Feeling Techno-Savvy

So, I was thinking today about how much technology has changed since I was a kid. Joe had said the other night how lucky Xander was to have his DS, since we didn't have hand-held games when we were kids. And then we had those big, brick-like Gameboys (Tetris, anyone?).



These days it's unusual to find someone that doesn't have a cell phone (even if they don't use them much, like me). Heck, Joe has a Blackberry that he reguarly goes online with. My own humble little Tracfone takes pictures, for goodness sake. We've got DVDs, CDs, MP3 players, the DS, and of course the trusty laptop. Because e-mail isn't quick enough, now you can text or twitter. (I have sent exactly one text!)


When I stop to think about it, it's pretty crazy how much technology has changed since I was a kid. Back in the days of Apple IIe computers and dot matrix printers, when cell phones were huge and portable music either pumped out of a "boom box" or a big ole walkman. Even just using this blog to keep up with my family - who'd have thunk it?

I can't wait to see how much will be different when Xander is ready to go to college. What new advances will there be? How much more confounded will I feel at times, dealing with all this electronic stuff? Maybe by then I'll be able to remember to charge my cell phone!

Meet Our Friends: Scandinavian Edition

I'm lucky enough to have made some friends from oversees, some of which I still communicate with. I've never been to visit them in their countries, but I'd like to some day.

This is Anna.

She was an exchange student that lived with my family when I was in the 11th grade. Anna is from Finland and we had a very rocky relationship for the year that she stayed with us. I didn't like all the attention she got, especially from my mom, and so I wasn't especially nice. She came back to the states to go to college right around the time I did, and that's when our relationship improved. We wrote letters, e-mailed, and would get together at mom's house on school breaks. When Anna got married (to her first husband, who was an American) I was her maid of honor and my brother walked her down the aisle.

Anna (also known as Piggy and Sisteri) now lives back in Finland with her third husband and her adorable son. The last time I saw her in the flesh was (I think) back in 2002 when she came to my one year anniversary party. We still e-mail, though not as frequently, and I've used her little boy as the subject of some of my scrapbook pages. It would be fun to get together now that we're both moms, and have our boys play together!

This is Chris.

Chris was an exchange student in my brother's class. She is from Norway, and for a while I didn't like her much either. But that was due to a particularly nasty rumor mill that was going at the time and I should've known better. Chris was almost my sister-in-law, as she and Eli got engaged. He even took a trip to Norway to visit her around Christmastime. The engagement didn't stick, but the friendship did. We had a particularly nice visit when she came years ago with her then-boyfriend Oyvind.

Chris (who is alternately known as Freako or just Norway) and I e-mail a lot, and sometimes she calls me. I actually used to get these great drunken phone calls when she'd be out at the bar. Too funny! Two years ago she came for a visit and we spent a day of her vacation together shopping in Binghamton. She'll be back again next month for a whirl-wind vacation that will include a trip to Hawaii - so jealous of that one! Again, we'll have one day to hang out and catch up.

I'm so glad I have a diverse group of friends - they bring an interesting perspective and always some fun new words to learn! Because of Anna I still listen to a musical group called Lapinlahdenlinnut (Xander likes dancing to some of their songs) and Chris has hooked me up with two of my fave CDs - a Christmas album in both English and Norwegian, and A-Ha's Minor Earth, Major Sky album. They've both definitely enriched my life in fun and unexpected ways!

Check Out My Boy!

I don't know what it is. The 50 cent necklace? The green shirt? Xander just looks so old in these pics, like he could be heading off to middle school or something. Is there any way of keeping this kid little? Special Tupperware? Freeze ray?

Thursday Night BBQ

My family and Eli's family got together for a BBQ last night. Dylan is visiting this week and we wanted to see him before he went back home. I can happily report that the kids got along unusually well!

Xander of course had to hit the pool. Carlyn and Aislin went in with him, even though all the kids had already taken a dip before we got there. I personally didn't think it was warm enough, but apparently kids feel the cold differently than grown-ups do, LOL!

As usual, whenever Dylan is visiting I made the attempt to take a picture of all the kids together. This is no easy feat! Either they're making bunny ears on everyone, or they've got a weirdo expression on their face, or they're trying to make cool hand gestures. I got one nice picture, after much coaxing, and then I told them all to let loose and scream. Love those scream pics!

It's always nice when the family can get together and hang out.

Family Flashback: Weenie Wagon

Oh, how I hated the weenie wagon! Why my mother got it into her head to get this is beyond me. But I was stuck working in it with her in the summer (1987), parked down by Stamford pool or Jamesway in Oneonta. It was just a small little trailer, and we'd be in it all day in the heat, with boiling weenies. Mom gave all the hot dog variations dog names, and we branched out to include candy as well.

I can remember panicking every time Mom left me alone in the wagon because I had a hard time making change (especially for the woman who bought a weenie and paid me with a 50 dollar bill). I remember hooking up with Deaf Jeff that summer when we were parked by the pool, and wishing I could hook up with some of the guys when we set up at Aunt Marge's auction barn. I remember running up to Grand Union to get chicken wings to share with Mom (hot dogs lost their luster after awhile).

Mostly I remember being relieved when Mom sold the weenie wagon. I never missed it!

Xander Bruno is 6 Years Old!!

My not-so-little boy turned six on Saturday. We watched the video of when he was born, and it's hard to believe that little baby is the boisterous, crazy kid that now lives in my house! We had the annual birthday party, with the rented tent and picnic tables. And of course we had the pool and slip-n-slide set up.

I was so worried about the weather, but it turned out not to be a bad day. Not much sunshine, but it didn't rain. The wind was gusty and blew some plates (and their contents) off tables, and both balloons that were tied up snapped off and floated off into the cosmos.

Xander had a great time, of course. Lots of kids to play with, and he got a lot of great presents. Joe and I helped him pay for the Ninetendo DS that he's been pining for (he saved up good boy bucks and birthday money). We gave it to him Saturday morning and he said "This is the best day of my life!"

This year there was no clear theme to the party. So we had a Spiderman table cloth, a Garfield balloon, and a Lego cake with a pirate theme because Xander has been watching the Pirates of the Carribean movies. A lot. I did a jello cake this year, just because I love them. And there was none left!

So, between the great BBQ (thanks, Joe!), the fun presents, the family and friends, it was a great birthday. And I was exhausted!! We all just spent Sunday lazing around the house and taking turns playing Xander's DS. Thank goodness the next party is a full year away!

Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince

No work for me today! I took the day off to finish getting the house ready for Xander's party tomorrow, not to mention going shopping with Joe to get the food and stuff that we'll need. As an extra bonus, we're going to take in a matinee of Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince. I can't wait to see it!! Joe and I are big HP fans. Have you seen it yet?

The Amazing Flying Xander!

Okay, so I already featured a photo from this series as the Photo of the Week. But seriously, I crack up every time I look at these! They're too good not to show off. Just Xander jumping on my bed, but that boy can get some air! Check out his amazing acrobatics:

Family Flashback: Norma

Eli is out of town, so this seems the perfect time to have a laugh at his expense. (These are the times I love being a big sister!)

Those of you who know my brother probably think of him as a strapping outdoorsman, father of four, and church-goer. What you may not know is that he once used to like to wear women's clothes (okay, okay....girl's clothes) and call himself Norma.

There was one trip to Aunt Margie's that involved lots of dressing up. Heather and I would write these little plays and give Eli one-word speaking parts in them. For the occasion, he put on some of Heather's clothes (including the shoes) and a wig that Aunt Marge happened to have around the house. Voila! Norma was born.

Eli doesn't like to talk about Norma these days. Too bad!! When Iwas at Aunt Margie's this past week I took the opportunity to scan in some pictures. And of course I had to bring back Norma with me. My favorite memory of Norma is the the three of us sitting around Heather's little table, having a tea party. Eli had his legs crossed and everything. Too funny!

Thanks for the great memory, Eli!

Bruno Family Vacation - The Aftermath

Well, we're back home again after a long, long drive. As expected, Xander didn't want to leave Aunt Margie's and was very grumpy. But things smoothed out, especially after we stopped for some lunch at McDonald's and Xander was able to get a fake moustache from one of those coin machines. Goofball.

I've spent just about all my vacation money, and all I have to show for it are pictures. My best kind of souvenir! Particularly this photo, which we got done at Darien Lake:

And this photo from Ren Fest, which didn't come out as well as I was expecting. Last year's picture was so much better, and bigger. You don't even want to know how much I paid for this little 4x6!

Xander is already asking when we can go back to Aunt Margie's house. He sure loved playing with Andrew! Overall, I'd have to say that our 2nd annual vacation was a success. Next up: Xander's 6th birthday party!

Bruno Family Vacation - Day Three

The weather was against us today, Day Three of our vacation extravaganza. Dark clouds were threatening and rain was forecast, but we head out to Darien Lake anyway because it was on the schedule and I live and die by my schedule. :)

First thing Xander wanted to do was ride the ferris wheel. I was surprised when Joe came with us - he has a fear of heights and never goes on those things. He kept a death grip on the rail and his eyes closed the whole time. Xander was nervous too. Well, it was a really tall ferris wheel!

Then we played a lot of games. Xander won a bunch of stuffed animals. And I even won something for playing Whack A Mole. Yay me! Xander was just beside himself to win things, and there were plenty of games that gave you a prize even if you didn't do so well. It drizzled a bit while we wandered around, and when Joe, Xander and I went in to get our old-time portraits done, it POURED! Man, that was a lot of rain! It was also a breezy 62-ish degrees, so we didn't hit the water park.

Xander's two favorite rides were the carousel and the swings. Andrew and Xander took several spins on the swings, and another ride called the Raging River. There was one other ride they went on together that Xander was all excited about when it started and then cried when it was underway. He's such a goober!

Joe and I really left our diets behind today. We had fried chicken, fried dough, pretzels, giant chocolate chip cookies, and curly fries. Joe's favorite thing of the day was sitting and tossing fries to the horde of seagulls that were hanging around. He got some to come really close! Xander enjoyed winning games and getting a free face painting.
After we hit the arcade and let the boys ride the swings a couple more times, we headed out. It had been a long day, and I was freezing! Andrew fell asleep in the car, but Xander hung in there refusing to admit he was maybe a little tired. When we got back to Aunt Margie's I took a nap and woke up to find both Joe and Xander asleep in the living room. That was around 8:30pm and Xander is still asleep - we just moved him upstairs. My cousin Heather stopped by for a quick visit, and everyone else is now upstairs in bed except for me. (I'm so dedicated to my blog, LOL!)

Tomorrow I have to scan a bunch of Aunt Margie's pics and then we make the journey home. Oh, and you'll be happy to know that we seem to have fixed our car problem. I put a call in to my garage guys back home and they suggested it might be the power steering. Joe put in some fluid this morning and no more scary noise. Yay!!

Thanks for sharing our vacation with us!

Bruno Family Vacation - Day Two

Another long, on-our-feet day today. After Aunt Margie headed off to work (after a long night that included several rounds with the local fire siren and a window-rattling thunderstorm), the Brunos and Andrew headed out for the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester. To say that place is big is a wicked understatement!

First thing inside is a carousel, which Xander rode three times throughout the day. I took a turn on it before we left. Our next stop was Sesame Street, which was pretty cool. There was lots of hands-on activities, like a pipe organ made out of pvc pipes and things to climb on, in and around.

After a turn through the Reading Adventure (with areas like Mystery Mansion and Wizard Place) we took the noon tour of the Butterfly Sanctuary. There were so many butterflies, and they were so pretty! Xander walked around with his hands cupped, hoping to lure a butterfly to land on him. He got his chance when one of the guides found an injured butterfly and let Xander give it a ride.

Then of course we had to take a stroll through Berenstain Bear country. Xander got his picture taken with Mama Bear, built a "stone" wall, and checked out Brother Bear and Sister Bear's clubhouses. Here, as throughout the rest of the museum, were books that could be read if anyone had the inclination.

There was a break for some whining (Xander, who didn't want anyone else to look at anything in the museum) and some lunch at the food court. Xander ate a Subway ham and cheese, a yogurt, and most of my little bag of Baked Lays. Piggie! We also took time out for some ice cream at the diner. It was so delicious!!

After we toured through the museum part of the museum, and I got to check out the cool Barbie exhibit they have to celebrate her 50th Anniversary, Xander went to the mini Wegmans to do a spot of grocery shopping. Once he'd checked out his items, he went back to the bakery/deli, donned an apron, and started hawking pizzas and bread. Too funny!

Our last stop at the museum was the videogame exhibit. They had an amazing array of old arcade games in there that we could play. All the greats were represented - Pac Man, Frogger, Asteroids and Donkey Kong among them. Xander played the Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back game for a while (I think it was broken, because on one token the game play never seemed to end!) and then played something called Gauntlet.

After a quick trip to Walmart to pick up discount tickets for Darien Lake tomorrow, we crashed back at Aunt Margie's. Xander and Andrew went in the pool - something Xander has been impatiently waiting for. When Aunt Margie came home from work, Joe and I treated her and Andrew to dinner out at Applebees. Way too yummy! (And yes, I brought leftovers home. Didn't eat it all in one sitting this time!)

Now Xander and Andrew are upstairs reading a book, Aunt Margie is folding laundry, Joe is watching UFC highlights on TV, and I'm here updating all my fans (or maybe just my mom, LOL!). I plan to relax with a new CK magazine and then hit the sheets. Tomorrow: Darien Lake! My feet are already wincing!

Bruno Family Vacation - Day 1

It's time again for the annual Bruno Family Vacation. We're staying in-state this year, vacationing in the lovely Rochester area and staying with Aunt Marge and Andrew. We met them in route this morning and all went to the Renaissance Festival in Sterling. Boy, was it nice and warm today! Definitely needed the sunblock.

Highlights of the day. Xander went through his spending money like water, going on rides, buying food, and playing games (no, he didn't win any). His big thing was buying a wooden axe, a companion piece to the wooden sword he picked up there two years ago.

We watched the jousting (our guy lost), and checked out bits and pieces of some of the shows. We lost Joe for most of the day, as he made the clothing rounds - hats, boots, the works. The only thing he picked up to bring home was a commemorative mug, but I have the feeling we'll be getting some interesting mail in the next few weeks.

At the end of the day, Aunt Marge got her turkey leg, which Xander promptly took off with. They ended up sharing it with each other and Andrew. Ah, family love! And then it was off to Aunt Margie's house to unload the car and rest our tired feet. Oh, and break open the suitcase which had somehow locked. We need to rest up for the Strong Museum tomorrow. Fun!

Oh, and I can't forget the "tattoo" Xander had painted on his arm. He requested a snake...eating a rat. Boy, was the face painting guy amused by that! The snake took him no time at all to do, but he spent a whole lot of time getting that rat just right! Only Xander...

And the car is making a funny, not-good sound, but I prefer not to dwell on that at this time.

Happy Independence Day!

Stuart Little - The Saga Continues

Stuart has been doing some new things this past week. One is cute, one is puzzling. The cute thing is that he's found a new toy in one of Xander's plastic jacks. He carries it around in his mouth, he'll drop it down the stairs if the gate is open and then run after it, and he bats it around the house at all hours of the day (and night!). I've been trying to catch a picture of him with the jack in his mouth, but haven't had any luck.

The puzzling Stuart thing is that all this week, after I turn off my alarm he'll come into bed with me and let me pet him. He'll lay on my, lick my face, and act like almost every other cat I've ever had. Which is totally against type for Stuart! This morning started out the same, but then while I was petting him he wrapped himself around my arm and I'm once again all scratched up and bloody. Now that's the Stuart I know!

One thing's for sure. This wackadoo cat fits in perfectly with this wackadoo family!

Summer of 1983

Let's take a trip in the Way Back machine, shall we? I've been wanting to scrap the family reunion we had back in '83, but had been holding off because the handful of pictures that I have from then are less than stellar. It's a wonder anyone even bothered!

But I finally just sat down, used the so-so pictures, and told the tale of our crazy family reunion where adult pranks ran wild! (At least that's how my mother remembers it. My only clear memory of that weekend is my cousin Jay peeing on a bee that then chased him back to our tent in the yard.)

Here's the LO I came up with. If you want to be able to read the journaling, check out this page in my ACOT gallery!