Bright Lights

Good Morning everyone. It's been a busy week, and the holiday is creeping in every day. Wednesday, Mia and I went to the trampoline park with my brother and one of his kids. It was perfect. There were so little kids there, which gave Mia and her cousin Easton plenty of room to run laps around the place. A boy came up to her at one point and said "Hi!" and she responded with "Hi little boy, I do NOT wanna marry you, sorry boy" and the Mom goes he's a nice boy, but you don't have to worry about getting married yet little girl". I told Mia "he wasn't proposing to you sweetheart". Anyways, Mia had a lot of fun. Later, we watched the Chelsea vs Spurs game at my parents house with my Dad. The 3-0 win was fantastic. Great goals despite the lack of Costa. Drogba had no problem getting one in the net proving he's still awesome.

Friday, she had school. She was off last week due to the Thanksgiving holiday break, so it was nice to get her back in for the morning. She had a lot of fun, and when I picked her up, the whole school smelled like fresh-baked gingerbread cookies. Saturday, I got up super early to watch the Chelsea vs Newcastle game. I had high hopes for a win, but in the end, we lost 2-1. We needed Matic (who was out on suspension) in the defensive mid. He's been great this season, but Saturday, we suffered our first loss in 23 games. For some reason, Chelsea always struggles when we play Newcastle away. After the disappointing loss, my in-laws arrived for the weekend to celebrate my father in law's birthday. Jill had to go photograph Santa photos at her studio, so we later brought Mia in. It was a tad rough, but we got a nice photo of Mia the Diva.

Later, we went to the holiday lights thing in Pewaukee where you drive a car through a short path that had huge displays of Christmas lights. Mia enjoyed it. Sunday, they left early for Illinois, and we spent the day getting gifts ready to send out to our family and friends out of state. Last night when I came home, Mia was asleep, so Jill and I made our best effort to catch up on Orange is the New Black. Almost finished with season 2. It's been pretty interesting to say the least!

This week will be another busy one. Mia's got a dentist appointment Tuesday (which I'm not looking forward to). It's not that she's even slightly cranky at the dentist, it's what they have to do. hopefully she's a brave little girl and does well. I've been trying to work on her Tegan and Sara custom shirt, and my Drogba portrait is really coming along.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!

The Gourd Gutting Festival

Good Afternoon. It's been quite a week, and this coming week promises to be even busier! Tuesday, Mia and I met up with my friend Nicole and her boy Benny at Kids in Motion. They had a blast running around and playing. Wednesday, my little brother, his boy Easton plus Mia and myself went to the trampoline park. It was my bro's first time there, so they were stoked. Well, they changed a few things. You have to purchase their jumping socks now for a few bucks to participate. I assume someone got hurt and filed a complaint or something. The kids had such a good time. Mia always enjoys Helium Trampoline Park more with a friend to play with. It's always fun hanging with my brother, and we hope to make it a weekly thing that we meet up somewhere and do something with the kids (since he now works 3-11 during the week at a new job)

Wednesday night, I was fortunate to play some pick up indoor soccer at Brookfield Indoor. I had this feeling that after trampolining for an hour and a half, I'd be dead exhausted playing soccer. At the same time, I also knew that I wouldn't be able to play virtually ANY soccer (indoor or futsal) throughout the Fall and Winter season. This was my very last chance. Thanks a lot work!! :( Anyways, it was a lot of fun. The opening 3 minutes, I was able to secure two fantastic assists (like Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas). I megged one fellow through his legs to a teammate who made a simple goal. My 2nd assist was off a great cross to the right side. After these, I felt super confident. Wasn't able to get any goals sadly, but blew a few chances. While playing on the left side I had received a very fast cross and my attempt to one-touch shoot it. Couldn't get my body behind it and it went wide. I passed it to a teammate and he missed too. Sad efforts, but I was able to get a few shots off. One of my prouder moments was being able to spin out of a challenge from a teammate. The craziest part of the night was when one of the opposing guys had accidentally stuck his boot out with the cleats up into one of my teammates ankle. He went down in pain, got up and almost punched the kid right in the face. They had to hold him back. It was quite brutal. I don't know what is is about some of these guys, but they take the game WAY too seriously. A kid earlier was throwing a fit too. All in all, fun time. Sad it's my last.

Friday, Mia went to school. Her teacher told me she can attend their Halloween party Wednesday. We also have parent/teacher conferences! Really? 3k? Well, okay then! Sadly Jill can't attend because of a Wild Tree event, but I'll be going. Hope to hear good things. When I was signing up for the day we can attend, Mia was giving her classmates hugs goodbye. Well apparently a boy had got up and snuck in a kiss to her cheek. I didn't see it, but Mia sure told me about it. "Dad! HE WAS A SNEAKA AND KISSED ME! EWWW GROSS!!" So that story was shared throughout the weekend. Saturday, I watched the Chelsea vs Crystal Palace game. Quite intense. Oscar got a goal off a free kick near the box. Azpilicueta got a red card for a bad challenge but soon after that, one of their players picked up his 2nd yellow card, which meant he was red carded out. 10 vs 10. Fabregas got our 2nd goal off some beautiful passing. I missed the 2nd half because the NBCSports.com feed completely went down. We ended up winning 2-1. Great game for the Blues and we're still top of the table. Tuesday we've got a Champions League game. The rest of Saturday we did yard work and carved pumpkins with my parents. I free-handed a Minion, Jill and Mia worked on two Sophia The First ones, and my parents did some creative pumpkins.

This Saturday, we're going to a Halloween party. First one in probably 4-5 years. Should be a great time, plus Jill's friend Leanne is coming in. Sunday is trick or treating in our neighborhood. I just found out the weather will be a nice 73 degrees. Perfect for her Anna dress. I'm very bummed out that I'm missing it because I'm stuck working 2-10. First Halloween I won't be going trick or treating with my little love :( Hopefully she has fun.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading :)

The Black Hole

Good afternoon everyone. My, it's been a busy week over here. Over the weekend, my wife got off for the 4th of July. We walked down to the parade route, but because the start time was so close to the time I had to work, I ended up having to walk with the dog all the way home. It wasn't a short walk, but it was nice out so I didn't mind. I guess later she told me the parade was pretty lame with only one float and a few other things. They watched some of the fireworks later at night. Saturday we had a family get together. It was a lot of fun. The kids playing soccer in the yard was quite enjoyable. Jill made these tasty mini cheese cakes and black bean sliders that were a hit with some of the family. Sunday, I worked. Not too exciting. This week, we've hung out with her friends at the park, and today we went to the trampoline park for about an hour. It was fun, because there wasn't a lot of kids around, which gave us room for Mia to chase me around.

The World Cup has been very...interesting to say the least. Saturday in between drink breaks while I was cutting the grass, I was catching a little bit of the Argentina vs Belgium game. Sadly the red devils lost to Argentina. The game that blew me away was the Brazil vs Germany game. Neymar was knocked out the last game they played, so I have this feeling the morale of the team was lacking in this game because the samba boys got destroyed by Germany 7-1. SEVEN TO ONE!! How did this happen? Is it because of Neymar getting injured? Hardly. It wasn't his fault. I missed the game, but saw the highlights which mostly had every goal scored. The problem clearly was defense and some mid field. They let the Germans run them over like a speeding train. David Luiz, who has been solid during the previous games they've won just was not in this one. I don't know how else to explain it, other then the defense had far too many careless mistakes, some cheap shot attempts to get the ball, and a total lack of passion to win. Oscar was the saving grace to keep it from becoming a shut out, but that doesn't matter. The team blew it on their home turf and that one will sting. They were sucked into a black hole and there was nothing else they could do. The fans looked beyond devastated. They were my very last team I had in this tournament that I wanted to win. Whoever Germany plays, I hope Germany wins. I can't stand Messi (with Argentina) so if they beat Netherlands, I hope the Germans de-rail Argentina's so-so performance thus far during the Cup.

The other day, Mia decided she wanted to try skateboarding. She's got some balance issues, but hey, she's three, she's entitled to that. She's getting stronger at the playground, hanging and climbing with every bit of strength. The potty training has gotten better too. Hopefully it continues. She had a hat-trick of making it to the bathroom today. So very proud. For some reason, she lost interest in going on bike rides with me. My bike that I commandeered from my bro in law is sorta falling apart anyways. Couldn't get the kick stand to kick back up normal, so I may have to hit up a garage sale or something for another one (that if she wants to ride with me anymore) This weekend, we've got a wedding reception to attend. Not sure what else we're gonna do. I think Mia and her pals are gonna do a picnic tomorrow. Other cool things on the horizon but I can't speak of them till there is a 100% that they WILL happen. great new things. Stay tuned. Anyways, that's all for now. Thanks for reading :)

Balance

Good Morning. Over the weekend, Jill had to work a Saturday, which is rare, but we made the best of it. Mia and I spent time at the park and she learned how to do the balance beam (with help of course) She also kicked her pink soccer ball all over the pitch. Later, Jill stopped over after work, but before we left, I somehow bicycle kicked my soccer ball into the basketball hoop. Totally stoked, but probably couldn't do that again if I tried. Sunday, I was supposed to work a 7am-3pm shift but a co worker had surgery which forced me into a 2-10 shift for the evening. It worked out okay because that allowed me to watch the Chelsea vs Norwich game. I suppose I was better off working because we drew at 0-0. For some reason Chelsea struggled. The chances were there, but we couldn't get through Norwich's defense. I honestly think we had some of the wrong guys starting. Torres should have started ahead of Ba, and Hazard too. When they brought him and David Luiz in the start of the 2nd half, their presence was known, because Chelsea starting getting a little more aggressive and were making some crosses.

With the season just about over for the Blues, it'll be interesting to see who stays and who we pick up come Summer time. Most fans want to see us pick up a new striker. Eto'o, Ba and Torres are all on the chopping block. I could see Mourinho keeping Torres, but not the other fellas. I'm hoping they sign new 1 year deals with legends Terry and Lampard. The rumors will fly for a while, but I'm going to try to avoid them. The best news of the week was when Liverpool blew a 3 goal lead and tied 3-3 to Crystal Palace Watching them drag Suarez off the pitch in tears proved that even when you get 3 goals, there is still hope they can catch up. I didn't catch the game, but I'm glad Liverpool probably won't win the title.

This weekend: Jill's hosting a party on Saturday, followed by a cookout for our parents. Sunday, I'm 7am-3pm, but would REALLY love to play some indoor turf soccer later :P Today, I'm hoping to finish any last minute Mother's Day stuff and take Mia to the trampoline park for Tot Time.

Last but not least, my brothers and myself are in the process of setting up a Footgolf (soccer golf!) outing hopefully soon. I'm intrigued about this new fast growing sport so it should be a fun time.
That's all for now, thanks for reading :)

Bounce

Greetings. So unfortunately we saw a return of the bitterly cold temps again (great). Which meant frigid walks with my dog, Remi. Nothing more motivating to get out of bed, then to think "gee, I wonder how many layers I can get on?" Still not as bad as what Atlanta and the rest of the coast got. My friend is stuck at the ATL airport and has been there for over 24 hours, waiting to fly to Chile.  A few days ago, my friend, her kid and myself with Mia went to the trampoline park and had a blast :) Mia started out not really into it, but explored the ball pit, and had a lot of fun. Soon, my friend showed up. Her little boy mostly liked rolling around, and didn't really get into jumping. Mia even showed him how to. While playing in the foam pit, Mia decided it would be more fun to build an igloo outside of the pit. Hilarious AND practical too. She loved it when I would try to bounce her from a sitting postiion up in the air. So if you've got a kid under 5, take then to tot time thursday and tuesday mornings. Only 6 dollars for an HOUR :)
Yesterday, I grabbed lunch with my friend Micaela and Mia at a coffee shop down the road from my parents. It was good catching up, since I haven't seen her since Christmas eve when she stopped in the store for a minute. Mia (whom I'm quite proud of) even played nicely with Micaela and could chat comfortably with her. Normally around people she doesn't see that often, she's shy. It's understandable. Kids are all shy. Most of them, so I get it, but instantly, she was very good. Same with my friend Nicole, she sees her every so often and is totally cool with her.

After lunch, watched the Chelsea Vs West Ham game. Not a good one, but the point will have to do with the 0-0 draw. Lots of shots, but they packed their attacking third with defenders. Goalie was solid, and had a ton of help. Lampard had a good shot at the end, but it went straight at the goalie. Shoulda went far right.

Stopped at US Cellular on the way home. My phone battery hasn't been lasting as long ( I was told its because it's been cold) but I wanted to take advantage of their "battery swap" program, that allows you to swap out up to 4 batteries in 2 years. Well guess who doesn't do that program anymore?? Bah..Guess I'll have to deal with it for now. I'll have to wait till the fall when I'm up for an upgrade and get either the s4, the NEW s5 when it comes out, or suck it up and get an iPhone (which I have doubts of doing).
Got my copy of Metropole from the Lawrence Arms plus shirt and beer coozy. 4 or so days ago, I got the confirmation for the digital download.  I haven't been able to get a solid listen in. I put it in the car but Mia prefers the music either really low, or off when we drive. It's punk rock, so thats not a surprise. When I have listened to it twice, I'll give you a review. It's been 8 years since their last full length and a good 4 or so years since their EP Buttsweat and Tears came out. I've waited a long time for this.

Last before I go, I posted on Instagram a photo of Mia doing her best impression of defender David Luiz from Chelsea last weekend, and within 24 hours it had picked up a TON of likes including the man himself David LUIZ. I was stoked he saw it and found it funny.

Okay that's all for now, thanks for reading

Heartthrob

Hey all. Hope everyone's enjoying their week. Over the weekend, my sister had her wedding shower, while my Dad, my bro and I went mini golfing. Let me tell you, it probably wasn't the best idea for us to out when a storm was rolling through. We had the entire course to ourselves which was quite nice. Moved very fast as the heavy clouds were rolling in. Now I've played mini golf every once in a while. Like, once every few years. It's been a while since probably any of us three men. Somehow, I nailed THREE hole-in-ones. Couldn't believe it. The green on every hole was soaked, but I was able to get the best score in the end. And to make the victory sweeter, my bro took a slip in the drink. We all had a good laugh, but I felt pretty bad when later in the day, his volume on his iPhone wasn't working. Phones are expensive and I wouldn't wish anyone the bill of purchasing a new phone. It started pouring as we were heading out. What a day. When we got back, my bro was given his kiddo which promptly ended our "guys day". Didn't get to make it to the bar. Oh well.

Today, like most day offs, Mia and I bummed around visiting family and Jill. Earlier in the afternoon, we left my Dad's earlier and went to the park down the road from my parent's house. After a bit of playing and watching the boys running around, a girl showed up. Maybe, 4 or 5 years old. Probably 4. Anyways, as soon as she stepped foot on the playground, Mia made a point to follow and chase her around. She'd call out "little girl, where are you going?" "Oh Daddy, there she goes again!" "Hi, My name is Mia!" It was adorable. The girl looked a bit annoyed but eventually turned it into a game. It was incredibly entertaining. Later after she had 15 minute nap on the ride home, Jill came home from work and we headed over to Helium Trampoline Park. Jill always wanted to check it out, so we went as a family finally. Busier later in the evening. Lots of kids flipping all over the place. I had the most fun dunking on the basketball hoops. It's a lot trickier then you think.

Trying to get a grip of all the art I need to get accomplished. So many projects, so little time. I need to focus on these little record toppers that Paper + Plastic is putting out. Shouldn't be too difficult. I tend to go straight to my portrait of Mia that I've been working on for quite a while. It's looking really nice. Maybe my best portraits yet. I've done a small handful of portraits of her over the last few years. This weekend, Jill's family is coming up so I hope the weather holds out. I've got a ton of yard work to accomplish. That's all for now. Thanks for reading!

Jump Around

Greetings! Keeping this one sort. Gotta get up very early to get Jill up for an early day at work for her. Not fun, but it's that busy time of the year at her studio. Friday I was off, which was great so my Dad, Mia and I watched my lil bro play some beer league hockey. Great time. Especially when Mia would yell "ANDY I CANT BELIEVE YOU KEEP DOING THAT!" in regards to him falling/not getting a goal. Saturday, we watched Chelsea beat Fullam. AWESOME :) Today, Mia had a check up. This was the very very first time I had to take her to the doctor solo without Jill. Ever since Mia was born, we've gone to the doc together, but today she had too much work to do. I was not stoked to have to wake her up. Luckily, she wasn't upset or anything. We had a very
lengthy discussion on our doctor appt and how there will be NO shots. Today, when I got her up, I reminded her that the appt will be fine. At first, she didn't wanna leave, but I said I'd hold her hand. She was talkative to the nurses, and sat through the basic check up like a champ. Wasn't a fan at first of the blood pressure test device, but noticed that she had the same contraption in her doctor kid at home. So, I was quite happy that everything went well.

Later, we FINALLY got to the Helium Trampoline Park. Once again, at first she was a bit timid. Sorta confused that we were not at the back up hangout AKA the library. So she gets on the trampoline "Dadda I don't know about this" but when she realized that these are for jumping she got SO excited. Jumped and jumped and jumped. Finally 35 minutes in, "Daddy, I'm thirsty! Later after a little water, I wanted to jump in the foam pit. Well of course Miss Mia wanted to as well. The pit was pretty deep and difficult to get out of. But, she didn't care and wanted to get in. So I held her hand, and she crawled INTO the pit, instead of jumping. After I got her out of the pit, I got back on the trampoline and did a 360 into it. So much fun. Earlier on a 360 spin that I was trying to rotate to a 540, I landed my knee straight into my wrist head on, so it's been hurting the rest of the night. Looks a bit swollen. Hopefully it'll go down. This weekend, we're off to Illinois for some family time with Jill's group. Her brother's birthday is coming up so we've got to spend some time with him :) Should be a good time. If you notice the picture way way in the background, you can see Mia waiting for me to kick the ball to her. :) That's all for now, thanks for reading!