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| From Hollands at Home |
Monday, February 15, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day!
A day late, I know, but we hope you enjoyed your holiday. Our weekend was... interesting. I will explain more later.
Friday, February 12, 2010
More help with the snow
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| From Hollands at Home |
Once again, more proof that I probably have to shovel a little bit more than the average guy...
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Friday Night Fights
The star of this post is again the video, but I thought I'd post a few snapshots as well (especially since Blogger videos have been unreliable of late, though the problem seems to have mostly been fixed).
I captured these Friday night at our place. I'm not even sure what was happening at the time. I know Max asked for cereal. All our bowls were in the dishwasher at the time (lots of soup at our house last week), so I mixed it in a measuring cup. I thought that was photogenic, and then it turned into a chance to capture Max feeding himself (not difficult, since he eats nonstop) and then he and Jack started "playing."
These guys love being around each other, though sometimes playtime ends in tears. Still, Max has never known life without a big brother, and Kristie says he lights up when Jack gets home from school each day — if he isn't napping at the time. It's an interesting dynamic to observe, especially for me and Kristie, both oldest siblings with #2 five to six years behind. The Jack and Max relationship is not quite the same as what I can recall, but when I was Jack's age, K was pregnant with twins.
Enough expounding on that. Enjoy the clip.
To save myself the trouble... if you are viewing this as a note on Facebook, click the "view original post" button to be returned to the actual blog, where the embedded video awaits your viewing pleasure.
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| From Hollands at Home |
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| From Hollands at Home |
I captured these Friday night at our place. I'm not even sure what was happening at the time. I know Max asked for cereal. All our bowls were in the dishwasher at the time (lots of soup at our house last week), so I mixed it in a measuring cup. I thought that was photogenic, and then it turned into a chance to capture Max feeding himself (not difficult, since he eats nonstop) and then he and Jack started "playing."
These guys love being around each other, though sometimes playtime ends in tears. Still, Max has never known life without a big brother, and Kristie says he lights up when Jack gets home from school each day — if he isn't napping at the time. It's an interesting dynamic to observe, especially for me and Kristie, both oldest siblings with #2 five to six years behind. The Jack and Max relationship is not quite the same as what I can recall, but when I was Jack's age, K was pregnant with twins.
Enough expounding on that. Enjoy the clip.
To save myself the trouble... if you are viewing this as a note on Facebook, click the "view original post" button to be returned to the actual blog, where the embedded video awaits your viewing pleasure.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Getting ready for school
As I mentioned last week, each Thursday morning I stay home to put Jack on the bus because Kristie has handbell choir practice at church in Libertyville at 9 a.m. The bus usually arrives right around 9.
Most weeks it's not easy to get the kid ready (probably because having me there is not part of the routine), though I imagine it doesn't go off without a hitch on the mornings I'm not present. But last week was particularly smooth (perhaps because Max slept almost until the bus arrived), so I was able to grab a few photos of our morning.
Yes, we send him to school with hair like this:
Of course, we put a hat on it, first:
Took this one from inside the front door as Jack headed to the bus. SO big and so little, all at once.
No photo of this, but Max loves to wave and say goodbye to the bus as Jack leaves. Pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.
Most weeks it's not easy to get the kid ready (probably because having me there is not part of the routine), though I imagine it doesn't go off without a hitch on the mornings I'm not present. But last week was particularly smooth (perhaps because Max slept almost until the bus arrived), so I was able to grab a few photos of our morning.
Yes, we send him to school with hair like this:
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| From Hollands at Home |
Of course, we put a hat on it, first:
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| From Hollands at Home |
Took this one from inside the front door as Jack headed to the bus. SO big and so little, all at once.
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| From Hollands at Home |
No photo of this, but Max loves to wave and say goodbye to the bus as Jack leaves. Pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.
Time to reform legislative scholarship program
Column originally published Feb. 9, 2010
In late January, the legislative office of state Sen. Gary Dahl, R-Granville, issued a press release indicating Dahl was voluntarily withdrawing from the state's legislative scholarship program, in which each of the 163 members of the state House and Senate can award a free year of tuition, graduate or undergraduate, to one of Illinois' 12 public universities.
According to the state board of education, each member of the General Assembly can give two four-year scholarships to district residents, and each scholarship can be given for the full four years or broken down into two two-year rides or four one-year waivers.
While lawmakers are able to give the award to any resident of their legislative district, Dahl in the past has specified students must "demonstrate activity in public and civic affairs and show a relative financial need," that line coming from a February, 2009 release in which he solicited applicants for the help. Furthermore, Dahl said an advisory committee chose his recipients, in contrast to other legislators who retain the sole decision.
I didn't give Dahl's withdrawal much thought until as couple weeks later when The TImes ran a picture of the senator shaking hands with an Illinois State University student who obtained one of Dahl's eight awards for the current academic year.
Continue reading "Time to reform legislative scholarship program."
In late January, the legislative office of state Sen. Gary Dahl, R-Granville, issued a press release indicating Dahl was voluntarily withdrawing from the state's legislative scholarship program, in which each of the 163 members of the state House and Senate can award a free year of tuition, graduate or undergraduate, to one of Illinois' 12 public universities.
According to the state board of education, each member of the General Assembly can give two four-year scholarships to district residents, and each scholarship can be given for the full four years or broken down into two two-year rides or four one-year waivers.
While lawmakers are able to give the award to any resident of their legislative district, Dahl in the past has specified students must "demonstrate activity in public and civic affairs and show a relative financial need," that line coming from a February, 2009 release in which he solicited applicants for the help. Furthermore, Dahl said an advisory committee chose his recipients, in contrast to other legislators who retain the sole decision.
I didn't give Dahl's withdrawal much thought until as couple weeks later when The TImes ran a picture of the senator shaking hands with an Illinois State University student who obtained one of Dahl's eight awards for the current academic year.
Continue reading "Time to reform legislative scholarship program."
Monday, February 08, 2010
Bubbles
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| From Hollands at Home |
Blogger videos have been glitchy of late, but I still must attempt to post this clip I took of Max enjoying his bath Saturday night.
I think he would stay in the tub for an hour if we let him.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Max "reads" the newspaper
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| From Hollands at Home |
Kristie grabbed this video Wednesday, providing proof of why I spend the first few minutes after I get home from work "collecting" the Tribune and re-assembling it so I can actually read the darn thing...
You'll notice he's reading the weather page. I'm not sure why, since he's not in charge of deciding what he wears on a given day.
Maybe this process will be easier for him starting Monday when the Trib switches to a narrower paper width.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Good morning!
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| From Hollands at Home |
Grabbed this cute clip while Max was on his way downstairs Thursday morning. I hope it brightens your day, too.
This is Max not too long after, all bundled up for a trip to Pops & K's (Kristie has bell choir Thursday morning, so I stay home to put Jack on the bus, then she grabs Max from "the office" and heads back to Gurnee).
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| From Hollands at Home |
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
No true way to pass on life lessons
Column originally published Feb. 2, 2010.
In my never-ending quest to feel like an old man despite being only 30, I agreed recently to help lead a small group of confirmation students at church. It was just a few weeks ago I determined the high school freshmen in my group all were born after I went through the same confirmation experience in 1993-1994.
Ugh.
As they prepared this week to venture to the Stronghold retreat center in Oregon, Ill., I reached out to some of my high school contemporaries to see if they had any confirmation-specific advice to share with the kids walking in the paths we trod nearly two decades ago.
Because, you know, what good is it feeling "old" if you can't dispense wisdom? Plus, to high school freshmen, those of us who spend time changing diapers and faxing paperwork to real estate agents must seem like museum relics.
The question I posed to my friends was general: "Is there anything you, hovering around age 30, would like to share with these kids? Consider what you might tell 14-year-old you if you had the chance."
What I didn't quite acknowledge is the fact I solicited their advice because I am more or less totally stumped as to what I might tell 14-year-old me.
Continue reading "No true way to pass on life lessons."
In my never-ending quest to feel like an old man despite being only 30, I agreed recently to help lead a small group of confirmation students at church. It was just a few weeks ago I determined the high school freshmen in my group all were born after I went through the same confirmation experience in 1993-1994.
Ugh.
As they prepared this week to venture to the Stronghold retreat center in Oregon, Ill., I reached out to some of my high school contemporaries to see if they had any confirmation-specific advice to share with the kids walking in the paths we trod nearly two decades ago.
Because, you know, what good is it feeling "old" if you can't dispense wisdom? Plus, to high school freshmen, those of us who spend time changing diapers and faxing paperwork to real estate agents must seem like museum relics.
The question I posed to my friends was general: "Is there anything you, hovering around age 30, would like to share with these kids? Consider what you might tell 14-year-old you if you had the chance."
What I didn't quite acknowledge is the fact I solicited their advice because I am more or less totally stumped as to what I might tell 14-year-old me.
Continue reading "No true way to pass on life lessons."
Monday, February 01, 2010
Not cooperating
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| From Hollands at Home |
I was trying to get Max talking on video, specifically to say "puppy" since he was watching an "Imagination Movers" episode with a dog. He sort of says puppy, and would not say "movers." In clip two, he would not repeat his performance of Saturday morning, during which he pointed to the red C on my hat and said "Cub," then pointed to his short and said "Cub! Go Cub!" It was awesome, and only I got to witness. Such are the perks of being the dad, I guess.
I looked for a picture of Jack in the same outfit, but no dice.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Bath Time
Bath time is usually fun time at our house, especially if we give in and allow the boys to share the tub. Yet as happy as they are, it's pretty hard to get a shot where both boys are making good faces AND I've avoided private parts. Max loves to say cheese and smile big, Jack likes to ruin these moments with silly faces. So this is what you get:
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| From Hollands at Home |
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A regular Saturday
Kristie grabbed this video of the boys playing at our house Saturday afternoon. The lighting is poor (sorry), but it gives a pretty good idea of what goes on at our house most afternoons.
Choosing the right school a matter of faith
Column originally published Jan. 26, 2010.
If there's one thing I remember about being a teenager, it's that there's always one great crisis in life — and as soon as you solve it, it's replaced by another.
High school kids are the undisputed world champions of exaggerating, so even things like who gets what part in the school play take on DEFCON proportions. But when you're making choices about what to do with the rest of your life — as we start asking kids soon after they're licensed to drive — the petty problems are replaced with issues bound to have lasting, perhaps lifelong impact.
I cite as an example my cousin Laura. I last wrote about her in September, 2008, when she was 16 and trying to decide what to study in college. Not knowing what to study, of course, makes choosing a college to attend even more difficult since so many schools specialize in so many different things.
Now, at 17 and starting her final semester of high school, she has narrowed her college search to three schools — a private college in Minneapolis and two University of Minneapolis campuses about three hours away from the Holland compound in Apple Valley, Minn.
Laura's father, my uncle Roger, traded e-mails with me last week and said Laura has one favorite so far, but the size of the town (a hair more than 5,000) is proving to be a stumbling block before she gives her final answer.
"We try to tell her that her friends and things on campus will likely keep her so busy that she really won't have much of a need to go elsewhere," Roger wrote. "But since that town doesn't have a mall or a Kohl's or a section of town with big box stores — I think she thinks she's missing something."
Continue reading "Choosing the right school a matter of faith."
If there's one thing I remember about being a teenager, it's that there's always one great crisis in life — and as soon as you solve it, it's replaced by another.
High school kids are the undisputed world champions of exaggerating, so even things like who gets what part in the school play take on DEFCON proportions. But when you're making choices about what to do with the rest of your life — as we start asking kids soon after they're licensed to drive — the petty problems are replaced with issues bound to have lasting, perhaps lifelong impact.
I cite as an example my cousin Laura. I last wrote about her in September, 2008, when she was 16 and trying to decide what to study in college. Not knowing what to study, of course, makes choosing a college to attend even more difficult since so many schools specialize in so many different things.
Now, at 17 and starting her final semester of high school, she has narrowed her college search to three schools — a private college in Minneapolis and two University of Minneapolis campuses about three hours away from the Holland compound in Apple Valley, Minn.
Laura's father, my uncle Roger, traded e-mails with me last week and said Laura has one favorite so far, but the size of the town (a hair more than 5,000) is proving to be a stumbling block before she gives her final answer.
"We try to tell her that her friends and things on campus will likely keep her so busy that she really won't have much of a need to go elsewhere," Roger wrote. "But since that town doesn't have a mall or a Kohl's or a section of town with big box stores — I think she thinks she's missing something."
Continue reading "Choosing the right school a matter of faith."
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Max likes to eat, part 2
On the heels of yesterday's post about how much Max likes to eat, I realize one food I somehow managed to omit completely: pizza.
Kristie asked me to pick up pizza on the way home form work Wednesday. We opted for Papa John's Because Jack loves their "breadsticks," essentially a small, sauceless cheese pizza (the sauce is served in a dipping cup on the side). When I opened the door to the kitchen, Max saw me holding two pizza boxes and immediately clapped, shrieked his word for pizza (Pa! Pa!), then ran over by the sink and spiked his cup of milk on the kitchen floor like a football.
I set the pizza down and grabbed the camera, trying to get a video of his delirious reaction to hot pizza. This is the best I could get. It isn't much, but the happy dance at the end is worth watching.
I also grabbed this snapshot of Max working on a piece of sausage pizza, with his beloved "Imagination Movers" on TV in the background.
When I say Jack loves the breadsticks, I'm not exaggerating. He and Kristie went out Wednesday night, and he fell asleep in the car on the way to and from their destination (no big shocker — he'd been up since 4 a.m.). When they got home, I carried him from the car up to his room fr bed. He stayed asleep the whole time, until I took his coat off. Then he woke up and demanded to go back downstairs so he could eat more breadsticks.
Thursday morning, Jack decided to, on his own, reheat one breadstick in the microwave for breakfast. He got one out of the fridge, climbed up on the counter, put one on a plate, put it in the microwave and hit the 30-second button. This was all well and good until max saw Jack eating "pizza" for breakfast. He, in turn, demanded his own slice. He took bags of leftovers out of the fridge and headed for the table. Despite my initial reluctance, I gave him one cold breadstick, which he quickly consumed.
He and Kristie were headed out for a brunch with the ladies from one of her bell choir, and I heard a report he devoured all the strawberries there before moving on to pineapple and other goodies. I wasn't surprised in the least...
Kristie asked me to pick up pizza on the way home form work Wednesday. We opted for Papa John's Because Jack loves their "breadsticks," essentially a small, sauceless cheese pizza (the sauce is served in a dipping cup on the side). When I opened the door to the kitchen, Max saw me holding two pizza boxes and immediately clapped, shrieked his word for pizza (Pa! Pa!), then ran over by the sink and spiked his cup of milk on the kitchen floor like a football.
I set the pizza down and grabbed the camera, trying to get a video of his delirious reaction to hot pizza. This is the best I could get. It isn't much, but the happy dance at the end is worth watching.
I also grabbed this snapshot of Max working on a piece of sausage pizza, with his beloved "Imagination Movers" on TV in the background.
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| From Hollands at Home |
When I say Jack loves the breadsticks, I'm not exaggerating. He and Kristie went out Wednesday night, and he fell asleep in the car on the way to and from their destination (no big shocker — he'd been up since 4 a.m.). When they got home, I carried him from the car up to his room fr bed. He stayed asleep the whole time, until I took his coat off. Then he woke up and demanded to go back downstairs so he could eat more breadsticks.
Thursday morning, Jack decided to, on his own, reheat one breadstick in the microwave for breakfast. He got one out of the fridge, climbed up on the counter, put one on a plate, put it in the microwave and hit the 30-second button. This was all well and good until max saw Jack eating "pizza" for breakfast. He, in turn, demanded his own slice. He took bags of leftovers out of the fridge and headed for the table. Despite my initial reluctance, I gave him one cold breadstick, which he quickly consumed.
He and Kristie were headed out for a brunch with the ladies from one of her bell choir, and I heard a report he devoured all the strawberries there before moving on to pineapple and other goodies. I wasn't surprised in the least...
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Max likes to eat
Have I mentioned Max likes to eat? I don't know if a blog post can do justice to his appetite, but it's really impressive to watch him throughout the day as he moves from food to food, trying a bite of nearly everything and, if he hooks on to something he really loves, essentially demanding it be given to him immediately. Hence this photo of him sitting on the kitchen counter near a bowl of his absolute favorite food — strawberries.
He likes strawberries so much he simply cannot handle standing on the floor and waiting for one of us to cut a few for him. He must be given a seat on the counter to begin the mass consumption process as soon as possible. Once seated in his high chair, he quickly dispenses with his fingers or a fork and simply brings his face to the fruit, either by lifting a bowl to his mouth or simply bending over and sticking his entire head on the plate and sucking them up like some sort of fruit vacuum.
Strawberries, of course, are not in season, which makes them expensive. However, Kristie is right to keep buying them because:
A few weeks ago as I was cooking dinner, specifically grating Monterrey jack cheese over some chicken fajitas, Max asked for cheese. I obliged, grating the cheese directly onto his high chair tray. He later asked for more, and again, I agreed.
The next day, he opened he fridge, opened the deli drawer and took out the bag of cheese. Point taken. Only this time, instead of dirtying the grater, I got the cheese slicer and worked off some thin slices. Happy Max.
The next day, Max got the cheese and then asked for the slicer. For himself. Because he waned to sit in his chair with a brick of cheese and chop off little chunks and eat them. Again, I gave in. (It's cheese! Cheese is good for toddlers, right?)
When he finally got the brick of cheese to the right size, he grabbed it in a fist and started eating it like a banana. Hence this photo, in which he is saying cheese while eating cheese. It's a concept piece (should have taken a video...).
Other things Max loves to eat, in the "give him a bag and let him stuff his face until he gets bored" category: Goldfish crackers, pepperoni slices, beef jerky, Stacy's Pita Chips and Wheat Thins. I'm sure I've forgotten.
He also adores the Chex Mix recipes of both grandmothers (especially the pretzels) and heaven help you if you eat chocolate near Max without sharing. You think a woman scorned hath fury, try to keep chocolate from the Doodle. He has the sweet tooth of Pops and Great-Grandma Holland, although Kristie's genes helped with that trait as well.
Keep in mind these are just the food items I can list without a lot of thought. Max eats his way through the pantry no matter which grandparents' house we visit, and when I took him to a party over Christmas with appetizers and desserts all over, he was simply a force of nature.
When encountering Max, much like a wild animal, it's always best to simply share a bite of whatever you're having. If he doesn't like it, he'll move along. If he does, you have an adorable friend for life... or at least until your plate is clear.
Speaking of Kristie's family, this weekend we enjoyed a visit from How, Pop and Kyle, who got to experience shopping in Lake County and also give Kyle some driving practice, as he drove the truck all the way back to Fulton Sunday. How and Pop recently marked their 30th anniversary, and no party at our house is complete without cake and balloons. The flowers were an added touch.
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| From Hollands at Home |
He likes strawberries so much he simply cannot handle standing on the floor and waiting for one of us to cut a few for him. He must be given a seat on the counter to begin the mass consumption process as soon as possible. Once seated in his high chair, he quickly dispenses with his fingers or a fork and simply brings his face to the fruit, either by lifting a bowl to his mouth or simply bending over and sticking his entire head on the plate and sucking them up like some sort of fruit vacuum.
Strawberries, of course, are not in season, which makes them expensive. However, Kristie is right to keep buying them because:
- A. We always have something in the fridge we know he'll eat (which often provides precious sanity); and
- B. It's super cute to hear him say "strawberries."
A few weeks ago as I was cooking dinner, specifically grating Monterrey jack cheese over some chicken fajitas, Max asked for cheese. I obliged, grating the cheese directly onto his high chair tray. He later asked for more, and again, I agreed.
The next day, he opened he fridge, opened the deli drawer and took out the bag of cheese. Point taken. Only this time, instead of dirtying the grater, I got the cheese slicer and worked off some thin slices. Happy Max.
The next day, Max got the cheese and then asked for the slicer. For himself. Because he waned to sit in his chair with a brick of cheese and chop off little chunks and eat them. Again, I gave in. (It's cheese! Cheese is good for toddlers, right?)
When he finally got the brick of cheese to the right size, he grabbed it in a fist and started eating it like a banana. Hence this photo, in which he is saying cheese while eating cheese. It's a concept piece (should have taken a video...).
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| From Hollands at Home |
Other things Max loves to eat, in the "give him a bag and let him stuff his face until he gets bored" category: Goldfish crackers, pepperoni slices, beef jerky, Stacy's Pita Chips and Wheat Thins. I'm sure I've forgotten.
He also adores the Chex Mix recipes of both grandmothers (especially the pretzels) and heaven help you if you eat chocolate near Max without sharing. You think a woman scorned hath fury, try to keep chocolate from the Doodle. He has the sweet tooth of Pops and Great-Grandma Holland, although Kristie's genes helped with that trait as well.
Keep in mind these are just the food items I can list without a lot of thought. Max eats his way through the pantry no matter which grandparents' house we visit, and when I took him to a party over Christmas with appetizers and desserts all over, he was simply a force of nature.
When encountering Max, much like a wild animal, it's always best to simply share a bite of whatever you're having. If he doesn't like it, he'll move along. If he does, you have an adorable friend for life... or at least until your plate is clear.
Speaking of Kristie's family, this weekend we enjoyed a visit from How, Pop and Kyle, who got to experience shopping in Lake County and also give Kyle some driving practice, as he drove the truck all the way back to Fulton Sunday. How and Pop recently marked their 30th anniversary, and no party at our house is complete without cake and balloons. The flowers were an added touch.
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| From Hollands at Home |
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Like it or not, TV inspires talk
Column originally published Jan. 19, 2010
Roughly 10 days ago, Write Team columnist Jonathan Freeburg used his space to take issue with the recent MTV phenomenon "Jersey Shore."
"Here's where I take issue with 'Jersey Shore' and programs like it," Freeburg wrote. "They make people think and even buy into the notion that it's OK to be, well, stupid. There could be a whole generation of kids, and more importantly people, who are just fine with aiming lower. Mediocrity is now something to be sought after as opposed to being a baseline."
Anyone who has watched even a few minutes of "Jersey Shore" knows the cast members might have trouble competing against single-celled organisms in a battle of wits. But from my couch, that's the point! I don't watch shows like this and think "Wow, I wish my life turned out like that." I watch (giddily) and think "Oh man, these people seriously act this way!"
It's almost schadenfreude, but something about observing people so clearly different from me, finding and putting themselves in situations my brain could never conceive makes me feel better about my own life and choices. For Mr. Freeburg, I would advise a remote control to simply change the station and watch something else.
But I suppose there is validity in his concern about shows that glorify a bottom-shelf approach to life. As children, my dad used to tell me and my siblings that the careers we'd one day have could well be vocations not yet invented. None of us work too far out of the box, but that doesn't mean he wasn't right.
Continue reading "Like it or not, TV inspires talk."
Roughly 10 days ago, Write Team columnist Jonathan Freeburg used his space to take issue with the recent MTV phenomenon "Jersey Shore."
"Here's where I take issue with 'Jersey Shore' and programs like it," Freeburg wrote. "They make people think and even buy into the notion that it's OK to be, well, stupid. There could be a whole generation of kids, and more importantly people, who are just fine with aiming lower. Mediocrity is now something to be sought after as opposed to being a baseline."
Anyone who has watched even a few minutes of "Jersey Shore" knows the cast members might have trouble competing against single-celled organisms in a battle of wits. But from my couch, that's the point! I don't watch shows like this and think "Wow, I wish my life turned out like that." I watch (giddily) and think "Oh man, these people seriously act this way!"
It's almost schadenfreude, but something about observing people so clearly different from me, finding and putting themselves in situations my brain could never conceive makes me feel better about my own life and choices. For Mr. Freeburg, I would advise a remote control to simply change the station and watch something else.
But I suppose there is validity in his concern about shows that glorify a bottom-shelf approach to life. As children, my dad used to tell me and my siblings that the careers we'd one day have could well be vocations not yet invented. None of us work too far out of the box, but that doesn't mean he wasn't right.
Continue reading "Like it or not, TV inspires talk."
Monday, January 18, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Family photo shoot
These are the proofs from our family photo shoot in November 2009. The photographer is Bill Delp, who shot our wedding in 2002 and also took great pictures of Jack in October 2005. I posted the album on Facebook earlier, but for the blog I set it to music (thanks iPhoto!). Obviously these are the studio's proofs (and all rights belong to him, but I make no money from the blog), so the actual quality of the image file is low. We placed a decent order to help decorate our home, and it's great to have another set of family shots to document this particular stage in our lives. Enjoy.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Quick photos
I was at a basketball game with Matt and Pops Saturday night when I got a text message from Kristie. It read: Not the brightest crayon in the box. Included was a picture very much like this:
We took this picture Monday night. Jack's hair is eternally messy. Plus we just took off his winter hat, which added to static. Plus he made a goofy face. We're saving this one for high school graduation.
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| From Hollands at Home |
We took this picture Monday night. Jack's hair is eternally messy. Plus we just took off his winter hat, which added to static. Plus he made a goofy face. We're saving this one for high school graduation.
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| From Hollands at Home |
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Resolutions done right
Column originally published Jan. 5, 2010.
Well, happy New Year. By the time you read this, 2010 will be nearly five days old, and many of us already will have defaulted on our resolutions.
Not me, though, because I have a fail-safe, two-phase plan.
Phase one: Make only resolutions I can guarantee are attainable. For example, this year I've resolved not to play right wing for the Buffalo Sabres. Since I'm so confident in meeting that goal, I've also resolved not to make any trips to the International Space Station.
Phase two: Make resolutions for other people. Remember: It's always more fun telling someone else what to do than actually getting off your own butt and making something happen. With that in mind...
• Marlon Byrd, the newest Chicago Cub, ought to resolve to emulate everything Mark DeRosa did when he arrived in Chicago from Texas in 2007, and emulate nothing Milton Bradley did when he arrived in Chicago from Texas in 2009.
• The producers of "American Idol" should resolve to end the live shows on time this season, so those of us who digitally record each episode and watch when our kids are asleep aren't cheated out of the last few minutes each week ... which on elimination shows are the only minutes worth watching anyway.
• The people who insist we're still in the last decade because there was no Year Zero should resolve to sit on it, as Arthur Fonzarelli might say, because the rest of us count decades by the third digit of the years in question. Any year from 1960 to 1969 comprised the 1960s. Got it?
• The executives of Fox News, CNN and MSNBC should resolve to keep doing everything exactly the same, because their idiocy makes excellent fodder for "The Daily Show" and some of my favorite syndicated columnists.
• Rod Blagojevich should resolve to go gentle into that good night, or at least not spend so much time around cameras and microphones.
Continue reading "Resolutions done right."
Well, happy New Year. By the time you read this, 2010 will be nearly five days old, and many of us already will have defaulted on our resolutions.
Not me, though, because I have a fail-safe, two-phase plan.
Phase one: Make only resolutions I can guarantee are attainable. For example, this year I've resolved not to play right wing for the Buffalo Sabres. Since I'm so confident in meeting that goal, I've also resolved not to make any trips to the International Space Station.
Phase two: Make resolutions for other people. Remember: It's always more fun telling someone else what to do than actually getting off your own butt and making something happen. With that in mind...
• Marlon Byrd, the newest Chicago Cub, ought to resolve to emulate everything Mark DeRosa did when he arrived in Chicago from Texas in 2007, and emulate nothing Milton Bradley did when he arrived in Chicago from Texas in 2009.
• The producers of "American Idol" should resolve to end the live shows on time this season, so those of us who digitally record each episode and watch when our kids are asleep aren't cheated out of the last few minutes each week ... which on elimination shows are the only minutes worth watching anyway.
• The people who insist we're still in the last decade because there was no Year Zero should resolve to sit on it, as Arthur Fonzarelli might say, because the rest of us count decades by the third digit of the years in question. Any year from 1960 to 1969 comprised the 1960s. Got it?
• The executives of Fox News, CNN and MSNBC should resolve to keep doing everything exactly the same, because their idiocy makes excellent fodder for "The Daily Show" and some of my favorite syndicated columnists.
• Rod Blagojevich should resolve to go gentle into that good night, or at least not spend so much time around cameras and microphones.
Continue reading "Resolutions done right."
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