Worst to best

By K.J. Cardinal

Those of you who have been over our house for an evening at some point for the last three months or so, know that putting Anna to bed hasn't always been the easiest thing. To be honest, it was the worst part of the day for me.

When we'd put Anna in her crib, she'd just cry and cry and cry and we'd have to let her cry herself to sleep in order to teach her that she had to go to sleep in her own crib by herself. We would feel awful and it took a lot out of us not to run up stairs and get her out of her crib.

Well, those terrible days are coming to a close. I don't want to say that Anna goes to bed flawlessly now, because I don't want to jinx it, but she's definitely learning.

Our nightly routine now is around 8:30 or so I pick up Anna and tell her it's time to go "Night-night". I carry her over to give Angie and Sammy a kiss and upstairs we head... Anna usually waves and says "buh-bye".

When we get into her room, I change her diaper (if necessary) and put her in her crib. Then, I tuck her in alongside a few stuffed animals and put a book within her reach. I pick up her Nemo stuffed animal and say "Who's this?" And, Anna says "feeesh" and reaches out to grab and hug Nemo.

Lastly, I blow Anna a kiss and say "Night-night". She then blows me a kiss and waves "buh-bye".

It's so precious.

It's hard to believe that for about three months putting Anna to bed was the worst part of my day because now it is absolutely the best part of my day.

Andrew is my Valentine...he looks just like Frankenstein

By Tiffany George

That title is written in typical Kim fashion.

It’s impossible to believe that over a month has gone by since I posted about Natalie turning 9 months. Though life does pass by very quickly here, we try to take time to appreciate what we have every day. The other night as Pete and I were going to bed we were talking about our cuties as we often do, and I was saying that Andrew started saying “right now”, and that I felt bad for teaching him that. Then I was struck by a fit of laughter, as I said that I wonder what he thinks “right now” means. He gets about the same response out of me when he says it as I do out of him when I say it! I also figure that I probably have him quite baffled as to what “two more minutes” means as well.

That being said, life with a 2 ½ year old can certainly be trying at times. Andrew has learned that he doesn’t have to do what I say…what a bummer! :o) And he likes to test his limits just to be sure that he still can’t spill his milk all over the floor today like he did yesterday. But having a toddler is also so much more than that. It’s him being content to just use his new scissors to cut paper into scraps or “sprinkles” for a good hour; it's being so proud to count to 10 without skipping 5,6, & 7; it’s him using the play kitchen to serve Pete and I a pretend dinner (usually pizza), day in and day out; it’s going in at night to admire that sweet angelic sleeping face that just hours earlier said “I love you undernee the moon”; it’s him getting excited over the chance to give Natalie a piece of his banana, or a piece of cheese folded just right; it’s trying to keep a straight face when he tells us that his penis has a circle and that it is “so long”; it’s discovering that this is only the beginning of difficult questions, such as asking me what I meant when I said a friend’s water broke; it’s being patient when I am asked for the umpteenth time “Momma what you do-tin?”; it's getting excited about putting the sticker from the fruit on the globe from its country of origin every time; it’s cherishing hugs and kisses, especially the chocolately ones; it’s savoring this time when he asks me if he can help me clean, knowing these days will be gone before I know it; it’s being careful what I say because little ears are always looking for ideas of new things to do; it’s taking a deep breath when I’m woken up by him yelling that his entire bureau drawer fell to the floor, and being relieved that his precious little body was unharmed; it’s being patient while he fits that one puzzle piece in just right; it’s seeing the world through the eyes of someone who gets excited over cleaning knobs to make them shiny; it's being proud that he can put his own pants and underpants on, even if they are often backwards; it’s seeing him as a brother who honestly does not want Natalie to get hurt by playing with a toy too small for her; it’s thanking him for the plastic flowers that he repeatedly puts in a cup of water for me to put on the window sill; but most of all, it’s just about a love that I never thought could be possible. Having children is the best gift anyone could ever ask for.

Happy Valentine's Day

By K.J. Cardinal

Crash

By K.J. Cardinal

Anna has long showed us that she can fall asleep anywhere, but earlier this week it took the cake. She fell asleep amidst a mess she made: a pile of books and DVDs. Enjoy!

Papa's birthday dinner

By K.J. Cardinal

On Friday the entire Cardinal crew got together to celebrate my dad's 55th birthday.

We had a nice dinner at the Sylvan Street Grille in Salisbury (great recommendation...thanks Moody). It is centrally located for all of us, about an hour from Hudson and 45 minutes from Farmington, and right off of 495 and 95, so it's super convenient.

Plus, it also has good, affordable food. We really lucked out and got a this huge corner booth so we had plenty of room to operate with all the paraphernalia that we travel with.

The kiddos were all on their best behavior and we had a blast.

I got to witness Natalie's "stretch, stretch" routine with my own eyes for the first time and it's so adorable...as you can see. For those of you wondering, no, I didn't edit this photo in photoshop...Pete's arms are REALLY that long. What a freak.

Anyway, Aunt Kate also got Anna to do her latest trick of saying "ooh" and making this cute face. The photo below was taken at the dinner table that night, but I'll get a much better photo and perhaps a video of this and post it sometime, but it's hilarious.

Andrew (pictured above) was fired up to show me his new Celtics pajamas, which Tiff changed him into prior to leaving, and they are awesome. Also, as you can see, he loves his Papa...and his Papa loves him.


Happy birthday Dad! We were so glad that we got to hang out and have dinner with you guys.

Super Bowl LIVE!

By K.J. Cardinal

10:11 p.m. Steelers win. What a game. I wish that Warner would've had a chance to throw one hail mary in the end zone to Fitzgerald, but no such luck. Such a devastating loss. One of the best Super Bowls ever. Arizona came all the way back from a big deficit to take the lead in the final minutes, only to have the Steelers respond with a TD of their own to win it all. Pretty amazing.

Well, I didn't have the normal Super Bowl experience for myself and I really wish that SOMEONE else in my house stayed awake to watch the game with me. I was forced to watch it alone, but it was such a good game that I didn't matter that much.

10:01 p.m. Roethlisberger to Holmes for an amazing TD. The booth is going to review it, but it looks to me like he was in. What a drive, what a catch, what a game. There's still 35 seconds left, but Zona will need a miracle to pull this one out. What a heartbreaker for whoever loses this game.

9:50 p.m. Woooo hoooo! Warner to Fitzgerald for a HUGE TD. Zona takes a 23-20 lead w/ 2:37 to go. That safety was so huge because now not only does Zona lead, but they are up by three points as opposed to one if the safety didn't occur. Steeler fans must be so nervous...I LOVE IT! Go Cardinals!

9:48 p.m. This one isn't over yet, but how is it that every Super Bowl nowadays in a great game? When I was growing up, every Super Bowl was a blow out. I love it, but it's just odd.

9:45 p.m. What a turn of events. 3rd & 10 for Pittsburgh from their own half-inch line. Roethlisberger throws a dart to Holmes for a 1st down, but there's holding on the Steelers. It occurred in the end zone, so it's a safety for Arizona. 20-16 now w/ the ensuing safety punt coming. What a wild one.

9:39 p.m. Brenda Warner's a dime now. She's resurrected her appearance more so than her husband resurrected his career.

9:36 p.m. Why are pro athletes so dumb at times? The biggest drive of the game for the Cardinals and Pittsburgh's Ike Taylor gets a stupid 15-yard penalty for extra-curricular on the sideline. I'll take it since I want the Cards to win, but it never ceases to amaze me how dumb players can be at times.

9:31 p.m. We've got ourselves a ball game folks. 2nd & 6 for Pittsburgh and the 'Zona D comes up w/ a 10-yard sack. A short third-down gain, but now they have to punt. Cardinals will get the ball w/ about 5:30 to go w/ a chance to take the lead in the final minutes.

9:26 p.m. Warner to Fitzgerald! TD Arizona...they close the gap to six, 20-14. Al Michaels said "No Cheering in the Press Box!" Somewhere Jack Grinold is smiling...if he's still awake.

9:20 p.m. No huddle offense by the Cardinals. I like it...a lot.

9:18 p.m. You learn something new everyday...Ed McMahon is still alive...and doing commercials for Cash4Gold.com. His retirement must've got crushed with the fall of the stock market and now he's doing spots for Cash4Gold.com...look for the Ed McMahon Pack Network commercial any day now.

9:17 p.m. So much for "good yardage". Breaston got blown up on the punt catch. Yikes. Arizona's got a long way to go to put points on the board. They need a TD though. FGs might be too little too late.

9:16 p.m. YES! Big sack by the Cardinals. Hopefully Arizona can get some good yardage on this punt return and make this thing a game.

9:13 p.m. Commercials so far have stunk, but Celebrity Apprentice could be VERY interesting. Anything with Dennis Rodman, Andrew Dice Clay and Joan Rivers is MUST SEE TV.

8:55 p.m. 3rd & goal from the five and the Steelers call a QB draw?! Am I missing something here? I know Roethlisberger has improved his footwork and seems to have unthinkable escapability at some points this season, but that was a terrible play call. Steelers settle for a FG and it's 20-7. Wilson lucks out as his penalty didn't turn costly, but still a stupid play...the type of stuff that you lose you a game...or in this case, the Super Bowl.

8:54 p.m. What a dumb penalty. Adrian Wilson gets a personal foul on fourth down negating a 27-yard field goal by the Steelers which would have made it 20-7. Now Pittsburgh gets a new set of downs with the ball on the five-yard line. Ughhh...

8:50 p.m. Steelers are gonna run away with this thing. Arizona defense can't really do much to contain Pittsburgh. If it wasn't the Super Bowl and if there wasn't an hour-long episode of The Office after the game, I might contemplate trying to fall asleep like the rest of the football fanatics in my house right now.

8:47 p.m. Good recommendation by Katie to pound a few Red Bull and Vodkas, but I don't think I can do that to the girls. Katie, if you were here asleep on the couch, I'd have not problems hammering a few of those tasty bevs and then torturing you for the rest of the night, but Angie would probably castrate me if I did that...and Anna's just too precious when she's sleeping.

8:45 p.m. Hines Ward annoys the piss out of me. He's a great player and all, but his incessant smiling just irks me for some reason.

8:43 p.m. They just showed Cuba Gooding Jr., AKA Rod Tidwell from Jerry Maguire. One of my top-five favorite movies of all time. I hope he's rooting for the Cardinals.

8:33 p.m. Well, the stay-at-home and watch the Super Bowl w/ the girls experiment has come to a screeching halt. Sammy went to bed and Angie and Anna are both asleep on the couch. Whooo hooo!

8:20 p.m. The E Street Band rocked it. Big time. Definitely the best halftime show that I can recall. Springsteen may be 59-years-old, but he can still tear it up.

8:10 p.m. The Boss just slid right into a cameraman. Classic! The best part was that Springsteen got up and was laughing about it. Hilarious.

7:51 p.m. Warner picked off by Harrison. 100-yard TD return. 17-7 Steelers. Sh*t.

7:46 p.m. Great effort by Hightower to pick up a HUGE 1st down for the Cardinals.

7:41 p.m. YES! Cardinals pick off Roethlisberger. Hopefully they can get some more points on the board before the end of the half.

7:34 p.m. An illegal chop block, Warner takes a sack and then the Cardinals have to use a timeout as the play clock is expiring. Not a great sequence by Arizona. Now it's 3rd and 22 w/ three minutes to go in the half.

7:31 p.m. Breaston with a big time punt return. Special teams are often a HUGE factor in Super Bowls. Hopefully AZ can score again right here and put some more pressure on the Steelers.

7:29 p.m. Anna just had her final dose of amoxicillin. She's been on that for the past 10 days to get rid of her double ear infections. She was so weird about taking the medicine. Some days she'd gobble it down and ask for more, but other days we'd have to wrestle with her to take it. It's bubblegum flavored, so she should love it.

7:21 p.m. Sick catch by Arizona tight end Ben Patrick for a TD. 10-7 Steelers. The Cardinals NEEDED that drive. Get rid of the jitters and get down to playing football. I'm smelling a Pittsburgh turnover...

7:20 p.m. Warner to Boldin...HUGE gain.

7:13 p.m. What is it with Anheiser Busch's love affair with personifying animals? Spud Mackenzie. The Frogs. Clydesdales. Not sure why personifying animals sells beer, but it does. I type this entry as I crack my fourth Bud Light of the night...so obviously the ads are working on the 25-30 white, male demographic.

7:08 p.m. TD Steelers. 10-0. Arizona has to at least put together some semblance of a drive when they get the ball. 16 minutes have been played so far and the Cardinals have yet to show up.

7:07 p.m. Will Ferrel + Dinosaurs = Box Office Blockbuster

7:06 p.m. "If we were choosing to do something, I think I'd take Hines Ward first." Really? Quite a statement Madden. Real prophetic.

7:04 p.m. Just saw a commercial for Fast & Furious 498. Enough already. We get it, Vin Diesel can drive fast and has a raspy voice. Get over it.

7:02 p.m. End of the 1st quarter already. Seemed to me like it flew by.

7:00 p.m. Did you see Brenda Warner (Kurt's wife) in the pregame? She actually didn't look terrible?! How on earth did she go from looking terrible with her skunk-like spikey hair-do to a hot blonde? Gotta love what money can do for a look.

6:58 p.m. Unbelievable 3rd & 10 play by Big Ben...scrambling, out of control and finds Miller for a 1st down. Great play.

6:53 p.m. I just made boneless buffalo wings and they are TASTY. NOTE TO PAPA: I am almost out of the Sweet Baby Ray's Hot Sauce...I NEED MORE ASAP. I can't live without that. Seriously, it's a huge part of my life.

6:52 p.m. Zona punts. Not the best start for the Cards, but it's way too early to panic.

6:50 p.m. Momentous occasion for Anna...she just climbed up on the couch all by herself for the first time ever. She's sitting next to me...she's the best.

6:43 p.m. YES! Game-changing moment right there. Pittsburgh had all the momentum with a great opening drive, but it was all taken away by the reversal of the TD on third down. 3-0 Steelers after they bury the field goal.

6:40 p.m. I was just saying "Challenge it! Challenge it!" and sure enough Whisenhunt threw the red flag. Looked to me like Big Ben's knee was down. Let's hope so.

6:39 p.m. The Cardinals D looks as soft as wet tissue paper. 7-0 Steelers.

6:32 p.m. The Cardinals defer? Would ANYONE have ever thought that the Cardinals would win the toss in the Super Bowl and DEFER? Wow. What a transformation their defense has undergone over the past month.

6:30 p.m.: Alex Flanagan? Who the hell is she? She's a sideline reporter for the biggest game of the NFL season and who is she? What a terrible open by her. So scripted and awkward. I never thought Andrea Kramer was anything special, but after seeing Flanagan, I have a new respect for her...I guess.

6:26 p.m.: I know that I never advertised this on the blog and that no one will probably follow this live, but I just decided to do a live running diary of the Super Bowl. I am "celebrating" the big game in unprecedented fashion by staying at home w/ just the girls to watch the game. I have always gone to a party, had a party or gone to a bar, but not this year. So, why not chronicle my transition into Loserville with a live diary? Enjoy!