I've Lost my iPod!

Ugh...I can't believe I can't find my iPod! It is somewhere in this house. I am pretty sure that my mother-in-law didn't lift it - she is afraid to use her computer. The sweet teenage neighbor babysitter who won't eat or drink anything at my house is an unlikely clepto, she worked her tail off this summer sitting for us and a few other families to buy a Wii. I have come to one person who has "moved" it and he doesn't speak complete sentences yet. Tomorrow I am going to go through his stuff and confront him about it. If I find it...he's so grounded. No Thomas, no cars and definitely no Kyle for at least a day. Ugh, freaking kid.

It can't possibly be that Kurt or I have misplaced it or put it in a "great" spot. We never misplace anything (keys, library books). We are so much better than that. Just as a precaution, I did go through my many "piles" around the house and did not locate it. Kurt was happy that the piles were gone though.

Go Green! Go White! Go Dirt!

Things have been a little crazy around here this past week. It definitely was nice to have the weekend come and have it be a long one at that. To make things even better, college football started! Kurt is happy, he relives his days of youth in East Lansing with his college buddies for home games. Usually the guys just go to the games, but there is the occasional tailgate that the wives and kiddos attend. Perhaps in the coming years, our seats will expand to include space for the men of the Class of 2029. I am sure that Jimmy, Ethan & Auben will be attending a few games with their dads in the years to come. I just hope the class of 1993 doesn't teach our boys all the tricks they used back in the day.

Jimmy & Julia ready for Game Day!

Julia showing Jimmy a little Spartan Defense
We enjoyed a relaxing Saturday around the house, the kids played with the other kids in the neighborhood. We grilled out and just had a great day. Just before I was about to take the kids in to give them baths, Jimmy decided that he needed a little war paint before the game started. He's such a boy.

Stay on the Carpet!

We got new carpet and furniture for our family room a few months ago. I don't know why...we're idiots. We have 2 small kids that exist; one drools, one thinks she's an acrobat and they both consume food and beverages. The one thing we have tried to stop them from doing is eating in the family room. They've been pretty good about it. If they want a snack, we make them sit on the outside of the room in the foyer on this area rug (if they sit here, they can still see the TV). I am always saying to them to "stay on the piece of carpet" like they are a little dogs. They are pretty good listeners. This morning, I had to take their picture, because they were being cute. Notice that Jimmy does not have a shirt on. It is because he thinks he can drink the milk out of the cereal bowl when it is COMPLETELY FULL OF CEREAL. He is not very smart. I wonder if this is on any milestone chart.

Where Dada?

My son kills me. Every morning when I go to get him out of his crib, his first words to me are "Where Dada?"...seriously, everyday. On the weekends when Kurt is home, he goes in to get him usually, because the look on his face when he sees Kurt is priceless. Even when he hears the garage door open or the screen door open, he runs to the door yelling "Dada!" One of my favorites is when Jimmy sees a car like Kurt's and screams "Dada!" I often wonder if these strange single men that Jimmy sometimes picks think that I am trolling for a man with my kids in tow. All this obsession with Dada makes Kurt feel bad, because he's not here for him. Although, I have to think that he just really likes his Dad and that it is obvious that the time that they spend together is quality. Or Jimmy just hates me and is counting down the hours until Kurt comes home and he's not the only man in the house.

My Faith in Humanity is Restored!

Today was the last day of Music in the Park...another sad reminder that summer is coming to an end. We always park by this Mexican restaurant and Julia loves Mexican food (I think she wants to be Mexican). Every time we go to Music in the Park, Julia asks if we can eat there. We usually bring a picnic lunch, but today I told her yes. She was so excited. We order our food to go and the girl is ringing us up and the credit card machine is not working. She tries another card, thinking that will do the trick. Nope. I guess their machine is on the fritz. I have only $6 (which is alot for me). I ask her if I can come back after Music in the Park is over and bring her some cash from the ATM and she says "Yes, no problem." No, leave your diamond for ransom, no keep your ID...nothing. She just trusted that I'd come back to pay my bill. Well, I am sure that part of it was that I looked trustworthy, but still...you just don't see that faith in humanity anymore. Everyone is out to take advantage of someone and trusting strangers is not common. Kudos to this restaurant. Although it was their issue, still the fact that they were so accommodating and let us take our food and come back was just fantastic.

Just a photo of my "blonde" kids enjoying some great music and friends at the park. Summer has been fun for us, leaving my kids kissed by the sun (even though they wear SPF 30/50).

Can I Put the Brakes on Summer?

Here we are at the end of August, which means that the lazy days of summer are almost over. I can't believe it went so fast. It seems like just yesterday was Julia's last day of pre-school and I was excited about the freedom. Now I am ready for the more scheduled days...knowing what we're doing each day, knowing that we have to go to the grocery store on a certain day, because that is the only day we can do it. In the summer, there is no real schedule...what we don't get to today can be done tomorrow or the next day or not at all. But as I was looking over our schedule for the fall, I kind of had a mini panic attack. We have to be somewhere every morning! You know how I love the morning. It's really unavoidable, Julia has pre-school 2 mornings a week, Jimmy & I have Stay & Play 1 morning, Kid Swap with the neighbors 1 morning and my moms group another morning. Ugh, what happened? I swore I'd never be "that" parent. But what do I do, not take the kids to pre-school or skip moms group? I think not. Fortunately, we have our afternoons free...until I schedule Julia's dance class. But that's it...I PROMISE!

Who Do I Know in New Jersey??

One of the features that I have activated on the blog is tracker that tells me where people are logging on from. Generally, I can tell you exactly who is looking at it when. Like when Utah is there, it's Denise, when its Boston, its Liz. But there are a few that I always wonder about. Not that it matters, because if I decide to blog it, it is public knowledge for the whole world to read. But really, why would a stranger read the goings ons of my life? Which brings me to pose the question...who do I know in New Jersey? I really can't recall anyone that i know that still lives there. So, reveal yourself Neshanic Station, NJ!

Disney Magic

We are planning our trip to Disney in a few weeks. We're going with our old neighbors and staying at their time share. This part was easy. We are arriving a day early & leaving a day early, because Kurt didn't want to miss an important MSU home game (I don't blame him), so we had to find a place to stay for one night. Do you have any idea how many hotels are in the Orlando area? Like a million. I think I read something about Orlando having the most hotels per area or something. i believe it...too many choices...too many different places. It's for one night...why do I care? I ended up taking a hotel that wasn't my first choice, but was FREE from all the points Kurt accumulated when he was traveling all the time. I hate vacation planning. I always wonder if I am getting the best deal at the best place and it sort of consumes me. I have a few last minute things to get done to have all of the planning part finished. I can't wait. I thought of that Disney commercial where there is this music and the sound of horses running and the fairy godmother is waving her wand while the parents realize that Disney is affordable and bang, it's done. Ugh, my planning did not go anything like that.

Happy 40th Michelle!

I can't believe they pulled it off! For about 6 months Aunt Fran & Jeff have been planning a bash for Michelle's big 40th party. People came from all over to celebrate in Canada. Michelle thought that the reason for the gathering at the cottage was to have a party for some relatives from Pennsylvania. Anyway, after arriving at the cottage, she noticed that there were some people that "didn't belong" and then I think it hit her. She was shocked!

Jeff & Michelle...she makes 40 look good! Pamela Andersen eat your heart out!

But it got even better...Michelle's family from the East Coast came in and surprised her. It was probably the best part of the day...seeing her face and knowing that this was probably the best present she could have had.

Happy Birthday Michelle...hope your 40th was one to remember...we love you!!

Come On Tigers!

Friday night we went to another Tiger game. Before the season started, after Kurt & Jeff unloaded all the tickets, I realized that we were taking the kids to just 2 games. So, we decided to buy some tickets online when they were available. Getting 4 tickets together was nearly impossible, but we managed to get a game. Thankfully we didn't get more, because Friday was like the old days when they were awful. The kids had fun, Julia got hopped up on cotton candy (my favorite treat). Jimmy was yelling and clapping like he knew what was going on. They are cute to watch at the game. They were really good until the 9th inning which lasted past 10:30pm. We had to go, the kids were tired and we were tired of watching the horror known as Todd Jones. I had to lie to Julia and tell her that since it was so late, they canceled the fireworks. I am an awful mom.

Denise (Kurt's cousin and loyal blog reader) & Jason were visiting from Utah for Michelle's Surprise birthday party. So, we all met up at the game and had some random person take our picture...at least we're all in it.

Julia, Kurt, Jeff, Kate, Kurt's Mom, Michelle, Jimmy, Jason & Denise

Woodward Dream Cruise

This is the weekend that all the car nuts go crazy. It is the weekend of the Woodward Dream Cruise. For those that have never been, it's kind of hard to explain. Imagine a giant car show that stretches about 10 miles and tons of cars basically parked on a 6 lane road - trying to get enough space between them and the next vehicle to go faster than idle. You see all sorts of cars, new, old, the ugly, the weird. It's crazy. It's fun. The whole corridor from Birmingham to Ferndale is packed with activities and tons of people.

Last Saturday, the kids went to Jeff & Michelle's, so Kurt and I took the Corvette down. This is the weekend before the actual cruise, and there were already people sitting on the side of the road watching the cars "cruise." It was fun - we knew that if we took the kids down later in the week that we'd be rolling in one of our other cars.

So, Thursday night, we roll on down there in the Focus (we tend to drive that all over because it gets better gas mileage than the Edge). We are grab some burgers at a dive burger joint and sit outside where they have tents set up. Anyway, we're finishing up and we notice a police car pull into the parking lot and then a really loud blue race car. I look at the driver and notice that he's wearing this cowboy hat and sunglasses. Then I think...hey, isn't that Richard Petty? The fact that I knew this just makes me a little more WT then I'd care to admit. Anyway...it was him. The car was really loud and Jimmy kept yelling... Whoa, Whoa, Whoa...it literally was parked in front of our table. It was pretty cool. He got out and said something and then was ushered into the roped off section where they were having some corporate event. So, that was cool.

After that, we walked down Woodward to find a good grassy spot to sit and we watched the cars cruising for about 45 minutes. Jimmy loved it, Julia was okay with it. It was the perfect night to go, not too crowded with people and not so many cars that they were totally standing still.

Some notable cars that we saw:

• AMC Eagle - the ugliest car made
• A Hearse - which was Julia's favorite
• Several Ford GTs - Kurt took me for a ride in one from work when I was pregnant with Julia...I about peed myself we were going so fast
• Chevette - when was the last time you saw one of those?
• Anything with flames on it - Why?

Of course, lots of nice looking cars from the 50s/60s/70s. It made me want to go for a ride in the Nova...so if I miss it, Kurt must really miss it. I think that we're going to have to look into shipping it back here if Jim doesn't get transferred back here in the next year. Rolling in the Focus for the Dream Cruise, just isn't the same.

All these Kids!

Last Tuesday was my day with all the kids. 6 kids for 2 hours....that may freak out just about anybody. They were all really good, I can tell they are ready to get back to a more structured day of school and preschool...they all wanted to do a craft!

Clockwise from top

Lauren, Jimmy, Clay, Will, Kyle & Julia

This will be the gang that will be teepeeing and terrorizing the neighborhood in the year 2018!

Pump it Girl!

Julia loves to swing. She is always begging me to push her. It's not that I don't like to do it, i just get bored standing there. I think at one point when she was little and in the baby swing, i'd sit in a chair and push it, so I could read my magazine. It's probably because I am not that mom that is all excited and googoogaagaa over the fact that my kid can sit on a swing. Anyway, this summer i have really stressed to her that she needs to pump on her own. She knows what to do, but doesn't do it. I push her a couple of times and then she's on her own. She always ends up just swinging her feet in the grass.

Well, tonight just after Jimmy got nailed by the swing by the neighbor girl (it was like a stunt from a movie...he just walked right into her swinging and he was leveled) and i was trying to calm him down...I looked over and noticed that she was pumping and getting somewhere. She was so proud of herself! And so was I. Now if I could get the little guy to stop walking into the swingers, we'd be all set.

Drama in the Preschool

The preschool that I sent Julia to last year and will again this year is a co-op. For those not familiar with a co-op, the parents basically run the school (with the exception of teaching the classes) and work in the classrooms as teacher's aides. It's a little less expensive than a traditional "drop your kids off preschool" but the reason I like it is that i get to really be involved in the experience and get to know the parents and kids a little better. For the most part, the parents and teachers are very like-minded, good people who are very involved in their kids' lives. My mom sent us to a c0-op preschool and really loved the experience.

For the past few years enrollment at the school has been down. This year it is even worse. The economy doesn't help and the uncertainty has led to many moms returning to work or families deciding to forgo preschool (which I don't get). Since enrollment is down, there are many parent jobs that have not been filled. Mainly the auction that raises about 25% of our funding is without a team to run it. I represent our classroom for the auction and did so last year too, so they came to me to see if I would be interested in co-chairing it. Ugh...not really, but do I have a choice? Fortunately, a returning parent that ran the auction several years ago stepped up to do the job, so it's not so bad. I will be her go-to-gal. Hopefully my organization skills and ability to be calm in the midst of chaos will compliment her high energy. November can't come soon enough.

Yet the drama ensues...we were told that due to the low enrollment over the past few years, we've been operating in the red. This year will be no exception and we're depleting the school's savings. It's sad, because the school has been around for over 40 years and is one of the only co-ops in operation in the area. It bums me out, because i really like the school and the teachers. But what are you going to do? It's a sign of the times we're in. Stepping back, this isn't the end of the world. There are other preschools and it is "just preschool." We'll enjoy this year and in my quest for a young 5s program for Julia for next year, we'll hope that we don't have to also look for a 3 year old class for Jimmy at a different school.

Goodbye Tiger Stadium!

After the game, we went down to Old Tiger Stadium. They are tearing it down, because it has been vacant for 8 years. It is quite the controversy that they are tearing it down. Some groups want it to remain, or partially remain. Detroit seems to have a problem tearing down old buildings, but sometimes people just need to let it go and realize that it is just a building...the memories remain.

Go Tigers! Come Back Summer!

The past few days have been unseasonably cool. It totally feels like fall (which is my favorite season), but it's not time yet. Today was both cool and rainy, and we had Tiger Tickets. We were caught in the rain just a few times, but the game played on and they even won.

Here are the kids waiting in the VERY long line to ride the carousel. They both got new hats.Where did my baby go?
Patiently Waiting....
Julia got the Big Tiger, she was pretty happy!
My 2 Favorite Guys

The County Fair...

We had a great time at the county fair on Thursday night. Of course, I forgot my camera, to capture all the great moments. Oh well. Maybe this will teach me to learn how to get pictures off my cell phone.

The kids loved the exhibit building where people enter random items for random categories. Some of Julia's favorites were the Camoflage Barbie Outfit and the decorated cakes. She showed me which one she wants for her birthday. Perhaps I can recreate it. Of course it had a doll in it. Jimmy loved the little scenes of farms with the little tractors, houses and cars (go figure). I enjoyed looking at all the rotting produce that probably looked good on Saturday night when they brought it in, but by Thursday night, wasn't looking so hot.

Jimmy really had a great time seeing all the animals. He was facinated by a peeing cow. Julia was sort of not into the animals. But I think she was looking for her cousin Olivia and the rides. I guess she is a city girl. She was much better once she saw Olivia, Aunt Libby & Uncle Travis.

We ate a menagerie of fair favorites and the kids did really good at eating. Sometimes they are too distracted to eat when there is so much going on. My dinner consisted of Fiske fries (the best ever), Boy Scout Onion Rings, a bite of a corn dog and a bite of a Boy Scout Hamburger and a bite of pizza. I love fair food. I didn't realize until we left that I didn't pig out. Ugh.

The kids rode some rides. Jimmy had his first carousel ride and loved it (probably because Kurt passed him over the barricade and he rode for free). Julia is truly fearless and rode this giant firetruck that went in circles like a mini Ferris wheel all by herself. When it started to sprinkle, we ran to the cars and left.

I was pretty bummed to only see one couple making out in the food area and really didn't see too many freaky people. Kurt still found a few to mention. I think he'll be back.

Blonde Girls

Tonight the US Gymnastics Team starts their competition and we thought that Julia would like to see it. While we were watching the Chinese team, Julia said to me - "Where are the Blonde girls?" Julia probably isn't used to seeing people that all look exactly alike. I think that is such a wonderful thing.

I am a Plumber!

After walking away to take a deep breath from the debacle known as my sink, I came back and re-snaked and re-dranoed and low and behold. It worked! I know it only worked because I did some of the dishes on my counter in our utility sink. Whatever - it's fixed.

Why Me?

Last night I made potato soup and put the peelings very slowly down the garbage disposal. I know better. My drain is all clogged up now. I have done an in-depth analysis on the problem, removing the pipes and determining that it is in the big pipe, I've snaked it and done all I can. It still drains slow. Ugh. Kurt's at work and he's little use to me over the phone. My fingers are raw from cranking on the pipes. I give up. Either Kurt fixes it later or the handyman comes tomorrow to fix it. Meanwhile, the kids are still in their PJs, we've missed a playdate and now they are running around screaming upstairs. These are the days when I wish I was somewhere else.

On the upside...we're going to the fair tonight in my hometown. I am looking forward to having a bucket of fries (Travis said they have this new pail of fries...as if the fat people need more fat). We're going to meet Lib, Trav and Olivia there. It will be fun. When Lib and I were kids, we used to take our horses down there with our 4H club (The Rainbow Riders) and hang out down there all week with the other farm kids. Going to the fair was one of my favorite things of summer as a kid. Kurt has never been to the fair, so this will be a treat. He already has a negative view on things from my hometown...this will make it even more jaded. The fair really brings out the best people in the area...you wonder where they hide out the rest of the year. Tune in, I am sure that we'll have some photos and some stories to tell.

Random Things about Me from A-Z

My pal from high school, Maria, posted this on her blog and told us to post the same on ours. I know that Kurt, Todd & Jeff will LOVE this, so this is for you guys.

A - Apple Cider and Spice Donuts. Only one more month and the Cider Mill with the best spice donuts opens up. I love fall, this is one of the reasons.
B - Bread & Butter. I am not sure which i like more, the bread or the butter, but a nice piece of fresh bread with some salted butter on it makes my day. This is the reason I will never be 120 pounds.
C - Cookie Lady. I love to bake, share and eat cookies. When Kurt and I were first dating, I used to make him cookies and leave them at his place. His Dad used to intercept these cookies when he was coming by to work on the Nova, so I became known as the "Cookie Lady" in the family, because nobody met me for 6 months.
D - DVR. How we watched TV without it, I will never know. I can't wait until Fall when the DVR will be almost filled to capacity with all the great TV that we love to watch.
E - Ebay. I love this online garage sale. I sell stuff from time to time on there and am amazed at how much one is willing to pay for my junk. Where else can one find a fantastic 1980s prom dress? I probably should start my search for 2009 Mom Prom.
F - Fountain Coke. I love a good fountain Coke. McDonald's has the best and it's only a $1 for the summer. Why do some places have awesome Coke and others don't - it's in the calibration of the fountain...giving it the proper carbonated water & coke syrup mix.
G - God. I have such a great life and know that I owe it to Him. I am not one to go on and on about my faith to others, I prefer to show it by the way I live my life and do good things for others. Volunteering is one way I do that.
H - Horses. I grew up on a horse farm and showed horses from age 7-17. My parents still have a few horses and my kids have one too, but I rarely ride. I think the last time I rode was before I had any of my kids. I'm just not that into it anymore.
I - iPod. I love my ipod. I have it on most days when I am cleaning my house, doing my laundry or working out. I get CDs from the library and download them into iTunes and rock it out. I listen to lots of Books, but also love to rock it out too. Lately I have been downloading some of my own giant CD collection from the 90s when I bought CDs all the time. I just re-discovered The Cure and a Beastie Boys CD. Ahh - me and brass monkey are rocking it well.
J - Julia & Jimmy. My kids are both named after very special people. Julia is named after my cousin who passed away about 10 years ago. Jimmy is named after my dad, Kurt's dad and brother. The fact that they both are J names is a coincidence.
K - Kurt. The best decision I ever made was to talk to him that night at the bar 8 years ago.
L - Laundry. I love to do laundry. I rock at getting stains out of just about anything. It's my claim to fame. In my dream home, I'd have a big room with a counter top to fold my laundry and a TV. I may never leave.
M - Mexican Food. I love it. It ranks right up there with Pizza and Italian food.
N - Night. I am a nightowl. I hate the morning. Going to bed early for me is 11:30pm. Most nights I am up until 1 am. I am most productive at night and I like the quiet of being the only one up.
O - One o'Clock. Usually this is when Jimmy is napping and Julia is watching a show. It's the only time during the day that I have to myself to get all my jobs done and chill out on the computer.
P - Paws. The mascot of my Tigers. I love the Tigers and love going down to the games. I even liked them when they were bad.
Q - Quiet. Something that I rarely hear. Unless all kiddos are in bed. Last night Kurt was gone and I read my book for a few hours. No other noise...just the fan.
R - Read. I love to read. I am a dork like that. I get about 6 magazines (US being one of my favorites) and am usually reading several books at once. Usually one on my iPod, a non-fiction book and some other fiction book. I need to remember to just turn off the TV more often and read. It's so much better.
S - Scrapbooking. I love to scrap, but have little time for it these days. It is such a creative outlet for me. I try to do it at least once a month, but since summer has started, I haven't.
T - Tiko. We had to put our dog to sleep 2 years ago. He was the best dog, minus the bad breath and incontinence in the end. We haven't replaced him and probably won't for a long time. How common are poodle-dachshund crosses?
U - Un-uptight. I am so laid back about pretty much everything, especially with my kids and relationships. There are too many other things to worry about that are bigger than we are. I just don't have time to let some stuff get to me. I have my times when I get fired up about something, but for the most part, I am pretty cool.
V - Volunteer. I am a "professional volunteer." I like to be involved in my kid's school, our church, my subdivision, etc. I think it is important to give your time to others. Although, Kurt would tell me to practice the word "no" more often.
W - Western. I am proud to be a WMU grad. I had some great times in Kzoo. Ahh, to be a college student again.
X - Xmas. I prefer Christmas, but I needed something that started with X. I love the wonder of the holidays. I especially love it from the eyes of my kids. I love the family, the music, the shopping and the baking. It is the only time of year that I actually want to see snow.
Y - Yummy. My favorite adjective used to describe food and hot celebrity guys. My latest celeb crush is Jonathan Rhys Meyers...Yummy. Kurt, I am adding him to "the list."
Z - Zealot. I am pretty passionate about lots of things...my family, pursuit of the perfect ranch dressing, organizing things and life in general.

Mondays are Madness, Tuesdays are Terrific!

Once a week, Dawn, Ellen and I do a childcare swap so to speak. All the kiddos go to one house and the other 2 moms get to do whatever for 2 hours. We're doing it on Tuesdays now through the rest of the month. The kids all get along really well and keep each other occupied enough so that it isn't that bad on the host (just the clean-up). In theory, we should be relaxing and enjoying the kid free hours, but usually we're running as many errands as we can in those 2 hours. Ellen always says that her car is on 2 wheels for those 2 hours...racing around the town. Anyway, today the kids go to Ellen's and I have a full plate of things I want to accomplish...we'll see how much I get done.

How Cute Are These?

Just a few shots - they are just too cute!A matchbox car can be many things...including a cereal delivery truck...hauling right to his belly.

Waterslide Fun!

The neighbors put up their blow-up waterslide and the kids had a ball. It is big enough for the adults, unfortunately I only had 1 glass of wine. Perhaps this weekend after a few more glasses and some more hot weather, I'll be trying it out.

Rachel & Julia

Clay helps Jimmy go too

Say What?

Tonight in the car we were talking about Julia's friends, Gilla and Ricky. Gilla and Ricky are siblings and they go all sorts of places with us. Usually it's just Gilla, but sometimes Ricky comes too. I know all sorts of things about Gilla...she's Julia's age, she has hair the color of Julia's and her favorite Disney Princess is Snow White, but I have never actually met her. Gilla and Ricky are Julia's imaginary friends. Sometimes I forget to let people know that they aren't actual people. Mind you, Gilla sounds an awful lot like Julia, but Ricky is a new addition in the past few months. I don't know where she came up with Ricky, but the girl has a good imagination. Tonight I asked her what Gilla's favorite TV show was and without missing a beat, Julia said "SpongeBob Wears Pants." Then she broke into the song, "SpongeBob Wears Pants." Christina, Meghan and I just couldn't keep from laughing, which made her yell it louder. Ahh, took me back to my days at WMU and Cassy's rendition of "Stroke Me, Stroke Me". Was it "Stone Cold Ugly?" Hmm - you'll have to comment on that one Cas.