This is a video of Addison's latest ISR lesson

The grass

This is my new favorite picture.  I think it encompasses what Summer, childhood and being a girl is all about all rolled into one.

American Idol - Who will it be??

The entire show last night was overall unimpressive. I wasn't nearly as excited about it than last year. However, Crystal and Lee both did their best and it didn't leave me irritated at anyones poor performance. Who do I think will win? Let me start with who I'd like to win which would be Crystal. She is the most talented in my opinion. I also recognize the motions you have to go through afterward can be grueling and I'm not so sure she'd enjoy that part - making all the media rounds, performing at every awards show, etc. Maybe I don't want her to win because of all that. I think that Lee will win it. It seems like my favorite usually gets runner up or kicked off even before the final two.

Tonight should be a good show. Wonder if they'll do something special for Simon. I will miss him as a judge. It will be interesting to see who they pick as a judge.


-- Post From My iPhone

My birthday TEA

My co-workers surprised me for my birthday and took me to a delightful "tea" lunch at Basically British near downtown.  Here are a few pictures I took with my iPhone of the meal.  Each person gets their own pot of tea that you can pick from a menu book about 8 pages long.  This allows for sharing.  The embiance was lovely in a renovated old building.  The setting was fairly intimate with only 6-8 tables more or less, but a huge window floods the room with natural light.  The scents are fantastic with all the different kinds of tea leaves and spices mingling together.  It was - just lovely.

The only thing I didn't eat off that menu was the cheddar onion sandwich because my co-worker said it was very oniony, so I didn't touch it with a 10-foot pole.

Grandma and Addison

This is a picture of Addison with her great-grandma Louise.  She doesn't say her "L"s, so it comes out like Moo-eez.

This is another picture that makes me smile everytime I look at it because I know the sound that accompanies it, and it's delightful.  They were having a giggle.  The only way we could get Addison to smile for these pictures properly was to say "WEEZIE" as goofy as we could.  It finally got to her here.

This was also the day she told great-grandma Louise that she couldn't talk to her because she was too distracting.

Smashburger and blowers

I realized that I haven't recently posted any pictures of my ever-growing preschooler.  At her last doctor's visit she was exactly 36 inches tall and 31 pounds.  That puts her in the 10th percentile for height which basically means she's short.

About a month ago we went to Smashburger for the first time.  I would recommend it.  You can't leave without Smashfries.  I have to say I went back and ate in the restaurant recently and the fries are way better fresh and hot.  Rosemary and garlic and a little olive oil...mmm.  Makes a good fry.

Anyway, Addison is a bathroom explorer.  Just about any new place we go, she has to go to the bathroom.  Takes everything I have not to get skeeved out by some of the nasty ones we've seen.  Oddly, one of the worst is at T.W.I.G.S where she has her ISR (swim) lessons.  It's also very hard to hold 30 pounds up to wash her hands.  These places are NOT kid friendly bathrooms most of the time.  I've seen cute little urinals in the boys bathroom for little guys, why can't they put a little toilet in for the girls?  She's holding on to dear life to not fall in while she uses the HUGE potties they have in public bathrooms and since she's terribly independent, she wants to do it on her own which results in her fingers being wrapped around that nasty seat.  I need little seats and step stools or lower sinks.  Come on people!

Along with bathrooms, come hand blowers.  (I swear I'm coming full circle here.)  One of the most powerful hand blowers I've seen so far is the one at Smashburger.  It's a giggle to watch her startle every time you hit the button - even when she's expecting it.  Here's the picture.