wowza

Whoopsie. Took a few weeks off from blogging it appears. Ah well, it has been a wild few. We were just trying to not lose our marbles, so I guess blogging had to go on the back burner. 

What's happened, you ask? Nothing big but it seemed like a bunch. A big family wedding, the wine bar opening (with a crazy couple of weeks before that trying to get everything ready). Hmm, that might be it. But it was A LOT, I swear. Now we've been open for a week, and it hasn't been too bad. Not incredibly busy, but definitely steady, which is good for a small-town place. It'll just take awhile for word to spread about our specials and whatnot, but I think it will. Everyone that has come in has had a lot of good things to say. It's just kind of fun to see all of our ideas about food and drinks and decor come to fruition. I feel like it's the most creative I've ever gotten to be on a professional project, and it was busy but also a pretty good time. And the whole family is pretty proud, and we didn't even murderball each other in the process, so, BONUS.

I was glad that things calmed down a bit for Ainsley's sake. Poor kid spent many a day playing iPad in the rubble of the wine bar construction (or at Lowe's, shopping for canned light fittings or something similarly exciting). It's been nice to actually be home and have dinner a few nights in the last week.

So I should probably go do some dishes or clean something since nobody is in here at the moment. There also appears to be a tornado brewing directly over the building so I suppose being on this computer isn't the best plan. Peace out!

sprinkle toes

What is it about a kid and a sprinkler? I swear, you can take them to the biggest
waterpark in the world, and they'll still love a plain old fashion sprinkler on a summer day.

kitty tale

Oh Murray. I've always had a love hate relationship with our cat, and I'm pretty sure he's had a hate hate relationship with me. I think it was because Mike is the one who brought him on the two-hour car trip home, so they got to bond. And I am the interrupter of that bond. Also, because he's kinda evil, and I kinda know it. (I mean, aren't all cats, a little bit?) Of course I am being overly harsh, and obviously he's our family cat and I will take care of him. And once in awhile, in the night (especially if Mike is gone), he gets confused and thinks I'm Mike and snuggles with me.

Anyway, you know who has a love love LOVE relationship with Murray? Ainsley. I mean, she is over the moon. I don't know what it is about toddlers and cats. It's some magic crazy shizz. And Murray has not traditionally been the most tolerant kitty in the world, but I am pretty amazed at how patient he is with her. Like, clearly, when Ainsley is pulling his tail or giving him a full bear hug, he could go totally ape***t on her. But he just meows and walks one foot away to let her do it again. So, my nemesis, I will give you credit where credit is due. And maybe a little extra tuna, for good behavior.

to do

Things have somehow not slowed down yet since we got back from our 4th of July trip - eeekkk! Yesterday my mom and I spent all day shopping for our super-secret-special project, which I guess isn't that secret anymore since everyone in town knows. We are opening Spearfish Creek Wine Bar in hopefully two but probably three weeks. We are doing lots of renovations to the actual building, and I'd like to do them up proper with a nice before-and-after post. In the meantime, here were some of our purchases yesterday. Our "theme" has ranged from "cabiney cool living room barn-ish" to "hippie garage junkyard fantastical" and finally landed somewhere in the vicinity of "mining-camp industrial rustical" (coined by the guy at the lighting store yesterday). Clearly we have no business decorating anything, but I think it will come together nicely. We used lots of reclaimed wood and corrugated tin, and we just aimed for "natural" surfaces, wood, leather, rock, etc. We have to choose paint colors shortly, but I think we're going to keep it pretty neutral and then feature a lot of bright art on our art wall, as well as accessories. Thus, the furniture is a tad safe but it is comfortable and part of our vision. The lighting, on the other hand, is radical. See for yourself ...

lanterns for the front picture windows

this will go over the front door - very barn-ey

over-the-bar hanging lights - these are my favs

some marble tables

leather barstools

a few other plain 'ol wood tables

loveseat for the fireplace area

and our leather club chairs

We do have a few statement pieces that are still at an antique store in town, I'll have to post those later. I am quite excited to see how everything comes together. It should be a pretty cozy place to hang out.

time capsule

I was helping my mother-in-law move a plethora of photos from her phone to a CD tonight, and it was pretty amazing. Mostly because she's the only person I know who can keep the same cell phone for almost three years without losing or breaking it, but also because she's kept all the photos we've sent of her three granddaughters (Ainsley and her two cousins, Hannah and Ava). Now, Ainsley is 2 1/2, Hannah is almost 2, and Ava is 3 1/2. So some of these photos are pretty special. I'm glad I have copies now:

holidaaaaay celebraaaaate

We got back late last night from a very nice July 4th holiday at my in-laws' house near Colorado Springs. Mike had to go to Denver for work all weekend, so we cobbled together a mini-vacation that involved traveling eight hours in one vehicle with my sister-in-law, mother-in-law, three toddlers, a puppy and our five tons of accompanying stuff. Then Mike came to their house when he was done working and we enjoyed a nice BBQ in honor of my brother-in-law's birthday and the July 4th holiday. It was hella dry in CO, so there were no fireworks, but there were steaks, margaritas, the kiddie pool and good company. All us ladies ventured to the mall in Pueblo the day before, and grandma bought the three girls red white and blue outfits for the holiday, but of course we couldn't round them all up and get them to sit still for a picture. I did catch Ainsley and Hannah unawares in the sandbox. The day after the fourth (otherwise known as the fifth, I suppose) we loaded up two cars and drove up into the mountains to a real, live castle that some dude is building all by himself.


It was cool, I suppose, but pretty much a construction zone, so it was a bit harrowing with three little kids. You could actually climb all around the building and up to the tippy-top on all this wrought-iron scaffolding. It was pretty, kind of like spiderwebs, but it didn't look super sturdy. I can't imagine how this guys allows admission into this thing but doesn't appear to follow any building codes. Maybe since it's private property or something?? I don't know, but I was content staying inside the main floors and walking around the grounds.

Then yesterday it was the never-ending drive home (possibly never-ending because we stopped at the outlet malls in Loveland, CO for two hours - oopsies!). And now we are home and a little beat

farm cats

We took an impromptu trip to North Dakota yesterday, which isn't as weird as it sounds out here in the sticks. Mike's mom and sister and her two kids Hannah and Ava (Ainsley's cousins) were going to be there for a night staying with Mike's awesome Aunt Lynette at her farm just over the border, and it's just a two hour drive from here, so we decided to go be part of the fun.

Lynette and her husband live in the house and on the farm that Mike's grandparents lived in for years, so it's cool to take Ainsley back to her roots a little bit. While we were dating we went up a few times for weddings and other things, when Mike's Grandma Norma was living, and she was and remains one of the coolest ladies I've even met. We would go to the Borderline Bar with Mike's sister and her husband just a few blocks from her house in the tiny town, and then when we'd stumble home late Norma would be up to make us roast beef sandwiches. Then in the morning it was a never-ending feed of eggs and bacon from dawn onward, for whichever kids and grandkids and friends would stop over for food. I really, really wish Ainsley could have gone there with us, but Norma died of cancer on the St. Patrick's day before our wedding. She would have loved seeing Ainsley and her two cousins together.

But, Mike's Aunt Lynette is a pretty good lady herself, and it was a nice night and morning (complete with never-ending eggs and bacon and then a huge turkey farm lunch ... we ate turkey, it's not a turkey farm ... it's a cow farm ... or whatever they are called ... oh, never mind).

Best of all for the girls, there were ... (wait for it) ... KITTENS! Four adorable three-week-old kitties living in the garage, as farm cats do. It was pretty funny, as KITTENS were one of my favorite things on my grandparents' farm when we were growing up. And our cat Murray actually came from this same farm, in fact, his sister is the mom to this current batch. This is our beautiful specimen of cat:

The KITTEN Ainsley loved up on all morning was Murray's spitting image, down to his feral nature and general distaste for people. But no matter, Ainsley was in love, as evidenced by these pictures:

And for a split second my icy heart was melted and I forgot that this little KITTEN would grow up into a CAT that would surely hate me as much as his kin we already have at home, and I thought "maybe, just maybe, two cats would be a good time" and then my husband noticed my train of thought and shut me down. But it was fun while it lasted.

the love tree

We got married almost four years ago at a local fish hatchery (sounds weird, but it's very lovely). As part of the ceremony we planted an ornamental crab apple tree. It was touch and go for a few years, but the director of the hatchery was a good friend, and he bravely fended off deer and took good care of the little guy. I think it paid off. Mike snapped a few pics when he was there for a social a few days ago, and it actually looks like a tree now! Kari and Cliff did the same thing during their ceremony, so it's becoming sort of a family tradition.

It's actually a pretty good metaphor for marriage, isn't it? Slow going, a little fragile at first, but it gets stronger and more worth it over the years.

oink

I am just uggers today. Last night my sister called me to say the wedding pictures are posted on the photographer's site. So I looked through all 800 of them and there were LOTS of beautiful, lovely, breathtaking ones ... but also lots of gross ones of myself. They have become less grotesque with each of my subsequent nine viewings, and clearly this event was not about me looking good, but it's just not super fun. For most of my twenties, especially after having Ainsley, I have managed to avoid being in many photos for the reason that I find the outcome pretty repulsive. They bring to light a lot of things I like to ignore, like the 30 pounds I have packed through a myriad of things over the last eight years--creeping toward 30, sitting at computers 45+ hours a week, succumbing to the familial "fat gene", having a baby and actually, um, eating stuff. Even when I was younger and a billion times more attractive, I still used to rip up all the nasty photos as soon as I got the roll of film back. Isn't that crazy? Clearly. But sometimes I also think we are over-documented as a society (which is kind of counter-intuitive to having a blog and facebook account, but do as I say and not as I do). There's a great part of Tina Fey's new book that talks about how women used to be either attractive or not, and if not, you learned a trade. Now you're expected to MAKE yourself more attractive. Then there are a billion pictures of you out there, NOT looking like a Kardashian, to show you just how miserably you are failing at it. And for women, all the things you are doing well in your life--your smart and healthy kid, your career, your friendships, your hobbies, your home--are completely wiped out when you look like Miss Piggy in your sister's wedding photos. Maybe that's just me, I have always been hard on myself in this department. When job and family took up the energy I used to spend running and not eating more than 5 fat grams in a day and making myself throw up Taco Bell, my body just revolted ... and EXPLODED. And I am not a dumb girl, but in all these years I haven't figured out how to eat stuff and not be a little bit fat. I just wish it didn't bother me so much, because I should be better than that. I guess we all should.

misty island

This weekend Mike was gone for work, so Ainsley and I went shopping and stopped at a really great park called Storybook Island. She refers to it as "Misty Island" from one of her Thomas the Tank Engine movies that she's watched nine million times.

We went to this place a billion times when we were kids, and it's still pretty awesome. It's also free admission--they run on donations. They have a hodge-podge of different little houses and themed playground equipment, running the gamut of fairytale stories (Peter Pumpkin's pumpkin house, the Old Woman's Shoe slide). Go figure, mostly Ainsley just wanted to play in the sandbox and go swinging, but she also loved to hug the (cement) Pooh and Piglet. She was running into them full force for hugs, actually. They also have a little train that kids can ride around the park for a buck (ok, it's probably a lawnmower pulling some little cars) but trains are generally a hit with this kid. 

And then this morning she painted her face blue. When Crayola calls their stuff non-toxic, I hope they aren't kidding, because she's surely tasted almost all of it. Maybe we can be part of a study on the long-term effects of art supply ingestion.

lost footage

I forgot I took a few pics of the weekend on Mike's iPhone! I love that thing, I have terrible phone envy right now. Anyway ...

Ainsers running away from pictures. 

On second though, I might opt for slightly less tulle next time. As Mike said
when she was throwing a fit "she's just anger and tulle". But it looked so pretty!

The gorgeous cake and cupcakes by Spearfish's own Courtney Berry.
She did our wedding cake too and it was amazing!

This was a little frightening. Kari gave the flower girls purses and sunglasses at the
rehearsal and suddenly I had a mini teenager. Eeek!

And to the newly-minted Mr. and Mrs. Creek

We couldn't be happier for you.

nuptials and other things

So the great Tschetter-Creek wedding of 2011 has come and gone, and I think we all made it out alive. It was a lovely last couple of weeks, actually, if a little bit hectic. We managed to fit a branding, a bachelorette party, a Jimmy Buffet-themed rehearsal dinner extravaganza and tons of wedding preparations into the last week and a half and it was crazy, but it ended up being a lot of fun too. I don't even know where to begin, but I'll just say everyone has a good time, and Ainsley didn't disrupt the ceremony too badly as flower girl (she did however, walk behind the preacher and  promptly fall asleep on the grass). I didn't take all that many photos, unfortunately, but I'll post what I have ...

Ainsley and Aunt Kari at the branding. When I say "branding", we didn't actually 
brand my parents' five baby calves. We did de-ball two of the them and give all of them 
shots and ear tags. And by "we" I mean everyone but me, as I was wearing flip flops 
and am also scared of baby cows. Ainsley, however, loved them, and was very 
angry she couldn't help Uncle Cliff with the wrestling-to-the-ground part of things.

Beautiful sister at her beautiful wedding. Also, lots of beer, because that's how we roll. 

Sleepy Ainsley Jane. This was right after the ceremony, Mike carried her into the room where 
the social was and she slept for a solid hour. The line for food went right by these couches, 
so this was quite a hit with the passerby. 

And we got our second wind for the dance. This is a kid who loves to boogie. 
And also eat cupcakes. In fact, this might have been the greatest night of her life.

D is for diatribe!

I had a physical a couple of weeks ago, because I think Mike and I should just get in the habit of yearly physicals now. They did a blood test for my thyroid because there's been a little thyroid weirdness in the family, and apparently at the same time tested a bunch of other things (cholesterol, etc.). So everything came back normal and healthy, except I'm pretty Vitamin D deficient - like a 17 and it should be a 28. Not really a big deal, if I want to get old and have brittle bones and cancer and heart disease and a billion other horrible things. So now I'm on a super-strength Vitamin D supplement and have to go back in about a month to get re-tested. But the bummer is there are a lot of rotten physical side effects of not getting enough Vitamin D. Fatigue, muscle aches, weight gain, difficulty to lose weight, etc., all of which have affected me to some degree, and who knows how long I've been deficient. You know when you have a baby and permanent exhaustion just comes with the territory? Well, mine never really went away. But the last two weeks I really have had energy. I am a total head case, so there's a good chance it's all mental, but who cares? It's such and easy, easy fix.

And now it's time for the public service announcement! I've learned a lot on the interwebs about vitamin D deficiency in the last few weeks, and scientists/nutritionists are just barely scratching the surface of how important this vitamin is. Your body makes vitamin D through unprotected sun exposure and diet (milk, egg yolks, junk fish, green leafy veggies, things that are sun-dried). However, it is very difficult to get enough through just your diet, and Midwestern weather makes it difficult to get enough sun from, oh, November to May (15 minutes, twice a day, three times a week). So most of us in the corn belt or oil belt or wheat belt or whatever it is, should probably default to taking a supplement. Oprah even says so. And many, many people are vitamin D deficient, like epidemic proportions. So I guess my point is, take ya vitamins, and get that sh*t checked if you have a chance.

uggers

Blech, today was just one of those days. I couldn't get rolling with anything. Like I woke up and drank a whole pot of coffee and watched garbage Real Housewives for like two hours until Ainsley woke up. Then she was a whack job and we had to do three CONSECUTIVE time outs. Then I tried on my bridemaid dress for the upteenth time and decided it still looks a gross, so I made my little sister take me with her to the bridal shop for her dress fitting so I could see if they had anything else I could buy off the rack (I knew it was a long shot, but I had to channel all that negative energy somewhere). So after that we went to lunch, and it was kind of the bright spot in the day. Then back home where I tried on my dress for her, and she kindly insisted I don't actually look like a refrigerator, or The Refrigerator (see photo), which is still what I feel like I look like, but what do you do. Anyway, after that it was the two-hour nap battle, and finally I laid down with Ainsley to get her to fall asleep (in full workout gear, because I had every intention of getting on the treadmill while she was napping) and we both fell asleep until 5:00, at which time I was woken up by my dear husband calling to let me know his teeth cleaning at the dentist was like $180 bucks. So, blechchch.

I know these aren't real problems. But sometimes it's just one of those days. And I find that now that I'm staying home more, it's all on me if I'm not productive. When I worked full time, I was generally productive most days. I wouldn't trade this for that, by any means, and I can't even believe that I'm even remotely complaining about this, but sometimes it's hard to feel like you put in a full day when you're doing it for yourself. And with a two year old, which pretty much makes a full productive day of anything totally impossible. And I'm probably a harder critic on myself than any of my co-workers or bosses ever were, so I struggle a little bit with feeling like I got anything done at all even if I clean and do house projects and go to the park and whatnot all day. I suppose it's just going to take awhile to relax about it all. When you're used to going at a certain pace for many years, and constantly struggling to carve out time for everything, then much more time can be pretty overwhelming. But like I said, I wouldn't trade it. So anyway, there is my piece for the evening. Time for bed. Good night.

Wedding Fevah

So my little sister Kari is getting married in T-minus 12 days, so we are all abuzz with wedding fever. Ainsley and I went shopping yesterday to get a few things (bachelorette party favors, her flower girl shoes, my double spanx) and craft supplies for the two projects that were delegated to me by my dear, overextended mother. The first project was re-decorating the "love shovel", which Mike and I used to "plant" a tree during our wedding ceremony. (Really, we did, on the grounds of the fish hatchery where we were married. It is there to this day, growing nicely, and actually gets a few blossoms each year now.) Anyway, Kari and Cliff are doing the same at the lodge where their wedding is, so we have passed on the love shovel to them. For the second project I had to make tags for the snack baskets that are going in each of the wedding guest hotel rooms. They were pretty easy actually, I just used one of those big round scrapbooking paper punchers to cut circles out of some pretty paper in different patterns (all green, which is one of the wedding colors). I designed some tags in MS word and printed them on metallic paper and punched those out. Then I glued the tag circle and the paper circle back to back with a piece of ribbon in between. I'm thinking this would be a good technique for gift tags in the future, so I'm glad I sprang for the paper puncher. I have a heart-shaped one we used for our wedding favors, but that's not super useful.

Spring Plant

Things I planted yesterday:
Geraniums
Snapdragons
Basil
Parsley
Cilantro
Grass
Petunias
Hydrangeas

Things Ainsley tried eating yesterday:
Sidewalk chalk
Markers
Rocks (4)

All in all a success - got 10 pots and the rock bed done, and nobody choked!

Leaving Las Vegas

Me oh my, we had a delightful time in Las Vegas. It was a perfect mix of hot sun, good food, great friends and drunken debauchery. We got a fabulous room with a strip/Bellagio fountain view in the newest tower at Caesar's Palace and honestly probably could have stayed in the Caesar's compound all three days. The first night we ventured to the Absinthe show at Caesar's which was in this newly-built wooden theater-in-the-round right on the hotel campus. It sort of felt like an old timey circus, but with way filthier jokes and more acrobatics. Saturday was pool day and we all got fried, but after this past winter, nobody cared. Then that night we went down to Fremont Street, which was cool, but definitely a tad seedier than the strip. We played blackjack at a, er, charming little place called Binion's, which was promptly (and affectionately) renamed "Zombie Casino". Sunday was Margaritaville for lunch and dinner at Craftsteak and then for the rest of the night we just twirled around the Bellagio buying fifteen dollar vodka sours and gelato, and then watching the fountains. I must say, this time around Vegas was a whole different thing. When we went for our honeymoon we were just so exhausted. This time we went with another couple, which is definitely a good plan for Vegas, and we were incredibly compatible travel buddies. Everyone was just low key and up for whatever. It was a great, great weekend, and although I missed Ains a lot and was happy to get back, I can't help but be a little sad that it's over.

Happy Vegas Eve

So we leave tomorrow morning for the bright lights of the big city of Las Vegas and I am tres excited. I am also sad, which I wasn't expecting. The flipside of spending almost all day, every day with your kid is that you miss them a whole lot more when you leave them. Also I told the lady at the bank that she is in her terrible twos so "I'm not sure I'll even miss her at all!" What a horrible, terrible thing to say. I didn't mean it. But I think we'll have a good time. We're going with a couple that we get along really well with, and I got an ultra dark spray tan with triple color enhancers today, so that's something. Tanning salons, how weird nowadays. It's like a bar that allows smoking. I just kind of stared into the little tanning bed rooms in disbelief while waiting for my Mystic Tan, like, people still do this?! That's crazy! Anyway, I need to make this quick and go hang with Ains for awhile before bed. See ya on the flipside.

Impromptu American Idol Live Blog or Whatever

I was an American Idol junkie for the past three years, but this year Mike and I made a collective decision to stop watching, partially because our BFF Vegan left for law school (and he was a big part of the tradition) and also because of tax season and Simon's departure. I mean, that shit is a big time commitment, and Simon was keeping it real.

Anyway, I'm sitting here biding my time until Glee starts and watching my first episode of the season, also the finale. Hmm, it's like an out of body experience without all the build up and fanfare and BS of the whole season to back it up. So here's what I think ....

- Oh no! I want to punch this Scotty kid in the face already. Mostly to get rid of that weird "smolder" thing he's doing. Someone's seen a few episodes of Next Top Model, me thinks. Oh no, he's only 17. That's totally mean. Maybe his singing will change my mind. Hmmmm. Ok, to be fair, I hate this "Gone" song, and he's not really making it any worse. I want to like this kid because he looks like Mad Magazine and he's probably a dork at his high school, but THAT FACE HE'S MAKING. Gives me the squeebs.
- Lauren Alaina. Lauren Alaina. That's kind of fun to say. Lauren Alaina. Oh no, I'm typing this during commercial break immediately following that song and I literally can't remember what she JUST sang. Probably not a good sign. All I can remember is it seemed like it hurt her to sing. They shouldn't have talked about that at the beginning, then everyone's listening for it.
- Ahhh, I kind of love George Strait. I always feel like he loves his wife a lot.
- Oh my God, this commercial showing clips from the last episodes of Cheers and Cosby Show is making me cry. Oh, it's for Oprah's show finale. Eh, I guess. Not the same thing, really.
- LaurenAlainaLaurenAlaina. This song sounds good, but she might have blown her voice out in that first song already. Eek. Oh, there we go. Pam Tillis is awesome. Good pick Carrie Underwood.
- Oh Randy. You're such a wang still.
- Oh J-Lo. Why are you yelling? Also, genie sleeves. You're the prettiest lady in the world or whatever, stop trying so hard.
- Oh Steven Tyler. You and that dangly feather hairpiece will haunt my dreams.
- Ok, they're already teasing the last song. Is this shorter than last year?
- I'm pretty sure I thought Taio Cruz was Usher on the radio for probably like his last 5 songs. I'm not very cool any more. AHHHHHHHHHH - FIX HIS MICROPHONE!!!! Ok, fixed, phew. I kinda like this song, I bet it'll be real good all mixed and autotuned and whatever pop magic they do. This would be a good workout mix song. Does it feel like there's this movement toward positive pop music lately? Pink, those original Glee songs, Katy Perry, Gaga even. I like that. Because you can tell from my jerky judgments above I'm all about positivity.
- Ok, Scotty's hypothetical first single. Well, it's certainly made for him. Also, a little slow moving. This is the kind of song that, like, the first time I hear it on the office radio it's almost ok, but by the end of tax season it makes me want to crawl out of my skin, because the key to a successful male country ballad lately seems to be a healthy dose of "rapey".
- More from the judges. I feel like they're really pushing it this year. These kids are just kind of meh. I mean, think of Kelly Clarkson. ADAM LAMBERT. (Side note, Adam, where did you go? You should be the male Gaga by now). Even those two from last year, especially Crystal. Oh, Scotty just summed it up perfectly ... "just hanging out, singing songs." Yep, that's just what it sounds like. Where's the camp?!
- LaurenAlaina's hypothetical single. It's pretty enough. At least these songs fit these kids. That was such a train wreck always. She does have a pleasant rasp. Oh her parents are so young!
- Ok, final judgies. Yes Randy, tell her that "whispery Mariah Carey" thing was awesome, that's just what the world needs more of.
- Oh, these kids. They're just such babies, it's not even fair. It just makes me think of some behind the scenes interview thing I saw once where the director of Con Air talked about picking Trisha Yearwood's version of "How Do I Live" over Leanne Rhimes' because it was more believable ... because of her age. And it's the same with these kids. I'm not an ageist at all, but I think someone like Taylor Swift does it right. When I hear her songs it makes me think of being young and having a crush and then being crushed. It's affecting, but not so big that it buries her. Which is good songwriting and good self awareness. But these kids, yeesh. If Simon were here I bet he'd be telling them to act their ages all season. I bet nobody told them that this season. Because those three yahoo judges, who even knows.
- David Cook. I loved him a little, and this Breakfast Club song is good for him.
- Ok, Glee time. Byeee!

Wooden Shoes

Mike spent all weekend at a tulip festival in Iowa for work, because that's what it's like working in the tourism industry, and he brought back a pair of wooden shoes for Ainsley. Like, legitimate carved wooden shoes. They are both amazing and wildly impractical, but most of all they are very VERY loud, and our floors are surely dented from the incessant stomping. They are also radical, and my 80s child self would have killed a man for a pair back in the day.

Ainsley and I spent the weekend running around with my parents, working on Project X, a little business idea that is 99% a sure thing, but I'll hold off on the details until I get word that all is official. In any case it will be pretty cool to cover the project to fruition on this blog. Of all the entrepreneurial adventures of my family, this is probably the coolest and most collaborative. So in that way it will probably be the most rewarding ... or a fight to the death. Could go either way. In any case, it involves booze, which is traditionally the one thing we can all agree on, so I have a good feeling.

Rainbow

So I impulse-bought the The Care Bears Movie from an end cap at Target about a month ago. I probably watched that thing 500 times growing up, like to the point where I remembered plot points -- and I must have only been seven or eight during peak viewership. Anyway, Ainsley took a shine to it as well and now it has become a staple ...

"Ainsley, do you want to put your shoes on?"
"No - I wanna watch Cawe Beaws!"

"Ainsley, should we go use the potty?"

"NO - I WANNA WATCH CAWE BEAWS!!!"

"Ainsley, let's get in the car to go to school."
"NO - I WANNA WATCH CAWE BEAWS WIGHT NOW!" Etc., etc.

But the cute part is that she thinks rainbows and clouds are tangible. So last night Mike was showing her the rainbow stretching over the hills we can see from our deck and of course ...

"I want to lay on it!! I want to slide down the wainbow ... WIGHT NOW!"