Love of Life: Entries & Comments

Day at the Fair

2010-07-16T18:25:00Z

Last Friday was my last day of work at the old job, and next Monday is the first day at the new job, which means I've had a week off! So what did I do? Mostly cleaned our house. Today, though, I took Luca to the county fair.

First, we went to see the animals. We saw horses, sheep, chickens, rabbits, ducks, turkey, cows, pigs, and llamas. Then we stopped to have a snack: mini doughnuts, fresh squeezed lemonade, and fried cheddar cheese. Yum! We went inside to the convention center where it was air conditioned and browsed some of the exhibits. I still had some chores to do at home (like grocery shopping), so I took Luca back to school. He fell asleep on the way there.

I hope you had a good morning at the fair with baba! Maybe next time we'll go on some rides and eat cotton candy!

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

Hoffa Gud Tay Askool

2010-07-06T13:08:00Z

In the morning when Kyra and Luca head out for school I often say, "Heeryor lunboks. Hoffa gud tay!", which is a line from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes:

(Full Comic)

In this strip, Calvin encounters an alien on his way to the school bus. He greets the alien, but does not understand it. The alien transforms its body to look like Calvin, and Calvin hands the alien his lunchbox, saying, "Well Calvin, here's your lunchbox. Have a good day at school." The alien repeats to Susie, the neighbor girl, "Heeryor lunboks. Hoffa gud tay askool."

For whatever reason, when I say that to Kyra and Luca, it seems to have more meaning than the translation alone. Perhaps it's a bit of nostalgia thrown in with wishing my family a good day, even if they don't have a lunchbox.

Note: The comic above is copyright Bill Watterson 1996. It can be found on p. 15 of the Calvin and Hobbes collection, "It's A Magical World" (on Amazon). Reference: Calvin and Hobbes Strip Search.

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

New Transitions

2010-07-03T17:30:00Z

I have been working with an insurance company for almost two years, and I primarily worked with insurance claims to evaluate the effectiveness of care for our members and to discover patterns in care. Last week I accepted a new position with a physician clinical practice organization. The new position will provide experience on the other side of the health care industry, working with data from the doctor's office rather than the insurance company.

Kyra is also looking for a new job. She's been having a rough time at her current child care center with the way it's being run. Last weekend she started submitting applications, and she's already had two interviews. She hopes to have a new job very soon, we hope with a daycare center where Luca can enroll and Kyra can seek state teaching certification. One day she would like to teach in an elementary school.

Luca has been growing rapidly. He's very talkative and he really seems to know what he wants. He enjoys going to school and visiting his friends. On the weekends, he's been taking swimming lessons and he loves the water! A bit too much actually--he really wants to swim on his own, but I'm sure he'd sink like a rock! Soon he will be two, and we hope to have a big birthday party for him.

So we're all undergoing changes. It may be a turbulent summer, but I hope we all end up a little older, a little wiser, and a little happier with these new transitions.

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

A Father’s Day Conversation

2010-06-20T15:03:00Z

Chris: "Luca, are you being gentle with the cat?"
Luca: "Yeah..."
Chris: "Self reported data is insufficient!!"

This is what happens when your father is a data analyst.

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

Easter and Mother’s Day Weekend

2010-06-11T00:39:00Z

It's been a while since we've posted photos, so here's a review of the last few months:

We visited my parents for Easter, and they hid eggs around their house. We also went to Kyra's family's Easter party, and they hid eggs around the house too. I think Luca was getting tired, though, so he didn't find many there. Here are some photos at my parents:

Easter 2010

At one point, Luca was running along and dumped all of the eggs out. He would say, "Uh oh" over and over, then pick the eggs up and dump them out all over again. It was very amusing.

On the weekend of Mother's Day, Kyra took Luca to his swimming lesson instead of me. We also went to Olbrich Botanical Gardens. As Kyra said, "Everybody and their mother will be there." Well, it wasn't that crowded. We had a snack at a local cafe afterward.

Mother's Day Weekend

Next up, we'll talk about our first camping trip as a family!

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

Hi-Ho! Hi-Ho! It's off to the Woods We Go!

2010-05-28T13:53:00Z

We leave today for our first FAMILY CAMPING TRIP to Peninsula State Park in Door County.

Here's hoping we don't meet any real bears...

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

Kyra Appreciation Day

2010-05-25T23:09:00Z

Today is Kyra's birthday, and I wanted to do something special and different for Kyra, not just the usual gift/card/dinner combination. So I asked our friends on Facebook to write her a note. Here are some of the responses:

From Kim: "This is awesome... right on the cusp of two special *yays* for you... Happy Anniversary and HAPPY BIRTHDAY! This must be a VERY special week every year. Enjoy every minute that you can!"

From Marquis: "Happy birthday dear darling daughter! You and the rest of us have a lot to celebrate... What a joy and blessing you are! You are a shining example of what it is to be a wife, a mom, and a daughter... (As well as niece, cousin, and friend to many!) Enjoy your special day dear."

From Steph: "Happy birthday, Kyra! You are an awesome mom, pretty as a picture, and super smart. I hope your day is most excellent. Have a second piece of cake and take a bubble bath tonight!"

From Carla: "Happy Birthday Kyra!!! I love you more than you know! Like I said earlier, your marriage and the way you are a mother to Luca is my inspiration. If I had a child, I would want to raise him the way you're raising Luca. Luca is honestly one of the best kids I have ever known. (It's probably because his parents are so completely amazing!) I love you!"

Carla also wrote a blog entry (see her blog for pictures, too):

Kyra is a wonderful wife, mother and best friend. She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever known. She glows inside and out. I love that she ... includes me in her life as much as she does. She always thinks of me and includes me in activities that, for most young families, are just a Mom-Dad-Baby activity.

I usually eat dinner at their house at least once a week - and not just because Kyra is an AMAZING cook. I think her turkey meatloaf might be my favorite. OR maybe the turkey she made for Christmas. Yes, Christmas. I should write about that - I didn't know if I was going to have somewhere to go for Christmas, and in less than a second Kyra said that I could spend it with them. I loved spending Christmas with Kyra, Chris, and Luca.

Now to talk about what a wonderful Mom Kyra is. She works full time. And she cooks and cleans and raises her little boy and still finds time for her husband and me. I can't believe I'm included in that sentence. But I am and I'm so grateful for it. Kyra has the cutest son in the world. Luca. My honorary nephew. Most of the time, I leave out the 'honorary' because Kyra is like a sister to me. I love her that much. I love watching her take care of Luca. The other night they made muffins together - and I had to take photos and video, it was THAT adorable.

I just can't say enough nice things about this woman. She has changed my life and made it better.

From Me: "Kyra, you're a wonderful wife and mother, and I am very proud of you. You are not only smart, but wise, patient, and kind. There's no one I'd rather talk to about the myriad of interests we share, and there's no one else I'd rather spend my time with. I am very lucky to have you in my life. There are so many reasons... I hope I have another 25 years to tell you all of them."

Kyra, I hope you had a great birthday! I love you, forever!

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

Just Say Yes

2010-05-24T14:30:00Z

Just Say Yes by Snow Patrol

I did. It was, it is, the best decision of my life.

I Love You Chris, Happy Anniversary.

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

Sunshine

2010-05-12T00:57:00Z

Our friend Carla is having a hard time with her anxiety right now. She wrote the following post on her blog last night:

My nephew, Luca, makes my world a little sunnier. The Sunday before Mothers' Day we went to breakfast, the zoo, and lunch. I love his parents to death - they are amazing people, but adults just can't help with my anxiety. But this little kiddo can. All he has to do is say, "More please," "'s Broken," or "I DID IT!" and my heart melts and the panic goes away.

Tonight I had the privilege of babysitting him. At 18 months this kiddo can put his books away, and knows how to put away the bath toys. And don't get me started on the potty talk. He tells you when he has to poop (and sometimes, I think he just thinks it's a fun word to say. Can you blame him? POOP!), and pees on the potty when the timing is right. Tonight, he peed on the potty for me!!! I was so happy to empty that little potty with the pee in it, and swish it out with toilet water before putting it back! I never thought someone else's bodily functions could make me so happy!

But before we went potty, we called my mom and dad. And he said, "Hi Bruce and Hi Alice" - except he's a toddler, so it's way more cute than that. And, I accidentally taught him "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga. I had it in my head after a conversation with his mother, so I was singing it. And now, when I sing it he points to his face. And you can ask him where his poker face is and he'll point to his face and say, "Poker Face." My dad was asking him all sorts of questions and he answered, "yeah..." to each one. Just like that, with the ellipse after it, like he had more to say but couldn't find the words because he was stoned out of his mind. (Not that he WAS stoned... but the way that stoners say things, that's the way he said it.)

I gave him his bath and we went through his bedtime routine - with no-fuss. Auntie Carla even knows how to dry Baby Luca's hair with the towel without making him cry. Because I'm the shit. And then, because I promised we tried calling my brother again; he didn't answer the first time we tried. He answered this time, and I just had to show off the Lady Gaga impersonation. Because only the cool babies know "Poker Face."

And then it was time for bed. We read "Goodnight Moon," and then I rocked him. I cried a little because I didn't want to put him to bed because either he distracts me enough that the panic can't get through, or he's a magical baby with super powers of protection against panic. I think it's the 2nd one. And I realized this kiddo is my sunshine. Right now, from my dark, dark place, he is a reason - if not the ONLY reason - I keep fighting. There are other reasons, I suppose, but it's rare if I remember them. I needed to let my kiddo know how special he is, so I sang him a song that goes like this:

"You are my Sunshine,
My only Sunshine,
You make me happy,
When skies are gray.
You'll never know Dear,
How much I Love You.
Please don't take
My Sunshine Away."

I love you Luca-Bean. I know it will be years before you ever understand, but thanks for being My Sunshine in this dark, dark time.

We're so happy our little boy can bring her a little sunshine.

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

Sunshine

2010-05-11T12:36:00Z

Our friend Carla is having a hard time with her anxiety right now. She wrote the following post on her blog last night:

My nephew, Luca, makes my world a little sunnier. The Sunday before Mothers' Day we went to breakfast, the zoo, and lunch. I love his parents to death - they are amazing people, but adults just can't help with my anxiety. But this little kiddo can. All he has to do is say, "More please," "'s Broken," or "I DID IT!" and my heart melts and the panic goes away.

Tonight I had the privilege of babysitting him. At 18 months this kiddo can put his books away, and knows how to put away the bath toys. And don't get me started on the potty talk. He tells you when he has to poop (and sometimes, I think he just thinks it's a fun word to say. Can you blame him? POOP!), and pees on the potty when the timing is right. Tonight, he peed on the potty for me!!! I was so happy to empty that little potty with the pee in it, and swish it out with toilet water before putting it back! I never thought someone else's bodily functions could make me so happy!

But before we went potty, we called my mom and dad. And he said, "Hi Bruce and Hi Alice" - except he's a toddler, so it's way more cute than that. And, I accidentally taught him "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga. I had it in my head after a conversation with his mother, so I was singing it. And now, when I sing it he points to his face. And you can ask him where his poker face is and he'll point to his face and say, "Poker Face." My dad was asking him all sorts of questions and he answered, "yeah..." to each one. Just like that, with the ellipse after it, like he had more to say but couldn't find the words because he was stoned out of his mind. (Not that he WAS stoned... but the way that stoners say things, that's the way he said it.)

I gave him his bath and we went through his bedtime routine - with no-fuss. Auntie Carla even knows how to dry Baby Luca's hair with the towel without making him cry. Because I'm the shit. And then, because I promised we tried calling my brother again; he didn't answer the first time we tried. He answered this time, and I just had to show off the Lady Gaga impersonation. Because only the cool babies know "Poker Face."

And then it was time for bed. We read "Goodnight Moon," and then I rocked him. I cried a little because I didn't want to put him to bed because either he distracts me enough that the panic can't get through, or he's a magical baby with super powers of protection against panic. I think it's the 2nd one. And I realized this kiddo is my sunshine. Right now, from my dark, dark place, he is a reason - if not the ONLY reason - I keep fighting. There are other reasons, I suppose, but it's rare if I remember them. I needed to let my kiddo know how special he is, so I sang him a song that goes like this:

"You are my Sunshine,
My only Sunshine,
You make me happy,
When skies are gray.
You'll never know Dear,
How much I Love You.
Please don't take
My Sunshine Away."

I love you Luca-Bean. I know it will be years before you ever understand, but thanks for being My Sunshine in this dark, dark time.

We're so happy our little boy can bring her a little sunshine.

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

Feed the Census

2010-04-21T20:13:00Z

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

The Vowel Song

2010-04-14T00:56:00Z

I made up a song, The Vowel Song, sung to a tune from Final Fantasy X - the Song of Prayer. Here is an example:

Song of Prayer - Ifrit

I made up the song while I was playing the game a few months ago while Kyra watched. I wasn't sure what the words were, so I made up the tune so I could still sing it. Here are the lyrics, and it only lasts the first few phrases of the Song of Prayer:

A E I O--
U - - - -
I know my vowels
How 'bout you----?

It hasn't yet become useful in teaching vowels to Luca, but one day it might.

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

A Note From Luca

2010-04-04T13:00:00Z

Hi! I'm Luca.

I'm 18 months old. And Funny. And Cute.

This is my Auntie Carla.

She's 23. And Funny. And Cute.

She also has Cystic Fibrosis. Mama says "CF is a devastating genetic disease that affects tens of thousands of children and young adults in the United States." It makes my Auntie Carla cough. It makes her sick. It sends her to the hospital sometimes.

That is why my mom and dad participate in the Great Strides walk to fight CF. Mom says "Great Strides is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's largest and most successful national fund-raising event. And nearly 90 cents of every dollar of revenue raised is available for investment in vital CF programs to support research, care and education."

I want to help find a cure for my auntie's disease. I want her around for a long time. Can you help me? If you go here you can find my mom's Great Strides home page and make a donation. Making a donation is easy and secure! Just click the "Click to Donate" button. Any amount you can donate is greatly appreciated!

Also, if you happen to live anywhere near my mom and have used books, she is collecting them to sell to raise money. She will be happy to come pick them up. Just send her an email or leave a comment.

I love my Auntie Carla. I want her around for a long time. Thank you for helping me make CF stand for "Cure Found"!

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

A Model of True Love

2010-03-31T15:00:00Z

Eva Markvoort died last Saturday, March 27th, just days before her 26th birthday, today.

Eva fought with cystic fibrosis (CF), a deadly disease that affects the entire body and often leads to early death. She wrote about her struggle with CF on her online journal, 65 Red Roses.

I'm starting to read her journal from the beginning, and I stumbled across this gem. Here is Eva, singing a song about Love:

Love is Something

Eva was full of love, and she gave and received it freely. She was a model of true love.

May you be remembered for your love, Eva.

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

Dress Up

2010-03-21T15:48:00Z

Just received new pictures of Lilianna and Dalila. They were playing dress-up. Lilianna will be three in August, and Dalila is nine months now. It's so good to see Dalila smiling and happy after how close we came to losing her.

"You look Maaavalous Daaling!"

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

I’m Sick, I Need a Laugh

2010-03-20T21:15:00Z

Rather than spread germs I thought I'd spread humor. My mom emailed me this a while back. The email had the following explanation:

On August 19th, 2007, an oil tanker off the coast of Australia split in two, dumping 20,000 tons of crude oil. Senator Collins, a member of the Australian Parliament, appeared on a TV news program to reassure the Australian public.This actual interview is so funny, you'd swear it was a Monty Python skit. But it's the real deal.

Enjoy, be well.

The Front Fell Off

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

Olbrich on Wedinator

2010-03-17T01:22:00Z

I watch a couple of sites that post humorous photos, and one of them is Wedinator. (Warning: This site is occasionally not appropriate!) Recently, a user posted the following photo of a wedding at Olbrich Botanical Gardens:

What's with the Broom?

Here's the description:

"So... this wedding taking place in the community garden of a mental institution? 'Cuz Broom Lady seems to be gliding down the aisle with her 'date', and the bridesmaid in the foreground is carrying a bizarrely random basket a la Little Red Riding Hood (off to see Grandma?)."

No one on the site seems to know where it's at. I've let them know. What IS with the broom anyway?

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

Music from Video Games

2010-03-14T02:07:00Z

Around the interwebs, people are talking about this guy dressed as Boba Fett, the bounty hunter from the movie Star Wars, performing in a New York subway station for money.

Guy Dressed as Boba Fett Playing Zelda Music

The tune he is playing in the video above is from the video game "Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time." What a combination! Star Wars and Zelda. That would be an epic game or movie!

I've always loved that tune from the game, and in fact, I liked it so much I taught myself to play it on the piano by ear and from memory. The game has a lot of other good tunes, too, and the plot actually involves using music to help on the Hero's quest. It's a refreshing and novel use of music in a role playing game.

There are some other video games with good music, too. Currently I'm re-playing Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King. In Japan, there has been a tradition of taking music from this series and performing it with an orchestra. In this installment, the music is symphonic within the game, providing an excellent background while playing. It's one of the few games I know that has real symphonic music.

Some other games with music I enjoy include Breath of Fire, Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross (especially the opening tune, Time's Scar), Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy X, Secret of Mana, Shadow of the Colossus, Xenogears, and of course just about any of the Legend of Zelda games. There are some excellent symphonic albums and piano compilations out there, especially for the Final Fantasy series. Check them out! And let me know if there are any video games with music you really like, too.

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris

Puts me in mind of a book I made for my grown kids...

2010-03-07T18:35:45Z

Puts me in mind of a book I made for my grown kids. I matched pictures of them when they were little to appropriate nursery rhymes. Titled it "Dad's Nursery Rhyme Book" as most of the pictures had the kids and their Dad. Printed it off for each of them.

My Family Loves Me!

2010-03-06T15:59:00Z

Kyra had an idea for a book for Luca. Her niece, Lilianna, has a photo album with pictures of her family members, including those she does not see often. Since she looks through the album often, she remembers Kyra, Luca, and me by name. Kyra thought it would be great if we could make an album like that for Luca. I suggested looking online for a store that sells custom board books, and Kyra found My Custom Story. Here is the book we assembled and received just yesterday:

My Family Loves Me!

Mama and Baba Love Me

Grandma and Grandpa Swenson Love Me

Nana Loves Me

Grandpa Bill Loves Me

Autie Sabrina Loves Me

Auntie Megan Loves Me

Auntie Carla Loves Me

Uncle Kenny Loves Me

Lilianna and Dalila Love Me

I am Loved

Goodnight

The book turned out great! It's sturdy and the pictures are bright. Luca loves it!

Excerpt from "Love of Life" by Kyra and Chris