Dear March,

I know today is just a tease. You can't fool me. Don't try to get me all excited about spring again, March. I won't fall for it twice.

Hugs and Kisses,
Shotgun

He is Risen!

Happy Easter!!

[insert picture of a happy family here. Not a family where the little girl is eating jelly beans out of an egg holding it just out of reach of her baby brother who is freaking out and reaching for the "ball, ball!", with a mom and dad trying to look happy and peacefull and failing miserably.]

A Poem

By: Back Seat Girl

Perfume, perfume
I got a friend with two Perfumes
His name is Fred

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

You knew I was going to mention this eventually, didn't you?

I just finished reading the "Sports Illustrated" Special Tribute Edition on Brett Favre. Cover to Cover. I read every word, every photo caption, everything, and I relished it all.

Favre played 16 years as a Packer, which means I was 14 that fateful day when Don "The Majic Man" Majkowski got hurt and he stepped up to win the game. He started every game for the Packers after that. For 16 years. That is amazing to me. I hate calling in sick to work, but I've still done it from time to time, and for the past 4 years I haven't even worked full time. Also, as I look back on my almost 8 year career at the VA, I can't recall a time when anyone has ever open-field tackled me in the lab.

I remember the terrible times before Brett Favre. All of those losing seasons. I think the last time they made it to the playoffs before Brett took them there in '93 was in 1982. That's just getting to the playoffs. They hadn't even gotten to the post season in 11 years. I remember Randy Wright (Randy WRONG), Anthony Dillweg, and, of course, Don Majkowski. I also remember Majkowski's sexified commercials on local TV, but that's beside the point.

I was in Winona during their Super Bowl years, and I felt cheated. I was in MN, where most of my classmates came from somewhere in MN, and they did not like Brett Favre or the Packers. Luckily we could get local stations from LaCrosse, so I did manage to watch a lot of Packers coverage on the news, but at my parent's house the local news is from Green Bay, and their lead story of almost every newscast during the football season was about the Packers. Everything you've heard about the mania in that state regarding their football team is true. It's something, and it's really fun to be a part of. I used to regularly argue with my teacher in gradeschool on Monday mornings about the Packers. "They should play this guy", "No, he sucks, they should stay with this guy".

I'm sad to see him go. No matter how the season was going, he was always fun to watch. I know that we probably won't hear from him much now. He'll resurface when they induct him into the Hall of Fame and then disappear again. I'm glad that I will get to tell my children and grandchildren that 'yea, I remember watching Brett Favre play', and even though they will roll their eyes and wonder why I think they care, I'll care.

So there you have it. The post I've been trying to avoid writing since I heard the sad news two weeks ago. I guess my WI roots just won't let me be quiet about the subject. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my cheesehead and get back to work.

A picture essay

I have to admit I, like many other people who live in this state, have started having very dark thoughts about living in this state. I mean, last week Back Seat Girl went sledding and made snow angels. It's just the time of year that everyone hits the wall, I think. The wall being When Is Winter Going To Go Away? We all know it won't oficially be warm for a very long time, but days like today give me hope.

Driver took the plastic off the sliding glass door in the kitchen last night after the kids went to bed. The first time Back Seat Boy was crawling around the kitchen this morning he smacked his head on the glass. He just turned around and looked at my like "what the hell?" It was pretty funny.

And following are some pictures so you can see how each day has slowly gotten better. Except for the first picture. That picture is just so you can see the kind of girl I live with. The kind of girl who, when asked if she has a particular card in 'Go Fish' answers "I do not indeed".

Don't act like you've never cleaned up your room wearing a pink leotard and dance skirt. I was just happy she was actually cleaning her room like I asked.

Pictured above is our walk from yesterday. We also took a walk on Tuesday, which was much nicer what with the sun and all, but I didn't bring the camera that day. This day we were all pretty cold when we got home.

That is BSG waiting for a bird to fly onto her finger. When I told her I thought that it probably wouldn't happen seeing as how birds are afraid of humans, she replied "But Mary Poppins did it. She got a robin to land on her finger. Then she sang that song!" I stand corrected.

This is the best shot I got of BSB from that same day. He was on my back in the carrier, so I just held the camera up and hoped for the best.

This is today. We had our afternoon snack outside. Notice BSG in a skirt. She actually kept it on for at least 5 minutes before declaring she was freezing and going in to change. BSB does not understand the concept of looking at the camera.

That face. It kills me. I have to restrain myself from eating him a million times a day.

See-more sensible pants.

Also-BSB got to try out his new shoes outside. I held his hands and he walked around on the cement and the wet grass. He must pay attention to us, too, because after we got inside the first thing he did after I set him down on the rug by the door was hold up his feet for me to take his shoes off.

The definition of a sensitive boy

To be fair, I should mention that at one point he actually beat the baby in the head with the ball.