Sorry I'm Not Sorry

We had some fun adventures this weekend.  Friday night we had our traditional Lou Malnatis.  And it was amazing.

Saturday I shot photos at the competition that my CrossFit box put on.  Half of the competition was outside, so I was able to use my big lens and get some great photos.  One of the really great things about shooting so often (in low-light) I am getting really acquainted with my DSLR camera.  Also, for some reason, I felt the need to buy a nice(r) 50mm lens last year with a really low fstop capability.  I can't remember why I bought it... but turns out it has saved me shooting at CrossFit... since it's in a warehouse type space with relatively low light.  That bad boy don't care about low light!!

There was a pretty sweet lens that I saw the other day on the internet that I wouldn't mind having.  It basically takes the things I love about my big lens and combines them with the things I like about my little lens.  And costs only 12,000 pounds (as in british sterling pounds).  Can you imagine over $20,000 for something to fit in the palm of your hand?  WOW.  

I have been getting a lot of really positive feedback on the photos.  Only one person has had anything negative to say...to be fair, I had experimented a bit with a particular effect, so it's fair if he didn't like it. It was of him finishing a box jump and I put it more up to brag that I got the shot... seriously, in low light?  Everything exposed right and motion frozen?  Yeah, Imma brag about that.  Sorry I'm not sorry for bragging.  I think I still make some of the girls uncomfortable when I shoot.  Hell, I might make some of the guys uncomfortable, but none of them had ever said anything or appear to actually be avoiding the camera.  Side note: "Sorry I'm not sorry" is one of my new favorite things to say.  It's the ultimate way to acknowledge that maybe you should be sorry, but you aren't.  

After Nico's swim team practice and my shooting Saturday morning, we tried to take a nap at home.  But failed.  Saturday afternoon, Dave and I made the mistake of watching some show on the travel channel about food+travel.  Turns out that the travel channel has completely given up on actual travel shows and are just doing food shows.  We watched a piece about steak sandwiches in Philladelphia (as in Geno's and Pat's).  Well, next thing you know, we were at Dominicks getting stuff for steak sandwiches.  I got a snicker's bar and a green apple to make a snickers apple salad.  I asked Nico if he wanted some, to which he replied NO when he heard the word salad.  Turns out that he actually likes Snickers Apple Salad... weird.  It's almost like he likes being contrary.  For the sake of being contrary.  

As you can see, the weekends are a bit hard for Drake:

Sunday, we explored Skokie a bit.  Dave liked the Skokie Farmer's market on Facebook and was reminded that there were only a few more weekends of the market before winter.  So we rode up there  (in the rain) and ended up having breakfast at Annie's pancake house before trying the market.  Here is Nico checking his email and having "coffee":

We ended up with a bunch of fruit (peaches, blackberries, apples, etc).  We had a short workout at the YMCA and then headed home for a nap.  After nap, Dave went to get groceries.  He found a grocery that he really likes, called Mariano's.  They have a massive prepared food section, which is THE thing he likes about Whole Foods.  But Whole Foods is expensive for the stuff that you aren't buying because it's organic.  Like paper towels.  And canned beans.  Apparently, Marianos walks that line pretty well.  

While he was at the store, Nico and I hung out at the house drawing maps.  That is kind of his thing lately, drawing maps.  A couple of weeks ago, I found a watercolor tablet at Target for super cheap, and he really likes drawing on these (I think because the paper doesn't get as bent up as regular paper).  This week and next, hopefully, we'll be sending out a bunch of maps to Granny You and Grampy and Grandma and Grandpa.  We might even sneak one down to Max, Becks, and Emme.

Birthday decision!!

I spent some time yesterday at lunch looking around for birthday locations for Nico's birthday. Because he has the misfortune of being born in August, an outside party is almost certainly a no-go (unless it's at a pool). Otherwise we'd have a situation like we had last year, with 4325874958734295 people at our 1500 square foot house... and it rained. Yeah, I am in the wrong business. Apparently the real money is in birthday party locations. 300+ dollars for a party at the ghetto pool at 9am or 630 pm? Right...

So, I think we might just skip the madness this year. Maybe have a fun "Nico Day" that entails going to the pool and getting frozen yogurt. And maybe getting this:

After his little friend Ezekial's birthday party, this might be a good option. If you remember, Nico spent most of the day on a tricycle.

Maybe a good choice?

Seriously... can't you just eat him up?

Nico Soccer Man

Really looking forward to the weekend.  Nico is looking forward to going swimming in the ocean.  He claims to remember the last time were at the beach... I am not sure I believe him :)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  

Helping in the kitchen Nico

The weekend is almost here.  Yay. Although I think I am getting sick. 

It looks like I *might* still have a job after June.  So that is good. 

Got a busy weekend lined up.  Hoping to shoot some pictures at a horse show, a soccer tournament and perhaps even a men's soccer game.  Whoo hooo!

I hope you all have a good weekend!  Here is a picture of Nico helping in the kitchen.

Tie baby...

So the director of Nico's childcare place took this picture of him yesterday.  Seriously, how cute can he be.  I thought this caption would be appropriate: 

"Mommies, look at your baby, now look at me, look at your baby, now back to me. Sadly, he is not me. But he could be cute like me, if he had a tie onesie and not some silly onesie with a truck on it. Mommies, look at your baby, now look at me, now back to your baby, now back to me. What is ...this? It is a bottle with formula. Now look again, its a bottle with champaigne..."

See, it's like this commercial:

Ha!!  Sorry copied content (I put this up on facebook last night).  But some people I know refuse to get a facebook page... yes, LH, that is the sound of you being thrown under the bus :) 

Let's talk about the fact that Nico can hold his own bottle.  When did that start?  Milka-what?  I could have set him down on the floor with a boppy and he could feed himself?  Wha-WHAT?  I have been duped!!  Unless he never showed me he could hold his own bottle because he wanted to have Mama-Nico time?  In which case, how adorable is that?

Other than that- that is all we have around here.  I know, these posts are boring... we're not doing much.  Just trying to get through the week.  Maybe there will be something more exciting to report tomorrow?

Lost my damn mind...

MUST. STAY. AWAY. FROM. INTERNETS. 

Sometimes you get on a bad run.  You blog hop from one to the next to the next to the next... and sometimes you're just looking for anything... anything to be inspired.  Anything to make think, "ooooooooh, and ahhhhhhhhhh."  And sometimes its reallly unfulfilling. 

Then there are other times where you blog hop and just become so overwhelmed with all of the awesome.  The best way I can use to describe it is how my nephew Maddox was when I went out to Dallas in April for PAA.  Where he would start a sentence then, start another one and start another one.  That just happened to me.  I was like, OMG- I can't believe how amazing this is... then I thought, this is amazing too... it's crazy.  I want to do this.  Seriously, I feel like a kid in a candy store- over stimulated, distracted and out of control. 

This is how bad it is... I saw this and fell in love.  I really want to make it. Not for me, because I dont do ruffles.  But for someone little:   

I clearly, have lost my damn mind.  In any case, I can't wait till Emme is older, because I think she needs a skirt like this. 

In any case- I am glad it is Friday.  Not because I do hard work like my Dad and brother.  But because I am looking forward to hanging out with the boys.  The last two mornings I have left for work before Nico has woken up.  Do you have any idea how much that sucks?  And last night one of Dave's coworker's wives wanted to keep Nico while we were at practice... so when we got home, Nico was asleep.  He woke up for a little to make it known that he was annoyed to be wearing a wet diaper... but then went back to sleep.  I am seriously needing some Nico cuddlez!!

On the upside- at practice last night, both Dave and I got to play at the same time.  Of course, lets be honest- I probably shouldnt be playing.  Ever.  Especially yesterday... where on my run at lunch time, I ate it face first... seriously.  I ran down Esplanade to Blairstone and was coming back, determined to attack that beast of a hill with gusto.  And promptly caught my foot and fell down, banging both knees and scraping my elbow and hand.  The thing is, when I fall, I really just want to lay on the ground and gather my wits about me.  But so often, I am afraid that someone is watching and they will be forced to come ask if I am okay... then I have to laugh it off sheepishly, like!!  Ha!! That big kid just fell down!  So I got up and walked it off.  But since we didnt have Nico at practice, I felt like I should play. 

Which, lets be honest here- I probably shouldnt do. I was completely out of control.  Because you know what happens when you're slow under the best of conditions (and out of shape)?  The professional foul!!  For real... last night DH ran by me and I grabbed his shirt and basically just stopped running, which wouldnt have been too bad, except that he kept the ball and managed to get off a good pass.  FAIL (for me). 

Oh, and that is not even talking about the attempted bike I had.  Milka-what?  You say?  Yeah... it was ugly.  This is what Dave Royse had to say about the attemped bike: "Bishop- you couldn't do a bike 10 years ago."  Yeah... the man does have a point.  But I got points for trying.  Apparentally. 

Well, that is about all I have to say about that.  I am off... Yesterday, I learned about National Incident Managment.  Today I am learning about Ethics. Try not to be jealous. 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was pretty awesome. We ended up leaving mid-afternoon on Wednesday. It was slow going though- especially once we got on I-75. But once we got on the turnpike, it picked up a little and we ended up making it into Miami around 1 am. As expected, the craxy traveling schedule+new surroundings threw a wrench in Nico's flow. This meant that instead of sleeping until 552 am, he proceeded to wake up at 3am. AWESOME. Naturally this lead to a lot of napping over the holiday.

Dave's Mom and Aunt made a huge Thanksgiving Feast, which was delicious- including a very tasty cranberry sauce- which I proceeded to eat most of by myself. That is how I roll.

On Friday, we went up to Christian and Heather's place to meet their new baby, Liam. Their older child (Miranda) is about 2 and half and is a genius. Overheard: "Mommy, can I get another marker? The pink doesnt show up well." The pink doesnt show up well? Srsly? Good grammar at two and half? Yes please. Apparently, the fact that she is pretty smart helps- but they dont talk to her like she is a little kid. They talk to her like she is a human. LOVE IT. Of course, Dave and I would like to have a genius kid like that- but I dont know if its worth not talking in LOLSpeak. For real- how much fun is it to say things like, "I can haz some milk?" or "All of ur diapers are belong to us nao!" And its even awesomer since we talk for him anyways.

Saturday we went to a place called "The Field" for lunch (an Irish Pub). It was delicious, thank you very much. I had Bangers and Mash- both of which I highly recommend.

On Sunday, we skipped across Aligator Alley and swung into Ft. Myers to do brunch with my parents. We saw a ton of alligators- which was very cool. They dont play! In any case, brunch with my parents was cool. My dad got to meet Nico for the first time, which was awesome. I think the jacked up sleeping schedule, plus all the stimuli got to Nico, because it wasn't long after we got on the road when he had a MELTDOWN MELTDOWN MELTDOWN. Not a lot of fun. I spent much of the drive on Sunday reclined back in the passenger seat trying to keep him from crying his face off.
We ended up getting back on Sunday night around 930 pm. Not too bad. Was actually a pretty fun weekend, if tiring. Right now, we're just trying to get our feet under us for this upcoming week. Its pretty out of control.

On a completely unrelated matter- I am thinking about entering Nico into a cute baby contest. Trying to figure out what kind of picture to send in. Any thoughts? How do you guys feel about these? I dont have any really great pictures of him smiling...and he's not really extradordinary looking (like the Nelson tripletts who are very adorable, with their curly blonde hair and blue eyes). Advice?