Taking Eva for a Spin

Chloe (9 months) decided she and Cousin Eva (6 months) needed to get out so she packed Eva in the walker and busted out.

Winter Walk

Hmmm..What is this author trying to convey?

Fun in the Poconos

Karl and I had the pleasure of meeting up with some of our old friends with their new children in the Poconos this weekend.  So great to catch up and see how my friends make great moms.  Here we are with our babes.  We're so old!   -Steph

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY BABY!!

Wild Child

Steph and I went to a BTA Fundraiser and Cousin Alaina baby sat. Since Chloe doesn't know Alaini that well and is having major separation anxiety issues, needless to say she was a bit upset while we were gone. Alaina used baby massage to soothe Chloe to sleep- a skill I have yet to master. Once she woke up and realized we were still gone, Chloe (while crying) crawled across the floor to where Brodie was lying and burried her head in his fur and cried into his stomach. So, to recap, the order in which she lists her soothie choices is as follows:
1. Steph
2. Alaina, a virtual stranger
3. Brodie, a dog
4. me



That's a shot to the ol' self esteem, huh?

Trojan Horse

Last year, for our unit on the Ilaid and the Odyssey, we glued popsicle sticks onto donkey pinatas to make trojan horses. This year, with the help of Dave, we're going to do something a little bit different.

Month 3 of the TV writer's strike

Chloe can only take so much reality TV.

Just Joan

This is my friend Joan. She is an opera singer and now that she has moved to New York and become spaghetti skinny, she is too cool to call back, at least more than once a year. Joan- if your stalking this blog, stop doing so and call me. :)

By the way, 2 words for you to feel good about the single life: Mummy Tummy. It happens.



ps. even though this says it's posted by Karl, it's Steph. I assure you Karl's abs are as flat as ever.

Eventful afternoon

Dear Diary,

Today one of my worst fears came to fruition. I got stuck in an elevator. I suppose it served me right for taking an elevator rather than going down one flight of stairs, but my theory had always been why walk when you can ride? Never again. As the door closed behind me I felt an impending sense of doom as my thoughts started down a dark path. Why am I not going anywhere? Why isn't the door opening? I'm trapped! Trapped! So this is how it will all end for me- in BTA's elevator. I suppose I could stand to starve for a couple days...but what about my baby!? Look at her, so unknowing and calm, when her life is teetering in the balance. Stay calm. Baby Jessica could do it- so can I.
Thankfully it was Karl who heard me ringing the alarm buzzer I was laying on, followed by Tim Wiens, the Headmaster. After giggling quietly at my unfortunate predicament, the two realized that being stuck inside a elevator might not be the best place for a beautiful damsel in destress and her 7 month old.

Once the doors were pried open, about 15 minutes later, Karl and Tim found me sitting on the elevator floor, rubbing sticks together to start a fire for warmth and setting up a freshwater still to catch rainfall that might drip down the elevator shaft. Chloe had also gone into full survival mode, rationing her apple sauce jar and keeping herself calm by gnawing on a book.

So diary, I guess the moral of this story is always choose the stairs, and if you absolutely must take the elevator, use the bathroom first. Or wear a diaper.

Love,

Steph

Musings II

I would like the world to know that the kid aint the only one who can roll over, droll, and pass gasses that could be used as nerve agents. Lets all just settle down over this kid and remember just who came first in this fam- the ol Brode-man.

Too much eggnog?

Chloe takes down dad with a fart to the neck....

So innocent. So sweet. Yet, some how, some way, she pinned me down and farted on my face.

Happy Birthday...

...to the best step-mom in the world. Love Karl and Steph. (Kara had no part in this, so don't give her any credit. It was all me. ALL ME!) 

Google helps the Simon's quest for World Domination

We've hit the big time, and it only took Google 3 days to pick up the happenings of this family. If you google search for The Simon Family blog, we are the #1 hit out of exactly 654,000 items. Just look down the page after 6 entries and there we are- #1 after only six entries! And 4 of the entries are from 2 of the same blogs so really we are #1 after only 3 entries! But I'm not counting one of them because the hits on "Simon" is from the name of a building, which my google bot pictured above will most likely destroy. So now we are down to 2 blogs, but after those, we are #1. 

So, to recap, it only took our humble little blog only 3 days, possibly less, to rocket up the charts, pass 653,998 other useless websites that do not register 100% with the exact entry The Simon Family Blog when entered into Google, and begin its reign in cyberspace. Imagine what it will do once I figure out how to post videos...