Griffin's Visitors

Daddy and Griffin

(Nana) Sally

Grandma Patty

Aunt Jenny, Cousin Cole, Griffin and Sally

Grandma Mary

Yvonne starts teaching Griffin German early

Mimi stops by

Bump and Amanda both came, too


Papa Bill

Griffin Thomas Boesen

We welcomed Griffin Thomas Boesen on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 1:13 in the afternoon. He's hearty stock -- 8.9 pounds and 21 inches long. So far, he is quiet and a good sleeper. We're all hoping that continues.

Bedtime Stories

I tucked a very tired and very cranky Jack into bed last night after a long, napless day. We had checked out a stack of library books over the weekend and I reached for the worn copy of "Clifford" on top of the stack. "No, Mommy, I want to read the magazine," said Jack. "The magazine," in case you're wondering, is the latest issue of ESPN magazine featuring Montreal Canadiens goalie Casey Price on the cover. So I flipped through and found the cover story about Price and his team and started reading. Not only can my little hockey Rain Man identify jerseys for teams I've never heard of (Buffalo Sabers and the Flames?), he also informed me that Sydney Crosby plays with a green hockey stick. I guess "Clifford Goes to the Circus" will have to wait for another day.

Ice Skating

In case you hadn't noticed, Jack's kind of into hockey. Of course, he'd never been on the ice, but this weekend, we took care of that. We hit Brenton Skating Plaza on a 55 degree Sunday to test out his skate legs. One of us (who shall remain nameless) was secretly hoping he'd hate it and decide to be a tennis star or swimmer. But, Jack loved skating and after a rather nervous first lap around, begged to go around "one more time." Most impressive, perhaps, was that after 5 years of marriage, I learned Bryan can ice skate...really well. Since I'm clumsy on solid non-slippery ground, I thought it best my big belly and stay on the sidelines.

Iowa Upsets Penn State

Underneath the marshmallow coats are five happy Iowa fans and one sad Penn State graduate. We braved the snow and cold temperatures with the Grasks and our neighbors, the Buggy's, for the Iowa v. Penn State game. Rick was a Nittany Lion and his wife Yvonne, originally from Germany, had never been to an American football game. Rick was a good sport in spite of the game's outcome, and Yvonne quickly befriended her huge seatmate and welcomed his mass as a nice windbreak.

I Don't Need a Nap, Mommy

After a long day of playing with Bryan, Jack convinced his dad that he didn't need a nap. At about 5 p.m., we made our weekly trip to the grocery store where he promptly fell asleep. It actually turned out to be a quiet and pleasant shopping experience, courtesy of Jack's calm demeanor. As I pushed him through the aisles, some lady said, "I don't think he looks very comfortable." My response: "I'm sure he's not." Trust me, he wouldn't have known if he was sleeping on a plush pillowtop or the grocery cart.

Happy Halloween!

Curious George had a great time at Beggar's Night this year for Halloween. He happily ran door to door until a sucker-stick incident curbed his enthusiasm. We finished the night with a mandatory viewing of "Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin" and some treats.