Thursday, April 12, 2012

Silly Republicans

There is a house near Edison Middle School with this sign its front yard:



I saw that and laughed myself silly. Mostly, I have to admit, because I think "Recall Santa" is a losing slogan and am tickled pink to see Republicans slapping it on their lawns and bumpers. Also because the analogy is so totally ludicrous.

Scott Walker is not Santa Clause and Santa Clause is not a government office. At least, not here in Wisconsin. Maybe, maybe, if Santa had taken office and torn apart the Christian community, threatened future Christmas celebrations, by busting up elf unions . . . maybe then the analogy would have some merit. Since that's not the case, the slogan speaks more to the myth centered politics of those who use it than it does to what's actually happening in Wisconsin.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Fun, busy weeks

Becky's Grandpa Chadderdon turned 90 this year and his family used the occassion to throw a party.  For him, of course, but everyone had fun.  The party was March 31st in St. Joseph, MI (where he lives).  We left a day early so we could swing by Coal City, IL to visit Judy, Patrick and their family.  It was great to see them. 

Becky's sister, Sherry, came out from Laramie, WY for the party.  She spent the week after the party visiting family and friends in Wisconsin, including spending a few days at our place.

This past Friday, Tabby had some minor surgery again.  She had some "tabs" on her face near her ears.  The way the doctors explained it, they were similar to the lump of cartilage in front of your ear.  Everyone has tabs like Tabby while in the womb, but they're generally absorbed into the skin or something before birth.  Except that Tabby's weren't.  Leaving the tabs would have been a slight risk for them catching and tearing at some point.  The doctors told us the main issue with them was cosmetic.  Personally, I thought the main issue was what if she decides to pierce them as a teenager?  In any case, removing them was a simple procedure that was suggested we do.

More seriously, though still relatively minor, Tabby had some sort of sebaceous on her eyebrow that would become a considerable infection risk when she hits puberty.  The doctors suggested we have that removed for more than simply cosmetic reasons.

We had the surgery done at Children's Medical Hospital in Milwaukee and it went really well.  I have to admit that after her issues coming off the anesthetic when she had her oral surgery done, I was a little nervous.  Needlessly, it appears.  Maybe waking up in a strange place with an IV was kind of frightening last time and that adversely affected her after the oral surgery.  That's my unprofessional guess, anyway.  In any case, now that she's an old pro with surgery, she woke up fine this time.

Jackson also had minor surgery.  He had all four wisdom teeth removed on Monday.  I guess they were growing in horizontally and removing them was an ordeal.  He was put completely out for the procedure and doesn't remember much at all between getting his first shot and waking up at home.  But his mouth is sore enough that he trusts us that something was done.

And oh yeah, that first week was spring break for the kids,  this weekend was Easter, and last week was my birthday!

Most importantly, Becky took pictures!  So here some are.

Visiting Judy was tons of fun.  Check out Jack's new hair color!






We had a fun time at the hotel pool in St. Joseph.



Becky caught some nice pictures of her cousins and their families.  I don't think she actually had any "picture sessions", so to speak.  Just, as she caught them in the lobby, or wherever, she told them to sit up straight and say cheese.




Of course, there were the requisite pictures of Becky's Grandma and Grandpa Chadderdon along with his siblings, then his children, then his grandchildren and finally his great grandchildren.  Somehow, we didn't get a picture of him with his children on our camera.




Sometimes people just hung out.



At one point Becky caught the sunlight coming through a window just perfect for photos and snapped some good ones.



Good times.






Becky's uncle isn't really a cowboy.  He was just dressing in his dad's duds to MC the event.  The hat fits, though, doesn't it?


Tabby had declared that she likes girls and doesn't like boys.  Except she likes two boys.  Me and her cousin Ryan.

The day after the party we hung out for a bit at Becky's grandparents' place before heading home.



One morning while Sherry was here, Becky took her to the Bay Beach Wildlife sanctuary.

Tabby was as cute as usual.


Another morning Becky and Sherry took Tabby and her friend Ella to Baird Creek.