thursday.
an offer was made.
diane to
take madeline for the
day so steve and i
could do something
adult in nature.
we went to disneyland.
(got in free thanks to the awesomeness of marissa).
met diane for
the handoff.
realized that this
was the furthest madeline
had ventured from
the house since the
big day.
she did great,
sleeping the whole
way to the anaheim.
disneyland was empty
so we had a great time.
we giggled like school girls
and ate like we
were 12 years old.
the male broback’s
food choices
made me think of superbad.
outside nearly every ride
i saw
one of those measuring
sticks that gives
the minimum height required
to ride the ride.
i used to make the
same tired joke
to
liz
about being too short
to join me on
the ride.
(photo of liz at the mn state fair in 2006).
(for those of you just joining us, she was 4 ft. 11 in.).
she always rolled
her eyes,
but never got pissed.
told the male broback about this
everytime i saw one of
these things.
later we sat
on a bench enjoying
some frozen
treats.
two beautiful women
walked by pushing strollers.
we turned to each other,
both thinking/saying the
same thing.
me thinking to myself, “i think that’s the stroller steve said they wanted to buy.”
steve saying out loud, “that’s the stroller we want to buy.”
after the disneyland
trip we reunited
with madeline and diane
deep in the land
of botox
and spray-tans.
had a drink at a rooftop
restaurant overlooking the
ocean
as we waited
for the sun to set.
the robot waited patiently
in the trunk.
as the sun
descended toward the
the ocean floor,
the robot emerged
for his photo shoot.
people were perplexed
(to say the least)
strangers stopped
and posed
with our friend.
(no one turned us down)
we also posed with
robot.
it was also madeline’s
first visit
to the beach.
it was cold, so she
stayed covered
in her car seat.
later we went
for a seaside dinner.
madeline’s first
restaurant visit.
i ate a lot.
realized sometime
during the night
that
i have to stop
speaking in the
present tense
and should avoid the
use of “we”
(after 12+ years together, behavior is hard to change).
it would be a
lot easier if i could
do so,
because it would save me
a lot of back-tracking
in the middle
of a conversation.
(“we, i mean. well..now just me. nevermind”).
we then retired to a
stranger’s house.
sleeping in new
surroundings
leads to less
sleep than we get
at home.
(if that’s possible).
another great day.
lots of firsts
for madeline and me.
(is that two great days in a row)?
yes.
45 Comments
MATT!!!!
I love that dang ROBOT!!!!!
Hi Matt –
Sounds like you had a great Thursday – it was worth the wait to read about! Hope you had a great Friday too (three in a row would be spectacular) and a wonderful weekend. I will be thinking of you three this weekend. Happy Mother’s Day to Liz (and you)! Take care, Jen, Rob and Zoe in the MN
Awesome. And hurrah for great days. Especially when they come two in a row.
Matt
As Mother’s Day approaches I will be thinking of you and Madeline who is getting more beautiful by the day and wishing wonderful thoughts to both of you (and Liz) on this day. It is the first big holiday hurdle, coming from a mother who lost her father a month before my son was born Father’s Day this year is going to be a doozy to get through. I am so glad that you had two good days in a row, even though we all had to wait for you daily update today it was worth the wait, thank you. Glad to see that you got some “adult time” and some fun, you were at the “happiest place on earth”, again, my thoughts are with you and Madeline for many happy days through the sorrow.
Warm Thoughts from Aliya in MN
Glad to see you had a great couple of days. I love the Robot! What a great momento to have!
Madeline is getting so big already! Thanks for letting all of us strangers into your lives!
YAY! Here is to many more great days! Have a wonderful weekend!!
Matt,
I am so glad you took time for yourself. You both look great!
Here’s to another good day.
Thinking of both of you.
I’m rooting for you and I’m SO happy you’ve had two great days in a row. I pray there will be many more to follow.
I miss Disneyland. It has been too long.
Love the shot of you with your arm around the robot…
Beaches are very important.
I am glad you took your child and your robot to the beach.
Keep smiling and eating. Keep introducing your daughter and your robot to the world.
I love it. I’m sooooo glad you had some fun. You surely did need it. Thank you to Diane Baek for organizing the adventure! The photo of you with your arm around the robot is poignant.
Please continue to enjoy your weekend, and courage for Sunday.
Matt,
I just learned of your blog today and I’m already a huge fan. Your ability to capture moments and random strangers’ hearts is a true talent. Your writing and photography are perfection.
I am rooting for you and your baby as you tackle each new day head-on with that awesome robot. What a lucky guy you are to have experienced such love in your life already and to experience it anew through the eyes of your beautiful daughter.
-Fellow Robotaholic-
Your good days make me happy. Yay!
That picture of you and the robot chummily watching the sun go down has got to be one of my favorite photos so far. He’s really turning out to be quite a social little beast, isn’t he? And not even an English speaker, no less… very impressive. Gotta keep an eye on him around the booze, though.
I really love that robot! My boyfriend gets a huge kick out of it. I’ll be thinking of you two on mothers day.
I am so happy to hear about 2 great days in a row, my best wishes for a 3rd. You look good Matt and your little beauty is getting bigger with every picture. Its very important that you take time for yourself and do some things that make you happy no matter what they are or how silly they seem. You are blessed to have such a great group of friends. Enjoy and I’m glad to see/read you are doing well these last two days, build up your strength and courage for Sunday, you will need. I am sure that you will make it through you are an amazing guy! I will be thinking about you all this weekend.
PS Keep saying “we” and keep wearing her rings, no need to change -
As a new reader you must tell me the story of the robot..pretty please and dang that baby is cute..will be thinking of both of you on mother’s day
Man, you were not kidding when you said you got some great shots of the robot! Praise Odin. I particularly love this one:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattlogelin/2479364838/in/set-72157594529379436/
May I just say, you look rock-star bitchen in your aviators. No one would ever guess you were from the mpls!
It is so good to know that you “giggled [today] like school girls”. That made me smile knowing you had a good day. More are sure to come.
I am so happy you’ve had 2 great days!!! Madeline looks peaceful in the last photo. Warm thoughts to both of you…
Reading this post and seeing these photos.. I just laughed and laughed. I’m so glad you had a good time.
2 good days in a row is awesome… more will follow, soon to be 3, 4 and 5.
Madeline is going to grow up thinking the robot is her sibling ~ she’ll love it
Glad you both had a good day.
I’ll be thinking of the three of you this Sunday.
Hang in there
Been following your site. Madeline is beautiful. So glad you had a good time at Disneyland.
Tina
http://www.caringbridge.org/md/lance
Woo hoo for two good days in a row!
i wanna go to disney without my kids.
I found my kids never slept well when i slept at other’s homes’.. my effort to retain my youth by having the occasional jammy party has been squelched by diapers and fussy babies.. but it just helps me appreciate my bed more too.. so it works out well balance wise.
yay good daze.
Good to see a smile on your face. I agree…there is something rock-starish about your cool shades!
Hi matt,
I just chanced upon your blog. You are an awesome dad! I know this sunday will be mother’s day, you are the mom AND the dad of adorable madeline, so I should say happy mothers day to you. You will always be in my prayers. You and madeline both. If you need a listening board, I am here.
I love how the way you capture every single thing. I am now a fan of your blog. Keep it coming!
God Bless!
i am so happy that you had a good day. i was able to get through most of the post without tearing up. always happens when i see the pics of madeline.
sleep well.
Whew. I am relieved. You are ok. Even better than ok. I hope Mother’s Day will be do-able. You are being her mother and father, and you are doing a great job, for all the world to see. Liz got to be a mother for a bit… I’ll be thinking of her that day.
Peace.
So glad to hear you had a good day!! Madeline is perfect and you are doing so well! I read this daily, sometimes more than once, and you are a true inspiration to me! Keep up the good work!
LOL at the Karate Kid photo!
So glad to hear you had a good day.
At some point the good days will outnumber the bad. Until then, take them as they come and enjoy them completely. Your strength is an inspiration.
Hi Matt!
That’s awesome that you had 2 great days in a row! LOVE the pic of you and robot on the beach watching the sunset!!
Hoping you have a great tomorrow.
Jaimee
Love the pics! So happy to hear that you had a good time at Disneyland. BTW, what is the story behind the robot? Your blog is becoming addicting!
Matt,
I am so happy you had a great day – again. This latest post makes me grin from ear to ear, especially the roller coaster photo. You’ve really got the best friends.
So happy to hear about your good day. The robot sure does get around. Like always, love all your pics. Sure do remember the sleepless baby nights. Amazing how a person can function on such little sleep, huh?
Hope you had another good day today. Try to get some zzzz’s when you can.
Take care.
can I just say how much I love that pic of you with your arm around the robot?! I think you might need to give the robot a name, other than just robot. just a thought.
oh I also want to add that I didn’t realize Liz was only 4’11″. I just thought you were incredibly tall…..
So glad you had such a great day! I particularly got a kick out of you and your friend’s milestone “dad” moment when with two hot chicks nearby, you thought only of baby gear. How quickly (and profoundly) your priorities change as a parent can really smack you upside the head, can’t it? (Especially when you find you don’t even really mind.) Reminds me of one of my milestone “mom” days, when on the very day my passport expired (leaving me without a valid one for the first time in two decades after years of globetrotting adventures) I found myself on a car lot buying a minivan. You do what you gotta do — and the kids benefit so much when you can shrug it off with a laugh.
Two good days in a row – amen for small miracles. How nice that you and Maddy are going to spend the night by the water; Issak Denson said, “the cure for everything is saltwater: sweat, tears and the sea.” I hope the sound of the water helps lull you both into a peaceful sleep.
As a member of the 4’11″ club, I can relate to the half amused/half annoyed look on Liz’s face in the photo w/ the height requirement sign. If I had a dollar for every time J has made me do that…
I will be thinking of you and Maddy this weekend.
j.
P.S.
Can I be the president of the Robot Fan Club? This photo shoot really brought out his tender side and I am quite smitten.
P.P.S.
Who won the karate showdown? The robot or the male Broback?
Did they make peace afterward?
“the male broback’s
food choices
made me think of superbad”
That is the funniest thing I’ve ever read. Ever! ha ha ha ha
Please keep saying “we” – in the past tense to tell about how much you loved Liz and in the present tense to talk of you and sweet Madeline. She’s so wonderfully lucky to have you as a dad and also to have all of the people in your life who obviously care so much about your family. I am touched by your journey and am rooting for you. Best wishes, from an interweb stranger.
Matt, I am so happy that you had another good day
Matt, I’m just getting caught up on your blog. I’m glad to hear you ate a healthy meal. Things will get better with time.
On another note, I just had to comment that the pictures of the robot on the beach are excellent. I especially love the one of you watching the sunset with the robot.
Your disposition seems to be improving. You’re very strong. Keep it up.
Hugs!
Erin
The robot actually made me laugh for the first time this morning reading this.
I love that even though you are experiencing hard times you still have a sense of humor. I laughed out loud (Not as in LOL), as in literally, when I looked at thos pictures. Awesome!
HI Matt, I have never posted before, I saw your story on the “show.” My heart broke to hear your story, My daughter Lorin is about to turn 2 and I think my hubby would be much the same you are. I think you are doing great with your daughter! She is absolutely beautiful
) Anyway, I am not big on blogging, so I just posted on this string of conversation. The robot thing cracked me up, love the one watching the sunset! Oh and I love the fact that you are “real” about the language!