Road Trip: Day 2

After a continental breakfast in Lincoln, NE, we hit I-80 and headed west towards Denver.  We drove somewhere in the neighborhood of 530 miles.  As anyone who has driven through most of Nebraska and northeastern Colorado knows, that drive is very uneventful.  Just miles of farmland and cows.

Once we got close to Denver, Calvin thought the mountains were pretty cool but we kept telling him to wait until tomorrow when we continue our drive west up into them!  We were in a little bit of a bind since we had told Calvin we would go swimming but our hotel only has an outdoor pool which is closed for the season.  Fortunately Denise thought about her YMCA membership.  We found a Y only about 5 minutes from our hotel and went swimming.

After that we went to good ol' Casa Bonita.  We got to see cliff divers (which thoroughly amazed Calvin!), a puppet show, a haunted cave and a bunch of other things.  The food is very average but it was worth it for the rest of it!

Continuing our tradition, we asked Calvin what his favorite part of the day was.  Was it seeing the mountains?  Going swimming?  Seeing cliff divers?  No, it was getting ice at the hotel with me!

Tomorrow we're planning on visiting an aquarium before hitting the road for Utah!

Road Trip: Day 1

Day One of our odyssey with a final destination of Disneyland launched a little later than we had planned.  We had to give the house a final once-over since it's on the market and we had a three year old to get going.  We officially got on the road around 10:30am and after 471.2 miles we're in Lincoln, NE.  Despite the fact that Calvin kept asking if we're going on vacation, he did very well!

The highlight of the trip was definitely The Amazing Pizza Machine in Omaha.  That place puts Chuck E. Cheese to shame!  It's enormous and the games are crazy!

We started a new tradition today where we ask Calvin what his favorite thing was that we did today.  Would he say hitting the great open road with Mom and Dad? Going to the awesome pizza place?  No, it was jumping on the beds in the hotel!

Tomorrow we head to Denver!

Lou on Channel 9

My former coworker/buddy/drinking companion, but most importantly inventor of the Spark View Engine, Lou DeJardin, has a video interview up on Channel 9.  Check it out.

4 Month Checkup

Calvin had his big 4 month wellness check this morning and he's doing great! Weight-wise, he's up to 15 lbs 3 oz, which kind of surprised me at first although it only puts him at the 50th percentile. That means he actually slipped a little on the curve from his 2 month check where he was at the 65th %ile. But the doctor said nothing to worry about, that still means that he's average (in weight only!).

In terms of height, he's staying pretty constant. He measured 26", putting him at the 81st %ile. At his 2 month, he was 23.75", at the 80th %ile.

And now what you've all been waiting for, his melon. Here's where the boy shined. His head now measures a solid 18", which puts him proudly at the 99th %ile! At his 2 month, he was 16.5", at the 91st %ile. Before you make any slanderous comments, the doctor said that's good since that's where his brain is developing. So that's why he's such a smarty-pants!

He also got a couple shots which he was NOT happy about! ... for about 5 minutes and then fell asleep. Poor little guy!

Also, check out the startling discovery Denise made yesterday!

Happy Thanksgiving

Denise and I certainly know what we're thankful for...

Calvin

Denise and I would like to officially welcome Calvin Jacob Schmidt to the world. He was born Saturday, November 21, at 3:58pm. He was 8lbs 10oz and 21" in length.

Goodbye, Grandma

In honor of my grandma's passing on Oct. 30th, I'm posting a copy of her obituary...

Oneeta Reuter

Funeral service for Oneeta Wanda Reuter, 96, Tucson, Ariz., formerly of Anoka, took place Nov. 16 at Thurston-Lindberg Funeral Chapel, Anoka. Rev. Gary Wilkerson.

Reuter died Oct. 30. She was born April 13, 1913 in Kiota, Mo., to Charles E. and Fanny F. (Gault) Tracy and was a retired nurse at the state hospital.

She is survived by her children, Charles Reuter, Dallas (Nancy) Reuter and Mary Kay (Larry) Schmidt; 13 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; eight great-great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Interment was at Forest Hill Cemetery, Anoka. Arrangements were by Thurston-Lindberg Funeral Home, Anoka.

My grandma was also famous in our family for having a quaint colloquialism for pretty much any situation. Here are a few I could think of off the top of my head:

• "Excuse the pig, the hog's out walkin'." (used when one of us burped, a personal favorite of mine.)


• "I'm so hungry I could eat the north end of a southbound horse."


• "I'm so hungry my stomach thinks my throat's been cut."


• "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."


• "It's like straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel."

Updated 12/2:

• I haven't . . . since Hector was a pup.


• . . . 'til who laid the rail.


• . . . (doing/going something) hell bent fer 'lection.


• He's as thick in the muck as she is in the mire.


• I've gotta pee so bad I can taste it.


• She already had a stallion in the paddock.