Seems Like Yesterday...

Everyone has heard the expression..."It seems like yesterday..." I have been going through old pictures lately and it has given me new appreciation for "It seems like yesterday." It is amazing once you have kids how true this statement is. Just to see them change and to feel yourself change as they get older is amazing. I thought I would share some pictures I have found recently...they are kind of random.

Seems like yesterday...

...I was standing in the bowl at Lincoln High School with my diploma in hand. I remember thinking at the time of this picture how my brothers had great grandparents at their graduations and I had already lost one of my grandpas. I was terrified of leaving my comfort of home and going to school. Little did I know what was ahead of me!

...Bryce, my first nephew was born. Now 10 years later, both of my kids (and probably my 5 other nieces and nephews) wore those red Wisconsin sweat pants. I remember taking this picture at the Super 8 in Fitchburg. (Hard to believe my parents used to stay in the ghetto...maybe it wasn't then).

...I was combing Fritzy's hair (he wasn't a year in this picture) up at the cottage and how much I used to loved those WCSS basketball camp shorts I was wearing (probably a WCSS camp shirt too). And the Plymouth Acclaim in the background that my grandma and grandpa used to drive with the license plate JRP-??? (Just Retired People, they weren't personalize plates but that is how we remembered it). That was probably the last car they really put a lot of miles on.

...Beating Ann Klaperich and Fond du Lac to eventually go to the State basketball tournament in 1994. We were so excited. The sectional final game was a blur (and a win) after this HUGE win. Nothing else seemed important at the time. And I thought these girls were my life...sadly I now keep in touch with only one (Hi Sarah!)

...That we celebrated birthdays for everyone! My grandpa is 61 in this picture. He would be 81 now. And my great grandmas (sitting next to my grandpa), I remember them being roommates in the nursing home for a short time, until G. Grandma H. could get back home, two houses away from me. I can still remember the smell of their house and both G. grandparents house.

I can remember each of the outfits in these pictures and how I felt about the time and the people in them. I guess that is why we take pictures. I don't look at them to get sad for the people that are missing but happy for the times we had and the pictures to reveal that!

I guess this post would have been more appropriate for Memorial Day not the 4th, but hey, who says I am appropriate! And this was kind of fun, I may have to do old picture day more often!

Sad Day

Yesterday I got a rather lengthy email from my dad (which is strange on it's own), in it he mentioned that Fritz, our dog, wasn't doing so good and he was taking him to the doctor at 3. I found it a little strange that he told me this and the time, considering I knew that there have been some problems but nothing ever really diagnosed and he always seemed to come back OK.

I had a client in town yesterday and today which means that I went to dinner after work. So at about 8:45 on my way home I thought I better call just to check in. I typically don't call that late because they have an unusually early bedtime during the week but I guess I just had to know.

Dad answered the phone and he sounded like hell. I asked if he was sleeping and he said no, I guess I knew then. He then told me that the growth they had removed from Fritz a couple of months ago grew back, it was cancerous and it had spread down his throat. Dad made the decision to put him down.

I talked to my mom and she was pretty upset but doing pretty well.

Fritz was the encore to 2 basset hounds (only 1 of which I remember). My dad said he would never have another hound dog after Pokey and you couldn't get more opposite from Pokey to Fritz. We got Fritz, a Lahso Opso, 15 years ago in May, he was about 5 months old. He was a spoiled rotten dog but cute as a button. He always had a bow in his hair and loved to go see "auntie Jan" to get groomed. He loved to travel and stay in a variety of hotels.

Early in his life we gave up on the command "Fritz Come." We instead opted for "Fritz, Stay. We'll come get you". There is some question if he was every really house broken. He never really ran away, it was more like wandering. And we didn't really have to tie the rope up to anything to get him to stay, he was so terrified of the rope he wouldn't move much. He could hang out at a fire pit with the best of them, just put him in a chair and he would sleep all night. And he barked none stop when my mom started lighting candles around the house because he knew people were coming over.

So here's to you Fritzy! Thanks for the memories!

My 'lil peanut

I took Jacy in for pictures about a month ago...just had to share. When we put a headband on her Hunter always says she is going to excersize. Although for pictures I think I am the only one that gets excersize! The 2nd picture is the "I'm going to get in trouble soon Mommy...." She turned 8 months yesterday! I can't believe how fast time is going! Enjoy!

We got a crawler...

Or should I say or wormer? Jacy is up on all fours for over a week now. She can get about two motions (steps) forward before she lunges at whatever she wants. Still no teeth but it appears that 4 will be coming at once. She is loving the Gerber finger foods and doesn't really want anything else if she can see those.

Hunter has been such a good boy with her. He always wants a kiss before bed and is genuinely offended if we put her to bed without telling him. He is very excited these days as our wonderfully friendly (*read* satanic) kitty is letting him pet her. Not sure what that is all about. His little imagination is running on overdrive these days. His latest is he will be fighting with his power rangers and one will say "You want a piece of me?" or if Josh is one of the Power Rangers and not paying attention he says "Daddy, why you not fight your guy?" ...he is all boy. Yet then in the next second he will walk into the kitchen and say "Daddy you look really handsome in you jammy pants." Oh to be 3. It is amazing the thoughts that must go through that little head.

As for the rest of our household, we tore apart the deck and new retaining walls will be built soon. Then hopefully a new deck. After running a few numbers it doesn't look like 4 days a week is going to happen for me. Kind of a kicker but I guess I made my bed when I lived the high life in college. I was really looking forward to the time with the kids but I guess I will have to figure out a different way.

I guess that is the title of the blog. It isn't easy being a working mom. I guess we have to find our checks and balances. Hopefully we can figure something out. But for right now I will keep on keeping on. I do really like my job...it is just too much of a good thing...and not enough of a better thing :)