The CHERISHED Life of Heather Leigh

Little Things

2011-11-08T12:20:00.003-05:00

Stole these journaling prompts from Ali Edwards and decided to spend five minutes documenting my Little Things right now:

•warming | wearing my warm, comfy Oxford Girls Golf hooded sweatshirt today
•waking | Ashton keeps waking up at 6:30 instead of 7:30 because his internal clock has not “fallen back”, yet
•eating | my mom’s white chicken chili for lunch that she brought over on Sunday when she found out I was sick
•seeing | the leaves on my Bradford pear trees out front have finally turned yellow-ish orange-ish
•snuggling | with the remote control ALL day yesterday as I continued to recover from this throat infection
•playing | Liam and Owen have been playing a lot of chess lately even though I don’t think they know all (or many) of the rules
•knowing | that we won’t spend Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or New Year’s with my dad this year makes me sad
•planning | Jordyn’s Sweet Sixteen and the City party
•asking | Owen is already asking for things for Christmas, like his own TV and Wii for his bedroom (dream on, fella)
•anticipating | the upcoming weekend with absolutely no plans, no parties to host, and no places we have to be

Food Inc. Friday - Waste Not

2011-08-19T11:25:00.005-04:00

Today concludes my fourth week in the journey of Food Inc. living. I have to admit that week three had me being pretty lazy. I went out to eat a LOT, but didn't order meat...OK, I ordered tuna a couple times. I don't know enough about seafood manufacturing practices to know whether or not there is something I should be concerned about. It's on my list of TO DO's to research that. But, I'd like to occasionally sleep and go to the bathroom once in a while, so time has not allowed me to check that TO DO off the list yet. I'll get to it. I will.

Anyway, this Food Inc. living is very time consuming. The planning and the shopping (at not JUST Meijer, but a thousand different places....farmers' markets and online and everywhere in between) and the chopping and the research, oooooooh the research! Which explains why after two solid weeks of living this way, I was exhausted. Hence, my week three laziness. But, by the end of week three, I was back on track with grilling my organic chicken and sauteing yellow squash for dinner.

So, one of my goals that I mentioned from my last Food Inc. post was to not waste any food....something I have been extremely guilty of in the past. However, the organic carrots I purchased from the Clarkston Farmer's market....limp before I could peel them. The organic grapes I bought from Meijer...moldy on day three of sitting on my counter (store them in the fridge next time, I know). The left over roasted chicken and corn on the cob and green beans from dinner....add some whole wheat pasta and chicken stock and make it a soup (frozen for a crisp fall day).

But the broccoli? The broccoli that was left over from a veggie tray?? What to do with that when you really aren't a raw broccoli eater and when steaming broccoli just isn't your speed? TURN IT INTO BROCCOLI SOUP!!! Which you love!!

So, I researched how to make broccoli soup and I came across a formula that a blogger had posted. For any veggie soup you can imagine...3 parts stock, 2 parts veggies, 1 part dairy. Simple Simon.....except when you get the math wrong and you DOUBLE the amount of stock. Which meant that I had broccoli water after puree-ing the soup in batches in my blender, which previously had only seen use for smoothies and daiquiris.

WHAT?! Broccoli WATER? So, this morning I got up early to add some more veggies to the water, I mean soup. I cooked some more potatoes, cooked some cauliflower (which would have gone bad had I not used them), realized that HEY! I have two bags of frozen broccoli, I can add those to the soup!!! I did ALL of that work. More pureeing in batches in my blender, I added the purees to the water, I mean soup, and it turned out to be the PERFECT consistency! Cue choir of angels! The soup was saved!!

But since I added more veggies, I figured I should add some more dairy. Out of whipping cream, I threw in a couple dollops of sour cream and turned the enormous stock pot on medium heat (just so that I could melt the sour cream a little)....and then I left for the gym. And FORGOT. ABOUT. MY. SOUP. I returned an hour later to a boiling pot of waaaaaaaaaay overcooked soup. It was back to a watery consistency and the broccoli smelled burnt.

And I'm going to have to dump the whole damn thing. Easily two hours of my time, and a ton of FOOD, down the drain.

At least I'm trying to Waste not.

And guess what? I will NOT make this mistake again.

(Hits and Misses will be included in the next installment of Food Inc. Friday!)

Food, Inc. Friday - The lesser of evils

2011-08-05T18:52:00.004-04:00

As I've continued my Food, Inc. journey this past week, I've discovered that choosing the lesser of evils, in most cases, is really what this journey is all about for me.

For example, I want to eat meat that is hormone free, free range/pastured, grass fed (beef), and treated as respectfully as one would treat something that is about to become dinner. I also want to eat locally grown, organic fruits and vegetables with out the use of GMOs.

This, of course, only occurs 100% of the time in Food, Inc. Utopia. However, we do not live in a perfect world. So, I recognize that in many cases, especially at the beginning of this journey, it's about choosing the lesser of the food evils that are in front of me.

For example, when at a restaurant - Do I order the meat that I have no idea what's in it (probably hormones) nor how it was treated (probably poorly)? Or do I choose a veggie option that I have no idea what's in it (probably not organic) nor where the vegetables came from (probably not from Michigan)?

From my personal opinion, the vegetable option is the lesser of these evils. And that's what I've tried to do when I've gone out this week: veggie pizza after golf on Tuesday (and no, I wasn't golfing at a pesticide or chemical free course), side salad and potato wedges at BW3's this afternoon as the rest of the family (except for Jordyn) all chowed down on the evil chicken.

But even when I'm going for an all fruit/veggie option, I've found that I still have to choose between the lesser of evils. For example, at our local Farm Market, Harvest Time, I was hard pressed to find ANYTHING that was labeled organic. Although I did find several items that were from Michigan. So, do I go with the Michigan blueberries or the California organic oranges? OK, in this case I bought both, because I haven't really decided which of these two is the lesser of the evils. I'm leaning towards organic over locally grown. But, I need to do some more research to come to a conclusion that I'm comfortable with. For now, I'm comfortable with both choices, because at least I now have an awareness about my food that I didn't have before. And that's empowering.

OK, enough about evil schmevil....onto this week's Hits and Misses:

I went to the Clarkston Farmer's market (HIT!) on Saturday and found the Fresh Source Farm booth where I met Lindsay Maybee (HIT!), the owner and farmer who raised the organic, pastured chicken that I made for dinner on Monday. I found it very gratifying to be on a first name basis (OK, she probably forgot my name) with the person who raised my chicken. And - GET THIS! I roasted a whole chicken. ME! All by myself!! For the first time ever!!! When I mentioned this to my girlfriend Kim, that I ROASTED MY FIRST WHOLE CHICKEN CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!! I'm pushing 40 and I just roasted my very first chicken!!!! She confided that she also had never roasted a whole chicken. I'm not alone! Well, I wasn't alone. Let me just tell you, the meal was absolutely delicious, even though we only got two meals out of the 4lb, $12.75 chicken when Lindsay told me that she usually gets four meals out of her chickens (my mom turned the left over chicken and rice into a soup that we all ate for lunch through out the week). I am heading back to the Clarkston Farmers market tomorrow to put my down payment on a fall poultry share (12 chickens). And last week I put down the deposit on our Thanksgiving turkey. Super excited. Like, beyond excited. Actually, no one should be this excited about chicken. But, here I am. Excited about my chickens.

On Sunday, my cousin Glenn (who plants a garden in Utica that's roughly an acre) brought some of his bounty to our family reunion....zucchini, yellow squash, mini tomatoes, green beans, & jalapenos. Most of which we've consumed already this week (we had jalapenos on our nachos tonight, and WOW! were they spicy, fresh, and delicious!!) My mom recently told me about how my grandma (my dad's mom), used to slice zucchini, dip it in egg, and then dip it in cornmeal and she would fry it up. This is now on my summer bucket list. Fried zucchini slices a la Lennie. Maybe not the epitome of clean or healthy eating, but it sounds YUMMO to me and will connect me to my roots. I also was given a couple of green peppers and cucumbers from a friend and a tomato from another friend's daughter, bless her heart. Produce from friends and family is definitely a HIT!

When I was at the Clarkston Farmers market on Saturday, the selection of organic lettuces was out of this world; the variety and the quantity was just amazing. But, of course I didn't buy any then! And, of course, I wanted to make a steak salad for dinner Wednesday night (using beef that my brother in law had bought from a grass fed cow). So, on my way home from work I made a point to go off the beaten path, through the mess of construction, to hit the Lake Orion's Farmers market. MISS! What a disappointment. No lettuce. Maybe half a dozen booths. It was quite sad, actually.

Organic pea pods that I had purchased a week before at the Oxford Farmers Market went bad before I ate them. Wasting food is a TOTAL MISS! And, ashamedly, something that I am guilty of all too often. I am now on a mission to only buy what I think we will eat, rather than buying in bulk and having things go bad before I get to them. I want to waste as little as possible. This, I think, might be my toughest challenge, yet since it will involve more frequent trips to markets, a task that I used to dread, but now I'm not minding all that much.

Hoping for more hits than misses this week. And hoping for more good than evil.

Food, Inc. Friday

2011-07-29T17:00:00.001-04:00

If you've never watched the documentary Food, Inc.....DON'T! Unless you're prepared to change the way you think about and consume food.

Before I watched this film (a little over a week ago), I didn't think about, nor did I care about where my food came from. As a matter of fact, I was one of those people who would say, "Don't tell me, I DON'T want to know!" Ignorance is bliss, no? So, when my daughter and I were looking through Netflix for a film to watch together, I stumbled across the documentaries genre. There were several other documentaries that I wanted to see, ones that I had heard about on NPR and had filed away in my someday category, right there at my fingertips. I passed up on those films, figuring that Jordyn would have no interest in them. But being a body conscious teenager, Food, Inc., while not one that really appealed to ME, seemed like one that she would enjoy. Little did I know, that it would complete change the way I look at my food.

And there's no going back.

So, here I am, about to embark upon this journey. This journey of caring about and knowing where my food comes from, how it's prepared, understanding what's in it, and how the production of this food impacts the planet...and not just the earth, but the people on it.

In sharing this new found awareness with others, one of my girlfriends suggested that I keep a food journal, to track how easy or hard it is to follow some of my new, self imposed guidelines for eating. Voila, the idea for a "Food, Inc. Friday" blog post was born.

These posts are not intended to preach, but rather to record what I'm learning and what I'm doing as it relates to food. And also to share the resources that I've found to be helpful in my journey.

One thing I'm trying to do more of is to support local farmers. In that effort, I visited the Oxford Farmer's Market yesterday. I had some hits and some visits during my trip.

Let me deconstruct this photo for you, top to bottom:

TOP - Michigan Sweet Corn - I bought some of this earlier in the week from Harvest time, and it was so sweet and juicy that I didn't need to season it at all! It was perfect, just the way nature (plus some boiling water) made it. Hoping this stuff is just as good. HIT

MIDDLE Left - Zucchini and String Beans - Ready for the second of two stir fry's. I made the first stir fry for dinner last night (which also included one small yellow squash which we ate before taking this photo). Delish. HIT

MIDDLE Center & Right - Spinach pasta and whole wheat pasta from Pasta e' Pasta in Chesterfield Township. Ingredients in the Spinach package: Wheat flour, eggs, spinach, water, olive oil, salt. Recognize the names of all of those ingredients? Can you pronounce them all? Yeah, me too. HIT

BOTTOM Left - The Ultimate Pretzel Company's Tots pretzel balls with blended chocolates - At $2 for 4 oz, the price was better than what I found online, but why did I buy this? They didn't taste all that great, and when I looked at the ingredients (AFTER I got home...note to self, even at a farmers market, read the ingredients BEFORE you buy!) there were a boatload of unrecognizable things listed...things that had only initials or ended in '-erol' or '-ide'. And don't even get me started on the fact that it contained soybean oil. A total MISS!

BOTTOM Center/Left - 13 Bean soup - I don't know where the beans came from. Next time I will ask. But they offered free samples and it was delicious. Sold. JURY IS STILL OUT.

BOTTOM Center/Right - Uncle Peter's Pasties from Clarkston, whose is USDA approved and grown locally as well as hormone and antibiotic free. Hopefully they taste good. Assuming this will be a HIT.

BOTTOM Right - Tomatoes. Nuff said. HIT

NOT PICTURED - Apples and oranges. OK, this one had me thinking...are apples and oranges even in season in Michigan right now? I wanted to ask the farmer, but I thought I would look stupid. So, I bought three of each and Googled it when I got home. Apples are in season in Michigan July through October. Oranges? According to the list of seasonal produce in Michigan that I found online....Yeah, not even on the list. So, did these "farmers" hit Meijer before hitting the Farmer's Market? Next time I WILL ask. Better to ask and "look" like you're dumb than to make a purchase and prove it. MISS

I'm no Yogi, but I AM a Varti

2011-07-22T20:00:00.001-04:00

Having recently joined a gym in an effort to hold myself accountable in my fitness journey, I attended a one hour yoga class this morning. I had attended this same class a couple of weeks ago, and the forty something instructor was very gentle and encouraging, using mostly seated, not too difficult poses.

However, today's class was being taught by a substitute teacher, a fit and "perky" young thing who apparently had vision problems because she failed to recognize that this was geriatrics hour at the gym. At 38, I was the youngest member of the class by easily 15 years, excluding the energetic and very flexible instructor, of course.

Now, I've been doing yoga off and on for about 15 years. Never in my experience with Yoga has it been done with U2 or Lee Ann Womack playing in the background. Not once did the sub ask us to set an intention, or to repeat a mantra, or to OHM, or to "go within for a moment". This chick meant business. As in, "I'm going to kick your ass" in a very friendly way business.

Most of my previous yoga experience has been at home with DVDs or the Wii, and while I am by NO means a Yogi, I consider myself pretty proficient at the basic, and some of the not so basic, poses. During one of the DVD's I have used at home, Tony Horton's Power Half Hour Stretch, there is a 10 minute section of "Power Yoga" which is pretty intense. Yeah, well, the sub gave us 45 minutes of "Power Yoga" today. Downward dog, plank, chaturanga, cobra, plank, forward fold, repeat, and repeat, aaaaaaaaand repeat. And repeat again. Between that neverending segment and the warrior II, triangle, warrior II, triangle, warrior II section....my limbs were on fire. And, remember, I'm the YOUNG one here!

I kept up pretty well until the instructor showed us how to invert ourselves where our thighs were resting on our arms kind of like a mini handstand, except you keep your head up and you don't kick your legs up into the air above your head...you let the weight of your legs (which are supposed to be OFF the ground), rest on your arms along with the entire weight of your body. Are you kidding me? Have you SEEN your audience?

During the last 15 minutes of class, we were asked to lower ourselves to our mats for some seated poses. Relief! FINALLY! As I lowered myself to the mat, I let out one of the loudest varts the world has ever heard. Nice. Thank you Jordyn, Liam, Owen, and Ashton. Thank you very much. Hopefully the old people in class left their hearing aids at home. That's what I've convinced myself of, anyway.

As we laid there in shavasana (dead man's pose) at the very end of class, I wondered how many students the instructor had managed to actually kill in the last 60 minutes. Fortunately, and surprisingly, everyone arose at the end of class. One of the students asked the sub, "Are you going to be subbing again on Monday?" When she replied with an enthusiastic, "YES!" I could hear everyone's thoughts silently screaming through the looks of dread on their faces...they are totally not showing up for Monday's class. Guaranteed. And while I don't have it on my calendar to attend on Monday, I kind of want to show up just to see how many people don't return.

A Perspective on Distractions

2011-07-20T13:48:00.003-04:00

I've mentioned before that I love the Duggars. Would I ever want to BE a Duggar? No effing WAY!! Ok, maybe a little.

The other day I was watching one of the recent 19 Kids and Counting episodes (yes, I DVR the show, but please don’t tell anyone…. I can even name all of the kids: Josh-with his wife Anna and their kids McKynzie and I think the new baby is named Michael- then there are Jana, JohnDavid, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, JoyAnna, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, James, Justin, Jackson, Johanna, Jennifer, Jordyn, and their tiny, precious addition, Josie. Oh shoot, I forgot one. I always forget one. Just like Maria forgot Curt when she said her bedtime prayers for the VonTrapp family. But, I know that their adorable cousin’s name is Amy, do I get points for knowing that? Talk about a fun party trick.)

As I was saying, I was watching the show a few weeks ago while JimBob and Michelle were writing their latest book. They sat together, focused at the kitchen table, poring over the last draft with a deadline to their publishers looming as chaos from their offspring erupted all around them. Someone off camera asked if the kids were a distraction to finishing the book.

Michelle’s response really struck a chord with me. While this isn’t her response verbatim, you’ll get the gist of it. She said that raising the kids was their job and that the book was a distraction to raising their family. Not the other way around.

Wow. What a perspective.

How many times have I said no to playing a board game because I was paging through Facebook?
How many times have I said no to reading a book because I was flipping through US magazine?
How many times have I said “tuck yourselves in” because I was glued to the snuggler watching Real Housewives of some city that I don't live in?
How many times have I said “not now” because I was doing dishes or folding laundry or re-organizing the junk drawer for the bazillionth time?

Certainly enough to eliminate me from the running for any Mother of the Year awards, but, fortunately not enough to warrant a call to CPS, either. Most definitely more than I’d like to admit, though.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to do anything dramatic like quit my job so that I can focus on raising my 4 kids and not counting. I, personally, enjoy the lifestyle that my career provides. But, next time my kids interrupt me, I’m going to ask myself, “What is the distraction here?” And turn my attention away from the distraction to focus on what is most important. At least that’s what I’m going to try and do.

So, next time you hear me say that I am channeling my inner Michelle, you’ll know what I mean. It doesn’t mean that I’m trying to get knocked up again (LORD knows). It simply means that I’m trying to be a better, more patient, more focused parent, with fewer distractions.

BTW – I Googled it….I forgot to mention Jason in between Jeremiah and James.

O-WENsday Chill Pill

2011-04-20T12:11:00.004-04:00

The sarcastic things that Owen says from time to time, really are funny. But, he’s starting to get a little big for his britches. And it’s all our fault. His wit is biting and his timing is spot on. How can you help but laugh?

The other day, Owen was tired. Let me rephrase that, Owen was the ringleader of the crankmeister convention. He had stayed up until GOD KNOWS WHEN the night before (yeah, it was one of those awesome parenting nights where Kev and I consume alcohol in the Hillary Tavern with friends, while the kids have the run of the house until they collapse in a heap somewhere from utter exhaustion) and still managed to get up around his normal time the next day (7am – ish). He was a whiny mess the entire next day. And it was all our fault.

After I responded to a question of his or asked him to do some small menial task (I can’t even remember what, but believe me when I say that it was something inconsequential) he exploded into the ugliest whining fit ever…and not a cute ugly... as in Ugly Doll ugly. But ugly as in dear gawd please stick ice picks in my ears instead of make me listen to this irrational child ugly. So not cute.

“Owen, Relax. Take a chill pill, dude.” What? This phrase, coined in the 1980’s as a result of ADHD medication and its calming effect on people, is a totally appropriate behavior correction response to such an ugly fit of whine, right?

“Mom, I would take a chill pill. But, I. Don’t. Even. Know. Where. Those. Are.” Not WHAT those are, but WHERE those are. Can someone say “Dripping with Sarcasm”?

So, of course, I laughed.

What would you do?

Rock in my pocket

2011-04-18T23:48:00.005-04:00

It's been longer than I'd like since my last post. I think writing the last time took a lot out of me, and the night after I wrote the last post, I had my first (and only, thus far) dream about my dad since he passed away.

He was lying on a couch in my basement and we were all milling about, sad and talking about how he had just passed away. But then he got up, and asked us why we were all crying. We couldn't believe that he wasn't dead! We hugged him and kissed him. But then he laid back down on the couch, and died. And we were all sad again.

What's interesting about this dream is the location. While the basement was being finished (December/January), I often had feelings of sadness with the realization that my dad would never be able to see the basement and witness the amazing handy work of my brother. And that's where my dad chose to appear in my dream. In the basement that I knew he would never see in his lifetime.

Yesterday marked the 3 month anniversary of my dad's death. For some reason, the last week has been more difficult on me than the first 11 weeks. It's as if three months worth of tears were shed in one week's time.

I think it's because last year in Jan-Feb-March, my parents were in Florida. It was last April when we started to see them regularly. So, I have only recently started going through the feelings and sorrows of "Last year at this time, Dad was .... (fill in the blank)."

...the one to bring the kids up to the hospital when Ashton was born
...watching westerns (loudly) on my couch when Kevin went back to work after Ash was born because Dad came out to the house to help take care of me and the kids for a couple of days
...with me when I took Ashton to his first Target portrait session
...joined us at Jordyn's honors night and told her how proud he was that she was just as smart as her grandma

On this first quarter anniversary of dad's death, my sister thought it would be a good idea for my mom and I to join her at my dad's grave.

I have mixed feelings about visiting graves. I know my dad's not there. His remains might be. But he's not there. Last time we visited his grave, I made snow angels.

But, despite my feelings about cemeteries and the wind advisory yesterday, I went.

And we stood at my dad's grave and wept. Tears fell silently and slowly as we stared at the churned up rectangle of earth that had been disturbed when the grave digging was done back in January. Clumps of dirt, chunks of sod, a couple of rocks.

Rocks.

For anyone that knows me, you might know that I have a bit of a love affair with rocks. Maybe it's because I live in the former gravel capital of the world. This fetish is inexplicable and inconsequential. But, it compelled me to bend over and pluck a small rock, about the size of my palm, from the hardened mud. Round and flat, and the color of a blue racer snake, I dusted the crusty dirt from the surface of this ordinary gem, and put it in my pocket.

My Eyes Are Always On You

2011-02-23T22:37:00.008-05:00

Ever have one of those days where a certain string of events happens through out the day, and that string of events goes unnoticed until the last event when you realize there has been a trend...and there's a moment that takes your breath away because you GET the connection? And receive the message.

That happened to me today.

It started out as a normal Wednesday. Busy with work. And in between my many meetings and emails, my phone rings. Assuming it's a work call, I answer. It was the grief counseling group from Beaumont Hospice calling during one of my very few breaks through out the day asking how I was doing. Wondering if I would like to join a support group or get individual counseling. I kindly declined. I have an amazing support network and healthy coping mechanisms. Did I tear up a little? Sure. And that's OK.

The day progressed. Work ended. I took Liam to wrestling and Owen to Big Boy and on the way home, I stopped to get the mail, which hasn't been picked up since Saturday. Three days worth of mail, but I picked it up and opened it all today. The sympathy cards stopped flowing in a couple of weeks ago, and I had already gotten a sympathy card from my friend Kelly shortly after my dad passed away. This was a second card from her, a card of encouragement. A card of hope and love. A simple act of kindness.

Later on, as I tucked the boys into bed, I decided to sift through Liam's Valentine's cards that were sitting in his red, heart covered bag at the side of his bed. Those cards have been sitting next to his bed for a week and a half, but I chose to look through them today. I reached my hand in and pulled one out. ONE valentine. And there it was. The moment that took my breath away. My message.

And on TOP of this message, what also choked me up was Brendan's note to Liam, in his fourth grade handwriting, "sary abot your grampa". Out of the mouths of babes.

Thanks for watching over me Dad.

I love you so much.

What do you love about....

2011-02-14T20:32:00.002-05:00

ASHTON?
Owen - He's the cutest boy on earth! (make sure you put an exclamation point at the end!)
Liam - That he's part of the family.
Jordyn - When he smiles when he sees me (99.9% of the time).
Kevin - That he's happy and healthy
Heather - EVERYTHING!

OWEN?
Liam - That he scratches me and all that and makes me look tough.
Jordyn - How funny he is, when he doesn't try to be.
Kevin - That he's his own person in his own world.
Heather - The funny things he says.

LIAM?
Owen - He gives me so many laughs.
Jordyn - He's always nice.
Kevin - His eyelashes.
Heather - That he's the best big brother ever.

JORDYN?
Owen - That she takes care of us.
Liam - That she will take me places and she's always nice to me...well not always.
Kevin - That she is generally a sweet, sweet person.
Heather - That she's such a girly-girl.

DAD/KEVIN?
Owen - That he's so loveful.
Liam - That he loves to come outside with me and that he's really active.
Jordyn - That he's funny and fun to be around.
Heather - How much he loves his family.

MOM/HEATHER?
Owen - That you are so nice and that you give me so many treats.
Liam - That she's loving and caring.
Jordyn - That she has style still.
Kevin - That you're adventurous and willing to take chances.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!
Tell the ones you love what it is that you love about them.

God put his hands on your shoulders way too soon

2011-02-10T07:19:00.005-05:00

For those that attended the funeral, here is how the Eulogy was written. I did not want my dad to be entered into the Guinness World Book of Records (Amy, that was for YOU!) for having the longest funeral ever so I cut some thing out during delivery.

For those of you that didn't attend the funeral, you missed a good show. We'll charge a cover next time.

Happy (shouldabeen) 67th Birthday, Dad.

The Eulogy:

Brain Tumors Suck.

It’s true. If you don’t believe me, just Google it. The search results will show you that there are stickers, tote bags, coffee mugs, and t-shirts all emblazoned with this sentiment. And folks, everybody knows that if it’s on a t-shirt, then it must be true. Brain tumors do indeed suck.

When we first found out that there was a suspicious mass on Dad’s thalamus, we were all shocked and devastated. We didn’t fully understand what “suspicious mass” meant in those first few days Dad was in the hospital, we just knew that it could not be good. And even before we learned that it would end up being a brain tumor that would eventually claim Dad’s life, it just didn’t seem fair.

I am so thankful that during that time, when we had one of our first family huddles in the private waiting room of Royal Oak Beaumont’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit, that my mom said this to us….”If life was such that bad things ONLY happened to bad people, then it would be understandable for us to be mad and get angry at this situation. But life doesn’t work that way.” In Dad’s case, a terrible thing happened to a terrific person. Thank you, Mom, for saying that. I have called upon those words of wisdom many, many times during these last four and a half months. And thank you for not only saying those words, but for living them as well. I did not see you get angry AT ALL during this very difficult time…OK, well, maybe once or twice when Shawn or I was irritating you. But during this whole thing, you have never been bitter or angry at life or at God. Your grace and faithfulness is amazing.

Mom, I know that you have lost your very best friend. Dad loved you with a passion and a loyalty that fairytale romances are made of. How lucky you are to have been loved so completely by such a wonderful and loyal man.

Not only was my mom a pillar of grace and faith during Dad’s illness, but my sister, Shawn was, as well. Shawn, you and the Spry kids basically moved in with mom and dad for the last several months. I know how important it was to you that mom never feel alone, and how important it was to you to spend as much quality time with Dad as possible. You sacrificed so much of yourself to be there for them. Whether it was helping Dad with his physical therapy, or singing hymns with him, or stretching out his body as it got weaker and weaker, your selfless acts of service were an honor to witness.

Shawn, I know that you have lost your coach and your mentor. Your commitment to Christ was one of the true joys of Dad’s life. He was so very proud of you as you demonstrated daily to your kids and to all those around you how to live your life filled with purpose and faith.

And Jeremy, I know that you have lost your biggest fan. How many other dads out there have turned their front yards into dirt bike tracks for their kids? Motorcross was your passion growing up and Dad did everything possible to help you pursue your favorite past time. When your chips were down, Dad was always on your side and always gave you the benefit of the doubt. Whether you needed help watching the kids or advice on how to build something, Dad was there for you. He was constantly rooting for you to become the best man and father that you could be. You surely had a shining example of how to provide for and love your family above all else.

And to all of the grandkids, Jordyn, Bailey, Jacob, Aaron, Liam, Kayla, Owen, Bella, Lillian, and Ashton, I know that you have lost the best Poppa ever. Each and every one of you were the lights of his life. We expected Poppa to witness high school graduations and weddings. We expected him to attend many more plays, concerts, dance recitals, tea parties, and ball games. While he might no longer be here in body, he will continue to be with each one of you in spirit. Even when baby Ashton takes his first steps and has his first birthday, Poppa will surely be with us.

And for those that might not know, please bear with me as I digress a bit. When I found out that I was pregnant with Ashton, I was extremely upset. I was DONE having babies!! My youngest at the time was five and we were OUT of the diaper phase and infant stages. I didn’t want a fourth baby. I was depressed during my entire pregnancy. And then Ashton arrived. And we all fell in love with him. He was perfect. And four months after Ash was born, Dad got sick. Dad lost his ability to communicate or initiate emotion pretty early on in the illness. During that time, Ashton was the only thing that would make Dad smile without being prompted. Dad would make duck noises at him and interact with him in such a lively way. It was such a blessing to see Dad’s personality shine through when Ashton was around. Ashton may have been an “accident”, but he was most certainly meant to be.

Someone mentioned to me yesterday that they were impressed with how well the family was holding up. It’s not that we aren’t sad. We are. We all are. But, for me, personally, I have been grieving and mourning the loss of my father for many months now. While his illness was most definitely a burden, we have had many blessings as a result. We have been showered with an outpouring of love from all of our friends and family – visits, food, flowers, cards, prayers, kind words. I cannot thank you enough. We were given this precious gift of time to properly say goodbye to Dad. I take comfort in the fact that we were able to surround him with love, that he- for the most part- had no pain, and because he didn’t realize that he was dying, he wasn’t bitter, scared, or angry. I take great comfort in knowing that Dad lived his life in such a way that he had no fences left to mend. Back in September, when we were planning Dad’s celebration of life party, several of my girlfriends pitched in to help. One of them said to me that while she was going through pictures of my dad, she (who is typically NOT a “crier”) found herself crying as she went through the photos. Even though she didn’t know my Dad all that well, she said to me “Heather, as I was going through the photos I could just tell that he loved you all SO much. And I never had that with my father.” How fortunate we are to have had this man who loved us so much.

Shortly after Dad passed away, I was surprised to learn from my mom that he never felt like he made much of an impact or contributed much. Ludicrous, I know. Especially because one of Dad’s favorite movies was “It’s A Wonderful Life”. He identified with the scene in which George Bailey saves his younger brother from drowning because Dad’s older brother Carie had saved Dad from drowning when they were young. In the movie, George thinks that the world would have been better off without him in it. George’s guardian angel shows George how different life would have been had he not been born, including the fact that had he not been born, there would have been no one there to save his younger brother from drowning. Dad certainly had an impact…just look at this room. There are people here from over nine states…Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Kansas, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and of course, Michigan. I’d say that’s a pretty big impact.

After Ashton was born in April, Dad came and spent a few nights with me to help take care of me and the baby and the other kids while my husband was out of town for work. After Dad passed away, a friend shared this with me which demonstrates the impact that Dad had on people, even those he only knew for a few minutes. She wrote: “I am happy to have met your dad, albeit just briefly, when Ashton came home. Our visit was short and not at all intimate in nature, but his tone was gentle, his laughter deep, and his eyes kind.” She was able to capture Dad in a nutshell after meeting him just that one time.

For everyone here today, I know that Dad has had an impact on each and every one of you, and that you all have lost your “favorite”. Your favorite uncle. Your favorite cousin. Your favorite brother-in-law. Dad was quite simply everybody’s favorite. And while there has been a lot of lively debate amongst some of the nieces and nephews (you know who you are), as to which one of you was Dad’s favorite - I would like to settle that debate right now by revealing to you the answer….EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. Dad genuinely liked people. He was happy to help in any way he could and he did so without any fanfare or desire for recognition. I can’t think of a time where Dad has had anything negative to say about anyone (except for maybe a crooked politician or a criminal). He took joy in others’ successes and cheered for each of you to be the very best you could be….just as long as the best that YOU could be did not surpass HIS best in a game of dominoes or a round of golf!! And speaking of golf, one of Dad’s friends said to me yesterday that Dad is surely now on the most beautiful fairway he has ever seen. …and if anyone could get Jesus to play golf, it would be Dad.

As for me, I have lost my strong, brave, sweet Hero.

When I was young, I remember how Dad used to lie on the floor on his back, with his arms stretched towards the ceiling, holding tightly onto my 4, 5, 6 year old little feet. I would stand there with my arms out for balance, suspended in the air, in the palm of his hands. Just like it was yesterday, I can see his smile and hear his laughter as he playfully exclaimed, “Don’t look down, now! You’re NOT gonna fall! Stand still! YOU’RE not gonna fall, I’ve GOT ya!” Sure enough, Dad, you never let me fall. I thought you were the strongest man alive.

But Dad possessed more than physical strength, he had an amazing strength of character. I remember the story he used to tell about the woman he picked up on the side of the road. He asked her where she needed to go and she responded “Anywhere you want to take me.” He quickly realized that his intention to HELP this woman by giving her a ride was not the same intention that she had had for that ride. He apologized to the woman for the mix up and promptly dropped her off at the next corner. His strong character included a work ethic like none of I’ve ever seen. Not only was he a full time firefighter, but he did several other “jobs” to provide the best life possible for us. He cleaned houses, he laid tile, he helped Uncle Jimmie and Uncle Hurley lay brick, he drove the school bus on field trips. How many of us have had Dad fix something or build something? He has built Bailey’s desk, bed, and bookshelves, my desk, shelves, and a storage bench, Aaron’s train table, Jordyn’s desk, my hope chest, Shawn’s hope chest. He built the house we grew up in. He was Mr. Fixit. Whatever needed to be done, Dad would do it. And dad would do it right. If you wanted it done fast, Dad was not the person to call, but if you wanted it to be perfect, he was the one for the job.

And even though Dad was so much more than a firefighter, I was always proud to tell kids at school that MY dad was a fireman. He didn’t talk much about the fires he fought, but I always imagined him saving lives EVERY single day, even though some of his days at the fire hall were probably spent making spaghetti or pushing a broom, in MY mind he was saving lives. I remember asking Dad once upon a time, “What was the worst fire you ever fought?” He told me that while the lumber yard fire he helped fight on his second night on the job was definitely the biggest, the worst fire was the one in which a couple of kids were found hiding in a closet because they probably got scared and thought that would be a safe place to go get away from the smoke. Just like it was yesterday, I can see the sorrow on his face as he told me that story and I can hear the concern in his voice as I recall what he said to me, “If there’s ever a fire, don’t you go hide in a closet, now. You better just get down and get out.” There were times in my “tween” years when I would get myself all worked up with worry that Dad might not survive one of his shifts at the fire hall. But, Dad, you always came home unscathed. I thought you were the bravest man alive.

While Dad didn’t talk much about fighting fires, he DID talk a lot about delivering babies, something he got to do on three occasions as a firefighter and EMT. With all of my pregnancies, I can remember him telling me that if I needed him to, he could deliver my baby. I know I’m not the only one here that he has said that to! Just like it was yesterday, I can see the twinkle in his eye and hear the excitement in his voice as he eagerly told me, “Now, you just give me a call in case you can’t get to the hospital in time. I’m only 20 minutes away. I’ve delivered three babies, I can deliver yours, too.” And while it never came to that, I know he would have delivered any one of my babies. Dad, remember when I was in labor with Liam and you came to the hospital and rubbed my feet? I thought you were the sweetest man alive.
Dad, for your strength, your bravery, and your sweetness, you are…and always will be, quite simply, my hero.

If we all could have an even ounce of Dad’s strength, bravery, and sweetness, the world would be a much better place.

Before I go, I’d like to ask that if you have any memories of Dad that you want to share with us, please write them down and send them to us. Email them, send them in a letter, send them in a text, just put them in writing. They truly are gems for us. Even something as simple as two sentences can bring a smile to our faces. For example, a friend of mine shared with me on Facebook that she remembered when we were young and learning to drive, she was nervous about driving and Dad said to her – Driving a car is EASIER than riding a bike because you have FOUR wheels instead of TWO! Please, share those memories with us.

And finally, I’d like to leave you with this quote that a friend shared with me earlier this week. The quote is from Kahlil Gibran and it goes like this. ‎"When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight"
Dad was certainly a delight to everyone he met. And we can all honor him by delighting in our friends and family the same way that Dad has delighted in each one of us.

I love you, Dad.

Make sure Aunt Marie makes you a coconut cream pie today,

O-WENsday

2011-02-09T09:13:00.003-05:00

For our first installment of O-WENsday, I give you an oldie, but a goodie. This is easily from a year ago (wish I would have dated my chicken scratch notes).

So, when Owen was 5, turning 6, he was eating french fries. He dipped the end of the fry into ketchup and said, "Hey look, it's a match." We all giggled and agreed, that yes, indeed, it did look exactly like a match.

He proceeded to eat the fry and immediately after putting it in his mouth he animatedly exclaimed, "AAAAAHHHHH! My neck's on FIRE!!" Pronouncing fire as a two syllable word as he grasped at his neck with both hands.

I think more than one of us spat our food out with laughter.

That kid keeps us in stitches.

What a difference 365 days make

2011-02-06T23:47:00.006-05:00

It has been one whole year sine my last blog entry. How's that for a hiatus?

I've been meaning to get back to my blog for quite some time now. Even before this friend and that friend "nominated" me for blogging awards (Kreativ and Sunshine, to be exact).

Don't get me wrong, I HAVE been blogging on my Project 365 blog (but even there I am two months behind). But, lately I've felt like I've been missing out on recording my family's stories. I kept a list of future blog topics but in looking back at the list, I am not sure what the story is. For example:

Knock 'em out stick

Ahhh...Home Sweet Home

Bug swapper

Red & peach - Cereal before dinner

I do know however, that most of the things in the list are O-isms, and the story behind them was probably really funny. And then today, Owen struck me with another one of his O-isms as he emerged from the bathroom...."Mom, can poop be greasy?" I knew right then as I was unsuccessfully stifling my laughter that I had to start blogging again. So that I don't forget the story.

And because my list of blog topics is made up primarily of shit my son says, I've decided to create a weekly entry dedicated to the things that come out of his mouth. I know that a lot of bloggers do Wordless Wednesday. Well, I am going to do O-WEdNesday. I hope it catches on!! ;P

What a difference 365 days make!

A year ago:

Our basement wasn't finished

Jordyn couldn't drive

Liam had never been disqualified from wrestling meet

We didn't have a nanny

Owen couldn't read (he still can't read fluently, but he's getting there!)

Prince William and Kate Middleton weren't engaged

Sarah Palin didn't own Alaska

Ashton wasn't born

My dad was alive

Obviously, those last two have the greatest significance for me, and I expect I will write many a post about those subjects, and one or two posts about the other subjects in this list. But until then, I bid you all a fond good night.

I will be back again soon. Well, at least sooner than 365 days...

Who's more pregnanter?

2010-02-06T11:41:00.004-05:00

We were watching 19 Kids and Counting the other night (Yes, the show that used to be 17 Kids and Counting....and then it was 18 Kids and Counting and now it's 19 Kids and Counting!! The show about the Duggars who, as a friend of mine put it when they had their 18th kid, "Hey Duggars! It's a vagina, not a clown car!!" wow, that still cracks me up!)

So, we were watching the episode where Michelle gives birth to their 19th baby, Josie Brooklyn...if you consider an emergency C-Section due to preeclampsia at 26 weeks gestation "giving birth". And the emergency C-Section scene was pretty graphic. And the narration was quite candid, about how the mother and the baby can both die from complications caused by preeclampsia.

You don't realize how much your five year old absorbs and comprehends until you're in this position, innocently watching a family show which spawns a dozen thought provoking five year old questions.

Remember, this is a conversation with a five year old:

O - Mom, what would happen to the baby if you died while the baby was still in your tummy?
Me - Well, one of two things. If I died and the doctors caught it soon enough, they could still deliver the baby and the baby could live. OR, if I died and they didn't catch it soon enough, the baby could die inside of me.
O - What happens if the baby dies when it's still in your tummy?
Me - Well, if the baby died inside my tummy, I would still go to the hospital and deliver the baby, but the baby wouldn't be alive. that happened to Aunt Amy's baby and that happened to Aunt Tara's baby and they are both angels now. But not the baby Aunt Tara has in her belly right now, it was the baby before this baby. Chase's sister, Delphine. The baby she has in her tummy right now is alive.
O - Who's more pregnanter? You, or Aunt Tara?
Me - I am, by about a month or so.
O - Could you die when you go to the hospital to have the baby?
Me - Yes, Owen. I could die when I got the hospital to have the baby. But, that's not going to happen (all the while I'm thinking, don't promise him that you won't die, because, really, that's not a promise you can keep and then if you do die, he'll resent you for the rest of your life for breaking your promise).
O - Mom, I really hope you don't die when you have the baby.
Me - Me, too, Owen, me too. I don't think I will.

A deep, deep conversation with my five year old, all because the Duggars didn't get the message about the clown car.

Two Things

2010-01-22T11:02:00.004-05:00

Me: "Owen, what did you do at school today?"

Owen: "Two things."

LONG PAUSE while Jordyn and I looked from Owen - to each other - back to Owen in anticipation of his response.

Owen: "Lunch. ....... And Recess."

I relayed this story to Kevin when he got home last night, and apparently, every time Kevin talks to Owen on the phone in the evenings, Kevin says to Owen, "Tell me two things you learned at school today."

So, now Owen is hooked on "Two Things."

Apparently we're getting two dogs soon

2010-01-20T22:05:00.005-05:00

Every January I salivate over the HGTV Dream Home and enter the contest daily. This year is no different.

It's located on 3 acres in a gated community in Sandia Park, NM with gorgeous mountain views all around. And from what the marketing literature tells me, they have 300 days of sunshine a year there. Despite being in the desert region, the summers don't get too hot, low 90s. Which, to me, is absolutely PERFECT.

I've spent countless hours taking the virtual tour. Watching all of the videos. Looking through all of the photos. I imagine my family living in this home. What rooms we would have to repaint or add bunk beds to. Where we would put the Wii or where the kids' backpack/school/sports gear would go so that the home would accommodate our family needs. I've researched the community and looked up information on the schools, shopping, and restaurants.

Basically, I've been dreaming.

What an adventure it would be to leave this cold Michigan life behind, along with all (or most) of our acquired schtuff, to start fresh and clean in beautiful New Mexico in a spectacular, fully furnished, professionally decorated home (with $500k pocket cash and a brand new SUV to boot!)

That's what the Dream Home is all about....dreaming.

And, I'm not the only one in the family dreaming.

We made a deal with Liam that if we win the Dream Home, we'll get not one, but TWO dogs.

He is certain we will win and has started researching what kinds of dogs we should get. He reminds me every day to enter the contest and we talk about the move to New Mexico frequently (Owen's biggest concern are the poisonous animals). When Liam says his prayers at night, he asks God Jesus for us to win the house so that he can get his dogs.

Like I told Jordyn, you have to believe to receive. And I believe we will win.

Which means, apparently, that we're getting two dogs soon.

Although Jordyn has been counteracting my belief with her own "I don't believe, I don't believe, I don't believe" mantra because she doesn't want to leave her friends when we win.

Neither do I. So, will you all come with us?

Now THAT would be a dream come true.

Sights and Sounds and Smells

2010-01-04T19:09:00.003-05:00

Kevin was laid off on January 15, 2009. He went through quite a dry spell where there was just no work available and very few (to absolutely no) leads. I think he went the entire summer with out a single phone call.

And then November rolled around and he suddenly had more than one promising prospect.

On November 7 he discovered that he was awarded a contract position that started on November 16. Not the same thing as being hired permanently full time by a company, but exciting nonetheless.

He quickly had to set up an LLC for Hillary Consulting, get a tax ID, a business bank account, fill out the paperwork for his contract, take the required drug test, make travel arrangements, etc.

Then the big day came.

And I was struck by the various sights, sounds, and smells that had been absent from our house for the past ten months.

I watched him iron his shirt.

I heard his "dress" shoes click clacking on the tiled kitchen floor.

I smelled his cologne. (He claims it was aftershave).

These sights, sounds, and smells warmed my heart and I felt a sense of pride mixed with sadness, as if I was sending my child off to his first day of school. How would he manage with out me? Or really, how would I manage with out him??!!

He's been back to work for a month now, and one sight that I still haven't witnessed (and with the way his billing cycle works, I'm not sure when this sight WILL materialize) is a paycheck.

There won't be any feelings of sadness when that finally appears, I can tell you that.

Cherish

2010-01-02T23:00:00.003-05:00

CHERISH.

That's my word for 2010.

Amy chose ORGANIZE.

Ali chose STORY.

I chose Cherish.

Cherish -
–verb (used with object)
1. to hold or treat as dear; feel love for: to cherish one's native land.
2. to care for tenderly; nurture: to cherish a child.
3. to cling fondly or inveterately to: to cherish a memory.

As my pregnancy continues, I want to cherish the "free" time that I have right now. Because, come April, so much of that time will be consumed with the baby.

I also want to cherish the miracle of life growing inside me, heartburn and all. OK, so I won't cherish the heartburn, but I want to be mindful of how I am cherishing this pregnancy so that the heartburn will irritate me a little bit less than it would otherwise.

Once the baby arrives, I want to cherish the bond I'll form with him and the impact he will make on our family dynamic.

I want to cherish the time I have with Kevin now that he travels and is gone most of the time. Our time together is limited and should be treated with care.

I also want to cherish the time I am NOT with Kevin, because that means that he has a job and a paycheck and we don't know how long that will last.

I want to cherish Jordyn, Liam, and Owen and my relationship with them and their relationships with each other. They will never be this age again, and I will never get another chance to mother them at this point in their lives. I must treat this time with them tenderly and dearly. Not that I won't yell at them from time to time (I'm human), but hopefully by focusing on the word cherish, I will yell at them a lot less.

I want to cherish as many moments in our lives as possible by honoring our stories in my blogs and scrapbooks.

And tomorrow, I will cherish the last day of my two week vacation by indulging in some ME activities. Exercising, eating well, organizing photos, and scrapbooking.

Here's to a Cherished 2010.

One More

2010-01-02T00:37:00.003-05:00

When I started 2009, I was planning on blogging a whole lot more than I had done in 2008. I realized that blog posts are GREAT sources for scrapbook page material, and I wanted to record the moments AS they happened.

Well, here it is 2010 (however you want to SAY it), and I haven't created a blog post here in SIX WEEKS. I looked at my total number of posts for 2009....68. My total for 2008? 67.

Exactly one more post was created on this blog in 2009 than in 2008.

At this pace, maybe in 2010 I'll create 69 posts here at The Life of Heather Leigh!!

I do know, though, that I have kept up with and completed my Project 365 blog by taking one photo every day and blogging a bit about the photo and the day. Definitely something I want to continue in 2010.

So, I guess between this blog and the Project 365 blog I created 68 + 365 posts.

And then there were the 63 posts that I created on my Scrap blog during 2009. Although, I haven't contributed to that blog in nearly EIGHT WEEKS! But, who's counting?

I guess that means that, overall, in 2009, I created 496 posts - WAY more than "one more" than last year.

And don't forget all of the Facebook updates. Also a great way to document my life.

But, between Project 365, Heathaz Scrapz, and Facebook, I stopped updating this blog as much.

Which I thought was OK.

But I've come to realize that I'm missing out on telling some good stories by not giving them the breathing room that this blog allows. Stories I want to remember and record (using more than 140 characters) and eventually (possibly) scrap into a tangible piece of evidence that I can hold and look back on and cherish.

And, while I haven't really set any New Year's resolutions (yet)....I think that telling my story and my family's story is going to be number one on that list.

And I will tell those stories through this blog, my other blogs, Facebook, scrapbooking, and whatever other methods that I may find that work for me.

I am recommitting to telling those stories. To cherishing these memories.

One.more.time.

Alive and Kicking

2009-11-12T13:10:00.004-05:00

Warning, this is a post about being pregnant, a subject which I may post more of now that the news is out in the open. So, if you don't want to hear about being pregnant...stop reading.

Let me just tell you, Liam is going to make a very good husband some day. He is so in tune with the baby in my belly. Even though my belly isn't HUGE (yet) he's constantly rubbing my belly, or just placing his hands on my belly. He talks to the baby. Tells the baby good morning, good night, hello, and good bye. He is all about the baby in the belly.

So, I made a prediction that (next to me, of course) Liam would be the first person to feel the baby move. And the baby has been moving more and more as the days go by.

Yesterday morning, as I was lying in bed, dreading getting up, Kevin had his hand on my stomach. (Kevin rarely touches me, unless, you know, he's touching me.)

Anyway, the baby moved. And, it's not the kind of movement where you can see the belly move along with baby's movements. It's much more subtle right now.

Me: "Did you feel that? The baby moved!"

He didn't feel it.

A minute later, the baby moved again. I was debating whether or not to ask Kev the same question when he said, "I felt that!"

So, my prediction was incorrect.

Kevin was the first one to feel the baby move.

And Liam is now determined, more than ever, to be the next.

I'm Pregnant

2009-11-08T16:06:00.004-05:00

I'm pregnant.

I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant.

Wow, that feels so good to openly say it. Such an enormous weight has been lifted from my shoulders to have it out in the open.

I'm not just pregnant. I'm 18 weeks pregnant. And in a week from tomorrow, I'll have the size/growth/anatomy ultrasound to find out if the baby is healthy and, more importantly, whether it's a boy or a girl (girl!). The baby flutters have turned into real movement.

I've known since August 6th that I was pregnant.

Looking at that plus sign on the stick was not necessarily a shock, because we knew that we had gone through a moment of laxed judgement a few weeks earlier. But confirming our fears was still shocking.

And depressing.

Yes, I was depressed. And stressed.

So, I didn't tell many people right away.

I had to adjust to the news.

The first person I told was Kevin. He didn't believe me. Let me rephrase that, he didn't want to believe me. And when I asked him, "What are we gonna do?" He easily responded, "I guess we're gonna have a baby." Duh.

Then I emailed Amy because I had to see it in writing. Putting it into writing made it real. She called me to discuss the holy shit no effing way news but I wasn't ready for a discussion.

Slowly we told various immediate family members.

Everyone was shocked, but excited. I thought Kevin's parents were going to cry when we told them. (They're so sweet). And my sister, holy cannoli, I thought she was never going to stop splashing me, she definitely had the most excited reaction (she LOVES pregnancy and babies).

The person that I dreaded telling was Jordyn. I knew she was not going to be happy. And she wasn't. Her reaction surprised me, though. She cried. But her reasons for crying were so real and raw. When I asked her what she was feeling, she explained that she is already the odd man out in the family. And adding another baby to the mix that looked like me and Kev and Liam and Owen, was just one more person that DIDN'T look like her. My heart just broke. Then when she and I both expressed that we hoped it was a girl, she cried again. This time because she said she felt like I wanted to replace her, and that she wasn't a good enough daughter. I told her that it made me sad that she felt this way, but after all, feelings are feelings and we can't help feeling a certain way. So, it was perfectly OK for her to have these feelings. I told her how beautiful she is and how much she DOES look like me (no, that's not meant to be a self-compliment) and that we could NEVER replace her and that when we had Owen it wasn't because we felt like we needed to replace Liam. But, in the end, she was still not excited about the news. And I told her that was OK. When I first learned about the news, I wasn't excited either. I told her that I hoped she would soon come to be excited about it. And indeed, she has.

Just like the rest of us. Kev, the boys, and even I have become excited about this new addition to the family.

But, it still took me a while to want to openly discuss it.

I just wasn't ready for all of the baby talk. Crib, diapers, high chairs, car seats, loss of freedom.

We were done with babies. DONE. But apparently not anymore.

As the weeks went by, I had to tell certain people. People that we partied with and who KNEW to suspect something if I wasn't drinking. Heather not have a glass of wine? HUH? Unheard of.

When we had parties at home, I poured POM blueberry pomegranate juice in a wine glass when no one was looking so that it looked like I was drinking wine and no one would be suspicious.

I also had to tell my Hottchicks work out group. How could I chronicle my fitness goals, weight loss (or gain), and NOT tell them? It explained so much.

Because my eggs are older now (my doctor's quote, not mine....thanks Dr. Powell!) my risk of miscarriage in the first trimester was greater. So, that was another (minor) thing that kept me from shouting it from the rooftops.

But, the first trimester came and went, we heard the heartbeat and saw the baby blob on the ultrasound more than once (and confirmed that there indeed was only ONE little bun in the oven). And other than a couple of weeks of nausea (for which my doctor gave me vitamin B suckers) and the depression (the doctor didn't have any suckers for that), everything was looking just fine.

So, little by little, I told more and more people. And, I kept adjusting to the news. But still, not everyone knew....namely work people.

You see, there's this little thing called a crappy economy right now, and the project I'm on at work was having a bit of upheaval. I didn't want work to know because I didn't want them to look at my pregnancy as a liability and therefore not give me assignments (although I'm pretty sure that's illegal, and if it's not illegal, it should be). Be careful what you wish for, I ended up getting MORE work assigned! But, that's OK. In today's environment, as a consultant, you HAVE to be billable or else your neck will be on the WFR chopping block in a heartbeat. And with Kevin unemployed since January and a baby on the way, we definitely can't have me without a job.

Hence the stress.

I finally told the project bosses about my "situation" on Thursday (it's getting quite physically obvious). And on Friday, I told my HR manager (who lives in PA, and I never ever see him, so I could have technically "gotten away with" not telling him until I delivered, but come on, that's not right). And after they all said CONGRATULATIONS!! I graciously said thank you, and then I said "Well, it definitely wasn't a planned event, but please don't let that reflect on my ability to plan a project!!" ha ha ha

So, the weight is lifted. People know.

I'm OK to talk about it.

I've accepted the news.

I've adjusted.

And you know what? I'm excited.

I really, really am excited.

I'm pregnant!!!

My Five

2009-10-27T17:30:00.001-04:00

In my favorites, I have SEVERAL scrapbooky blogs bookmarked, I'd say probably 40 ish (OK, more like 50). And then I have about 20 general (or "mommy") blogs bookmarked. That's not to mention the dozen or so friends/ScRap SiStaZ blogs that I have linked to my own blogs. And, I'm just not savvy enough to use the Google Reader function which tells you when updates have been made to each blog. And perusing through 80+ blogs every day is just way too time consuming.

So, recently, I've had to simplify. And I now have five blogs that I check almost every day.

Some are scrapbooky, others are not. Just thought I'd share "My Five", in no particular order.

1. http://ashleygailey.typepad.com/ - No one "famous" (although her scrapbook layouts have been published in some magazines!!) But, the way she writes just cracks me up. And the layouts that she shares are SPECTACULAR. She lives in Southeast Michigan, and I hope to bump into her one day because I just *know* we'd be instant friends.
2. http://www.cathyzielske.typepad.com/ - Cathy Zielske, Simple Scrapbook legend, scrapbook celebrity/royalty. Not only is she wicked talented, she's quirky and witty and just so much fun to keep up with.
3. http://www.dooce.com/ - NOT a scrapbooker, but she does take and post some fun photos. Her name is Heather something and she's some sort of mommy blogging ex-Mormon media mogul. Or something like that. Imagine making a LIVING (a GOOD living) just from blogging!!
4. http://www.elizabethkartchner.blogspot.com/ - Elizabeth Kartchner was a Creating Keepsakes Scrapbooker of the Year (I think in 2007). She is just so sweet and creative and absolutely amazing. It's almost nauseating how perfect her little life seems and I just love soaking in a small fraction of her zest for life through her blog.
5. http://www.mattlogelin.com/ - Matt Logelin lost his wife (and highschool sweetheart), Liz, almost two years ago, only 27 hours after she delivered their first baby via C-section (she never even held her daughter!). I've been reading his blog since the very beginning and his style of writing and his photography is just so engaging. I couldn't imagine that kind of tragedy and you can tell that his blog is definitely therapeutic for him. His daughter is adorable and the online community that has sprung up around him is amazing.

Of course, there are other celebrity scrap blogs that I visit frequently, Stacy Julian, Ali Edwards, Lisa Bearnson, and Becky Higgins. And many others that I visit regularly. Just not "every day" like I do with my top five.

Oh, and I couldn't leave you with out linking two of my other favorite mommy bloggers (good lord, I hate that term, but I don't know what else to call them), Classy Chaos (who loves fashion and her children almost equally) and the NieNie Dialogues (who was severely burned in a plane crash a year and some change ago - which gives appreciation for life and counting your blessings a whole new meaning).

Enjoy!

Am I a Reject?

2009-10-23T17:30:00.000-04:00

I've been going through a bit of my own drama lately. Drama that caused me to be borderline depressed for close to a month, and certifiably depressed for about a week.

Anyone that knows me (even remotely well) knows that I avoid drama like the plague. Some people (OK, many people) are drama magnets. Me? I'm the polar opposite. A drama repellent, of sorts.

So, when I experience my own drama, I tend to cocoon myself in it. Isolate myself. Alienate others. Basically, I don't want my drama bug to rub off on anyone else. Nor do I want anyone else to see that I'm (GASP!!) less than perfect.

And, that's kind of what I've done with this latest episode of drama.

Although, now that I've emerged from the drama, (well, the drama is still there but my acceptance of it has allowed me to move past it), but now that I've emerged from the raw emotions of the drama, I'm finding myself somewhat alone.

Did I alienate people too much? Am I a reject?

All of this introspection has made me realize that I want to work on being a better friend. So, that, maybe, when another episode of drama sets in (Heaven forbid), I won't find myself in this same lonely situation when the emotions of that new drama subside.

So, what better way to figure out how to be a better friend than to GOOGLE "how to be a better friend"??

There are numerous blogs and articles out there on this subject, which makes me feel slightly less like a reject knowing that so many other people ponder this topic.

One of the first things that hit me was that many of the articles stressed the importance of quality of relationships over quantity. I've battled this topic in the past. I used to think that I had to be friends with and get to know everyone and to invite everyone to everything and I would feel bad if I didn't get invited to something, even if the event was being hosted by someone I barely knew. So, a couple of years ago, I came to the conclusion that "I've got enough friends already." This attitude worked well for a while, but ultimately, I think this attitude has rotted my potential to develop new and meaningful, QUALITY, friendships. So, while I don't have to be best friends with everyone, I want to open myself up to the possibility of new relationships.

Keeping the quality over quantity concept in mind, I want to figure out what relationships I currently have that need attention. Or rather, what relationships do I want to foster and see flourish? This will not be a long list, but it will include people other than 'friends'. The list will include Kevin, Jordyn, my parents, my sister, and of course a handful of 'friends', some of whom with which I already have a close relationship and others with which I would like to see our relationship grow.

Once I've developed my "short list", I'll begin to develop a plan for cultivating those friendships. However, friendships are like flowers, so the cultivation for each is different. The steps I'll take to enhance my friendship with person A will be different than the steps I take to enhance my friendship with person B, and person C, and so on. And that's OK.

I think by purposefully becoming a much better friend to a short list of people, it will enable me to be a better person to a larger circle of friends. And who knows, in becoming a better person, it might put me on someone else's "short list".

That is, if I can fully recover from the drama and prove myself to be not too much of a Reject.

Drama Drama, go away, Heather would like to come out and play.

The Fall List - Progress

2009-10-22T17:30:00.001-04:00

Back in September, the family put together a Fall Bucket List of sorts.

And, here we are, almost the end of October, and I'm happy to report that many of these items items have already been checked off the list. Such as:

Mom's List
* Oxford Football Game
* Go to the boys' soccer games
* Farmer's Market
Dad's List:
* Watch a Bucs game with out yelling
* Make Chili
Jordyn's List:
* Go pumpkin picking
* Go costume shopping
* Visit the Parsons' puppy
* Go to a corn maze
Liam's List:
* Score four goals in one soccer game
Owen's List:
* Make applesauce

There are a couple of things on the list that we are scheduled to do in the next couple of weeks:
* Go Ghosting (before Halloween)
* Costume party (Jordyn already went to one at a friend's house, and the boys will each have one at school)
* Go to a parade/Have a parade (not really sure what Owen was trying to say here, but they have a costume parade at school, so that counts in my book)
* Carve Pumpkins
* Burn Pumpkins (This was Owen's description for putting a candle in them as jack-o-lanterns)
* Go trick-or-treating (on Halloween)
* MSU Football Game(11/7 vs Western Michigan University, Family Tailgate)

A couple of things on the list that we WON'T be able to do:
* If the Tigers make it to the World Series, go to Detroit to walk around during one of the home games (Make it to the World Series??!!! How about make it to the PLAYOFFS??!!)
* Go to the Funky Fall Fest (not sure why I haven't seen anything on this yet, but it looks like the PTO has chopped this event this year, so sad)

And, a couple of things that I'm sure we'll get around to at some point before Fall 'leaves' us:
* Starbucks for Hot Chocolate / Hot Caramel Apple Cider
* Make Peanut Butter/Marshmallow toast
* Rent a scary movie around Halloween
* Make a Halloweeny dessert
* Make Halloween cookies
* Make Halloween decorations

As much as I'm excited about crossing more Fall Family Fun items off our list, I must say that I'm already looking forward to making our Winter Bucket List!! :)

It's more than just creating lists and checking things off, though. It's about creating lasting family memories and cultivating some traditions that will (hopefully) last for generations.

What...

2009-10-19T20:33:00.003-04:00

...is outside my window: The house across the street being re-bricked for no apparent reason.

...I am thinking: I could really use some chapstick right now. (But, that thought crosses my mind about 16 times a day)

...I am thankful for: A healthy, loving family. And the DVR.

...I'm making for dinner: I don't make dinner, Kevin does. Tonight he made a delicious pork roast, green beans, potato fries, and crescent rolls.

...I'm wearing: Jordyn's jeans that I borrowed, a black tank top underneath a red thermal hooded shirt (a hand-me-down from Jordyn!)

...I had for lunch: Nee Nee and I went to Victoria's to have their Tuscan Lunch - unlimited soup (Pumpkin Bisque & White Bean Chicken Chili) & salad (with Bleu Cheese dressing). The company and the food was great!

...I'm creating: As many fall family fun memories for my kids as possible.

...I'm reading: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

...I'm hoping for: Kevin to land a job before April 12, 2010. The sooner, the better.

...I'm hearing: The Angels celebrating their ALCS game 3 victory over the Spankees, I mean the Yankees.

...is happening around my house: The boys are getting ready for bed and Kevin is trying to fix the wireless internet connections on his and Jordyn's laptops. My connection is fine.

...is one of my favorite things: Cute new high heeled boots.

...are my plans for the weekend: Dinner date with Kevin on Friday (to celebrate our anniversary), Soccer games Saturday morning, BW3 after Soccer for lunch, Parsons' Halloween (but not really) party Saturday evening, Relax (hopefully scrapbook) on Sunday

10 things about me right now

2009-09-30T11:35:00.003-04:00

I got this idea from Ali Edwards' blog and then saw that one of my top 5 bloggers, CZ, did the same thing. So, I decided to put myself out there and follow suit. (And yes, I, too, need to turn this into a scrapbook page soon.) Here goes...

10 things about me right now

1. I work from home every Monday and Friday, and sometimes, when it's a cold dreary day like today, working from home on a Wednesday just makes sense. Nothing beats working from home in your fuzzy slippers and cozy pajamas. Except, maybe, not having to work at all!

2. Yesterday I unexpectedly received a decent size royalty check for the one chapter that I helped co-author in the SAP book that was published earlier this year. While a pleasant thing to receive, Kevin and I disagree on whether to spend it responsibly or frivolously.

3. I have gone to bed by 10:00 pm most nights for the last several weeks, sometimes even turning in by 8:30 or 9:00. This behavior is completely out of character for me, a seasoned night owl.

4. I recently had the privilege of attending a program at Jordyn's middle school called Rachel's Challenge, which, among other things, was to start a chain reaction of kindness. Rachel was the first person shot and killed in the Columbine tragedy in 1999. At the age of 17, she had a tremendously kind soul whose life and story and challenge has now reached millions of people. I think of her message often.

5. Owen did not want to get up for school this morning, but not because he was stubborn, it was because he was exhausted. All day, every day kindergarten is really taking a toll on him. I wanted to let him sleep until his body told him to wake up, and then take him in to school late. Because, sometimes kids just need to sleep. But, Kevin woke him up and got him out the door on time.

6. My heart was full this morning as I witnessed yet another awesome big brother moment from Liam has he grabbed Owen's hand to hold as they jogged together down the road towards the bus stop. They didn't even realize that I was watching them out my home office window, and it makes me smile to see these private moments of brotherhood between them. Brothers forever, friends for life.

7. I'm frustrated and saddened by the economy, and as a result, Kevin's continued unemployment. However, I remind myself that financial troubles are but a speck in comparison with the tribulations that so many others face…tumors, hunger, divorce, death, war, depression, rebellion. I'll take a healthy, happy family over a paycheck any day.

8. All year I have been taking a picture a day documenting our daily life as part of Project 365. I have started to slip with my picture-taking - a day here and a day there - the last couple of weeks. I need to re-focus on this important project. When the year is over, I plan to print all of my photos and the corresponding journal entries (that I've logged in my Project 365 blog) to create a scrapbook album.

9. My dreams at night are plentiful and vivid. I just need to learn how to harness that energy during the day...to dream while I'm awake and to make those dreams come true.

10. I am 12 weeks pregnant with our fourth child. The idea of adding a baby into our house when I thought we had closed that chapter of our lives is pretty scary, to say the least. But, life would be incredibly boring with out a bit of adventure, and I do love roller coasters.

Free Bird

2009-09-17T13:25:00.005-04:00

Working from home today I took notice of one of my feathered friends hanging upside down from the bird feeder. I'd never seen any of my birds do this before and I thought it was kind of neat. So, I grabbed my camera.
Whatchya looking at fella? How cute are you? Looking for a worm?

Then some other birds came to visit the feeder. But instead of eating the seeds, they seemed to be pecking at this bird.

I took a closer picture of the bird and realized that he was only hanging upside down by one leg. See the other leg there in the photo?

Then I realized. He's not hanging upside down on purpose. He's stuck. Those other birds weren't pecking at him, really, they were trying to FREE him!!

So, I put on my black leather winter gloves, went out to the feeder, (sending three dozen birds that had been hiding amongst the evergreen branches flying off into the sky), and I inspected the situation. His foot was, indeed, stuck in the feeder!

I was able to release his foot with little effort and attempted to place him gently on the ground, but he immediately flew away. And, he didn't seem to be hurt one bit.

Fortunately, I had gotten to him in time.

Free Bird.

(Yes, I think that one day I'll be the old lady on the park bench with pigeons eating out of my palm.)

Great Gypsy Escape

2009-09-15T14:25:00.004-04:00

Trying to win a Cricut contest, plus it was fun to think about escaping for a little while.

This is contest entry for those crazy folks at TodaysMama and Cricut. Be sure to check out Cricut's cool new cartridges and the chance at $30,000 in travel for you and your friends at the Great Gypsy Escape site! http://bit.ly/FWcudGreat Escape Meme

1. If you could escape to anywhere in the world where would it be?
Edinburgh, Scotland
2. What song do you play when you are by yourself in the car?
Crazy Bitch by Buckcherry
3. If you had a night to yourself, and money was no object, what would you do?
SPA - all day AND all night
4. What is your guilty pleasure?
Wine, Wine, Wine
5. What is the farthest place you have traveled away from your home?
Penang, Malaysia
6. Last book that you couldn't put down?
The Middle Place
7. When you want to escape into another time, what movie do you watch?
Braveheart or Dangerous Beauty
8. What is your favorite local escape?
Traverse City, MI (but that's about 5 hours away, so, I'm not sure that's considered "local"!)
9. How do you escape on a budget?
Get together with good friends for some wine consumption, grilled goodness, and belly laughs.
10. Best food you've ever had while on vacation.
I don't remember what I had, but I remember where I was...Emeril's restaurant in Vegas. BAM!

The Fall List

2009-09-07T08:40:00.004-04:00

You may remember our Summer Bucket List...

We gathered the family around the fire pit on the patio for one last summer hurrah and discussed the Summer Family Fun items that we did together:

Cook's Farm Dairy * Parsons' Pool * Finish Liam's Birthday Album * Driving Range (Kevin & Owen) * Gulda's Pool Party* Binder Park Zoo * Pancake Breakfast * Grand Rapids * Movies * Fireworks * Catch a Frog / Toad

Then, as we watched the summer sun set across the lake and made some S'mores, we discussed what types of Fall Family Fun things we wanted to do this autumn.

We may get to do some of them, and not others. And that's OK. As long as we do them together.

Here is the Hillary's Fall Bucket List:

Mom's List:

*Oxford Football Game

* Starbuck's for Hot Chocolate / Hot Caramel Apple Cider

* If the Tigers make it to the World Series, go to Detroit to walk around during one of the home games

* Go Bowling

* Watch our wedding video on our anniversary (Kevin and I have NEVER watched our wedding video!!)

* Make Peanut Butter/Marshmallow toast

* Farmer's Market
* Family Photo Session
* Go to the boys' soccer games

Dad's List:
* MSU Football Game
* Watch a Bucs game with out yelling
* Make Chili
* Kill an animal (all ideas get written down, that's the rule)
* Develop a new work out routine (not a family activity, I know)
* Develop a new dinner menu

Jordyn's List:
* Go pumpkin picking
* Go costume shopping
* Visit the Parsons' puppy
* Go Ghosting
* Rent a scary movie around Halloween
* Go to a corn maze
* Go on a haunted hay ride
* Make caramel apples
* Make a Halloweeny dessert
* Go to the Funky Fall Fest

Liam's Items:
* Score four goals in one soccer game
* Have a fall party
* Stay overnight at a hotel
* Bike ride on the Polly Ann Trail
* Make Halloween cookies
* Sell apple cider
* Kids Kingdom

Owen's Items:
* Plant an apple tree
* Carve Pumpkins
* Burn Pumpkins (we figured out that he meant to put a candle in them as jack-o-lanterns)
* Go trick-or-treating
* Catch more fish
* Ride horses
* Costume party
* Make Halloween decorations
* Make applesauce
* Go to a parade/Have a parade (not really sure what he was trying to say here)

And since we talked so much about Halloween, the kids discussed what they wanted to be:

Jordyn - a French maid
Liam - Storm Shadow (some GI Joe character)
Owen - a butterfly

Now, Jordyn and Kevin kept telling Owen that he couldn't be a butterfly, which made Owen want to be a butterfly THAT much more. And Liam and I kept telling him that he could and should be a butterfly. Eventually, lest we wonder which team he's gonna play on when he grows up, Owen changed his mind and said that he wanted to be a gun...."So that I can SHOOT the butterflies." Oh my.

Empty bed

2009-09-06T09:01:00.004-04:00

I went to bed early last night. Around 10:30. That's pretty early for a night owl like me.... especially for a Saturday night on a holiday weekend.

Kev wasn't tired, so he stayed up and watched TV and had another beer.

Then, I woke up at 2:45 am (nature was calling).

I looked at the clock and turned over to an empty spot in the bed where Kevin should be. I ran my hand across the empty bed and felt empty inside.

Why wasn't Kevin in bed, yet?

I was surprised by how sad I was to not have him there next to me when he should have been.

I answered nature's call and then went into the hallway. I looked down into the living room, and there was Kevin sleeping on the couch.

"Kev, what are you doing down there?"

"Oh, I guess I fell asleep." (passed out is probably more like it)

"Well, come on up to bed."

I couldn't help thinking about how sad I was when I woke up to that unexpectedly empty bed. Of course I knew he was right downstairs. But he wasn't where he SHOULD have been. And that made me feel a little peculiar.

Then I started thinking about women who are married to, or in relationships with men who wake up to unexpectedly empty beds on a regular basis. And, not only is the bed empty, but the living room couch is empty as well. And, on top of that, they don't know where their partner is.

I can tell you right now, that would never fly with me. Because in addition to sadness, there would be anger and ugliness. A LOT of ugliness.

Then, I drifted back to sleep, with Kevin at my side, thinking about how thankful I am to have such a faithful and good man by my side.

September

2009-09-01T16:48:00.003-04:00

Wow! How did September get here so fast?

In less than a week, the kids will be back to school, which, as I understand it, for many SAHMs (and probably SAHDs) is a highly anticipated, celebratory event.

But for this Work Outside the Home Mom, it's something that I am not looking forward to.

Because back to school also means:

Back to schedules and bedtime routines at a decent hour.
Back to homework and regularly scheduled bathing sessions.
Back to packing lunches and packing backpacks.
Back to $5 for this field trip and $40 for those pictures and $30 for this yearbook, etc.

And all of that just translates into more work and more money for parents, in my book.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of routine and structure, but there's just something to be said about the lazy days of summer that I am not ready to let go of.

Staying up late watching movies with the family
Bonfires on the patio
S'Mores
Swimming in the lake
Paddleboating
Fresh Basil
Cutting Hydrangea and Daisies from my garden to put in a vase on my table
Reading books in the sunshine
Evening walks around the lake
Watching the sunset
Hot Air Balloons
Horseshoes
Driving to work when the sun is already up
Driving home from work when the sun is still up
My bikini (YES, I wore a bikini this summer, and I didn't care who saw me in it!!)

But, this unseasonably cool August has already placed that smell of Fall in the air, and it will inevitably be here before we know it. It seems to already be here.

And I DO love fall.

(This love of fall has materialized itself, most recently in my serious cravings for some of Kevin's chili concoctions.)

So, I WILL embrace Fall and all that Fall brings with it....

Football
Sweatshirts
Pumpkins
Warm Apple Cider
Cinnamon Donuts
School
Leaves
Frost
Mums
Soup
Sedum
Soccer Games Every Saturday
Hot Chocolate
and, of course, Kevin's CHILI (Ancho Mama's and Love Me Sexy!!)

So, tell me. What are you going to miss about summer and what are you looking forward to about fall?

8

2009-08-06T21:51:00.002-04:00

Liam turned 8 today. EIGHT!

As he was hugging me just now as he was headed to bed, he said with a satisfied grin, "Good Night, Mom. Tomorrow's going to be my second day of being eight."

Yes it is, Liam. Yes it is.

That's AMAAAAAZING

2009-07-30T12:59:00.003-04:00

Owen loves butter.

Let me rephrase that, Owen LIVES for butter.

The other night at dinner, Kevin opened up a brand new tub of Shedd's Spread Country Crock (which is technically margarine, but that's not the point).

When he peeled back the protective seal, it revealed a fresh, untainted swirl of butter.

The look on Owen's face was as if he was listening to a chorus of angels, praising God for the glorious buttery goodness and creamy yellow heaven on earth beneath the protective seal.

"That's AMAAAAZING!" He exclaimed. "I just want to stick my face in it!!!" Wearing a grin from ear to goofy ear.

Believe me, if we would have let him, he would have planted his face unabashedly in that tub of butter immediately. And you could tell from the look on his face that he was envisioning himself fulfilling that very fantasy.

I'll never look at Shedd's Spread the same again.

I don't know why

2009-07-27T11:05:00.003-04:00

I don't know why things like a crusty drawer or a mysteriously sticky shelf in the fridge (that no one else seems to notice or seems to care about), send me over the edge. They just do.

Honestly.

Cleaning out the refrigerator is NOT how I want to spend a vacation day or a precious weekend day. Yet every time I open the fridge, the sight of the refrigerator's interior makes my skin crawl. Maybe I should just stop opening the fridge door which would allow me to not have my nerves raked upon, and possibly allow me to lose some pounds in the process.

It's this repetitive, minor annoyance that finally, upon the 100th time of being mildly annoyed finally causes me to explode into a crazy diatribe about how pissed off I am.

Aren't there four fully functional people living in this house with me, and other than the occasional family gathering, dinner out, or softball game, otherwise at the house pretty much all.the.time. ??

OK, maybe two other fully functional people, plus a 50% (Liam) and a 25% (Owen). Which still brings us to nearly 3 other fully functional people in this house who could take it upon themselves to wipe down a surface or two.

ESPECIALLY before going grocery shopping. Why would you go buy fresh groceries and then put them away in a filthy mess?

I just don't get it.

Nor do I understand why it hurtles me into a raging lunatic where I finally break down and spend the measly 15-20 minutes that it takes to scrub it out.

And in the end, I'm not sure what I'm pissed off about...the sticky shelves or my explosive reaction to them.

(Overflowing trash cans in the bathrooms and bedrooms have the same effect.)

I never said I was perfect. (OK, maybe I said that once or twice, but obviously, I'm not.)

The List

2009-07-19T23:24:00.004-04:00

On Father's Day, Kev and I and the kids gathered around the fire pit on the patio to spend some family time together. The conversation turned to things we want to do this summer...primarily as a family, although there were some personal goals thrown in, too. I recorded all of our thoughts and the result is the following list - grouped by the idea originator.

I give you the 2009 Hillary Family Summer Bucket List, if you will. Although, in this list, if we get to them, GREAT. If not, well, there's always the fall...who says Family Fun has to be limited to one season?

And, BONUS! We've already checked some items off the list!

Mom's Items -
*Cook's Farm Dairy
*Parsons' Pool (Check)
*Stargazing
*Family Photo Session
*Make Gazpacho
*Finish Liam's Birthday Album

Kevin's Items
*Driving Range
*Play in State Softball Tourney
*Get a non-travel job
*Train for 5k

Jordyn's Items
*Gulda's Sunday Pool Party
*Binder Park Zoo (Check)
*Blockbuster Movie Night
*Pancake Breakfast
*End of Summer Party
*Grand Rapids (Check)

Liam's Items
*Bowling
*Detroit Zoo
*Space Museum
*Movies (Check)
*End of Summer Party
*Birthday Party

Owen's Items
*Fireworks (Check)
*Dinosaur Museum
*End of Summer Party/Kindergarten Mixer
*Catch a Frog / Toad (Check)

I'm making my girl cheat on her husband.

2009-07-19T17:00:00.000-04:00

The other night I popped my head into Jordyn's bedroom to say goodnight. She was lying in bed with her pink laptop, as usual. "Whatchya doin'?" I asked. "Playing Sims," she replied with a smile. Which is what I expected her to say.

Since she purchased The Sims 3 computer game (using $50 of her own babysitting money) a few weeks ago, most of her computer time has been spent playing that game. And I'm OK with her playing Sims all the time, because, in my rationale...it's gotta be better than surfing the interwebs, right?

My parents bought Jordyn a laptop as a reward for her earning silver honors at the end of 7th grade. The intent of the laptop is to help Jordyn in her future academic pursuits. However, she received the laptop after the school year ended...so, I can't really begrudge her for the non-academic activity she's been engaging in. It is summer vacation after all.

What I did not expect Jordyn to say as I was tucking her in was this: "I'm making my girl cheat on her husband." Giggle. Giggle.

HUH? What? Seriously??

If you're not familiar with The Sims 3 video game, don't worry. Neither was I, really. So, after this disturbing statement of hers, I had to Google it. Wikipedia had this to offer:

The games in The Sims series lack any defined goals. The player creates virtual people called "Sims" and places them in houses and helps direct their moods and satisfy their desires. Players can either place their Sims in pre-constructed homes or build them themselves.

Maybe the part about lacking any defined goals and satisfying their desires should have tipped me off about the sort of trouble you can get your Sim into.
n the beginning of The Sims 3 game, she told me all about creating her Sim. What she looked like, what she named her, the type of clothes she dressed her in. Then she decorated her house, then she got married, then she had a baby and she named her Ava.

All of this sounded innocent and perfectly harmless to me. And, honestly? I was glad she was actually playing with this $50 investment of hers instead of letting it collect dust on her desk.

"WHAT?! You made your girl cheat on her husband?!! Why would you even do that? That's not funny, Jordyn. That's not funny. Seriously, why would you do that?"

"Oh Mom, it's no big deal. It was just a kiss. Her husband doesn't even know about it."

There are so many things wrong with this that I don't even know where to begin.

How do I explain to my 13 year old daughter that marital infidelity...in any way shape or form...IS a big deal, and not something to be taken so lightly? And that just because someone doesn't know that they're being cheated on doesn't make the cheating any less wrong.

Have I mentioned lately how loooooong the next several years are going to be for me? I'm sure this episode will lead to at least 4 gray hairs.

Oy.

Vitamin O

2009-07-07T21:05:00.003-04:00

Me - Hey Owen, give me an Eskimo kiss.
O - What's an Eskimo kiss?
Me - When you rub noses together like this....

*** Eskimo Kissing with Owen ***

O - Mom, you sure do know a LOT about kisses. You know three types of kisses...with lips, blowing kisses, and Eskimo kisses.
Me - What about Butterfly kisses?
O - O yeah!! You know FOUR kisses. See. I told you you know a lot about kisses.

Smooch

Life's a Shit Sandwich

2009-06-27T08:23:00.003-04:00

The most memorable, and controversial, quote of book club Thursday night:

"Life's a Shit Sandwich. Every day's just another bite."

And if there ever were two polar opposite ends of a spectrum, Shelley is the Shit Sandwich and Mindy is the Sunshine Salad.

The Creeper

2009-06-25T17:00:00.000-04:00

There is a right way and a wrong way to drink the Creeper.

My first experience with the Creeper did not end well and is an example of the wrong way to drink the Creeper.

It was July 19, 2008. My high school girlfriends and I had tickets to the Kid Rock Concert at Pine Knob. It was on a Saturday, and we thought it would be a blast to tailgate in the parking lot beforehand.

Despite the rain, we were right. The tailgate WAS a blast. The Creeper was flowing, the tunes were pumping, the people watching was a riot. It was just fun.

Aimee introduced us to the Creeper, singing its praises about how super yummy it was. She was right! It was delicious. She brought along two pitchers of the Creeper to the tailgate.

Um, out of the five of us, I think I consumed close to a pitcher and a half of this deliciousness in about 2-3 hours.

FYI, it's called The Creeper for a reason.

It crept up on me like you would NOT believe (yes, there were other shots and swigs of margaritas that contributed to my foolishness, but, above all, I blame the Creeper). The bottom line is that it was not pretty. Not in the least.

Let's just say, I don't remember much of the concert except for:

Getting caught with my beloved (enormous) camera at the ticket gate, security confiscating it (no cameras allowed, hello!), and then me crying in the security office for them to let me take my camera back to the car and then me convincing them to let me back into the venue (they agreed, probably for no other reason than to get the pleading mess of a drunk girl out of their office - but I'm a SCRAAAAAAPBOOKER!)

Stumbling down the hill and trying to pass it off as dancing (that was cute)

Arguing with Aimee later on that evening, because I was SUPPOSED to be the DD and she ended up having to do it. We both said some very hurtful things during the drive home but fortunately we made up with each other as we sat in my driveway. To this day, though, I wish I could take that fight back.

I may not have remembered much about the concert, but now, almost a year later, I do remember how delicious the Creeper was.

So, on June 13, 2009, I decided to make two pitchers of the Creeper to take to Liam's family soccer party, a.k.a. the right way to drink the Creeper. My second experience with the Creeper.

The party was at a park with a lake, horseshoe pits, playgrounds. We had a potluck BBQ and the coach took the kids tubing on his boat. It was a blast.

We were at the park 10 hours! During that 10 hour time frame, I consumed close to a pitcher and a half of this deliciousness (of course I had to share some with the other moms so that they could revel in the deliciousness of it all).

About an hour into my consumption, I got a nice little buzz which continued ALL day long. I was giggly and goofy and warm and fuzzy and fancy free.

There was no crying. There was no stumbling. There was no arguing.

The Creeper is definitely going to be my summertime party drink. MMM mmm.

So while there is indeed a wrong way to drink the Creeper (2 pitchers of it in 2 hours) and a right way to drink the Creeper (2 pitchers of it in 10 hours), with drastically different outcomes. There is one common side effect to drinking the Creeper … self portraits in the bathroom:

Pine Knob Parking Lot Port-a-Potty:

Soccer Party Park Restroom:

Recipe for the Creeper:
1 can of frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate
Instead of mixing the concentrate with three cans of water, mix it with
1 can of vanilla vodka
1 can of beer (yes, I know! And I HATE beer!!)
1 can of Sprite

(What I didn't realize about the Creeper until I made it myself was that there is an ENTIRE fifth of vodka in two pitchers of the Creeper. LIGHT BULB! Consuming close to an entire fifth of vodka, plus two cans of beer, in roughly two hours is NOT a good idea. DUH. Lesson Learned).

drink responsibly

Well, there's your answer

2009-06-24T17:00:00.002-04:00

Liam is becoming more and more like his father every day.

Kevin and I used to marvel about how Liam, the spitting image of Kevin, had my personality and Owen, the spitting image of me, had Kevin's personality.

But, Kev's constant smart ass attitude has definitely rubbed off onto Liam.

Exhibit A: I took the boys out on the paddle boat on Sunday so that they could jump off and swim and so that we would all stay out of Dad's hair on Father's day (what a GIFT!) After jumping in a number of times, Liam sat on the back of the paddle boat shivering as he wrapped himself in his damp towel.

Me - "Liam - are you cold, buddy?"

Liam - "Do I look cold?"

Me - "Yes."

Liam - "Well, there's your answer."

If he wasn't so gosh darn cute, I'd have thrown him back into the water, whilst laughing maniacally and squealing, "And THERE'S YOUR answer!!"

CAPKIRK

2009-06-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

First of all, I have to say that I love the Oprah Radio Channel (XM156).

I especially love the Gayle King show.

But today, I caught an episode of Dr. Oz that I just could not turn off.

Now, typically, health and wellness discussions are not my cup of tea.

This study shows that if you do X, you'll get cancer while another study shows that if you DON'T do X, you'll get cancer. blah blah blahbity blah.

That kind of stuff just bores me to tears.

I'm just going to live my life and hope for the best, thank you very much, with a huge dose of common sense thrown in.

But, on this episode, Dr. Oz was interviewing William Shatner, oh excuse me, just call me Bill, and, like I said, I just could not turn it off.

Dr. Oz's goal was to find out how William Shatner got to where he is today and to explore the Trekkie phenomenon. But instead of Mehmet interviewing Bill, Bill was quickly interviewing Mehmet.

I must say that Bill is a very well spoken and fascinating person to listen to.

Bill and his wife, Elizabeth, were both very interested in alternative medicine (integrated, as Dr. Oz calls it) and the connection between mind and body as it relates to wellness, and they wanted Dr. Oz to tell them how to find a doctor with this same mindset in California.

This reversal of interviewer and interviewee spawned a great discussion, and I learned a lot of very interesting things -

Surgeons, who many regard as GODS, are a very superstitious group. For example, if Dr. Oz loses a patient, he throws out the clothes he was wearing when it happened, underwear, socks, whatever. Another surgeon wears a pair of "lucky" shoes into surgery. I really hope there's more to it than, luck. I'm just saying.
Different music is played in the operating room depending on the type of activity being performed. If a saw is being used to cut bone, you want something thumping like Led Zeppelin playing. However, when a very precise suture procedure is being done, you want something soothing like Vivaldi. Makes sense.
Headphones for patients are worn because they have proven that patients' subconscious is aware of and absorbs sound even though they are asleep from a pain perspective. One of the ways this theory was proven was using the following steps. Before the surgery, the patient is asked, "Tell me what you think of when I say the color black." Nine times out of ten, the patient responds, "White." Then, during surgery, headphones are put on the patient with the following, "Black. Brown. Black. Brown. Black. Brown." Over and over again. A couple of days after surgery, they ask the patient, "Tell me what you think of when I say the color black." The patient ALWAYS responds, "Brown." So, NOW, headphones are worn by patients with phrases like this repeated: "Relax. Trust us. Take deep breaths. Be sure to walk around after surgery. Pay your bills on time." etc. OK, the 'pay your bills on time' might have been a joke Dr. Oz was making, but it does make you wonder if there was some truth to it.
Modern medicine has only been around for about 100 years. Before this time, there was no formal training. Doctors learned to be doctors by being an apprentice to another doctor, so really, you never knew what you were going to get when you went to a doctor, or when the doctor came to you.

During this interview reversal, Dr. Oz kept saying that they would get back to the original intent of Trekkie talk and what not. But, during the time that I listened, this never really happened.

I just sat in awe of how well-read and eloquent Denny Crane, the Priceline Negotiator, Captain Kirk, er, just call me Bill was in real life, using words like burgeoning and charlatan.

Alas, I could not finish listening to the interview, fascinated as I was. I pulled into an open parking space at work...right next to a car with a vanity plate I had never noticed before.

CAPKIRK

Coincidence? Or just totally bizarre.

Be good for your mom this summer...

2009-06-18T12:28:00.003-04:00

Kevin, the boys, and I were out to dinner last night. Our waiter was relatively young (18-19ish, although he looked like he was 14). He was very chitty chatty with the boys. He joked with them, and our smart aleck boys joked right back with the waiter (something I don't think he was expecting). But, hey, a life time of sarcasm and ribbing from their dad has prepared them to retort any barbs thrown their way, without so much as batting the proverbial lash (which in Liam's case are long, and thick, and gorgeous, and the envy of many women...but I digress).

Anyway, as Kevin paid the bill, the waiter said to our boys, "Be good for your mom this summer, kids!"

WHA?

I mean, are chauvinistic stereotypes still rooted that deep that in this, the year TWO THOUSAND AND NINE, that even this next generation of young people ASSume the mother is always the primary child care provider?

Kevin quietly replied to the young waiter, "And be good for Dad." Then we both just looked at each other knowingly and privately chuckled at how completely off the mark this young waiter was.

Now that Kev is home all of the time, and basically a SAHD for the time being, he does 99.9% of the child rearing...meals, baths, homework (before school was out), bedtime, daytime, applying sunscreen, making the kids clean their room, purchasing birthday presents for friends...pretty much all of it.

But even before Kevin got laid off, we shared our parenting duties pretty much 50/50, and, to be honest, possibly even 60/40 leaning in Kev's direction.

Is sharing the child-rearing really that uncommon in today's day and age? I mean, haven't dads around the nation started to pick up the slack of father figures in generations past? Don't they WANT to?

Kevin LOVES caring for the kids (even though he wants to strangle them - understandably - from time to time).

This seems SO normal to me. If this is abnormal, it shouldn't be....and clearly, I don't realize just how lucky I am.

Feathered Friends - Rob

2009-06-05T16:00:00.002-04:00

This is Rob.

Rob doesn't seem very interested in the bird feeder or the seeds that fall below. But, he does seem to be enjoying the hostas and he and his Merry Men certainly enjoy scampering through the front yard hunting for worms.

I have so many feathered friends outside my office window. Even the state bird drops by to say hi. What a guy!

Rob is an American Robin.

Feathered Friends - the Doctor

2009-05-29T16:00:00.004-04:00

This is the Doctor. She's a Mourning Dove.

Do I know this is a She? No, because males and female MD's look the same. I just prefer female doctors, therefore, I'm calling her a she. Logical? Not so much.

Anyhow, she's too big to eat from the feeder, so she gets the seeds that fall to the ground. Which helps keep weeds from growing below the feeder. Thank you, Doctor.

A self exam perhaps? This MD was in this position for several minutes. I started to think she was hurt, but then she flew away. It was totally bizarre.

Go Ahead, Make My Day

2009-05-26T17:59:00.004-04:00

A couple of things that made my day today:

A Blue Jay visited my bird feeder. I never get Blue Jays at my house. I was THRILLED! I tried to get a picture, and I got a couple of shots, but he kept hiding amongst the branches, so there isn't a ***great*** one. He'll be featured in Feathered Friends sometime soon.

aaaaaand

This. Scrapbook Secrets.

I think I may have to buy a lottery ticket...this IS my lucky day.

Feathered Friends - Finn

2009-05-22T16:00:00.002-04:00

I'd like you to meet this pretty little bugger, Finnegan, Finn for short.

For those of you who may not know, Finn is the name of my next son which I'm never going to have, but if I had another boy I'd name him Finnegan.

And here's another useless piece of information for you, Kevin and I first discovered our attraction for each other at a bar in Scotland called "Finnegan's Wake". So, I just think Finn would be a totally cool name for our boy. No one else in my family agrees with me. So, I've named the bird Finn instead. Plus, I'm 99.99% sure we're done having kids, anyway. And, even if we do have more kids, it's gotta be a girl so that I can name her Marin Leigh.

OK, back to the bird. Finn is a male House Finch.

You lookin' at me?

Enjoying a snack (see it there in his beak?)

Vitamin O

2009-05-20T17:00:00.003-04:00

One night Liam was asking Kevin a thousand questions to test whether or not Kevin knew "everything in the world". Mostly math problems and some definitions of words. Of course, Owen just HAD to get in on the action.

Owen - "Dad, How far away is a billion gajillion?"
Kevin - "Well, it's as far as outer space, and then it would circle outer space so much that eventually it would get sucked into a black hole and then it would loop around inside the black hole a bunch of times."
Owen - "SEE, DAD??!?!? You DON'T know everything!!! You don't even know how far away a billion gajillion is!!!"

huh?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me - "Owen, go upstairs, brush your teeth and go to the bathroom."
Owen - "DURN! Why?!"
Me - "It's time for bed."
Owen - "YOU'RE not in charge of this house, DAD is!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As I was tucking the boys into bed -

Me - "Good night boys," as I start to close the door.
Liam - "Mom, wait!"
Me - "Yes Liam?"
Liam - "There's no more talking now is there?"
Me - "That's right, Liam, there's no more talking," as I start to close the door, again.
Owen - "Mom, wait!"
Me - "Yes Owen?"
Owen - "But you can still talk in your head, right? Just quiet in your head like this..." (Then he proceeds to move his mouth without actually opening his mouth or with out making any noise and he moves his head and eyes around as if he's carrying on a silent, yet animated conversation with himself....inside his head. )
Me - "Yes, Owen, you can still talk in your head, just not out loud. Good night."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As we were driving to a friend's house in Leonard the other night, we came upon a deer in the middle of the dirt road.

Kev - "Hey look, guys. There's a deer in the road." (as he was slowing down, obviously)
Liam - "Stop, Dad! Stop, Dad! STO-aaaaaaaah - P!"
Owen - (with much glee and enthusiasm and a huge smile on his face) "RUN HIM OVER!"

Funny, but not funny at the same time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Owen - "Gordon, Gordon..."
Jordyn - "Owen, my name's not Gordon, it's Jordyn."
Owen - "I can call you whatever I want."

(he has called her Gordon forever...at 3 - it was cute, at 5 - I think it's starting to annoy her)

Oooohhhhh, brother.

Feathered Friends - R-Dub

2009-05-15T15:34:00.007-04:00

As I've mentioned before, I love the bird feeder outside my home office window, and I love to snap pics of the birds as they come for a visit and a snack, often perching on a branch in my evergreen tree. I hope you enjoy meeting my feathered friends.

This is RWB, I call him "R-Dub" for short. R-Dub is a male Red Winged Blackbird.

Vitamin O

2009-05-13T17:00:00.002-04:00

Owen - "When are we leeeeaaaaviiiiing?"
Me - "In a couple of minutes Owen."
Owen - "One Mississippi, Two Mississippi. There, two Mississippis. Let's go now."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me - "Liam, do you want to go to the play tonight?"
Liam - "What kind of play is it?"
Me - "It's a love story."
Liam - "Nah, I don't want to see a love story."
Owen - "Liam, would you want to go if it was a hate story?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liam - "Dad, what does 'smart alec' mean?"
Owen - "Well, smart means that you're smart. And alec, well, alec means that you're not smart."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me - "Hey Owen, where'd you get that Kit Kat?"
Owen - "At kool."
Me - "WHO at school gave it to you?"
Owen - "I don't know."
Me - "Well was it a kid or was it a parent?"
Owen - "It was a girl."
Me - "What's her name?"
Owen - "I DON'T KNOW WHAT HER NAME IS!!"

(Right, like that was a difficult question. He's only been going to school with these kids since SEPTEMBER! Why on EARTH would he know what her name is???!! Silly mom.)

Banana and a Peanut Butter Cookie and a Heap of love on Mother's Day

2009-05-10T16:51:00.009-04:00

Kevin does not get the whole fascination with eating breakfast in bed, but it's less about eating in bed and more about the novelty and fun of it all. So for most of this week, I had been telling Kevin and the kids that I wanted breakfast in bed on Mother's day. I mean, how hard is it to bring someone a banana?

I was instructed last night before I went to bed by Kevin, to not get out of bed in the morning until the boys had brought me breakfast in bed. Well, I woke up at 5 am after having a terrible nightmare and did not want to go back to sleep. But, I had to follow instructions and stay in bed.

Of course, the one day I couldn't get out of bed was the one morning that the boys slept in until almost 9:00 am!! But, it was worth the wait.

They brought me a banana, a peanut butter cookie (home made by Jordyn), and a glass of milk. They also brought me a heap of love and some gifts that I wasn't expecting.

Recently I've been mentioning to Kevin how much I love Magnolia trees (they're in full bloom right now, don't ya know). But I wasn't expecting him to get me one! Well, he and Owen went to WoJo's on Friday attempting to buy me one, but there are a bunch of varieties and he had no idea which one I would want. So they got a gift card to WoJo's so that we can go back and get one!!

I had left a list of small things that Kevin could get me, but more in the $20 price range. I surely wasn't expecting a TREE! But I'm super excited about it.

Liam gave me a recipe book that his class had made with all the favorite things their moms cook for them (HELLO! I rarely cook for the family). Liam's favorite dish is when I make mac and cheese in the mikerwave. (The only thing I can think of here is maybe I re-heated some mac and cheese for him once upon a time!)

Owen gave me a flower with his picture (from preschool) along with a fill in the blank card. Some of it said - I love when my mother...."kisses me" and My mom looks prettiest when..."all the time". How sweet is that?

Afterwards, we went to lunch at my parents house. Holy cow - what a spread! London Broil, Salmon, Quiche, Yummy Salad, Fruit, Corn on the Cob, Potatoes, Meatballs, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate-dipped Strawberries, mmmmm.

Jordyn gave me her present while we were at my parents. She had made an autobiography in Language Arts with tons of information all about her. What a GIFT! Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

If I had one thing to take out of my burning house it would be my blanket because it's very valuable to me.
The most difficult problem I've faced in my life is being the only biracial person in my family. I try to forget about it but it helps most of the time and I know my family will always love me.
I think I will become a very young and loving person. I will also become a mom because that is one of my main goals in life. I would also like to become a very hard working adult who will never give up and keep trying their best.
My most treasured memory would have to be my moms wedding to my dad Kevin. I love this memory because it brought me into a new family where I knew I would belong. I also like it because it meant a lot to my mom. She finally found the man of her dreams and my new daddy.

OK, I could keep going, because there are so many more things that I love about her autobiography, but I'll stop there for now.

Being a mom, is, in itself, an awesome gift and I am so very lucky to have these children in my life.

My Family -

My Sister's Family -

My Parents -

The Moms -

What a GREAT day!

Happy Mother's Day!!

ps - my favorite gift of the day is the one I gave to my mom.

Vitamin O

2009-05-05T17:00:00.003-04:00

O - "Mom - Do bees like Doritos?"

~~~~~

Me - "Owen, go get a wash cloth to wipe your face." (as it was covered in Doritos cheese, no less)
O - "OK. So I don't look like a dork."

~~~~~

Kevin told the boys to enjoy their dinner tonight because he had made their brats with lots of love.

Upon "finishing" his dinner, Owen found Kev out on the deck and, seeming perplexed he said, "Dad, did you really make our hot dogs out of love?"

Kevin responded that, yes, he took a lot of care in making the hot dogs and made them with love.

Owen then asked Kevin not to be mad at him, because he didn't eat all of his hot dog.

Kevin told O that he wasn't mad, and that, really it was just an expression. That there, in fact, was no actual LOVE inside the hot dog (yes, it was a brat, but O calls it a hot dog).

Owen quickly replied, "Oh, so you lied, then."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Owen (pointing to the American flag - next to German, French, and Spanish flags - on the back of a book) - "Mom, is this the state where we live?"

Quarters for Gumballs

2009-05-04T13:32:00.005-04:00

Kevin, Owen, and I went to lunch today at one of the local coneys. (and it was 99 cent coney dog day - BONUS!)

Anyway, Owen wanted to buy a 25 cent gumball, but neither Kevin nor I had any quarters.

Kevin explained to Owen that after we paid the bill, we might get a quarter back, but that he didn't have a quarter for him right then.

Then Owen asked Kevin if the reason he didn't have a quarter was because he didn't have a job.

Yes, Owen...Dad doesn't have a quarter because he doesn't have a job.

Owen, in his infinite five-year-old wisdom came up with some suggestions for Kev's job search (ulterior motive - quarters for gumballs).

"Dad, I know what you could be for your job! You could be an on-tv person. Or a dinosaur museum guy. No, an ASTERnaut! Or a pizza maker. Oooorrrr, you could be a MOM."

Stellar suggestions, Owen.

I would love to live in Owen's world where you could have whatever job you wanted to have, simply by stating your desired profession over a couple of chili dogs.

Cute or Creepy?

2009-04-27T12:18:00.001-04:00

You be the judge.

My OMEN is FIVE

2009-04-25T09:40:00.003-04:00

My Omen, (yes, my Omen, since that's how Owen writes his name!!) is turning five today. FIVE!

He's my BABY!! And he's FIVE!!

A lot of moms get all teary and nostalgic when their kids, especially their babies, get older.

But not me. It's not that I'm not sentimental or emotional.

It's just that for me, it's EXCITING to watch them grow up and turn older. Definitely worthy of celebration and joy, not tears and regret.

I mean, look, when your five year old has facial hair, that's really SOMETHING!!

Happy Birthday Owen!!

Amazing Grace

2009-04-17T20:30:00.003-04:00

Owen sings Amazing Grace.

(Mom, this is for you.)

Still

2009-04-10T08:48:00.002-04:00

Saw this concept on Lisa B's blog and thought I'd give it a whirl.

This post is all about the word Still as it relates to my life right now.

Still employed.

Still hoping Kevin will find another job.

Still in denial about the demise of the economy.

Still hoping that Michigan (and Detroit) will survive when the auto industry behaves like a Shrinky Dink.

Still taking at least one picture every day for my own version of Project 365.

Still blogging.

Still reading other people's blogs.

Still completely in love with my three kids.

Still not convinced that we're done having babies.

Still having fun with my husband.

Still scrapbooking.

Still trying to catch up to the ScRap SiStaZ challenges.

Still not eating right.

Still not exercising every day.

Still loving summer the very best.

Still waiting for Spring to spring.

Still loving the Tigers, and Major League baseball season in general.

Still wishing I had tickets to Opening Day today.

Still wishing I had the winning Mega Millions ticket.

Still not talking to my childhood best friend (it's been 8.5 years now).

Still.

Habe you eber noticed?

2009-03-22T23:02:00.003-04:00

This is Owen's new catch phrase.

"Habe you eber noticed?"

He prefaces many tidbits of information and wisdom with this phrase.

Tonight, as we were eating Kev's delicious pork roast dinner, Owen pipes up with baby carrot in hand.... "Dad. Dad. Habe you eber noticed that I can chew like a beaver?" Chomp chomp chomp on the baby carrot. Three minutes later, he chimes in with "Habe you eber noticed.... that you have to brush your teeth all the way until you die?"

Owen's observations on life color our family dinner conversations with so much fun.

I just love that O.

Have you ever noticed?

My Hyena

2009-03-19T09:47:00.007-04:00

Earlier this month, Owen was infected with this unctrollable laughter. He started it in the car on the drive home from dinner one night. This deep, guttural, incessant giggle.

And he had the rest of us cracking up. As usual.

So, when we got home, I captured some of the hilarity on video.

What in the sam hades was he hopped up on?

Who knows. But this video barely captures even a fraction of his hyena impersonation that evening. Oh Owen.

Interview with my kids

2009-03-18T14:33:00.002-04:00

This was seriously so much fun to do. I love how their little personalities shine through in all of their replies. I interviewed each kid separately and typed their responses pretty much verbatim. I should have videoed this instead of transcribed it. Maybe next time!! Items in parentheses are comments that I either said, did, or thought during the interview.

Enjoy.

1. What is something Mom always says to you?
Owen (4) - I love you
Liam (7) - You yell at me
Jordyn (13) - Clean your room.

2. What makes Mom happy?
Owen (4) - Kisses
Liam (7) - When I do nice things to my brother
Jordyn (13) - Wine

3. What makes Mom sad?
Owen (4) - No kisses
Liam (7) - When I don't give you hugs or kisses
Jordyn (13) - What makes you sad? Umm, when we're sad? Or troubled or whatever you want to say.

4. How does your Mom make you laugh?
Owen (4) - Talking Funny
Liam (7) - Pretty much nothing. You don't make me laugh at all.
Jordyn (13) - You make me laugh, I don't know, you just do. Like when you sing. Or when you laugh at me when I do something stupid, because when someone laughs, it's like a disease and I laugh, too.

5. What was your Mom like as a child?
Owen (4) - I don't know you haven't told me.
Liam (7) - Smart and talented? I'm just guessing that.
Jordyn (13) - MMMmmm, POPULAR. At least when she got to highschool. Stubborn and said "vaccum's too heavy" and got away with it. How come I can't say that??!!

6. How old is your Mom?
Owen (4) - 16
Liam (7) - 36
Jordyn (13) - 36

7. How tall is your Mom?
Owen (4) - Forty Feet Tall
Liam (7) - Can we get that lizard thingy majiggy. I'd say about 5 feet.
Jordyn (13) - 5'5", 5'4", I don't know, how tall are you? (I'm 5'4") OOOHHH I called it!

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Owen (4) - Work
Liam (7) - Go drinking with your friends. (Um, Excuse meeee…as I motion to the scrapbook layouts hanging on the wall.) Oh, wait, scrapbooking.
Jordyn (13) - Scrapbook. That one was easy.

9. What does your Mom do when you're not around?
Owen (4) - I don't know
Liam (7) - Watch movies with Dad and Owen. Or scrapbook.
Jordyn (13) - Clean, probably. No, she probably does that when I'm here. Clean. Or Scrapbook. Or go to your little theatre things. Who's Edgar Allen Poe?

10. If your Mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Owen (4) - Loving People
Liam (7) - The best scrapbooker
Jordyn (13) - Probably, like a famous scrapbooker person who makes those books and stuff like that. Be on the Style and TLC channel.

11. What is your Mom really good at?
Owen (4) - Cleaning
Liam (7) - Scrapbooking
Jordyn (13) - You're really good at being nice to people, I think. (Are you just kissing my butt?) No, I mean, like Scrapbooking. And helping me match.

12. What is your Mom not very good at?
Owen (4) - Balance Beaming (seriously, you could not make this stuff up)
Liam (7) - Fishing
Jordyn (13) - You are not very good at, like, I don't know how to explain it. You are not very good at being calm when you get mad. You can get scary sometimes. (BIG LAUGHTER) You are, you can get REALLY scary.

13. What does your Mom do for her job?
Owen (4) - Work
Liam (7) - You work and like help them and stuff.
Jordyn (13) - (She should know this, because I came to her career day at school last year.) You work with computers, and you make car parts, and like sell them to companies. I think that's what you still do. (not quite)

14. What is your Mom's favorite food?
Owen (4) - Brats
Liam (7) - Steak
Jordyn (13) - Is something with cheese. And wine. And all that stuff that you say I should like, but I don't so you say I'm not related.

15. What makes you proud of your Mom?
Owen (4) - Plant Flowers
Liam (7) - When you make a scrapbook page about me.
Jordyn (13) - That we have a nice house and that we have a nice family and you have a job, sorry dad, and that you're just very successful. (Kevin was not around during the interview, so I'm not sure why Jordyn apologized to him.)

16. If your Mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Owen (4) - A mom one
Liam (7) - The Pokemon trainer named May
Jordyn (13) - You would probably be….that's a hard one. I don’t know, there's a lot of cartoons. Why are you writing down everything I say? Daisy Duck, I don't know, or Minnie Mouse. One of those.

17. What do you and your Mom do together?
Owen (4) - Plant Flowers
Liam (7) - Scrapbook sometimes.
Jordyn (13) - Clean and sometimes shop. Or we watch shows together. Jon & Kate plus Eight and stuff.

18. How are you and your Mom the same?
Owen (4) - I don't know. We plant flowers the same
Liam (7) - We both like asking questions. Or we both like making stuff.
Jordyn (13) - We probably, um, I sometimes get mad like you do sometimes. Do you laugh at a lot of things that are stupid, or is that just me? Because I laugh at anything, unless it's REALLY stupid. OOOOHHH! We both like being with our friends. And that's all I know.

19. How are you and your Mom different?
Owen (4) - Play and Work
Liam (7) - You're not that into sports, and I am.
Jordyn (13) - You like to clean and I don't.

20. How do you know your Mom loves you?
Owen (4) - Cause I love you
Liam (7) - Because you say it all the time.
Jordyn (13) - Because you do. You just do. You're my mom.

21. What does your Mom like most about your Dad?
Owen (4) - Kisses
Liam (7) - That he's convenient. What does that mean? Or you could just put that he's funny, smart, aaaaand............he likes sports.

Jordyn (13) - Uuuummm. His sense of humor? Even though it's pretty cheesy, but that's OK.

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Owen (4) - Italia Gardens
Liam (7) - I would be guessing Papa Joe's.
Jordyn (13) - On our beach.

Love Me Sexy Chili Master

2009-03-12T23:43:00.003-04:00

For the second year in a row, Kevin's chili won at our friends chili cook off.

Yes, he is the undefeated Kick Ass Chili Cook Off Champion.

Last year, I believe his win was totally warranted.

He looked and looked for weeks to find a particular chili recipe he had seen in a previous issue of Maxim. Scouring old issues of Maxim to find the recipe. Calling his brother Brian (also a Maxim subscriber) to ask him if he remembered seeing the recipe and could find it. Brian couldn't find it either.

He gave up looking for THIS recipe and had resigned to finding another one, and wouldn't you know, just when he had given up looking for the recipe? He stumbled upon it during one of his visits to the "library" during which his Maxim magazines help him pass the time.

The recipe called for tenderloin (or sirloin, I forget - but it was chunks of meat instead of ground something or other). And some special Ancho chiles and sea salt...and a whole lot of other stuff that I have no idea what all of the ingredients were because I don't really cook and don't pay that close attention.

But I do remember that he even did a "test run" of this recipe the weekend before the big cook off so that he could tweak if needed. And tweaking was needed (I think he said he used too much sea salt....whatever, it wasn't perfect and he knew what to do next time to make it perfect.)

Anyway, the point is that last year, he put in some real EFFORT. And in the end, it truly was the best chili there (at least I thought so, and I did indeed vote for it), even though it looked like sludge and people were somewhat wary to try it.

It was spicy - but in a robust flavorful kind of way rather than in a so-damn-hot-it-burns-off-all-your-taste-buds-don't-even-bother-eating-it kind of way.

And we named the chili "Ancho Mama's Chili" to pay homage to the ancho chiles that were used (get it?!? Ain't Yo Mama's Chili. OK, good, glad you get it.)

And he won. A warranted win. And he was proud. And I was proud.

So that brings us to this year. This year, Kev felt no pressure or need to defend his "title". And he really was in no mood to put any kind of effort into it. To the point where I told our hosts that since we won last year's cook off, we would supply the prize for this year's cook off.

So, this little mother trucker throws some stuff in a pot. No recipe. Just some ground meat, a package of McCormick's chili seasoning (is that cheating?), some fresh jalapeno peppers, and lord knows what else. Throws it all in a pot and called it a day.

No searching for the perfect recipe.

No test run.

No top shelf meat.

And it was good. I tasted it before we left for the party. I told him "It's good, hon, really good, but not award winning."

And off we went to the Kick Ass Chili Cook Off, not expecting to win.

The best thing he had going for him was what he named the chili.

Love Me Sexy Chili

If you've never seen the Will Ferrell flick Semi-Pro, then you won't get the reference. If you have seen the movie, then you will agree that it is a freaking hysterical name for a chili...or anything, really. Just click here to enjoy the hilarity of it all.

I figured, well, sex does sell, so maybe his chili will win because of the sex in the name of the chili. But probably not.

I mean, there was some steep competition there...from the "Same Damn Chili" to the "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" chili, to the Louisiana gumbo inspired Mardi Gras chili whose crock pot was decorated with Mardi Gras beads...my point is, if you haven't gotten it already, I fully did not expect Kevin's chili to win.

Primarily, because I ASSUMED that everyone else liked the Mardi Gras chili as much as I did and that they OBVIOUSLY would have voted for it just like I did. Plus, I had picked the winner last year, it only makes sense that I would pick the winner again this year. I mean who wouldn't vote for it?

Well, Kevin, for one.

He voted for his own chili, again, this year. And that's his right as a voter (I asked if it was cheating but everyone assured me that it wasn't).

In the end, Love Me Sexy Chili got the most votes! Followed by a tie for second place by Lisa & Patty (oddly enough, Lisa & Patty both tied for second place last year, too!)

But the Chili Master did it again.

The Love Me Sexy Chili Master, to be exact.

And I was dumbfounded. Stupefied. Could. Not. (still.can.not.quite) Believe that he won.

So I handed over the prize that we had brought...the roll of toilet paper went to Kevin. And the bottle of wine...from CHILE! (intended for the winners) went, instead, to our hosts.

What a fun night!

Look out chili champion hopefuls, Kev might try and come back for a three-peat next year!

Why did the Alien jump out the window?

2009-02-25T18:52:00.001-05:00

Mom, why did the Alien jump out the window?

Why, Owen?

Because he was hungry and he wanted to get some beer and the door was shut.

My Boys are Funny

2009-02-18T16:02:00.003-05:00

My boys are funny. They take after their dad. He makes me laugh every single day, and his boys are following in his footsteps.

Two recent quips that caused me to guffaw.

Owen - while at a restaurant and needing to go the bathroom..."My penis is going to EXPLODE!"

Liam - upon returning home from school he came into my office, and I was all done up because we were expecting company soon..."MOM! Where are you going tonight?!? Because YOU look TIGHT!"

Oh, these boys. It's good to have laughter in my life.

For this, I am thankful.

Disturbing

2009-02-16T10:24:00.004-05:00

On Friday, Jordyn went to the 7th/8th grade Valentine's Day dance.

She said she felt a little out of place because she and her friend Chelsea were some of the only ones wearing jeans. The rest of the people were "dressed up like it was prom".

In 7th & 8th grade?

Well, it just so happens that I went to high school with Annette, who is now married to the vice principal at Jordyn's Middle School. Her husband was a chaperone at the dance.

Now, even though Annette and I haven't "spoken" since, oh, I don't know, 1990, 1992, or 1994, it doesn't matter, because we are "Facebook Friends".

After the dance, Annette wrote the following on my Facebook wall:

my hubby came home after the dance last night and said that jordyn was one of the "nice" girls at the dance... lots of bumping and grinding... hope that it cheers you up to know you have a good girl in the eyes of other adults!!! she sounds like a sweetie!

Wow, Jordyn hadn't mentioned anything to ME about the bumping and grinding. So I thought I'd probe her about the subject.

Me - "Jordyn, I heard you were one of the 'nice' girls at the dance last night."
Jordyn - "What do you mean?"
Me - "Well, I heard that you weren't doing any of that bumping and grinding and stuff."
***and then the floodgates opened***
Jordyn - "Oh, Mom, you should have seen it. There was this one couple, 7th graders!! who were acting like they were married. They were so close you could barely slip a piece of paper between them!! It was SO disturbing."

I had to chuckle at her use of the word disturbing. It's nice to know that, even though she is a little bit boy crazy, that this type of behavior still disturbs her.

So, I told Annette about Jordyn's use of the word "disturbing". Her reply?

she and jeff must be on the same wave length!!! he started the conversation
with... "man there was some distrubing behavior at the dance tonight..." he also mentioned the girl on girl behavior... i know i am getting old but i honestly don't remember that in 7/8th grade, do you? some girls know how to get all the attention!! you are so lucky that your daughter thinks more of herself!

Well, Katy Perry must have kicked the door wide open on the whole girl on girl action. I think I'll leave that subject alone for now.

Yes, for now, I really am pleased that Jordyn thinks more of herself than to engage in such disturbing behavior.

And, I'm glad I've got a fly on the wall in the halls of the middle school to report back Jordyn's activities. Hopefully, that fact alone will keep her in line. At least for the time being.

25 Random Things

2009-02-09T12:22:00.004-05:00

My 25 random things, which took me 25 hours to complete.

My family and friends are my anchor and my wings.
I’m a blogger. (I have 3 blogs, YES, three.) If you ever read one of them, leave me a comment! I love getting comments on my blogs.
I’m a blog reader. I read about a dozen blogs from different girlfriends, almost 20 scrapbook blogs, and a handful of blogs about parenting. I rarely leave comments on these blogs (with the exception of my girlfriends’).
I am not passionate about my job and that makes me sad. I would like to get paid to do something that brings me great joy.
I am, however, thankful that I have a job. A very good job. Very thankful.
After nine years of orthodontia and jaw surgery, to boot, my teeth are still crooked. I begged my orthodontist to remove my braces before my senior year of high school (I had worn braces for 4 years at that point). He agreed but made my parents sign a waiver that the braces were coming off before he had finished with my teeth (so we wouldn’t go back and sue him, or whatever).
I always thought my teeth had gotten straightened enough, but in the last couple of years, their crookedness has started to bother me and now I want to get them re-straightened…but not at the same orthodontist. I couldn’t stand that guy.
My teeth were really, REALLY messed up to begin with. And as my kids’ adult teeth start to come in, one of my fears is that they’ll get my teeth and have to go through the same orthodontia hell that I went through.
I blame my bad teeth on the fact that my maternal grandparents were cousins. Not first cousins, or anything, geesh. But cousins, nonetheless.
I have a recurring nightmare that all of my teeth crumble and fall out. And when I wake up from that nightmare, I'm always afraid that it actually happened this time.
ENOUGH with the teeth already!
I love musicals and cheesy show tunes.
I love scrapbooking and preserving my family’s memories. Some people might think it’s dumb, but when a scrapbook that you’ve made for someone brings tears to their eyes or a beaming smile to their face, it’s the best feeling in the world.
I don’t get it when people say that they’re bored. Someone once told me that only boring people get bored. I believe that. And, I am never, ever bored.
I drink water. I’m not into pop all that much, or tea, or lemonade, or flavored water, and never coffee. blech. Just give me plain ol’ water. H.two.O.
If I’m not drinking water, I’m drinking wine. Red or White. Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite red and Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite white.
I wear my mom’s high school class ring every day. It makes me feel like she’s always with me.
My parents are as close to perfect as they come. They love and respect each other, they are honest and hardworking, and they would give you the shirt off their backs, even if they needed the shirt more than you did.
Ditto for my in-laws.
I’m addicted to lip balm. Whether it’s my Cherry Chapstick, or my Burt’s Bee’s Champagne Lip Shimmer, or my Cranberry Lip Shimmer from The Body Shop, I can not get enough of it.
I can not concentrate or relax in a messy environment. In order to work I have to have a clean desk, an organized email inbox, a list of things to do. In order to relax, I have to have the living room tidy, the kitchen in order, toys put away, etc.
I love to laugh and have a good time. Laughter is as essential as air.
My husband makes me laugh every day.
If I could go back to high school, I would be a nicer person and spend more time with my girlfriends. Life’s too short to spend it being mean and wasting it on silly boys. I give this advice to my 13 year old daughter every day. I hope she listens to me.
I donate blood on a regular basis. You should, too.
I’m not easily offended. As such, I rarely censor what I say, forgetting that some people out there ARE easily offended. If I’ve offended you in the past, get over it. It wasn’t intentional.
After my boys get into a particularly bad fight with one another, I make them hug, look into each other’s eyes, and say “Brothers Forever, Friends for Life.” I hope they always remember this and truly take it to heart.

So, I can't count.

Don't Bother Her

2009-02-08T13:25:00.002-05:00

Last night at dinner Owen had a toy at the table.

Kevin told him to put the toy down... "By the time I count to 3 that toy better not be in your hands, OneTwo" before he could get to three, Owen had thrown the toy on the floor. Kevin continued "You know better than that. That's one of my biggest rules. No toys at the dinner table."

Then Liam piped up, "Dad, has like 79,000 rules."

Which I thought was pretty funny. So I said, "Liam, who has more rules, me or Dad?" Thinking this was my opportunity to shine as the COOL parent.

Liam replied, "Dad has more rules, for sure. Mom only has one rule."

"I only have one rule? What's my one rule?" I asked, pretty intrigued.

"Don't bother her," he responded with out even looking up from his plate of pork and potatoes.

I nearly spit out my wine I was laughing so hard. I mean, LOL funny. Laugh. Out. Loud.

Kevin got a kick out of that answer, too, and has had fun teasing me about being a fair-weather parent. Which, of course, isn't true. But funny nonetheless.

How to get hugs from your 13 year old.

2009-02-05T12:43:00.004-05:00

Tuesday night I did this scrapbook layout of Jordyn.

I left it out on my scrapbook table in the office.

When I got home from work yesterday, Jordyn came running to the door to greet me with a big hug.

"Oh, mom! I saw what you made in your office and I LOVE it! Those baby pictures of me are SO cute!!" Hug Hug Hug.

Who knew that expressing your feelings with pictures, paper, and a few embellies could have such an impact. Hmm.

Just one more reason why I 'crapbook.

Bad Words in People's Names

2009-02-03T19:41:00.005-05:00

As Liam was filling out his Valentine's cards for class, he came across one of the kids whose last name was Bichon.

He points to it and says, "Mom, I always thought Paul's* last name was a bad word." (*first name changed to protect the innocent.)

I had to laugh because I could see where he would think Bichon was pronounced Bitchin'. Who knows, maybe that IS how it's pronounced, but I'm thinking maybe it's something like Beeshawn.

Then he goes down the class list a little more and confidently declares. "Mom, Cassidy's name has a bad word in it."

Sigh. "Yes, Liam. It does."

So, should I be proud that Liam can spell and figure these things out? Or should I be disappointed that he roots out the bad words in people's names?

He'll be excited to learn that his mom's maiden name has a bad word in it, too. He'll figure that out soon enough.

It's not my bed time yet

2009-01-31T23:36:00.004-05:00

Usually, on the weekends, we let the boys stay up until 10:00 or 11:00. It just depends on what we've got going on.

Well, tonight we had nothing going on. But, they had a late night yesterday spending the night at their cousins' house and tomorrow is going to be a long party day for the Superbowl, so I put them to bed around 8:30, and by the time we were done reading books, it was about 8:55.

Not even 5 minutes after I kissed them goodnight and left their bedroom, Owen appeared in my office to explain to me that it wasn't their bed time yet. His visual explanation cracked me up, so I recorded his closing argument for all of you to share. (his original argument did not have all of my "prompts", so it was much funnier the first time around)

Not God's House

2009-01-29T14:30:00.004-05:00

Owen- Mom, da chapel upstairs at tool is not God's house.
Me- The chapel at school is NOT God's house?
Owen- No, it's not God's house.
Me- Well, then where is God's house?
Owen- Da whole entire eart. Actually, outside a da eart.
Liam- You mean outerspace?
Owen- Yep, da entire space. All of it. Dat's God's house.

Wow, this kid thinks about God a LOT.

A little birdie kawinkydink, er I mean Quinkydink

2009-01-26T14:55:00.005-05:00

I have had birdseed in the bird feeder outside my office/scrap space window forever.

It was such a joy to watch birdies come and go all spring, summer, and fall. I literally filled up the feeder every couple of days between April and October.

And before it got really cold, I made sure to fill the feeder up so that the birdies wouldn't be hungry all winter. Poor little birdies.

Now, I know that here in Michigan, birds migrate south in the winter. But, I also know that not ALL birds get the heck out of frozen dodge during the winter which is why I have found it so very odd that I have had no feathered visitors to that feeder since late October.

None.

The feeder was just as full in January as it was in late October.

Until yesterday.

The birdies came back. Oh, boy! Did they come back!There were easily 30 birds in and around my feeder nearly all day and they ate nearly all the seed!

I was so super excited about this (exciting life, I know, don't be jealous) that I grabbed my camera and started snapping pics. The birds, I had decided would become that day's picture for my Project 365.

I was so super excited, in fact, that I took over 30 pictures.
Which is why, when I opened my fortune cookie from our lunch time Chinese carry-out, I thought it was a wild kawinkydink Quinkydink that the fortune had a Learn Chinese section and my Chinese word to learn was "Birds". Xiao-Niao. (Don't even try to read the fortune itself, that made no sense to me.)

Just a bit of a kawinkydink Quinkydink , don't ya think?

Did Santa make God?

2009-01-24T07:36:00.001-05:00

A quick Saturday morning conversation...

Owen- "Mom, did Santa make God?"
Me-"Uh, Nooooo."
Owen-"Oh. Did God make God? Was God already made?"
Me-"Yeaaaaah."
Owen-"Does God go pee?"

Now, really, how do you answer that one?

That was TOTALLY Sick!

2009-01-22T20:12:00.003-05:00

We were driving in the car today when, out of the blue Liam busts out, "That was TOTALLY Sick!"

"Mom, Do you even know what that means?"

Does he think I'm an idiot?

"Yes, Liam, it means it's good."

"Yep! It was totally Sick! Totally Wicked! Totally Rad!"

Who is this kid?

A minute or two of silence, and then out of the blue, this.

"We missed the Rocheter lights this year."

OK, Liam, that was last month, and this is the first time you mention the fact that we didn't go to Rochester to see the light show is today, near the end of January?!?! "I know we did. We'll go this year."

"Mom, I wish I had a remote control that could rewind time and we could go see the Rochester lights right now."

"Now THAT, Liam, would be TOTALLY Sick!"

The Usual

2009-01-21T21:34:00.006-05:00

In between interviews today (yes, less than a week of being laid off, Kevin has already had 2 face to face interviews and several phone conversations with various people....there IS hope!) Anyway, in between interviews today, Kevin came and picked me up from work to take me to lunch rather than go home in between the interviews (both of which were in Southfield, so it didn't make sense for him to drive all the way home, anyway.)

Back in the day when Kevin and I both worked at Delphi, we used to go to this restaurant at least once a week. Orchid Cafe, yummy Thai food. And every week, I would order the same thing.

C9 Chicken Medium, minus broccoli, plus white onions.

I ordered it so often, that I'm surprised they didn't just change the menu to my specifications.

And Kev almost always ordered

C9 Chicken Medium (no special requests, because that's way too high maintenance for him. He doesn't share the Burger King philosophy that you can have it your way....not even AT Burger King!)

And almost every week, the same waitress or two would wait on us and they came to know what we wanted. All they would have to say is "The Usual?"

Well, we haven't been to this restaurant together in almost two years. But today we went. And there was the same waitress.

And she said, "Haven't seen you two in here in a long time. The Usual?"

It had been so long, that I had kind of forgotten what the usual was. So I was looking at the menu and located C9 just as the waitress was saying "C9, Chicken Medium, minuuuuuus broccoli, plus white onions."

Wow.

Yes, the usual.

Some Owen Funnies

2009-01-19T22:53:00.004-05:00

I know I've said this before, but Owen cracks us up constantly. Here are a couple of snippets of conversations...just from today.

ONE:
O-"Dad, do you have snowpants?"
K-"No, Owen. I don't have snowpants."
O-"Do you have a snow board?"
K-"Nope. No snow board."
O-"Well, do you have a sled?"
K-"Uh-Uh."
O-"Do you have a house?"
K-"Yes, Owen. Two of 'em."
O-"You have TWO houses?!?!" maniacal giggles
K-"Yep."
O-"That's right, the OLD house and the NEW house."

Now, I can see the transition from snowpants to snow boards to sleds, however, I'm not sure how the leap to houses was made. Such is the train of thought for a four year old.

TWO:
As we were driving to Red Knapp's for dinner tonight, we passed Kalloway's, a local restaurant that recently closed down due to the economic shit storm we're currently in. Now, Kalloway's was always one of Owen's favorite places to go because they make a mean peanut butter and jelly sammich, so he is well aware that the venue has shut down. As we passed the restaurant today, a car pulled into its parking lot.

O-"WHAT is that car going to Kalloway's for?!?!? Don't they know it's CLOSED?! (slight pause)They must be robbers and they're going to steal everything...BWAHHHAAAAHHHAAA!!!!"
Liam-"Maybe they're someone who wants to buy the restaurant." (pretty smart idea for a 7 year old)
O-"Maybe they're just really hungry and they want to go eat there, but they don't know it's CLOOOOOOSED. BWAHHHAAAAHHHAAA!!!"

I guess the funniest part of the whole Kalloway's exchange was once again Owen's maniacal giggles. If I could just bottle up his laughter and take a sip from it every time I'm feeling down or pissed off, all would be right with the world. The money I could make selling his laughter to other people. It truly is infectious.

THREE:
While we were at dinner, the subject of smoking came up. I'm not sure why. I think Kev was joking around with Jordyn and asked her if she and her friends had been smoking all afternoon. Jordyn was aghast and exclaimed "Ewwwwwww! No WAY! Smoking's grooooooooos! I'm NEVER going to smoke!" Liam echoed her sentiments, "Me neither, that's disgusting!!" Owen was smiling (and giggling) and proceeded to say (somewhat to himself, which made it all the more funny)..."I'm smoking. I'm smoking all the time." And you know what? If any of our kids is gonna get drunk before they're legally allowed to, or high, or smoke, it will be Owen. He's the kid that likes to spin around and around and around and around to make himself dizzy. He LOVES that feeling.

Our maniacal, infectious Owen.

On the Road Again

2009-01-17T18:12:00.003-05:00

Heading over to Grand Rapids today for a post-Christmas Christmas party with Kev's mom's side of the family, Owen took my camera out of my computer bag and started taking pictures.

I think he was getting bored because the drive took longer than usual due to the extremely poor driving conditions (we saw TONS of cars in the ditch, one was even turned upside on its roof, scary).

O - "Mo-om, say chee-eeth!"

O- "Mom, it's your turn."

Mom- "Owen, say chee-eese!"

Mom- "Your turn again, O."

O- "Wia-ahh, say chee-eeth!"

O- giggle giggle giggle "Your turn, mom."

Mom- "Daa-ad, say chee-eese!" (he didn't say cheese or even look at the camera, and I was totally OK with that)
Mom- "Jordyn, say chee-eese!"
And that's how we passed our time on the way to GR. What I love about these pics is that they truly capture how we pass the time during the long drive.....

.....Kev driving. Liam playing DS. Me reading a scrapbook magazine. Jordyn listening to her iTouch. And Owen being a sweetie.

Good Times

2009-01-15T20:09:00.003-05:00

Every time I hear about someone getting laid off, I sing the Good Times theme song in my head. I can't help it.

Temporary lay offs. Good Times. (just this part)
Easy credit rip offs. Good Times.
Scratchin' and surviving. Good Times.
Hangin in a chow line Good Times.
Ain't we lucky we got 'em Good Times.

So, when Kevin was told on Wednesday that he would be laid off effective Friday, I sang this song in my head. (just that first part) And I couldn't believe I was singing it about us.

Not like a layoff is by any means shocking these days, and since he's been on the bench since October 1, we kind of expected it to happen sooner or later.

Turns out it was later than what the HR department had wanted, they wanted it to take effect on 12/30 but his direct manager got an extension hoping some work would materialize, (but it didn't).

It also turns out that it was sooner, considering the lay off took effect on Thursday (today) instead of Friday.

I had to give Nee Nee (our daycare lady, dear friend and the boys' second mom) a two week notice that our boys wouldn't be coming there any longer. (trickle down effect)

That phone call was really hard for me to make and I unexpectedly broke down in tears when I told her about our situation. She was the first person to whom I verbally delivered the news (I had already emailed a couple of people with no emotional melt down). But saying it out loud brought it into sharp reality.

We were feeling a bit down and out of sorts about the situation yesterday.

But today Kev found out he gets 4 weeks severance and nearly 3 weeks of vacation.

Good Times.

Then a former co-worker told him about a potential 6 month gig in the central US for which Kev would be a perfect fit, and he forwarded his resume.

Good Times.

Things were looking up.

Then I got this news from Nee Nee (our daycare lady, dear friend and the boys' second mom - in case you forgot).

She went to the local psychic here in town and whether or not you believe in that kind of stuff, you have to admit that the following exchange she had with the psychic was eerily coincidental.

Psychic - You work with children.
Nee Nee - Yes I do.
Psychic - What exactly do you do?
Nee Nee - You're the psychic! You tell me.
Psychic - It doesn't exactly work that way.
Nee Nee - I have a daycare.
Psychic - And "something big" recently happened there.
Nee Nee - Yes.
Psychic - Don't worry. The boy's father is very VERY good at what he does and he will find another job within the month. That little boy will be back in your care very soon.

Good. Times.

Ain't we lucky we got 'em?

Fixin' ta

2009-01-13T20:05:00.004-05:00

Hey, did you know that Barack Obama is fixin' ta assume the presidency of the United States?

That's what George W. Bush said in his LAST press conference as President of the United States yesterday...

(referring to a lunch he had earlier with Carter, Clinton, Bush Sr., himself, and Obama)... "we've all experienced what it means to assume the responsibility of the presidency. And President-Elect Obama is fixing to do that."

Yes, he used the phrase fixin' ta. In an official presidential press conference. His LAST presidential press conference. Fixin' ta.

Except the transcript of the press conference on whitehouse.gov was kind enough to add the "g" at the end of fixin' and to spell the word to with an "o". But I listened to it on NPR, and there was definitely no "g" in use by dubya, and he did not say to, he said ta.

Not that there's anything wrong with the southern phrase fixin' ta. Heck, my own roots is in the south, and I'm no stranger to the saying (not that I use it).

I just didn't expect to hear it in a presidential press conference.

That's all I'm saying.

Did I mention it was his LAST?

Now, if ya'll will excuse me, I'm fixin' ta scrap.

Birthday Deals

2009-01-11T17:47:00.002-05:00

Do you or does someone you know have a birthday coming up?

My mom found this list of restaurants that give away free stuff (and who doesn't like free stuff?!?) on or around your birthday. Too bad she sent me this list 23 days after my birthday, so I can't take advantage until the very end of this year.

Personally, I think December birthdays should be eligible to use these perks in May, because December is so gosh darn full of stuff...shopping, baking, kids' plays/concerts, ornament exchanges, cocktails with friends you haven't seen all year, family parties, etc. Who has the time/energy to go out and do much else in December? Even if it is free.

Hopefully you see this post before your birthday and you can take advantage very soon.

Some offers may require you to sign up for their birthday club in order to get sent a coupon/email of some sort...so check the website first.

If any information in this list is wrong, blame Bonnie. :)

Happy Birthday!

Old Country Buffet/Ryan’s/Fire Mountain – www.buffets.com
Birthday Offer – One Adult Buffet Meal Free w/Purchase of One Adult Buffet Meal
Offer Good for 7 days before and 7 days after birthday
(You also receive the same offer immediately just for signing up for cClub)

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers – www.redrobin.com
Birthday Offer – Free Gourmet Burger of Choice
Offer Good for 7 days before and 7 days after birthday

Culver’s – www.culvers.com
Birthday Offer – free one-scoop sundae
Offer good 7 days before and 7 days after

Dairy Queen – www.blizzardfanclub.com
Birthday Offer – Free 16 oz. Blizzard w/purchase of another 16 oz. Blizzard
Offer Good for 7 days before and 7 days after birthday

Mountain Jack’s – www.paragonsteak.com
Birthday Offer - $10 off Dinner for 2
Offer Good for 7 days before and 14 day after birthday

Famous Dave’s – www.famousdaves.com
Birthday Offer – Ranges from free dessert, appetizer, free meal or BBQ Feast (code on e-mail determines what you get – currently B10 is free dessert, B08 is free appetizer)
Offer Good 7 days before and 23 days after birthday

BD’s Mongolian Barbeque – www.gomongo.com
Birthday Offer – Free Stir-Fry Meal
Offer Good for 7 days before and 7 days after birthday

Topz Healthier Burger Grill – www.topzmi.com
Birthday Offer – Free Meal
Offer Good for 7 days before birthday

Cold Stone Creamery – www.coldstonecreamery.com
Birthday Offer – Free Love It size Signature Creation
Offer Good for 7 days before and 7 days after birthday

UNO Chicago Grill – www.unos.com
Birthday Offer - $10 off Dinner for 2
Offer Good for 7 days before and 14 day after birthday

Red Lobster – www.redlobster.com
Birthday Offer - $5 off two dinner entrees
Offer Good for 7 days before and 7 days after birthday

Zehnder’s in Frankenmuth – http://www.zehnders.com/new-site/promotions/index.htm
Birthday Offer - Free Family Style or 3-Piece Chicken Dinner (also free ornament from Bronner’s and discount coupon for Zehnder-owned stores)
Offer Good for month of your birthday

Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth – http://www.guestmanagementsystem.com/bavinn_GMS/admin/addwebsiteopt-in.asp
Birthday Offer – Free Family Style Dinner w/purchase of 1 Family Style Dinner
Offer Good for month of your birthday

Baskin Robbins – www.baskinrobbins.com
Birthday Offer – Free 2.5 oz scoop plus discount coupon on cake
Offer Good five days before your birthday

Buddy’s Pizza - www.buddyspizza.com
Birthday Offer – Free 4-square cheese pizza or credit on bigger pizza(also $5 coupon for signing up)
Offer Good – month of birthday

Johnny Rockets – www.JohnnyRockets.com
Birthday Offer – Free Hamburger w/purchase of another sandwich, starter & drink Offer Good for 30 days after your birthday

Qdoba Mexican Grill – www.qdoba.com
Birthday Offer – Free signature burrito w/purchase or burrito or entrée
Offer Good for 7 days before and 7 days after your birthday

Macaroni Grill – www.macaronigrill.com
Birthday Offer – Free piece of Chocolate Cake
Offer Good 7 days before and 30 days after your birthday

Tropical Smoothie Cafe – http://www.tropicalsmoothie.com/flash/index.cfm
Birthday Offer – Free Tropical Smoothie
Offer Good 7 days after your birthday

TIPS FOR UTILIZING DEALS
- To protect your main e-mail address, sign up for a free Internet-based e-mail account (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) to use for commercial offers
- Go to web site and look for sign up for eclub, birthday club, etc.
- Some sites also send wedding anniversary offers

ENJOY!

Jesus Could

2009-01-10T20:17:00.003-05:00

Today was our day (after the Christmas frenzy) to overhaul the playroom.

Four trash bags, a paper box full and some odds and ends for the garage sale (that we always say we're going to have and then never do) and another trash bag full of trash.

For the last several weeks, the play room closet (which is a walk in, and which is where most of the toys should stay corralled but never do) has smelled like piss.

With the holiday hoopla, my sickness the day after Christmas, then Kevin's sickness from New Year's Eve until a couple days ago, we haven't had the energy nor the time to investigate the stench.

As we were doing the overhaul, I found the lid to one of the kids big storage bins (you know the ones that are about knee high and about 2 feet wide by about 3 feet long), well the lid had some sticky weird science experiment on the top of it....that smelled like piss.

AH HA! The source.

Surely it was just some fermented juice, right?

I sprayed it down and wiped it clean. There. That's better.

Until I dumped the contents of the bin and still smelled the piss.

There, at the bottom of the bin was a bigger crusty mess and upon inspection, the contents of the bin (power rangers, rescue heroes, star wars figures, transformers) all smelled like piss and some were slightly coated.

This was not fermented juice. Someone took a leak in the boys' beloved heroes bin.

Sorry guys, this whole pile of toys has to be pitched. I am not gonna go through it and figure out which toys were peed on and which ones weren't.

They were a little sad but understood...and they certainly didn't want to play with pee toys.

I was wracking my brain trying to figure out who could have peed in one of our toy bins. All of the kids we have over are either big enough to know better or too little to know how to pee outside of their diapers.

I tried asking Owen if he knew who could have possibly peed in the toy bin? Did he do it?

O-It wasn't me, mom. It wasn't me.

Me-Well, then, who could have done it?

O-It could have been a baby.

Me-A baby? Like what baby? I asked, thinking maybe he knew something.

O-Jesus could.

Me-Jesus could? You think the baby JESUS peed in the toy bin?

O-Well, he could.

Somehow, I'm thinking not.

Connected to Kevin, Signal Strength Excellent

2009-01-10T09:03:00.003-05:00

Our home wireless network is called Kevin.

When I really looked at the connection status on my laptop this morning it made me smile at how very true this is...

Connected to: Kevin.

Signal Strength: EXCELLENT

Pink rabbits and rainbows and ponies

2009-01-07T21:48:00.004-05:00

Liam is a very dramatic child.

He gets worked up so easily over the littlest of things, constantly making mountains out of mole hills.

Dad locked me in my room all day! (Kevin sent him to his room once, for about 10 minutes)
Everybody's yelling at me all day long! Everyone hates me! (Me telling him to get his pajamas on. right. now. in the calmest of voices, albeit not in the most pleasant of tones)
Nobody gets it! Nobody understands! I AM trying my hardest to be good. I AM! You just don't get it. (this screeched in the whiniest of all whiny / screechy voices with his face all scrunched up and his hands flailing about)

So, he put on his pajamas and I got into my comfy clothes.

Maybe we don't get it. Obviously I don't get it because I never know what's going to set him off, and he goes off a lot.

Maybe this kid just needs a little one on one time tonight.

I went into his room, sat crossed legged on his bed and said, "What do you want to do?" He was a little taken aback and didn't get what I meant. "Me & You. Let's do something together." His first suggestion was to make some cards and practice his letters. HUH? "We could do that, or we could play a game." That sounded better to him and he suggested Battleship. "Yes, I know how to play Battleship." He went to the game closet and returned with Connect Four because he couldn't find Battleship. We easily played 20 rounds of Connect Four before switching to Junior Monopoly.

Just me & Liam.

And it was really nice. He wasn't whiny. He wasn't screechy. He didn't get worked up over anything (even though he lost every single game, and usually he's a sore loser...you see, I am NOT one of those parents who "lets" my kid win - unless they're four, and even then not very often).

After the games we discussed how nice it was for us to just play and that we should make family play dates more often. I definitely want to do more of that playing thing.

He was such an angelic child for the rest of the night.

As I was tucking him into bed, though, he started to tell me about a kid at the bus stop who always has to be first in line and takes cuts and it's not fair and getting worked up and up and up. Over nothing. So I told Liam in my wispiest and hippiest of all voices, "You know what man? Just let it go. You need to learn to just let it all gooooooo. Ain't no thang but a chicken wang, man."

And that's when he said it. "Yep, You know what? I will let it go. I will let it go to Wonderful Land ... full of pink rabbits and rainbows and ponies. I'll let it go to wonder land with pink clouds. Yep, that's where it can all go."

So, I'm not sure if I should be happy that I was able to diffuse his quickly shortening wick or if I should be worried about the pink rabbits and rainbows and ponies.

At least he's got someplace where he can send all of his troubles. Wonderful Land.

Just let it go.

Blogging Saved My Scrapbook Page

2009-01-06T23:50:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I started working on a layout of Jordyn's 12th birthday - Dec 2007. And tonight I finished it. YAY!

I'm working on a birthday album for each kid, and I'm working my way backwards through their birthdays. Since I haven't scrapped any of their birthdays, I've got a lot of work to do!

As I was putting the page together, I remembered that the family came to visit me in NJ / NYC a couple of days before her birthday, and they went back to Michigan before her birthday. I remembered that I wasn't home on THE DAY of her birth nor was she in NJ / NYC with me on the day of her birth.

Surely scrapping a page about us shopping and theatre-ing in NYC would suffice as her birthday layout, right?

It didn't feel right. There had to have been something more to her birthday celebration ON her birthday.

And there was!

Blogging saved my scrapbook page.

Birthday in New York (pardon the flash on the photo).

DOUBLE:

LEFT: RIGHT:

Project 365 Giveaway

2009-01-06T15:53:00.002-05:00

Like thousands and thousands of scrapbookers around the world, a couple of my friends desperately wanted to purchase the Project 365 kit of the month. Unfortunately, the kit sold out in record time, crashed the company's servers (or whatever), and thousands were sadly (and sometimes very angrily) left empty handed and disappointed, unable to order a kit (my friends included).

I entertained the idea of buying the kit myself, but didn't log in to order it until 2 hours after the sale began....which was about an hour and 52 minutes too late.

That hasn't stopped me from taking a picture every day, though. Yeah, OK, it's only day 6, and so what if Monday's picture was taken at 12:35 am...which was technically Tuesday...I still counted it as a Monday picture since I hadn't gone to bed yet and my day wasn't officially over.

The concept of Project 365 is to take at least one picture a day to record your family's daily life and the kit has all sorts of gizmos and whizbangs to help you do that.

So, I thought I'd give this 365 photo thing a shot, even if I don't have the kit.

What's that you say? You don't have the kit either? Well, you have the chance to WIN one!!!

Would you believe that some generous person who was able to purchase this coveted kit of all kits, I'd dare say the HOLY GRAIL of kits, and she is GIVING IT AWAY in a contest on her blog instead of selling it on eBay for twelve thousand dollars?!?

Shocking, I know.

Check it out....and good luck!

My Scrapping Resolution

2009-01-05T01:20:00.006-05:00

So, my only resolution this year was to scrapbook more.

My friend, Tina is going to start some sort of scrapbooking group / challenge blog type thing where everyone has to create and post one lay out per week. That might not sound like a lot to you non-scrappers, but to my Scrappin Sistas, you know how challenging that can be.

So far this year I've created two layouts. And I created two layouts after Christmas (before the end of 2008).

So, in the last 9 days, I've created FOUR layouts.

All of them are for my kids' birthday albums. I am WELL on my way to keeping my one and only New Year's resolution. (Pardon the poor photo quality, it's after 1 am and I'm just a wee bit tired)...

13...

Sweet Thirteen...

Jedi Liam...

Private Party...now, this one I made with Liam. He picked the color card stock papers, he had the idea to use those "wave" scissors (but I tore the paper instead and he agreed it still looked like a wave), and it was his idea to cut out rocks to use as a border around the campfire photos at the bottom (to mimic our stone fire pit on the beach). Honestly, I'm not thrilled with this layout and I should probably do something to take it to the next level. But the important thing is that I've captured the memory. And that's what it's all about for me.

For some reason, my boys always want to scrapbook with me (or, "crapbook" as Owen calls it). I understand now why Kevin hesitates to let the boys go fishing with him. These are our own little hobbies that we each want to enjoy...in peace. I don't want to help you find your scissors or fix every rock that you just cut out or answer a bazillion questions. You're boys. Go wrestle, or something, and let me scrap in peace!

And here's the best part about 'crapbooking, imo...

Good thing I didn't have "get more sleep" as one of my new year's resolutions. Because "scrapbook more" and "get more sleep" can not co-exist in my world. It's nearly 2am and I have to be up at 5am tomorrow (so I can work out before going to work...the only reason "exercise more" and "get more healthy" aren't resolutions this year is because, supposedly, they are both already part of my lifestyle change that I embarked on this past August). Oy.

Good Night.

So What

2009-01-05T00:15:00.003-05:00

On Friday some girlfriends from high school and I got a hotel room at the MGM Detroit for a night out on the town.

We arrived in the D a little after 3pm. There were only supposed to be 2 of us in the room, but they didn't say anything when all 5 of us showed up with enough bags for 12 people...my girlfriends had to have multiple going out wardrobe options, don'tchaknow. Me? I brought one outfit. My trusty $17 dress purchased a couple of weeks ago at Kohl's. Thank you very much Daisy Fuentes.

As Lori was checking in, she told the front desk clerk that she was here to have a romantic weekend. The rest of us were all keeping our distance from the registration desk, lest we be discovered...except for Heidi. Heidi sidled up next to Lori, sporting a bottle of wine in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other, to give Lori the luggage valet tag. Lori was cracking up inside and Heidi was none the wiser. Had Heidi known what conversation had just transpired (about the whole romantic weekend), she probably would have kissed Lori on the cheek and squeezed her ass.

Not sure why the hotel room overnight maximum was only 2 people, though, since our suite was approximately 1,000 square feet.

Anyhoo, we relaxed in the room a bit before getting ready. Much laughter. A few beverages. Some dancing. Some pseudo-karakoeing. Lots of wardrobe changes and accessorizing. I may have only brought one dress, but I wore Aimee's necklace and Andrea's bracelet and earrings. I felt like we were in college or in our early twenties again.

We had 7:30 dinner reservations at Bourbon Steak, so we wanted to get to the casino for a little bit beforehand.

I don't gamble. It's just not fun for me to lose money at a blackjack table that I'd rather use for, oh, I don't know...another glass of wine, perhaps. So, while Heidi & Andrea found a table (it wasn't easy, the casino was pretty crowded); Aimee, Lori, and I went to the Casino bar/loungey area.

Some stranger stopped our gorgeous Lori and asked her if he could give her some money to gamble with. Uh, no thanks.

Our dinner was FABULOUS. No one could really decide what to order, so we did things tapas style. We shared a bunch of appetizers...

BIBB WEDGE SALAD - BACON, AVOCADO, OREGON SMOKEY BLUE
CRAB LOUIE LETTUCE CUPS - PEEKYTOE CRAB, AVOCADO, SPICY LOUIE SAUCE
LOBSTER CORN DOGS - WHOLE GRAIN MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE
AHI TUNA POPPERS - GINGER, SCALLION, PONZU SAUCE
TRUFFLED MAC & CHEESE

MMM, I'm getting hungry just reminiscing about it. And, no, I didn't memorize the menu, I copied and pasted from their web site.

Then we all pitched in $20 for Heidi to play at the Craps table where she knew the pit boss guy. I had NO idea what was going on. I tried to follow what was happening, couldn't do it. How do you know if you won? How do you know when to let someone else roll the dice? I was utterly confused.

Fortunately, it didn't take her long to lose all of our money (shocking, I know).

By then it was time to shake our money makers (a brief stint at a couple of clubs) before heading back to the hotel where more merriment and dancing and uber silly goofiness occurred. I slept through most of the hysterical hotel room jackassery, however, (hello, it was 2 am people!)

Had a BLAST with these girls. Can't wait to do it again.

Do we start over tomorrow?

2009-01-01T19:32:00.003-05:00

That's what 4 year old Owen asked me yesterday as I was taking down the Christmas decorations.

"Mom, is Halloween next?"

"Well, Owen, Halloween won't be here for a long time."

"Oh. (long thoughtful pause) So, do we start over tomorrow?"

"Why yes we do, Owen. We start over tomorrow."

And that's what today feels like. Starting over. Fresh and new.

A new year.
New chances.
A clean slate.

I took the kids out to dinner tonight and explained to them the concept of New Year's resolutions. I told them that they were like promises to yourself about changing things in your life for the better.

So, I asked the kids to tell me what some of their resolutions were, and I wrote them on the Chili's kid menu in blue crayon.

Owen didn't really get the concept of a resolution. So his ideas were things like...go to the store more, buy more toys, open presents from Santa, go to Walmart (he's NEVER even been to a Walmart!)

Jordyn came up with a couple. The first was to go to church. Since I'm not huge on organized religion and there's no way on God's green earth we'd ever get Kevin to go to church, I wanted to understand this resolution of hers a little bit better. OK Jordyn, so what church? How are you going to get there? Why do you want to go to church? I wasn't asking her in a "you can't have this as one of you resolutions" tone, it was more of a genuinely curious tone. She couldn't really answer my questions and then decided that the thought of going to church actually made her nervous (she couldn't explain why...maybe it was all my questions), so she decided not to keep that one on the list.

The second one was to save her money. She has been blowing through her babysitting money as soon as she gets it. So, I thought this was a very interesting and responsible resolution for her to make.

Liam had no shortage of resolutions ideas. As a matter of fact, he was the first one to come up with one....RECYCLE. OK, good start. It might be hard to get dad on board with that, but recycling is something I already do, and if he wants to be more on board and in tune with that, I think that's great! Once he realized that he could have more than one resolution, he added "be nice to my brother and sister" to the list, which Jordyn promptly complained that she was JUST about to say that. I explained that it was perfectly OK for them to have some of the same resolutions. Just because Liam has it, didn't mean Jordyn couldn't also have it.

He also added these resolutions to the list. Write 'em down, mom!

eat healthy
be thankful to God
clean up
help each other

Then I decided that we needed to create a couple of family resolutions that we're all going to work on.

First and foremost, a moratorium on the word HATE. We all over-use this word, and I'm probably the biggest offender. I hate these shoes. I hate this show. I hate traffic. I hate snow. I hate how my butt looks in these jeans. So, no more hate. POSITIVITY.

Secondly, MANNERS. I think my kids are already pretty well-mannered, but it can't hurt to zoom in on the importance of having good manners.

As for me, personally, my only resolution this year is to focus on scrapbooking. I need to make it a priority and my first goal is to finish each of my kids' birthday albums by Owen's 5th birthday on April 25th. Owen has 2 of 4 birthdays scrapped, Jordyn has 1 of 13, and Liam has 0 of 7. So, that's 21 birthdays that I need to scrap in the next 4 months.

I better get cracking!

1200 Free Prints! WOW!!

2008-12-29T17:55:00.002-05:00

Check it out!!

Get 1200 FREE photo prints here.

I already signed up. 50 4x6 and 50 5x7 FREE every month.

What are you waiting for? Seems like a great deal to me!!

(Thanks Tina for the tip!)

The Christmas Concert & the Princess

2008-12-18T11:35:00.004-05:00

Tuesday night was Jordyn's holiday concert.

I never take good pictures at these things. I think I need a zoom lens, or a new camera. :P

At least I got some pictures taken at home afterwards that were decent.

The concert included songs from the 6th grade choir, instructed by their teacher from Egypt, so they didn't sing anything CHRISTMASY...and some of their songs weren't even festive or wintery at all, but more about having music in your heart...which is nice, but hardly suitable for a Holiday Concert.

The 7th grade choir, Jordyn's choir, directed by the very musically appreciative Mrs. Flynn, had the best songs by far...I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas; Christmas Canon; Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow; and Carol of the Bells.

The 8th grade choir did some parts of Handel's Messiah. Classic, but not what I think of when I think of Christmas.

It was nice that my sister Shawn, and nieces Bailey, & Bella came to the concert with us and then came back to the house afterwards (a rendezvous orchestrated by Bella & Owen).

While they were visiting with us, Owen, Liam, & Bella went up to the playroom. Suddenly, Liam started screaming, and yelling, and downright howling. Bella came running down the hallway and looked down upon us in the living room. We asked her what was going on with the boys...because clearly something was wrong.

She started to explain, "Well, Liam & Owen were wrestling and I was being a princess, and..."

Well we didn't hear the rest of her explanation because I busted up laughing. I LOVE my Princess Bella. But her being a princess did not seem (to me) to be an integral part of the explanation for Liam's howling.

Oh, little girls. So much easier than little boys....(at least at this age).

A Piece of Work

2008-12-16T16:41:00.004-05:00

Owen is a complete piece of work.

The other day, he dressed himself.

Christmas sweater? Check.
Thomas the Tank Engine shorts? Check.
Halloween socks, complete with jack-o-lantern pom-poms put on backwards? Check.

And recently, he has been creating pieces of work that he meticulously tapes up all around the house. Doors, walls, his bed, my desk.

Such a piece of work.

Roll on, Roll on Roller Coaster

2008-12-14T20:48:00.007-05:00

Last year, turning 35 REALLY bothered me.

It just seemed so......OLD. As in, Half-way to 70.

This year, I'm at peace with turning another year older. And even though 36 is now officially closer to 40 than it is to 30, I'm OK with it.

Because, in my head, I will forever be 27.

And this year, I had a really good birthday.
~~~
It started with birthday drinks and fondue with these sexy bitches at the Union on Thursday. Oh, the topics of conversation and the laughter and the drinks and the percentagely of it all.

~~~

Friday brought the annual Glenmoor Gals ornament exchange and since we were also celebrating Patty's birthday on the 12th along with mine on the 13th, at 12:01 am (when I happened to glance at the clock JUST as it became the 13th I exclaimed "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!") - and Domonique busted out the snowman shaped egg nog pound cake that she had made and the gals sang us a lovely Happy Birthday song. These gals are great, and they are all older than me. :P

~~~

Then, on Saturday morning, my actual birthday, my boys busted into my bedroom in the morning as I was making the bed (I know, I know, who bothers making their bed on their birthday? Especially while nursing a hangover from the night before?! I'm just wild and crazy like that, I guess) - they busted into my room bearing these gifts and singing a hysterical (and loud) version of Happy Birthday.

Owen was the "cha cha cha" guy, and as usual, couldn't stop giggling. I SO wanted to videotape them and I almost had them re-enact it, but I had too much to do and needed to get going with my day. Anyway, WHERE these kids got the two loonies to accompany their works of art, I have no idea. Kevin doesn't know either. Maybe they hit the casinos in Windsor while we thought they were in bed sleeping the night before. You never know with these two.

~~~~

The celebration continued that evening when Kev & I met the Petoskeys at swanky Jon Marx before we went bowling (not-so-swanky).

And our good bowling friends, Ron & Cheryl (super cute couple), sent over a Red Hatted Santa shot (who happens to be cousins with the Red Headed Slut). It was delish.

I'm still having a good time.

Roll on, roll on roller coaster.

The Baby Trucks

2008-12-11T09:16:00.005-05:00

Occasionally Owen gets on these kicks where he wants Kevin and me to have another baby...actually TWO babies. A boy and a girl.

It's not beyond the realm of possibility for me to have another baby since neither Kevin's nor my factory is closed. And I am only 35 (yes, I KNOW I'll be 36 in a couple of days, but please let me treasure these last moments of being equidistant to 30 and 40....soon enough I'll be closer to 40, OK?!? Uggh.)

And sometimes we feed into his baby kicks by asking the kids what we should name the baby if we have another one and which room should they baby have. This sort of talk really gets Jordyn's knickers in a twist, so sometimes it's just fun to play it up simply to watch her revolting teenagery responses.

Well, last night, Owen was on a baby kick of all baby kicks.

He even cut out a picture of a little mat/baby gym thing from the Toys R Us ad and brought it to me. "Here mom, the babies will like this."

Then he asked me, "Are there baby trucks?"

Me-"Baby trucks?"

O-"Yeah, when is our babies going to come on the baby trucks?"

Me-"Well, babies don't come on trucks, honey."

O-"Can we call now for our babies to come?"

Me-"Call for our baby?"

O-"Yeah, who do we call? Is that how you do it?"

Me-"Oh no, sorry honey, I don't have the number. Your dad has the number, go ask him."

And he went running off to ask Kevin for the number.

Yeah, I think we should squash this fantasy pretty quick.

Have a good day at work

2008-12-08T13:53:00.002-05:00

On the days that I actually GO to work (sometimes I work from home) Liam always tells me to "have a good day at work".

It just warms my heart.

And then I reply, "Thanks, have a good day at school."

Not sure where his thoughtfulness comes from, but I'm glad it's there.

Detroit is Beautiful

2008-12-05T13:42:00.004-05:00

Being born and raised in Detroit's 'burbs, I have developed a protective love for the "D".

Whenever someone bad-mouths it, I get offended and am saddened that the city is not what it once was, even though "what it once was" is not something I have any direct memories of it being, since those days existed before I was even born.

I surely don't know ALL of Detroit. I know it on the periphery...season tickets to the Tigers, season tickets to the Fisher including performances at the Gem and Masonic, a handful of Red Wings games, many trips to the Fox, a brief stint at Wayne State University, a time or two visiting the DIA or the Detroit Opera House, a couple of months working at the Renaissance Center, a couple of trips to the International Auto Show, getting lost at Cobo Hall when I was 5, and things like that. Heck, I've never even been to Eastern Market, (although I hear great things about it)...so I don't claim to know Detroit intimately.

But, I still love it as if I knew it inside out. And I long for it to thrive.

Certainly the trouble (o.k. the enormously deep shit) that the Big 3 are in doesn't provide a bright outlook for the city. And that makes me very, very sad.

For those of you who, like me, love the "D", (and even for those that don't), check out this guy's photography of our city posted on flickr. I started going through the collection entitled "Detroit is Beautiful", and can't wait to find time to sort through the rest of his Detroit collections.

These photos simultaneously evoke my feelings of love and sadness for this city.

I pray that it once again will thrive.

The extra-special December continues

2008-12-04T23:43:00.003-05:00

Tonight it was Owen's pick for our Christmas-y / winter-y family countdown to Christmas activity.

He picked "listen to Christmas music". So, after returning from dinner at Bdubs, we popped in the Rockin Around the Christmas tree CD, made some break & bakes, and ate them ooey-gooey fresh out of the oven with a little bit of milk. Aaahhhh.

I'm really loving this December.

I was going back through some old blog posts and came upon one where I talked about my feelings LAST December.

Last year was lonely and I only really got to experience the season on the weekends when I was home.

I'm so glad I get to enjoy the holidays with my friends and family this year...every single day of the season.

This December truly is extra-special.

You'll poke your eye out

2008-12-03T20:50:00.001-05:00

I was browsing through some blogs when Liam came into my office. I was commenting on one of my friends' blogs when he saw a familiar face on the computer screen...my friend Amy's son Carson...who also happens to be one of Liam's best buds.

So he insisted I click on it. It was a Youtube video of Carson singing along to Singstar.

"Mom! Mom! I want to be on Youtube! Take a video of me being funny and send it to Amy!"

So, I did. And here it is.

If there was ever any doubt that we descended from apes, this clears it up.

Delicate Snowflakes

2008-12-03T15:49:00.003-05:00

As part of our daily December calendar activity, Jordyn got to pick what to do last night (each kid will get their turn to pick). The rule is that the activity has to be Christmas-y or winter-y.

At first, she thought about going sledding, but it's too dark (and cold) to do that after dinner.

Then she decided she wanted us all to go out for dessert. While that would have been a fun thing to do, it didn't really follow the "rules".

So, I gave her some more guidelines, "Jordyn, pick a Christmas movie, a Christmas book to read, or a Christmas craft."

She chose a craft (more work for me, but hey, it's all in an effort to make December that much more special). "Ok, so what craft do you want to make?" I asked.

"Let's make snowflakes!"

Wow, I haven't made paper snowflakes in forever. As a matter of fact, I sort of forgot how. Fortunately, Kevin (of all people!) recalled the proper paper folding technique and all was well with the world. And we went about creating the most beautiful, delicate, white paper snowflakes.

Just as delicate as the snowflakes, however, is Liam's emotional state.

He ended up having a melt down because his snowflakes weren't any good (according to him). So, that translated into nobody liking him, and he went to bed in tears.

Not EXACTLY how I had intended the extra-special December evening to pan out, but that's my little drama queen for ya.

Fortunately he woke up today in a good mood. I think he was just tired.

Anyway, the snowflakes turned out quite nicely and they look spectacular and festive gracing the sidelight windows by our front door.

Now the inside of the window matches the outside of the window.

Snow.

And the winner is....

2008-12-03T08:00:00.003-05:00

The Stouts...First Christmas Card of the season.

Did I mention how much I love Christmas? Send me your cards, PEOPLE! :)

Thanksgiving Envy - an oxymoron?

2008-12-02T15:01:00.010-05:00

I'm very envious of this lady's decorating ability. Next Thanksgiving, I want my kitchen table to look just like hers.

(Seriously, click on the link and let me know if you are as utterly amazed and as thoroughly envious as I am.)

We're both Heathers. It's within the realm of possibility that my house might look like hers next Thanksgiving, right? I mean, I've got an entire year to plan for it and purchase the necessary items, how hard could it be? Granted, she's some sort of textile designer and a master seamstress and crafter, but I've got skillz, too, man. Or, at least I TRY to have skillz.

Instead, my Thanksgiving table looked like this...
Not even a tablecloth! For Shame!! And certainly no silk fall leaves adorning the adorably slip covered chairs. What was I thinking?!?

and this...

At least the boys' table had a table cloth and matching cloth napkins. Oooh! Oooh! Don't forget the pumpkin centerpiece!! Nice touch, dontchathink?

and this... Now, I must admit that while the girls' table does have a table cloth, it certainly needs to be pressed and it is certainly NOT festive. At. All. And they had a centerpiece pumpkin not sure where it went, but there was a pumpkin at one point! I try. I try.

and this...
Poor Jordyn and Bailey are relegated to eating at the counter. No table cloth, no placemats, no pumpkin, not even a BACK to their stools. Sorry girls.

But, look, I did adorn these special cream soda bottles with a cute little label and ribbon for each of the kids and then put them in a cute copper tub. I thought that was kind of special. But really, during the holidays (and at all times, I gues) it's not the decorations you surround yourself with (although, I do really love, love, love them), it's the people you surround yourself with that matter. And here are my peeps.

Let the Countdown Begin!

2008-12-01T17:48:00.005-05:00

I love Christmas.

I just absolutely love this time of year.

I love the songs, and the lights, and the decorations, and the presents, and the festivities. All of it. I love, love, LOVE it.

And I love the fact that I already put my Christmas cards in the mail (this morning). All 143 of these handmade goodies. Yes, I stayed up until 2am last night putting the finishing touches on them (even though I started them in October) and signing & addressing & stamping them, but it was worth it. One of my biggest holiday projects has been checked off the to-do list.

And the shopping? I FINISHED all of that on Black Friday and the subsequent Blacker Saturday (Santa Bucks, baby!), with the exception of 6 presents - 4 of which are gift cards. AND everything that I've bought is already wrapped (gift bagged - same thing) and under the tree (or in Santa's workshop...a.k.a. in hiding).

And last night I made up one of these countdwon to Christmas calendars. I made one of these two years ago and Jordyn requested that I do it again this year (seeing as how I'm home this December instead of in NJ every week, like last year!) So, of course I obliged. I'm glad she remembered this calendar and enjoyed it enough to ask me to do it again. It's our way of making December extra special as we count down to the big day. We do something Christmas-y or winter-y on every day of the month leading up to Christmas Eve and Day.

Let the COUNTDOWN begin!

And, OK, when the snow is this gorgeous, sometimes I love that, too. However, it would make me extra special happy if it would all melt away on January 1st. I would just love, love, LOVE that!

The CHERISHED Life of Heather Leigh

Little Things

Food Inc. Friday - Waste Not

Food, Inc. Friday - The lesser of evils

Food, Inc. Friday

I'm no Yogi, but I AM a Varti

A Perspective on Distractions

O-WENsday Chill Pill

Rock in my pocket

My Eyes Are Always On You

What do you love about....

God put his hands on your shoulders way too soon

O-WENsday

What a difference 365 days make

Who's more pregnanter?

Two Things

Apparently we're getting two dogs soon

Sights and Sounds and Smells

Cherish

One More

Alive and Kicking

I'm Pregnant

My Five

Am I a Reject?

The Fall List - Progress

What...

10 things about me right now

Free Bird

Great Gypsy Escape

The Fall List

Empty bed

September

8

That's AMAAAAAZING

I don't know why

The List

I'm making my girl cheat on her husband.

Vitamin O

Life's a Shit Sandwich

The Creeper

Well, there's your answer

CAPKIRK

Be good for your mom this summer...

Feathered Friends - Rob

Feathered Friends - the Doctor

Go Ahead, Make My Day

Feathered Friends - Finn

Vitamin O

Feathered Friends - R-Dub

Vitamin O

Banana and a Peanut Butter Cookie and a Heap of love on Mother's Day

Vitamin O

Quarters for Gumballs

Cute or Creepy?

My OMEN is FIVE

Amazing Grace

Still

Habe you eber noticed?

My Hyena

Interview with my kids

Love Me Sexy Chili Master

Why did the Alien jump out the window?

My Boys are Funny

Disturbing

25 Random Things

Don't Bother Her

How to get hugs from your 13 year old.

Bad Words in People's Names

It's not my bed time yet

Not God's House

More God Questions

A little birdie kawinkydink, er I mean Quinkydink

Did Santa make God?

That was TOTALLY Sick!

The Usual

Some Owen Funnies

On the Road Again

Good Times

Fixin' ta

Birthday Deals