Anna eats fruit, Dad's an idiot and more...

By K.J. Cardinal

Another milestone in the trials and tribulations of Anna's eating habits...this week she had fruit.

She's a huge fan of peaches, but we've also fed her pears and apples. I know this may be obvious for some of you, but let me explain what exactly this means for those of you who may be clueless on this topic (like I was a few months ago).

So eating fruit isn't quite what you would expect...we're not handing Anna an apple and she's diving in. Instead, Angie has pureed pears, peaches and apples and put them into ice cube trays to freeze. This way they are in small easy-to-use servings that last a long time. Angie got the idea from my sister, Tiffany, who did this for Andrew, and it works brilliantly...so thanks Tiff!

We usually mix a few different cubes of fruit up in a bowl, defrost them and then add a little cereal to thicken it up. She gobbles it right up. When she eats peaches, you really can't shovel it in fast enough. The minute she's swallowed the bite you just fed her, she starts to grunt, looking for more.

One thing that Angie pointed out the other day that is absolutely true is that I look like an idiot while feeding her. I didn't realize I was doing it until Angie mentioned it, but I make weird faces when I'm feeding Anna. It's like I'm trying to mimic with my mouth the motions that she should be making with hers.

I have never seen myself do this, but right when Angie called me out on it, I knew what she meant. The only thing that I think I can equate it to is the look on a drummer's face. Have you ever noticed that drummer's nearly always have a stupid look on their face and make weird expressions with their mouths? It's hard to explain unless you've seen it, but watch Conan O'Brien sometime and watch Max Weinberg on the drums and you'll see what I mean.

A few other things to mention since I haven't posted all week...
- Anna's learning how to "cluck." She just started doing it on her own and hasn't mastered it yet, but she will soon enough.
- Sammy's recovering nicely. She's sick of not being able to eat her normal foods, but other than that all's well.
- Saturday's my 28th birthday and I'll get to spend it with the my family up in Farmington, so it should be a blast...plus I'll be able to see Andrew!

The Cardinal Vault XIII: The K is for Knievel

By K.J. Cardinal

Not many people know this, but the K in K.J. actually stands for Knievel. As in Evil Knievel. Don't believe me? Well this entry into The Cardinal Vault should help explain.

You see, from a young age, I had this love affair with any sort of all-terrain vehicle (ATV). And, apparently I also had a thing for open-faced helmets (see right) and posing for the camera after I crashed (see below).

So, it should be obvious to all that the K in K.J. clearly stands for Knievel.


OK, well that's not entirely true...the K really stands for Kim, which I'm very proud of despite having a girls name, and my love affair for ATVs came from me wanting to be just like my big cousin Billy who had his own ATV.

Anna finds her feet

By K.J. Cardinal

I'm not sure the significance of the latest development in the World of Anna, other than it makes for cute photos, but Anna has officially found her feet.

A few times over the last week or so she has managed to get her paw on one of her hoofs, but it almost seemed to be by mistake. Between yesterday and today though, she has proven that she has fully mastered the art of grabbing her own feet.

Not only can she grab one foot with two hands (see above), but she can also grab each foot with each hand...two at a time, if you will (see below).



With the natural instinct that Anna has to put anything she gets her hands on into her mouth, I'm sure it's only a matter of days before she starts sucking on her toes. That might not make for the greatest photos, but if/when she starts doing that I'll be sure to post them because at the very least it will freak out Uncle Pete.

Anna gets gas, turns grumpy

By K.J. Cardinal

On several occasions I have described Anna as being easy going unless she's hungry or has gas. Well, yesterday I was able to capture Anna's grumpiness when gassy.

It's not funny when it happens because there's really nothing I can do to help her get through it, but I can't help but laugh after catching her grumpiness in action with the photos below. Enjoy!

Vacation blues: Sammy gets tonsils removed

By K.J. Cardinal

Is there a worse way to spend your eighth-grade February vacation than having a tonsillectomy? I doubt it.

Eighth grade is usually the last time you can truly act like a kid without having people judge you for your childish ways...and now Sammy's last February vacation in her age of innocence will be spent recovering from a tonsillectomy. This isn't the way it's supposed to go down.

Sammy's supposed to spend her last REAL February vacation sleeping in, watching cartoons all day, enjoying her little sister, playing with those toys in the basement that she has forgotten about and doing fun things everyday...like indoor mini golf. She's not supposed to be laid up in bed, feeling like someone just jammed an auger down her throat. It's really unfair.

This morning Sammy and Angie went to Surgical Care Center in Worcester where Dr. Ralph Iannuzzi performed a tonsillectomy on Sammy. Her appointment was for 9:15 a.m and the actual surgery only lasted 20 minutes, but she didn't leave the hospital until around 2:15 p.m.

So as you can see, not an ideal way to spend your eighth-grade February vacation. At least Sammy gets to eat jello, popsicles and sherbert all day long. Probably seems like a treat at first, but after a day or two, I'm sure she'll be craving some real food. This actually reminds me of the Carnival Cruise that Angie, Sammy and I took back during Sammy's April vacation in 2005.

While aboard the Elation, I bet Sammy that she couldn't go all day eating just soft serve ice cream from the cafeteria. Naturally, Sammy loved the notion of eating ice cream all day long (and Angie being OK with it), so she jumped at the challenge. About six hours and 10 or 12 ice cream cones later, Sammy wasn't feeling so hot and was begging me to let her have some "real" food. I'm sure this is how she will be feeling come tomorrow afternoon.

Anyway, last night Angie told Sammy that for her "last supper" before surgery, she could have whatever she wanted for dinner. I was very flattered when Sammy chose the chicken fingers that I have perfected over the last few months as her dinner of choice...and this is something that I will obviously never let Angie live down.

Between indoor mini golf and chicken tenders, it was a good day for Sammy, but definitely not good enough to make up for the week that lies ahead for her.

So, Sammy's eighth-grade February vacation will be one to remember, but not for those memorable reasons like most kids. At least we have a week trip to our timeshare in New Hampshire, Steele Hill Resort, planned for Sammy's April vacation. We'll be sure that she really goes out with a bang on her final eighth-grade vacation to make up for this week.

Anna & Dad dominate mini golf, Baby Bjorn

By K.J. Cardinal

Adam and I made it back safe and sound from our disastrous trip to Binghamton, getting home around 8 p.m. last night. It was great to be home to see my girls and to hear that Angie and Sammy had conjured up a great President's Day activity for us all to participate in...indoor mini golf.

There's this place in Marlboro called Trombetta's Farm that has a small 18-hole indoor mini golf course. Definitely not award winning by any means, but just the idea of playing mini golf in February is pretty cool, so we figured it would be a good way to spend the late morning.

What was particularly fun was that Anna and I teamed up to play the entire round with her strapped to me in the Baby Bjorn. It was her first time in the Baby Bjorn facing out, so it was only fitting to have her in the Mini-Me set up for a round of mini golf.

When we first got the Baby Bjorn, I swore that I'd never wear it. This was my second time with Anna in the contraption and I must admit that it's pretty cool...because she loves it so much.

We played the first 12 holes with her facing out and she was loving it. So alert, checking everything out, and talking up a storm. Then we could tell that she was getting tired, so we re-adjusted her to face in on the bjorn and she fell fast asleep.

Despite having Anna strapped to my chest and only being able to putt one-handed for the most part, I was still able to squeak out a one-stroke victory over Sammy. Angie was only a few strokes behind in third.

It was definitely a lot of fun and I think that I might start doing more activities with Anna in the Baby Bjorn. Not only because she likes it so much, but also because it's just funny. Doing anything with Anna in the bjorn would be hilarious. Imagine seeing me shovel the driveway or mow the lawn with her in the bjorn. Classic.

A bad brake in Bingo

By K.J. Cardinal

It's 9:46 a.m. and I am coming to you live from the Sears Auto Center in the Oakdale Mall in Johnson City, N.Y. Pack Network was in town for yesterday's America East PackCast at Binghamton University's Events Center.

When we left my house on Friday night I noticed that my brakes appeared to be sticking a little and giving off a slight grinding noise. With a five hour drive in front of us and a later-than-anticipated departure time, Pack Network had to forge ahead with the trip.

We arrived safely at the Howard Johnsons on the Vestal Parkway (one of the worst hotels in America, by the way) around 12:30 a.m., slept for about six hours and then headed right to the Events Center. When we left the hotel for the arena, my brakes had noticeably gotten worse. They were grinding harder and louder and sticking more frequently.

What I should have done was taken the Xterra right to a mechanic to get it checked out, but with a PackCast on the horizon we stayed on course. After the PackCast, we packed up the Xterra and planned to grab a bite to eat before heading home.

As I put the Xterra in drive and started to head out of the Events Center parking lot...things had gotten horribly worse. The grinding was so significant that it took quite a bit of acceleration to even get going and then stopping was loud, choppy and inconsistent.

We still proceeded to head to get some dinner. As we pulled off Vestal Parkway, my brakes were coming and going. Thankfully I was driving slow, but on several occasions my brakes completely cut out...definitely a scary feeling

So, we were forced to get things fixed before the ride home. Being in Binghamton, N.Y. at 5:45 p.m. on a Saturday night, of course nothing was open. We had to get a tow to the Sears and wait for them to 0pen at 9 a.m. this morning to see if they can fix the Xterra.

Norm and Matt got a rental car and headed back to Boston last night as Norm had to work. Adam and I stayed in Bingo for the night. Adam's actually a Binghamton native, so we hung out with some of his old high school buddies last night, crashed at one guys house and now we're both on our dueling laptop and Sprint wireless cards from the waiting room of the Sears at the Oakdale Mall. We're total tools.

Anyway, as I was typing the above, things got progressively worse. The technician, Dwayne, came in to give me an estimate on the work and it's nearly $1K. Sweet! No other place is open today that can fix it, so our options are obviously limited if we want to get home today...which we do.

So, PackCast #8 of 9 was a disaster. Prior to the trip we talked about making the trip into a "Packumentary"...a documentary of the Pack Network trip. Regrettably we did not do so because it would have at least made this unfortunate trip somewhat worth it to have video evidence of this debacle.

Let's hope my next post is from Hudson...I can't take much more of the Southern Tier.

Hooray sleep!

By K.J. Cardinal

Last night marked a significant milestone more so for Angie and I then it was for Anna, but a milestone in Anna's life nonetheless. She slept through the entire night...in her own crib!

Anna has been sleeping in our bed pretty much every night since she was born and sleeping well at that. But, last night Angie decided it would be a good idea to see how Anna would fair in her own bed for a change.

So, we gave her a tubby (pictured above), relaxed on the couch with her for a while and then put her to bed. She slept for about seven hours in her crib. She woke up a time or two, but put herself back to sleep and never once cried.

Initially I didn't want to put her to sleep in her own crib (just yet), but a night of peaceful sleep was great...and once again Mom proved to know best :)

Anna has been sleeping regularly through the night (with an occasional feeding around 3 a.m.), but she kicks, flails and squirms all over the bed, which is enough to wake me up every hour. So, while I like having Anna in bed with us, getting a good night's sleep was much appreciated.

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My apologies for a lack of postings the last week or so. Tomorrow marks the fourth PackCast in eight days, so Pack Network has been hectic. On Saturday we were at Hartford, then we were at Vermont on Sunday and Wednesday and we leave for Binghamton tonight. Hopefully next week I will be able to get back into a good bloggin' rhythm.

KIMisms

By K.J. Cardinal

In a post I did a while back entitled "Cereal: Day 2", I referenced a "wonderful little quip" that my Dad sometimes says, "it was like shoveling shit against the tide." Very fitting for the occasion.

Anyway, from that day on, I began compiling a list of all the wonderful little quips that my Dad has said throughout my life and figured that I really needed to dedicate a post to these sayings, which from here on out I will refer to as "KIMisms". I know that you may have heard some of these KIMisms before, so I'm not saying my Dad made all of these up himself, but rather that he has perfected the use of them and seems to have a bottomless vault of these in his arsenal that he can pull out at anytime.

So without further ado, here are a list of KIMisms - beware they are unedited in my attempt to "keep it real":
- It's like shoveling shit against the tide.
- The only good cat is a dead cat.
- Wound up tighter than an eight-day clock.
- Busier than a one-armed paper hanger.
- It's like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.
- You'll shit too if you eat regular.
- I made out like a bandit.
- Just like a limp dick, can't beat it.
- I'm double-oh H (out of here).
- Dropped your watch (he says this when you're hands are full carrying a bunch of things)
- Neater than a beater.
- Shit-can it.
- Wound for sound.
- That's slick as shit.

I'm sure there are plenty that I'm forgetting, so if you know of a KIMism that I'm missing, please post it in a comment. Also, I have to thank Tiffany and Katie for their help in coming up with this list...they had some doozies I was forgetting.

The Cardinal Vault XII: K.J. breaks finger

By K.J. Cardinal

For the 12th installment of The Cardinal Vault, and the second video entry, we travel back to 1987 for these two gems.

Both clips are from my Pee Wee night game when I was seven years old in a classic match-up of Red vs. Yellow. It's great to not only unleash my stellar basketball skills for the world to see on the internet, but also to see my dad and some of his friends as they were involved in the 500 Boys Club in Farmington back in the day.

The first clip is the highlights from the big game. In starts with me winning the prize for selling the most tickets to the game, followed by the Red team starting lineups and ends with me breaking my pinky finger as I sky for a rebound :)

For those of you familiar with the Farm-town crew, take note that Paul Moulton is the emcee of the event, while my Dad (gray sweatshirt with blue sleeves) and Dave Sargent (blue T-shirt) are the refs for the game. Clearly a conflict of interest with my old man as the ref, which is probably why we won by 14 points. For you America East folks out there...yes, Charlie Diehl was assigning officials for the 500 Boys Club in the mid-80s.

The second clip is from the opening tip until when I check out halfway through the first quarter. It's just an unedited snippet to show you the fast-paced action that epitomized 500 Boys Club basketball back in the mid-80s. It's reminiscent of the Lakers' Show Time. Please take note that it takes me approximately seven seconds before I fire up my first shot...I was a gunner.

Also, just because I'm a stat geek, I couldn't help but keep stats in my head as I watched the game in entirety. I'll be honest, for the game I was 0-for-5 from the field with four assists, five rebounds, three steals and three turnovers. My team was up 12-0 with 5:23 to go in the fourth quarter when I break my finger and then the defense fell apart and gives up a basket. Don't worry though, the Red team was able to hang on for the 16-2 victory in my absence.

Anna's sweet dream

By K.J. Cardinal

Just a quick video of Anna having a sweet dream. I love how she smiles, waves her arm and then falls right back asleep. Enjoy!

This Old Guitar, revisited

By K.J. Cardinal

Not to harp on the "This Old Guitar" poster that I made for my dad, but I'm so proud of that thing. That image is my desktop image on my computer, so I see it everyday and it always makes me smile. I have designed a lot of things in my life that I would personally deem "cool", like countless websites, media guide covers, game program covers, logos, a billboard on the Mass Pike, banners that appeared on ESPN & ESPN2, etc. But, this had to be my favorite thing that I've ever designed.

The meaning behind it was really something special that I knew my dad would LOVE. I was also psyched how good the photo of the guitar came out and how the old photo looked in the background. But, I was giddy as a school girl when the FedEx truck pulled up and the driver handed me the tube with the print in it. When I opened up the tube I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. It was awesome.

I know that email, websites and technology in general have taken over the world, but there's nothing quite like holding a printed piece of material in your hand...especially if you've designed it. I love doing this blog because I get to pour tons of my creative energy into it, but seeing designs on screen doesn't hold a candle compared to designing something and then getting to hold the printed piece.

Again, I know I'm a dork, but this is the type of stuff that turns me on...well this and my wife :)

The Cardinal Vault XI: Chubby Wubby

By K.J. Cardinal

Your wait is finally over and after seeing this post I'm sure you'll agree that adding videos to The Cardinal Vault is arguably the best idea I've ever had.

After milling through VHS tape after VHS tape, I was able to round up tons of great footage that is going to help take The Cardinal Vault to the next level. With so much footage you may think that I had a hard time choosing which video was going to be the first entry into the Vault. But, that was not the case at all.

No matter how many good clips I came across or sequences that I spliced together, nothing seemed to hold a candle to this 25 second clip that features Katie. Every time I see it I can't help but crack up, so I just had to share this joy with you all.

If you know Katie now, then I'm sure you can imagine that she was a cute kid since she's so beautiful. But, I really think she was the cutest kid ever. As if her big brown eyes, chubby cheeks and freckles (AKA "fly poops") weren't enough, Katie had (and still does have) the best personality of all time.

If you don't believe me, take a look at this and you'll be saying the same thing. An instant classic and a no-brainer for the first video entry into The Cardinal Vault.

I really hope you all enjoy this video because there is plenty more of Katie where that came from. She seems to be the central figure in a lot of these videos, so she'll be back frequently for more video vault entries.

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In related news...
I'd like to thank my buddy Steve Lemon of the world renown Come to the Pooks blog for coming to the rescue for a fellow blogger. Steve read that I forgot the VCR up in New Hampshire and he saved the day by letting me use his. So, if it wasn't for Steve, the video debut in The Cardinal Vault would have undoubtedly been delayed a few more weeks. Thanks Steve!

Easy-going Anna turns four months

By K.J. Cardinal

Today marks Anna's four-month birthday and she's really developing into quite a wonderful little girl. Just four months into her life, it's obvious that we have really been blessed with such an amazing baby.


I don't want to jinx it (like how my Brokeback K.J. post prompted Heath Ledger to kick the bucket and Tom Brady to lose in the Super Bowl - talk about awful luck on my part), but I would say that we couldn't ask for a better baby than how Anna has been.

Those of you who have met her and spent some time with her know exactly what I'm talking about. Anna is always in a good mood, doesn't mind being held by anyone, wakes up with a smile on her face and only fusses if she's really hungry or has bad gas.

All of the baby-step transitions that she has gone through to date have gone flawlessly. Sure she struggled with her cereal on the second attempt, but she is a pro now. She opens up big and wide and is eating more than expected.

She is easy to feed, easy to put to sleep, easy to give a bath, easy to take to new places and easy to have fun with. If I had to describe her in a phrase it would definitely be "easy going."

Take yesterday for instance. Anna was in a great mood until noon and was then a little cranky after lunch (probably because she had gas). Angie came home from work to take Anna to her four month check-up. Anna got four shots (two in each leg) and came home in one of the best moods she's ever been in. She's just so easy going.

Anyway, her check-up went great. She weighs 15 pounds, 1.5 ounces and is turning into a big girl. She is in the top 80% in weight, top 90% in length and 75% in head circumference (insert dirty joke here). Other than her chubby cheeks, she's really not a chubby baby, so I think that she's going to be a big girl...I better start teaching her a jump-hook as soon as she can walk.

Again, I hope this post doesn't jinx it, but Anna's easy-going ways have made the first four months a real treat.

Urban is legend

By Katie Cardinal

G'day fellow bloggers! It's Katie, and yes this is my first actual post here on TheCardinalBlog. I'm a rookie, so give me a break this time, ok?

So today I'm here not to brag about my cuter than cute nephew or my precious niece, but to tell you about an extraordinary concert my BILS (aka Indianapolis...aka Valerie) and I went to on Friday night. That's right ladies and gents, it was the moment I had been waiting for - KEITH URBAN!!!

As many of you may know, I am ABSOLUTELY infatuated with Keith Urban (judging by the size of the shrine I have in my room for him). Ever since I first heard him on the radio a few years ago and looked him up online to see how absolutely goregous he is, I've been hooked. Fortunately, I was able to get concert tickets in August at the DCU Center in Worcester to go with my best friend Bre, and THIS time I got to go with Val and see him AND Carrie Underwood at Mohegan Sun!!!

After leaving the house at about 2 p.m. on Friday, stopping at Dunkin Donuts for a nice hot coffee, and driving extra careful on the ice-covered roads, I arrived at Val and Brian's ADORABLE apartment at approximately 4:30. After getting the grand tour and packing some snacks, Val and I embarked on our "Once in a Lifetime" journey..haha..yes, I know I'm queer.

Leaving Val's around 5 p.m., we got to Mohegan Sun around 6:45 to wait for the 7:30 concert. After buying a spankin' new Keith Urban shirt and matching earrings, we went down to our FLOOR tickets that were closer than either of us had imagined. Having gone to a concert at the DCU Center before, I knew the layout of the stage (having the stage at the end with a "runway," if you will, and a big circle at the end to perform on) but I certainly did not count on how small the Mohegan Sun Arena was! We were the first section of our row to the left of the runway, and we were ready to dance!

The first act of the night was our very own American Idol, Carrie Underwood. WOW IS SHE BEAUTIFUL! She has such a great voice, changed her wardrobe a total of FIVE times, and was just amazing. The only disappointing part was that the people in the audience wanted to show more respect for Keith than Carrie, so kind of refused to stand up and dance when she was performing. Fortunately, I'm a goofball anyways and just got up and acted like an idiot - dancing and having fun.

So Carrie played for like an hour, and during her last song Val and I noticed that the last row of seats RIGHT on the "catwalk" were empty. So, being the sneaky little characters we are, we went over there to "take pictures" of Carrie Underwood and try to keep the seats when Keith came out. Needless to say, two other girls beat us to the first two seats, but we were next in line. Once Carrie was done performing, I (naturally) had to go to the bathroom, so Valerie stayed at the seats. When I returned, I thought I was going to kiss Val - the two girls closest to the stage had left, and Val swooped in for the attack. THAT'S RIGHT, WE HAD SEATS RIGHT AT THE CATWALK FOR THE ENTIRE KEITH URBAN CONCERT!!!

Seriously, it was one of the best nights in my entire life (only second to the FIRST Keith concert I went to). Not only did I get to see and hear the man of my dreams for over two hours, but also got to hold his hands a few times, got his playlist at the end of the concert (to make KJ proud, of course), AND CAUGHT KEITH'S PICK. Yes, yes, yes...the very pick he played his bass guitar with and put it in his mouth so he could finger pick. It was AWESOME!!! So now I have even MORE stuff to add to my shrine, along with some heart-shaped confetti that fell from the ceiling at the close of the concert.

With the help of the best brother in the world, I've put the youtube clip that I shot of Keith Urban playing my future wedding song (keep our fingers crossed) "Memories of Us." This song was acoustic and Keith performed it at the end of the catwalk, so you get a nice view of his butt the entire time :) I hope you all like it, and I strongly suggest you hit up a Keith Urban concert ASAP. Oh, and if you know of one around here...let me know! I'd pretty much be willing to go broke to see him that close yet again :)

** Unfortunately youtube made me remove this video...sorry **

Mom attacks Anna

By K.J. Cardinal

Not too much needs to be said about yet another adorable video of Anna. She's so much fun. Enjoy!

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a...

By Tiffany George

Post from Tiffany! I know, I know, this has been a long time in coming and I apologize. I really appreciate KJ’s frequent posts and I wish I could be so diligent!

Andrew is now 20 months old and he enjoys being at the center of our lives. Since I haven’t posted in a while, I will try to post more frequently to catch up where I left off.

Andrew loves the snow! We took him outside back in November for our first major snowstorm and he enjoyed it. The trouble was the snowsuit. Last year Grammy had bought him a very cute LL Bean snowsuit and we had planned on it fitting him this year too. Well, my big boy was a bit cramped in the suit. When he took his first step out in the snow, he fell over and completely whitewashed himself in the fresh snow. His snowsuit was so tight that he couldn’t get his arms out in front of him to brace his fall. His cute little face was covered in snow, which was funny at first, but then sad, as he was upset.

No worries, Grammy came through with a new snowsuit to fit more comfortably. After the whitewashing was done we pulled him down the street in his sled. Every time we’d stop, he’d sign “more” and on we went. You may remember that last year he leaned way back in his sled when he was pulled, and as you can see, there has not been much of a change this year. He does sit upright much better when he isn’t being pulled through a foot of snow though.

Nowadays he loves to rake the snow. He has a little rake from the Fall (but no shovel) so raking has been fun. He is also overjoyed if he happens upon a little puddle of melted snow that he can stomp around in.

Chatty Anna

By K.J. Cardinal

Anna's discovered her voice and she's letting it be heard.

It's so funny how happy she is immediately after she eats. She is always very talkative and smiley. It doesn't matter if it's 11 a.m. or 3 a.m. She's always so happy with a full tummy.

She also love chewing on her burpie and talking at the same time when she's done eating. Check out the video to see for yourselves.

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In unrelated news...
...I'm an idiot. I thought that I brought the VCR back from my parent's house, but apparently I left it there. So, the much-hyped videos for The Cardinal Vault will have to wait a little longer. Oops...sorry.

Anna sings out

By K.J. Cardinal

I know back in my "The Best of The Cardinal Blog: 2007" post I said the Sunshine video "could end up being my favorite video of all time of Anna." Well, I think that video may have some competition now.

Take a look at the "Anna sings out" montage below. Then decide for yourself which one you like better and vote in the poll on the right. Either way, they're both a lot of fun and really show Anna's developing personality.

My favorite part of this new video is how Anna almost seems to be flirting with the camera while she enjoys her "tummy time." She's going to be such a ham.

In case you were wondering, the song playing is "If you want to sing out" by Cat Stevens. This song was featured in the 1971 classic "Harold and Maude," one of the top-rated comedies of all time. I watched it as part of a course in college and I highly recommend it. Anyway, the song was just so fitting as Anna's new favorite thing to do is "sing out."

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Other unrelated news...
While I was typing up this entry Anna was sitting on my lap and she contributed her first post to the blog as she "typed" this " bv". I know, quite a statement. And, I picked up my parent's VCR while I was up in Farmington yesterday, so look for the first video entry into The Cardinal Vault this week!

This Old Guitar

By K.J. Cardinal

Even though I have a horrible singing voice and I am just a novice on the guitar, I feel like music is a big part of my life.

Growing up, my dad played in a 60s cover band, called The Footsteps (soon to be featured in The Cardinal Blog), and he always entertains us on his guitar. My love for music really came directly from him. For proof, just look at my iPod and you'll see artists such as Jim Croce, Barry McGuire, CSN&Y and John Denver...I could go on and on.

Anyway, with his birthday on Wednesday (January 30), I wanted to get him something to celebrate this love affair with music that he's passed down to me and really to the rest of our family. As I mentioned in a previous post, his most prized possession is his guitar "Candy." So, I took a photo of his guitar and used a photo that's been featured in The Cardinal Vault to make up this 20" x 30" poster that I framed.


No, I didn't write that "This Old Guitar" poem or anything, it's actually the opening verse of a John Denver song by the same title (Click here to listen). It's one of my Dad's all-time favorite songs and actually the first song he ever played for my Mom on his guitar...which just happened to be his guitar, Candy.

I couldn't be happier with how it came out and my Dad was pretty much speechless when he saw it. I was actually expecting him to get a little teary eyed, but he was just more amazed than anything.

Anyway, Happy (early) Birthday Dad and thanks for making so many great memories for us with your music.

The Cardinal Vault X: Cheeeeese!

By K.J. Cardinal

The 10th entry into The Cardinal Vault bring us back to November of 1982. The only thing that I can possibly think of to explain this picture - other than the fact that I ate a lot of paint chips as a child - is that I was in the middle of saying "Cheeeeese!" when someone snapped this picture.


Never mind my unintentional destruction of what would have been a great photo of Mema and Papa's grandchildren. I am pictured here with my cousins (from left-to-right) Vicky, Billy and Missy and my sister Tiffany. I am not sure if this was a special occasion or anything, but we are at my Aunt Carol & Uncle Bill's house in Strafford, N.H.

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Other news regarding The Cardinal Vault...
In the not-so-distant future, the first vintage video will be submitted to The Cardinal Vault. Last weekend when I was up in Farmington, I went through a few old VHS tapes (god, I hate VCRs) and found a few gems. I was planning on posting a video this week, but when I got our VCR out of the basement and hooked it up to convert the video, the VCR decided to eat a tape (again, I hate VCRs). So, once I can get my hands on a functioning VCR I will be sure to get a video or two up into the Vault.

Anna learns a trick

By K.J. Cardinal

I know, I know, Angie already told me, "Anna's not a puppy." But on Tuesday I had this brilliant idea that I would teach Anna a trick.

Whenever we feed Anna she's always really active with her hands. She's usually either squeezing or scratching our hands and fingers and I think she's pretty strong. So, I figured that I'd try to teach her how to hold her own bottle.

I guess I was a little off with my thinking that she would be strong enough to hold a full bottle, but it only took about five or six feedings before she actually reached out to grab her own bottle and put it to her mouth. I just have to hold the end of the bottle up because she can't quite do that on her own. I have also taught her how to do push-ups though so she can build up enough arm strength so she doesn't need my assistance.

I actually caught the moment on my video camera too, so check out the video below to see the first time she successfully performed this "trick."

In the coming weeks, I plan on teaching Anna other tricks such as changing her own diaper, washing her own bottles and getting me a beer.

Cereal: Day 2

By K.J. Cardinal

Well, day two of the cereal experiment didn't go as well as day one.

I should've known I was in for a rough feeding when Anna took the first spoonful that I put in her mouth and spit it out as if she had a big dip of Copenhagen in. I actually laughed at first and thought it was rather funny...until she continued to do that for the next 10 minutes.

Each time I would delicately try to feed her some cereal, she'd put it all in her mouth and then not only spit it back out, but spit it out all over herself, her bib, her burpie and her high chair. All I could think of was one of the wonderful little quips that my Dad sometimes says..."It was like shoveling shit against the tide." That really sums it up

I can't lie, I was getting a little frustrated. But, at the same time impressed by her ability to launch the cereal a good 6-8 inches out of her mouth. I wish I could've taken a video of it to post, but I obviously had my hands full.

So, after about 10 minutes of "shoveling shit against the tide", I decided to concede. I poured the "cereal" into a bottle and just fed it to her that way. Call me a quitter, but near the end of those 10 minutes her frustration was even greater than mine as she was flailing her arms and starting to cry.

The beat goes on, but let's hope day three goes better than day two.

Anna experiences cereal

By K.J. Cardinal

Anna made one small step for man this morning as she had her first bowl of cereal. She did great and seemed to rather enjoy it as well.

I feel the need to explain this whole "cereal" phenomenon to you because I really had no clue what this meant. The "cereal" comes in a box and is a powder. You make formula, like we normally feed her, and then add that to the cereal. There's no exact recipe when mixing the formula and cereal, but at the beginning you make it watery and then the consistency should get thicker and thicker as she gets more used to eating "solid" foods.

At first, she's only supposed to eat a tablespoon of cereal once a day and it replaces one bottle. So, as you can see, this is a small step in the eating process, but a step nonetheless.

I know that if we were parenting by the book that she shouldn't be eating cereal until the fourth month, but we just felt like she was ready. Her bottles just don't seem to do the trick all of the time like they used to. Plus, parenting by the book just isn't something that we're in to.

The Cardinal Vault IX: Brokeback K.J.

By K.J. Cardinal

With no posts in a full week, I know you all probably thought that The Cardinal Blog fell victim to the on-going Writers Guild of America strike, but this is not the case.

Actually, despite the recent writer's strike, I crossed the picket line for the ninth installment of The Cardinal Vault which features an adaptation of the screenplay Brokeback Mountain. I dub this photo "Brokeback K.J."


I don't feel like a lot of commentary is necessary for this post. But, I will say that if Tom Brady can go "Brokeback" (see the Stetson ad pictured to the right) that it must be OK for me to reveal this photo from my childhood. Maybe now I'll embark on an undefeated season of my own or something...who knows.

Also, earlier this winter I had a friendly wager with my friend Scott on our fantasy basketball match-up. The winner got to pose the loser in an embarrassing photo. For whatever reason, Scott never came to collect his reward, so here you go Scott...this one's for you.

The Cardinal Vault VIII: Victory Lane

By K.J. Cardinal

The eighth installment of The Cardinal Vault takes us back to the summer of 1995. Pictured below is the Cardinal family with Rick Wolf in victory lane at Lee U.S.A. Speedway.

Rick, a lifelong family friend and one of the nicest and funniest guys you will ever meet, just piloted his #38 street stock to his second of two victories during his '95 campaign.

My parent's business, Cardinal Snax Sales, was a big sponsor for Wolf Motorsports through the early years of Rick's racing career. During the early to late 90s, you could find our entire family at the start-finish line at Lee on just about every Friday night.

Fora few seasons I was actually part of Rick's pit crew. I know nothing about cars, so I was pretty useless except for my wise cracks and record-keeping abilities.

It was such a blast going to the races and watching Rick develop into one of the top drivers in New England. The highlight of Rick's racing career (so far) came during the 2004 season as he won the 2004 NASCAR New England Region Championship.

Back during the 1999 campaign, I approached Rick about starting a website for him, www.wolfpack38.com. We launched the site later that summer and it's been a great thing for Rick and I ever since. It was the first real website I did on my own and it has helped Rick generate some sponsorship dollars and publicity too. The site has actually won a few awards, which helped legitimize the site and my design skills along the way.

Anyway, there are three things that just crack me up that I have to point out in this photo:


1) My mom's hair. Wow. That was a tight perm. She could've teased that thing out into a fro if she wanted.

2) Rick's mustache. The only thing that could possibly explain that sexy 'stache was that Rick was attempting to become a porn star.

3) My dad's hip pack. I know they can seem like a convenient way to carry all of your race paraphernalia, but c'mon Dad, you're cooler than that :)

The hip pack also reminds me of one of the funniest stories from one of the best weekends of my life when my Dad, Rick and I went down to the Daytona 500 back in February of 1998. The story is too long to tell right now, but ask me about it the next time you see me and I'll be sure to fill you in.

Aunt Kate to the rescue

By K.J. Cardinal

With Angie down in Baltimore for her friend Julie's surprise birthday party this weekend and work commitments for me today and tomorrow, Aunt Kate has come to our rescue.

Last night Katie came down from New Hampshire to spend the weekend with Sammy and Anna and provide much-needed assistance for Angie and I, especially tomorrow when I go to Albany for the next PackCast.

It's so great to get to spend time with Katie, but more importantly for Anna to hang out with her Aunt Kate. Living about an hour and a half away from Farmington, sometimes it's tough for us to get to see the rest of the Cardinal family on a consistent basis, but they are great about coming to visit us as often as they can, which we super appreciate.

When I called Aunt Kate to see if she'd be able to give us the assist this weekend, she was more than happy to oblige. She's on winter break from college, so the timing couldn't have worked out better.

Angie flew down to Baltimore yesterday and when I spoke to her this morning, she's definitely missing her baby. As Angie put it "it's the first time in 12 months that we're apart"...obviously she's counting those nine months in the womb.

Anyway, tomorrow will be the first time that Anna's been away from Mom AND Dad at the same time for an extended period of time. I will leave for Albany at 6 a.m. and not get back home until around 7 p.m., while Angie's flight doesn't land in Hartford until 2:15 p.m.

I know Aunt Kate can handle Anna fine and Anna will be a good girl, but I know Angie will be sorely missing her baby come tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks for your help Aunt Kate!

The Cardinal Vault VII: Papa's Grandkids

By K.J. Cardinal

The seventh entry into The Cardinal Vaults comes courtesy of cousin Vicky. In this photo, Papa is pictured with all six of his grandchildren.

For those of you who don't know everyone in this photo, I'll start with myself in the bottom left and identify my cousins/siblings going clockwise: cousin Billy, cousin Vicky, my sister Tiffany, cousin Missy and my sister Katie. When I say "cousin Billy" or "cousin Vicky" I can't but help thing of Balki Bartokomous saying "Cousin Larry" back in the day on Perfect Strangers...but I digress.

Anyway, there are three particular things I love about this photo:


1) Vicky's "D.A.R.E. to keep kids off drugs" t-shirt. An instant classic. I can remember taking the D.A.R.E. classes in elementary school and that D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Officer Roberge would be proud.

2) My Reggie Lewis t-shirt and Celtics shorts. You can tell that my love affair with the Celtics started at a young age and it's probably no coincidence that I ended up attending the college that Reggie put on the map, Northeastern. Man, I wish I kept that shirt.

3) Papa holding Katie. As you can tell from previous entries in The Cardinal Blog, my entire family adored Papa to no end. But I have to admit that no matter how much me, Tiffany, Billy, Missy and Vicky loved Papa, Katie was without a doubt his favorite grandchild. I, however, hold the unique distinction of being the only child or grandchild that Papa ever "spanked." I did deserve it though because I whipped a rock at Tiffany and hit her in the head after she was gloating about catching more fish than me. Give me a break though, I was probably only 6 years old...but you can see my competitive spirit started way back then...d*mn you Tiffany.

I have another good photo of Papa with his grandkids (before the "chosen one" Katie was born) that will appear in The Cardinal Vault at a later date. Check back soon for the latest entries and thanks again cousin Vicky for scanning in some classic pix.

The Cardinal Vault VI: The photo booth

By K.J. Cardinal

There's nothing quite like a good ole photo booth picture. We've all had our picture taken in one and we've probably all thrown them away, ruined them in our pockets/wallets or forgot where we put them.

Fortunately for The Cardinal Vault, the sixth entry features a classic photo booth picture of me, Tiffany and Katie. My favorite part of this photo has to be the confused and bewildered looks on Katie's face. Tiffany and I just assumed that she was smiling and making silly faces like we were and then when we got the print, we realized that she really had no clue what this crazy box with a curtain for a door and flashing lights was doing. I don't know the exact date of this photo, but if I had to guess I would say it was taken during the summer of 1990. That would mean that Katie is almost three-years-old, Tiffany was 11 and I was 10.

I believe this is the only photo booth picture that we were able to salvage from our childhood, but the three of us will definitely be making plenty of appearances in The Cardinal Vault, so be sure to check back frequently for the latest additions.

An office in the making

By K.J. Cardinal

While the arrival of Anna back in October was a glorious event in my life, it really threw a wrench in the works for my plans to work from home. It wasn't that watching her and working was something that I didn't want to do, but rather that my office had become Anna's nursery.

Our house is rather cozy, so we weren't left with too many options for where we should put Anna's room or my office. Anna obviously won out with the third bedroom upstairs, so for the past three months I've been working on the coffee table, the kitchen table and the bar. It's a miracle that Angie hasn't killed me as I constantly have electronic equipment strewn all over the house.

Just before Christmas we decided that we are going to turn our unfinished basement into my home office and a play room area for Anna. This way, I'll have a place to get my work done AND watch Anna. Maybe not what Adam and I originally envisioned for Pack Network's headquarters, but I think that it's actually going to work out really great.

Earlier this week, Phase I of our basement renovation project was completed. We hired a local contractor named Colin Gibson of Gibson Home Improvement to execute this phase of framing the walls. He worked quickly and was flexible during the holidays, so he was able to finish it rather quickly.

The coolest part of the plan that we came up with includes one wall that has a built-in desk with cabinets and shelving (pictured above). It's going to be pretty sweet and is actually a really great way to conserve space too. Otherwise, it's pretty simple. There will be two small utility closets that house the water heater and the furnace, two other closets for storage and a laundry room with bi-fold doors. The basement will naturally and conveniently be separated into two rooms. One will be Pack Network Headquarters and the other will be Anna Maria Headquarters.

Phase II is wiring the basement. It seems like a rather simple process to me, but the first quote of $4,700 was, as Gorilla Monsoon would say, quite a blow to the breadbasket. So, we are still in search of an electrician to do the work.

After that we will have to complete the insulation, hang sheet rock, put in a drop ceiling, put in flooring and then have finishing details done to the stairs, doorways, desk area, etc. Stay tuned as I'll add more posts and photos as we progress.

The Cardinal Vault V: A little teapot

By K.J. Cardinal

Like mother, like daughter.

It's only fitting to follow up the The Cardinal Vault: Dancing Queens entry with this photo of Tiffany from her 1983 dance recital.

I can't be certain if this is the same year that Tiffany did her "I'm a little teapot" routine, but every time I see this photo that's what I think about. When I was really little, my parents would always refer to my "manhood" as a "teapot" to Tiffany. As you could imagine, Tiffany was completely shocked and embarrassed when she was at her dance lessons and the instructor told the class that they would be dancing to "I'm a little teapot" at their recital. Classic. It was just first of many times that Tiffany would be doing a dance for a "teapot" :)

Unfortunately, I think this is the end of the dance recital photos, but be sure to check back frequently for the latest additions.

The Cardinal Vault IV: Dancing Queens

By K.J. Cardinal

OK, so this is why I really wanted to start The Cardinal Vault...to embarrass family members :) The first three entries into The Cardinal Vault were meaningful, nice, cute photos but this one is a first ballot entry into the Hall of Shame.

Back in the 80s my mom went to Nancy Kelly Bretton dance school and this is a photo from their big recital. My mom is the third from the left in the back row...and, if you look carefully my Aunt Donna (Denton) O'Brien is all the way to right in the back row.

Unfortunately this is the only photo that I have of the dancing careers of my mom and Auntie Donna, but another Cardinal will soon be featured in a dancing outfit of her own. So, be sure to check back frequently for the latest additions.

Pack Network Premiere

By K.J. Cardinal

Yesterday was a very big day for me both personally and professionally. First off, Anna turned three months and is doing amazing. Not to downplay a milestone in the life of the cutest little girl ever (she's actually deadlocked for that title with Angie's niece JuJu), but yesterday was an even bigger day for Pack Network.

As most of you know, Pack Network is the new company that I started along with Adam Polgreen. Yesterday we had our first official PackCast production, which is an enhanced online video production, for America East.

What this really means is that we try to replicate a true television broadcast, but only distribute the production online. We have been providing online video streaming all year for most home events at UNH, Northeastern and UMBC, but not at this caliber. At those games we have trained staff and students run a scaled down version of our PackCast, which is still a notch above the current industry standard.

Yesterday's broadcast featured a five-camera shoot with dedicated announcers, a "Fox Box" scoreboard, on-screen graphics, tons of in-games notes, instant replays and commercials. We experienced a few technical difficulties along the way, but overall yesterday's production was a great success for it being our first real PackCast.

Things were so hectic before and during the game that Adam and I didn't really get a chance to enjoy what was going on, but now, a day later, I can say that yesterday's production was probably the proudest moment of my professional life.

It was so amazing to have our A Team of Pack Network staff members - Adam, me, Matt Fuller (the stats guru) and Norm Harnick (our ace cameraman) - on hand to pull off the broadcast. Matt & Norm have been the staple staffers that get what we're doing and are really irreplaceable for us.

What made yesterday even more special was the on-air talent that we had. Eric Frede, who most of you probably know from NESN or when he got his start back in the day at WMUR in N.H., was our play-by-play announcer. Just to hear Eric call one of our games and for him to say "Pack Network" during a "PackCast" was a real treat. He's a consummate professional, an amazing announcer and a generous friend. Pam Roecker was our color analyst.

Take a look at the clip below to get a feel for the type of broadcasts that we are doing. This clip is also going to be a commercial that we run in the PackCasts. I'm not going to spoil the finish, but we were fortunate enough to get one of the best women's basketball games that I've ever seen...and I've seen a lot of women's hoops.



Lastly, not to make this sound like my Emmy Award acceptance speech, but I definitely want to take a minute to publicly thank some folks for their help in getting Pack Network to where it is right now:
- Matt Bourque: thanks for your support in anything and everything I do professionally and personally
- Eric: I can't thank you enough for jumping on board to help us out and take our broadcasts to the next level
- Mom & Dad: your undying support for everything I do is something I can never thank you enough for
- Angie: your belief and support in Pack Network from the beginning still drives me every day and I couldn't ask for a better wife

America East PackCast Schedule
Sunday, January 13: WBB - Maine at Albany, 2 p.m.
Saturday, January 26: WBB - Boston U. at UNH, 12 p.m.
Saturday, February 2: MBB - UMBC at Vermont, 1 p.m.
Sunday, February 10: WBB - Stony Brook at Vermont, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, February 13: WBB - Hartford at Vermont, 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 16: WBB - UMBC at Binghamton, 2 p.m.
Log on to www.AmericaEast.com at game time to watch the PackCasts for free.

The Cardinal Vault III: The Naked Cowboy

By K.J. Cardinal

Like father, like son.

The third installment of The Cardinal Vault takes us back to January of 1984 as I display my guitar playing abilities while wearing my underwear and a cowboy hat. Based on The Cardinal Vault III: Kim & Candy, you can see where I get it from.

This photo was taken in my parent's kitchen before they completely remodeled it in the mid 80s. In this photo I am almost four years old. I'm not sure what happened to that cowboy hat, but the guitar has been converted into a clock and is on the wall in my dad's new music room.


I will make a few more appearances playing the guitar in The Cardinal Vault, but this guitar will also be seen being played by my dad when he was a youngster as well. So, be sure to check back frequently for the latest additions.

K.J. wins inaugural NYE Decathlon

By K.J. Cardinal

I feel like I've accomplished a descent amount of things in my young life, but never in a million years did I ever think that I would win a decathlon. However, that's exactly how I rang in the New Year on Monday night.

No, I didn't throw a discus, javelin or shot put and I certainly didn't run the 1500 meters or clear any hurdles. Instead, Angie, Sammy and I competed against each other in the confines of our own home in a series of 10 different board games, card games and video games.

You may say that's not a true decathlon, but I say, you don't know how tough it is until you try it. Talk to me after you go head-to-head with your wife and step daughter for over eight straight hours...it's grueling.

Anyway, it was early in the afternoon on New Year's Eve when the idea of the decathlon came to me. Angie, Sammy and I then brainstormed as many games that we could think of and put them into a hat. We then pulled 10 events out to determine the 2007 NYE Decathlon. We decided we would award three points for first place, two points for second and one point for third. Sammy crafted a NYE bracelet (pictured above) to reward the winner.

We started things off with an intense game of Rummy 500. On the very first hand, I thought that the wheels were going to come off the decathlon though as there was an early controversy. I had two cards left in my hand (two Jacks) and I picked up a third Jack which made my set that I could lay down. Game over, right? Not so fast, said Angie.

Apparently she plays with the crazy Portuguese rules that say you have to discard in order for the hand to end. I am one of the most competitive people in the world, so I was rather peeved at her ruling. I let her get her way though and the game progressed. I ended up taking Event 1 and jumping out to an early lead in the decathlon.

SCOREBOARD: K.J. 3, Sammy 2, Angie 1

On to Event 2, Yahtzee. No controversy here just a severe beat down by Angie. She wrapped it up early as she got a Bonus Yahtzee on about her eighth turn. Sammy managed to put together one of the worst rounds of Yahtzee I've ever seen though, scoring a whopping 188 points. Yippee!

SCOREBOARD: K.J. 5, Angie 4, Sammy 3

Wheel of Fortune on PS2 was up next. I like to think of myself as a Wheel of Fortune savant, so needless to say, I dominated. I racked up $33,450, capping my run by getting the final puzzle correct, which was Nightfall for the record. Angie got skunked in the game as she put up the big ole goose egg.

SCOREBOARD: K.J. 8, Angie 5, Sammy 5

Event 4 was an America classic, BINGO. Despite my card-selection rationale, which I felt was flawless (#8 for Antoine Walker, #17 for the next Celtics championship banner and #33 for Larry Legend), I was outdistanced by Ang. Sammy and I actually tied for second and had to play again so we could determine who was second. Naturally, I won.

SCOREBOARD: K.J. 10, Angie 8, Sammy 6

Next up, Wii Bowling. I am usually pretty nasty at Wii Bowling, but it just wasn't my night. Sammy took us both to school, winning by a healthy 20-pin margin.

SCOREBOARD: K.J. 11, Angie 10, Sammy 9

The second half of the decathlon got underway with Event 6: Blokus. Again, this is usually a bread-and-butter event for me, but once again I took third. Usually Angie and Sammy tag-team me in this game and I pull out the win regardless, but my third-place finish can be credited to a sick BLOKUS by Angie late in the game. Sammy took it home though.

SCOREBOARD: K.J. 12, Angie 12, Sammy 12

Things were progressing nicely and then came Event 7: Monopoly. It seemed like a good idea in theory, but nearly three hours later we were all begging for mercy and decided to put a time limit on it to end the misery. Those three-plus hours of my life I will never get back and it pains me to think about it. Oh yeah, Angie won.

SCOREBOARD: Angie 15, K.J. 14, Sammy 13

With three events remaining I was trailing for the first time in the decathlon, but I wasn't nervous because Angie was getting sleepier and sleepier by the second. Next up Event 8: Wii Golf. What started off as a nine-hole game had to be reduced to a six-hole round as Angie was falling asleep on the couch in between turns. What was insanely annoying was that she was kicking our butts. She'd wake up, knock it within a few feet of the pin and fall back asleep. Meanwhile, I'm trying my hardest and hitting the ball all over the course...seemed like a real round of golf. Anyway, Ang won the sleep-shortened event.

SCOREBOARD: Angie 18, K.J. 16, Sammy 14

Event 9: Wii billiards. Boy oh boy did I need this event. Wii billiards is probably my favorite game on the Wii, so I was thrilled when we pulled it out of the hat some 74 hours earlier. Sammy actually put up a good fight here in the nine-ball competition though as she tied me for first, forcing a tie-breaker. I then made all nine balls on nine shots to secure the title. Angie wrapped up third and drooled all over herself.

SCOREBOARD: Angie 19, K.J. 19, Sammy 16

The 10th and final event of the decathlon was none other than Skip-bo. With Angie and I tied atop the standings and Sammy out of contention for the title, the tension was high. Angie then did her best impression of the Buffalo Bills of the early '90s as she went on a huge run and got rid of all but one card in her pile, only to fall short in the end. Sammy and I still had at least 12 cards left in our piles, when I did the unthinkable. I went on a huge run and got rid of every single card in my pile to win. I kept screaming "Wide Right" in Angie's face. Game. Set. Match.

FINAL SCORE: K.J. 22, Angie 21, Sammy 17

As far as sporting comebacks are concerned, my come-from-behind win in the inaugural NYE Decathlon ranks just behind the Red Sox comeback versus the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS and just ahead of the Miracle on Ice. In the back of my head I kept hearing "Do you believe in miracles?"

What a way to spend New Year's Eve. We hope to broaden the event next year to include more participants, so you may want to start training now because these decathlons take a lot out of you.

The Cardinal Vault II: Kim & Candy

By K.J. Cardinal

We travel back to August of 1979 for the second edition of The Cardinal Vault, as my Dad, Kim, is featured playing his guitar. There is a ton of good stuff going on in this photo.

First, my father is 25-years-old at the time of this photo and is strumming away at the kitchen table in the house that he still lives in on South Main Street in Farmington, N.H. Plus, he is playing the same guitar that was featured earlier on The Cardinal Channel in the Lassie video. My dad has dubbed that guitar "Candy" and I swear that it is his most prized possession. Lastly, the kid sitting at the table is my cousin Billy Lord.


You can be sure that my dad playing a guitar will make several more appearances in The Cardinal Vault at some point, so be sure to check back frequently for the latest additions.

Training wheels come off

By K.J. Cardinal

After being fortunate enough to have Angie at home for the first three months of Anna's life, today the training wheels come off as I am now playing man-to-man defense on Anna.

Angie left for work around 7 a.m. this morning and I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't pretty sad about the whole ordeal. The past three months have been so great. Between welcoming Anna to the world and having Angie around every day, I think it's safe to say that I was pretty spoiled.

I'd like to thank Angie for continuing to work though. I'm sure it's not easy for her, but it makes the most sense for us on a lot of fronts, especially as Adam and I attempt to successfully get Pack Network off the ground. I wish that Angie didn't have to go back to work at all, but that's just not in the cards for us right now...hopefully someday that will come to fruition though.

Anyway, Anna is asleep in her swing as it approaches 8:30 a.m., so as of right now this work-at-home dad thing is a breeze. I think that year one will be the easiest for this, but once Anna starts walking, talking and terrorizing me, things will get a little tougher.

The good news is that reinforcements aren't too far away. Angie's office is only about seven minutes from home and she plans to come home for lunch everyday. Sammy gets home from school around 2:30 p.m. and then Ang will get home around 5 p.m. every night. So, the big stretch for me is from 7 a.m. to around noon when Ang comes home for lunch. That's a solid five hour block where I'll have the little one all to myself.

Anna will quickly learn all there is to know about Mike & Mike in the Morning, that watching SportsCenter a handful of times each day somehow never gets old and that Skip Bayless is a donkey.

All I have to do now is figure out when on earth I'll be able to shower?

The Cardinal Vault debuts

By K.J. Cardinal

Today marks a day that will go down in Cardinal Blog history as The Cardinal Vault debuts. Every week or so, The Cardinal Vault will feature a vintage photo, document or (eventually) video of a Cardinal family member.

It's only fitting that the inaugural entry into The Cardinal Vault is of the Cardinal that started it all, Leo "Papa" Cardinal.

Papa is pictured below with the most impressive catch of his fishing career. Papa was awarded Sports Afield's Distinguished Angler Award in 1981 for this fish. Using a fly that Mema tied, Papa reeled in an 8 pound, 12.5 ounce brown trout on a fly rod out of a river up in Pittsburgh, N.H.

Sports Afield sent along a certificate recognizing Papa's achievement as well. That certificate read "Distinguished Angler is presented to Leo Cardinal for outstanding angling achievement by catching a trophy fish while conforming to the highest principles of sportsmanship."


Papa and this fish will make another appearance in The Cardinal Vault at some point, so be sure to check back frequently for the latest additions.

The Year in Photos: 2007

Angie's Blog Favorites of 2007

By Angela Rose Cardinal

I have to thank my awesome husband for creating and maintaining this blog. I know Andrew and Anna will appreciate how cool it is to have their early years chronicled for them like this. I know my family used to get so excited to set up the old 8mm reels and projector and watch my brother ride the spring horse until its tail bumped the floor. That gear was so difficult to set up that we only did it once in a blue moon. Now, these two peanuts will be able to pull up these memories easier than we adults can pay a bill online.

Also, our families really appreciate being able to see Anna grow like a weed these first few months. Whether it's reducing the shock value to my sister and parents of how fast she grows in 2 weeks or keeping my Uncle Ze and his family in N.C. close or sending my best friend,"Auntie" Missy, off to Australia & New Zealand for 3 months knowing she won't miss a milestone of Anna's while she's gone...this blog is the saving grace for all of us.

Without futher delay, here are my Blog Favorites of 2007:
Favorite Post: Forgettable Friday
Favorite Video: Sunshine
Favorite Photo: A sleeping beauty
Favorite Comment: Darlene's comment on "Faces of Anna"

"Forgettable Friday" is easily the funniest post on the blog this year. This one especially impresses me with K.J.'s writing skills. I'm jealous of that. Not to copy K.J. but "Sunshine" is a fantastic piece of work. I must have watched it 50 times and still get a dorky, giddy smile on my face the whole time. An honorable mention goes to "Lassie" for the obvious reason that Andrew is super cute in it, but I enjoy the fanstic video editing by K.J. and it really captures how much Kim, Darlene, Katie and Sammy soak up Andrew's joy.

"A sleeping beauty" is such a peaceful photo of Anna. I'm partial to pictures of babies sleeping, too. When she's dreaming I can't help but wonder what in the world she could be dreaming about. Finally, Darlene's comment to "Faces of Anna" is my favorite because it taught me how to spell the word patootie. You never know when you're going to need to put that word in text in a crunch :)

As you may have guessed, I think I have the best husband in the world and I love him very much.

Happy New Year!

The Best of The Cardinal Blog: 2007

By K.J. Cardinal

With the New Year on the horizon I figured it would be a good time to recap the good and the bad of The Cardinal Blog for the 2007 year. Based on the response that I have received and the amount of fun that I had, the 2007 blog year was a great success all around.

Here are some numbers I put together to show the "Best of the Cardinal Blog: 2007".

The Top-5 Most Viewed Videos of 2007
1. Counting Crows - Insignificant (9,506 views)
2. Counting Crows - Washington Square (5,628)
3. Sounds of Anna (197)
4. Anna Begins (186)
5. Lassie (179)

The Counting Crows videos that I took at the concert were a HUGE hit on youtube.com, as combined they've been viewed over 15,000 times. While "Sounds of Anna" and "Anna Begins" are the top two videos featuring a Cardinal, I wouldn't be surprised if "Lassie" soon surpasses those two as Andrew can't get enough of the video of Papa playing his favorite song.

The Cardinal Blog's Most Commented Posts of 2007
1. Forgettable Friday (4 comments)
2. Anna goes to New Hampshire (4)
3. Welcome home Anna (4)
4. Our neighbors, the Griswolds (3)
5. Andrews reaction to Anna (3)

It's good to know that Forgettable Friday was the most commented post of 2007...people obviously get a kick out of my misfortunes as a father. Thanks a lot :) If there has to be a "bad" in this "Best of" post, I would think it has to be the number of comments. If it wasn't for my mom and Gail George, then most of these posts wouldn't have any comments. Come on people...post comments! That's the best part about a blog. It's an easy way for you to read what I have to say, view photos and videos and give me some feedback and get some talk going with me and others.

The Cardinal Blog's Most Frequently Used Labels
1. K.J. (33)
2. Anna (27)
3. Angie (16)
4. Hudson (9)
5. Sammy (7)

Since I put my name, "K.J.", as a label on all of the blog posts I write, it's obviously the most frequent label. Anna's the source of most of my material, so she's naturally #2. I'm hoping that for 2008 Tiffany, Angie and Katie will do more posting (please).

Looking back on 2007
I never really thought that I'd enjoy blogging as much as I do. It's a great way for me to keep everyone more-than-informed on what's going on in my life or, more importantly, Anna's life. And, it's a great way to chronicle Anna's childhood. It's going to be so cool to look back at this blog in a few years not only to see old photos and videos, but also to see exactly how I was feeling and what we were doing at different points along the way.

My personal blog favorites of 2007
Favorite Post: Anna Begins
Favorite Video: Sunshine
Favorite Photo: Faces of Anna
Favorite Comment: Mom's comment on "Anna turns two months, lives the life"

"Anna Begins" isn't the best piece of writing on the blog, but it's my favorite for 2007 because of what it represents. I know it's too early to tell, but "Sunshine" could be end up being my favorite video of all time of Anna...she's just so cute. The "Faces of Anna" graphic isn't one photo, but I just love all of her different faces in that, so I had to put that as my favorite photo. My mom's comment is just evidence again why I am doing this blog in the first place...my family is THE BEST!

Looking ahead at 2008
In 2007, I like to think that I inspired Angie's friend Aunt Missy to start a blog of her own. For 2008, my goal is to spread the blogging bug to more and more people. So, if anyone's interested in getting their own blog up and running, let me know. I'd be more than happy to help you get your feet wet.

Also, I'm really psyched about the upcoming feature, "The Cardinal Vault," that will debut on January 1, 2008. The Cardinal Vault will feature a vintage photo, document or (eventually) video of a Cardinal family member. I have a few in the queue, so stay tuned for those once the new year rolls around.

Lastly, I'd like to thank my family for everything. Not only do they inspire me to do this blog, but they really inspire me to do everything that I do. You guys are all so amazing and I don't know what I'd do without each and everyone of you. Happy New Year!

Please feel free to comment on your favorite Cardinal Blog moments from 2007 by clicking on the comments link below.

Meme's new best friend

By K.J. Cardinal

The last night of our Christmas visit to Farmington yielded one of the best Anna moments to date. Angie, Sammy, Anna, Meme, Papa, Aunt Kate and I were all hanging out in the living room, getting ready for bed. I just blew up the air mattress for us to sleep on and put Anna on it.

Right away I could tell that Anna was in a really good mood and that she liked lying on the air mattress, but she was even more talkative and laughable with Meme than we've ever seen her before, which made all of our days.

It may be too early to tell, but Anna could quickly become Meme's new best friend, just like how Andrew and Papa are best buds. Regardless of how that turns out, one thing's for sure...Andrew and Anna have the best grandparents around.

For a larger look at the video, check out the video on The Cardinal Channel.

Christmas 2007

By K.J. Cardinal

Anna's first Christmas didn't disappoint, that's for sure. Her "holiday" really spanned from the 22nd to the 27th and she got to enjoy several parties, lots of family and tons of cool presents along the way.

On Saturday, we had the Cardinal side of my family down to our house in Hudson for a holiday get together. It was the first time nearly all of them had made their way down to visit us at our "new" house and the first time some of them met Anna so it was a momentous occasion on several fronts. Anyway, the party was a blast. We had TONS of food, lots of kids and countless laughs.

Getting together with the Cardinal side of my family is definitely one of my favorite things to do each and every year and I was glad that Anna got to experience her first one in the comfort of her own home. I'd really like to thank Ethan (and Billy & Kathy) for missing his hockey game on Saturday night so they could come down for the party. I was so psyched they came and got to stay late because it's not that often that we get together and it's always great when we do.

For that shindig, Meme, Papa, Auntie Tiff, Uncle Pete, Andrew, Aunt Kate, Auntie Sheila, Auntie Carol, Uncle Bill, Billy, Kathy, Samantha, Ethan, Kaeleigh (pictured w/ Anna above), Missy, Pat, Marissa, Jackson, Vicky and Emma were all here. When you throw in Angie, Anna and I, that made for 23 people...what a party!

On Sunday, Angie, Anna and I headed out to Ludlow to spend a few days with the Malaquias clan. We stayed at Angie's sister's house that night and it was great to hang out with Lisa, Ray, Ryan and JuJu. For those of you who haven't met JuJu, she has to be the cutest little girl I've ever seen. And, I'm so lucky that she likes me. After sleeping over on Sunday night, she woke up on Monday morning and the first thing she said was "Where's K.J.?" She's the best.

Anyway, on Monday (Christmas Eve) I went and took Angie's nephew Jaden sledding. We attempted to go to one hill, which was all ice, so we eventually ended up at the Ludlow Country Club. It was a lot of fun. Jaden's really turning into a great kid. He's super polite, funny and fearless on a sled. We had a blast.

Angie's family celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve, so their big gathering was on Monday night. We usually wait until midnight to open presents, but her family was kind enough to agree to break from tradition slightly so Angie, Anna and I could get back home to Hudson at a reasonable hour.

Like usual, Vo Nezzie made tons of food for everyone to eat and we had lots of fun. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one unfortunate event of the evening. Everyone was getting ready to open presents and all the kids were sitting in the living room when all of the sudden, Jaden proceeds to projectile vomit all over the living room. He cleaned out the couch and the area rug. It wasn't necessarily funny, but once he was OK we all shared a good laugh.

We headed back to our house around midnight and got to take our time waking up on Christmas morning. Anna had a good night's sleep and we got up in the morning when Sammy's Dad dropped her off at our house. We all opened our gifts and then we got the best Christmas gift of all.

I was upstairs changing Anna when she proceeded to go into a giggling fit. It was so hilarious. I was able to call for Angie and Sammy and they came in to witness it too. Definitely the highlight of the day for us.

Once Anna stopped laughing, we headed up to Farmington to visit my family. It was great to have Sammy along for the trip up to N.H. She only comes up to Farmington every other year for the holiday, so it's always great when it's "our turn" to have her for Christmas.

I was really excited to give my parents their gifts. Pack Network got my parents a video iPod for all their help, Angie and I got them a sweet remote controlled dock for it and I also got my dad a membership at Farmington Country Club. Needless to say they loved everything.

As we've come to expect, Andrew was ridiculously cute when he showed up with Tiffany and Pete. He loved the Red Sox Mr. Potato head and the toy tractor (just like Papa's) that we got him, but his favorite toy was definitely the tent that my parents got him and the toy guitar that my dad got him. We had so much fun.

I got a bunch of great gifts too, but I really want to thank Katie for her gifts, they were definitely my favorite. Both gifts really came from a Counting Crows and Live concert we went to over the summer. The first was a guitar pick from David Immergluck (the Counting Crows lead guitarist) that Katie caught at the concert. She put it in a cool shadow box and fixed up an apparatus so it looks like it's floating in there. Her other gift was this picture frame that has pictures of me and Anna and it says "I don't need no one to tell me about heaven, I look at my daughter and I believe." It's the lyrics from Live's song Heaven. Both gifts Kater made and she definitely put a lot of time and thought into both. Thanks so much!

We stayed over three nights and last night Anna had another one of her giggle fits...this time for Meme. It was so cute. I have some great footage of it that I'll post soon, but this is by far the longest post that I've made, so I'll check out for now.

Be sure to check back soon for that video along with a new feature that I'll be launching on the blog soon called "The Cardinal Vault."