Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there today.

...It's coooooold out there everyday.

Would it help if I played Sonny and Cher in the background?

Well, I'm sure you're all wondering what we've been up to over the last few weeks.  Hmmmmm....Let's see, we went to the Dental School's picnic at Squire Valleevue and Valley Ridge Farms.  It was a lot like... Picnics and Mommunists (8/16/11).  Actually it was pretty much exactly like that.  Except there was a new crop of infants and instead of being mediocre at football, all of the men were mediocre at volleyball.  Oh, and instead of going out for custard afterwards, we went out for ice cream.

I went to go observe Nicholas working in the lab.

September 2011

September 2012

...and Nicholas continues to make fake teeth.

September 2011

September 2012

Okay, I will grant you that his technique has gotten a wee bit more sophisticated over the last year. 



I got a bad cold, and Nicholas made me matzoh ball soup.

Jew-y picture I used in 2011

Jew-y picture I'm using in 2012

All in all, I have to say that the start of this school year has felt a little...familiar.

Just in case we lost you on this one...

Of course, some things do change.  For instance, this time last year we were feeding a small stray tabby cat on the porch and talking about how, under no circumstances, were we going to take her in and end up with a fourth cat (Ha!)  Not only did we let Pog in, but we let Jon Fielding in as well.  Have we told you about Jon Fielding and his dirty dangler yet?

Not these.  We had these removed

Fielding's dangler is the one leg that he leaves dangling under him from wherever he has perched.

I guess it would have been too much to ask to get a "fixed one"...well, I guess if he'd been normal, someone wouldn't have just let him out to roam the streets of the Cleve.

Anyway, I'd better go, because if I don't do my reading...well, pretty much nobody notices.

Third Star to the Right and Straight Down I-80

Hello, my fellow Halloweenies! This post is dedicated to all of the seasonal activities that have been keeping us busy leading up to Halloween.  Well, for starters we had the CADA Halloween Carnival.  Every year the dental spouses' association puts on a Halloween event in The Sheep Barn at Squire Valleevue and Valley Ridge Farms.  And this year not only did I help the Mommunists to set up, but Nicholas and I attended the event in costume.  I'm sure you're wondering what kind of costumes we wore, so here it is:

You guessed it! Nicholas went as Mary Martin and I went as a schizophrenic who can't properly regulate body temperature and, therefore, wears a nightgown outside in the 35 degree October weather.  Just kidding.  We went as Peter Pan and Wendy.  Nicholas wants me to tell you all that it was his idea.  Oh, he's clever! Oh, the cleverness of him!  Of course, I did nothing...

Nicholas as Mary Martin.  Note comparable breast size.

Nicholas was a big hit with our little neighbor, MaKendree, who followed him around and repeated in awe, "Peter Pan...Peter Pan...Peter?"  Don't worry, I set her straight.  I told her that Peter Pan doesn't really exist and that her parents are also pulling her leg about Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the need to floss.  She took the news well:

Footage Not Found

 Her mom told me that a week later, on their way to their church's Halloween carnival, MaKendree was asking for Peter Pan.  Now that I know how good Nicholas is at establishing rapport with small children, I think it's time for us to start considering some major life changes.  I've even begun to redecorate and rearrange the house accordingly.

Children: The Cleveland Treat

Yesterday we drove back to Pittsburgh to see Nicholas' family and go to the pumpkin patch.  Some people would tell you that the snow and freezing rain detracted from the experience.  I will tell you that it only served to make it better.  I am a liar.
 Here we are at the archway leading into the farm.  The other side was inscribed with the words "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

The gateway to a super fun time.  Just ask Dante.

To get to the pumpkin patch we got to take a really damp hayride. Here we are on the hayride with Shea's little girl, Addison.

Addi is really sweet and, with the right seasoning,  savory as well

After we chose our pumpkins, Nicholas, Shea and I took Addi to the Boo Barn.  The Barn held all manner of things designed to scare both the old and the young alike.

Tonight Nicholas and I carved our pumpkins.  I'll give you a preview of what they look like all lit up.

In the Halloween spirit

Aware of Social Worker's long-term earning potential

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!

It's gonna be legend-... wait for it... and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY!

That's right folks, another legendary blog entry from the Cleve!  You know how new parents like to impress their friends and families by sharing anecdotes of the new words that their babies are saying?  Well, it's not like we're trying to one-up anyone...

...but I have little story of my own to share.  Nicholas has a new word: mitzvah.  The other day a woman stopped us on the street and asked to use Nicholas' cell phone to call her son.  After placing the call for her and successfully connecting mother and son, Nicholas proudly declared that he had done a mitzvah.  I'm really proud of his recent dedication to doing good works; so much so that I've been thinking of getting him a tzedakah box to keep in the house so that he can make more frequent contributions to the needy.

New tzedakah box

Perhaps the more impressive bit of news--not that my 29 year old learning new words isn't impressive--is that a week ago today we closed on our house.  That's right! We are now home owners.  I'll let the pictures do some of the talking for us.

Just a little taste to encourage each and every one of you to come visit (NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME!).  We're ecstatic to have finally closed on the house.  We even had all of the other Case families on our street over to the house tonight to celebrate.  In case in you were wondering why the dining room table looked like it was listing under the weight of too much food in the photo...that's why.  Also, if you've ever wondered how you keep four children under the age of three entertained in a house with no toys, I now have the answer:

Oh my goodness! You guys will never believe the adorable thing Nicholas just did!

See?  I mean, does it get any cuter?

And in closing, I just want to say: remember how Nicholas and I always had four cats?  Yeah, well that's still true.

Picnics and Mommunists: Starting our new life in Suburbia

Well today we went to the dental school picnic at Squire Valleevue and Vally Ridge Farms.

It basically looked that but filled with dental nerds and the people who love them.  Many of our neighbors were there with their wives and children.  First everyone feasted on hotdogs and hamburgers and then Nicholas and the boys proved that their dexterity is limited to creation of wax coatings for fake teeth by throwing a football around.

See, I was so not kidding about that wax coating thing...

While the boys tossed and very nearly caught the old pigskin, I hung out with Mommunists and scads of children under the age of three.  They're actually a very nice group of young women; but they were all terribly interested in when Nicholas and I will start adding our share of children to Rushleigh Road.  It wasn't until after the picnic when our neighbors suggested that we meet up with them for custard that Nicholas and I were educated in the "Curse of Rushleigh Road."  So say the neighborhood men: If you move onto this street you will have a baby...and it will be a girl.  I hate to disappoint you, gentlemen, but this about all of the baby girl we can handle for right now:



Nicholas preparing to nurse Pig



Pi preparing to suck the essence from an unsuspecting human

Besides, the next few years need to be about focusing on my field work. Which is to say, I need to help people fix their screwed up children for a few years before I'll have all of the requisite ammunition to screw up my own.

Okay, well it's time for me to meet back up with the Mommunists and go to see The Help.  Shhhh.  Don't tell them that Nicholas took me to see it already.