28th Annual Family Reunion

Well, Eric is officially finished with the bar! He is on his way back from Albany this afternoon, so I'm excited to see him when I get home from work today. He said the second day of the bar was harder than he expected, but it seemed everyone felt the same way, so I'm sure he did just fine. And it's over! Which means that my bar-related posts will cease (at least until November, when Eric will get his results) and I can move on to discussing more fun happenings, like my family reunion in Cleveland this past weekend.

Every year my mom's side of the family gets together for a big reunion. This is a major feat, because we are scattered all over the county (and sometimes, one or two people are even OUT of the country). It's tough to coordinate schedules, but it's great that everybody makes the effort to get together yearly.

This year, the reunion was held in Cleveland at my grandfather's house. I decided to drive up to Cleveland (cheaper than flying, even with gas prices what they are). My mom and stepdad found cheaper airfare to DC than to Cleveland, so they flew into Dulles Airport on Friday. I picked them up and we left straight from there and made the drive to Cleveland. We got there in about 7 hours, thanks to some bad traffic in Pennsylvania. We were the last to arrive. Everyone else was already there, including my new baby cousin Henry! Henry was born in December, and most of us were meeting him for the first time. Boy, was he a doll!

Adorable Henry with Gramps, our patriarch

Everyone had already eaten, so us three travelers heated up some leftovers (delicious stew, courtesy of my Uncle Nathan!) and began catching up with everyone. We also had some birthday cake in honor of all the summer birthdays (including myself, my cousin, my uncle, my stepdad, and my grandpa). Many of us stayed up late into the night, drinking wine and catching up, as we always do!

Blowing out our birthday candles (my cousin Adam, Gramps, and me)

Saturday was my family's assigned day to cook dinner, so that morning my sister Heather and I dragged our late-night-wine-drinking selves out of bed to go to the grocery store with our mom to get the fixin's for our evening meal. We decided to cook an Eric and Meghan Original - our pulled BBQ pork! We also made hash brown potato casserole, southern style green beans, and cornbread. So, we spent most of the day on Saturday cooking, walking, napping, and chatting. I also found some time to play with Henry, of course.

Sticking our tongues out at each other (I'm all about teaching kids good habits)

Awww, he thinks I'm funny!

We ate an early dinner on Saturday, because we had to rush off to see an Indians game! It was so much fun. Sadly, they lost 11-4 to the Twins, but we had a great time regardless. It was a gorgeous night, and like true Cleveland fans, we stayed until the bitter end of the game. My friend Megan came along too, which was great. And before the game, my cousin Molly surprised Heather and me with matching Grady Sizemore (oh-so-dreamy) T-shirts! It was also "free hat" day at Progressive field, so we were all very spirited. And there were 18 of us, so we were quite the sight to be seen - we took up an entire row!

Molly, Heather and I before the game

Showing off our Grady t-shirts

Me with my friend Megan...we realized we've been friends for almost 20 years now!

Progressive Field, and a beautiful Cleveland sunset

Our family row! Most of it, anyway...we also filled about 4 more seats to the right, out of the picture!

Spirited cousins

After the game, we went back to my grandpa's house and had a surprise ice cream cake in honor of HEATHER'S GRADUATION! Yup, my little sister officially has her degree. It was a long road for her, but she worked really hard and was successful. I'm very proud of her. Congrats, Heather!

My sister Heather, B.A.

On Sunday, we all got up for church. This time, we took up TWO rows of pews! It's always great to go to church back at the church I grew up in, so that was nice. After church, everyone had lunch, walked, and just generally relaxed before people had to start leaving. Molly, Heather and I took a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood (in contrast to the ever-popular power walks taken by older generations), and ended up at the playground at the nearby elementary school. We had some fun playing there for a bit!

Molly realizing that adult weight is harder than child weight to swing across monkey bars. Especially monkey bars that spin.

Swings aren't quite the same anymore, either. I don't remember them making my stomach flip so much when I was a kid.

And they definitely weren't as tight on my hips.

Molly and I also found the time to spend some quality time in the grass with Henry. He is just too cute for words.

Molly sitting with Henry while he plays with a stick.

Another sign that Molly and I might be adults now: we were both pretty concerned he might poke his eye out.

Me and my littlest cousin

Then, slowly but surely, people began to leave. That's always the sad part. By dinnertime, everyone had left except me, my mom, and my stepdad. That night, my mom met up with and old friend of hers and I went out for drinks and dessert with Megan at Cheesecake Factory. Mmm, mmm was that good. I had a raspberry martini that was heavenly, and we shared a strawberry shortcake and slice of raspberry chocolate truffle cheesecake that were both to die for. So, so good.

Monday morning, we got up early and left Cleveland at 7:00a.m. We had a pretty smooth drive back to DC, and got in around 1:30pm or so. My mom and Gary weren't flying out until Tuesday morning, so that gave us Monday afternoon to sight-see and relax. First, we had lunch at my apartment and looked through my bajillions of wedding-related photo albums. Then we went out to Arlington Cemetery so my mom could see the grave of my great-Uncle Bob. We also caught the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown, which is always nice.

Mom and Gary at Arlington Cemetery

After the cemetery, we went to Chipotle for dinner - their first experience with the deliciousness that is Chipotle! Always an exciting time. They liked it! Then, we went back to my apartment and I showed them the Wii Fit. My mom gave it a try, and got the hang of it pretty quickly!

My hula-hooping mother

After that, it was time for bed. Mom and Gary had an early flight on Tuesday, so they were gone before I woke up that morning. And so ends another family reunion! They are always so much fun, so it's sad to see them end. Can't wait for next year!

I Will Have My Husband Back Very Soon!

Excuse me, has anyone seen this man? 

He was last seen wearing graduation garb back in May. Rumor has it he's been held captive by the NY State Bar for months. 

Can anyone help? His wife misses him!

This is it, folks, the second and final day of the bar exam! I spoke to Eric and he feels very confident about Day One, so he's feeling pretty good about going into Day Two. He said he really felt like he knew his stuff on the New York State portion (which if you remember, is the one he was most worried about), so other than he hand being cramped up from all that writing, he was feeling great. Now, just one day left, then FREEDOM!

I was just killing time today while watching...um...movies for work, and was Googling things like "bar exam stress" or "bar exam widow" to see if anything might come up relating to what it's like to be the wife of a bar examinee. I actually came across this blog, and this woman's post about being a bar exam wife. I thought a lot of it was pretty accurate (and so pretty funny), so I thought I would share it here (my comments are in bold italics, the rest is credited to the Letter9 blogger linked above):

Twelve Things That Suck About Being a Bar Exam Wife:

1. You have to do the dishes. And sometimes cook dinner. (If you can't understand what I'm talking about because you do these things anyway and/or you like doing these two things, insert two things you hate and/or are very unskilled at and that your spouse does because of your hatred and lack of skill). (In our case, Eric still did a lot of this stuff...but we did eat fast food/pizza a bit more than normal.)
2. You have to hear things like, "Does this make any sense to you: blah blah blah blah trustee blah blah blah decedent blah blah. That just doesn't even make sense. Who writes this stuff?" Then... (Oh yes. I heard LOTS of talking through the law stuff.)
3. ...you have to try to pretend you (a) understand, (b) also think it's stupid and whoever wrote it is a dummy, or (c) (GASP!) try to explain it based on your 100% lack of knowledge of whatever-the-f*ck it is you're being asked. (Well, I never tried "c," but the rest is true.)
4. You have to put up with alarms going off very very early in the morning and the proper recipient of said alarms occasionally hitting snooze and/or flat refusing to get up then returning to sleep to snore while you contemplate the stippling on the ceiling. (Actually, I'm the serial snoozer in our house, and Eric is really good at getting out of bed when the alarm goes off. But, oh, how I sympathize with the early alarms.)
5. Your kid is sad because he misses daddy and daddy is sad because he misses his kid. (I tried to replace "kid" [of which we have none] with "dog" in this scenario, but this part doesn't work for us. Eric studying at home meant the dog saw much more of him than I did, so there was no missing going on there.) And you miss the weekends. Ah, the weekends. The closer you get to the bar, the more distant your memory of weekends becomes. (Oh so true.)
6. You have to watch your bar exam husband go through torture. This part really sucks. (ABSOLUTELY.) If it's his first bar (it is) or he has not yet passed a bar exam (he hasn't), the torture is worse. Sometimes, he looks physically ill. (He did actually experience a physical neck injury as a result of studying too much.) Sometimes he swears he's not taking it. Sometimes he is so distracted he forgets what month it is. (That didn't happen, but I'd be lying if I said my birthday didn't slip his mind, just for a second, a few days before.) If it is his second state (i.e. he passed and is practicing in one state and is taking an exam in another state), as in our case, the torture is less but still noticeable. (Good to know, in case he decides to take the Florida bar later. Ugh.)
7. You have to spend a lot more time alone. Like, a lot. (Preach on, sister.)
8. You have to pick up a lot of the slack around the house (see #1 above) and you don't even get to complain about it or at least you try not to complain because you know that your husband probably (a) has more to complain about (yes), (b) is less happy than you are (right again), and (c) would much rather wash dishes than study (I think he has actually even said this verbatim). Plus there's the fact that he's taking the bar to benefit both of you not, as you sometimes wonder, because he's a mean, mean sonofab*tch who wants to make your life unpleasant. (Thanks for doing that, by the way, Eric.)
9. It's nearly impossible to tell when you should encourage your bar exam husband to relax and take a break and when to encourage him to buckle down. (YES! I usually recommended the former.) When he's neglecting the books, this is especially hard because who are you to say, "Hey, maybe you should be studying more" because saying that would be sort of like saying to a pregnant woman, "Hey, maybe you should try not to be so hormonal" or something. Basically, it's unwanted advice and really just makes matters worse. (Eric was pretty dedicated, so there wasn't much book-neglect going on. My recommendations were mostly in favor of relaxation because he seemed just so, so stressed and had been working so, so hard.)
10. You just keep wanting to say, "HEY! Only 64 more days until the bar exam!" because you are counting down every single damned second until the thing is over but this initiates shaking, cold sweats, and much, much anxiety in your bar exam husband. And yet sometimes you actually say it and then you get the look. (I actually was not even allowed to write the bar exam on our calendar, because Eric didn't want the reminder there staring him in the face.)
11. You save up things to complain about when the whole thing is over (you even write letters to your husband that you never give him because writing them genuinely helps you feel better) but then once it's over, you forget to complain. (I never wrote a letter, but the thought "I won't say anything until after the bar" has crossed my mind on one or two occasions. I doubt I actually ever will say anything.) The second time around, you kind of wish you'd gotten a chance to complain after the first one because now you feel like you've got extra complaint baggage stored up and it's harder to make room for your new complaints. (Something to keep in mind...)
12. All you can think about is all the stuff you want your bar exam husband to do after it's all over - all the ways he should repay you for all your selfless effort during whoa these so many months - and so you kind of forget that you should be repaying him and doing nice things for him when it's all over. (So true. He worked so hard, for the good of our family.)

It was nice to read something so similar to what things have been like for me and to know that I'm not alone! I'm so excited that after today, I'll get my husband back and will no longer be a "bar exam widow." Although I do know that no matter how hard the whole process was on me, it was a million times harder on him. But, he did it and once again, I am left feeling so proud of him.

Eric, good luck with your LAST DAY! I can't wait to see you tomorrow when you get back, and to celebrate this accomplishment with you. You've certainly earned it. I love you.

B-DAY

By "B-DAY," I don't mean birthday. I mean BAR EXAM DAY. Today is day one of the bar exam for Eric! (Well, and tons of other people, but I'm mostly just concerned about the one person.)

Eric left yesterday for Albany for The Big Days. I was in Cleveland all weekend, and got back to DC after he had already left, so I haven't seen him yet and won't see him again until it's all over. Today is Day One, which is the New York state-specific portion, and the part he is most nervous about. Today will consist of 50 multiple choice questions, five New York-related essays, and one 1.5-hour "lawyer skills" essay. Once today is over with, Eric will be able to breathe a little easier. Tomorrow is the multi-state part of the exam, which consists of 200 multiple choice questions. He feels a little more confident about that part, so by the end of the day today, he'll be starting to relax a little bit.

Eric, I'm going to be thinking about you and saying prayers for you all day. I wish you all the luck in the world, even though I know you don't need one bit of it - you know this stuff, you're very smart, you'll do fine, and I'm proud of you. I love you! You're almost done!

So Far, So Good

So, being 26 is pretty decent so far. I got so many cards, emails, text messages and phone calls yesterday from loved ones wishing me well, which was so, so nice. Thanks to everyone for thinking of me! You all helped make my day great.

After my wonderful breakfast from my husband, I went to work and had a busy day, but I was able to get everything done that needed to be done by 3:00, so I snuck out early. When I got home I enjoyed more birthday cake and then decided to do a quick Wii Fitting before heading out to my birthday dinner. Even the Wii Fit was celebrating my birthday!

Why, yes, Mr. Wii... today IS an important day for me! And I like your festive party hat!

This screen popped up right after the Wii threw streamers all over the place and said, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

And the Wii Fit totally had my back...when Eric signed in to do his own daily body test, the Wii reminded him that he should be doing nice things for me. Not that Eric needs a reminder of course (seriously, he's the best husband ever), but it's nice to know that the Wii is looking out for me.

In fact, you are not mistaken, Mr. Wii.

Awww, no need to guilt trip him, Wii. He already feels bad about having to study all day.

After my Wii Fit session, I headed out to Chinatown to meet up with my friend Leah for dinner and drinks. We met at an Irish bar near her house for a quick pre-dinner drink, then went to Matchbox for dinner. Matchbox is a great restaurant in Chinatown that has mini-burgers that are to die for. They also have awesome pizza. The only downside to Matchbox is that unless you want to eat at 4:30pm, you're going to have to wait for a table, regardless of what day of the week it is. The counter point to that is that their bar is a great place to hang out and wait for a table! We actually only had a 30 minute wait, so we had just enough time to enjoy a glass of wine before we were seated.

Dinner was awesome - more wine, delicious pizza, and the mini-burgers. Oh, the mini-burgers. Topped with the best onion straws you've ever had. So, so good. Leah and I had a great time chatting and catching up. Sometimes I forget how nice it is to just have "girl time," because I spend most of my time with Eric. Of course I love hanging out with my husband, but sometimes it's nice to just drink wine and discuss hopes, dreams, and good-looking celebrities with another girl!

After dinner we picked up another bottle of wine (what can I say? Husband/boyfriend bar studying has driven us to drink), then we went back to Leah's apartment and drank our wine on her rooftop until it started to drizzle. By that time it was getting a little late, so her boyfriend drove me home, and that was the end of my birthday celebration!

Leah and me at her apartment, enjoying our wine. Apparently, I am a giant.

So, another birthday over with, and now onto the next things on our "What's Next" list! Now we're getting into the really good stuff...I'm leaving for Cleveland on Friday for our annual family reunion, and by the time I get back on Monday, Eric will be IN ALBANY FOR THE BAR EXAM! He's really almost done, halleluia. Then, the moving madness begins! So, stay tuned for the craziness that will be our August!

Twenty-Six

Some of you may have noticed that in all the birthday pictures I have posted of my Dad (here and here), I am helping him to blow out his birthday candles. Why is that, you wonder? That's because my dad and I have always shared our birthday celebrations, because his birthday is the day before mine (or, mine is the day after his, depending on how you want to look at it). Which means...today is my birthday!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. W. is twenty-six years old today. I'm okay with that, really. I've had a pretty great twenty-six years, with this last year being particularly wonderful. My life is in a good place, and it's on the brink of some exciting new things.

Turning 25 made me feel old for some reason, but 26 isn't having the same effect. Well, not the turning 26 part. What is actually making me feel a little bit old is that today is also my cousin Adam's birthday (Happy Birthday, Adam!). Interestingly enough, Adam's dad's birthday is also the day before his (Happy belated Birthday, Uncle Mark!)- what are the odds that my mother and her sister would both marry men with the same birthday, and give birth to their firstborns on the same day?

Anyway, my cousin is turning 18 today. Wow! That makes me feel old, only because it reminds me that it has already been 8 years since I turned 18 years old. At that time, I was getting ready to go off to college, which was such an exciting time. I don't really think of myself as being that far removed from my college life, so I have to remind myself from time to time that it has already been four years since my college graduation, and 8 years since I left home for the wonderful world of Gainesville. My, how time flies. But, I digress. Happy 18th, Adam!

My birthday this year is going to be pretty low-key. Eric is in hard-core study mode, considering that the bar exam is a week from today. We had a little mini celebration last night, with cake and presents. Eric made me a delicious chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, decorated with sprinkles.

Me with my birthday cake (it says "26!!" in case you can't make it out)

My cake and our improvised birthday candles

Then, I opened my presents from my boys. Eric got me a really nice card and some Wii Fit accessories (hooray for my new yoga mat!). And Achilles gave me a great card with a $2 bill inside and some kibble. He promptly ate my kibble after I opened the card. But, I know he did it with love and sincerest birthday wishes.

Me with Achilles, his card, $2 bill, and my kibble. Can you tell he's about to devour it?

I also have gotten some very nice, thoughtful cards in the mail this week. Thank you to everyone for thinking of me on my birthday!

This morning, my day began with a great birthday voicemail from my mother-in-law, and Eric surprised me with a delicious breakfast: hash browns and eggs scrambled with cheese, onions and peppers. Yum!

What a great way to start the day!

Today I'll be working during the day then going out for dinner and drinks with my friend Leah tonight. Leah's boyfriend went to law school with Eric, and is also taking the New York bar next week, so she understands what it's like to be a "bar exam widow," if you will. I'm sure we'll be swapping stories and drowning our troubles in a glass of wine or two!

There is something interesting to me about this birthday, that I'd like to share with you. So, let me tell you a little story. Ten years ago today, I was turning 16 years old. And not long before my 16th birthday, I saw this really cute boy at the pool at my mom's house. Turns out his name was Eric, and he was mighty dreamy. I tried to get up my nerve to invite him to my 16th birthday party, but just couldn't do it. So, my little sister came to the rescue and invited him...and he came! And that was the first time we really hung out together. At the end of my party, he even gave me a hug, and I totally swooned. Looking back, I never would have thought that 10 years later I would be turning 26 years old, and that cute boy from the pool would be my studying-for-the-bar husband. What a fantastic turn of events...the best birthday present a girl could ever ask for.

A few of my friends at my 16th birthday party...including my future husband!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Birthday, Dad! 

I hope you have a great day!

Why So Serious(ly AWESOME, Batman)?

Last night Eric took a break from studying for the bar so that we could go see the highly-anticipated new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. We went to the 12:01 a.m. showing! It was my first midnight movie ever. I was absolutely exhausted by the time we got home, but boy oh boy, was it worth it! Frankly, I was pretty exhausted before the movie even began. Where have my days of all-nighters gone, that midnight is no longer considered "a reasonable hour?"

Eric and I before the movie - pretty excited!

Pretty excited, but also pretty tired. A pre-movie nap didn't sound like a terrible idea.

Goodness, was this movie ever hyped up before release. Last night, our movie theater was showing it on seven different screens at 12:01, and five of them had sold out by Thursday. Outrageous. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you're probably wondering, "can it live up to the hype?" Why, yes. Yes, it can. I'm no professional movie critic, but let me give you my overall review.

The movie was absolutely fantastic. It was dark and twisted. It was incredible to watch. It kept you on the edge of your seat, nearly always in suspense. It was so suspenseful, in fact, that I had to do my patented only-half-watch-the-movie-through-your-fingers-while-you-cover-your-eyes-with-your-hands move. (This move is my general reaction to suspense or uncertainty. I assume the same position during horror movies and close Gator games.) The movie was smart and riveting. It highlighted the fine line between good and evil...what would it take to make you cross that line? Can anyone fall from the good side and become the villain?

Good vs. Evil, if you will.

With this movie, Christian Bale is now officially my favorite Batman. Sorry, Michael Keaton, your day is done. Plus I find Christian somewhat pretty to look at, so you know, that's nice. In this movie Bruce Wayne is conflicted and struggles to find the balance between Bruce and Batman. Christian Bale plays it very well. And let me tell you about the toys. If you thought Batman had cool gadgets before, wait until you see the Bat Bike. Or, how he catches a plane. Really cool stuff!

Don't worry, Christian/Bruce, that suit will look great on you.

The Bat Bike!

And the Joker. Heath Ledger as the Joker was superb. Again, he absolutely deserves all they praise he has been getting for this movie. I thought the Scarecrow from Batman Begins was a terrifying villain, but he can't come close to the Joker. The Joker is a true psychopath, a madman, who is unpredictable and knows no limits in his quest for a "better class of criminal." Heath Ledger did an amazing job - the voice, the laugh, the walk, the little mannerisms, all wonderful. Every time the Joker was on the screen, I felt tense, because there was no knowing what could come next. He was incredibly sinister and very, very frightening.

So scary!

"Nothing in his pockets but knives and lint"

So, in case it isn't clear from my gushing thus far, we really loved this movie. There's a very good chance we'll even go see it again after the bar exam. There was so much to take in and so many twists and turns in the plot, that to be honest, my sleepy, 26-years-old-on-Tuesday, 3:00am brain couldn't fully grasp it all. I am anxious to see it again to pick up on things I likely missed the first time around.

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering if movie theater popcorn is any good at midnight, I can tell you that yes, it most certainly is.

Are Wii Fit Yet?

Many weeks ago, I promised to post about our newest workout tool, the Wii Fit. We had been waiting for it to become available for months and then once it was released, Eric spent days checking various Best Buys and Targets and getting up early to call them to see if they had any Wii Fits in stock. His hard work paid off, and now we are the proud owners of our Fit. And it rocks. So, let me tell you a little bit about it.

Every day, you're supposed to do your daily "Body Test." You start by standing on the Wii Fit board, and it asks you how much your clothes weigh. You select a response, then it measures you for a few seconds. Once the measuring is complete, it graphs your center of balance and gives you your weight and BMI. It's really cool to see how balanced you really are! In all of our Wii Fit days, there is only one perfect balance on record - and it was mine! Apparently all that childhood ballet really paid off.

Me standing proudly by my perfect balance screen

"You're placing equal weight on your left and right legs when you stand!"

After you've been given your balance, BMI and weight results, the Wii suggests you do two randomly selected body control tests. These can be anything from trying to stand perfectly still, trying to walk with perfect balance, standing on one leg, shifting your weight on command, etc.

Eric doing the "stand on one leg" test

Once you've done all these various tests, the Wii uses the results to calculate your Wii Fit age. Sometimes, your Wii Fit age is the same as your actual age, or younger. In this case, your Mii is really happy. (What is a Mii, you ask? Why, it's the Wii version of yourself, of course!)

You can't even make out my Mii here, because she's jumping for joy at my young Wii Fit age!

But sometimes, your Wii Fit age is a little older than your actual age. In that case, your Mii hobbles around with a broken back. Not cool, Mii. Not cool at all.

30 isn't even that old, Mii!

One of the cool things is that the Wii Fit keeps track of all these results. You get a calendar on which you mark off each day when you do your Body Test, plus the Fit graphs your balance, weight, BMI and Fit Age progress.

My calendar

Main screen graph - the red line is Eric's, and the pink is mine. We follow the same general trend! 

And the Miis at the bottom are me, then Eric, then Jeff.

After you've done your test, it's on to training! The Wii Fit has four categories of activities: Yoga, Strength Training, Balance Games, and Aerobics.

Main Wii Fit Training Screen. The piggy bank on the left logs your daily and total logged workout time.

My favorite category is the Aerobics, which includes things like running, step aerobics, and hula hooping. I'm especially a fan of the Step games, which basically use the Wii Fit balance board for a sort of a combination between step aerobics and Dance Dance Revolution. You step on and off the board in different patterns to the rhythm of the game. I currently hold the high scores in both Basic and Advanced Step! Sometimes, I even use Achilles as "weights" during the Basic Step for a little something extra.

Doesn't he look so thrilled?

Eric is especially good at the Balance Games, which include things like skiing, ski jumping, soccer, tightrope walking, and a few others. 

Eric skiing

Lately, I've also been getting into the Yoga and Strength Training exercises. For these activities, you pick either a male or female trainer who shows you how to do each of the exercises and critiques your performance. Sometimes the critiques are good, and other times, not so good. But, if they're bad, your trainer always gives you advice for how to improve. And they speak in a very pleasant, soothing voice. How nice.

Oooh, not so good. On this strength exercise, I was labeled a "couch potato." I kind of resent that.

Much better! Now I'm a "bodybuilder!" And that's my trainer lady in the background.

So, that's a basic overview of the Wii Fit. But there's quite a few other fun things about it, too, that I'd like to share with you. First, the Wii is eager to tell you that you are not just limited to weighing yourself with the balance board. You can weigh other things, too. Like your dog.

Achilles apparently weighs 11.7 lbs.

Also, I mentioned that the Wii keeps track of how often you work out (or at least do your Body Test), and the results of your tests. It often commends you for frequent workouts, or wonders where you've been the past couple of days if you spend some time away. We've seen plenty of this in regards to our former roommate Jeff. Jeff was nice enough to come hang out with Achilles for a few hours during our NYC apartment search trip, and while he was here, he played with the Fit. Since he no longer lives with us, however, he isn't able to do his Body Test daily as the Wii expects him to. We know this, and don't judge him for it, of course. The Wii, however, judges him. It doesn't know he doesn't live here. It just thinks he's lazy.

Just what are you getting at, Wii?

And, if you've been away from the Fit for a few days, your Mii gets lazy. When the Wii Fit starts up, all the lazy little Miis will give a big yawn then doze off to sleep! Jeff's Mii is always sleeping around here, but even Eric's and my Miis took a little nap after a several-day hiatus a few weeks ago.

Big yawns!

A Mii Snoozefest!

And my MOST favorite part of the Wii Fit is the incorporation of all of our various Miis. At Christmas, Eric and I brought the Wii with us on our holiday travels, and anyone who played it had to create a Mii. As a result, we have a whole slew of family member and friend Miis. The cool thing about the Wii is that it will use those Miis in your games! So, when I'm skiing, I can see my mom cheering me on from the sidelines. My cousins are waiting to greet me at the end of the tightrope. Gramz is stepping it up with me. It's so fun to see our friends and family in the game with us! It really gives it a little something extra.

Our "Mii Plaza," which contains all of our Miis!

Top row: Susan

Second row: Eric, Me, Uncle Peter, Aunt Rachel, my cousin Sarah

Third row: Ron Jr., Kelley, our friend Leah, Uncle Mark, cousin Molly

Fourth row: Doc, Gary, Gramz, Heather, Jeff

Bottom row: My cousin Adam, my Mom, Buzz, our friend Chris, and Aunt Debbie

Here's my Mii stepping with a few family members: Gramz (doing the curtsy on the left), Sarah (in motion), and Adam

Eric's Mii finishing a tightrope walk with friends and family cheering him on: 

Buzz (cut off on the left), Uncle Peter, Jeff, Me, Molly, and Ronnie (cut off on the right)

So, that's the Wii Fit - our current favorite source of entertainment! I highly recommend it as a fun way to get Fit!