Cara's Creations

despeepable me

2011-03-24T19:49:00.004-04:00

it's true - it's my new obsession. i've seen it probably 30 times since christmas, easily.

so there was no other 'scene' that was more fitting for my peeps diorama than

despeepable me

i chose a scene in the lab....gru has talked to the minions about their successful venture stealing the Times Square Jumbotron and the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower (both the Las Vegas versions) and is plotting his next big mission - to build a rocket and steal the moon.

margo, edith and agnes find their way to the lab (agnes complete with unicorn, prior to its disintegration)

the minions around the water cooler...and the minions that must secure agnes a new 'baboy'...the blue prints for the rocket...the tubes that minions travel by....the circular room that the rocket launches from...

i thoroughly enjoyed making this diorama.

i will do it again.

just for fun

2011-03-24T18:45:00.007-04:00

it all started with jason sending me this link in an email:

a peeps diorama....of course. right up my alley.

the whole premise was very intriguing...create a scene (pop culture or whatnot) where the characters all had to be depicted with Peeps. Peeps have a long history with our family - while I know some will marvel at my creative use of them, others will strongly object to their waste, and for that, I apologize. but what better way to glorify the marshmallow?

if you read the fine print, we aren't eligible to win, but that wasn't going to stop me. i'm way past the deadline anyway.

while i constructed my diorama in my sleep, i mentioned it to a few people and posted a few comments on facebook...and the thing gained some momentum. there was no stopping it.

enter two snow days this week.

and peeps dioramas were born...all over our house.

let's start with molly's

not so much a diorama...but she is only four. it's titled "Easter Family"

and next, maya's...

titled "Family in Bedroom"

here we see her scene...

and the 'mom' laying in bed viewing the big screen TV (cleverly made of cardboard)

a swirl rug, and two peeps enjoying some good books (one is Harry Potter, the other is Kingdom Keepers). you'll also see a baby peep in a crib, with a babysitter nearby. don't miss the chandelier, also.

and then there's lilly's...

titled "Easter Peep House Party"

she decorated the back of her diorama

and here is her scene

notice the confetti in 'mid-fall' from the ceiling. drinks and a full candy dish on the table are sure to please all the peep party guests. and what could be more festive than balloons.

stay tuned for my creation.

the first campaign

2011-01-06T11:07:00.002-05:00

i started it - 'armchair activism 2011'

our first charity is charity: water
(notice i use the word 'our' - cause this is a group effort, remember?!?)

please visit their website here and you can read all about it...

there is an incredible thing with this charity, that you won't find with many others...from their website:

How the 100% works.
When we started charity: water, we made a bold promise to the general public — 100% of their donations would go directly to the field to fund water projects. Even the credit card fees from your donation today are sponsored so a true 100% goes to people in need.

seriously.

another great thing about this charity is that you can donate specifically to my 'armchair activism' campaign - so if you use this link, all the money goes directly to charity: water, but we get to track that you donated because of my campaign...so please use this link:

http://mycharitywater.org/armchairactivism

and when you go to this page, there's a video you should watch, too...it's the story of charity: water.

it's easy. so do it :)

armchair activism

2011-01-06T09:18:00.004-05:00

okay, so a facebook friend posted a report this morning on bottled water brands - you can read it here:

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/best-and-worst-bottled-water-brands-2436818

it certainly was a big issue when Nestle started the process to pull spring water from my hometown area...and i don't want to minimize the issue at all - related to wet lands and natural resources and even bottled water itself.

however - it also brought to mind the fact that at the same time, the whole issue seems very 'trivial' to me. i have been to third world countries. they don't have a choice of turning on a tap or picking a particular brand of bottled water. so it's hard for me to get on board with a bottled water issue, or an organic produce issue or chicken breasts enhanced with a 'broth solution'. the fact of the matter is that life for me is so much better than what they could even dream of as being available, that i can't get all up in arms about it here. it doesn't make me happy, and i think that there are changes that should be made....however, i've got a 'big picture' view right now that's a little more global.

there will be something that will kill me. it could be the 'dow cloud' i live under. or the water or artificially-sweetened soda or the steroid-enhanced meat. or old age. or a car accident. who knows.

but i do know this - my life expectancy is much longer than the vast majority of the world's population, and it's simply because i was fortunate enough to have been born here.

SO - this morning's article on water reminded me of a blog post by one of my fav scrapbookers, Cathy Zielske, who organized some fundraising for a charity that spearheads clean water projects in places that need them. you can read her original post here (i loved it, clearly...) i did donate to her cause, and her goal of raising $5000 to fund a water project was met and exceeded, to the tune of nearly $9000.

it was easy for me to donate. i sat at my computer (which you are doing right now). i read what she had to say. i clicked the link and read what the charity had to say. i found it important enough to part with a few dollars. which i could do, all while still sitting at my computer.

so it got me thinking this morning...collectively, Cathy's blog readers made a difference in the lives of hundreds. all because we read her blog, clicked a link, and punched in some credit card numbers and donated money rather painlessly (my budget does certainly have room for an extra $20 a month...)

i don't have the number of blog readers she does. but i do have over 300 facebook friends. so what if i made donating easy for them, too?! and what if, instead of one project a year, i find a couple, and collectively, me and my facebook friends could start a little 'armchair activism' and make a difference.

cathy references something in her blog post that i also strongly believe in.

I realize there a countless charities in the world that need time, money and help to succeed in all of their respective and extremely worthy goals. I fully and completely understand this.

everyone has their own issues and their own causes. and i totally respect that...i donate to certain charities because they are important to me for one reason or another. they may not be your first choice, and then again, your cause may not be my own, either...

but my goal here is to make donating easy. because even armchair activism can make a difference. and if you're someone who already donates to the causes of your choice - great! if you want to hop on board with some of mine - FANTASTIC! if charitable giving isn't a part of your life right now, might i suggest you give it a try - and i'll give you an easy way to do it...

can you spare $5 or $20 this month? will you send a link to a friend who might also help? how about again in April? if this month doesn't work (post-holidays and all), can you save a few pennies and donate to a cause later in the year?!

realistically - i think the answers to those questions are a 'yes' - so let's DO THIS!

here's what i'm thinking - i'm going to profile a charity (we'll start with charity:water, cause well, that's how my brain started moving gears this morning)....i'll set a goal... i'll provide a link for you to donate...and then, well, please do :) you won't do any donating thru me, because i don't want to be responsible for any money issues, or tax issues (because, of course, all of these will be tax deductible contributions)...then just comment on the blog post or facebook status and whatnot to let me know that you donated, and if you choose, the amount - no matter how big or small. we'll have to guesstimate total donations to see if our goal is met, but i can tell you, my goal will be in the $5000 range (that's less than $20 per facebook friend I have...but I know you all can't be on board, so share the love...) that's enough to fund a water project thru charity: water, or an ark through Heifer International...

and a year from now, we can all be patting our backs that we collectively made a difference in the lives of hundreds with tens of thousands of dollars in donations...and we never had to leave our computers...

(a final thought: if you think i'm totally crazy, that's fine. i suggest you watch the movie "yes, man". to quote jim carrey's character "i wasn't open to stuff, and now i am, and things are changing for me." none of my other friends are organizing such an effort - so it might as well be me. i hope you'll join me.)

***i have posted our first campaign - please read about it here to donate***

in tribute

2010-12-19T19:44:00.002-05:00

Jason just poured my beer into "grandfath's" mug...perfect, since we missed 3pm martini time....

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

my christmas - by maya baker

2010-12-03T10:01:00.003-05:00

she handed me this this morning...

i thought it was blog worthy.

This story is about my Christmas. My Christmas is not real Christmas day.

The first thing I will tell you about is Christmas morning. We wake up mom & dad by running into their room screaming "Santa came! Santa came!" After we open presents we play with the toys. Usu
ally on Christmas we have breakfast at 11:00.

The second thing I will tell you about is opening presents. All the kids have certain wrapping paper. So we don't get mixed up with which present is for who. Whoever finds the pickle ornament first gets to pick the first present. Our family opens stockings at the same time.

The third thing I will tell you about is Christmas night. We make sleep potion. We throw out reindeer food and leave cookies for Santa. It is hard to sleep on Christmas. This is what I do on Christmas. I hope you love Christmas too!

my mountains

2010-11-18T12:59:00.002-05:00

so i posted this today as my facebook status:

Dr. Seuss inspiring me today: Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way.

and then i left the house - at 8:45am - to take molly to swim lessons. then we stopped at the post office. then we went to meijers. where we didn't pull back into the driveway til a few minutes after noon.

and for the second time this month, i had a $300 grocery bill. ugh.

so i'm tired.

and i whined to myself.

and i reminded myself - i'm still climbing this mountain. go put the dang groceries away.

and then i was reminded of a time a year or so ago that i had a similar grocery bill, only instead of the self check-out, i went through a lane with an actual person.

and she made a remark at the end about how much money i just spent on groceries, and basically, that i didn't even bat an eyelash at the bill. and she couldn't imagine doing that.

now THAT could be my mountain. though i have already climbed that mountain before and am very thankful that i don't have to anymore.

everyone has their own mountains. and some are harder to climb than others. and some have better equipment to climb with...ropes, and pulleys and safety nets...and some people have none of that. but they climb.

as we approach this season of thanks - and giving - and caring - i am very thankful for my mountains. i am very thankful for the equipment that has been given to me - by people - by education -and inherently, by God. every day a new mountain to climb. i know some will be higher and steeper than today's. i am thankful that i really am so very capable of climbing.

it is also a time for sharing your rope. becoming a safety net. helping pull someone up.

so...get on your way!

fabulous fun friday

2010-11-12T07:49:00.001-05:00

And the morning has already started well -

molly: what day is it?

Me: Friday.

Molly: What is this (pointing to day-of-the week panties she is wearing)??

me: Friday!

Molly: YES! I knew it!!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4

football saturday

2010-11-06T13:11:00.002-04:00

it's football saturday...our first saturday all fall without soccer games...so in theory, we can sit and watch college football all day.

it's also porter's birthday.

in my opinion...he dressed appropriately (notice his Michigan State t-shirt)...

but on the way home from his haircut...we got a kqotd:

porter: when we get home, i'm going to change.

me: why?

porter: because i want grandpa to like me.

and if he sees me wearing this, he's going to scream like a little girl.

AAAAAHHHHHH! *in his little girl scream imitation*

kqotd

2010-11-05T11:22:00.001-04:00

Molly: so where are we going for lunch?

*silence*

Molly: TELL ME! Or else you're fired from being my mom.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4

kqptd

2010-10-28T08:22:00.000-04:00

maya to molly: cats do what cats do. they don't come to whistles.

theater bug

2010-10-21T20:01:00.003-04:00

jason is not much of a theater person...he never really has been. though, through the course of our years together, i have managed to drag him to a few shows, and he's even enjoyed some of them.

a few of our favorites include rent, avenue q and the full monty - all of which we've seen on national tour more than once, and some as local productions as well.

the full monty is one of our favorite movies, and we saw the new musical production in london and found it to be a brilliant adaption. over the years, we have fantasized about what parts we would play, should it ever be available to local theater groups.

low and behold...midland center for the arts is doing a production of the full monty this winter.

this is the one and only show that jason has ever even considered auditioning for. many years ago, when i was in a production of a funny thing happened on the way to the forum, the director was in need of some more 'bodies' to fill the roles of proteans...small, non-speaking roles. he didn't even give it a second thought. the answer was 'no'.

even when jason was twice the size he is now, he considered being in the show. now, of course, he'd have to pick a different role from his original 'intent' - as the original 'dream role' was one of an overweight, pudgy, lovable fellow with self-esteem issues.

it is only because of our extreme love for this show that we are even considering auditioning. there are many factors and complications influencing this decision - though strangely, for jason, none of them seem to be the fact that the show is based on MALE STRIPPING.

one of the largest complications involves our planned spring break, which is currently scheduled for a production weekend. so over dinner tonight, i decided to take the opportunity to discuss this possible change of plans with the children.

it also involved a brief synopsis of the plot. and jason explaining, using one of our favorite lines from the movie - that he doesn't sing. he doesn't dance. 'well, what is it you do then?' and it boils down to the fact that he thinks he's willing to strip in front of greater midland.

the children laugh. sort of. and he says, but you know who might be there? grammie. grandmom and grandpop. people i work with. tara and neil. coach doug. and the list went on.

and then came several, priceless, kid quotes of the day:

lilly: you would just prove your manliness!

maya: i do NOT want to go to see that play. that is really, REALLY disturbing.

porter: can you stop talking about underwear and naked people??

maya: wouldn't you get arrested for public nudity!?

auditions are in a few weeks.

we'll keep you posted.

the hills are alive

2010-10-21T19:49:00.003-04:00

in midland...and for the first time in many years (I think about 8!) i'm appearing in a 'community theatre' musical!

it's great to be back on the stage and i'm making lots of new friends (gotta love those theatre people!)

lilly auditioned, too, but after two shows last year it's okay that she didn't make the cut this time...the older girls and i did play along in a little promo, however.

we've also got commercials running locally!

we're on the cusp of opening night and the girls are so excited to be 'tracking' my rehearsal schedule...it's fun that they know what 'tech rehearsal' means, or first dress...and they were thrilled to see me wearing my promo tshirt today, complete with my character name on the sleeve....one i got to pick myself - Sister Evelyn.

tickets are selling fast (sunday is already sold out) so if you intended to come see me grace the stage, now is the time :)

kqotd

2010-10-21T08:45:00.003-04:00

me: okay, let's head upstairs to get dressed.

molly: can you carry me?

me: can i carry you!?!? what do i look like?

molly: *giggle* a giant who carries big babies?!?

kqotd

2010-10-15T14:21:00.002-04:00

molly: mom! you should buy some colgate total complete. it fights strong for 12 hours. that is so cool.

kqotd

2010-10-01T12:38:00.001-04:00

Molly was sitting in the car while we unloaded groceries...when we returned....

Molly: did you guys hear me crying?

Jason: no

Molly: then how did you know?

Cara: i saw your cheek was red.

Jason: did a squirrel jump in through the window and slap you on your cheek?

Molly: NO! Cause then there'd be dots where the claws were.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0

kqotd

2010-10-01T07:37:00.001-04:00

Porter: momma...i forgot i had some homework

Mom: what?? After you argued with me about doing your reading?

Porter: well, it's not really homework. It's something i want to do. See? I can turn it in any time.

But i dont understand the words.

Molly: M - O - L - L - Y

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0

thoughts on our week away

2010-09-28T15:22:00.002-04:00

well, another week away on a grand adventure, and many a lesson was learned and a thought was had...

#1 - we like the caribbean, but not as much as hawaii - go figure.

#2 - we need more to do than just sit at a pool or beach every day. unfortunately, the weather hampered our snorkeling plans for most days, which meant we spent A LOT of time just sitting on beaches and at pools...which is okay for a few days...but we would have liked a few more things to do.

#3 - it made me really want to take my kids on a tropical vacation - we've done it twice without them now, and being able to take them snorkeling and share that experience (different from swimming in the ocean on hilton head and in florida) will be cool.

#4 - our kindles were a great investment. given our totally leisurely schedule, i read 3 1/3 books while there...here's my quick reviews -

the hobbit - i was 2/3 of the way through this when we left...it was fun to finish off...and read more of the background of the lord of the rings
overcoming perfectionism - yes, i read it...but 90% was not pertinent to me...and the other 10% told me that i am the way i am because of how i was parented - DUH - should i just apologize to lilly now?!?
have a little faith by mitch albom - LOVED it...great 'beach' read...love his books, and this one was great.
the red queen by phillipa gregory - the counter-tale to the white queen - i didn't think it was quite as good as the white queen, but in general, i still love her historical fiction of this time period and it was a good read.

#5 - it's always good to be gone...and it's always good to come home.

many, many, many thanks once again, to our children's caretakers (and taxi drivers!). molly was asked by a friend before we left who was taking care of her while we were gone. she answered "grandmom!" and the woman said - "wow, your mom is lucky!" and molly answered "NO! WE'RE the luck ones!"

but really, it's still us :)

and so it goes...

2010-09-28T14:45:00.008-04:00

another vacation coming to an end...

our weekend in st. thomas was spent much like the rest of the week...not doing much except visiting some beaches, pools, sights and eating. lots.

saturday was a 'one ship' day, so we opted to travel up to the world famous magean's bay beach (in the hopes that the offerings there would be more likely to be open). it's a trip to the other side of the island, through the middle this time, and so it's a route we haven't taken yet, which is always exciting - as i've previously mentioned - given the state of the roads, mountains and lack of signage.

we arrive at the beach to find it being populated with cruise ship go-ers, and we fall into a spot on the beach and bust out our kindles...more on that later...

unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating...and it rains on and off about every 10 to 15 minutes...we pick up our stuff every time, cover the kindles, shake off the towels and head under a pavilion until it lets up...and then back to set out our stuff again...and after the third time of doing that...we decide it's not worth being out here anymore (world famous beach or not...) we pack up and head back towards the condo, with a few planned stops on the way.

the first is to the st. thomas dairy and their udder delite dairy bar - famous for its alcohol-infused milkshakes.

YUM! I got a "jacoco" - coconut ice cream, chocolate ice cream and kahlua. jason got the "udder delite" - almond crunch ice cream with amaretto.

we took our milkshakes up to our second stop - 'drake's seat' a viewing point in the mountains overlooking magean's bay...famous as being a lookout spot for sir francis drake. we parked for a bit - waiting out that darn rain again...

several safari taxis brought trucks full of cruise ship passengers...

and eventually it was raining lightly enough that we braved some pictures.

back to the condo for the rest of the afternoon, and we catch a glimpse of the cruise ship leaving port....
we get cleaned up for our final dinner on the island

at a restaurant overlooking town and the docks on the property of bluebeard's castle.

it was fun to be a part of the 'real' pirates of the caribbean history while here..there is a lot of pirate stuff to be bought and there are many tales about what is real and what is not and the stories of blackbeard and bluebeard and their rivalries, etc.

this was our one and only meal at a restaurant that was completely indoors. it was a beautiful setting and we enjoyed some fantastic food (escargot and seared ahi tuna sashimi for appetizers...shrimp creole and stuffed salmon for dinner...coconut flan and mango cheesecake for dessert). it did not feel appropriate to take pictures of our yummy food here...or even us at our table. so also for the first time during vacation, we didn't!

we checked out sunday morning and spent many hours the next day at the neighboring pool (though our resort's pool now had water in it and the big construction fences were gone, it still wasn't open...) jason made the mistake of attempting to take in more sun, and skipped the sunscreen. i always refer to him as 'my lobster', based on a 'friends' episode...and now, well...he really looks like one.

we hit lunch at w!kked again on our way to the airport...where we bid farewell to st. thomas with another large duty-free liquor purchase.

p.s. the redness of MY skin here pales in comparison to jason's entire body...

end of the week in st. thomas

2010-09-24T22:10:00.006-04:00

some pretty uneventful days on the island...we're truly on island time...

remember those iguanas...yeah, they're still everywhere...

thursday started with an 'owners tour'...aka sales presentation...no, moms and dads, we did not buy another week ;) as tempting as it always is!

and then we decided to plop ourselves down on a beach...and this time we chose Morningstar Beach...one of the island's best beaches (just for hanging out and water sports, but not snorkeling...) and it's located on the adjacent Marriott property....

we found ourselves some chairs and umbrella and only had to vacate them for a short time for a quicky rain...

we ran into our friendly east-coast couple (the poor woman with the broken nose) as they were headed from the beach to one of the hotel pools...she was looking a bit better, but is stuck wearing her prescription sunglasses everywhere because they are the only ones she can tolerate to have on the bridge of her nose...

we hang at the beach reading....not even a swim in the ocean today...it's very rough out and even the water sports station is closed.

as we head up the steep drive on our way back to our hotel, we notice that the construction crew we passed on the way in is now directing traffic on the 'one lane' road (the other lane being obstructed with construction equipment). one of the construction containers (like a freighter shipping container, or semi-truck trailer) has TIPPED onto just two of its supports...leaving it now precariously perched on the edge of the road/cliff, looking like it was about to tumble down....yikes.

we continue to our hotel and get cleaned up for one of our two 'fancy' dinners...the ones we knew would be a splurge when we got here.

we take the 'scenic' and sometimes scary drive to the restaurant (a wrong turn here and there got us on some streets we probably shouldn't have been driving down...crime in town at night is notorious....) but we eventually make it (with 5 minutes to spare) to our restaurant - mafolie - overlooking all of town.

being the 'off season' here on the island, most restaurants are not busy, and some of the more 'famous' ones are closed for a few weeks for renovations and what not, as they prepare for their busy season here. there were only a few other couples dining at mafolie's with us....one of them was our east-coast friends (we booked our reservations at the same time...)

we chatted with them for a bit - and discovered that they felt the same as we did about the sales presentation (and new points system for our timeshares) and were, unfortunately, forced to evacuate from the pool earlier today because of the tipping container! there was fear that it was going to fall down the hill....and apparently the pool they were enjoying was at the bottom...needless to say, they are feeling like they can't catch a break and are more than ready to be flying off this island!

but back to our romantic dinner *splurge*....we each ordered an appetizer...nutty brie and prosciutto-wrapped sea scallops...

both were amazing....and then came our dinners....i went for the totally outrageous surf and turf...chef's choice angus beef and stuffed caribbean lobster....

jason ordered the peppered filet mignon....

and no dinner splurge would be complete without dessert....jason ordered an excellent key lime pie....

and mine was a flaming creme brulee...i blew it out almost immediately...but it turns out i should have let it burn for a bit more, as the alcohol on top was so strong i actually poured it out onto the plate!

friday was another beach lounging day...we opted to hunt down one of the beaches we heard was excellent for snorkeling - sapphire beach - which is part of another resort complex on the other side of the island.

it's gorgeous when we arrive and we're greeted by a waiter ready to serve us up some rum drinks (it was just past noon...) but we actually choose to find a place to set up camp and pull out the kindles (we were 2 of 4 kindles spotted on the beach this time!)

the water is pretty rough, so we spend a couple hours reading, waiting for the wind to die down...we can see lots of reef...and other snorkelers attempt to check out what the ocean has to offer...the beach is really quite empty (ah, the joys of being here in the off-season) it sprinkles a bit and finally we decide it's now or never for the snorkeling....

jason's snorkel ends up being defective and damaged somehow, so he buys a cheapo one from the water sports rental station at the beach and we're ready to hit the water when it starts pouring rain (and consequently, the water sports rental station closes up shop and the other people on the beach also pack up and leave!) combine the rain with the winds and for the first time during this vacation i was actually cold. we decide that there's no reason not to snorkel given the rain... so we decide to give it whirl...

unfortunately as with a couple other things with this vacation, it doesn't quite go as we would like...the coral is hard to see and we get whipped around in the waves...and every time we head back towards shore we are swarmed by a school of white fish that seem to think we belong with them. it was actually quite amusing. and we remind ourselves that i don't have a broken nose, and things could be worse!

we packed up in the rain and headed back (to the other end of the island...again) to clean up for dinner, and then headed almost all the way back to go to a restaurant that jason picked...based on one menu item....

molly molone's irish yacht pub was serving bangers and mash...who could resist?! so we toasted to irish pub fare while drinking some blackbeard's ale....

midweek in the caribbean

2010-09-23T11:16:00.011-04:00

so our tuesday and wednesday were pretty low key "island time" days...

made breakfast in the condo (eggs and toast - purchased from KMart, the 'best' grocery store in the area....and well, that ain't saying much!)

we decide to spend the day that the pool of our neighboring resort - as our pool is under construction. fortunately, we're there early enough in the day to secure chairs under a big umbrella, cause being in the sun is just plain killer. the humidity is overwhelming, but having the pool nearby to cool off is great...and in fact, necessary.

we enjoyed some mango rum drinks (go figure) from the pool side bar, and even ate lunch at the poolside restaurant.
one thing for sure on st. thomas...food is expensive. it doesn't matter what it is or where it's from...it's 3 times the price of home. even hawaii was no where near as expensive...it was more, but not totally inflated. HOWEVER - we have gotten some great meals - with portion sizes being enormous. our salads for lunch from the pool-side restaurant are an example...i ate maybe half of mine!

we hung at the pool for several hours, headed back to our condo to clean up for dinner, and then took the short (but still winding, steep and scary) car ride into town for dinner - at a very nice restaurant situated in one of the 'cruise ship shopping areas' - w!kked. we had some delicious lobster rolls for an appetizer, with seafood pasta and cuban sandwich for dinner...followed by our first slice of key lime pie for dessert (every restaurant here has key lime pie for dessert - and a drink on their menu called a 'bushwhacker' - a frozen drink with baileys and whatnot...we each had one of those, too!) our table overlooked the harbor and town, so the lights from the houses up the mountain make for a cool effect.

wednesday brought a 'two ship' day on st. thomas,

so we opted to hit the road to neighboring St. John....we took the car ferry (once again not wanting to be dependent on the very expensive taxi service)...the car ferry was an interesting experience....coupled with the drive, it left me wanting a barf bag...

we land in st. johns and head up the coast to the world famous trunk bay...

supposed to be one of the best snorkeling spots in the world...complete with an underwater snorkeling trail with signage to point out fish types, etc. upon arrival, we're informed that the trail is, in fact, closed for the day and that they are not advising even swimming in the water, as a result of the large swells. we opt to pay our admission (it's national park land) and check it out...

it is, in fact, a gorgeous beach and we finally take our first swim in the ocean on this trip.

there are passengers from one of the ships that have made the trip here, and one of them goes snorkeling, but isn't impressed with the sites. there are plenty of people in the water, as it's quite fun to be tossed around a bit in the swells, but i can certainly see why they were advising against it. one woman arrives and says "ah, it's much calmer than yesterday....yesterday, a woman broke her nose, and another one had to be pulled from the water...." crazy. we later find out that the woman who broke her nose is someone we met here at our resort during our session with our personal concierge! she was looking a little rough, but in pretty good spirits....

since we were really hoping to take in some snorkeling, we opted to find ourselves another location that might be a bit calmer...we head up the coast a bit farther to cinnamon bay....not any calmer and totally deserted. so, we decide to head to the other side of the island to locate the burger joint we've heard we should enjoy for lunch...we run across some mongooses on our way, as well as donkeys just hanging by the side of the road...

we pass some great views of coral bay, a harbor,

and locate the restaurant nearby - skinny legs...once here for a few days you learn to look for the right places for signs to find what you're looking for...this one was hanging from a tree at the 'entrance'.

we seat ourselves in the quaint little shack (that is only open from 11am- 4 pm every day) and notice the 'lost soles' decor...

we're interrupted at one point in our meal by a couple with two small children that finally get our attention by calling to jason "hey, ORANGE GUY! what's with the orange toe nails?" they presumed (given the orange rash guard, orange toe nails and orange flip flops) that jason must be a hard-core fan for clemson or what not....we simply indicated no...he just likes orange...and everyone in our household usually has their toe nails painted, even the boys...i'm not sure what they made of that...but they did end the conversation with bon appetit, so they couldn't have thought we were all THAT bad :)

the burgers at 'skinny legs' were definitely delicious,

and we made note that the popular condiment holders around these islands are 6-pack containers. amusing.

we leave lunch and head back to the north end of the island to try to find some more remote snorkeling. we stop by and tour some sugar mill ruins,

and to catch a glimpse of the british virgin islands in the distance.

across the street from the ruins site is a three-quarter mile long trail that leads to a great snorkeling beach...we decide to load up our stuff and give it a whirl....

so we trek about 1/2 a mile...in our $2.50 each old navy flip flops....across a trail made of rocks and coral...we decide we've gone far enough and find a good, calm place we can enter the water to check out some reef.

it is fantastic, and essentially becomes a private snorkeling spot for us...as only 2 other couples even walked down the trail past where we were.

we spotted many colorful fish, but even more so, the coral itself. the reef is in excellent condition in comparison to what we saw in hawaii, and it was a great stop to snorkel for a bit.

then it's back to the car for the return trip to town - we visit the 'cruise ship shopping area' on st. john, known as mongoose junction, and hunt down the tap room, a little restaurant serving the virgin island brews on tap...

we enjoy some good beer and do some window shopping, and take in the greater st. john cruz bay area (it's MUCH smaller than st. thomas, and the island time feeling is twice as strong on this island...) we heard tale of a good bbq joint from friends who honeymooned on st. johns,

so we stop in to get some take-out to eat back at the condo and get directions to the car ferry dock (which was definitely needed, as we were totally turned around with where we were and how to get back there!) the ride back is a bit calmer, and the view of st. john as we depart is spectacular...

monday in st. thomas

2010-09-20T21:47:00.008-04:00

we met with our 'personal concierge' and got some info on the island (most of which i already head...planner that i am....) and to have him set up some reservations for us at the restaurants where we want to eat...

we decide since it's a 'one ship day' here that we're going to take the water taxi from the next-door resort to downtown to do some shopping today...you have to go to town when the ship(s) are in dock, or the stores aren't open...but better to go on a one-ship day so that the place isn't totally overrun with cruisers...

so we take a little stroll over to our neighboring hotel - and on the way, we catch glimpses of some great things - piles of coral, shells and various flora washed up on the beach...

and we snap a few shots on the dock...that's our resort behind us...

and right at the entrance to our property from the beach....sea turtle nesting area...i'm totally reminded of my experience with the sea turtle in hawaii (you can read about it again - or for the first time - here and here) ...and i'm hoping we get to have a similar expereince here...and the sign is a good sign!

and it is absolutely unavoidable to have an encounter with an iguana....they are EVERYWHERE. there were easily a half dozen hanging out on the dock...and some, clearly, pose for pictures...

we catch the water taxi and head thru the harbor, past today's ship (the Carnival Victory) and right up to the sidewalk in the downtown shopping area...we encounter some great salespeople (HA!) on our way to a back alley restaurant we've heard about and order lunch at Gladys Cafe (and we were seated by Gladys herself)

we have rum-filled drinks (i think they find a way to put rum in everything here!) and some great curry chicken, homemade guacemole and chips and conch fritters.

despite my begging and pleading for a pair of diamond earrings from one of the hundreds of jewelers here in st. thomas, we only did a bit of shopping in a couple of shops (though i did get jason to at least walk into tiffany & co. with me) and we loaded up on some duty free liquor (so at this point, some of your christmas presents may not come as a surprise!) we did also round up some yummy belgian chocolates.

on our ferry ride back to our resort area, we caught a half-way decent glimpse of blackbeard's castle (we decided it was too hot and humid to climb the 100+ steps to see it today...) and the ship in port.

the heat took its toll and we took advantage of our air-conditioned villa until we were ready for dinner...at which point we braved driving...not just driving on the left...on roads you sometimes are going up so steep or down so steep that you cannot (literally) see the road in front of you...or turns so sharp you swear you're not going to be able to turn the car that way...oh, and all of this with on-coming traffic that is seemingly driving at 60mph (despite the fact that the island speed limit is like 35mph - but you more realistically cannot drive any faster than 25mph!)...but we did all this IN THE DARK. to a restaurant that we only had a vague idea of where it was (there are really no well marked roads or anything around here...truly adventurous!)

despite having white knuckles the entire car ride, we arrive at the restaurant without incident and are seated in a cute little caribbean seafood bistro. it is literally on the beach and quite delightful. drinks are good. food is good (incredible shrimp and clam stuffed mushrooms for appetizer...and jason got a grilled salmon topped with blackened shrimp and artichokes...i got shrimp and crab on pasta with lobster cream sauce...)

unfortunately, the trip was hampered by little biting bugs (bigger than no-see-ums, but smaller than mosquitos...) we were constantly scratching and slapping and it got so distracting by the end of the meal that we opted out of dessert there (in favor of those chocolates we bought earlier) when we were back at our villa, i counted over 50 bites on just my left leg...fortunately, it seems as though the itching is a short-lived phenomenon...and, it also reminded us to buy bug spray before we head out for a late night dinner again!

getting there

2010-09-19T20:17:00.000-04:00

it was a usual fall soccer saturday around our place...included sound of music rehearsal...and then the annual company picnic...

then we dropped the kids off at grandmom and grandpop's house...grandparents who are once again willing to host our 4 children for a week while we gallivant around the globe for some sightseeing and sanity-reclaiming time. (and mind you, that's not just caring for them for a week...it's taking them to dance, choir and three soccer players worth of practices and games, too!) god bless grandparents :)

we head south, basking in the view of the latest balloon festival launch

to join our airport taxi drivers for sushi dinner...

and then check into our hotel near the airport for a few short hours of rest before taking off early in the morning.

our flight from detroit was pretty uneventful...we caught the shuttle with a grumpy pilot who apparently overslept...glad we weren't flying delta!

we get checked in and thru security with little trouble and wait at our gate for an on-time departure (how rare!) we land in charlotte, nc, on-time and walk thru the airport in search of a breakfast spot...being just after 10am, we have missed most breakfast hours at the restaurants, minus one place that has a line 15 people deep. we ended up there, nonetheless, and settled into our gate for our breakfast.

the gate area is full of people who are clearly tourists, and ready for caribbean vacations. the guy behind us runs a dive shop on the island. he's trying to sweet talk a group of pilots (who are still in pilot gear, but are departing for vacation) into take a dive with him. one of them is afraid of sharks.

we board with just a small delay (one of the older men with his younger arm candy companions had an issue with his ticket). we are told that there are empty seats on this flight (and when has THAT happened recently!?) we are thrilled to discover that that means that our row has an empty seat next to us.

we settle in to our long flight, kindles in hand, dozing on and off as the flight allows (there was a couple in the row behind us watching something HILARIOUS, apparently, because her laughter through the first 2.5+ hours of the flight was "LOL" literally...)

it wasn't long before our flight was well over the ocean, and when the clouds below us parted enough for us to even look down, all you could see was a sea of blue. occasionally the pilot pointed out an island (like, um...the bahamas...cause that's about all we flew over!) as you may know, long distance flights are at altitudes above the clouds...so your flight is almost always through bright blue, sunny skies...and then it comes time to land. and that's when you discover what the weather is really like at your destination.

in our case....it was storming. it got quite turbulent, but i'm used to that. the ocean was dark and full of waves. you could tell by the surface that it was very windy.

and as we continue our descent, the turbulence increases to a level that starts to make me uncomfortable. most of the time when flying and then landing, you can clearly see the airport and runway as you approach. however, on an island the size of st. thomas, the runway literally begins at the edge of the cliff and continues into the island...but only so far, because there are mountains. therefore, as you are approaching landing, it appears as though you are going to land in the water.

i'm squeezing jason's arm (as i typically do during take off and landing...it's that paranoia that something terrible will happen to us when we're traveling without our children and someone will be left to care for them and...well, you know...) i make a remark about how dark and stormy it is. and how it looks like we're going to land on the water.

and suddenly, it is so incredibly stormy, and dark and foggy...we can no longer see anything out our window. and just as i start to become even more concerned, the plane engines roar into full speed and the pilot pulls us up so hard and fast that the carry-ons i have carefully stowed under the seat in front of me slide out and hit my feet. i push them back and glance out the window....rain is everywhere...and we can only barely see the wing...and we're going up...we hope...because all you can really see or hear is the engines roaring...there is no landmark out the window to confirm that we are indeed getting out of this mess. i bury my head into jason's arm/chest and wait...the inside of the plane is seemingly silent. engines roaring....turbulence, and then, we're above up into the clouds again and there is that blue sky.

silence for a moment. i'm sure it was a minute, maybe two that we were going up. but goodness sakes, it felt like ten.

and then the captain comes on. and basically says - as you may have noticed...we are unable to land. we're just gonna hang out up here for a bit until that blows through.

okay, great....let's just keep flying out over the ocean. we fly and fly. the captain comes back on and says a couple more turns and we're going to try again. goodness sakes...i'm hoping i survive the attempt again (in more ways that one - one of them being literal survival!)

it is turbulent...but we can actually see something as we approach to land. it is still pouring rain. our nerves are shot. but we land. and without too much issue, though with a soaking wet runway and a huge jet, rain and A LOT of wind, i know it was no small feat.

a flight attendant comes on the radio and simply says "our pilot rocks" as we're all clapping. whew.

and then the kicker...the pilot tells us that the st. thomas airport does not have jetways and that we will all be exiting the plane via stairs. in the pouring rain. please hold the rail.

we're all very grateful to be on land. but are SOAKED after de-boarding and walking OUTDOORS through a long corridor to baggage claim.

we get our rental car, baggage and remember to drive on the left...taking only one small detour (i'm sure it was the scenic route) to get to our hotel....we are clearly in the caribbean...and if you've been here, you know what i mean by that...and if not...well, you should find out!

we arrive at the hotel, have to wait to check in, as the storm took out one of the computers...but the front desk manager tells us about when the hurricane just went through and they lost power for 3 - 4 days...and it dragged a lot of beach sand out with it...we're content to wait a few minutes to check in, knowing that our situation isn't that bad. but...i'm very queasy from our flight (and, quite frankly, jason's driving on these roads).

we get lost in our building trying to find our room, and a nice staff member helps us drag our suitcases back into the elevator for the 3rd time (my fault) to get us to the right floor and the right villa...he gives us a tour, and a little caribbean smile as he realizes that the two of us are in this full two-bedroom condo ourselves...so when he shows us the 2nd bedroom with 2 queen beds...he says "you have as many beds as you like!"

the views to the left and right from our balcony...

we're too tired to venture into town for dinner, so we opt to check out the on-site restaurant...advertising 2 for 1 drinks during happy hour...of which we have about 15 more minutes to make to down...and since this resort was built into a cliff, there are different levels of building complexes and it takes us 3 different elevators to get to where we want to go. we find out from our friendly waitress that because the pool is currently closed for renovations, it's happy hour all day everyday - our day is improving! 2 for 1 drinks at all hours!

we have some mango tango margaritas

and an incredible serving of calamari...(we'd already eaten 1/2 by the time i took this picture!)

we enjoy the dinner time entertainment, and cap off our adventurous day at the sunset grille.

puppy dog eyes

2010-09-17T21:56:00.003-04:00

we're headed on vacation tomorrow...and so tonight, i loaded up the children on 'extra' kisses...one for each night we're gone (a whopping NINE!)

after giving the two older girls their extra kisses, they asked if i had done that with porter...i said no...so i headed back into his room to do that...

i climb up on his bottom bunk to be able to see him on the top bunk.

i ask him if he wants extra kisses.

he says yes.

(mind you, he was a total &@$#&@% today and ruined our evening plans...but still...)

i give him extra kisses.

he looks up at me....with his long eyelashes and his little porter look and says

"can i have hugs, too?"

when relaying this story to jason - his response - "there's a reason we don't kill our young"

this thoughtful girl

2010-09-16T20:47:00.003-04:00

we're driving home from doing a bit of work at the dance studio tonight, and lilly takes the opportunity to share with me (love it when she does that...hope it continues!)

she's a big 5th grader...and she's always taken a lot of responsibility in school, and this year is no exception. she's a safety patroler. and we're into our second week of school and she was sharing some concerns with me.

so i shared what i thought might be a way for her to share her frustration.

she said it sounded like a great idea. she said she liked that she was helping her community. she said she felt proud.

she wrote a letter to the editor:

My name is Lilly Baker. I am a Safety Patroler at S****t Elementary. I get pretty frustrated when people don't turn their turn signals on. I'm just trying to keep people safe and it's kind of hard for me to do my job when people don't let me know that they're turning. Sometimes I tell kids they can cross, and then all of a sudden, a car turns and I didn't know. I would like to remind people to please turn their turn signals on when they are turning. Thank you, Lillian Baker 5th grade

i'm proud of her, too. not because she wrote a letter to the editor. but because she cares so much about those kids and her job that she gets frustrated. and because she shares her frustration with me.

she's a good kid.

and i love her.

kqotd

2010-09-14T20:29:00.004-04:00

porter: mom, can i pretty please sleep with you tonight?

me: no, porter...you have your own room.

porter: but i get really scared.

me: you've got spiderman. he'll protect you.

porter: he's a sticker, mom. he does nothing.

first day of school

2010-09-07T12:38:00.008-04:00

it started all over again today....

we're only 2 houses in from the elementary school...and the traffic on the first day...oy. everyone and their brother (and sister, and at least one parent) all come on the first day...we're fortunate to not have to park!

and this year is a bit different....when we moved here, there were 12 'neighborhood' elementary schools. and this year, there are only 7. a great decision as far as i'm concerned (at least for the moment!) our school is now up over 600 students in kindergarten thru 5th grade...225+ or so more than last year.

it's our third school year here...hard to believe!

and this morning, i reminded molly, that next year is her turn. NEXT year.

next year, you will find me in the fetal position in bed...rocking back and forth...unsure of what to do with my time...then i'll remember that molly is only gone for a few hours...and there's still cleaning and laundry and dishes and cooking and... and... and... stuff to do...

but enough about next year....THIS year...big things...

porter - all day, every day. 1st grade. learned to tie his shoes. after one quick mom lesson. and this morning, he had them packed in his backpack (as gym shoes have to be kept at school) and he decided that he wanted to wear them...because tying his shoes was his second most favorite thing to do in the WHOLE WORLD (right behind playing Wii). it SHOCKED the girls...and then someone mentioned 'what about eating mac and cheese' - and he still chose tying shoes as #2. he is so ready for first grade....on fire with reading and math. it's awesome. here's hoping he can keep his tackling and 'extra noise' to a minimum in the classroom. (and by extra noise, i'm mostly referring to the near constant light saber and shooting sounds....)

many people have mentioned to me about how tall porter is...how much he's grown. well, of course, i can always tell by the length of his pants...and how deep the flooding would have to be for him to safely come out dry....but as a point of reference...here is LAST year's FDOS picture:

now, because of the angles of the pictures, etc, it's hard to get a completely accurate measurement of growth...but roughly....last year...his chin was level with the bottom of our mantel...now scroll back up to see where it is one year later. sheesh. what do we feed this kid (other than mac and cheese?!?)

maya, maya, maya papaya. actually nervous for 3rd grade. not sure. perhaps it's missing her bff. perhaps it's the male teacher (though lilly had a male teacher last year and loved him. and grandmom pointed out last night that any man who teaches elementary school has to have a sense of humor and she'd be just fine...) but of all the kids...i think maya was the most nervous this morning. she even stopped walking outside her classroom door and said she wasn't going in.

and lillian. started safety patrol duty this morning. rules the roost. she left earlier than the other kids to be 'on her post'...and we met her at her classroom when she was done. can i just hear a 'holy crap' for having a kid in 5th grade? she's so ready, too. great friends. great learner. great kid. i'd like her to stay that way. and, ironically enough, she mentions frequently that she doesn't want to grow up. i think i ought to video tape that...(video TAPE...hmm...what's that?!)

and just look at that post-braces smile. again, a point of reference...last year's FDOS picture...

and here's the three who were headed out the door...

and then little ms. wannabe hopped in....she starts preschool again tomorrow (3 days a week this year) right after this picture snapped, lillian ran out the door - she loves to be early to her 'job' and i have to remind her that there actually are rules about HOW early she can be...and that leaving when i told her to was really enough time. honest.

i love their summer tans. summer was good to us (despite sanford lake being disgusting for most of august....)

lillian at her post...the rest of us head out the door (maya's backpack so full of stuff for her classroom that her lunch box wouldnt' fit...sheesh.)

we capture lillian at her post....clearly looking busy. HA. (the next picture i took showed her fixing her hair and headband....lol.)

no picture with the principal this year...couldn't see/find her...but with so many extra kids around...hard to do!

i do enjoy the energy around the school on the first day. kids are nervous and excited. teachers...rejuvenated after a summer break. many changed classrooms and/or schools this year. lots of changes. they feel good.

if i'm still living in this house when my children are 'gone'...and it's the first day of school...i wonder how i'll feel. will i be grumpy about the traffic? and cars using my driveway as a turn around (even though we're on a CUL DE SAC?!) or will i have a vision...of my kids in motion...with all those feelings that only the first day of school can bring...

excitement (seeing friends, new clothes, new things)

and so much nervousness (what will my teacher be like, who is in my class, what if i don't know anyone)

and pride (in showing off new clothes and talking about summer vacation experiences)

and in the end...coming home to mom with a motor mouth.

no...i already know. i will see those kids years from now - climbing out of their cars with overstuffed backpacks and shiny new shoes - and wish that they could tell me all the answers to

"how'd it go?"
"did you make new friends?"
"how was lunch?"
"who's in your class?"
"do you have homework?"

and i will remember days like today. and i will miss them.

kqotd

2010-09-05T12:10:00.001-04:00

in the rest room at tim hortons this morning...

me: you go in and i'll hold the door

*pause*

molly: mom, did you hear me go potty?

me: yes

molly: what did i do?

me: tinkles

molly: YOU'RE RIGHT! you win the gold medal!

just kidding...i don't have any.

but maybe if porter does, he can give it to you and you'll be the champion of potty guessing.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.8

kqotd

2010-08-26T10:38:00.002-04:00

it's a working day here today...so i have the tv set to a music station - basically a 'kidz bop' type thing...

maya heads downstairs to add something to the donate pile...

she goes running back upstairs...

"OH - i can't listen to it! Justin Bieber is on - OH THE HORROR!! THE HORROR!"

kqotd

2010-08-12T14:02:00.001-04:00

i send maya to the garage fridge to fetch a beer so i can boil up brats for tonight's dinner...

maya: here it is...bud light*

porter: beer...the bestest thing in the world

maya: you've never tasted it!

porter: that's what the tv says!

*beer disclaimer* the only reason bud light is in our fridge is for the purpose of boiling brats....

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.2

chores

2010-08-10T09:35:00.003-04:00

one of the kids' chores is to set the table...and we're working on incorporating clearing the table into that routine...

so this morning, it was porter's job to clear all of the ingredients for breakfast burritos off the counter...

and then he whined that he didn't know where things went...

jason "so...if you were a jalapeno, where would you live in the fridge?!"

porter stares. and then points to a shelf...

jason "you'd live with your cousins the relish and the pickles?"

porter "yes"

jason "then you'd be right!"

made me laugh. and jason said it felt like a sesame street morning.

kqotd

2010-07-19T11:44:00.001-04:00

driving thru town today...see an older lady walking her chihuahua...

molly: aaawwwww...is that a dog or a chipmunk??

Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.8

the nerd

2010-07-19T08:42:00.001-04:00

driving to day camps this morning, I hear the girls in the back of the van ...

"I'm going on a trip ..and I brought an apple, a ball..."

and I resisted screaming "a map of the area!"

Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.8

ulterior motives

2010-07-01T10:10:00.001-04:00

the boy comes downstairs this morning and declares...

"i wish this shirt said I love Mom"

"awww....how sweet...my mama's boy..."

and then my brain quickly switches gears to:

"i wonder what he did while getting dressed upstairs that requires sucking up..."

that's life with a son.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.9

kqotd

2010-07-01T09:46:00.001-04:00

while sitting on my lap watching some nick jr. this morning, molly turns around and gives me a hug:

"I wanna be with you every day."

me: "molly, you ARE with me every day."

molly: "well, not when I'm 16.... I'll be an old lady."

Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.9

kqotd

2010-06-28T21:00:00.001-04:00

maya : mom...molly just opened and closed her door (on her side of the van) and then came out this one.

me: okay.

maya: she's weird.

lilly: maya...get this straight. our WHOLE FAMILY is weird.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.3.7

baseball buddy

2010-05-26T21:59:00.009-04:00

so it was soccer night at the loons game the other night...and as we have four soccer players, we were afforded some great opportunities to participate in special events at the game...

first, molly's team played a little game on the front lawn of Dow Diamond...

does the girl know how to strike a pose, or what?!

while she was playing out front, i ventured inside with Porter, who was selected as a Baseball Buddy for the night....

we checked in at guest services and he got his special 'baseball buddy' tshirt...he had a little bit of time to relax (so we watched some of Molly's game out front) before he had to report back and get his 'instructions'...

he ventured down through the grounds crew entrance to the field, and i was directed to the best picture taking spot...and i didn't know how perfect it would be until later...

he had a bit of time to wait in the tunnel, but apparently there was plenty for him to watch...

and then they moved out in front of the dugout...where he had a much better view of...well...the dugout!

and the bullpen!

and at one point, the catcher missed one of the balls...and it rolled RIGHT TO PORTER. and he picked it up. and he threw it back to the catcher. and i swear i thought he was going to wet his pants. he threw a ball to a professional baseball player.
and then another pitcher from the bullpen made a little walk to the dugout...and he high-fived the baseball buddies on the way.

and then it was time....the starting line ups!!

i had no idea who Porter's buddy would be...but they had the kids all lined up in order...and then suddenly the announcer says
"PORTER BAKER AND FIRST BASEMAN, #36, JAMIE ORTIZ!"

first base! the closed position to picture-taking zone...the shortest run (that poor left-field baseball buddy....)

(and being soccer night, all the players were 'superimposed' in Manchester United uniforms, etc...which just so happens to be our fav professional soccer team)

porter chatted jamie up (though i'm not sure how much english he speaks...) porter was swinging his arms like he was up to bat and had lots to show his buddy...i asked him later what he talked about and he said "i told him how hard i could hit the ball"...

porter stood relatively patiently during the star spangled banner...but he is 6...and a boy...AND WAS STANDING NEXT TO A PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER ON THE FIELD...so, there's that. the camera man did include him in a bit of the 'big screen montage'...however, one camera-happy mom can only focus her lens in one place at a time...

and the moment the national anthem was over, you could tell that he followed directions to immediately exit the field. unlike some of the other kids who shook hand, or high-fived their buddies before taking off, i think porter just wanted to show jamie his speed.

as luck would have it...jamie hit a home run at his first at bat...we later discovered that he was drafted by the dodgers in 2006 and played for the Loons in 2008. this was his return to this team and his first game with them this season.

porter's soccer team was next up for soccer night duties as they were 'assigned' to lead the singing of the famed 7th-inning stretch along the 3rd baseline...well, a small group of 6 year old boys is not necessarily fit for that, so Jason (and our head coach, Doug) recruited all of our kids (and a friend or two!) to join along...

and some new, strange twist this year is that the 7th inning stretch ends with a 7th inning dance party...which the girls thoroughly enjoyed...and the video of Jason and Doug dancing will provide me years of enjoyment.

another great night at the ball park!

pluggin the business

2010-05-11T14:26:00.005-04:00

i'm a direct sales junkie...can't help it...love meeting people...love making money. so there you have it...

there's a couple of great promos coming up, that i can't help but share (probably why Tastefully Simple is my fav direct sales company so far!)

so here they are:

MAY - this is for those of you on the fence about direct sales - GREAT promo to join my team!

basically - sign up now and you can get over $50 in FREE product - eat it yourself, use in your display, or sell, sell, sell! AND, if you place that first order by June 15th, you get another $50 to spend on business supplies! You can start your business for as little as $89, and then earn more than that back right away - can't pass up this deal!

and JUNE promos for hostesses!! SO much going on this summer - it's the perfect time to host a tasting party!

Host a June party and earn products for your OWN backyard bash! !

Host rewards:

Have a $500 party: Get our Backyard Basics Collection!
Have a $900 party: Get our Servin’ Up Sunshine Collection!
Have a $1,500 party: Get both collections!

You’ll also be entered in our Birthday Call Sweepstakes to win $115 in Tastefully Simple products!*

Parties must be held June 1 – 30, 2010.

Not only THAT - but ALL SUMMER - ANY guest who spends $50 or more can purchase one of our 'famous' drink buckets for 1/2 price!

AND, starting June 1st, we have a new Returning Favorites Collection that comes with a special offer, too!

i have plenty of summer dates available...and June is a great month to schedule your tasting party! Or better yet, become a consultant and offer your own hostesses these great deals!

just shoot me a note if any of this piques your interest...and you'll see a link to my TS website on the right!

opening day

2010-05-01T22:14:00.007-04:00

the moment porter has seemingly been waiting for his entire life - opening day...

as we drive to the opening day ceremonies Saturday morning, just he and i (after all, it's spring sports season and both maya and molly had soccer commitments at the same time!)...porter quietly says to me

"am i dreaming?"

um, no, i say. why?

"it just feels like i'm dreaming...i'm so excited."

yes, i got verklempt.

so i tote him out to the field where the other 400 players in our little league are. he gathers with his team, and i camp out to watch the 'player's parade'. (i had arrived very early, knowing how busy it would be...so i had quite a wait before the parade began...)

and, of course, they make the littlest kids wait the longest...sort of...at least they do their waiting behind the fence...so they start parading in the major teams...then minors....AAA, AA (or whichever order those are!), coach pitch...and finally, the t-ballers....

he strikes a pose, just like the older kids did...smile and wave to the crowd, little ball player.

fortunately for me, having never attended an opening day ceremony before, i picked a good spot to camp out...and all these shots were taken through the chain link fence directly in front of me.

so here they all are...the last t-ballers on the field...and then they progress into some ego-boosting (how many of their teams won city championships - there are 4 little leagues in the city...) and blah, blah, blah...

then comes the national anthem...

then they talk about the history of little league in midland for a bit...and that the field the kids are standing on was one of the first little league fields in the state of michigan, and it's the oldest field still being used for little league games today (okay, some interesting facts...) clearly, i'm a little biased about the little league...

#1 - the president of the league offended me a bit when we first registered porter. mostly by slamming soccer. there is a big difference in the soccer club and little league. and i walked out of the little league registration shaking my head at the adult 'baseball jocks' running it.

#2 - the emails announcing and giving details about opening day were all prefaced with a basic statement of - we know last year sucked and was boring and way too long - we'll try to be better this year. so, um....needless to say, i didn't have high expectations.

so - back to opening ceremonies....they trot out some old guys from town that were on some of the leagues earliest teams in the 50s - okay, that was cool. they passed the microphone around to all of them...cute, but not necessary. they even let one of them throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the little league season.

then they renamed the field we were on after a guy (who took my registration money) who has been with the league 17 years, coached several championship teams, and held every position on the board - all without ever having a son pass through the league - he has one child, a daughter, who apparently has no interest in baseball or softball. so, i cut that jock a bit of slack. he was verklempt.

then he led all the little leaguers in the little league pledge. something i'd never heard before. i hope the players actually take it to heart.

PLAY BALL!

except now we had what seemed like an eternity to wait until it was HIS game time...after all, it was only 11:30 in the morning...porter was fully outfitted, with THREE hours to wait....

of course, we squeezed a sister's soccer game in there...and some food...and a quick nap...

and then it was time....much to porter's luck, he was assigned the coveted position of pitcher for the first game...aka, tball fielder extraordinaire! i hope he rotates to outfield for the next game, or he's going to think that all of tball is that exciting! it did give me a chance to take some great shots of him fielding...

he could frequently be seen diving for the ball (totally unnecessary) to be more dramatic.

to his luck, one time he dove there was a small gust of wind that blew his hat off...he thought that was awesome.

and then the batting....the helmets fit perfectly - um, NOT!

porter managed to get on base each time (and no, that's not automatic with tball...lots of kids did get out at 1st...) though if you made it to first, you were pretty much guaranteed to score...which porter did, in great fashion, every time. i believe he even slid into home once (totally unnecessarily, of course). the kid relishes everything baseball. here he is running from second to third...

and what a great swing...

and that grin....that's what it's all about...

and that's why

2010-05-01T22:07:00.000-04:00

and you curse, every time this cup - hand-wash only - is next to the sink to be washed. she had the choice of any cup or mug. and she chose this one.

it's always by the sink. which means she uses it nearly every day.

and that's why you bought it.

updating

2010-04-21T16:54:00.003-04:00

so clearly, i'm still on facebook far more than i'm blogging...and i'm trying to be more diligent about it...and one way that i'm doing that is updating my blog with some of my facebook posts...my status should be easier to read now, and any links that i share in facebook will also appear here (though it doesn't include my comments regarding them, but it's still what's up in my life....)

so here's hoping....that i post again within the next 6 months....

flesh eating cupcakes

2009-11-05T23:09:00.006-05:00

we have a tivo....however, we really don't use it to its full potential (for several reasons). one program, however, that we are religious about recording and watching is The Food Network Challenge - primarily cake competitions.

last week, being halloween, they had a Horror Cakes competition...and while this cake wasn't the winning one, it won over porter's heart.

the 'story' of the cake is that some possessed flour shows up at eddie's bake shop and the things that are baked with it have their way with eddie. look closely at those cupcakes...that's what porter wanted for his birthday treat at school.

so...being the supportive parents that we are...we decided to take the challenge.

and now starts our lesson on:

How to Make Flesh Eating Cupcakes

1. Bake cupcakes...preferably very whimsical...it makes them all that much more frightening when they become flesh eating. (porter chose strawberry and funfetti as his two flavors...)

(notice the burned oven mitt...that happened when i left jason in the kitchen earlier this week...)

2. Draw iris/pupil onto lemonhead candies to make the eyeballs (be sure to do this with edible markers!) We used red and green colored markers.

3. Pipe a black mouth.

4. Frost cupcakes in a whimsical ,fun way with whimsical, fun colors (after all, these were supposed to be friendly cupcakes...)

5. Add eyeballs, pushing them into the frosting to create somewhat menacing eyelids.

6. Pipe scary capable-of-tearing-the-flesh-from-your-bones teeth. Or something like that.

7. Add creepy red bags under their eyes...

8. Add blood to "King Cupcake" as we called it...that's the one we made for Porter (that is 'full sized').9. And you're done!

and here's an up-close look at Porter's King Cupcake.

I hope they're all he hoped them to be when he sees them tomorrow - when he turns the big SIX!

kq(s)ftd

2009-10-30T18:28:00.002-04:00

more than one gem came from molly today....

Molly: Mom, can I have a snack?
Mommie: After snoozies.
Daddy: Molly, we've already had this conversation.
Mommie: Molly, Mommie's answers are the same as Daddy's.
Molly: My answers aren't.

and then while serving dinner - mummies (breadstick wrapped hot dogs) dipped in blood and guts (ketchup & mustard) and cheesy worms...

Molly: where are my cheesy worms???

*pause*

ooooohhhh....it's the mac & cheese.

kqotd

2009-10-19T09:59:00.003-04:00

while upstairs in her bedroom getting ready for bed...

Molly: watch this, mommie!

pulls neck of shirt up to her forehead

*giggle, giggle*

pulls one arm out of sleeve

*giggle, giggle*

pulls other arm out of her sleeve and removes her shirt over her head

Molly: wasn't that awesome?!?!!

learning the hard way

2009-09-30T09:28:00.004-04:00

maya and her friend, who we affectionately refer to as "little T" around here, are enthralled with bugs...caterpillars, worms, butterflies and moths....all sorts of creepy, crawly goodies...

however....

THIS

in an almost unbelievable stroke of coincidence - yesterday maya brought home another container with yet another bug and leaves in it (caterpillars have to eat, you know)....hours later I received an email from a friend warning of a caterpillar that causes severe reactions...picture included...and low and behold it is THE caterpillar that maya brought home. I send her to bathroom to wash everything that touched the bug and talk to her about who else touched the caterpillar....i google...i print and write a note to her teacher...and this morning, she was COVERED in hives...her hands swollen, red blotches all up her arm (where she let the caterpillar crawl) and all over her chest...some down her legs even....

had i not received the email with the info, i probably would have FREAKED out, to say the least...but now we know...and some anti-histamine and a few days and she'll be fine....she's learned the hard way - some creepy crawlies are cute, but should NOT be touched...

KQOTD

2009-09-18T11:15:00.001-04:00

while playing restaurant...

Molly: what would you like for lunch?

Me: Pizza

Molly: we don't have that.

Me: Sushi

Molly: Okay, we have that!

KQOTD

2009-09-16T16:23:00.001-04:00

Maya: You can give Molly a whole apple and she'll eat it. She may be small, but she can eat big.

KQOTD

2009-09-10T13:26:00.002-04:00

Molly:

Mom, you and I can be princesses....

....and Porter can be my prince and Daddy can be your prince...and Maya can be Lilly's prince...

see, it all works out!

guess it wore him out...

2009-09-08T16:27:00.003-04:00

had to send porter up to his room after his first day of kindergarten today...just being a bit too loud and rowdy shortly after getting home...

hollered to him that he could come down (after about 5 minutes...)...no response...

went upstairs....fast asleep curled up on his bed...

i guess all that learning (and gearing up for all that learning!) wore him out!

first day of school - for all four!

2009-09-08T10:52:00.003-04:00

and so here they are, for yet another year...big year this year...all four kids are in school at some point during the day!

molly has started preschool two mornings a week

porter is in Kindergarten! he's afternoon kindergarten, which is just about killing him to be waiting to go...after we dropped molly off at school...he wanted to eat lunch (at 8:15am!) because he knows he gets to go to his class after lunch!

maya is in second grade - and actually in a classroom that is a 1st/2nd grade split...

and ms. lilly is starting 4th grade, and for the first time, she's got a male teacher...

is it just me, or do they all look too old?
oh...and cute...

fevers

2009-08-30T16:51:00.000-04:00

KQOTD:

me: i think we need to talk to daddy about getting you some medicine...

molly: why?

me: cause i think you have a fever...

molly: do we have to put a band-aid on it?

project 365 - part seven

2009-08-05T15:56:00.003-04:00

and the busy month of July - ah...summer!

At a chocolate tasting in Hershey, PA!

a few days camping with my parents...resulted in this close encounter with a swan

molly and i at the beach...one of our favorite hangouts this time of year

at the funeral visitation for my great-uncle bob...diagnosed with liver cancer and passed away
9 days later

our summer vacation included a celebrity sighting!

passing

2009-07-16T18:46:00.000-04:00

and so the passing of my family's elders continues....

while at fowl fourth we received a call from my mother's cousin, letting us know that her uncle bob was diagnosed with liver cancer...

here's a picture of my Great Grandma B, and my Gram and Uncle Bob....many years ago...Grandma B passed away in 1989...almost exactly 20 years before her only son...

we recently visited with uncle bob at my grandparent's 65th wedding anniversary celebration...as my grandmother's only sibling, she was thrilled that he and a few of his children were able to join us for that special dinner.

just nine days after he was diagnosed, having never left the care of the hospital or hospice facility, my great uncle bob passed away.

while i visit regularly with extended family on my dad's side....but that hasn't been the case with my mom's side...it had been many years since i'd seen some of my distant cousins, and, as always, i wish that it wasn't for this reason. this occasion gave my grandparents an opportunity to go out to dinner with just their four children...and my mom couldn't remember a time that they'd ever done that...just the six of them...

and it gave me a chance to visit my grandparent's house...some place i hadn't been in many years...

it's still very much like i remember it...though the rooms are more filled with signs of my grandparents' travels and collections of who knows what from who knows where...it's a house my grandpa built himself. it's a house i spent visiting every Christmas Day, for many, many years. and Uncle Bob and his family would come over after Christmas dinner...they lived just down the street. as with every passing, it is a time to reminisce, reflect and remember what has brought us to this point in our lives. the places we visited. the people we knew. and the family we love.

geocaching

2009-07-15T17:26:00.000-04:00

what is it and why do we do it?

well, we've had friends who have been geocaching - and it was intriguing enough that i figured out how to make the garmin we have for our car (as opposed to a handheld that is traditionally used for hiking and geocaching, etc) work for our purposes...

and so we now enjoy this 'treasure hunting' hobby - by downloading clues and coordinates for 'caches' that we hunt for...sometimes it's just a log book (or a small scroll!) - other times we find rubbermaid containers that have tradeable items (dollar store type items, or happy meal toys, etc) it's a fun, 'free' activity that our whole family enjoys...and we have some GREAT geocaching stories (like the 8 bee stings maya got at one location....or how we drove to new jersey just to find a cache....)

here's some pictures of us out and about (we try to remember to take one of every cache we've found...)

fowl fourth xxviii

2009-07-06T17:37:00.002-04:00

and so another fowl fourth has come and gone....

there was some good godfather/godson bonding...

and i will never forget the dreams that came true at the annual softball game...if only i'd had the video camera on for porter's first 'at bat'...which quickly turned into a home run!

girls young and old entertained each other on the playground during the game...

and lots of fun was had at the 'port-o-potty' lake...despite the color!

and the recent adult entertainment addition to the festivities....

the pictures are 'blurry' to protect the innocent and the guilty...and i only have two words - plum cordial....

we also got in some geocaching, in a larger family group, which was fun, too!

molly found her first geocache all by herself....she's not proud, or anything!

the kids in their 'camping shirts' having a light lunch before the family potluck dinner...

and some unusual sightings as well...

over the course of twenty-eight years, this event has changed very much....from a tent city with our backyard pool and a screened-in garage game room that was open 24 - 7 to family camping throughout the Great Lakes...and while it isn't the same as it was when it began....it's still the same great people who gather and have fun as a family...and this is one tradition that i wouldn't change or give up for the world...

project 365 - part six

2009-07-01T15:33:00.000-04:00

June is busting out all over...

A visit from my cousins from Georgia

Celebrating Molly's 3rd birthday at the Great Lakes Loons game...complete with fireworks!

a picture of the kids in Dow Gardens

group shot with my brother and his kids from my parent's 35th anniversary party
(and dad's 60th and 15 and 6 year survival!)

baker cousins getting ready to run the 1 mile fun run at the Dow Run/Walk

baseball

2009-06-30T20:06:00.001-04:00

dow gardens photo shoot

2009-06-23T17:09:00.003-04:00

even though they're all wearing 'play clothes' with bathing suits underneath, i managed to get some good shots of the kids during our recent trip to Dow Gardens....we took several of the pictures next to copper sculptures that are in the gardens right now...

and you can go from this

to this

to this

in thirty seconds or less

molly is HOW old?!?

2009-06-22T16:18:00.000-04:00

we celebrated molly's birthday in so many ways....

the day before her birthday, she got her own library card and checked out her own books!

on her actual birthday, molly's choice of activities included a trip to Dow Gardens and the sprinkler park...where she played with bubbles and dined on fruit snacks...she also enjoyed a 'traditional' fast-food lunch of choice - this year was KFC mac and cheese (last year was McD McNuggets...)

then she spent the night at grandmom and grandpop's for her first 'alone overnighter' - the older kids rotate through spending the night at there without the other kids...but molly had previously been too young...well not now! clearly it suits her well...

the day after her birthday, we celebrated by having a 'party' for her at the Loons game - our minor league baseball team here in town...Lou E. Loon came to wish molly a happy birthday, and we enjoyed the group outing, complete with fireworks...

two days after her birthday (which also happened to be father's day) she finally got to open her birthday presents from us....(who brushes this kid's hair?!?)

it was a great celebration for a great little girl!

let's dance!

2009-06-20T16:07:00.000-04:00

the three older kids all participated in dance this year - at a new studio - and instead of a traditional recital, it's more of a production - this year was Peter Pan based. here they are with their instructor (all three had the same one!) ms. tracy - after opening night...

all three kids earned the 'Hardest Worker' awards for their class!

Porter even earned himself a special spot in the show - so he had two costumes just like the girls - and a little cameo as a mouse who scares pirates.

we had loads of fun...though the first show was on molly's birthday, she got to spend her first overnight by herself at grandmom & grandpop's...so we took the three deserving, older kids out for a post-show treat at pizza sams...a local pizza and ice cream establishment.

bravo, guys!

project 365 - part five

2009-06-01T15:17:00.000-04:00

recap of the month of May...

my first batch of cupcake pops...i'm a pro now :)

our new geocaching hobby...more to come on that later!

no May recap is complete without the Mega Meet!

and I hosted a fantastic Girls Weekend with my friends and our daughters

Jason and Maya took in a Tigers game

project 365 - part four

2009-05-13T09:07:00.004-04:00

April's selections....

of course, the whole family at disney world

eating easter morning breakfast at a Waffle House

our house coming into bloom this spring

the first time we ever won any money on a mega millions ticket ($3 - wahoo - on my dad's 60th birthday) it's not like we play all the time, but it was nice to win something...and actually, the very next drawing we won $2...we're rolling in it now!!

maya's birthday breakfast (lightning speed at the big boy buffet) on the morning of her birthday

new look

2009-05-12T17:54:00.002-04:00

another new look for your enjoyment (those of you with 'readers')....and if you need a new look for YOUR blog...just let me know...i do that sort of thing ;)

since i checked in last...

2009-05-12T15:42:00.007-04:00

I went to florida for spring break with the family...

the easter bunny came...while we were in florida!!

i had a daughter that turned seven.....and we hosted a bowling party for 14 first graders!!

i joined kate and tara for a night of cropping at one of our favorite detroit area scrapbook stores...

porter started soccer season....
so did jason (he's #37...)!!

maya and jason took in a tigers game...and maya got to run the bases...

our family adventure to a loons game was rained out...

i met jenna martin (who looks JUST like her dad...)

and the mega meet has come and gone...see the previous post!

mega meet

2009-05-12T15:17:00.005-04:00

read all about my goings on the last months of my life here....at the mega meet blog...(click on the 'headers')

here's info about the crop parties...i 'supervise' the staff....and plan/schedule/coordinate activities and prizes and whatnot...

crop winners and more

here's pictures of set up day....i coordinate exhibitor contracts with regards to booth size and product they carry...and more....

setting up!

here's info and pictures on the birthday bash i planned the night before the show floor opened...i had a fantastic time ;) and i'm not sure i've ever laughed harder than during neil's commentary as he led the group in the 'macarena' during the dance party portion of the party...

birthday bash

here's all the dedicated folks that pay to come to our little event ;)

thursday morning

and a special thank you to my partners-in-crime...it is only because of you that i do this job...and i enjoy reaping the benefits of our hard work by your side...and with a beer...

change

2009-04-03T09:52:00.005-04:00

KQOTD:

Practicing spanish at dinner:

Maya : My favorite color is azul (blue).

Lilly: Mine is amarillo (yellow).

Maya: Amarillo? No, yours is verde (green)!

Lilly: Amarillo.

Mom: I think she just likes saying "amarillo" instead of "verde".

Lilly: I'm starting to like really bright yellows more than lime green. It's sure gonna be a big change for me if I change my favorite color.

crack

2009-04-02T17:38:00.003-04:00

(not relating to the previous post)...

for my mother and aunt(s) - for whom this blog seems to be crack....

i did NINE blog posts today on this blog - can you find them all??

hazards

2009-04-02T17:32:00.002-04:00

of potty training....

this came wandering out of the bathroom yesterday

i guess sometimes you just can't get it all

a LONG car ride

2009-04-02T17:26:00.002-04:00

it takes a lot of work to get this family ready for a nearly 24 hour drive to florida...starting with lots of snacks...

so here's what i prepped today...just for the kids...

18 packages of fruit snacks
12 granola bars
7 bags of trail mix
10 bags of goldfish crackers
10 bags of animal crackers
3 bags of cheez-its (box was running low...)
10 bags of raisins

and i'm sure tomorrow i'll throw in some string cheese and apples, possibly even some go-gurts.

here's hoping this stash lasts us all the way there.

project 365 - part three

2009-04-02T17:06:00.003-04:00

march's selections

our pre-spring break shopping spree for new clothes and a new quiet toy for the car and condo...

st. patrick's day art project...who needs corned beef when you can have ham?

showing off school carnival prizes

you've seen this one before, but it's worth seeing again

how cute is this...porter tucked in his 'babies' when he went to school

marching on...

2009-03-27T15:44:00.000-04:00

the month of march has been a busy one...

what with taking on the babysitting job...

and getting into the real swing of things and crunch time with the mega meet (registration now open!)...

that alone is plenty to fill my plate - but I've been slowly but surely working on designing some scrapbook classes to teach in the area...and i've got four designed and a full schedule to teach them on two different Saturdays at The Scrapbook Zone in Farmington Hills...i'll probably do some of them on a few week nights around here, too...so if you're in my area, check it out...or catch me at the Zone!

Happiness is....Wall Hanging

Complete this unique transparent wall hanging featuring product from My Minds Eye new Bloom and Grow line. Project includes all product to complete your piece – all you need to add is your pictures – which because of this project’s design, you can easily change out as your mood suits!

Summer Fun Paper Garland

Ribbon, Flowers, Buttons and Bling Banner – this adorable paper banner would be perfect on a fireplace mantel, on a doorway or window, or just hanging on the wall! Actual project will vary from the image, will have a “Summer Fun!” theme and will, of course, include lots of ribbon, flowers, buttons and bling! Please bring scissors, trimmers, adhesive, including lots of small glue dots, and your favorite decorative scissors (yes, we’re going to use those!).

Bucket of Flowers

Want a flower centerpiece, but not one that has to be thrown away after a week? Make a cute paper one featuring some of the latest product on the market that will brighten up your table all spring and summer long!

Fun in the Sun altered tin and mini-album

Highlight your spring break or summer memories in a mini-album that can be tucked away into a cute, altered tin. This album has a place for up to a dozen pictures!

All classes are at the bargain price of just $20 each and last from 1 to 2 hours.

indy 500

2009-03-23T14:44:00.000-04:00

it's not quite 500 miles to indianapolis from here (though driving with 4 kids it can seem like it is!) but we packed into the car for a road-trip weekend to visit my aunt and uncle. it had been a few years since we'd spent some time there, and the kids had a four-day weekend (conferences), so it seemed like a good time to skip town...and man oh man, did we have fun!

our first adventure was the children's museum...holy smokes, you could spend DAYS in there...lots of great things to do and see...

the dinosphere...full of dino bone replicas...and the sphere has 'storms', which molly will be quick to tell you about...and an excavating area...really cool.

and the lego exhibit - we spent a great deal of time in here, too...great lego castles and games to play...and, of course, building with legos!

how did she know to sit there?

the comic book display was also really impressive...lilly is flying through the sky.

other rooms with water tables and learning to juggle and race cars and stilts and miniature rooms and a really cool water clock...and well...it was cool.

if you find yourself in indy, you should get yourself to the museum. even without kids.

our remaining adventures were confined to my aunt and uncle's property....lots of movies (i bought twilight the day it came out) and kicking the soccer ball or throwing the frisbee...

'tractor rides' - i think porter might ask santa for a tractor for christmas...of course, most of the fun came when uncle doug decided he would switch from forward to reverse without porter knowing!

or making 'erasers' - they're not really going to fulfill their erasing duties very well, but they sure are cute!

and well....we were all pretty tired by the end of it all!

out of the house!

2009-03-16T16:09:00.001-04:00

the jalandoni family joined us for another fun filled weekend! we actually went out...like out of the house...with just grown ups....to a restaurant...and a casino...it was great!

we did some family outings, too...like to the butterfly gardens...

some kids were ready and willing to have a butterfly interaction...

others were not...

then we took everyone to the leisure pool to wear them out before we left them in the capable teenage hands of the jalandoni children...

that's when the grown ups headed to the dueling piano bar and then to the casino. it had been MANY years since i was at a piano bar...and it just so happened that a friend of the jalandoni's was one of the performers...and when we got there, the table RIGHT in front of the pianos was available...and so we planted ourselves there and enjoyed our time away. dinner out was great, and the side trip at the casino didn't result in job-ending wealth, but was fun nonetheless. i did get a bonus several times on Mr. Lucky, and that alone is worth the trip!

the next day brought a trip to the mall food court for lunch...which for some reason is a favorite of the jalandoni's when they visit...not that they don't live in the land of the mall food court, but for some reason, ours is 'special'.

I have yet to figure out what it is exactly that porter is doing with his beans from taco bell in this picture...

while we were there, i also obliged lilly's long standing request for a hair cut...and got a trim myself.

a busy, and yet, relaxing weekend with friends.

my new "job"

2009-03-06T14:11:00.000-05:00

i have another baby....not my baby...but a baby...that is here now, every 'working day' during the week.

this picture pretty much sums up how the other kids feel about having a baby here everyday.

Now, before you ask...refer to this post - no, we are not going to have any more kids.

The kids are a big help. The baby is pretty laid back. In fact, some days I think I'm robbing his parents by accepting money from them...and then he spits up or poops, or worse, and i remember why they're paying me.

we're not sure how permanent or temporary this situation is...but for right now, this kid seems pretty happy to be in the chaos of our home.

superior intellect

2009-03-05T19:21:00.003-05:00

can most 2 year olds do this??

KQOTD:

Maya: Mom, do you remember that I want my ears pierced for my birthday?

Mom: Yes, Maya...but you have to be 8 years old... (she'll only be 7 this year)

Molly: I want my ears pierced on MY birthday (holding hands to ears)

Dad: Okay, Molly....but you have to be 8. How old are you now?

Molly: SEVEN!

saving lives

2009-03-05T08:50:00.004-05:00

in a process that started many, many months ago...by best friend, and pediatrician, lynn, has embarked on a year-long mission with Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

with just about one month's notice, she received her assignment that she would be sent to rural India for a year...lynn has traveled the globe sharing her medical expertice in haiti, australia, africa, and along the arizona/mexican border. and now she's packed up her life and just arrived to start saving lives in india...

we took the family for a great going-away gathering at her mom's house in mid-february...

here she is with her dog that will be cared for by her mother for the year she is gone...

through the beauty of the internet, it looks like we'll be able to communicate while she's gone...which is great, to say the least!

she has been updating her friends and family on her adventures via her facebook page, and after reading today, i thought i'd share a bit of her story - as it is so easy to forget what life is like in other parts of the world. and while our economy is struggling, which is no small matter, it is not what other countries and the citizens have to face.

we live in a world with clean water. grocery stores. health care.

and so throughout this year, as some of her stories strike me, i will include them here. i hope you enjoy...

Woah! Delhi is nuts. Don't get me wrong; I like it, but it's busy, crowded, dusty, and full of honking horns. People here have been fantastic. No sigh-seeing yet, maybe tomorrow. More briefings - and in a nutshell, my job is to help start an MSF hospital, including outpatient and inpatient pediatrics, and inpatient maternal health. No hospital building yet, but lots of plans. I'll keep you posted! We also do 5 mobile clinics a week, walking about 40km a week total, carrying 10kg of stuff (mmm..Plumpy Nut pre-fab kid food) and hacking through a jungle. Can't wait! :)

memories

2009-03-04T19:18:00.003-05:00

i have very few memories of my great-grandma Reichard. in fact, in my mind, it's a few tidbits all associated with one visit with her, though i don't really know if they are all actually from the same visit.

i remember visiting her in her assisted living apartment. she had just gotten one of those recliner chairs that can lift you to help you get to a standing position.

we ordered pizza for dinner and she made a joke about how her doctor didn't want her to eat it, but because we were there, she was going to anyway.

she had a rosary on a table next to her TV watching chair. i remember asking her what it was and she explained it to me.

and...unfortunately...that's about all i remember.

but there is something i've never had of her...a picture.

i've only had the memories in my mind...and the visions of her from photos that other family members have displayed in their homes.

the most 'famous' of those is one that was a professional photo, taken with her and my great-grandfather...of whom i have no memory at all (i was extraordinarily young when he died).

and the other day, a most generous gift was bestowed upon me. i know the giver probably has no idea how much i appreciate her thinking of me as the new owner of this picture.

to have an actual photo now, to go with my memories...it's priceless to me.

as a scrapbooker, i record my memories through photos...and it is the hope that the photos and written memories together bring out that prism of our lives - once presented to me by the ever-impressive Stacy Julian - our memories alone are white light...but combine those memories with photos and meaningful words about them...and it becomes a prism. the true beauty that is our lives...whether you're scrapbooking a new baby, or just the contents of your refrigerator...or the limited memories of a great-grandmother that might otherwise go unrecorded...without the image that goes with it.

thank you, aunt elyce, for passing along this picture to me.
it means more to me that you will ever know.

project 365 - part two

2009-03-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

february's selection of project 365 pictures

the smattering of shoes and boots at the back door...it doesn't look like this every day, but close...

at hi-way pizza in state college, pa with family after aunt gloria's funeral

at my aunt & uncle's...gathering with family for uncle jim's funeral

girls weekend in grand haven

molly at the mcdonald's playplace

catching up

2009-02-26T12:22:00.003-05:00

with two deaths in the family, mega meet work picking up, and just life in general, i haven't had the time, energy or thought process to put into this blog...here's hoping that that changes soon!

though next week i'm starting 'day care' here - and by that, i only mean i'm adding one kid to my bunch - the 6 week old baby of Jason's co-working pharmacist...i agreed to take him on when they were having some issues finding a day care they liked, so i'm giving a trial run until school is out...molly is BEYOND thrilled that 'baby peanut' will be here to 'bite her toys'...we'll see what she thinks after the first week!

so for today's blog entertainment, enjoy this KQOTD:

while watching Backyardigans this morning...

me: what are they doing?

porter: they are taking the pizza to tyrone, but he's going to get angry cause it's not what he wants.

me: oh, so you've seen this one before?

porter: yes, a really, really, really, really, really long time ago....

....like last week.

one word

2009-02-05T15:39:00.003-05:00

Type only one word answers

Where is your cell phone? Desk
Your hair? ponytail
Your father? courageous
Your favorite thing? hugs
Your dream last night? morning
Your favorite drink? chocolate
Your dream goal? impact
The room you are in? office
Your fear? future
Where do you want to be in 6 years? content
Muffins? please
One wish list item? peace
Where did you grow up? home
The last thing you did? facebook
What you are wearing? comfy
Your pets? several
Your computer? addiction
Your life? extraordinary
Your mood? contemplative
Missing someone? always
Your car? posh
Favorite store? ikea
Your favorite color? greenish
When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
Three people who email you? kate, tara, amy
Three of my favorite foods? sushi, ice cream, cookies
Three places I would rather be right now? bed, london, hawaii

first born

2009-02-05T15:37:00.002-05:00

here's another facebook Q & A - of course, all my facebook friends are now getting a double dose, too...because these blog posts all go to my facebook page ....good grief. ah well.

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?
no

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
yes - for 8 months

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
terrified

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU?
no

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
23

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
home pregnancy test, followed by a test at the health center

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
jason - duh

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX?
no

9. DUE DATE?
first it was the first week of november, then changed to nov. 29 i believe.

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS
tons - for four months

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE
whoppers and most things from taco bell

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
'bad' foods and throwing up every day

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX?
female

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
no

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
almost none - too much throwing up - i think it was less than 10 lbs...and after she was born, i weighed almost 15 lbs lighter than when i started my pregnancy

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
yes - my mom hosted one at my house

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
i knew

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
not really - other than doc was worried about my lack of weight gain, but the baby kept growing, so he wasn't that concerned!

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Mecosta County General Hospital (now called Mecosta County Medical Center)

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
I think my water broke around 11:30pm and she was born before 3AM

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?
jason - had to stop a couple times in the parking lot because of contractions - it was awful

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
jason and my doc and a nurse - but because it was Thanksgiving weekend, we had a ton of visitors the next day, including my brother and his wife, both sets of grandparents, my aunt and bff

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
Natural

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
too fast of a labor for an epidural that i desperately wanted - i think i got a shot of something - and tylenol after - whoopee.

27. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
hmm - i think 7 lbs. 15 oz..i'd have to check (is that bad??)

28. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN
Nov. 28 - 2:49AM (the saturday of Thanksgiving weekend)

30. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Lillian Marie

31. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY?
9 years

random things

2009-02-05T15:35:00.003-05:00

well, if you're not on facebook, you probably haven't heard of the random things...

but i posted mine back in december (back when the list was only suppose to have 16 things on it, but now it's up to 25...)

and i thought today, hey, there's lots of people who read my blog that aren't on facebook...so why not read my random things here??

and i'll probably post some of the other 'notes' here, too...those of you in 'both places' - sorry you're getting a double dose.

so here's my 16 random things:

1. I love cottage cheese - but basically only the Meijer brand - small curd.

2. I used to be addicted to Diet Coke...but I'm not sure I actually feel better now that I gave it up (for the most part).

3. I can obsess like nobody's business. About just about anything. I probably should be medicated.

4. I never thought I'd be a stay-at-home-mom.

5. I've been to Disney World more times that I can count and I still get verclempt walking down Main Street USA.

6. Someday I will design and make a really killer gingerbread creation.

7. I have a very large collection of JFK memorabilia.

8. I never thought I liked to read until I found Harry Potter, Edward Cullen and any book by Phillipa Gregory.

9. I have very few 'real' friends. (you know who you are!)

10. I have a very strong desire to adopt internationally. I've had the desire for as long as I can remember (for a long time I was going to adopt a 2 year old Korean boy named Peter...he didn't really exist, that's just what I wanted...).

11. I think I spent the better part of my college career battling depression - I just didn't know it.

12. I could not live without my laptop. I wish I could...but I can't.

13. I wonder and worry about what it will be like to be the parent of a teenager (let alone 4 teenagers at one time!)

14. I think Ben and Jerry are some of the smartest men on the planet. As is Jon Lasseter.

15. I was disappointed when i couldn't find any Cap'n Crunch Christmas Crunch in the store today...there's still more than a week until Christmas - so help me, I better be able to eat my Christmas Crunch!

16. All four of my grandparents were still living when I was 30 years old.

neglect

2009-02-03T10:44:00.003-05:00

despite the fact that my facebook status gets an overabundance of updating, my poor blog here has been neglected as of late...i do have great stories and pictures to share...hopefully i'll get back into the swing of being over here more often now that we're really back into the swing of things, and all signs of the holiday season are distant memories...

i have a little gem to share today - a KQOTD:

Mommie : you know what?

Molly: what?

Mommie: I love you.

Molly: I love you more.

Mommie: You love me more??

Molly: Yeah....(pause)....it's on TV.

Project 365

2009-02-01T14:21:00.002-05:00

so i started a new scrapbooking project this year, along with a couple of my friends...project 365...a picture a day for a year. i have been doing quite well with it (remembering to take them almost everyday!), and thought that at the end of every month, i'd share a few pictures that i took.

here's my selection for january

the back end of my van after a typical trip to the grocery store...

making breakfast for maya and her friend on the morning after their first sleepover

my first pot roast

porter at dance class

lilly and molly doing what they do best - being together and watching tv

teddy bear

2009-01-31T15:41:00.001-05:00

several years ago, for christmas, my grandparents decided to buy everyone in the family (that's their seven kids, spouses, grandkids and spouses....) fleece items from old navy. some were pull overs, some were zip ups.

i still wear mine.

as does jason.

one time grandmoth mentioned that she loved seeing jason wear his because he looked like a big huggable teddy bear.

grandmoth hugged jason the first time she met him. at the grand rapids brewing company for my dad's birthday dinner.

he remarked later that it was a very memorable experience for him, not coming from a big family of huggers like i do.

later he remarked that it clearly wasn't as special for grandmoth as it was for him, because he discovered that she was just a 'hugging whore'...

ah...those hugs...that almost squeezed the life out of you in the best way.

it's been two years that she's been gone. jason wore his fleece today. i hugged that teddy bear for her.

sweet dreams

2009-01-19T10:10:00.001-05:00

Show all

getting something right

2009-01-05T16:19:00.005-05:00

You know you're doing something right as a parent, when your child discovers this nice letter (complete with homemade snowflakes) tucked into her backpack. It's not signed, but she has a pretty good idea of who it's from.

Dear Lilly,

You really are a great friend. You are my best friend ever! If I could have any one as a best friend I would pick you!

kqotd

2009-01-02T19:47:00.004-05:00

so, it's been awhile since i've posted a kqotd...not because there haven't been any, but sometimes, unfortunately, i simply forget them before i get a chance to post them.

today, however, i have two gems to share, both from molly...

on wed, dec. 31st as we were opening gifts with my parents. molly opens a set of puzzles that have babies on them. the one on top is a baby's face. she turns it over to see the one on the back:

"oh, it has a chocolate one..."

tonight, jason takes molly to get her pjs on...and we're, of course, encouraging potty training...

j: "hey hon, can you come upstairs for a minute" in a very animated voice...
i enter the bathroom...molly is turning around to try to look into the potty

m:"my butt not working"

(since she'd already finished 'tinkling' in the toilet and couldn't show me anymore!)

it's her first time going in the potty! wahoo!

happy new year

2009-01-02T16:37:00.003-05:00

i vacuumed again to today to attempt to drag confetti and streamers into every other room, instead of every room, for the next week.

martini time

2008-12-19T16:11:00.006-05:00

grandmoth would have been 80 years old this week. and three years ago today was one of the hardest of my life. and molly is 2 1/2 years old.

for those that i love and miss so much...i will drink a martini today.

(picture taken on new years eve, 2002)

new look

2008-12-19T16:07:00.002-05:00

finally got rid of that 'summer' header and now i have a nice festive look to the blog...so those that read this through a feed...go check it out .... my services are for sale!

getting old...

2008-12-19T11:54:00.003-05:00

so...this week, for the first time, i saw a doctor because i was having some annoying 'symptoms' of something and wanted answers...so i went...and then i had, like, lab tests...and all those things that people who are 'getting older' have to do. and today i got my results...and wouldn't you know, i require medication.

i suppose i shouldn't complain too much, as it is the necessity of medication that supports my family, but still...i just never thought it would be me.

oye.

finally...

2008-12-19T11:31:00.002-05:00

one month before he leaves office, he finally does something right...

(from the associated press)

The president said that on the one hand, the government has a responsibility not to undermine the private enterprise system, yet on the other hand, it must safeguard the broader health and stability of the U.S. economy.

"If we were to allow the free market to take its course now, it would almost certainly lead to disorderly bankruptcy and liquidation for the automakers," he said.

"Under ordinary economic circumstances, I would say this is the price that failed companies must pay," the president said. "And I would not favor intervening to prevent the automakers from going out of business. But these are not ordinary circumstances.

"In the midst of a financial crisis and a recession, allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible course of action."

so many blog posts on the brain...

2008-12-18T09:58:00.003-05:00

i swear i will share them....daily december and 80th birthdays and trips to great wolf lodge...why can't christmas be another month away???

twilight

2008-12-16T18:06:00.002-05:00

so i finally broke down and started the twilight series...i'm about a 1/3 of the way through the last book in the series...and i'm probably just as addicted as most others (well, maybe not as much as the teenage girls...)

i'm interested in seeing the movie, but just wasn't sold on robert pattinson as edward (who also played cedric in the harry potter movies - which i wasn't sold on him in those movies either)...

until i saw this picture from this month's vanity fair photo shoot with the twilight cast:

and then i turned into paris hilton and was all like...dang...that's hot....

kid council

2008-12-15T16:30:00.002-05:00

so several months ago, we're enjoying a nice family dinner when one of the children mentioned that they would like to make another family trip to great wolf lodge . we have been twice before, with the last trip when molly was only a few months old (her first trip to a pool...all the pictures of which were lost in a laptop crash...ah well).

anyway, i digress. the conversation continues about how difficult it is to go away sometimes, with the distance, and the expense and possibly missing school. we propose something 'to the council' - we will take you to great wolf lodge if you would like it as your christmas gift - no other gifts, just the trip.

after pretty short deliberation at the dinner table, they all reach a unanimous decision - they want the trip. we tell them that we will re-visit the topic in a few weeks to make sure that this is still their desire.

a week or two later, we discuss again. yes, their vote remains the same. and thus, as parents, we began the process of the 'christmas surprise'...

we book a room at a pretty good rate...we discuss with teachers...we deflect future conversations saying that we don't know if it's going to work...we talk to swim teachers....and choir directors....and secretly pack the kids and even load the van to the near top.

it's saturday morning - just like any other and we tell the kids to eat breakfast and get dressed...we have some errands to run (like Christmas shopping) so we're all going out...

we pile them in the car and remarkably, no one notices that the back of the van has suitcases in it...we successfully distracted them with our new GPS unit and by putting on a movie..."it's going to be a bit of drive to the one store we want to go to..." we say, "so sit back and relax..."

porter asks if we can go to the toboggan run later...we remark that we don't know if it's open yet, but maybe, if they're good while we're shopping, we can go to the community center pool.

we drive and drive. they ask where we're going, but only about 3 times. we're nearly to traverse city (2 hours of driving later!) when we stop for lunch, telling them that we're almost to the store, so it's best if we eat first and then we can get the shopping done. so we eat...and we climb back into the van...with just 5 miles to go.

I'm in the left-hand turn lane...into the resort. lilly reads the sign..."great wolf lodge?!??" and she and maya look at each other..."WE'RE GOING TO GREAT WOLF LODGE???!!?!?" and they say - no wonder you said we could go to the pool this afternoon!

and we pull in and say "merry christmas"...

i never thought in my wildest dreams that they wouldn't have guessed we were going within the first hour of the trip. but they didn't - and their surprise when we arrived was totally worth it.

we got our fill of the waterpark.

we enjoyed story time and the 'snow' in the lobby.

we had sugar cookies and milk delivered to our room as a 'sleepy time' snack.

and we ate out at some of the kid's favorite restaurants.

they loved the trip, and the fact that they got to 'skip' of day of school to do it.
quality family time - what the holiday season should be all about.

(ps - they'll still be getting some gifts on Christmas, too...but they don't know that yet!)

capes

2008-12-12T19:45:00.004-05:00

enjoy!

PS - for my aunt sue (and ben) - did you picture this when you gave porter that collection of superhero pajamas??

conspiracy

2008-12-01T18:12:00.004-05:00

got this from another blog i read...and it rings so true that i thought i'd share...

even our own 'kid council' voted for no gifts this year (though they are getting some...) in lieu of a family trip...

we are doing fewer gifts. and we'll be making some great memories on our trip. and my charity of choice this time of year is heifer international.

now don't presume i'm thinking we're like the model non-commercial christmas family - cause we do have three different trees and did buy a whole new set of icicle lights by the case this year...but we're on our way...

join the advent conspiracy.

it's that time of year again

2008-11-25T13:40:00.009-05:00

when one can spend hours wasting time on the internet...enjoy!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

the kids' favorite:

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

and my favorite:

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

celebrities

2008-11-17T15:14:00.005-05:00

just a little more than a year after his eldest sister graced the same spot and space in the newspaper, porter makes his daily news appearance:

and just one short month ago, lilly's 'weather' artwork was 'featured' on the front page...

guess our family is just that popular in this town!