BlogMoms

I've added a new section (to left) re: cool blogging moms. I heard Melissa Summers was to be on the Today Show to talk to Meredith Viera about moms who, at occassional play dates, imbibe in a cocktail. Read any and all of these sources with the warning that you may have less respect for Meredith than ever.

Kitchen diaries

Tremendously funny.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me!

I love birthdays. Always have!

When I was a young child living in Michigan, my folks would take me and friends to the circus, which was always in town in Janaury. We moved from Grand Rapids to Fitchburg, Wisconsin, a week after my ninth birthday. My 3rd grade teacher (Mrs. Scripsema), who happened to have also been my 1st grade teacher, was the best teacher to have as a kid.

My most treasured kid-birthday gift was a huge homemade construction card/book with cards my classmates made for me. I still have both of these cards. They are priceless. (I won't go into detail about my least-treasured birthday, but it had to do with seeing an ex-boyfriend and his "Italian hussy".)

So for this birthday, besides going out last Saturday, I'm celebrating it by yoga practice today, swimming this afternoon, watching Maddy enjoy herself at dance class (that ballerina!), and having dinner delivered by good friends of ours tonight. Tomorrow, we're all going to a former SLISter's house (thanks, Michelle!) to introduce our families to each other. Friday, probably with Joe's mom. Saturday, out dancing with a girls-night-out! :)

I LOVE BIRTHDAYS!

LIfe

I feel energized! As I mentioned as the new year began a few short weeks ago, I'm consciously making the effort to do my body (and mind) good. In week 2:

• I've been able to rearrange my work schedule so that I work 8-2, Monday through Friday. I now have a few hours 2 days of a week to take a breath - do errands if needed - take a quick nap before I need to pick up Maddy at her Nana's. I now have 3 hours the other 3 days of the week to be able to WORK OUT at the YWCA - cardio, strength & swimming!
  

• I've signed up for 2 days of yoga Mondays and Wednesdays at work! They are offering it for free. Did I mention, though not working in a library right now, that I love my job and my place of employment? :D

• I am in a FIT CLUB at work - a team of 4. We're "The Leaner of the Pack". LOL We count points daily for things like doing 15 minutes of stress management, 7 hours of sleep the night before, 5 servings of fruits & vegetables, 50 oz. of water, etc.
  

• Organize an evening AWAY on Saturday for Joe and I. My folks are giving us a night at a nice posh hotel in Appleton for the evening as a belated anniversary present (Thanks, Mom & Dad), and Joe's folks are taking care of Madeline for the afternoon & evening (Thanks, Mom & Dad!). It's partially a birthday party for me and our friend Tom - our B'day is celebrated Wednesday (the 24th).
  

I am hopeful this weight can be shed.
I am hopeful my cholesterol will be lower when I get it checked in May.
I am hopeful the higher levels dopamine & serotonin will increase my mood.

Life is good!

Four

(taken from Erica @ Librarian Avengers)

FOUR JOBS YOU’VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE
Grants Specialist
Certified Nursing Assistant
Assistant Girl Scout Summer Camp Director
Web-Resources Research Librarian

FOUR MOVIES YOU WATCH OVER AND OVER
The Princess Bride
Star Wars (Episodes IV - VI)
Finding Nemo (kind of have to with Maddy)
Serenity

FOUR CITIES YOU’VE LIVED IN
Madison, WI
Ashland, WI
Skipton, North Yorkshire
Green Bay, WI

FOUR TV-SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH
Lost
Grey's Anatomy
Heroes
Brothers & Sisters

FOUR PLACES YOU’VE BEEN ON VACATION
Negril, Jamaica
Paris, France
Miami, Florida
Denver, Colorado

FOUR WEBSITES YOU VISIT OFTEN
BoingBoing
Treehugger
Librarian Avengers
Isthmus: The Daily Page

FOUR OF YOUR FAVOURITE FOODS
Wine
Broccoli
Grilled Chicken
Chocolate Chip Cookies

FOUR PLACES YOU’D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW
On the couch, with the cats, reading a good book.
On a beach somewhere warm, flag up to get another rum-drink
Scuba diving
Walking through the woods with Maddy & Joe

On being 3....

Maddy's accomplishments thus far in the first month since she turned 3:

• Started dance / movement class for toddlers. Of course her mom was much more worried about the whole affair than she was. She's having a blast!
  

• Been able to wear "BIG GIRL UNDERWEAR" during the day! (Whoppee!)

• Her ability at imaginative and associative play is amazing! ("Here is baby monster!" when we look for monsters at the Cabin & "Now I look like Dorothy!" when I put her hair in braids at the back of her head, patting the imaginary Toto in her pocket).

• She's accomplished the dubious accomplishment of having gotten her parents wrapped around her finger when it comes to bedtime. It's a war-zone when it gets to 8pm. Oh my. No matter what her poor parents do or try. Tonight we're trying music and hypnotize her to sleep. *cross fingers*

What's up with the snow?

Or lack of. In the 5-some years we've spent at the Cottage in Door County bringing in the New Year, this is the first that there is still open water on the Bay. No snow! How very rude!

oh yeah...

Did I happen to mention that I played my cello today? The first time since the fall in February. I didn't cry during - there was minimal pain, only stiffness from the lack of use. WOO HOO!

a new year

The Year of the Elbow is over. Long live the New Year.

Joe and I spent the evening with great friends, and brought in the new year the best way possible - via hot tub. :D Of course, it would have been better if it wasn't rainy or windy, but it was a lot of fun and very relaxing.

On the list of things I'd like to accomplish this year:

• For the first time in my life, I'm going to put fitness as a priority.
  

My cholesterol is way too high. I'd like to lose weight. I want Maddy to know how important fitness is and to set a good example. I'm going to join the YWCA, attend yoga classes, swim at least once a week. My elbow is doing well, and it feels fantastic being able to swim!

• Eat and help plan the family meals more efficiently / effectively.

We've been so amazingly busy trying to live day to day and by the end of the day, we usually stare into the refrigerator or the freezer or the cupboard, waiting for the dinner fairy to delight us with healthy, yummy cuisine. For some reason, that's not working.

• Work towards being able to plan a real vacation for sometime this year.

We haven't had a real, go-anywhere vacation in a long time and Maddy's never had a vacation. I don't count last February in Ohio to visit family - any trip when you end up in the emergency room does NOT count!

:) Happy New Years to you and yours! What's on your list?

The holidays....

The whirlwind that are the holidays have left us primarily intact. We spent Friday the 22nd driving through the only snow we saw (a mini-blizzard around Appleton, WI).

Maddy spent her 3rd birthday at her Nana Sue's @ Chez Wood in the midst of early-Xmas Eve celebrations and early Wood-Family Xmas gift-giving. She handled the chaos that are her cousins like a trouper. (I'm uploading pictures to my flickr site. To be cont.)

We arrived back in Green Bay on the 24th in time to change and head to Joe's grandparents house for Xmas eve dinner. We were able to sleep in a bit on Christmas morning and spent much of the day lounging, opening up presents. Joe's parents had all of the kids (Justin & Kris, Zac & Erin, Joe & Karen and Maddy) over for dinner on Christmas night. Then it was off to Boxing Day dinner at Joe's Grandma Betty's for "traditional tacos".

I had to work today (Wednesday); Joe both yesterday and today. Amazingly, we both have Thursday through next Monday off. :D We'll probably go to the cabin, perhaps the cottage, definitely down-sizing the contents of the house. I think we'll celebrate the event called Discardia. MUCH needed.

The Princess dilemma

What's wrong with Cinderella?

A NYT Magazine article for every feminst mom.

Santa!

Justin Timberlake on:

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Hilarious!

Ramblings...

• I've finished Eragon and am starting Lisey's Story (that I got for Joe for his birthday). I like Eragon and look forward to reading the next in the series. I am a rabid SK fan (thanks to Joe). My favorite SK book is Insomnia, but the Dark Tower series is close behind. I'm getting into the groove of Lisey's Story. Wasn't quite sure at the beginning, but it's pretty bool, I mean cool. :)
  

• We had two fun days of holiday celebrations at work. Tuesday was the college-wide holiday bruncheon and yesterday was our departments 2-hour party. FUN! Did I mention that I love my job? Did I mention that I love the fact that the President of the college allows, nay ENCOURAGE, members of the college to share their musical talents by performing in the faculty & staff band or chorus? Did I mention that I love the fact that despite not being able to finish music school (twice) because of severe chronic tendonitis and fibromyalgia, I am able to continue enjoying my love of music by becoming the band and the chorus conductor?
  

• Today is the last day I work this week, then the next few weeks are going to be wacky.
  
• 22nd: To Madison after Joe is done with work, staying with my folks at Chez Wood
  
• 23rd: In the morning, the Hicks, the Klanns, Paul and Julie are all coming to the house for a "traditional" holiday celebration. This was the best part every year while growing up. The five kids would bring instruments and with Jack on the piano, well it was magic. In the afternoon of the 23rd, we will celebrate MADDY'S 3RD BIRTHDAY. Oh my god, do the years fly! In between all of this chaos, my goal is to ENJOY and remain CALM. :)
  
• 24th: Back to GB - evening to Grandma the Great Parins' house to celebrate with 20+ of the Parins' family.
  
• 25th: MERRY CHRISTMAS at our beautiful house
• 26th: Boxing Day at Grandma Betty's with the Eckbergs
• 27th: Karen to work
  
• 28th til Jan 2nd: Karen off work! Joe has to work a few of those days, but it's going to be quite nice to not have to work! Maddy is looking forward to that too.
  

• Go Packers Go!
  

Holiday greetings to you all!

HA!

You know those things that show up in multiples in your life when you least expect them? They are that tap-on-the-shoulder, the universe's way of standing up and saying "HEY! This is important! Pay attention and NOTICE!" It took me a while to figure this out, but I've figured the latest thing out!

The past few days, this cosmic thing has been laughter.

This time of year has always been so frackin' stressful, this year no different. But then I heard this story on NPR, All Things Considered on my way home from work:

Laughter Yoga: Relaxing, If a Bit Kooky

That got me smiling, appreciative of those kooky southern Californians! And then my fellow cello (-ist) Wendy sent me the Pachelbel Rant. It got Joe and me chortling. It wasn't until my dear sister Amy sent me this video. I opened it at work. It took me only about 30 seconds until I was laughing to the point of crying. Of course I've sent it to my co-workers, and sure enough, soon everyone was laughing.

Hope these make YOUR day. :) Happy Holidays.

Pachelbel Rant

For all of you cellists out there - you know what Rob says is true. PACHELBEL CANON IN D STINKS! Enjoy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRYCE!

Bryce Michael Churchill is ONE!

Hope your day is fantastic!

A day in the life of the Eckbergs

I look at the calendar and I'm stunned to see that December 2006, this last month of 2006, the year of "The Elbow", is almost over. I haven't had time to blog much lately. The Eckberg family day-to-day life runs pretty much like this lately:

• 6:20am - Joe gets out of bed
• 6:30am - Karen hits snooze button 2 times
• 6:48am - K gets out of bed, heads downstairs for coffee, check of the weather, and the last ten minutes of Buffy.
• 7am to 8am - M wakes up, K,J, & M get ready and, depending on the day, either J or K takes M to Nana T's or the YWCA daycare
• 8:30am - 4:30pm - K gets to work where she does lots of research, typing (yeah, two hands!), runs rehearsals for the college's Staff & Faculty band & chorus (yeah, music training comes in handy), figures out the new sharepoint blog for the department
• 5pm - pick M up wherever she might be that day and head home
• 5:30pm - start dinner until J comes home and makes it yummier, daily dose of M's movie of the evening (usually a Disney princess movie, but she seems to really like the Wizard of Oz & even The Christmas Story!)
• 6pm - dinner
• 7pm - 8pm - evening activity (sometimes computer games / out for an "adventure" / book reading)
• 8pm - M bedtime
• 8:30pm - 10:30pm - K&J "free-time"

When I write this all down, it looks so boring! It certainly is full.

Our schedule will get a bit different come January. I'm going to start working 5 days a week, 6 hours a day. M will spend 3 days a week @ the YWCA, 2 days w/ her Nana T. I'll be able to have afternoons to run errands, clean house, WORK OUT! I'm very thrilled, actually. The plan is for me to get a pass at the YWCA and use their pools and fitness room. It'll be easier than making plans for the evening!

Scary 'Mary Poppins' Trailer

If you haven't checked out the phenomena called YouTube, there are TONS of videos, some quite amazing. There's a genre where they re-cut movies into a genre quite unlike the original. This particular one is simply creepy. Mary Poppins recut as horror. WOW!

What a difference 60 days makes

60 days ago was my surgery. I had a ton of pain in the elbow itself - weakness - tingling all through the arm - generally owie.

Now, after 4 weeks of therapy, stretching, strenghtening & pain meds, I am able to type properly, eat with my right arm again, wash my hair with my right arm again, and generally use my arm without too much pain. I'm not 100% healed yet. You have to remember this battle has been since February 25, 2006 when I broke my elbow in the first place.

Things I'm looking forward to being able to do by the summer 2007:

• Practice yoga
• Start playing "Quincy" (my cello)
• Get strong enough to be able to use the computer mouse in my right hand

I'm thrilled to say the least! Thanks for supporting me in this journey.....

:) Karen