Update Summary

Well, tomarrow I leave for camp! I'm so excited. Camp is always a wonderful experience that I love! I hear our speaker, Nate Rusch, is really good. This year at camp is going to rock!

Okay, now for some quick updates.
On Thursday night, I learned a very valuable lesson: never go rollerblading without a helmet (and other protective gear) as well as brakes! I totally wiped out and cut up my legs and an arm. The good news is nothing happened to the rollerblades.
Friday night, my mom wanted some "quality time" together. She took me to Grand Rapids to see the Showboat! Woohoo! I truly thought it was going to be lame, but it turned out to not be that bad. We left a little early because it would have been crazy getting out of there otherwise. The best part of the show was this one lady. She must have been in her mid 60's. It was so funny because she sang louder than anyone else on stage and probably shouldn't have. Actually, she reminded me a lot of a substitute music teacher I had in 4th or 5th grade. We told her where we were in our books. As the class started to sing the song we left off on, the teacher was singing something completely different. All of a sudden we heard this lady going nuts on the chorus. "Valdarieeeeeeee, valdaraaaaaaaaaaaa, valdarieeeeeeeee, valdarahahahahahahaahhahahaaha!" she sang. The entire class got silent. This lady stunk at singing. As was the case at the showboat. I mean, she was on pitch and made a great chorus member, but she didn't have a personal mic for a reason! At one point, I actually heard the microphone she was standing under get turned off, but you could still hear her. It was awsome!
Yesterday, I went out to lunch with Solomon and Esther Jacobson. They are so cute! We ate at Mc Donald's then played at the park. After that, I went mini golfing with Summer Survivor. That was sweet! Jess Broberg did awsome. She got a 61! Then, I helped Brooke get ready for her shindig and headed over to Jen's mom's house. I was really tired, so I didn't stay long. It was fun though. I really like going out there. I wish I would have gone swimming. That would have been awsome!

Well, that's the "Update Summary." I'll post after camp!

check out toptenofourmen.blogspot.com next Friday or Saturday. There should be some pics up by then.

New Template

Okay, so I got a new template because I wanted to be able to put pictures on my blog. Well, I saw this template and since it was similar to my other one and had a picture on the sample I thought I would use it. Please tell me what you think of it. Oh, and how do you like the Hawaii pics?

Free At Last!

"Free at last, free at last! Thank God almighty I'm free at last!" That is it. Soccer is over! Today at 12:30, I had my last soccer game. This wasn't just the last game of the summer season; this was the last game of my high school soccer career! Finally! We ended up winning 3-1 (which is always nice). As the great high school coaches of the past have said, "It matters not whether you win or lose, but rather that it is over forever." Wait, maybe that wasn't a coach. I think it might have been a bitter ex-player of some game they really hated. Well, it's not important who said it. The important thing is that it was said. And if it hasn't been said before, it is on my blog and therefore has been said!

Even though I am overwhelmed with joy, I had some good times in soccer..........(the screen gets blurry as we travel back to yesteryear)......One time I scored a goal from the half line. Another time I dribbled the ball all the way down the field and then crossed it into the middle. We didn't get a goal, but it was still cool. I think I've made a couple of penalty shots in my day. I know that I've scored goals on free kicks before. Oh, and I have, numerous times, done something stupid. For instance, today as I was running down the field carefully watching the ball and not where I was going, I ran right into a girl from the other team and both of us ended up on the ground. It wouldn't have been too embarassing if the ball would have been even remotely close to us, but it was on the other side of the field. Ah, good times, good times.

Well, you can expect no more blog enteries about soccer from now on. I promise!

Batman Begins (A late review)

Last night I went to see Batman Begins. I found it to be an overall good movie that I enjoyed but probably won't see again until it comes out on video. The plot was just the way I like it--intricate enough to get your brain moving and predictable enough to make you feel smart. The only negative thing I would say about it is that the tone of the movie was a bit dark. I've always known Batman was a creature of the night, but I didn't know he could give me nightmares! (I didn't really have any nightmares, but I did get scared at parts) Oh, and before I forget, kudos on the love story part. Most movies get too much into the love and not enough into the action and fighting and violence (yeah violence!), but there was only one kiss that I saw. The romance between Bruce and Rachel took a backseat, and I appreciated that.

Well, that's my review (which is completely useless because everyone's already seen it). If you are one of the five or ten people who has not seen Batman Begins, then I suggest seeing it sometime. However, if you are everyone else in the world, I thank-you for bearing with me while reading the review.

*EXTRA On the way home from the movie, the topic of action movie guys becoming family movie guys came up. I would just like to say that there are some things Vin Diesel should not do on the big screen and changing diapers is one of them! (But I've never actually seen "The Pacifier" so I'm not criticizing.)

Aunt Duty Part 1

Because of my recent name change (from "Chelsea" to "Aunt Chelsea"), I have taken on a whole new list of duties. Things like diaper changing and getting puked on are just a couple of examples of these new duties. I am assuming that as time goes by, the amount of hours on aunt duty will increase. That's why this is called "Aunt Duty Part 1."

This weekend was Levi's dedication at Emmanuel Christian Center in Minneapolis. The fam and I headed out at 6:30 Sunday morning. Shawn and Jen had a picnic at their house afterwards, and I got a chance to meet the girl Jen works with. Once the people cleared out, I was put on my first official...(dramatic music)...AUNT DUTY! It was so much fun. I spent Sunday night and Monday at their house. I got to hang out with Levi all day (well, pretty much all day). We played soccer in the backyard and then came inside for sloppy jo's and chips. For desert, we had vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Levi wanted to check what was on tv, so we watched "Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius." The rest of the afternoon was spent playing cards until 3:30 PM when I had to leave. Levi is such a cool kid!......................Okay, so that's not what happened, but it might when he's older! What really happened was I woke up and fed him. Then he fell asleep on my shoulder (which was cool). Jen had to go to a doctor's appointment (but don't worry, she's okay), so her dad and I stayed and watched Levi. He, Levi, slept the whole time. The only other thing that really happened besides him sleeping, eating, and puking was him wetting himself. I got to change him a couple of times. Man I can't wait to have kids! J/K, yes I can!

Anywho, the first round of aunt duty rocked. I am so excited for the next time which will hopefully be sometime soon!

Soccer: The sport that never dies!

Well, on Thursday, I had a soccer game in Duluth. You see, I'm in a "laid back" summer soccer program. What that means is: no conditioning (well, not like they do in the fall); make practice, if you can (they are okay with conflicts); and there is little or no punishment for missing games. Now, at first glance, that seems wonderful! You can be lazy, slack off, and have fun all at the same time (it rarely ever works out that way). However, there is a catch. The catch is that 99.9% of the team is serious about soccer. Therefore summer soccer is serious. Not to get off subject, but that 0.1% that isn't serious about soccer is me! Anywho, winning really means a lot to the team, and I hate to let them down!

Back to Thursday's game. It was just a make-up game, so it didn't actually count for anything (not like summer soccer counts for anything anyways). But, as usual, the team did its best. We ended up winning, which is good...great...wonderful! The score was like 8-2.

That game was on Thursday, and today we had another game. This one actually counted (it was a play off game). We won 2-0. I'm really excited, I guess. The only thing is, I'm ready for it to be over! This program is like a rabbit that you want to die, but feel badly for killing it. It's not only a rabbit, it's someone's pet rabbit! You would love to take a BB gun to it for ruining your garden (garden representing growth and life), but then you would be killing someone's treasured pet. I just sit there, asking myself, "Is it dead yet? Is it dead yet?" and the answer is always no! It just won't die.

This is the longest summer soccer season of my life.

Another wonderful day

Yesterday, I spent four hours or so at the beach. It was so much fun. A bunch of people just kind of decided to go. It was me, Brittany, Brooke (we were the "original three"), Graham, Matt Hagsten, the Rengstorfs (well, Matt and Andy), and Jason. Later my friends Christina and Ashley came out, but only for about an hour.

When we got there, the "man incharge" said it would cost $5 per car. We ended up with only two cars there, so it wasn't that bad. Then, of course, we went swimming. It was a lot of fun because everyone got to do pretty much whatever they wanted. I cooked and then just relaxed in the water. Other people played on the raft or played catch. We played chicken a couple of times. Matt^2 totally dominated. Anywho, it was tons of fun, and I'm really glad I went.

Oh, and a big THANK-YOU to all the afore mentioned that went (and their parents for letting them go). Beaches + friends + hot day = so much fun it hurts! Or maybe that was sunburn?

Re: Baby pictures

Sorry about the other post. I didn't realize that there reall was nothing there after the word "it's." Well, here it is: http://shimmelberger.wavestatic.com/gallery/.

Baby Pictures

Well, it's here. Shawn made a website for the baby. He's only a day old and already Shawn is getting him involved with computers! Okay, it's . Enjoy, and tell me if it works!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

All of this warm weather is starting to make me believe that there is a chance that northern Minnesota will actually experience a summer. Wow, that'll be nice! Because of the heat, I have gotten a chance to use our pool (which is really nice!). It also makes my babysitting job a lot easier. The only thing I have to do is lay in the sun while making sure no one drowns. What a hard job, huh? I hope the weather stays nice over the weekend. The hotter the better!

Okay, that's all for now! Until next time.

Madame Chelsea Wilcox

Wouldn't that be awsome if I had a title? Someone would say, "Hey Chelsea, how's it goin'?" and I'd reply, "It's Madame Chelsea, thank-you very much!"...(imagining)...That'd be sweet! I bet it would be easier to buy a country if you had a title. Maybe. Sort of easier. Well, probably not, but humor me. Anywho, I do have a title now. Yes, that's right, an official title. Not everyone can use this title though. Only the elite. In fact, only one. Actaully, he can't even talk yet, so I'm not sure it counts. But it's there! By now, fourteen fragment and run-on sentences later, you're probably on the edge of your seat wondering what my title is. I can see the sweat beading on your forehead (that could be from the heat). Wait, what's that? Is that your heart beating faster in anticipation? Probably not. Okay, my title is, "Aunt Chelsea Marie Wilcox". That's right! I'm an aunt! Jen had her baby!

He, the man-child, was born July 11, 2005 at 4:48 AM. I saw a picture of him tonight. He is so cute. He was 10lbs 3oz and 21 and 1/2 inches long. Yeah, he's a big boy(he's a manly man). Jen is doing great. My dad said she was walking around without any problems today. He and my mom went down to visit today. If I can figure out how to download pictures, I totally will. Otherwise, I know Shawn will have pics on the internet and I'll let you know where they're at!

Well, this AUNT has had a long day and is ready for bed! I'll keep you updated on the man-child stat.

Alcohol--an all around bad idea

Well, this weekend I was at my cousin's wedding (which is why I was not home). She got married to this guy who is about 6'7"or so. If my cousin were the height of an average female (I think that's about 5'5" or 5'6"), then they probably wouldn't look too silly together. However, she is from my mom's side of the family, and no one on that side is over 5'4". She has got to be at least 17" shorter than her husband. Actually, it's kind of funny.

But, that is not what this post is about. This post is about the damaging effects of alcohol on the body and mind. Okay, you got me, it's about this weekend and how it was just one more example of why my wedding will not have an open bar!

There are three kinds of drinkers in this world besides alcoholics.
1) The crazy, on the boarder of alcoholism drinkers that do stupid things.
2) The, "I don't drink very often, but when I do, I don't remember it." drinker.
and 3) The "social drinker."
You're probably asking yourself, "Does she have any real-life examples of these three--non-alcoholics--drinkers?" Well, perhaps I do. Let's start with numero uno (that means number one, I think)--the crazy, on the boarder of alcoholism drinkers that do stupid things. I saw that drinker this weekend. It was a sad sight. Dinner started at 5:30, but people got there around 4:00 (for the wedding, that is). There were hors d' oeurves offered, but no alcohol until after the dinner. Well, number one decided that he/she couldn't wait until after dinner. Now, I want you to take a minute and guess what number one did.............(that's about a minute). He/she got some hard liquor and spiker his/her Coke. You can imagine what he/she was like at the end of the night. Actually, he/she was dancing with a relative (not the normal "I'm related to you" dancing, but a deleted scene from "Dirty Dancing: the relative version"). It was sick. That's all I'm going to say about that!

Now, number two--the, "I don't drink very often, but when I do, I don't remember it" drinker, had a story that was similar to, but different from number one. He/she did not start drinking until the bar was open. You see, he/she had had a long day (He/she was in charge of a big part of the wedding and things didn't go as well as he/she would have liked). He/she drank beer like it was water and he/she was a camel! Everytime I turned around, he/she was getting a new drink. I tried to say goodbye to him/her before I left, but he/she was having a "heart to heart" with a friend (I'm pretty sure none of the "heart to heart" made any sense at all because I heard most of it). I'd say there's a ninety-nine percent chance that he/she won't remember any part of that night!

Finally, number three--the "social drinker." This person was actually kind of funny to me. For, he/she had an underage son/daughter that was very intoxicated. Most parents wouldn't let this happen in the first place; however, he/she explained to me that when his/her son/daughter is sober, he/she never wants to talk about anything, but when the son/daughter is drunk, he/she lets loose with his/her feelings. Doesn't that make perfect sense? I mean, who doesn't want their child (underage child) to be completely wasted so that they can have a talk about how they feel? Man, that's such a good idea!................Okay, I'm done being sarcastic now.

Those three drinkers and those three cases from this past weekend are three more reasons why I say YES to non-alcohol weddings. Yeah for sparkling apple juice!

Today is July 7, 2005. It has been a hair under three months since I last made a post. I wish that I had some sort of excuse (like I was stranded on an island with no electricity or any hope of getting to a computer), but I don't. The reason I haven't been posting is because I'm lazy. I mean, I have my own computer that resides in my room and can access the internet 24/7. Oh well, laziness is a specialty of mine!

Alright, I suppose I should give an update. To start, I have two (sometimes three) lovely children I see three days a week approximately 7 hours a day. See what happens when I don't post!.......(that was time going by while you got a confused look on your face). Okay, I'm just babysitting the two kids and cooking for the third. But honestly, sometimes it feels like they're mine. The only thing I don't do is laundry. Other than that, summer has been going by quicker than it agreed to. (Don't believe me? I have the contract!) I suppose I should have made a tougher punishment, though (as of now, the punishment for breaking the contract is that I said I would let winter invade on summer's territory; but that was going to happen anyway!).

I probably already made this promise (or mentioned something like it in an earlier post), but I really will try to update more often. I...prom...prom...promise. There, I promise that I will TRY. What more do you want from me?!