End of an Era

When I was in junior high and high school, I was in the Band.  I was inspired by my babysitter to play the clarinet.  Since all students were required to play the recorder when we were young, and I loved my babysitter, I thought the clarinet would be a good choice.  (Actually I don't think I was that intuitive back then, I probably wanted to be just like my babysitter.)  Plus I loved our band teacher, Mr Paulson.  He has been teaching band for 43 years, and teaching at Cedar Grove - Belgium High School for 41 years.  43 YEARS!  When I was in school, he taught us sixth grade and high school band.  I was never a great clarinet player - probably a little better than mediocre but the memories I have that surround Mr. Paulson and band are great.  When I was in sixth grade, I started in the band and started playing the clarinet.  I remember taking time out of class to go to lessons and having a regular class where our entire band played.  I had a different teacher for seventh and eigth grade but had Mr Paulson again in high school.  We were a marching band, we were a pep band at the sporting events and we were a concert band.  At our school, band was cool - I know, but in our school that's how it happened.  There were more kids in band than there weren't.  Some kids who weren't in band even skipped class to hang out with Mr. Paulson.  I mean, even I skipped class to hang out in the band room.  I have many memories of just hanging out in the band room, many of which include Taquila being blasted over the speakers and students dancing on the chairs. 

When I was a senior, we packed up our band and rode on several coach buses to Florida to perform at Disney World, Bush Gardens and Epcot Center.  We spent a week in Florida with our friends and our band and we performed.  We won awards.  Mr. Paulson didn't take his band to Florida unless he knew we could win.  And you didn't just get to go on the trip, you had to memorize your songs, raise money to pay for it and march your ass off.  You see, he is a UW-Madison alumn and if you know anything about the UW Band you'll understand.

There are songs like Hey Jude, Stars and Stripes, Chantilly Lace, The Hey Song, Proud Mary that I hear on the radio, on TV or in movies that remind me of band and the fun times we had.  I can only hope my daughter grows up to join the school band and has a teacher half as cool as Mr. Paulson.

Thanks for the memories Mr. Paulson!

I Don't Like Fire

I don't like hearing about building fires.  It always means something important to someone has been lost.  I'm beginning to think all the places we used to hang out at are going away and we will never be able to show Sydney.

Several years ago, The Regatta 2 bowling alley burned down.  The power's that be said it was caused by faulty electrical and the owner had no insurance.  They had duck pin bowling as well as regular bowling.  They had a great room in the basement that was rented out for parties.  When I was in grade school, the people who owned the alley at that time lived in our area and their daughter went to my school.  We spent time there duck pin bowling.  I've attended several parties in that basement.  Our group of friends spent much time there bowling in the Vegas League (another story for another time) and playing volleyball in the summer league.  One night we were there, the next night it was gone.  I'm sad.  Sad for the family who most recently owned the business.  Sad for the people who went there.

In February, a building on the east side with a few well known resturants and bars also burned down.  The building held four businesses and several apartments.  Frank used to work at the club in that buliding called Cush.  He and I spent much time at Cush when we first started dating and many of our friends hung out there with us.  We also knew the owner of Grecian Delight, a greek resturant in the same building.  In fact, Chris was the best man in our wedding.  We spent many after bar hours there stuffing our faces, because really, you can only drive home from a night of drinking after filling your gullet with Gyro's.  Pizza Man was a pizza place and wine bar also in the same building.  We only at there a handfull of times, but they had great pizza, a great atmosphere and excellent wine.  There was another resturant in the building called the Black and White Cafe.  I only ate there once and was not impressed.  They ruled the fire as arson and so far no one has come forward.  I'm so sad for all the establishment owners and the apartment dwellers.  They demolished the building the same week and now it's just an empty lot.  I've driven past the lot a few times and it just makes me sad.  Sad for the people who lost their homes.  Sad for the people who lost the businesses they have poored their lives into.  Sad for the owner of the building.  Sad for the people of the East Side and surrounding areas who loved going to those places.

Easter weekend, a bar and resturant owned by the mother of a good friend was lost in a fire.  They had a great fish fry every Friday and Patsy Cline on the jukebox.  This place is not only special to us because of our friend who's family owns it but because most of us have had an event there or at least attended a few events there.  I had one of my wedding shower's there.  I can't count how many wedding or baby shower's I've attended there.  There have been many wedding's, including the children of the owner.  We've celebrated numerous birthday's there.  On Good Friday, the day before the fire, I thought that we should go there for fish.  We never did.  I'm sad.  Sad for the family who owned and ran the bar.  Sad for the owners who have poured their life into the business.  Sad for the regular customers who had fish every Friday.  Sad for those who stopped in occasionaly to have a beer.  Sad for the people in the area who loved going to The Keg.

Most importantly, in all these fires, no one was hurt.  The posessions are gone but our memories will live on. 

I'm sad that we will never be able to take Sydney to these places.

I hope they find the assjacket's that started these fires, then hang them by their toenails in a dark closet and leave them to rot.

Eventful Weekend and a Second Accident Report

On Friday, Sydney and I stayed home and chilled out.  She had her first real banana.  I held it for her and she licked it.  Then I put it in the baby bag and she mushed it all over everything and loved it!

Saturday, Mommy and Daddy joined Anytime Fitness, because we wan't to stay healthy for our baby girl.

Sunday, we went to brunch with Great Grandma Grace.  Sydney dressed up and was very excited.

Also, on Sunday, I installed Sydney's big girl car seat.  It is a convertible seat and was super easy to install.  When I was done I tested it out by putting her in it.  In the process of buckling her in, I pinched her thigh in the bottom buckle.  It was horrible. 
Frank said "You have her leg."
I said "No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't."
Then the siren of her scream goes off. 
Yes, I did have her inner thigh in the buckle.  Even now, two days later, I feel horrible, now there's a kidney bean size welt on her leg.  But seriously, it's sort of tough to miss these thighs.

Yes that is a plastic water bottle - why we spend money on toys, I'll never know

I'll tell you this, I am now VERY careful when I buckle her into her seat.  So sorry my little baby.

Monday was another ear infection check and all is clear.  I think we have officially started teething, which explains some of the off and on whiny-ness (yes that's a word), but no pearly whites have shown through just yet.

Today was another day of daycare.  It seemed as though she had a great day, however when I walked into the building I could hear a baby crying.  Not just crying, more like a shreaking scream.  I thought it was Sydney, but then thought maybe not.  When I walked around the corner of the room, Danielle was cuddling Sydney in the rocking chair, you see, she was just on the receiving end of another child's biting.  BITING!  My baby was biten in the cheek by another child.  An almost two year old bit my child.  That's two accident reports in three daycare days.  Let's hope this doesn't become a trend.

I cannot belive my child has bite marks on her face.  She seemed alright once we got home, she even talked to Grammy on speaker phone.  Well, ok, actually she tried to eat the phone more than she talked, so I talked to Grammy instead.

The First Bruise

Today is a day I've been waiting for ever since Sydney started to move around on her own.  Today is the day an accident report was sent home from Daycare. Today is the day she has a knot on her head.  It's a bump and starting to bruise.  You see, the child I gave birth to almost eight months ago, is on the move and not stopping.  In the last few days, we have found that we can no longer turn our head, because looking away for just a second means that she is into everything.  She has also started standing up in and rocking her crib.  In her classroom at Daycare, there are wood shelves about two feet high where toys are stored.  My darling daughter was climbing on the shelves, trying to stand up when she lost her balance and landed head first on a toy.  I knew the day would come where she came home with a booboo but I didn't think it would be so soon.  I guess we really are ready for her to move on to the next room which is a little more equiped for those on the move. 

March for Babies

In 2009 I had my first baby, Sydney Ann Vento.

I was lucky enough to have a healthy and easy pregnancy.  In 2009, I also started this blog and started following other people's blogs.  There are a few blogs I follow daily and some others I catch up on when I can. 
One of the blog's I follow is that of Heather Spohr.  She started her blog when she was pregnant with her first daughter, Maddie.  She had a hard pregnancy and Maddie was born prematurely.  Maddie had complications from her premature birth and was hospitalized several times.  The last time she was hospitalized was April 6, 2009.  She passed on to heaven on April 7, 2009 from complications of a respiratory infection.  I have never met Heather, and to speak the truth, I have no idea where I found her blog.  Her strength in the loss of her daughter is an inspriation to me.  Maddie is why I'm walking in the March for Babies.
Jack Luigi is another little one I've never met, but I know of him through my Mom and his Grandma.  His Mom, Paula, has been keeping a blog of his progress since he was born.  From what I know, he was a full term baby that ended up having some issues during his birth.  His mom keeps a blog to detail the medical and developmental journey of little Jack.  Jack is a cutie pie who has made some awesome progress.  Jack Luigi is why I'm walking in the March for Babies.
The March of Dimes March for Babies raises money to support programs to help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies.  I know I'm lucky because I had a healthy pregnancy, but I know there are so many people who do not.  Those moms and babies are why I'm walking in the March for Babies. 
I hope you join our team and walk with us on April 24.  If you can't make it on April 24, please consider donating.