"So you wanna be a rock super star and live large?"

In a random burst of excessive posting, I just posted a "sans picture" post, so now I am putting a picture of Buck in the situation he is the happiest - with guitar in hand, singing any song.

"Why don't you stay?"

Growing up as a kid in Las Vegas, I can distinctly remember walking from an air conditioned house into the blazing heat of outside. It honestly felt as though a giant fist of heat was catapulting into my lungs. The feeling of walking into an invisible hot wall is still vivid in my mind 26 years after it happened. It probably happened over and over again - and it has always been my distinct impression that it is entirely possible to drown in hot air.

Suffocation while walking.

I was reminded of this possibility only in the last few days while walking in -23 degree weather during a windchill of -45C (that's -49F, but does it really matter?). Even taking a small breath makes it feel as though fire is ripping down my lungs. Again, it literally hurts to breathe.

And any sane person would not go outside in this weather. RKZ parks underground and is able to ride an elevator to his office (from the garage to office without experiencing the freezing air). Of course, by "sane" person, I mean anyone WITHOUT a 2 1/2 year old child who possesses limitless energy and desire to "get out of this house!" Buck and I have not slowed our schedule for a minute. We have been on the go all day, really. The only difference is the extra 15 minutes it takes to bundle Buck in his full snowsuit, mittens, hat, hood, snowboots and scarf. I also am wearing quite a few more clothes. We drive for 5 minutes to the rec center and the entire process takes place in reverse. Quite a pain, really.

Hence the title of the post, "Why don't you stay?"

"I hope you had the time of your life."

RKZ is doing a lot of shoveling this week. Here, he is returning from shoveling the co-worker's driveway. The co-workers are American girls who volunteer a year of their lives to work with the Regnum Christi movement. They are 18 - 25 and are regular college girls when it comes to shoveling a driveway. The 3 who live here are all in love with RKZ.
There is a funny thing when you realize that your 20 year high school reunion is supposed to happen this summer. It must happen to everyone because I am suddenly being contacted out of the wood work from old high school friends. I am starting to think that the internet was created just for awkward, random reunions. I thought I created a Facebook page in case old students wanted to contact me, now I realize that it was because of some need to be "found." No - that sounds more personally invested than I am in the entire thing.

It's funny that I did decide to go the reunion - it's in August so I'll probably change my mind about 100 times. What is it about high school anyway? Why do we care if we see people we only spent four years with ever again? I have about 10 amazing college friends who I'd love to see a lot more this summer.

But anyone who knows me knows I'll go - and so will all of these random people who didn't make the 10 year reunion because the "couldn't care less." What happened over these last 10 years that suddenly made them care?

"Panama! Panama!"

Note to self: never ask husband to "name a song" when you need a title for your blog post. His explanation, " I just like Van Halen."

Currently, our son in throwing pieces of his lunch (sandwich) from one section of his plate to another and saying, "Playing soccer ball." At least he's eating. Last Sunday, Buck puked all over the second-to-the-front pew at Mass. It only hit his and my shoes, I caught most of the puke in my hands, and the lady behind me had a diaper baggies (for dirty diapers) where I was able to deposit the puke and the dirty wipes that helped me clean up. It's been that kind of week.

Outside, it is snowing and cold. I don't actually know that it's cold as I have not been outside in the last hour, but the snow points heavily toward chilly weather.

Speaking of chilly weather, I have included the forcast for the coming week above. You might have to click on it to see it in a larger format. These temps are in Celcius (of course), so I will write the translation of the highs here: 19, -5.8, -13, -13, & 3.2 It has not been a cold winter this year compared with the last, and we haven't had a lot of snow, so this will be my first major post on the weather. I just wanted to begin your week with the cathartic message that you are warmer than we are - no matter where you are.

"Extra! Extra!"

Two posts for today! This one is a quickie to keep my historical dates accurate - we are totally completed with our adoption paperwork as of Jan. 12ish. The social worker has called and we have our first meeting appointment tomorrow. I wanted to update before I write all about the meeting tomorrow. We are a giant leap forward in our plans to "get" a child :) Very exciting at this point. Thanks to everyone who filled out those recs for us! (OK, just Kathy and Gary, really).

"Don't you want somebody to love?"

The Duke and Duchess over Christmas. Such a cute picture!
Pahina, Buck and cousin Toy-Car. Buck had a great time with his cousins.
Never tell a toddler to "show us your teeth." Think we can still use this in our adoption profile?
Part of the Kelly family walking in the park in blustery December.
My boys sledding.

OK, so I skipped a day. Today, after weeks of Buck being the worst sleeper in the world, I have begun wake both of us up early. Some of you will laugh at the term "early." We are waking up at 7 am no matter what. There was a time that Buck would be up at 5:30am, but no more. He still isn't a very good sleeper, but now, he likes to stay up until 10pm (in his bed of course, but still talking out loud). He stays up late, gets up at 8:30pm and won't nap - hence, the vicious cycle. With an alarm clock and a kiss for Buck from Daddy, I am retaking the interior castle of my child (little nod to St. Teresa of Avila there).

Another little piece of trivia about our lives: Buck has some type of obsessive-compulsive issue about having "wet hands." Anytime he gets anything on his hands, they must be immediately washed and then thoroughly dried. I'm sure that this is some type of weird toddler-thing...but I spend my days feeling like an extra in the movie "As Good As It Gets."

Off to see Bob the Builder at the Science Center today. RKZ had a great time making vacation plans for our family's summer with his new best friend, PK (I hesitate to call him "The Mongoose"). RKZ is back from NYC, LOL, YEAH!

"A long time gone!"

Buck's favorite Christmas gift remains this guitar. It's all he wanted and he still plays it daily.
RKZ, Buck (crying) and me on the floor at my parents' home. Yes, it's totally just to show myself.
Hoonka, KK, CoachK1, and A-Man in Reno. Good times with the cousins.
Supermodel D, SDJ and Powerman M in the same location.
The "Bronco" crowd cousins in Colorado Springs. Buck had the best Christmas surrounded by cousins. HAB, I'll get this pic to you ASAP also.

I have been boggin' on my bloggin'. Ha. Ha. Ha.

I am currently doing an experiment to see what happens when too much real life crashes into too much technological desire. Ie: been spending time "doing things" and no time writing about it. My extended vacation from blogging.

My biggest sadness is that there will be little time to upload all of the Christmas photos. How was your holiday season? We were busy, busy, busy with time in Reno and Colorado Springs. Came home to a lot of activity and a few days of illness (Buck and then me). Very busy with the Challenge Girls' Club and RKZ has begun the decent into contract season. He's in NYC today. I did remind him that some of our best friends live in Connecticut and it would have been nice to go and stay with them.

On a final note - E and Wayne, Your Christmas card came back to us and I realized that we don't have your new address!! I feel better today (was pukey sice) and need to catch up (that's not news, of course) I hope your phone # is the same.

My anti-blog life is now over and I will make a concerted effort to write/post daily. I know that I am flattering myself in thinking that too many people missed us. Let me live in my dream :)

"Just call me angel of the mornin', Angel"

So, the honest story is that Buck saw this angel and started to pretend to be the "fat boy playin' the trumpet." Is it sad that my son knows what a trumpet is but not an angel? Made me laugh anyway.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! It is 2008 and I will try not to be one of those people who say, "I can't believe that it's 2008! Where has the time gone?!" I'll try not to be one of those people, but I'll think it on the inside.

We had a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year and I have a slew (slue? sloo?) of pictures which will probably never get uploaded, sadly. I'm going to be saving my computer energy to upload them to shutterfly so that everyone in them can buy them or make a book or something. They are all pictures of family and some ducks and a good amount of sledding. We were in Nevada and then Colorado. So much fun and so many people and so much traveling...RKZ is into saying "Good times" now. He says it's because people don't say it anymore so that makes it more funny. It always makes me laugh, anyway. And it fits here - Good Times.

I'm a bit slow on the up-take today - "holiday head." I'm a day late, but I'll be back to egomaniacally writing about myself and my family every day. Thank you for voyeuristically reading about us. I love you, man.

PS - GO SEE THE MOVIE JUNO. SEE IT.