March 2007 Archives

Did you ever notice that the Saturday night following a major medical procedue of Andy's, we have a "get together?"  See my birthday (when he had wisdom-teeth-chipmunk-cheecks) and tonight (when he couldn't see!)!

Healthy, 100% or not, Rory and Andy volunteered to have everyone over and cook for us - who's gonna pass that up?!?

Rory, with Andy's help, made "Pork Clouds," in honor of Zach (during last month's game night, Stephanie was drawing "Cloud 9" for her team while playing Cranium.  Dr. Zach guessed she was drawing "Pork Cloud!"  Ahh cha cha!  Love it!).  Pork loin, potatoes, green beans and a yummy salad.  Sure beats the fast food we've been eating all week!  And a delicious cake to top it off!  The food, partnered with our awesome friends and fun times, equaled a delightful evening!

Thanks for having us, Andy and Rory!  And thanks for coming up and having fun with us, Zach and Stephanie and Isaac!

Two of the cutest babies on the planet, and two of my favorite toddlers: Carter and BFF Isaac! 

(How BIG has he gotten?!?  They grow up so fast!)

Carter, aka "Bucket Head"!

Isaac, aka "Sock Stealer"!

Carter loves her Godfather!

And Isaac loves Rory and Andy both!  And, of course, he loves socks!!

Babies for everyone!  Carter, Rory, Andy, Andy, and Isaac enjoy Saturday evening together!

"They've got some crazy little women there, and I'm gonna get me one!" 

That's all we sang most of the week leading up to Andy's LASIK eye surgery today.  He originally met with the doctors at Eye Glass World in Des Moines and they referred them to a surgeon in Kansas, near Overland Park, for the actual procedure.  

So, at 8am, we dropped the Holigan off with her Uncle Corey for the day.  Now, Uncle Corey has babysat before and done a great job!  Carter loves him very much!  But, he's always had a helping hand - Aunt Amber!  Aunt Amber had class all day, and Corey still offered to sit.  Now that's Uncle of the Year award material!

We proceeded to KC.  It was a pretty easy, uneventful drive - but long!  We got there and Andy filled out his paper work.  They brought him back, and did test after test to check a variety of things.  In the process, they determined he was PRK material.  Initially, he was going to get the standard LASIK procedure done.  Where they numb the eye, use a knife to peel back a layer of the eye, laser to correct things, and piece everything back together.  I guess this is the less-invasive and more comfortable procedure (it scares me to death, and makes me want to cry!).  But during the final testing, the doctor decided that Andy's cornea was "too steep" and decided to do the PRK procedure.  This means that he didn't "go under the knife."  Instead, they used a laser to correct everything.  He said he was done in about five minutes!   This method, which sounds utterly delightful to me, requires that he put in two types of eye drops hourly for the first 24 hours, one drop every 4 hours for a week, and the other drop every 4 hours for 8 weeks.  He's also very sensitive to light, and says that his eyes are "itchy, burny, and irritating."  Not fun.

Currently, he's on the two drops, every four hours, and some pain killer to stop the irritation.  He says it feels like there "towel fuzz" in his eye, but is managing well.  He's knocked out on the couch at the moment, wearing his awesome sunglasses to cut the extreme brightness of the gloomy, overcast day!

Armed with her blankie and a bag of books, this adorable little one spent the day with her awesome Uncle!

Andy, pre-LASIK ...

Andy, post-PRK.
Eyes must remain closed for 3-4 hours after the surgery (thankfully it's a 3 1/2 hour ride home!), drops hourly, pain killer every 4 hours, and these glasses when outside, and some rockstar goggle-looking things at night so he doesn't rub and scratch his eyes.  But it will be worth it soon!

Up and Down!  Build and Break!  Yin and Yang!   I guess it all translates to "toddler!"

Put the blocks up ... 

... and knock 'em down!

 Daddy had to work this evening, so Carter and I had a rip-snortin' crazy Friday night of silliness and giggles!

After her bath, Carter felt the need ... to weigh herself?!?  What girl willingly gets on the scale?!?  

Silly Carter!

Kissey Carter!

To say it was an "ordinary," "run of the mill," or "normal night" wouldn't express how much silly fun we had this evening!

Why buy her toys???  Just buy her kitchen towels and rugs!

It's a "traditional Chalupa" - baby Chalupa rolled in a lightly baked kitchen-rug shell!

That's the naughty look I love so much!

Carter and I were outside playing with the ball this afternoon.  Maybe the ball was too big for her to handle, or maybe the windy wind blew her over.  Either way, she landed knees first on the cement - ouchies!  We cleaned her up and applied much TLC, and it appears she'll make a full recovery!

Boo boo knees :(

Looks like she'll live!  Thank goodness!

This is a trait she gets from Daddy!  I couldn't golf to save my life!  

Focus, head down, eyes on the ball ... 

... I suppose you could just pick it up!

FORE!

We think she thought it was chocolate! 

Grandpa lets me get up high! 

well, okay 

it's Little Red Riding Carter! 

two cuties! 

And ... the final reveals ...

Daddy passes on his "craft" to Carter!

Daddy took the light out of the box, but Carter put herself in the box!
And ... the moment of truth ...

Ta-da!  How cute is this?!?

Love it!!!

And the (mostly finished, minus some trim) laundry room!  Voila!
CUTE HANDY-MAN for HIRE:  Andy Chalupa!

Chicago was a blast!  If things in life had gone differently, I swear I'd move there! 

But, I'm pretty happy with what I've got, and wouldn't change a thing.  Especially this monkey, waiting for us to return with the ornery smile!

I love this kid!

Grandmas was sitting on the floor, and Courtney came for a hug.  Heaven forbid that Carter not be a part of the action, too!  So she came for some lovin' too!

Happy Chalupa!

Another Happy Chalupa!
Count your blessings!

Since it was a mostly girlie trip, and all about me, I decided to take Andy to the Museum of Science and Industry.  He was a newbie - is that possible?!?

Here are our Museum highlights:

The "Sentinal" from the Matrix movies was the coolest part of the Robot display.

"Body Worlds 2" was the coolest and most impressive thing I've ever seen!  It is an exhibit displaying real internal body parts.  People have willing volunteered their bodies, after death, to Body Works for research and education.  Body Works preserves the organ, bone, muscle or whatever and describe and display each item.  There are also numerous full scale, deceased models that are doing something.  Below is an example:

No cameras were allowed (and I didn't want to get kicked out, so I abided!), so I found a past photo from the previous Body Works display.  This guy (who at one time, was really real) is the muscular display of someone playing chess.  At our exhibit, there was a batter, a pair figure skating, a pregnant woman, a family, and a man with prosthetic replacements in numerous joints and bones. 
It was wild! 
For more information on the exhibit in Chicago, go to: http://www.msichicago.org/temp_exhibit/bodyworlds2/index.html 

The Museum had older body exhibits that were continuing displays there.  This is a "slice" of a human body that has been preserved and displayed to further our understanding of the human body.  ... it kinda creeps me out ...

Andy and I got to be "ions" in the ionic maze!

No, I'm not crazy.  But I did get my Valentine's Day gift this evening!  "Wicked" in Chicago!

"Wicked" is the prequel to "The Wizard of Oz."  It's the story of Elphaba, the caring, misunderstood green girl who turns into the Wicked Witch.  Without giving it away, I will tell you we giggled, laughed, and I cried (not a surprise!) and it is the best musical I have ever, ever, EVER seen!  I loved it!  If anyone would like to go and is in need of a date, just let me know!  

It was a wonderful gift!!!  Thanks, Andy!  I heart you bunches!

Our drive there was uneventful and boring ... until we hit the Expressway!  How many places have you been when your options are: 1. Downtown Chicago, 2. Wisconsin or 3. Indiana?!?  It's like I90-94 is the vortex to another dimension ... or something!

We checked into our hotel - the Hampton in the "Theater District" - then got ready for a night on the town!  We had a fancy schmancy dinner at the Grill House across from our hotel.  It was delicious!  They had the best spinach artichoke dip ever!  Check out their bread - ohh la la!  Andy, despite the look on his face, loved it, too!

Our show was at Ford's Theater, formerly known as the Oriental.  The theater was very cool and intricately designed.  And the set - way cool!

This is the sweet guy who surprised me with tickets last month!  Total keeper!!!

My favorite part(s):
1.  The "Defying Gravity" song and dance
2.  The final demise of Elphaba, aka The Wicked Witch, when she and her best friend Glinda, aka Glinda the Good Witch, share a conversation: "you didn't make me good, but you made me better."  That's what made me cry, and the pregnant woman next to Andy sob!

The Oriental and the Wicked venue. 
You need to go!

Potty'ing is a lot like riding a bike.  Once you've got it, you don't forget it.  At least, I thought so ...

This isn't how you use the potty.  But it is excusable because Carter doesn't know how to use it, yet ... 

... but that's inexcusable!  Andy's been using the "big potty" for decades now!  He should know you don't use it this way!!!

Art really is all in the eye of the beholder!  Carter snatched my camera and took some "stills" of her own.  

Artistic little Baby Girl!

The "muse" gets her inspiration while crawling onto the table ... I don't ask about those "artist-types!"

"Baby #182: A Still in Yellows"

"Baby #618: Patient Insanity"

This is where the "artist" comes from!  Perhaps "photographer" is an inherited gene???

 Carter got a wagon-full of big blocks from Grammy & Poppy for Christmas.  Until this evening, she's been more interested in the wagon itself.  Yeah, she still loves the wagon, but she's building little towers all by herself!  So cute!

This was fun ... until she shifted her weight just right and tipped the wagon!  

"Get me outta here!"

Courtney & Hank - she loves him! 

 

But now ... to make life more interesting ... the downstairs toilet - and only functional potty in our "home" - is leaking buckets!  

I love home improvement!!!

Carter prepares to "help" Daddy pull out the toilet!

I know ... you want to buy our home ... get in line ...

"Where the h#ll do I even start?!?"

In the bathroom, our bathroom looks so big now!  In the garage, the flooring template looks so small!  

I pulled up the old, orignial floor, and Andy scoured the glue and remaining crap off the floor.  Finally, we have floor!

Patient Polly, reading in her deck chair while Andy works and I make supper!!

I am as far on the bathroom as I can get at this point.  Right now, it needs male TLC.  I also promised Carter that because she was so patient with us yesterday while we started to tear up the house, we'd have Girl's Day.  So Andy and the bathroom had some quality time while Carter and I had our quality time!

We started our girls day like any should be started: shopping!  We both got cute new tops, and Carter picked out an Elmo puzzle.  She also got a sprinkler toy and an itty, bitty deck chair.  Then we proceeded to the Science Center.  We shared a carb-loaded lunch of pizza and a cookie with milk and lemonade, then became educated!

The Center was very empty, which was awesome for us!  Carter enjoyed the wind simulation, and the Cold Blooded Critters show the most.  She even got to "pet" the turtle and snake.  Because we were observant and knew that the snake was the black rat snake, Carter got a sticker as a prize!  She's so smart!

Milk and pizza - the only lunch for a Girl's Day!

Blowin' in the Wind

Snippy the Snapping Turtle, brought to the Center in 1991, weighs over 30 pounds and is approximately 30 years old!

Crusin in the Cave!

Plasma rules!

Being a Science Nerd is tiring work!  

Not literally.  In fact, it snowed today.  It was nearly 80 three days ago, now it's snowing.  What's going on?!?

No, home improvement wise, when it rains, it pours. 

Andy tore up the upstairs bathroom while I cleaned out the laundry room to put things back in order.  Carter, the diligent helper, supervised over all.

I cleaned out the bathroom Friday.  All my makeup, products, and crap moved to the closet for the time being.  I ripped down the mirror (I know, courageous of Andy to let me do it myself!) and Andy ripped up the rest this morning.  Currently, the vanity's out (thank goodness!), the floors half ripped out, and our new pieces are in the guest room and the back of the Durango.  Painting commences this evening.  Coat 1 of at least 3 of white to cover the blue (why was blue a good idea?!?).  Numerous trips to Menard's will be made Sunday and Monday, and hopefully the flooring will go in Monday, and the vanity and sink Monday evening or sometime Tuesday.  

While Andy tore up my upstairs, I worked to replace our downstairs.  The laundry room, specifically.  I've been on and off working to rip out the old tiling.  It's all gone (thank GOODNESS!), and I sealed the floor last week.  Andy's been laying a few tiles a night, and today we were ready to move the freezer back to it's corner home.  Problem: Duane and Linda brought our 1/2 hog - and a bajillion pounds of meat - up to fill the freezer last weekend!  Seize the moment, right???  I took all the stuff out, Andy cleaned it, and we moved it back and organized it perfectly.  

When it rains home improvements around here, it pours!

Yes, that's right, Carter.  Get in it while you can ... cause it's on its way out!  Pronto!!!

That's an attractive selling point: "gross, old bathroom, circa 1974, grunge and filth included."

One of the many things I won't miss: the crappy drawers that opened crooked and fell due to old age

I also won't miss the disgusting-ness and icky-ness of the whole piece of crap!

Break it!

I get a swing, too! 
(Don't worry - I didn't actually swing.  Andy banned me from actually helping cause I suck.  It's just for "dramatic reenactment!")

Buh-bye, vanity!

Meanwhile ....
Carter and I worked on the laundry room.  Once the freezer was moved back, she had to get in it! 
Don't worry - there usually aren't people in our freezer!!!

The new and improved laundry room, complete with Supervisor!  We painted the yellow, green and ivory, did the trim, and laid the flooring.  We even cleaned!!!

Kidding!

Chocolate Easter "eggs" are all the egg Carter is getting for a long time!

From dirty to clean!

Bubbles are awesome!

"Owwww!  These are cool, Mommy!!"

Who'd have thought?!?  Unless you put them in cookies with lots of chocolate chips, I hate raisins!

Despite the look of sheer distaste, Carter gobbled up her raisins quickly!

It's Official: Little Ginger done lost her mind!


 

Is she having a fit?!?  A seizure?!?  No ... just a cheeser-attack!

She makes crazy look good!

Thank Goodness It's Spring!  Or, at least it's warm enough to play at the PARK!

Carter and I took our first park excursion of the season, and went to Northview Elementary down the street to play.  Not surprisingly, it was crowded.  The toddler area was quieter, so we played there.  Another girl (see photo) - Lindy, I think - picked Carter as a playmate, and shadowed us all over the equipment.  Andy always says I could talk to anyone ... I guess Carter gets that from me, too!

"Mommy!  I wanna swing on the monkey bars like Lindy!" 
Eeek!!

A very-enthusiastic Carter with new pal, Lindy

This is what lucky is 

She might know only one word ["NO!"], and she might confuse "eyes" with "ears," but she's irreplaceably wonderful ... and I could put up with Andy for eternity, too ... I guess ...

Two peas in a cute little pod!

Carter "assists" as Daddy and I start to look at new homes ...

Reading the paper ... via toes???

Always helpful!

Note to family and friends: do not buy this child toys.  Buy "practical" things she can play with: boxes, ribbon, underwear and bras!

"Peek-A-Boo!"

Grandma and Grandpa Chalupa are here to visit for the weekend, and Uncle Corey and Aunt Amber also came over for the evening.  We made a yummy, yummy dinner, that I was suspicous of, and then sat around and talked and played.  

Ridin' Horsey!

"Goofin' with my Uncle ... 

... and lovin' up to my Aunt!" 

"I tried to con my Grandpa into helping me escape from clothing ... it only partially worked!"

Since conception, Carter has had experience after experience with Mexican food.  When I was pregnant, we'd eat at Cazador's weekly, and she'd kick and flail when I'd eat spicy food.  Now, at 19 months, she seems to have a little spicy in her self!

I <heart> Salsa!

Carter doesn't miss a beat.  Ever.

That being said ... it was hilarious to watch her toddle into our bedroom, walk to Andy's nightstand, muscle open the drawer and pull out penny after penny from his change jar.  She slipped coin after coin into her pocket, then ran off!  I guess she's ready for weekend shopping?!?

Getting into Daddy's drawer ... 

... and stealing all his money!  

Such a girl!!!

Yeah!  She likes to clean!  That's a Mommy-trait!!!

Vacuuming is fun!

 It's kinda like the "Bed in a Bag" deal, but it's a Baby in a Box!  Who would have thought she'd fit in it?!?

Of all the toys and books she has, this is how she spent her Wednesday night!  Squashed up in a box!!!

We were without power weekend before last.  Courtney seemed to enjoy the whole thing, reading, watching the ice outside,

playing with her own flashlight.  She was good company! 

What a mug!  Have you ever seen anything cuter that this face?!?  Carter, even being a little under the weather, is still a complete cheeser!

"Hey guys!!!"

It's CarterVille!  And she's the Mayor! 

The "townspeople" gather to honor their "mayor"

Carter's current favorite?  The thing she loves above all else??  What she could do for hours upon end???  Reading.  That is a great sign! 

"Limu the Sea Turtle" is a treasure we brought back from Hawaii.  Limu saves the day in true Disney-style!

"Duckie's Rainbow" was a birthday book from Jan and Tom Kappas and Carter drags this book out daily!

"Snoozers" is one of my favorites!  She's also mildly interested in it ... at times ... 

Maurice Sendak's "Mommy" pop-up book is an all-time favorite!  It has two words: "Mommy?" and "Baby!" and she loves it!!

Thanks, Zach, Stephanie and Isaac for hosting game night.  I wasn't too fun, and did a terrible job of "documenting" the evening, because of my cruddy cold (I may be dying, I'm not sure yet!). 

Stephanie made a delicious dinner of turkey, potatoes, and a yummy-yummy salad.  And her dessert of fancy-schmancy cupcakes was wonderful!  But, the talk of the night: gravy!  

The babies played and ran, and ran and played.  Carter was worn out by the end of the evening!  She and Isaac even shared their first hug and kiss!  So cute!!

After the babies went to bed, we played Trivial Pursuit: Pop Culture.  Now, generally speaking, I'm not a fan of the TP of any variety (I never know any of the answers!  Ever!), but pop culture is more my thing.  I did a much better job with this version.  I guess this is why I am not Smarter Than a 5th Grader (I scored 60% on the quiz!).  Then we moved on to Cranium, and my team - Andy, Andy and I - rocked!  My drawing of a corset was great ... except I should have been drawing a corsage.  And Stephanie's "hog heaven" drawing left Zach in a "pork cloud!"

It was a great evening, and I can't wait for the next game night ... and more Pork Clouds to come!!

Isaac and Carter hug good-night ... it went much smoother than this when they voluntarily embraced the first time!

... so that when you have your next crappy day, the one that nothing can go right and everyone hates you ... you can look at this and smile.

I wish Captain Crunch made me this adorable and happy!

Too cute to resist!!!  And equally as ornery!!!

Yum!  You know you want one, don't you?!?  

These brownies are my favorite, and Carter helped make this batch so they're extra special!  It's a chocolate cake mix, with caramels and chocolate melted in the middle and another layer of cake on top.  So good!  Carter got to unwrap the 40 little caramels.

What concentration!

"Here, Mom ... you have the wrapper and I will keep the caramel!"

She's lost it!  Carter is making up for the few days she felt bad with gusto!  She's running, giggling, laughing and being ornery!  And it's oh so cute!

Daddy, the amusement park ride!

Stuck in the Tickle Trap!!!

Just like Daddy, Carter loves the butterscotch pie!

Butterscotch pie is good, but it's even better when you eat it mostly naked!!

"I WANT MORE PIE!!!"