Summer Breezes

I've been sloshing around in wet, cold parking lots all week, running those Christmas errands that never seem to quite end.

The weather has been bitter.

So I just need to remember for a little bit....

that this exists...not here...but it was once here... and God willing will be again...

...oh and this...yes...feel the summer vibes...

...one more before we go back to cold and white......GREEN...I love the color green.

I miss it.

I'm with Lily who said to me on the way to preschool (with snowpants, boots, mittens, hat, ski jacket...), "Mom...do we have to live here?  I want to live where it's warm."

"Well maybe someday you can live in Florida, and I'll come live with you in the winter," I said.

"Florida!" she said..."No WAY!  I'm living in 'Hawowie'"   (That's how she says Hawaii, and I'm never ever ever going to correct her.  It's too funny.)  Hawowie...here we come!

Mall Rats

Lily and I have become mall rats this shopping season.  By that I mean that we have been to the mall three times in the last week! (enter primal scream!)

Today, since I had at least three separate tasks to accomplish on separate wings of the mall, I ventured into our sub zero frozen garage looking for my sleek, impressive, three wheel running stroller behind which, I assure you, NO running has ever taken place.  Couldn't find it anywhere!  I finally saw a tire sticking out of one of the narrow middle storage shelves, and sure enough, my space saving husband had disassembled the thing and stored it away until next summer....or until we have grandchildren....or until...never. 

Anyway...no stroller for Lily today.  Bribery was in her future.  We call it Plan B.

One of my tasks was to drop off my favorite boots for repairs at:

The German Shoe Repair Shop

right there in Maplewood Mall!  Who knew?

$11.95 to get the heals blacked and the heal nubs replaced.

Only an hour!  Perfect!

Here's the website if you are in this area and want great shoe repair service: 

 http://www.german-shoerepair.com/info.html

  We determined (the bribe was) that if she could hang with me and stay by my side while I did all my errands, then while my boots were being repaired, I'd take her on the carousel which graces the very center and hub of the mall (ie....you can't avoid it.)  Here it is in all its glory:

OK.....I can't find a big picture of it on the internet...sorry.

The carousel doesn't just have your typical horses that go up and down; no no no...it also has little mini carousels that you get into and spin like teacups!  UGH!

She's never even NOTICED them before, but his time, instead of heading right upstairs to the upper level, she kept going and hung a right right into the torture chamber.

THIS IS WHERE I SHOULD HAVE SAID NO.  But we were the last ones on and everybody was waiting, and I decided I was man enough.  I wasn't.

All was ok, although I couldn't believe how fast the thing was spinning UNTIL I got the bright idea to close my eyes and tip my head to the side.

NEVER EVER EVER close your eyes and tip your head to the side while riding a spinning teacup on a turning carousel when you've had nothing but coffee that day and are in a sweater and a wool coat and have blue eyes and are human and and and...

JUST NEVER DO IT!

It's a good thing my boots were going to take an hour....

...an hour to rip off my coat and scarf and deeply regret that I had worn a cozy sweater with a shirt underneath as my body began pouring out what I can only describe as a fainting sweat

...an hour to go sit with my head between my legs on the bathroom bench

...an hour to splash cold water on my wrists...don't ask me why I thought this would help...

...an hour to go and try in vain to restore my blood sugar with lo mein and pepsi (wince)...

...an hour to stumble back to the shoe shop to reclaim the dratted boots...and somehow drag myself, Lily, five bags and my almost like new boots home where I have spent the last hour in fetal position on the couch.

Oh have I ever learned a lesson.

I hope that your shopping and Christmas preparations are going well.  My New Year's advice is to love one another...and stay away from carousels.  Stay far far away.

Lindquist Lanes

I like to watch my kids bowl.  I think they are pretty good.  I'm sure he got a strike here. 

And this was definitely a strike too....

Her form may be unusual.....

...but not so much for our family.  We don't hold with traditional form...in fact we reward creativity!

These two didn't get too many pins down each time....but...

...as soon as they released the ball, they were back to this....so it really didn't matter.

And when this got old...well, there's always....

...food!  At any sporting event, I'm only there for the food!  She obviously takes after me.

There is a picture of me bowling...but it's not very flattering so you're never going to see it.  But here's my reaction to someone taking my picture bowling:...

...not very flattering either, but funny and not flattering is much preferred to just not attractive.

You understand. 

I know you do.

Speaking of just down right unappealing...I hate when  you walk into the bowling alley and the guy behind the shoe counter grabs a pair of shoes that've just been turned in, sprays a puff of aerosol something in them and hands them to YOU.  This happened to me.  I was really grossed out, but I didn't want to seem like a lightweight so I kept my mouth shut.  Until now.  There...I feel so much better!  Thank you for listening.

Click!

"Ok everybody....who wants to take the annual Lindquist Christmas Picture with Nana and Papa?"

"Oh me!  Me me me me!  I do!  I want to take the picture!"

"Yes!!!  I love picture taking!  It's so FUN!"

Right you guys?  Fun???

Just hold it together there kids....

"This is more exciting than Disney World....not that I've ever been to Disney World...."

Cousin fainting in row one!  Cousin fainting in row one!

Everybody tries to stand taller than Papa!  I think they've got him!  They will all have neck aches later...

....especially this guy.  He should give it up!

"Oh this is so great.  Everybody's together..."

Everybody was together.  For a moment.  For a brief moment in time.  Before chaos ensued.... You can see it coming...

...turmoil is bubbling below the surface!  But before it errupts...

Click!

Everybody's looking good....except wait!  Nana!  Papa!  The camera's over here!  OVER HERE!

Just kidding...they got some great shots.  I just thought this one was the cutest of the two little girls.  They've got the pose thing DOWN!

She's a Giant!

You know how in The Lord of the Rings they used camera angles to make Gandalf look bigger than the hobbits?  Well, I accidentally did the same thing in this picture with Katie and the girls playing soccer...

She reminds me of Susan in "Monsters vs. Aliens."
There is an official name for this...something perspective, but I can't think of it.  It's going to bug me until I do.  Somebody put me out of my misery!  What's it called?

Elf

Many years ago, long before Lily had arrived, we took a family vacation to La Quinta Resort in Palm Beach, CA for a few glorious days in January.  We didn't exactly TAKE a vacation there as much as we bummed along with Tim as he attended a CLE conference.  Such was our status as "a bit" of extra luggage, that we found all six of ourselves CRAMMED into a lovely room, perfect for two, which had a beautiful tiled tub, looked right out onto the courtyard pool, and...was of the tiny but picturesque variety.

The days were a delight.  We frolicked in the pool...well, the kids frolicked and we lifeguarded.  We soaked in the hot tub just feet from our door.  We delighted in the sunsoaked walks and flowers which our Minnesota senses had been deprived of for months.  It was a great situation....UNTIL evening.  What to do with four young kids all evening???  They were too little to leave behind while Tim and I went out for a romantic dinner...although we did consider it.  They were too tired to go anywhere themselves.  THAT was when we discovered "Pay Per View Movies."

We'd always considered ordering movies at hotels a luxury that was beyond our budgetary constraints.  However, it quickly became apparant that two hours of general peace for ten measly bucks wasn't such a bad idea.  In fact, it was our best option!

And THAT was when the movie "ELF" came into our lives.  I know, I know...it has some language in it!  But the choices were slim and the parents were desperate.  We soon learned when to push the mute button, because once we had bought the movie, we could watch it as many times as we liked for something like 12 hours!

It made a big impact on our children.

As you will see:

You will only understand the connection if you've seen the movie...possibly ten times...

These were taken at the "Hollidazzle Parade" in downtown Minneapolis last Friday.  It was an "Elfish" setting, you see...

None of these shots were planned...they just occurred spontaneously...randomly...

Elf.

It's a state of mind.

Nana and Papa Go to Preschool

Grandparent's Day at my littlest's preschool was an all out affair!

They even had little doorways for the grandparents to try to crawl through!  I graciously refrained from snapping a pic of Nana crawling through...

...but here she is laughing with another guest at what they had just had to go through!

When we first got there, Nana gave Lily a little surprise gift...a flute...

She loves little surprise gifts, of course.  This flute was especially cute.  I liked it too, since I can play it and my teenage boys can't, and I am all for anything I can do that they can't.  I'm think I'm getting a "short person complex" around them....but that's another post.

This post is about the great time that Lily had with her grandparents....her Papa came on Friday since she needed a grandparent both days, but I didn't get any pictures of him, sadly.

They played, crafted and I'm not sure what else for two and a half hours!  The reason I'm not sure what all they did, was because parents weren't supposed to stay.  I giggled because when I got them settled and said that I would be back later, both Nana and the next day Papa looked at me in surprise and said, "Oh..you're not staying?"  Nope!  They were on their own in preschool!

They survived!  And a fun time was had by all.

Timmy Takes to the Stage

Timmy spent a lot of time on stage last week....

first he was an ENTHUSIASTIC performer in the Children's Choir at church.

Honesty, he did smile when he actually sang.  He had no choice with all of us sitting in the second row making funny faces at him!

Then he was a hockey enthusiast for his school play, celebrating the wonderful state of Minnesota!  It was a thorough history of the state....and I mean thorough!

Then after a quick costume change, he did a great Garrison Keillor impersonation.

Here's Garrison Keillor.

"...Lake Wobegon...Where the men are all good looking, the women are all strong and the children are all above average!"

I think he was spot on!  Except he had no red necktie.  Because his costume manager is me.  And I am very overbooked these days.  Those are my old glasses, though...with the lenses knocked out.

Oh how we love watching Timmy perform.  He's easy to crack up...hardly even a challenge!

How Birthdays Should Be

My family made my last birthday of my third...wait no it would be my fourth.. decade one to remember...in a great way...

Although it was a school morning, I was allowed to "sleep in" until 6:30!

When I arose, I was treated to this:

Amazing French Toast!  Pardon Zach's arm!

Fresh Raspberries!

Cut Grapefruit!

Plus, coffee, juice and...

...smiling faces!  They smiled a lot...just on the inside...

....They really liked their own "cookin'!"

He's thinking "My mamma needs to comb her hair!"

She's not thinking anything.

So after a wonderful, fabulous, heartwarming birthday breakfast with gifts and hugs galore, what did I do?

I said "thank you" and "I love you" to my husband, and then...

I left town.

Yes I did!

I took off to Rochester and spent a fun couple of days with these gals:

More on that later!