The best intentions

Robert was all intent on sleeping in a tent in the backyard for the first time. He didn't make it, however. He spent about 30 minutes out there and then got bored with staying in the tent.

Oh well.

Going to school

One of the first things we (read: Cate) did after we got here was get the kids enrolled in school. I think we knew that coming into a new school system in August was going to leave us behind the 8-ball; we just didn't realize how far behind.

But we got a piece of good news yesterday, and parlayed that into a second piece today: The kids got into our No. 2 school choice here in Minneapolis.

First choice was a magnet school, and we knew that was a long shot. But there's a perfectly good school about nine blocks from us, that we thought we would get into. Instead, that school had a waiting list in both fifth grade and first grade and we were assigned to a school three times as far away, with a bus pickup time of 6:47 a.m.!

Chew on that, InsideOut!

But Tuesday afternoon, Cate got called by the placement office and offered us a spot for Elizabeth in our No. 2 choice. After a phone call to mom's friend who works in the school system and some researching online, we felt pretty confident. Cate toured the facilities and deemed them acceptable. And we got them to take Robert as well. Spanish classes, computers in the classrooms, etc.

And classes there start at a more reasonable hour.

I never saw the school that so turned us off, but let's put it this way: On their tour of the other school, Robert rattled off three things that he liked about Forest Grove Elementary in Sterling and asked the principal if this school had them. They were 0-for-3.

If the 6-year-old knows that the school isn't as good, what else is there to say?

Happy anniversary, mom and dad

Mom and Dad celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary Sunday afternoon by inviting the whole parish over to hear a local folk duo. So Neal and Leandra played and the children drunk lemonade and about a hundred people came out to listen, on a beautiful day, inside. (The adults had champagne.)

In all, a great idea. We were asked to save the date back when they sent out their Christmas cards in February. And it turns out we were here a few weeks ahead of schedule.

Mom and Dad spoke briefly before the concert. Somehow Dad kept his prepared remarks below 20 minutes, Cate was very impressed. Mom related a story: she was talking to her mom one day about a year after they were married and she said she couldn't imagine being together for 35 or 40 years. And Nanny said, "the first five years take forever. And then the next 35 just fly by."

I could manage to agree with that assessment. Cate, sitting at the laptop next to me, says she is still waiting for the flying. "I was promised flying by!"

Below, Dad is wearing The Wedding Coat, which he wore to many summer weddings in the ... '70s, I would assume from the looks of it ... and became part of the family lore. He's recently been able to wear it again. (I added this later, ran out of juice last night, both in the brain and the laptop.)

Many people that I hadn't seen in years, obviously. The Schroeders (John and Dana) from a few blocks down the street jokingly took some credit for my career in journalism, but I told them they were definitely entitled to some of it. They ran a newspaper in rural Minnesota in the '80s and came to our neighborhood when I was in grade school. They helped St. Thomas put together a student newspaper and I was the photographer. (That was the only way I wanted to be involved in journalism, yet I ended up on the word side in college.)

Ann Marie Kotre, who was my parents' realtor in Michigan, was in town. Didn't recognize her, of course, but remembered seeing one of her sons play Tony in West Side Story. Always wanted to play that part, but couldn't dance well enough or sing low enough.

Our cousin Kelly was in from out of town, as well as friend of the family/godmother to Colleen Jennifer. And the family repaired to the family domicile afterward for dinner.

Great time had by all.

I just wrapped up a big D3football.com project, so this is my first chance on the blog in a while. Thanks for your patience. More photos on my Facebook page.

Happy Birthday, Cate!

We were all disappointed when the text message from Barack Obama came in at 2:30 this morning informing us that Cate had not been selected as his running mate for the 2008 election.

This is unfortunate, because I feel Cate could help carry several important constituencies.

• Women
• Catholic women
• Virginia

I was just sure the timing of Obama's announcement and rally on Saturday could not be a coincidence. After all, not only was it Cate's birthday, but it was Cate's 35th birthday, which for those who remember high school civics class, means Cate is now eligible to be elected president.

Plus Cate was curiously non-committal as to what she wanted to do today. I'm sure she wanted to be in Springfield, Ill.

Instead, we celebrated Cate's first birthday in Minneapolis in a not-particularly Minnesota fashion. We didn't go to the lake or to the State Fair, which seems destined to be a future birthday destination since it will frequently be running on Aug. 23. Cate and the kids walked down to the shops in Linden Hills, where the kids did some advance scouting for a later birthday run, and we had the great wood-fired pizza at Punch Pizza. At right is dessert, which I term a good cake spoiled. The kids ... well, they had their own ideas as to what the cake should be ... encrusted with. I'm not interested in leftovers, let's just say that. Cate got to get some downtime and talked with her mom on the phone from Ireland. In all it was a beautiful day as summer in the Upper Midwest winds down.

And no, if you're wondering from the top photo, Elizabeth is not that tall, yet. She's standing on a rock. But she is approaching five feet tall, my goodness. She is that cute, though. And so is Colleen.

Colleen's take on Michael Phelps

"Wow."

Her other Olympic comments were rather random. She also claims that she will get her own Olympic gold medal in "nothing" and she'll get it "on Valentine's Day."