two little monsters

SUPERMAN LOVE SPIDERMAN

2012-01-25T05:54:00.000-08:00

FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET

2012-01-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

THIS MORNING.....

2012-01-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

This morning while I was bridesmaid dress shopping.... Jill took the kids for a walk

To the new donut bakery! Yum!

FAMOUS DOG

2012-01-05T07:34:00.001-08:00

Not sure if I remembered to mention this here: Irene was featured in a calendar! The Pet Project is a non-profit that helps keep people with their pets during economic difficulty. They contacted Hymie's to see if she would like to be a part of it. And here she is! Miss June! Can you believe it? If you'd like to purchase one, they are $20 and 100% of that goes to benefit The Pet Project (http://thepetprojectmn.org/)

The rest of the months are other shop dogs from around Minneapolis!

our year, in photos

2011-12-31T17:54:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS MORNING

2011-12-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

There were presents

Aunt Katie got Nova a shopping cart. She waited patiently while Poppa assembled it.

Every photo of her with it is blurry:

She seriously has not stopped pushing it around yet.

George books!

It was a very, very Merry Christmas!

CHRISTMAS EVE

2011-12-29T18:18:00.000-08:00

We ate popcorn & watched movies.

Nova got all cozy.

There was some chaos.

And we had to keep checking for Santa...

CHRISTMAS COOKIES!

2011-12-17T07:43:00.000-08:00

MORE CONCENTRATION THAN YOU COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE

2011-12-11T17:55:00.000-08:00

Especially with all of my little helpers!

FARGO WEEKEND

2011-12-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

We just returned from a Fargo visit with our cousins. We managed to leave the camera at home, but Grandma Mary took this one of Nova while we were building gingerbread houses!

CHRISTMAS CARD OUTTAKES

2011-12-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

ALL SNUGGLED IN

2011-12-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

COUNTING DOWN

2011-12-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

Nana sent us some calendars we can us to count down to Christmas!

It took us awhile to find the 1st day....

Got it!

Nova's face here is priceless:

BUILDING TOWERS

2011-12-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

SOOOOO CUTE!

2011-11-19T05:26:00.000-08:00

SEA MONSTER!

2011-11-16T18:26:00.000-08:00

MAKING A LIST

2011-11-13T18:28:00.000-08:00

PRETENDING

2011-11-11T18:25:00.000-08:00

NOT EXACTLY A SMILE

2011-11-09T06:55:00.000-08:00

WISH THIS WASN'T BLURRY!

2011-11-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

AN HOUR AFTER WE PUT HIM TO BED...

2011-11-07T06:52:00.000-08:00

He snuck down the stairs & we sat and talked for awhile.

SHE WILL CHARM YOUR SOCKS OFF!

2011-11-06T06:50:00.000-08:00

READING COMICS WITH CADENCE

2011-11-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

THE HAUL

2011-10-31T17:59:00.001-07:00

Scariest part of Halloween - Poppa just lost a crown to a milk dud! Ouch!!!

BATMAN

2011-10-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

IT BEGINS...

2011-10-26T06:08:00.000-07:00

PONCHO

2011-10-16T05:25:00.000-07:00

We found this poncho at the bottom of a hand-me-down box from Juna. Sorry, Gus is jumping.

Nova loves it, and it's adorable.

Now I want to knit a ponch for everyone!!

WHO MAKES YOUR DAY BETTER?

2011-10-10T07:07:00.001-07:00

Nova does!

NEW TRIKE

2011-10-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

LATE SEASON BROCCOLI IN THE GARDEN

2011-10-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

NOM

2011-10-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

JOE ALWAYS LETS THEM PLAY HIS DRUMS

2011-10-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

TARGET FIELD

2011-10-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

Nikki & Uncle Andy took Poppa & Gus to a baseball game last week!

APPLE ORCHARD WITH NIKKI

2011-10-03T07:02:00.001-07:00

ONE MORE TEA PARTY BEFORE IT GETS TOO COLD

2011-09-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

CUTTING GRAPES WITH A BUTTER KNIFE IS IMPOSSIBLE

2011-09-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

PRACTICING THEIR YOGA

2011-09-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

NOVA & PELA (and Gus)

2011-09-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

GETTING SERIOUSLY GOOD AT HIDING

2011-09-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

FISHING

2011-09-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

For dinosaurs, this time.

THE TAPIR

2011-09-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

Momma, what is that?

It's a tapir, honey.

Momma, what's a tapir?

........... it's an animal, honey.....

TRACTORS & FOUNTAINS

2011-09-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

MISS MOUSE!

2011-09-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

ZOO TRIP: FARM

2011-09-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

Our friends had never been to the petting zoo part before.

As always, the goats were a hit.

Rachel tried to smuggle a baby chick home in her purse. Kidding! (sort of)

ZOO TRIP: MOOSE

2011-09-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

The boys woke the moose up.

ZOO TRIP: TIGERS

2011-09-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to the Minnesota Zoo with our friends Hale & Pela. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Whenever you go to the zoo with children, GET THERE WHEN THEY OPEN.

The animals are awake and usually active, and you don't have to fight the dreaded stroller wars.

TIGERS!

VIKINGS

2011-09-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

This is his Viking face, "because Vikings are mad!!"

NOVI NOODLE

2011-09-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

I look at this photo and see her in 12 years....

She looks so worried!

That's better!

NOVA & HER BEST

2011-09-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

As you may know, we have been hosting live music every week at Hymie's. Our friend Eric runs the sound for the bands, and his pal Tyler often tags along too.

Gus & Nova love Eric and Tyler (or ET, as they are sometimes called) Eric teaches Gus new dance moves, and Tyler hangs with Nova. If you ask Nova about Tyler, she always responds in the same way, “Tyler is my best!”

Dave has been taking photos of them when they hang out at the record store. Tyler is totally her best!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!

2011-08-30T05:53:00.000-07:00

Today is Gus's first day of preschool. If there is a better looking 3 year old in the entire world, I have not met him. Seriously, look at this boy:

"NOOOO, don't take a picture, it's time to go to SCHOOOOOOOL!!!"

All told, it was pretty uneventful. We went in, hung up his Darth Vadar backpack in his cubby, went over to the table with the name tags. He was nervous, and couldn't find the one that started with the letter G. Teacher Jakki helped him.

He went right for the toys, but teacher Mary asked him to pick a book and sit on the rug. Which he did. When I left, there he was: sitting quietly on the rug, completely engrossed. Hardly a wave goodbye - his sister was really the upset one (since she didn't get to stay).

I was sadder than expected. I've left him at babysitting rooms, ECFE classes, with baby sitters, and he's been away from us overnight at least a half a dozen times. But this was different. The hippie in me reared up a little bit, thinking "this is day one of 15 years in an education system that will ultimately fail him and leave him ill prepared for the world."

The real thing, though, was that Dave and I are the most important people in his life. And while he's only 3, that's the way it's always been. There's never been an adult whose word he values more or who he looked up to more than his Momma & Poppa. I love his teachers, I think they will do a fantastic job, but a part of me is just a little sad that pretty soon we won't be number 1 and number 2 any more. We won't get to meet his friends when he does, we don't get to be there for every conversation and interaction, ever time he learns something new. It's a good thing, I know that. He's a smart kid and he's going to love preschool. This next adventure is going to be super fun.

SHE TOOK A SWIM TOO

2011-08-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

HIDE AND SEEK

2011-08-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Her new favorite thing is playing hide & seek at the record store, but she still hasn't figured out how to tuck in her feet!

CUTIES

2011-08-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

LISTENING

2011-08-25T18:42:00.000-07:00

Gus and Nova spend a lot of time at the record store.

Gus likes the listening station.

Jungle Book!

FISHIN'

2011-08-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

Just sittin' and fishin' in the sandbox....whiling the time away.

MONSTERS AT THE FINISH

2011-08-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

They helped me cross the finish line last week. Gus is serious about this race, you can tell from his face.

ALL WRAPPED UP

2011-08-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

And a baby doll stuck in there to boot!

JUNA'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

2011-08-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Juna Bea turned 5!

THE BOOK

2011-08-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

What book is Nova taking very seriously right now? Can you see it?

Let me zoom in a bit:

Oh! It is the Sweet Pickles book Turtle Throws a Tantrum!
An absolute classic, as far as the Broderick's are concerned!

I am really starting to hope the message sinks in ...

WE CAUGHT A GRASSHOPPER!!!

2011-08-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

BREAKFAST WITH A VIEW

2011-08-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

KASHYYK

2011-08-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

Gus and I built a duplo Kashyyk for the wookies.

MINI ME

2011-08-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

There was once a Christmas that we shared with our aunts and uncles. Like most family gatherings - there was a ton of appetizers and food laid of for everyone to munch on until the big meal was ready. My Uncle Jim made the mistake of eating all of the black olives before I had a chance to grab any. I threw an absolute fit about it leading my uncle to - for YEARS afterward - always bring me a can of black olives. The gift for me wrapped and under the tree was - yes - a can of black olives for many years. It was silly, maybe a little embarassing, but I was always really glad that I got to eat the whole can myself.

This one? This one is all mine.

THE ANIMALS

2011-08-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, one of the stories told over and over was how my sister, at age 2 or 3, fell down the stairs because she was trying to carry too many stuffed animals. Strange, I always thought - why would she have been carrying so many?

Now that I am the wrangler of a 2 year old girl I completely understand. She does not go anywhere alone. In fact the other day she started SCREAMING at 6 AM - she was awake and out of her bed and wanted to come wake us up - but she couldn't figure out how to carry more than 6 animals. 6. And they were all totally necessary.

SANTANA COLORING CONTEST

2011-08-12T19:16:00.000-07:00

The week we got home from Fargo our record shop hosted a Santana birthday party - complete with a record coloring contest!

^Nova did a great job. Gus got distracted by the glitter pens.

Our friend John Marshall was the contest judge.

CRASH

2011-08-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

STREET FAIR

2011-08-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

Before we left Fargo we hit up the annual street fair. The heat was unbelievable but it didn't stop the monsters from riding the barrel train with cousin Jonah! Nova's pigtails are so perfectly curled in this^ photo!

WHOA

2011-08-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Mick Jones came into the record store. If you don't know who Mick Jones is, click here. That is a pretty big deal. No, that is a HUGE deal.

As you were.

THE WEDDING

2011-08-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

The kids got all fancied up for the wedding despite the 100 degree heat.

Unfortunately (predictably) we didn't make it very long before we needed a break. We checked out the rest of the church (and the view)

(don't they look good? They look good)

and we found the nursery!

FARGO-FANTASTIC

2011-08-08T18:47:00.001-07:00

I realize I am a little behind on posting - I will try to get you up to date!

A few weeks ago I took the monsters with me to Fargo for a family wedding.

Nova was super excited for the drive - she even packed her own bag!

Gus did this for most of the drive

And was pretty ecstatic that the happy meal toy was a LIGHT SABER!

Please note - this was the first last and ONLY time I will take my kids to a McDonalds Play Place. It was conviently right off the highway and had the afore mentioned light sabers. Unfortunately Miss Nova climbed right to the top of the thing and could not find her way down. Gus tried to be helpful but could not find her - so I got to climb into it and help her out. Not exactly a banner day - but the sabers certainly helped.

WABUN & THE FALLS

2011-07-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

Last week I felt adventurous, and took the kids down to Wabun Picnic area. Wabun is great because the pool has fountains...

and the playground is really neat.

After Wabun, we went down to minneahaha falls park. I was deeeee-lighted to know that they finally opened up the path next to the creek, so you can climb down all the stairs and make the trek if you feel like it.

The kids had a great time, and we stopped at a cafe with a toy room on the way home.

An exhausting, and super-fun adventure!

BRACKET PARK CARINVAL

2011-07-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Bracket Park Carnival was last week - Gus & Nova had their very first Sno-Cones, and Nova had fun swinging with Pela!

THE SECRET SHOW

2011-07-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago, Poppa took the monsters to the secret show, an art opening by his good friend.

John was opening a suitecase he had found years ago. The kids really enjoyed being a part of it.

I KNOW!

2011-07-21T13:39:00.001-07:00

Hello monster - lovers! I know I am a bit behind on posting photos of your favorite monsters. Posts to come soon, promise!

STICKER BOY

2011-07-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

SWImmING WITH FRIENDS

2011-07-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

PIGGIES

2011-07-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

2 THINGS

2011-07-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

1. She loves filling this pool.

2. Where did my baby go? Seriously, who is this toddler?

PRETTY LADY

2011-07-10T05:42:00.000-07:00

CITY PAGES

2011-07-09T20:03:00.001-07:00

I forgot to tell you nice folks that we were in the City Pages this week!

http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2011/06/hymies_owners_t.php

do not worry - there is a photo of the monsters if you follow the link!

WATCHING THE DUCKS

2011-07-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

GUS AND PELA

2011-07-08T05:36:00.000-07:00

Whenever we go places together, people ask if these two are twins.

JUST HANGING OUT AT THE RECORD SHOP

2011-07-07T05:34:00.000-07:00

FILLING THE POOL

2011-07-06T05:31:00.001-07:00

NOVA IS TWO! TWO!!!!!

2011-06-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO PLAY CHICKEN

2011-06-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

YES, YES SHE COULD

2011-06-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

COULD SHE BE CUTER?

2011-06-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

OH, HI.

2011-06-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

ZOO

2011-06-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

Nova loved the goats at the petting zoo.

Really, REALLY loved them.

and Gus chased the rooster into the woods!

ZOO

2011-06-10T05:23:00.000-07:00

The bald eagle didn't keep Gus's attention very long. He kept insisting, "let's keep going, guys!"

We saw the Japanese Snow Monkeys while Gus happened to be eating a banana. This little guy came right over and stared up at us. I had Gus convinced he was about to jump up and grab it from him.

To the monkey's credit: Gus did drop the banana on the ground seconds later....

Dolphin show!

Gus did his best to climb up into the huge treehouse

and they loved the coral reef, as always.

ZOO

2011-06-09T05:18:00.000-07:00

Nova loved watching the little pink face on the arboreal roo while Gus found a tunnel.

Nova liked the ducks and the gibbons.

Gibbons are neat.

The otters were very fast!

HIP SHAKIN' COUNTRY MUSIC

2011-06-09T04:37:00.001-07:00

We interrupt this previously scheduled zoo post to tell you this: Gus met a new friend and was shaking his hips last night at Hymie's. It was adorable.

ZOO

2011-06-08T05:15:00.000-07:00

We haven't been to the zoo in a long time. Lots of new exhibits, like these monkeys ^^

Komodo dragon.

ZOO

2011-06-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

We took the kids for a big trip to the Minnesota Zoo last weekend. I'll be posting photos all week, but this was by far my favorite. Oooh how they love the fish!

ALWAYS HELPING

2011-05-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

GUS. HOE!

2011-05-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

SHE LOVES THE PINK BEAR

2011-05-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Nova has adopted the pink bear that was mine when I was her age. I'm just surprised it still winds up and "sings" to her!

MICROMACHINES!

2011-05-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

20 years later, and micromachines are still cool.

Who knew?

COUSINS

2011-05-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

When we got to Fargo, there were cousins,

and new toys!

Look! Our Broderick babies still look a lot alike.

And little Ben is growing up so fast!