Happy Easter!

The Easter bunny brought all sorts of fun treats for Jack this year!

And Jack got his very own fancy bathrobe.

I, on the other hand, ran 9.5 miles and the last one was with Jack. He's going to take up running. After his meltdown 3 blocks into the run, he did great! We have a lot to work on about technique, stride, and pace, but I think Jack will do awesome!

If you can't find a good running partner, bribe your kids into it.

Did I mention Jack got a trench coat and combat boots this weekend?

I'll provide pictures soon...Tatters is his new favorite store.

What did I get? A new smurf patch for my running coat.

Seriously smurfy.

So...my dad sent me this picture saying it reminded him of Jack's Halloween photo...

I would say the resemblance is frightening...

I went out to run 7 miles...I figured I cash out after 4.

I ran 8!!

Rock on!!

Wait...I think this moment needs a very special photo...

My 11 year old son sold his Nintendo DS and all of the games he had to go with it and bought an iPod Touch.

It's really Star Trek like in it's possibilities which we are too dense to understand. He's still all about the dorky games he can download for free.

Within 24 hours of said new toy coming home, I was at the iStore trying to figure out how to block some of his Internet access. I just now realized I sent him to his father's for 5 days with the damn thing unlocked.

Sigh...

I guess I have to trust in the fact he TOLD me, no PROMISED me, he would not surf porn on his free WiFi.

Did I mention that he has learned to hack the computers at school?

There are bets going at work to see how long it takes him to break through my 4 digit code.


I'm being optimistic and put my money on a month.

Overheard Conversations At My House...

Amy: Awww, my baby bought his first cd...

Jack: Yeah, my dad wanted it to be something good.

Amy: It never is...

Jack: Wow, these things are hard to open...I think I'm going to chip my nailpolish.

Amy: Yeah, things never really turn out how we think they will...

Let them eat cake...

So my father came over for Christmas and we decided it would be a really good idea to get a Buttercream cake from our favorite bakery...Buttercream! Note...the Lego guy is for scale...it was a HUGE cake.

We sent a big chunk home with Dad...and Todd and I spent the next few days eating this wonderful cake.

Jack came home and we were nice enough to save him a piece...here's the conversation that followed...

Jack: I'm really full from dinner, I don't think I can eat cake...

Todd: I'll eat it for him.

Amy: No, you can save it for breakfast. There's nothing better than cake for breakfast, so long as you also eat a banana. (note, the cake for breakfast post)

The next morning...

Jack: Oh, no, I've become one of THOSE people.

Amy: What are you talking about...?

Jack: I like the cake, but not the frosting. It's like eating a stick of butter.

Amy: You say that like it's a bad thing! I call dibs on the frosting...eat your banana.

Although, I will note that eating buttercream frosting at 6:45am leaves one feeling rather sick about an hour later.

Oh well, it was worth it.

Mmmm, cake.

The Annual Hunt...


Here is Jack, our photographer...note the blaze orange to prevent being accidentally shot at...

We had a new addition to the hunt this year...Beckham was proudly wearing his orange, and wondering what in God's name we were doing...

Jack calls this one "Wilderness Barbie". We got Ginger her own coat, though she was not happy to be walking in the snow, so the little princess got carried.

Potential victims...

Our fearless guide...ok, I didn't get the booty shot this year because he was wearing a snow suit and you really couldn't tell it what was in the picture. I was kind of impressed because here, it almost looks like he's smiling...almost

I then realized I never took a picture of the tree, so I just snapped this one. Christmas is over, all the presents are gone, and I think I need to water the tree...

Merry Christmas!

One middle aged mom and two 10 year old boys decide to go sledding after dinner,
therefore, in the dark...

After an hour or so, a dozen trips up the hill, 4 white washed wipe outs for the mom, and the building of one jump, "If we pee on it, I bet it would freeze solid!," they decide to call it a day...or...night.

I think I'm good for another 2-3 years...

My little boy...


Ok, so this was Halloween, but we did have to have the "no you cannot wear "guy-liner" to school discussion". I'm thinking the nuns might object to 5th graders wearing black eyeliner, especially if the boys are beating the girls to it...

Amy: When I imagined bonding with my son, I really didn't think it involved low lights and black nail polish.

Jack: (Sitting across from me with foils in his hair and wet black fingernails) Mom, this is so awesome! Criss Angel is my new hero. He is Goth, with attitude.

Amy: Does your dad go for this? I just can't imagine he does...

Jack: No, he just uses all of the neighbor's nail polish remover.

Amy: On some sick level, I love that...

French

Jack: Since I am taking French, I think we need to kiss like the French do...

Amy: Um, no, really, I don't think we do...that's gross and wrong on so many levels.

Jack: Why is kissing on both cheeks gross?

Amy: Oh...um...I didn't realize that's what you meant...sure, that sounds great, we'll start doing that.

Jack: What did you think I meant?

Amy: Um, never mind.

Our Trip to Yosemite...

One Recreational Vehicle
Two Kids
One Wii
One Nintendo DS
Two laptops
One Class of Homework: Intermediate Accounting
5000 miles
10 days
No Deaths

Don't we almost look happy?

Ross was not suffering from boredom much...he was a trooper.

The Redwood Forest and a REALLY big tree.

I'm not sure why he chose to play UNDER the table...

Almost looks like Banff, doesn't it?

Todd drove all 5000 miles, bless his heart.
There is NO WAY I was going to drive that thing. EEK!

Overheard conversations over email at my house...

Todd

Please, Please, Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee can we get one. http://minneapolis...

Jul 6 (1 day ago)

ToddLoading...

Jul 6 (1 day ago)

Todd to me

Reply

Please, Please, Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee can we get one.

Ad from Craigslist:

amy swenson to Todd

Reply

hell no

Todd to me

Reply

I don't care what you say I'm getting at least 1. Where should we put her? I'm thinking on the wall by our wedding picture.

Email Todd sent:

From: Todd
Subject: Tanned Grey Squirrel Hide - $24 (Bemidji, MN)

Hi

Do you have more than 1?

Thanks
Todd

Reply:

I just checked with my boyfriend who is the one that tans then, we have 10 hides and more to be done! We also have a tanned rabbit fur (it only has 1 ear though) How many were you thinking about purchasing?
Amanda

Todd to me

Reply

I really want the 1 eared bunny! Please? Please I'll be good!!!

amy swenson to Todd

Reply

You can sleep with it on your side of the bed, but I won't blame Ginger when she eats it.

Todd to me

Reply

I now know what I'm getting everyone for Christmas.

Overheard Conversations at my House...

Amy: "Where did I go wrong? I thought I was being a good parent."

Jack: "I'm sorry."

Amy: "I was prepared for Guitar Hero...Aerosmith...Sid Vicious...but, this, Jack, How do you expect me to react?"

Jack: "Mom, every child has their hero."

Amy: "How can I face our family? This tears me up inside. You broke my heart."

Jack: "I love you, Mom, but I can't help it."

Amy: "Isn't there some heroine addicted musician you would rather worship? What about Jimi Hendrix? You could worship him?"

Jack: "But I don't like Jimi Hendrix..."

Amy: "I feel as though I've died a little today..."

Jack: "I'm sorry, Mom, but I just love Pikachu."



Amy: "Please, just kill me now."

Ok, I know I suck.

I can't keep regular updates because I am so busy with school and life and all that other crap that goes along with being human.

So, today, I am standing in my kitchen trying to prioritize my de-mental list and I hear this blood curdling scream coming from outside. I first make sure all of my boys are inside (ok, I was thinking one of them was the cause of said blood curdling scream) and I look out the window to see some random pre-teen screaming bloody murder because she fell off of her scooter outside our house.

Her poor older brother was standing over her not knowing what in God's name he was supposed to do...she had a big scrape on her knee. I brought her inside cleaned it off gave her a big-ass band aid and another for the road and by that time, her parents had caught up with them.

I hope they realized I am not some creepy molester and was just trying to band-aid the screaming child. "Dad" looked me over like he was analyzing my child molesting characteristics. Duh, I put anti-biotic ointment and these really kick ass knee-elbow bandages on your kid. I'm a mom, therefore I take care of those in need.

Where was the rest of my family? Hiding. Todd and Jack come from hiding and Todd asks, "What the hell was that??" So, I tell him the story and he says, "When children stumble into the house, you push them downstairs and we sell them into slavery."

Blink, blink...blink...

Um, yeah, I think I'll stick to sending them home with band-aids, you sicko.