Strawberry Fields Forever

Good afternoon. Warm weekend in good ol' Wisconsin and I couldn't be happier. Summer has always been my favorite time of the year so we've been trying to enjoy the most of our days outside. Wednesday, Mia, her BFF Olivia and her bro Gavin went snap pea and strawberry picking in Mequon. Mia had an absolute blast and ate so many snap peas as she was tossing a few in her bag. After about 30 minutes in the snap pea area, we moved over to the strawberries. Same thing, she'd eat and eat and put a few in our basket. The kids really enjoyed the nice warm weather and ate snap peas on the ride home. She hadn't seen Olivia in a few weeks so the girls were super stoked to get to hang out.

She's been patiently waiting for my parent's neighbor kid to be home so they can swim on a warm day in their little pool. Hopefully soon. Saturday, we went to the farmers market near us for some muffins and veggies. Off in the near distance, we could see the new Malone Park that will be open this coming weekend. She's very excited to get to play there. Later, we went over to her grandparents house for dinner for Jill's birthday. They made BBQ chicken, baked beans and corn on the cob. Very tasty (minus the baked beans. never been a fan) Their new sun porch is incredible and I know they'll enjoy many meals to come out there.

Today, we didn't do much. Last night Myself plus Jill and the animals didn't get a lot of sleep due to the storms rolling through. Going to be a zombie at work today. I finally started the most recent season of OITNB and two episodes in, I'm already excited for the 3rd. It's always been a really good show with a lot of intense moments.

This week is Jill's actual birthday so Mia and I will have to give her something come Tuesday. Wednesday, she's hanging out with friends. The tattoo has been healing slowly and I can't wait for the color session. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Tattoos and a Toothless Smile

Good evening everyone! Hope the weekend was great. It's been a busy June and I can't believe we're almost done with it. Wednesday, Mia and I met up with her friend Kaylee and her sister Mayah at the Zoo. The girls had a lot of fun, despite the very warm weather. There were TONS of day camps from all over there. The girls really enjoyed the fish exhibit with the leopard sharks, turtles and octopus. Later after Jill got home from work, we went over to the park across the street to enjoy the remaining daylight. Mia was playing all over the playground before Jill noticed something odd in her mouth.

"MIA YOUR TOOTH IS LOOSE!!" Sure enough, she had her first baby tooth that was wiggling. I pulled out my phone to see if that's normal at her age. Apparently, kindergarten-1st grade a kid can start to lose baby teeth. Mia was excited and nervous because she didn't know what to expect, or how she'd eat with this wiggly tooth. It blew our minds for a short while that she has grown up so much. We went to the library later and she checked out 47 books for a Reading Challenge. She read quite a bit of them that night. Like, she really read them. It was insane. Jill's never seen her read to her before so it was really exciting.

Thursday, my Milwaukee Torrent custom jersey came in. Super excited to see this thing in person, with name on it. A lot of hard work has gone into creating so much for the team, and it's been an absolute joy. Saturday, we went to the Farmer's Market in Waukesha with Remi. They really doubled it in size since the last time we were there. Jill got a really nice sun hat to match the same color of Mia's that she sports. Both girls looked very sweet. After some muffins and juice, we jet back home so I could get ready for my tattoo. It was a long time coming. 6 years since my last one and I was anxious to start. It took so long to find a guy who could do a photorealism 1/2 sleeve with confidence and after a few meetings with Marcus, I knew he was the man for the job.  As soon as he started, I remembered very quickly that this hurts in certain areas. Sometimes I'd talk through some of the painful areas to keep my mind off it. 4 hours later, we were complete for the day. He put the tiger shark in last which hurt the most. Once again, I'd have to close my eyes with this one and try to focus on something else, and that works most of the time. He cleaned me up and I was on my way.

Had to jet back to New Berlin to get the girls so we could make it to Finding Dory. We met her parents at the Majestic just in time for the 15 minutes of previews. The theater was very packed but we some how managed to get seats. The short, Piper was incredible. Very cute and the animation was insane. Finding Dory was everything I hoped it would be. Finding Nemo for a very long time, was my all-time favorite movie. Dory was just as good. Lots of great lines, the animation was solid and the story was well thought out. Pixar didn't make any mistakes with this one. I'd totally recommend seeing this one.

Today was Father's Day. Mia woke up stoked to give me all her gifts. A sheet of paper with an "all about Daddy" survey (which I honestly love and was always jealous that Mom's got these for Mother's Day), a jar of Recess Pieces with "I love you to pieces" on it, a plate of butterscotch homemade cookies and finally, two hands with an accordion paper inside that says "I LOVE YOU THIS MUCH". Super cute and amazing from both girls. We were supposed to meet my parents for brunch but they didn't make it. I worked the steady 2-10 shift with my new sore ink.

This week, hang with some friends at some point and start working on some art. I had this idea to do a story book style drawing/painting of some of Mia's creative quotes. It came to me in the dining room today when she was randomly talking out loud to herself. Should be really cool.

Thats all for now. Thanks for reading!

A Flood of Goals For the Torrent, A Major Win For a Penguin

Good morning everyone. Hope you got to enjoy the gorgeous weather we've been experiencing. Mid week, Mia and the majority of her class friends met at the park for a day of fun and a picnic. She was especially cute following her boyfriend Trey around, although she says he doesn't quite know that he's her "boyfriend" because she's afraid he wouldn't like it. They hung out and every time he'd lay on the ground, she'd lay right besides him. His Mom and myself kept laughing about it. It was fun watching all the kids run around and play. After wards, we ran to Smarty Pants and grabbed her graduation pictures. They turned out very nice.

Thursday morning we ran to the Stefans Tent Sale. We rarely ever buy anything but Mia loves looking around the different deals. She especially wanted her very own pair of pink goalie gloves, neon green goalie jersey and a new pair of boots. Sorry kid, we didn't sign you up for soccer this year because you sorta didn't end soccer well last Summer. Friday, I had the day off for the Milwaukee Torrent Kickoff Party. My Dad and I drove to Brenner Brewing Company on the very warm evening and got to try the Barons beer (which was very tasty). We got our free shirts, and I introduced him to coach/owner Andi Davi. The event was a lot of fun, and I even was interviewed later in the evening on the live 2UpFront podcast that broad casted from the event with Flood founder Derek. We had a lot of fun and I even hyped the Torrent fans. After, we hung out at my parents for a little while before calling it a night.

Saturday Mia had a zoo class and had an absolute blast. She made a polar bear costume, penguin art and learned about both North and South pole animals. I on the other hand, went to the very first Milwaukee Torrent home game. Packed the bag with some cameras, mask, tons of water, drum sticks and my Flood scarf and drum before heading down to Glendale in the 90 degree heat. It was a long long wait, but the day finally came. I tailgated with some fans before heading into the game late with the Flood founder. We had a bunch of stuff to bring in, including the large flags, the James Weber FatHeads and his two kids. I pounded and pounded throughout the game destroying my voice with the chants. I couldn't tell if the fans were chanting as well, but we didn't get the best turnout for the actual Flood section behind the net. The overall attendance was 673 fans. WOW. On a hot day that's pretty solid. The Torrent beat the Twisters 5-0 staying top of the table. A fan bought me a water in the first half "you look like you could really use this!" Thank you so much! Ian Bennett deservingly won Man of the Match with a pair of goals. He was really hoping for the hat-trick and we did a quick interview post game. A few fans were high-fiving me on their way out after the game. I won't be able to make the next home game in July, but  I will the last few games. Hopefully, we can get more fans to join in The Flood the next match. It was an amazing experience and I can't wait for the next home game. A group of fans drove 14 hours JUST for this game.

Sunday, work work work. The weather was much cooler. Work was very busy, and after an issue I don't feel like going into again, I was stuck till 11:15pm. After work, I found out the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup. Incredible. A few bad seasons and a rocky current season pre-playoffs and the good guys took the cup. Very proud of the Pens. Been a favorite team since the early 90's. It really sucks how little hockey I can watch due to my work schedule, but I do try to catch highlights when I get home.

Saturday, first of 3 sessions for my 1/2 sleeve tattoo. Can't wait. That's all for now. Thanks for reading!

So Long 4K, Hello Summer

Morning! Another busy week(end) in the books so I'm going to try and blast through this post so I can finish a logo design that's taken way too long to complete. Tuesday, the diva with my Mom went to her very last field trip with her 4-K class, to the Zoo. I made them both special lunch bags. Mia's was had Shopkins on it, my Mom had Olaf. When I went to pick them both up. Mia was super tired and was exclaiming "I...can't walk anymore". Wednesday was her last regular day at school before graduation. I spent the majority of the morning talking to my tattoo artist who will be doing a Hawaiian half sleeve on me. I saw his color study he was working on and I couldn't be more excited about it. NEXT Saturday is the first session. I ran back to the house to get Remi and went to pick up Mia. 

She and her friends hung out at the park for a few hours. The kids had such a good time enjoying the nice weather. I even caught Mia sitting with her "boyfriend" Trey on the bleachers talking. It was cute. Thursday was her very last day at Smarty Pants. Jill and I took her to school together. Mia, decked out in a beautiful dress ready to graduate. When we brought her in, her friend Audrey yells out "MIA, YOU LOOK LIKE A PRINCESS!!!" Mia couldn't get rid of us fast enough. A little subtle hand-wave to signal "okay GO" and that was it. No hugs. Slightly disappointed, but we went back home and did some cleaning before our families who could attend met up and went into the graduation. 

We took our seats and watched the kids come marching in, singing about the last day of school and how they're ready to graduate. I had to stand in the back so I could get a nice view of my short little kiddo. Everyone had phones out videoing and me, I took a few pictures but didn't want to cover my face with it. I wanted to soak in as much of my kid finishing school as possible. This was a big deal for her, and we couldn't have been more proud. Last year, she wouldn't sing or do anything and it was frustrating. This year, she matured and sang with her friends and classmates beautifully. They had the kids get their diploma and toss their hats in the air. They all got to keep their tassels which is pretty cute. I took as many photos after with her and her friends and family. The morning of graduation, she was sad thinking she won't see her friends much anymore, but I promised her we'll keep in contact. This Thursday she'll get to meet up with them at the park for a picnic. Should be fun but I'm bummed I can't take her. The parents and faculty have been real nice over at Smarty Pants and I can only hope at Orchard Lane they'll be the same. She's honestly excited to make new friends but wants to keep her old ones. 

Friday, we met up with BFF Olivia at the park and the two played, drew with chalk and kicked the soccer ball around before a nature walk. They wanted it to be "just us girls alone walking" but we had to keep them in sight. Friday night, Jill's friend Leanne came in to town for the weekend but when I got home, everyone was asleep. Saturday the rest of the friends plus Leanne's new boyfriend came in (minus Nichole). The weekend was a lot of fun. We went to Jokerz and for the first time EVER had someone "friend sit" Mia (plus Caleb) that wasn't a family member. My friend and coworker Shelby watched the two kids. They both were very good for her, and when we got back from the comedy show, Mia was hanging out with Shelby on the couch watching Netflix and eating a sandwich. She had a great time with her and wants to hang out again. the comedy show was all kinds of fun. Good food, raunchy jokes. What more can you want? 

Sunday we went to breakfast and the kids went swimming after. Leanne, Rick and I wandered over to a nearby car show and DAMN where there a lot of fancy nice cars. Leanne's getting into cars more and more since her new BF drives a very very fancy one, and honestly it was kind of nice to go to something that I've never been to before. For dinner we went over to Stone Fire Pizza. The kids LOVED it and played all kinds of games before picking out prizes. After the brief but gnarly thunderstorm, they said their goodbyes and were back to the hotel for the night before leaving this morning. This week should be mostly relaxing but excitement as well. Friday is the Torrent kick off party. They won over the weekend 4-0 in Chicago and supporters made the drive in to watch the good guys win. Saturday is the home opener. The team sold 500+ season tickets, which means over 500 people will be watching me, the El Capitano mascot pound a drum and getting fans to chant and sing loudly THIS Saturday. I'm both nervous and stoked. I signed up Mia and Jill for a zoo class Saturday afternoon. Polar Pals. They'll take a class on animals in both the North and South poles with costume making and some painting. Both girls are stoked.

That's all for now, thanks for reading! 

Last Days

Good morning. I'm a day or two late on writing due to the incredibly busy weekend we had, but we'll get back to that shortly. Earlier in the week, I made it to the park for some much-needed stress release on the soccer ball. Took some slow-motion video of some free kicks. Took about 8 or 9 tries to get some good footage, but it was fun nonetheless. Wednesday after school, Mia went to the park with some friends from her class and got to enjoy the gorgeous weather we've been having. Friday, we had a bunch of cleaning to start with some friends coming into town next week so we spent the majority of the day doing that. Saturday, I had the Champions League match on while we cleaned the house. Sad that Real Madrid won their 11th UCL after a good 2nd half from Atletico. I laughed when Mia would call them "Let It Go".

Later, we went to Blaze Pizza for dinner (still amazing) and set up my parent's new computer. Sunday, I was off so we did MORE cleaning then my nephew Camden's 2nd birthday party. Mia took some time and made him a really sweet card complete with a sea turtle. It was again, a gorgeous and warm day so they had water balloon/gun fights. Jill surprised my Chicago-hating brother with a Blackhawks shirt for Camden. HAHA! Mia had a great time playing with the boys and being silly. We stopped at Jill's parent's house to say "hi" on the way home, which turned into dinner. MMM BBQ Chicken :) Haven't been to their house since Thanksgiving so I got to see the early progress with their sunroom they're putting on in the back. It's going to look great.

Monday we did MORE cleaning and I worked 2-10. It was real nice enjoying the couple days off despite all the cleaning we've been doing. The weather has been real enjoyable. Today, Mia's going to her very last field trip for 4K and it's the one my Mom's been holding out to attend. The Milwaukee County Zoo. I dropped them off this morning, both with custom made lunch bags. Mia's got Shopkins and my Mom's got an Olaf that I drew out. her last day of school is Wednesday and Thursday is Graduation day. It's a bitter-sweet ending to her two years at Smarty Pants. The school has been great for the diva and she's made some amazing friends. We'll get to hang out over the Summer and she'll instantly gain a pen-pal with Alexa when she moves to Texas. This weekend, Jill's BFF's are coming to town and my pal from work Shelby will be "friend sitting" Mia and her long distance friend Caleb Saturday night. The Torrent take on the Mustangs in Chicago on their 2nd league game. Hope they pull off the big win. Tattoo sketch is complete so it's only a matter of time before the ink starts to fly!

Oh, and today marks Jill's and My 8th Wedding Anniversary. I remember like it was yesterday :)
Thanks all for now, thanks for reading! :)

Mini Golfing with Mini Kids

Good evening everyone (or morning depends on when you read this). I'm pretty sure this was the first time since Spring started that we had a consistent week of amazing weather which makes it easier for the diva to pick out clothes. She's closing in on her final weeks at Smarty Pants which is pretty bitter/sweet for us. She's made so many amazing friends and has learned so much there, plus the parents and teachers she's had have been outstanding and friendly with Jill and myself. Wednesday, Mia had a photoshoot at Jill's studio for her Mommy and Mia vintage photo session. After class, I had to get Mia to the hair salon and get her hair made up to look like a 1950's kid. She sat still as a statute with very little to say. Mostly watching Tangled from time to time. After that, we jetted to the studio where we discovered her Grandpa Chicago and Grandma MissyShell hoping to watch the session. Mia for some reason, was crabby and in no mood to participate in the session. She certainly didn't want an audience either. It was pretty frustrating considering the fact that Jill was really looking forward to the photo session. 

Later, we went to Stone Fire Pizza for dinner. We had made plans to meet with BFF Olivia but her orientation for Kindergarten ran a bit late and she couldn't make it. Mia kept looking for her throughout the evening. Friday, Mia and I drove down to Bay View for my tattoo consultation. We met at a Colectivo and discussed my Hawaiian 1/2 sleeve. The artist did a rough drawing of it as we talked about the different elements, and he even bought Mia a smoothie :) It was remarkable to see him work like that in front of me. My last tattoo, I had just dropped off the reference art, paid the deposit and that was that till my appointment. I'm super amped to get this started and from what he was sketching out, I think it's going to be incredible. When we were done, Mia gave him a knuckle pound and we were on our way. I hope she can come to one of my sessions and can sit and watch for 4 hours :P 

Saturday, we did some yard work and made the most of the nice day. Later, Mia went to her friend from school Trey's 5th birthday party at a mini golf course. She came downstairs from getting ready in this really nice dress and looks at me and says "What? It's a party, I should wear a party dress". The majority of her class attended (with the exception of Izzy, Alexa, Olivia and Nakkita. The kids had a blast. They didn't really follow the rules of mini golf, but they certainly enjoyed themselves for 18 holes. The driving range looked really nice so I may have to take my Dad there sometime. After wards, we stopped at Qdoba for dinner and spent the rest of the night together watching a Barbie musical before bed time...fun. The Milwaukee Torrent had their first league match against the Minnesota TwinStars. They won their first away game. I wish I could have came. They had about 40 supporters drive up and cheer them on. I can't wait till their first home game in a few weeks. It's going to be so much fun. 

Today, we did some laundry and visited my parents since it was there anniversary before I went to work. We surprised them with a french silk pie from Baker's Square. 

This week Mia has her kindergarten orientation, I have to do another few more logos and possibly do a photo shoot for the Torrent. If that doesn't happen (rain is in the forecast possibly) I may get my 1st session for my tattoo started. We'll see what happens. That's all for now, thanks for reading! 

Field Trips and Nature Walks

Good morning everyone. Busy week per the usual, so lets get to it. Mid week, I chaperoned a field trip to the Sunset Playhouse in Elm Grove, a short little bus ride from New Berlin. The kids went to see The Little Red Hen. Before we departed her class, I hung out with some of the other parents watching our kids do their morning routine which consists of singing, sign language, then some Spanish, and Pledge of Allegiance. They were absolutely amazing to watch do all these things, and to think they do it every day. They listened quietly as she read two different versions of the Little Red Hen and watched to see if the kids could tell the different parts of it. When the bus arrived the kids got all excited and immediately tried to figure out who would sit with who. Two of Mia's friends wanted to sit with me. "Um, I need to sit with you because I need you in my life" said Olivia...then Irianna".

On the ride there, I sat by myself with Mia, Nakkita and Audrey in the seat directly across from me. Audrey and Mia planned it out early that they would sit together. Originally, they wanted me with them, but when I saw Nakkita sitting solo, I asked if the girls would like her to sit with them and they said "yes". Great. They started a craft before the play started. I helped the kids put together a hen with a paper plate, eyeballs and construction paper. Audrey claimed "yours won't look as good as mine" but when I completed it, she retracted her comment and said "yeah...it's pretty awesome". 

I sat with Alexa's Mom in the back and we watched the kids sit real nice and watch the play. They had a great time, and loved it. I think I heard from someone that they were the quietest and most well-behaved class there. Always nice to hear. :) On the way home, I sat with Olivia while Mia sat with Audrey again. We had a lot of fun on my very last field trip with her class. They've got one at the end of the month at the zoo, but my Mom will be attending this one. She's been holding out for a hopeful trip to the zoo and is very excited. 

Later, we went to my parents house after some grocery shopping and watched Chelsea take on Liverpool. It ended in a 1-1 draw which sums up the season for us. Thursday, Mia went to school for about an hour to check out a guy who brought animals, puppets and instruments to class. All of the classes were in the gym and from what she said, everyone had a great time. She was too shy and scared to touch the animals, but laughed as she told me a frog peed on the guys head. When I went to pick her up, her class came out of the main doors and were going to go on a nature walk. I was invited. Sure why not. Irianna attached herself to my leg before I had to get her off as we hiked down to the old site of Smarty Pants. Behind there, is a pond where the kids could hear croaking. Fun time. Friday, Mia and BFF Olivia went to Wildcard Gymnastics. THIS time, Mia had a lot of fun because her friend went with. The gym had more kids in it this time. The girls played and jumped and were silly for a few hours. It's always enjoyable watching these two interact. They're such sisters. 

Saturday, we got up and went to the Milwaukee Art Museum. We haven't been there since Mia was about 4 months old. Much more enjoyable as a 5 year old. She loved all of the art. She made a weathervane in this little studio. The detail Mia puts into every project she does, is incredible and both of us were very proud of her. We had a late lunch in their cafe before heading home for the day. I missed the Torrent's last friendly game due to the obnoxiously cold temperatures but the resulted in a tie. 

Sunday, I got up nice and early for the final Chelsea game of the season where they took on the BPL champions Leicester City. It ended in a 1-1 draw as well. We had a pretty frustrating season losing one of the best managers, suffered a handful of injuries and worst of all, witnessing players that shined last season fade out the majority of this season. Didn't want to end the season with a draw, but the main focus, was on if JT would be around for the 16/17 season. He was originally not offered a deal a few months back, and when he was rumored to be looking around for a new club, Chelsea quickly stated a contract extension was indeed offered, we're still unclear what will happen. I hope the skipper can stick around. He's the anchor to the West London ship and he's always been with the team no matter if they're winning or losing. 18 years with one team is very impressive. Hopefully he sticks around. No clue yet if I'm going to watch their friendly game in MN. Waiting for a confirmation from my brother and Dad that there down to do it. 

Throughout the week, I worked on some snapback hat designs for the Torrent and it's being decided which design will end up being the one that goes in production. I myself, do not sport the latest hat trend, but apparently a lot of people have been looking for a Torrent lid for their head so hopefully they sell. Mia's got a birthday party to attend this Saturday. Trey's turning 5 so she's super excited to attend. I've got some design work to do, and hope to start some traditional art stuff as well. That's all for now, thanks for reading!