the front page)

Definitely shows improvement.  Stay tuned for Axels next inspiration to strike.

While stealing thirty seconds to finish a "project", I thought all was well in Axel's make-shift "sink car wash" this morning.  He LOVES washing his toys in the bathroom sink, and although it leaves an afternoon of mopping, it's usually worth it!  

Since I know my boy well, and am fully aware that he will not go potty without an announcement, a mysterious FLUSH alerted me to trouble at the car wash!  Tentatively I opened the door (as only a boy mother knows how) and was greeted "hey mom," from a kid covered to his elbows in wet toilet paper.  The sculpture on the toilet seat turned my instant rage into sudden fits of laughter.  hmmmm...what to think about that?!

Soooo gross, in a dry-heaves kind of way...but that didn't stop me from saving it for Jahred to enjoy.  I also made it clear that he would be cleaning that up.

Maybe the kid needs a pottery wheel?

Well, the offer is in, and the ball is in the hands of Mr. "606 Scenic Drive."

Trying to be vague on the details until all is final, we are really getting close to our new beginning in greater Minnesota.  Jahred is one-and-a-half weeks away from his debut as an RN with the Surgical Services Unit at Saint Cloud Hospital.  A large hospital with over 4300 employees, they offer outstanding benefits and seem to be such a friendly place to work (the gift shop is outstanding)!

Last week, Jahred, Axel and I spent a day in the area looking for what Axel calls a "garage house."  We trudged through 15 houses; enough is enough.  Today, while Jahred met with hospital administrators, I looked at our favorite house "one more time."

I am really feeling the "house number five" confidence as I now realize, it isn't our "dream home" I'm in search of; it's simply a place to store the things we gather while living our "dream life."

When we moved into our rental nearly one year ago, I discovered quickly that I had very few requests of our next home.  I need: four exterior walls of my own, a thermostat that we can control, toilets that flush more than one-out-of-five flushes, and a place for my boys to play.  The house we offered on today has those things and more.

I completely forgot to take pictures.  Here are a few defining characteristics...promises of photos to follow:
 - fenced, large yard
 - four bedrooms (one large enough for a king size bed...finally)
 - two bathrooms (one for boys and one for girls...haha, I'm the only girl)
 - two stall garage, with shop, that may be large enough for the bike Axel is coveting out of the Target catalog
 - a raised garden box in the back yard
 - a piano wall
 - plenty of boredom busters (wallpaper stripping)

So, the offer is in and hopefully we'll get the all clear soon.  I'm trying to be emotionally detached until we hear from the owner...emotional detachment has never been one of my strong points.

This little peanut was given to me (I'm afraid upon my seemingly desperate request) from a dear Mankato friend.  Plants seem to be the one possession not on the purging block lately.  Because I'm not quite ready to reveal where we'll be headed (for fear of jinxing it), I spend this post fully realizing what I will be leaving behind.

The last decade of my life, amounting to more than 1/3 of my total life, has been spent right here in Southern Minnesota.  If you are a follower of my blog you'll recall the love/hate relationship I have with this geographical region; I'm sure not unlike many of you, feeling trapped in the wrong city at the wrong time.  Is it always right before you leave that you realize you were in the exact right city during the exact right times?

With a few tears, I realize that it is here, where I became a wife, a mother and an ever-grateful pet owner.  In these county lines we've received priceless education that will carry us for careers and promotions to come.  Perhaps most importantly it was Saint Peter and then Mankato that introduced me to college friends who have watched my metamorphosis without judgement, and life friends that I never thought I could meet.

Because I never count my chickens before they hatch, I am now counting my blessings, that have hatched and never fled my nest.  To dear friends and places...what if I never would have met you?

Today could be the first day of a beautiful Minnesota spring.  +40 degrees makes this (formerly) Southern Minnesota girl real happy.  Axel and I shared the most lovely picnic under a blanket on our balcony for supper.  I'm not sure if he was ecstatic because his mom finally did something cool by him (it's been a long stressful winter), or if there's something Minnesota sun holds over Florida sunshine.

One of the biggest things I'll have to move this time around is my heart.  Good friends and times are hard to come by.  Despite pressure from the oil industry, my car will certainly have many "friend miles" in the future.  That's alright by me.  As for the plant?  She'll make the move.  Hopefully when restored to a radiant version of herself, I'll convince the original owner to come up for a visit to claim her.

I write today in the usual post-vacation state of mind "did that vacation really happen?"  "Did I ever really leave?"  

Yes, fly away we did, to Florida for 2 weeks and it was fabulous.  I had two requests before I left...
1. That Jahred would find a dreamy job.
2. For the mounds of Minnesota snow to be a distant memory.
...stay tuned to the end of this post to find out which request my personal genie granted.

If you haven't recently travelled with a "barely-3-year-old", you might be curious to know whats important for two weeks at "Nana's Floridian Paradise".  Here's a pic of what Axel packed in his suitcase (actually was my suitcase when I was a little girl).  Tucked in the upper flap are not one, but two Super Capes (never know when you'll need a spare).  A sack of cars sits below a bedtime friend, and of course you need a good beverage (sipped, of course, from your favorite mug/tippy cup).

*Not Pictured:  Axel added his police badge, procured from a State Patrolman at Kwik Trip a few weeks ago, at 5:30am the morning of our departure.  

**Lesson:  In case the authority of your Super Cape (and backup Super Cape) is questioned, it's best to have your law enforcement identification along as well.

"Where are we going?"

First (and frequent) stop the POOL!

Perhaps our best vacation moments were spent right here...New Smyrna Beach.  Heaven must exist somewhere between children and the ocean, the combination is truly breathtaking. 

We managed to catch (literally almost colliding to get this picture...which isn't zoomed by the way) Tyler in a triathlon in Clermont, FL.

Here is Axel's interpretation of a "Pencil Dive".  To all you diving enthusiasts...focusing on "pencils" with little splash...maybe you could send a pointer for him.

Making two stops to our favorite flea market this year, Axel fell in LOVE.  My moral compass was spinning wildly when I imagined the breeding conditions of these dogs...but the wonderful thing about children is...they see, they love, and their hearts aren't yet bitter enough to ask questions.

It was a beautiful trip.  Nana, you made it happen.

As promised, I would reveal the answer to my genie riddle.  While I was away, as midwesterners know, the snow kept right on coming.  However...I was not going to be totally shut out on wishes...Jahred accepted an AMAZING job, right exactly were he was meant to find one.

More details on the job and another impending move to come.

Happy spring break to all to are "va- and stay-cationing".

Can't believe my baby boy turns three this week!  Seriously, it's unfair that kids grow up...we really don't need more adults!  Last weekend the festivities began with a snow sculpture of Lightening McQueen, 2 parties fit for a king (rather a cowboy/space ranger) and one trip to the aquarium (thanks to our annual pass).

Every year for his birthday I put together a playlist of songs that helped us survive the previous 12 months.  This years playlist features mostly the classics, and a few that make us DANCE!  You can probably guess which ones are for me and which are for him...but at nearly three, I still consider us one being.

In case you need a new playlist to rock at home or on the road, I'm offering a GIVEAWAY!  Yes, I will send you a mix tape (cd) of "Axel Turns 3".  To enter, you need only respond to this post with your favorite birthday memory (can be super short).

A memory will be chosen at random next Monday, February 21st...the day before Axel and I head south for a couple weeks!

It's been a while since I've seen a toy with as many multi-generational applications as the "Crayola Glow Station."  Using a Christmas gift card last night, Axel picked this baby out at Michaels and I was quite pleased.

WOW, how addicting is this!  Slightly larger than an etch-a-sketch and perfect size for riding in the car, simply step into a dark room, illuminate the wand and you're ready to draw.  The board comes with a few stencils, but literally ANYTHING can leave a glowing shadow.  Axel had such a blast tracing Woody, Jesse and Lightening McQueen...just to name a few.  

Jahred took the toy for a trial (thank you Elizabeth for catching this typo...formerly "trail") run in the bathroom this morning and was equally impressed!  He suggested that film negatives would look AWESOME, brought to life in neon.  Transparencies with written words or pictures work really well, and of course you can draw free hand.  Eventually the ghostly images fade and it's ever-so-enticing to see what you can light up next.  Best thing about this toy...not many parts, stores flat or stacked with books and it's NOT MESSY!

Ok, if you are a kid of ANY age...I highly recommend this for some serious "winter darkness" relief!

"I was sewing in Preschool Mom," he yelled (not even out of his classroom yet) while presenting me with the most beautiful piece of wonderfulness.

Seriously, I have waited my whole life for a jewelry box full of noodles, pipe-cleaners and pony beads...just before my son turns three, I take my maiden voyage down "wear it with love" lane.  Hopefully, this bracelet is only the first in a long line of Axels "Sewn" Accessories.  

On a side note...but not really unrelated...take a look at the coloring progress only 3 months in preschool can award.  You may have seen paintings and drawings posted previously on my blog...there have been significant changes.  Kids are incredible!  You can literally sit still and watch them learn (which is what I've been doing for the past 35 months)!