The Raich's Big Adventure: Fall

It's fall. The first day of the most lovely time of the year, at least here in St. Paul. The time when the temperatures get into the 60s and 70s, the leaves fall, and we start to think about -30 degrees below zero plus wind chill that makes it feel like -50 below. What a great place to be.

Mia looking like one of the pretty flowers

Our last blog entry was about 2.5 months ago. So, what has happened? Life. Life has happened. As John Lennon said, life is what happens while you are busy making plans. Well, this is what he meant to say, if it is not exactly right. We made all sorts of plans. We planned on being very active this summer and really enjoying all that the most livable city in the world has to offer. All we did, however, was make plans.

I guess I did some work though. My neighbor and I built a picket fence. Let me tell you, this was no small feat. My yard alone had 200 linear feet of fence. We hand cut every piece of wood. My neighbor's yard had 75 linear feet and the neighbor on his other side had 25. The fence only took us 2 months, and still we are working on it. However, it is up and now just needs staining. (Look at the picture below for what the fence looks like.)

The fence was done just in time for Mia's birthday, which was August 2. She turned 5. We had two parties. One for her friends and one for her family (I don't mean to imply that her family are not friends). Her friends party was the Science Museum. This was cool. We had a big room where the 10 girls and one boy could run around. I have to think it was mostly the one boy running for his life from a bunch of screaming girls. Mia also got to meet R2D2. This was very exciting for somehow Mia knows who R2D2 is and has never seen Star Wars.

Blow, blow, blow

A sci-fi geek and only 5

She said she could them all. I'm still not sure if I should have let her

She liked the shoes, I liked that now we have a fence to keep her in

Andrea has started her Ph.D. program. She is studying Educational Policy and Administration. She is taking two classes this semester. So as you can see, in true Raich fashion, we are keeping busy – otherwise we would be forced to speak to each other. Between her two classes, my two jobs, our house, our daughter, and the dog we are not sure how we even manage.

Mia also started kindergarten. She is now officially learning french. She starts the day by greeting the teacher: Bonjour Madame Reagan. And now they have added how are you: comment ca va? She is learning all sorts of things, things I cannot understand and this is starting to worry me. Really, what happens when she decides to tell me off in french. I can see it now. She is going to tell me off, I'm going to say excuse me... what did you say, see is going to say nothing... just that I love you. Help!