Royal Standards

If I had royal standards or even knew what they are, I'd say today met them.

I'm not just talking about the Royal Wedding, either. It was a beautiful, sunny Spring-like day -- just in time for May. Not the kind of day a person would want to spend indoors watching TV... except it was a work day anyway... and there were things to watch.

Unlike a lot of people I know, I did not set an alarm and get up early to watch the wedding coverage live. I saw bits of it over breakfast -- but the ceremony was done by 6 a.m. our time -- and then watched a few short videos. I plan to watch a 2-hour 20/20 special on it in a little bit so I am blogging now!

The big news on the way to work was a sign in Amherst that said King Cone was opening today! Whoo-hoo! My favorite real ice cream place! Was looking forward to that all day. But you know what they say about the best-laid plans...

Hubby and I were planning to leave work early so we could take care of a top-secret birthday present mission. Unfortunately, we left too early and King Cone wasn't open yet. They don't have summer hours -- just "school hours" which start after school, not the middle of the afternoon. So that was a bummer.

The good news is that I managed to find 45 minutes of uninterrupted sun time on the back patio. Perfect, perfect weather for that! I could have stayed out longer but had to run into town and get Carter from baseball practice and get a few things done.

The sun is gone now and the cooler, wet weather will be returning shortly. So it will be the perfect evening to lay on the couch and watch wedding coverage. Carter doesn't understand why people care about it. "It's so dumb." Well that's a boy talking to a woman who was his age -- a young teenage girl -- when the first Royal Wedding (in my memory) occurred and captivated us all.

I was always a fan of Lady Di/Princess Di. In fact, I'll always remember the day she died -- August 31, 1997 -- because that is the day I realized I was pregnant with Carter. What started out as a tragic day, ended quite the opposite. How fitting that one life ends and another begins.

So after following Diana's "boys" all these years, yes, I am interested like millions of other people in today's activities. Not so interested I would sacrifice my need for 8 hours of sleep last night. But interested enough to lay claim to the couch and the remote for 2 hours tonight.

Cheers!

Twisted Sister

Someone said today they figured Mother Nature was going through menopause. Totally makes sense to me -- moody, unpredictable, prone to unpredictable fits of rage and well, everything but the hot flashes (in the Midwest anyway).

And as much as we've all been complaining lately, I will take these cold, snowy and rainy April days any time over deadly twisters like those that ravaged the South yesterday. How tragic and scary.

So I need to not worry about how many times we've added and crossed off baseball games and practices on our calendar this month. At least we still have a house to sit in when the rain is pouring outside.

Except tonight. Since it is only a light rain and Coach Austin has had to cancel so many practices, he's got his team out there right now. Though I suspect that since it is dark out -- and the NFL draft is on TV -- they'll be home from practice any minute.

Then Jim can dump Carter off and head to Stevens Point to meet up with some former fellow newspaper Sports Guys to watch the draft. Of course, they were up late last night "drafting" their draft picks so they can see which guys get drafted first. If they pick the right ones, they'll get some money, naturally. I mean sports isn't all just fun and games, is it?

I think I'll just catch the highlights of the draft tomorrow and avoid the tragic images on The Weather Channel. There's a new Grey's tonight.

And I've got the remote.

Spring Scrapbook

And now, our "spring sports" -- Easter egg hunting, birthday present opening and baseball!

And they're off! My grand-nephew Anthony gets a running start in the annual Hedberg Easter Egg Hunt last Saturday.

Hostess Raylene should have the inside scoop on where the goodies are hidden -- but she had to hunt like the rest of us!

Carter checks out a treat bag found in one of many good hiding spots!

My nephew Zach and hubby Jim talk strategy.

Yes, there is more than one picture-taker in my family! My brother Ron had to break in his new camera!

Romey searches the pines -- which match her jacket, doncha think?

Caryn, Angie, Carter and Anthony show off their full treat bags!

Surprise, Carter! It's almost your birthday! (I saved the Twins stuff for MY birthday in a few months!)

Smile, Mr. Teenager!

What's not to love about a funny card with real money??

Mom gets to wear his clothes if he outgrows them (ha).

In her free time, Renell plays the Easter bunny (or Playboy bunny?). I'm thinking Easter bunny since this was a family event!

Don't mess with this bunny, honey!

Tried to get a picture of the two 7th-graders and naturally, they both immediately stand on their tippy-toes to get taller than the other one! (I don't think Carter will ever catch Anthony!)

Nothing says "Happy Easter" like Beef Jerky -- at least in Carter's opinion.

Yes, I've got him hooked on an '80s classic... I will get this, too, when he outgrows it (ha).

From Monday's Assumption Middle School baseball game... Carter waits in right field for some action.
He's #6 this year for no apparent reason -- other than this was the last jersey left!

Carter keeps an eye on the pitcher as he contemplates a steal.

He edges a little further from the plate. Unfortunately, the batter go out so Carter did not get a chance to make his way around the bases and score. Next time, hopefully!

Realistic Expectations :: Part 2

It was Thomas Edison who said: "Genius is one percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration." I think he was onto something. But sometimes we think just the opposite, don't we?

Sometimes, we think that we may find success if we really, really want something but don't necessarily put the sweat behind that goal. Other times we put the perspiration into our dream but find we lack the skill to make it come true.

That's reality. But sometimes we don't expect it.

I was looking forward to Carter's baseball game last night. The team's first outing last week was a wash, basically, with 2 tied games. Since that was better than a big loss, I was optimistic about the game this week. Plus, Carter had been working hard all winter on his "game" and really, really wants to be good, so I figured he was due for his big break.

Unfortunately, he might have been missing that one percent.

First of all, he wasn't in the starting lineup. He later subbed in at right field. Missed catching a fly ball that landed a foot away. And a run was scored by the other team.

Not that others didn't make mistakes, but it was tough to watch. They got skunked 14-zip. So obviously, we were missing more than one percent of needed talent. Let's hope for better results on Thursday!

I can take a lesson from this, of course.

A bunch of us at work recently signed up for a competition to "Lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks." That's a realistic and healthy goal. However, did you know that just because you sign up for something doesn't mean the pounds will just start falling off without the "perspiration"?

I didn't know that.

Or so it seemed the first 2 weeks. I get the idea after yesterday's weigh-in that perspiration -- and a whole lot of it -- is needed now. Then, when all is said and done, I'll use that leftover one percent to take an inspired shopping trip for new clothes.

Who's with me?

Realistic Expectations

You never know how much your words and actions impact your kids until they mimic them in some fashion and they suddenly, well, just seem plain ridiculous.

Carter is a saver. (Where does he get that?!) Usually silly space-taking things like Gatorade bottle caps, but sometimes money, too. He tends to go in extremes with that. Either it's burning a hole in his pocket or he saves it and suddenly has $60 in his wallet.

After getting a little birthday money already, he was determined to buy some songs off iTunes for his iPod and any PG-13 movie he can now legally lay a hand on. But then last night on the way home from the in-laws, carrying an Easter card with $5 in it from Grandpa and Grandma Austin, he changed his tune.

"I decided I'm not going to spend any money at all until I'm out of college. Then I'll have money saved up for a good life."

First of all, money can't buy a good life. Or is that happiness?

Secondly, if you're not spending it, who is? Mom and Dad are not going to buy everything for you! (But just about.)

Thirdly, is this just because we told you that after a month, there are probably only 49 cents worth of aluminum cans in your bag?

Right now I don't know if this means he's off the go-cart saving track or what. I'll keep you posted. (I sure hope he still wants to take care of Mother Earth and pick up that litter!)

Still, the 10-year saving plan was not the silliest notion of the day...

I'm proud to say I survived 40 days without ice cream. In the end, what did it accomplish? Nothing really. Instead of losing weight, I actually gained because this Lenten deprived soul overcompensated with Easter candy! There's a reason I have a t-shirt that says, "I run on ice cream." It fuels me! And I needed it.

I hadn't had any yet as of last evening, so Carter suggested we have leftover birthday cake and ice cream. But then quickly recanted and announced, while patting his little belly, that he is giving up ice cream.... for life. Yes, life. Seriously, whose kid is this? I swear I gave birth to him but it can't be so!

For fear this would somehow affect my future ice cream consumption, I tried to set him straight. "Carter, you don't need to give up anything! You're fine the way you are. You certainly don't have to give something up for the rest of your life!"

OK, he says, "I guess I can still like go to Dairy Queen or King Cone or Shivers if someone else suggests. It can't be me saying, 'Let's stop.' But it's OK if you do!"

Whew! So there's an out.

I don't have to disown him just yet. I do, however, have to look at my own expectations in a few areas and see if, in an outsider's opinion, they look just as ridiculous!

One thing's for sure. I better log off now and get to the freezer before I go 41 days!

Son Rise

It's totally appropriate that on Easter -- the day we celebrate the rising of God's Son -- that we also were lucky to have God's warm sun rise as well... and hang around all day.

It was the perfectly typical Easter Sunday -- and I loved it.

Due to our late arrival home last night, Carter was not up at the crack of dawn looking for his basket. He slept in until 9, found his basket in 2 seconds (uncreative, tired bunny, I guess) and then asked for breakfast.

Even with all those eggs we found yesterday, I still didn't make eggs for breakfast. Did up some blueberry pancakes and sausage and those stuck to our ribs for the day. Went to late church, spotted a few Easter bonnets, plenty of pastel and even experienced some vocal praising atypical of us Lutherans ("He is risen indeed!").

After church, Jim and Carter cleaned the garage out a bit, swapping the snowblower for the lawn mower in the coveted easy-access spot. Let's hope we didn't make this move too soon.

I went for a 3-mile run in the sun, then, seeing that it was as close to 60 as it was going to get, I reacquainted myself with the deck chair. He missed me, I'm sure of it!

Only got about 25 minutes out there before heading to the in-laws for Easter dinner. Small crowd this year so Carter got to sit at the "big table." He even cleaned his plate like a big boy! Not sure when Easter started rivaling Thanksgiving on the overstuffed, full feeling... but it is darn close. Ugh. Such good food. But oh so full.

I'm sure while we were out, Sylvester just ran from open window to open window, catching her rays of sun. (She and I were twins in a previous life.) I wanted to take her picture when she was stretched out on in the window, sunning her belly but then hubby said, "Well you know how you feel when someone takes your picture when you're sitting in the sun." Enough said. I'll leave her alone. Though I sure hope we get a lot more photo opportunities like it.

I loved celebrating the Son and the sun today.

And my deck chair and I still have so much more to talk about...

Happy Hunting

Hit the road shortly after 9 this morning so we could go Up North for the annual Hedberg Easter Egg Hunt. This year my twin sister hosted at her place east of Grantsburg. Still a 4-hour drive!

We made our first stop before we even got out of town. Had to support the Assumption girls softball team brat fry. The breakfast of champions!

Got to Raylene's in the early afternoon. Since we were the first to arrive, I got to hide my goodies and hers outside. Gradually, more family came. And with them, more plastic eggs and baggies filled with all manner of Easter treats!

By the time it was "go time" I knew where plenty of peanut butter eggs were! But mostly, I took photos (I'll post later) and let Carter do the hunting and grabbing. He always finds way too much candy. I know he'll share with me eventually.

After supper, we had a surprise in store for Carter. I had one of my sisters pick up a Minnesota Twins decorated cake for Carter's upcoming birthday. Since he rarely gets to celebrate it with my side of the family, I thought I'd throw a micro-party as part of the big Easter celebration. He was totally surprised. In fact, when we started singing "Happy Birthday," he was singing along, not realizing we were singing to HIM! You catch a kid a week before their birthday and they are clueless. I thought teens were supposed to be smarter than that! Anyway, he enjoyed the well wishes and gifts.

Made the 4-hour trek home by midnight. Since Easter is only minutes away, hubby is willing to serve up some ice cream for me. If you can believe it, I am too full!

Should've had one or two less peanut butter eggs, I guess!