In All Fairness

Okay, okay, here are the good pictures. They are not as funny, but I figured I better post them so Paul's family won't ban us from taking pictures next year.

Not Your Usual Christmas...

Yes, I am just getting around to posting my Christmas pictures...and instead of posting a bunch of sweet adorable pictures of children and everyone looking their best, I thought I would do something different. Here's to keeping it real...Enjoy!

The Young and the Innocent

A few days ago when I asked Andrew about his day at school, he told me one of his classmates got in trouble for calling another boy a bad name. Here is how the conversation continued...(keep in mind Andrew answers questions just like Paul - short, to the point and with little, if any emotion.)
Me: What did he say?
A: I don't know.
Me (in total slick-investigating-mom mode): Do you know any bad words?
A: Just one.
Me (now, in a totally undetectable oh-my-goodness-what-is he-going-to-say-keep-your-cool-no-matter-what panic): What does it start with?
A: "S"
Me (now wondering, have I ever said the "S" word around him? Do 2nd graders say that? Where did he hear it? Does he say it? And I am SO glad he did not say "F"): What does it mean?
A: Be quiet.
Since we were laying on the bed, he did not see me smile at his answer. And I am pretty sure he could not detect the enormous amount of relief only a mom can feel knowing that her 8 year old son still thinks "shut up" is a bad word.

Enjoying The Sounds Of Christmas

One of my very good friends, Kelly, who knows how much I love the symphony, was incredibly generous and gave our family tickets to a holiday concert performed by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra at the Cannon Center in Memphis. At the beginning of the performance we were told a local television station, WREG would be recording the performance which is to be aired on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I immediately made the kids take off their jackets. Juliana asked "why?" and when I told her "you might be on TV!", she gladly complied. Andrew did not care a bit and grumbled something about being cold. The kids were fascinated with the camera jib (this long arm with a camera on the end) and it was interesting to see it move so seamlessly.

Why is all this so important? Well, for one of the songs (I think it may have been Jingle Bells... I was too busy taking pictures of Juliana), they asked for child volunteers to help out on stage. Needless to say, Andrew was not interested at all but Juliana was very willing to help. She and all the other brave (or attention seeking) children got to ring bells and throw faux snow and at one point the camera came in right next to her. Now, she may end up on the cutting room floor, but if you happen to tune in, be sure to look for her. She will be the one on the end wearing a red dress with white furry cuffs and white tights with red and silver snowflakes on them (thanks Anna!).

We had a great night and it was perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit. It also reminded me of the times we would go hear Ashley play. Thank you so much Kelly!

*The pictures are blurry since we did not have the "good" camera with us. Who knew there would be a chance our daughter would be up on stage?

Celebrating Paul's Birthday

Paul's birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year, so we celebrated while we were at Harmony's. Paul wanted brownies instead of cake which worked out nicely since we had Juliana's cake from the night before. He enjoyed the day relaxing, watching football and eating Thanksgiving dinner. And yes, he really is 42!

Celebrating Juliana's Birthday Part II

Every other year we spend Thanksgiving at my mom's. My brother Jaan comes to visit and we drive to Harmony's. And since Juliana's (and Paul's) birthday is so close to Thanksgiving, every other year she gets to celebrate twice. Once at home with her friends and family, then again at Harmony's. Juliana enjoys helping in the kitchen and she was happy when I told her she could decorate the cake herself (well, after she asked). I frosted it and she added the designs and sprinkles. Who ever thought that letting a child decorate a cake would make them so happy?

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There are very few mature trees in our neighborhood, so Juliana was excited to see leaves on the ground. Unfortunately, Harmony already raked her yard so we had to borrow some from the neighbors yard. She was very eager to rake them together and Andrew conveniently showed up afterward to play in the pile. That's a big brother for ya!
*The music is an homage to one of my all time favorite 80's movies...do you know it?

Celebrating Juliana's Birthday

Since Juliana's birthday is so close to Thanksgiving, we try to celebrate her birthday a little early. Though we have never tried, I would image the attendance would be pretty low if the party was the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year she turned six and she chose to invite a few friends over for a sleepover instead of a bunch of friends for a party. Her guests arrived Friday after school. After some pizza, they had birthday cupcakes and ice cream. They ended the night with popcorn and a movie before falling asleep.
The next day after lunch we all headed to the movie theater to see Bolt before taking everyone home. It was a really cute movie and a great choice for either boys or girls, which was a good thing since Juliana chose to invite two boys. And if you know Juliana, that shouldn't be too much of a surprise. She is definitely not a girly girl and I just hope she will meet some similar girl friends next year because I don't think we can get away with a co-ed sleepover for her next birthday. There is a certain awareness that happens around first grade...you know what I mean, when they become aware that "boys are dumb" or "girls are gross".

H-A-Double L-O-W-Double E-N Spells Halloween!

What does one do when both her children are off at school? Scrub the house spotless? Organize every space possible? NO! Make an elaborate Halloween costume! And watch the occasional Project Runway marathon. Here is the dress I have been working on, with most of it getting done in the 3 days prior to Halloween (that shouldn't be a surprise to those who really know me). I felt like a contestant on Project Runway! Especially when I was hemming it on Halloween morning in the back of the van in the parking lot of Cedar Hill Farm waiting for Juliana's bus to arrive for her field trip. It was complicated, but not hard and I really enjoyed seeing it come together. Just wearing it made me understand alot about that time period. You know how royalty would have ladies in waiting? Well, that would be because you physically can't lift your arms because of the design of the sleeves. And don't get me started on the waistline! Enough about my little projects...

Juliana was a witch and Andrew was just one of the many thousands of Clone Troopers shamelessly marketed to boys ages 5-10 this year.

The Heinze family joined us since they just moved into a new neighborhood. Can you guess which one is Andrew?If you said the one with no shoes on with the feet hanging inward about 6 inches above his real feet, you win!
Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!

FYI: the title of the blog is actually part of a song I learned in second grade to teach us how to spell Halloween!

Another Visit From the Tooth Fairy

Juliana lost her second tooth. This time at lunch, at school. I missed it again!

At this rate, she should be all gums by Christmas!

Even More Golfing with Father and Sons

For Larry's (Paul's dad) 65th birthday, Tim (Paul's brother) gifted Larry a round of golf and invited Paul to join them. And thus, the competition for the title of "Ohrberg Family Champion" was born. Paul holds the current title with a score that will not be mentioned. From what I understand, all three were disappointed with their scores. I realize this is the third golf related blog entry in a row and some of you may be asking if anything else goes on at this house...I assure you there are other things happening. However, do expect at least one more entry...Paul has also gifted Larry with a round of golf for his birthday.

More Golfing and Camping in Wall Doxey

During Fall Break, Paul played in the Orgill Golf Scramble and when he got home that afternoon we headed to Wall Doxey for some camping. This was our first time camping completely solo (we had always joined the Cooks!) and it was still fun :) . We had reserved a spot in a different area with electricity, water and parking pads, but we have discovered we are campers who like to "rough it" and ended up camping back in the primitive area (although we did have water this time). Some friends came to visit us on Sunday and Paul and Bill rode the trail around the lake while Cyndy and I chatted as the kids played on the playground. The guys and kids also played some frisbee golf before joining us for dinner and s'mores. We forgot the camera (!) but I am including the kids visual interpretations of the trip!

Andrew's drawing

Juliana's drawing of the campsite

(It is funny to see how both of them drew a tree (with a hole in it) next to the tent. I know there was a tree nearby, but I couldn't tell you if it really did have a hole!)

Juliana's drawing of the playground

Golfing in Wisconsin

The last weekend in September, Paul and his Dad flew to Wisconsin to golf with some of his cousins. They got there just in time to go see the Cubs play the Brewers at Miller Park. Even though it was only a three day visit, they still managed to also get in two rounds of golf and visit with 7 of his 13 cousins. They have decided to make this an annual event, with the Koch crew coming to Memphis next year.

Miller Park in Milwaukee

Ohrberg Entomology

I just wanted to share some cool pictures of a praying mantis (the correct name is actually mantid) Juliana found. It started off with: "Mom! Come look at this cool bug I found!" (Juliana's definition of "cool bug": any bug including moths and flies) Needless to say, I was not in a hurry to follow her..."it is eating another bug!" I start walking a little faster (this REALLY does sound cool). She leads me to the front yard where I have some zinnias growing/dying (I haven't been deadheading--Laurin, don't tell Mark) and she points to this light brown praying mantid eating a moth (body only, not the wings). How she found this thing I have no idea. Of course she had to catch it and it was her pet for a few hours. We let it go at the same zinnia so it wouldn't be confused (if only the aliens would do that with humans! Yes, I'm joking). They have got to be one of the creepiest insects...anywho, enjoy!

It is almost as though it is saying: "Uh, do you mind? I'm trying to eat here!"

To Harmony's House We Go

We were able to visit Harmony once more before Thanksgiving. The kids love to visit her. Aside from getting to watch movies on the way there, she has woods behind her house, an abundance of bugs (in her yard!), visits from deer and rabbits and delicious Korean food! This was the first trip in the newly acquired van. It was quite a luxury compared to the Taurus. And to think, we would go camping with the Taurus!

Here is Juliana trying to catch a butterfly with a peanut butter jar because she was afraid to touch it. I did not think she would get it, but I thought it would make a cute picture. As I am standing there in the house with the camera (taking the picture through the screen), she manages to ...










...scoop it up!

Juliana with her catch . She was so proud of herself. And I was proud of myself --I can't believe I got pictures of the whole thing!

"Mommy, where do chestnuts come from?"

This is a chestnut on the tree my mom grew. From a chestnut. Yes, an actual chestnut. Yes, she actually grew an entire tree. She can grow anything. The outer shell is a virtual ball of needles. They eventually turn brown and fall to the ground and will split slightly. Inside you find the stuff you roast on an open fire.

Some bugs Juliana caught

The Tooth Fairy Visits Juliana

On Thursday (09/18), at the end of the school day, Juliana was walking to the car rider line to go home and her tooth came out. I wish it could have been just 5 minutes later so I could have witnessed it. I also missed Andrew's first tooth falling out (I was at the beach!). Oh well, I guess it will just give me something to add to those email surveys. I must admit, girls losing teeth just isn't the same as boys losing teeth. I don't know if it is because my oldest is a boy and boys with goofy grins with gaps seem almost natural, but there is something about little girls with gaps in their teeth that just doesn't look right. Maybe I'll get used to it before one of her top front teeth come out. BTW, she is going to be a witch for Halloween. The gap will be quite the costume enhancer!

8 is Great

For Andrew's birthday he invited two of his friends over for a sleepover and a trip to the skating rink. We brought his friends, John and Zion, home right after school on Friday and they ate pizza and played until Grammy and Papa and Uncle Tim and family joined us for cake and ice cream (and presents). John was not able to stay the night, but the boys managed to squeeze in a movie before John went home. On Saturday after lunch, John rejoined the gang and we took them skating. They had a great time skating, playing the games and redeeming tickets!

Hey Comcast, Look What You Can Get for $130.47

I thought I'd enlighten Comcast of what they have been withholding from my family for the last 7 months...

1. A week's worth of groceries


2. Before Hurricane Ike, 38 gallons of gas


3. 6.5 violin lessons


4. Soccer registration for 2 kids with $10.47 leftover


5. Almost 3 months of phone service


6. 15 piano lessons


7. 2 months of YMCA family memberships


8. Almost 2 months of utilities


9. 52 school lunches


10. And of course, 1 month of internet and cable service

Comcast Stole My Money

I never intended to use my blog for this purpose, but I am so frustrated and after doing some research, I read that Comcast actually has reps that check blogs for this kind of stuff. Let's see if it is true. Hope you are reading, Frank Eliason.

It all started in February (yes, as in 7 months ago) when I noticed Comcast charged me twice. I am set up for autopay and saw the charges via my Visa account online. Now, the weird thing is I was charged on 2 different days. I immediately became suspicious. First, I called Comcast and was told that they only had 1 payment showing. I offered to give her the reference numbers on my Visa bill and she told me that those don't mean anything to her. She really did not help simply because she only saw one payment. Next call, Chase. They saw the double charge, agreed with me that Comcast had made a mistake and advised me to file an e-dispute. I did so and my account was credited within 2 days. I was lovin' Chase! And I thought this was going to be a pain trying to get it resolved. Oh, if I had only known...


I check my bill for March--guess what? They charged me twice again! This time it was 1 charge, my normal amount doubled. What happened was this: when Chase filed a chargeback, it took out the only payment Comcast was showing. Therefore, (according to Comcast) I did not make a payment in February, so they charged me again for February and March. Now, keep in mind someone still has 130.00 of my money that I paid to Chase, that Comcast claims they never received. I have some experience in bookkeeping for a large home improvement retailer and I am somewhat familiar with this sort of thing. It's not called bookkeeping for nothing. I am failing to understand how somewhere on some report there is not a discrepancy.

Here is a timeline of what I notated that has happened since:

04/03/08: Went to the Germantown office. Presented Margaret Williams a letter from Chase verifying the charges and a copy of my statement (as per request from a previous call). Still optimistic this will settle things. I am so confident this will do it, I give her my only copies. I know, I know...it was foolish to think the customer service of a major company would be responsible. Margaret tells me she will send it to the research department and it may take a little while. Margaret calls about a week later and leaves a message that they are still working on it. I patiently wait...

06/16/08: Call Comcast. Speak to Erika. Spend at least 10 minutes explaining the whole story. She tells me she is going to email Margaret to give give me an update. Never heard from her.

08/20/08: Call Comcast. Speak to Claudia. Spend at least 12 minutes explaining (had to add the 06/06/08 call to the story). Claudia is going to email Erika to have her give me an update. Erika was out of the office at that time but she was working until 10:00 pm and would get back with me. Never heard from her either.

I must mention that during other calls to Comcast about service issues, I bring this up and am told they are "working on it" or "the research department is looking into it". And those of you who made it this far into my complaint may be wondering why I waited 2 months in between phone calls...well, for me it is draining to think someone has taken 130.00 of my family's hard earned money. I really have to prepare myself when I call. And honestly, I was giving them the benefit of the doubt. I did not think that money would never be returned to me. Sadly, after reading other complaints I realize companies can do this to people and they will and they do. I still expect to get my money mostly because I have faith that the right and true things always prevail.

I'm not going to bash Comcast (yet) because other than this problem I have not had any issues with them. Every time I call the customer service number the reps are very pleasant and helpful. There were a couple of times I planned on just chewing someone out so something would get done, but it is hard to be mean to a nice person.

Frank, if you are reading this I hope you can do what no other Comcast employee has yet to do: credit my account. And for everyone else, check your bill! Is it really possible I am the ONLY person this happened too?

To my regular readers, thanks for sticking with me. We'll see what happens.

I will leave you with a 7 month old riddle:

If I paid Chase and Chase paid Comcast but Comcast doesn't have my money, who does?

(I don't know the answer but I will post it if/when I find out)

Daddy Brings Back the Good Stuff

Normally when Paul goes out of town, he likes to get the kids a little something from where he was visiting. Not this time. He got them a BIG something. Once again we are conforming and now possess a playset. It sits on the only level area of our yard. The kids love it. I love it. It keeps them busy, oops, I mean active for hours on end. Paul added monkey bars on the other side which has sparked a new contest: Who Can Do the Monkey Bars the Most. Oh those monkey bars...it goes with out saying that my children have tied a rope (with a 5 gallon bucket attached, hanging) to one rung and stand in the bucket and swing. As though the two swings weren't enough. Andrew's first comment: "We should have gotten this like, 3 years ago!" Those kids are never satisfied!

The kids with their new playset