Labor Day Weekend

I know its been several weeks already, but I had to share some of the great photos and fun times that we had over Labor Day Weekend on here! My college roomie and a godmomma to Eva, Linnea, came into town from Colorado so we could play, talk, eat, sleep in, laugh late at night, and take a bunch of pictures together for a weekend.

Most of these photos Lin took on her fab camera (thanks, chica!), which helped make a fun walk in the park a photo shoot. These first few shots are of us in Gomper's Park by the fishing pond - it's Eva's new fave park (and there are many more good pics from the park and the weekend in our online photo albums as well.)

We also spent an afternoon with Lin at Danielson's *new* house for their block party - meeting all their new neighbors and chillin with the chillins. My favorite pic is the one here, of the two toddlers sitting on the front stoop - so cliche, and so cute! They were swapping sunglasses, drinks, and some kisses that afternoon. Gotta love 'em!

Over the long weekend, Eva and I also got to see Molly, a dog that Linnea was meeting so she could consider bringing her back home to their family in CO. Molly is a cute, smart pup that we watched fetch tennis balls in the lake and run all over the hillside; she is flying on "Pet Air" to join Lin in her new home next month! Needless to say, Evy was pretty excited about a dog who could swim AND chase balls.

Labor Day also marked ten years of marriage for Peter and me! TEN YEARS! We've done several date nights to celebrate our anniversary together already, and are taking a big trip to Thailand in a week or so that is in part to celebrate - but it was kind of cool to actually pass the official day and think about all that has happened in ten years of being married to my best friend.

How lucky we are to be able to share everyday moments - and big milestones - with friends that we love so much! :)

Cough, Cough.... Ow, Ow

We've got some suffering people at home today...

Case #1: 18 month old (cutie) female, presenting with an intense fever and a two-week-plus cold and coughing stint.

Diagnosis: We took Eva to the doctor on Tuesday and found out that she has croup. :( Poor baby, that's why she's been hacking at night and drinking nineteen warm bottles to get to sleep.

Prescription: tylenol, lots of liquids/humidity, time in the humid bathroom at night if she can't sleep, and no more kissing Izey and Ando every two minutes - since its highly contagious. Whoops.

Case 2: 33-yr old (super cute) male, presenting with persistant upper right tooth pain, associated headaches, and general irritability at the high price of dental work.

Diagnosis: Even with super diligent dental hygiene, this guy's teeth always give him trouble. He was told he needed a root canal :(.

Prescription: Find a new (cheaper - horrah!) dentist. Have a root canal (OUCH!), but feel grateful that you could get in quickly and before taking a long international trip. Get new Halo game as consolation for a crap day. Come home and cuddle with two cute girls

Here's Peter (with one of his girls)... and that's what it looks like at our place tonight. Just wanted to give these two some online lovin'. :)

Updated Summer Collage

* with added fab photos from Labor Day weekend - via Linnea! *

Proud Owners of a New and Improved.....Toddler

I think it's official; we have a toddler in the house. Here are a few snippets of our last week and why Eva has me convinced that she is truly fulfilling the age-appropriate stereotype:

Cute thing she did all morning: said "Wow!" over and over when she saw something she liked.
Not as cute thing she did the same morning: threw her hat in the toilet.

New skill she has mastered: climbing stairs
Skill she has regressed on: walking (she now prefers that mom and dad swing her along in between us while she sings and squeals)

Her new words that she says accurately: mo (more), Ah-do (Ando - for little Anders Danielson), bay-bee (baby), may-ow (meow, when she sees a kitty), dat (dad - in addition to the previously learned "daddy") and goh-goh-goh-goh (for go)
Her new words that she often confuses: ah-doh (all done) and a-may (amen)

Sweet thing she now does: cuddles much more & gives us hugs/kisses un-asked for - and often!
Not so sweet thing she now does: smears yogurt/hummus/'insert-food-product' here, all over her arms/legs/face/ 'insert-body-part-she-can-reach-while-in-her-high-chair' here.

Ah, Eva - she is a funny kid. :)

I. Met. Oprah.

Well, along with an audience of 150 or so other people!

My ever-vigilant online mom snagged us tickets to attend a taping of an Oprah show last week - woo hoo! Mom was spending a chunk of a week with us for babysitting help, and while she was in town, she and I got to spend an early morning/afternoon driving down to Harpo Studios off Randolph Street (did you Chicagoans know that her studio is two minutes from the highway where we all drive all the time? I didn't.) While waiting for the taping to start, we were told that we were part of the first audience to tape for the new 24th season - so we of course thought we'd get to hear Whitney Houston or someone amazing to kick off the season. But, I think we were the first show they taped, not the first show that will be shown (they didn't tell us when our show will be aired, as mom kept pointing out - over and over - and again.) Sadly, we did not get to hear Whitney sing (or win a free car), but it was still a really cool morning!

The whole experience was really fun and seems only fitting for someone who a) has lived in Chicago for over a decade now, and b) loves all things Oprah. The show we attended was about international stars - famous people from around the world that Oprah wanted the US viewers to be introduced to. We met "the Chinese Oprah" - Chen Lu Yu - and her live audience via Skype; the "most famous couple in the world" - Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan were in studio from Bollywood (the 'Indian Hollywood'), and an Argentinian polo player turned Ralph Lauren model named Ignacio 'Nacho' Figuera also joined Oprah on stage for an interview. The guests were all very interesting - and funny! - people.

A few favorite memories from the day include:
- when we drove up to a nearby parking lot on our way into the studio, and mom rolls down her window to tell the parking attendant, "We're with Oprah - where can we park?"
- when we found *free* street parking (after said parking attendant told us his rate was $30.00)
- when we met two other people from Rochester, MN, sitting one row over from us in the waiting room for the taping
- when we met a couple who spent $1,000 just on their last minute airpane tickets from California to come use their Oprah tickets and visit Chicago for the first time (yes, we spent $0.00 to use our Oprah tickets)
- when we first walked into the actual studio, on the same plastic, white and silver hallway on the set that you see Oprah walk on every time, and found our seats under the hot overhead lights while Mary Blige was pumping on the stereo - it felt electric!
- realizing just how many famous people are doing cool stuff around the world that we don't hear much about
- seeing Oprah and her whole team in the studio in action; I was really impressed with her voice-overs, interviews, how she read people intuitively while interviewing them, responded to tricky questions, etc. She is GOOD at her job; from the eensy-weensy amount of work I've done speaking on camera and writing communications material, you can tell she has done this for years and is a PRO-fessional at it - very cool to watch.
- hanging out with my mom and having a crazy-lucky morning 'with Oprah' together!