Lessons Learned in Florida

We got back yesterday and had a great time in Florida. We went to Destin, which is on the Gulf side. It was beautiful.

A couple lessons learned:

1. I can survive an entire week without my computer and Internet (okay I did cheat once and went to the library to pay bills).

2. Alligators are very soft, and not at all slimy like I thought they would be

3. Mom needs to do a better job with sunscreen, even though Kayden made it pretty difficult by wiggling and screaming bloody murder the entire application. I tried waiting him out and after an hour I wrestled him down and just forced it on.

4. 19 hours is a long car ride. Kayden did so much better than I thought he would. He did not cry once. We stopped a few times to let him run around outside. Other than that, he really enjoyed being in the car. Surprising.

5. God hears me. On the final day of our trip, we were out by the beach all day. The sun was hot, the water was teal blue in contrast to the white sand. We set up our chairs and umbrella and played up and down the beach all afternoon. There was a dip in the sand where water would pool and we dug holes for Kayden to play in. When it was time to take Kayden back for a nap, we discovered that the room key had fallen out of my dad's bathing suit. We thought we might get lucky if it had fallen out right where we had initially sat. My dad and I went down to the beach and combed through the sand. Nothing. We expanded our search a little further. We went down to where we had dug our holes. We went everywhere we had been and could not find it. I looked up and down the beach for someone with a metal detector that would possibly help us out. After an hour, we felt all hope was lost of ever finding that key. Since it was the last day, we had no idea if we would have to get a locksmith or some other solution to remedy the situation. I sat down in the sand and said a prayer and decided to dig one more time. Into my hand slipped that metal key. Unbelievable. Someone once said that answered prayers can be explained away as coincidence if unbelievers choose to look at it that way. One three inch key in a beach full of sand? A God thing.

Before and After

Why is it that before I take a vacation, I have to clean? I tackled the black hole tonight- my sewing studio in the basement. I love seeing your before and after photos, so I thought I would share (and also so you feel good about how clean your house is after seeing these photos).

Yikes, how does it get like this?

Okay, it never really looks like this and the minute I get back we will be in BEFORE territory again.

Yikes twice

Is God pushing rewind?

Seems like we are going backwards. Waking up to six inches of blowing snow is certainly not making it look like spring is coming any time soon. We even had the pool guy drop off the chemicals needed for this summer today and I thought, "Why bother?"



Flat tires must be the order for this month, because not only did Tami have one recently, but my two brothers and I had one also. As I was getting four new one installed today, someone ran into an electrical line on our street, knocking out power from 3-10:30. Two thoughts came to mind:

• We must have either exceptionally clumsy drivers, or very low poles. This is the second time in the last seven months that someone has split an electrical pole in half, leaving wires dangling over the street and us without power for six or seven hours.
• I take electricity for granted. Do you know what there is to do without lights, a computer/sewing machine, television, or heat? Not much. After about an hour and half of talking in bed, Josh and Kayden finally fell fast asleep, leaving me just getting more and more annoyed that I could be doing something. Anything!

I have heard that the snow is not lifting anytime soon. Hopefully by the time I come back, the outlook will be little more promising around here.

Naughty Blogger List: MiniMe Mom

My only excuse I have is that I have been adding many products lately, and it took a lot longer than I thought it would.

I hope all of you had a nice Easter. Our church service was beautiful and I found myself emotional at the wierdest of times.. thinking of Sam Post, my friend Joan that lost both of her parents recently. Realizing our suffering and brokeness is nothing compared to the sacrifice of the cross....

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Update on Kayden, from the mouth of babes:

Kayden lately is being a big tease. I will ask him "Do you like Puppies or Kittens?" and he will always say Kittens even though I know he likes Puppies better. He then laughs and laughs with that glint in his eye. This repeats all day- he will tease my mom that he is really Papa's Sweetheart and not Grandma's sunshine. He teases rotating between Joy and Lacie. If I ask him if he likes Lacie, he says he likes Joy better and vice versa. He is on his way to the VanderPloeg art of pushing buttons.

Easter picture with Josh's parents:

Kayden did not really "get" the idea of egg hunting this year. Saturday morning at 9am, we traveled to Jenison for the Easter Egg hunt at their church. Arriving with a big bag in hand for all the candy my son would receive, and I would eat, we eagerly anticipated the start of the hunt. After the sermon, all the 1-2 year olds (plus parents) huddled behind the caution tape until the organizer said "GO". Kayden quickly picked up four smartie packs and decided he was spent. We watched as all the other kids loaded their baskets full of eggs. Alas, I did not really need the candy anyway.

And from Chuck E. Cheese:

with the giant sucker he got:

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Throw open the beach houses, wax the surfboard.... I have been asked a lot by all you Californians when we are coming to visit. Josh and I just got tickets for the end of July. We are taking Kayden with us this time, and so excited to see you all again...

Spring Break

So, how is spring break going for you?

I am ready for summer having Josh here all week! It is so nice having him home. Kayden and him are big buddies. We have had people over we usually only see in the summer time. I even got Josh to stay up to, gasp, twelve o'clock one night.

Some highlights of this week:

• Kayden- on one of our many walks, looking intently into the storm draim, "Kayden wants to go swimming"
• Chuck E Cheese- what is vacation without Chuck E?
• Big Red Lighthouse- I did not realize that the end of the pier in Holland is an open block of concrete! Josh and I were talking and looked up to see him running straight for the water. Good thing Josh is quick. I probably would not have caught him. Brrr, cold.
• Thursday we are going to go over and see the triplets. Josh has not met them yet, so we are excited.
• Sleeping in-without even opening my eyes, I usually frantically search for the remote so Kayden can cuddle up and watch Mickey Mouse clubhouse in the morning, giving me an extra twenty minutes of sleep. No Meescha Mooshca this week!
• Uccello's Pizza- how have I not know about this pizza? $12.67 for two 14" pizzas and breadsticks. Delicious.
• My dad setting up for the 17 hour car ride to Florida (Leaving in two weeks). He had Josh bring over the car seat for a "test run". At one point he talked about creating a freestanding apparatus to attach the portable DVD player to, just so Kayden could swivel the DVD player. He finally settled on attaching it to the seat. I swear he will still make one. That is actually one thing I love about my dad- he is a problem solver and a fixer. He can fix or build anything.
• Jamie with a chainsaw. Our tree out front needed some trimming, so I used my dad's "chainsaw on a stick". Not the technical term for it, mind you. I actually had a lot of fun until Josh came and watched me cut one branch down. Possibly the fact that it is on a stick frightened him. Images of me dropping the heavy chainsaw through the window, or worse-the electrical line close by, made him take over pretty quickly. He cut a few branches and broke the chainsaw chain. Thankfully Dad already fixed it.

I can see why kids have such a hard time going back to school after Spring Break. This taste of non-structure makes me long for lazy summer days. One of the teachers Josh taught with in California was often asked, "What is your favorite part of teaching?" to which he always replied, "June, July, and August".

Name that movie::

In my sidebar is a youtube video from one of my favorite movies. Can you name that movie?
Hint: The sonnet at the end is my favorite part

At my parents house, I know where everything is-- the stashes of candy my mom tries to hide from my dad, my old pair of slippers waiting in the laundry room bathroom for me to slip on my feet as I enter, my bright yellow fuzzy blanket I used as a child. There is a certain comfort for me in knowing that no matter how long between visits, it will always be familiar.

Tonight I was out to dinner with a friend who asked me what I thought about the Hancock Fabric store closing. I denied that it was even a possibility. Hancock is my home fabric store. Surely I would know if it was closing. Josh and I have run to that store so many times, I know it takes 22 minutes round trip if I throw my bulky roll of fabric over my shoulder and hustle to the cutting counter. No dawdling and looking through fabrics or trims- just a beeline knocking down anything in my path.

Will I be able to find the fabrics elsewhere? Probably. Mostly, I just hate change. I am used to that bulky fabric roll. I am familiar with the small brown crack on the corner of the cutting counter that I pick at while waiting for my cut.

"You can avoid having ulcers by adapting to the situation: If you fall in the mud puddle, check your pockets for fish." ~Author Unknown

So what happens if I do not like fish?

Blogger's Night Out, Part III

From left: MiniVan Mega Fun, MiniMe Mom, Me and My Boys, The Preacher's Wife, and Confessions in Caledonia

Every once in a while, I come across someone who outwardly cringes when I discuss blogging. By their own admission, they view them as a means of showing off how perfect ones life is (they obviously have not read mine). I see it very differently!

This group of women above would not be my friends without blogging. Perhaps our paths would have crossed somewhere in the future, but blogging has introduced some wonderfully warm and caring people into my life. In reading their blogs, I get a glimpse into their world, daily struggles, and hilarious stories. I am so grateful for these friends and the opportunity to talk about anything and everything for three hours once a month. I look forward to our next visit already!

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Nursery: I love it and I hate it at the same time. I love getting to sit in church without distractions. No one tugging at my sleeve or asking "Mommy Carry You". I know Kayden is having fun with his "girlfriend" Joy. Unfortunately, germs run rampant. Fevers of 103 and the current little nugget picked up in nursery: pink eye.

Taken earlier this week in one of his favorite outfits (yes, observant blogger. It is his Halloween costume):

The Daily Grind

Upon returning home yesterday, I noticed a little treasure sticking out of my mail box. Oh, happy day! I popped out of my car, ran over and tore open the package mid street. You know what I was so excited about? Zippers. My life is extremely dull lately.


Life seems to be in a holding pattern, stuck between winter and spring. I am waiting for the warm weather- longing to plant flowers, clean off the swingset, get out the patio furniture, throw open the windows and breathe that first warm air of spring. Josh has already decided spring is here and opened all of our storm windows, leading to some mighty chilly drafts.

So, for now, I will try to remain content in the daily grind over here, biding my time until mid- April when Florida comes calling.

For Chelle:

It's all Relative

I remember a couple of years ago, Josh and I went to a football game in California. It was pretty late in the year- possibly the end of November. Anyway, we were having unseasonably cold weather, so I took along my scarf, mittens, hat and gloves. As I sat in the stands with the other spectators, we kept griping and complaining to each other how cold it was- trying to scrunch together with the hopes of stealing body heat. Hot chocolate was $2 at that game, high by any standard. I think I bought three cups.

As we were exiting the stadium, I told Josh I was surprised that it was not snowing, to which he pointed up to a bank flashing the temperature. 62 degrees. I was a true Californian.

It's all relative, huh? Wasn't today a glorious day! 50 degrees, sun shining! We even took a walk, sans coat, with Kayden. He ran down the street jumping all the way. It is unreal how much extra energy and happiness the sun and warm weather bring to the Bird House.

Michigan Temperature Chart:::
60 above North Carolinians try to turn on the heat. People in Michigan plant gardens.
50 above Californians shiver uncontrollably. People in Michigan sunbathe.
40 Above People in Michigan drive with the windows down.Italian & English cars won't start.
0 People in Miami all die... Michiganders lick the flagpole.
60 below Polar bears begin to evacuate the Artic. Michigan Boy Scouts postpone 'Winter Survival" classes until it gets cold enough.
297 below Microbial life no longer survives on dairy products. Cows in Michigan complain about farmers with cold hands.
460 below ALL atomic motion stops. People in Michigan finally get out their winter coat
500 below Hell freezes over.The Lions win the Super Bowl!

Low cut leotards

Yesterday I encountered sweating, panting, grunting, and a blue low-cut stretch shiny leotard. And that was just Tae Bo founder Billy Blanks.


Before I had Kayden, I was really in shape. I taught aerobics, and was very strict with my diet. I was even known to write down every calorie I ate in order to fit into that elusive size two pant. Now, I am not sure either of those words even exist in my daily life. Size Two? Maybe one leg.

Before kids: I headed all the way to Studio City to pay twelve dollars for a class at the famous Billy Blanks Tae Bo studio. Red carpet, a heater set to full blast, lots of skinny surgically enhanced women, and the man himself teaching what he had become famous for: Tae Bo. It was a craze back then, and I was a true believer in the body transformation results of Tae Bo.

Seven Years later: it has been three years since my last workout. We loaded into a small room in the corner of my parents church with a VHS of Tae Bo in the VCR. Lots of out of shape moms, huffing and puffing through the "beginner" work out.

It's a start.

Calvin College

We drove in the front entrance, unloaded the diaper bag, and climbed over a snow mound to get to the commons area at Calvin College this evening. A few of the teachers (now administrators) from California were in town tonight interviewing for the positions open at Redlands Christan school. We also met up with five of Josh's former fourth graders that are students there. A couple thoughts came to mind:

• The Calvin college campus, including the common's area, is in need of some major updating.
• Seeing all those former students made Josh and I miss California, and on a smaller scale- four quarter basketball. Two of the former students used to play basketball for Josh, and that team was probably the most fun we have ever had in a season. Five period ball blows!
• I realized talking to these students just how old we are that our fourth graders are now in college.
• Josh was offered the fourth grade position open at Redlands Christian, and I seriously think if I wasn't there he might have accepted:-)
• I now see why kids miss mom's cooking- that food was horrible!
• Being in college is a lot of fun. Stories were told of daily life, and although there is some stress involved with studying, a lot of college is carefree and fun.
• I miss the orange groves. That could possibly be what heaven smells like. If you have never experienced the smell of fresh, dewy orange blossoms first thing in the morning or late at night- you are missing out, friend.

Although it is only about fifteen minutes from our house, Calvin College seems like another world. I am sure it feels that way to all of these California transplants, too.

Better than a celebrity

When I used to be a visitor to Michigan instead of a resident, I always tagged along with my parents to their church-Chapel Point in Jenison. They recently built a beautiful new building, and this morning was the dedication service for the community to come in and have a tour.

The church and service was very lovely, but the thing I was most excited about was seeing someone better than a celebrity in my book- Uncle Charlie! He came in as a special guest for all of the younger age kids. I remember listening many of my childhood years to the Children's Bible Hour and grew up loving that program. I even wrote letters to Uncle Charlie and was thrilled when he wrote me back. In fact, I was more giddy seeing Uncle Charlie than meeting some nationally known celebrities.

He looked nothing like what I imagined. I always thought he would look like Tom Bosley (the dad on Happy Days). Anyone else grow up listening to Uncle Charlie?

The Why's of Life

Everywhere I turn lately, there seems to be death....From far away-the tornado, the deadly bus crash, to close by- one of my frequent blog commenter's, Joan, dad is dying after her mom just passed away two weeks ago.

It makes me stop and think about the why's of life. Why the suffering, Lord? Amazing how God always leads you to a great devotional when your heart searches for answers.

I read about the murder of John the Baptist, whom Jesus said "Among these born of woman there has not risen anyone greater." I know I have thought to myself why God would have allowed such a senseless death to occur, and for such a seemingly stupid reason. However, any questions as to why are met with silence in the Bible. No explanation like we offer these days like, "Well, I am sure God had a great reason or a higher purpose for allowing him to die." It says that Jesus just slipped away to mourn privately. I am sure if there was any great, significant reason for John to die that way, Jesus would have explained it.

You know how you click on a blog and it takes you to another blog? By the time you click five or six times, you have no idea how you got to the resulting blog? I ended up Here, reading about Katie. One of the eight that said goodbye to her mom, a tornado preventing her from ever return home. I am sad for her family, for my friend Joan who is now saying goodbye again. I have no platitudes for you- only to say that soon, now, very soon. God will dwell among his people, and we will discover why.

Katie and Michelle are cool

Katie and Chelle have such cool headers, I just had to make one for myself. Not nearly as wonderful as theirs, but I had more fun than I want to admit making a new one. Thanks for the inspiration, guys!

ETA I am not finished with the changes, I just do not have time right now to make it exactly how I want it!

Diet Coke and Mentos

Have you guys seen this experiment?

http://www.eepybird.com/exp214.html

Someone has a little too much time on their hands! Makes me want to go outside and try it.

Moving out

My neighbors are moving today. I hear the big semi outside and the hustle and bustle of people. I'm happy for them, but now we are going to have an empty house sitting next to us, and for how long? They will accept renters, too, so I am just hoping someone moves in with a small child that Kayden could play with. They did have a large Mother Mary statue outside that donned Christmas lights year round, so I guess I won't mind that being gone.

I think this gray weather is coloring my outlook, seeing dead grass and an abandoned house for the next year seems a bit depressing.

Oopsie...

Along with my parents, Saturday night we headed to the play area at Center Point mall. With the exception of a few kids far too large and rowdy, it is a great place for Kayden to run around and expel energy. A big skate park is a few feet away, and Kayden loves to watch the skateboarders ride the various ramps.

On the way home, we decided to stop at Meijers on 52nd and Kalamazoo. Has anyone been there? I appreciate Gaines Twsp after shopping at that Meijers. My mother and I hopped out of the car to run in and get a few gallons of ice cream for dessert. As we exited, my father pulled up in their Vibe, and the driver's side window was broken- glass shattered everywhere.

We loaded in the car, and my dad explained what happened. Apparently, a certain spouse of mine had a little bit of a flatulence problem. The smell was so bad that my dad wanted to roll down the window and halfway down, it shattered.

It was a cold ride home, but at least it did not smell:-) I just felt bad for my parents on the drive back to Jenison. Burrr. What's another week without your car, right mom?

Sorry this is starting to be a bodily function blogspot- wetbags, flatulence. It is just such an odd story, I had to share (with Josh's permission)

Soggy Sack

I met a new couple at church the other day. After we had discussed kids, church, what they do for work, the conversation went like this:

Male: So, what do you do? Do you work full time, stay at home?
Me: Yes, I stay at home with my son, and I sew as a side business
Male: Oh, that's cool. What do you sew?
Me: Baby items
Me, thinking to myself that I have to get better at pitching my products
Male: What kind of baby products?
Me: Well, my most popular item right now is a wetbag, and another
Male, Interrupting: A wetbag?
Me: Yes, a wetbag
Male, smirking: Do you know what that is?
Me: Yes, it is a waterproof bag
Male: You might want to look that one up

Befuddled, I googled it. Currently, I am selling something with the name equivalent of a soggy scrotum. That's nice. Just what someone wants as a gift.

So, I am working on a new name. Here's what I have so far:

Zip Dry
Posh Preserver
Wet Happened?
Keep it Klean
Soak N' Seal
Sealed with Style

Not great, but better than a private part at this point. No pictures needed for this post.

Anyone?

Anyone else having blogger's block these days? Maybe it is the cold, dreary weather, or the fact that most days we are inside all day.

Yesterday we had the brilliant idea to take Kayden sledding. After putting on boots, mittens, snowpants, hats, layers and layers of clothes, we arrived at the hill ready for some serious sledding. We went down the hill twice, and Kayden decided he was finished sledding. It was bone-cold, the kind that goes through layers and layers making your eyes sting.

Thank God for Cars and Shrek II.

Have a great weekend!

Today, in lieu of no school tomorrow or Monday and the festive-ness we are feeling in the Bird house, I invited a guest blogger to tell one of my favorite stories:

Many of us have a time in our lives when we think about it and it brings a smile to our face. For me, that time is the experiences I had in college. I developed some of my best friendships I have had with the people I went to college with. We did the simple things like play video games, go to local high school games, or hit the mall to look at the latest shoes coming out and catch a movie. Some of these experiences also involve doing things that may be on the rather ridiculous side. However, when you have to get revenge on some chicks for testing your manhood, sometimes you scoop to low levels.

During my junior year of college, my buddies and I were invited over to a friend's house to watch the Super Bowl - I think it was one of the Dallas vs. Buffalo games. Anyway, when the game was finished and we were headed back to college, we started throwing some of the girls who were at the party into the deep snow, having a good time with them. Little did we know what kind of battle we were getting ourselves into.

About a week after this happened, our school's basketball team had a very important game. We ended up winning the game, and everyone was excited. After going out to eat at the local eatery, we headed back to our apartment, where we noticed some items hanging from the tree outside our residence. As we got closer, the items became more familiar - my boxer shorts had been soaked in a tub and thrown in the tree, allowed to dry and freeze in the brisk Midwest winter. (Years later I would find out that one of my roommates allowed a group of girls to enter our bedroom and raid our boxer drawers!) And it wasn't just myself - two of my other roommates had their tight-whitish and "Lucky Draws" dangling up in the tree. It should have made me laugh, but it didn't. The girls came by our place to see our expressions and I lost it. I think every derogatory term invented for women came unfiltered out of my mouth as I ran towards their car and told them exactly what I thought of their joke. I even threatened to call the sheriff on them and had one of my buddies call them up and act as the sheriff. I think they were scared!

My friends and I came up with our ultimate revenge. We were going to take the high road and offer them an olive branch - chocolate chip cookies. However, these were going to be special cookies, ones that had a "magic" chocolate in the middle - EXLAX! We devised a scheme so that the girls wouldn't be suspicious. We made two batches of cookies, one batch without Exlax to eat with the girls when we invited them over to our place, and another batch with for them to take back to their dorm rooms to eat while they were studying. To help us out, we enlisted the cooking talents of some other chicks who wanted to help us carry out our revenge against these boxer snatchers! We made the cookies, invited the guilty girls over to our place, and pigged out on cookies without any laxatives. On their way out, we gave them another plate to eat and wished them a good night, laughing our backsides off as they headed back to our dorms. A couple of days later, our super secret spy who lived on the same floor said the whole floor smelled like diarrhea - and girls were constantly running to the bathroom to relieve themselves. The best part in the whole story is that one girl who knew there was Exlax in the cookies still ate one, because she "wanted to see what the cookies tasted like!" Another one of the girls who ate the cookies was beginning to date one of my best buddies and he was worried that she was going to dump him - they now live happily together with their three kids. Alas, I think we exacted our revenge in one of the greatest plots ever. Thanks for the opportunity to share my story - I hope you enjoyed it!

Josh's college memories are so different than mine- largely because I lived with my parents. I have had Josh tell and retell this story to me over the years, yet I still chuckled when I read this tonight. So, what about you? Any one else have a funny college memory to share?

The dreaded phone call

The score was 44-26, and I looked up to see the second string sitting below the statisticians table waiting for a dead ball. The players ran up and down the court two more times before a basket was made and all five could get in the game. The noise of the crowd amplified- some yelling for the players about to sit down, others yelling for the players now on the court. Josh's team inbounded the ball and the point guard attempted to dribble down the court. After passing the half court line, the defense grabbed the ball for an easy layup. Two points. Josh's team inbounded the ball again. They could not even get it inbound before the ball was stolen again. Third time, same thing, the point guard hardly even managed to get it to the three point line before it was stolen. The almost twenty point point spread was now back to a four point gap, and Josh sent the starters back in. At that moment, one mom leaned to me and said, " Is Coach Bird taking my son out? He has hardly got as much playing time [as those starting five]."

Playing Time. Sigh. I have heard of many coaches quiting because parents bug them so heavily. This story actually happened a long time ago, before we lived in Michigan. However, every parents quest for playing time is the same. I understand it. They came to see their child, and no matter the talent level, they see Michael Jordan. You would be surprised how often we have been bugged about playing time. Phone calls, church, four minute mini speeches trying to persuade on a voice mail, in the stands, after the game, out to dinner, the list goes on and on. Filed under: Ridiculous.

So, what are your thoughts? Do you think all kids should play equally regardless of talent? Would Chelle's off-the-knee dribble become infamous without the proper playing time she deserved?

Happy Birthday Josh

• 
  Two big events happened yesterday. First, Josh's turned the big 34. His favorite gift? The day off. In honor of his birthday, I want to share a couple of my favorite things about Josh.
  
• His heart for others- One of my favorite stories from Redlands involved Josh driving "the Green Hornet" down the road, looked back in his rearview mirror, and our friend was in the back of his truck playing the piano as Josh was moving it. He would do almost anything for you, even if you don't ask. From moving pianos to helping out students, he has a talent for learning what a person needs help with and then fills that need.
• Many nights we will be sitting watching Jeopardy and he will get up and get me a drink. Not because I ask him, just because he wants to do something nice.
• He does the dishes, the laundry, and takes out the trash without me ever having to ask him.
• Over our marriage, I can hardly think of anything Josh has said critical of me. Always positive, always encouraging. Josh has seen me through retail sales, investment banking, aerobics instructor, actress, secretary, waitress, bartender, stay at home mom, and small business owner. I would have said, "Can't you just pick one and stick with it?" a long time ago.
  
  In case you are voting Josh to sainthood, I better divulge his one weakness: shoes. One morning I stood in line for hours fighting grown men to buy a pair of Jordan shoes. Thought I would show you his closet, and this is not even all of them. What did he get for his birthday? More shoes.
  
  

Also welcome our two new members of the family, McNamara and Troy according to Josh. Crush and Squirt according to Kayden. They really are fun to watch!

Confessions of a SAHM

Recently, I was tagged by Chelle in a game of Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom. In random order:

• I am obsessed with picking at my dog's eyes. Gross, I know. I can't stand the black goopeys.
• There is some sort of string in every part of my house. I never leave the house without at least one string on Kayden or myself. Josh and I have been married seven years and have gone through six vacuums because I never cut the string from the brush.
• I wake up at nine (I can't even comprehend waking up at six with the rest of you). The minute we wake up-before he is even out of bed- he is begging to watch Cars.
• Upon changing Kayden's dirty diapers, I open the door to our garage and give it a good heave-ho. When Josh comes home, he is greeted by four or five dirty diapers which he then takes out to the trash.
• There is probably one picture of Kayden per square foot of my home. My brother teases because my mom is the same way. I just love them, they remind me of certain times in his life that I want to remember.
• Next to my sewing machine is a pile (larger than Kayden) of clothes Josh wants me to mend for him. It just keeps expanding. Most nights, my dogs sleep on that pile while I work.
• I am obsessed with Lingo, Press Your Luck, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy. One of Kayden's first words- "big bucks" and "stop".
• I detest making phone calls, which is why I think e-mail is the best invention ever. Bill Gates would be proud.

Nicole and Katie, consider yourself tagged.

Katie DeBoer Professional Photography

Many of you know Katie DeBoer. If you have visited her blog, you know her talent is taking excellent photos. Kayden was not exactly cooperative either, he wiggles so much! Thought I would share some of my favorites. Thanks Katie!!

A few figures

A few figures from today, in bulleted form for Dana:

• 19: the number of times I put 40 lb. Kayden in and out of his car seat
• 2: black puddles Kayden fell in
• 3: postal workers laughing at me as I tried in vain to open the locked door, sure they were not closed as the clock said 4:58pm
• 30: minutes it took to drive to the other post office
• 2: products I completely cut through on my quest to expedite packaging
• 0: minutes in Kayden's nap
• and finally- 10: feet I ran after my car. Nothing has scared me more than my car hurling in reverse up the neighbor's yard with Kayden strapped in and me not in it.

Bucket

I was seventeen when my dad brought Willie home. He looked just like my dog Tia, only bigger. A little white fluffball, small and cute. A great dog, well behaved, rarely barked. Wille was not his real name, however. Willhestayorwillhego was the name given by the previous owners. We shortened it to Willie since that was a bit long when calling him. About six weeks ago, Willie went again- surprising, seeing the ad my dad placed:

Toy puddle, 15 years old (he was only ten), we want to travel and do not want the dog around any longer

Now, my dad is notorious for these types of ads. When I was trying to sell my Lebaron convertible, for weeks I did not get one call. Low and behold, I looked on the sign, and he had printed out the wrong phone number.

A freind of the family, Avrial, loved Willie, so she decided to give him a new home. Unfortunately, he died about a week ago. Kayden asks every once in a while "Where did Willie go?" so my mom told him he kicked the bucket. Although instead of bucket, Kayden started his word with an f. The more I try to correct him, the longer and louder he repeats it! I just know this Sunday at church he is going to scream it out clear as day.

Why do they always remember those so easily? I always tell him to say I love Mommy and he never says that. Help! Any one else out there? Kids saying naughty words?

Odd February creeps me out

Feb 21, 2003 My aunt Vicki was driving under an overpass and four teenage boys dropped a brick off to the freeway below. The brick smashed through her windshield and hit her in the face. She pulled to the side of the road, and my cousin Sarah was with her and called for help. It took a while to find them, they closed down the freeway, and airlifted her to the hospital. In the midst of the storm, while waiting for the medics, they prayed for the offenders. For forgiveness, for grace.

Many of the details are horrifying. My cousin sitting alone at the hospital waiting for my uncle to arrive, the surgeries she has had and will continue to have restoring her teeth and bones, the fact these boys got off very easy. The truly amazing- this community caring so much for her, the new law known as "Vicki's law", bringing our family closer, and most importantly her forgiving spirit and love for God. All of us wanted to kill them, and yet the maturity of her faith was unbelievable- inviting the perpetrators to share in the forgiveness we all know.

Fast forward- Feb 10, 2005 My uncle was flying a private passenger and my grandpa from Ottawa Executive Airport in Zeeland to Springfield in a Piper PA-24 Comanche plane when it crashed on the Silo Ridge Golf Course in Bolivar, Mo., about 30 miles north of Springfield. The plane's broken gas gauge read that there was still a quarter tank left when the plane ran out of gas. He tried landing it, caught a tree, and disoriented thought he was upside down in that tree. Instead, they were upside down on a golf course. Unfortunately, they cell phoned rescuers informing them they were in a tree, so no one was looking on the ground. Three hours later, they were found by some local residents. If it had not been below average, freezing temperatures, they would have all died. All three of them were treated and released a week later.

So, this coming February rolling around creeps me out. These are random, really freaky accidents. I am a believer, I know everything happens for a reason. Some amazing things have come out of these situations. Not for one minute am I wishing anything else to happen though! I think I will just hold my breath until February passes!!:-)

Check out this link to Our Daily Bread with my aunt's story.

Addendum

Do you ever come across an new product, and say "Hey, I thought of that first?"

I forgot to mention that I found this product in my dumb invention quest- the enclosed umbrella. I wanted to be the inventor of this item back when I was in college. The only problem: When it rains, I can never find my umbrella. Even if I would have invented it.

Dumb Inventions

I don't want to even admit that I have bought two of these products. Which ones, you ask? Guess away.... The white trash doll. Odd, she resembles Brittany Spears. Wonder if she comes with underwear.
When it's not enough to wrestle with just your thumbs
Tired of spinning your fork? Let the spaghetti fork spin for you. As if us Americans aren't lazy enough, we need something to actually spin our fork now.
The roulette shocker. Sounds like an electrifying good time.
The rubber band ball. When snapping them at others just isn't enough.
The pizza cutter fork. Using a knife has never been so outdated.
The pet rock. I know you remember this one Michelle. Good old 80's pet rocks. At least their poop doesn't stink.
The pasta fan.
This one's for Braaad. Might be nice for hunting. Beware of using this product on your hunting trips with Dick Chaney though. He has enough target problems without adding beer to the mix.

Honorable mentions:

solar powered flashlights

pedal wheel chairs

remote control riding lawn mower

the dual hand mitten

the man breastfeeder

urinal goals

So, what about you? Any purchases from this list?

Anyone else see a problem with this?

I voted for this guy...

caption: President Bush gives German Chancellor Angela Merkel and uninvited neck massage during the G8 summit.

I do not know why, but this really tickled my funny bone. Bet she would have reacted differently if it was Clinton.

Say it ain't so!

Confession: I have been in the closet for a long time. Sitting by quietly when you all mocked Tami and Sonny. Holding my tongue and never quite admitting my prissy past for fear of label and reproach.

It all started off so simple. A "Lisa" Cheerleading Doll when I was four. Then, the seventh grade team. I was thrilled with the skirts, the pom poms, the dancing, the hair flipping (let's be real- the basketball players). All too soon it became a serious obsession. I defended cheerleading and called it a sport. Somewhere between my sophomore and junior year, it lost it's luster. Alas, in my post high school years, I have resorted to hiding my colorful past. Even mocking cheerleaders a time or two.

Tami, Sonny- interesting fact. Madonna, Halle Berry, Kim Basinger, Cameron Diaz and Kirsten Dunst were all cheerleaders. Male celebrities who were cheerleaders include Samuel L. Jackson, Steve Martin, Aaron Spelling, and even President George W. Bush. That last one might explain a few things.... that actually is him above.

Maybe my mom can answer this...were we as annoying as I think cheerleaders are now? Never watching what is actually going on during the game. Shouting for first and ten on the fourth and goal? California cheerleaders actually cheer over the loud speaker. Talk about annoying.

16 again?

Today we celebrated my mom's birthday. Without taking too much blogosphere space, a couple of great things about my mom came to mind:

• My sophomore year in high school we had huge water wars going on. My mom loaded up a cooler full of water ballons, got behind the wheel, and drove my friends and I around looking for targets. One guy was walking down Baldwin Street and started running like mad after our car. Almost caught us, too.
• Praying with me when I lost Kayden's twin. Thanking God for letting us love this baby for as long as I carried him.
• Every year getting to skip school to go shopping and lunching with mom for my birthday
• Waiting 45 minutes weekly for me to finish with practice, then driving all my friends home
• Staying an extra week after Kayden was born because I felt so lost and inept at being a mom.
• Eagle's Nest donuts. I still love them.
• Always believing in me, and always taking my side. Well, that has changed since I married Josh. Now she always takes his side, but I do not mind since it shows her great love for him.
• Having constant and horrific ear pain, and yet never thinking of herself.

There are so many more, I could fill this whole page. Thanks Mom for showing me how to be a great mother, and how to raise my kid to love the Lord. Happy Birthday....

"Your kid is so cute!"

The other day I was in Meijers (again) getting the weekly groceries that never quite last long enough. There I was picking out the extra large jumbo diapers for Kayden, when an old high school friend literally bumped into me. A little girl around six years old dressed to the hilt was sitting in the cart. Putting it nicely, she was at an "awkward" age. Should I compliment her outfit, I think? As I am grappling with what to say, I hear mom exlaim,"Isn't she the most adorable little girl?"

How in the world do I get out of this one? "Yes, she is very cute", I said and both mom and daughter beamed with pride. I know there is no excuse for these little white lies, but I did it anyway. We talked a few more minutes and then parted ways. As I was walking away, I thought about the way God made Mothers. No matter what your child looks like, moms think they are cute. I even look back at pictures of Kayden when he was a baby, and wonder what I saw in certain pictures.

Sunday lunch is always at my mom's house, so today I hauled out a box of old photos. You know those kids that never really have that awkward stage? I was certainly not one of them. I remember not being the most attractive kid, but my mom always gushed at how cute I was. Opening the box, my mom took out a couple of photos and said "Wow, I was wrong-you were not cute at all!" If you do not believe me, take one look at these photos. Awkward doesn't even begin to describe that first one.

Big old teeth juttting straight out, frizzy hair, glasses that were bigger than my face, and good old mom thought I was beautiful. Thank God for Mother's vision.

One of my favorite places to go as a child was Show Biz Pizza. Mom would load all three of us up in the car and we would head-for what seemed like hours- out to Show Biz Pizza. Long before the days of handstamping at the door, we would race in ahead of them and start begging for tokens. I would run to the Skee Ball, little brothers to the arcade style racing games, and then we would all sit down to some really greasy cardboard tasting pizza. Dotty Dog, my favorite cheerleader character (sorry Fig), would put on a dazzling show behind the silver lame curtain and I was in awe. We all usually went away with some plastic snake or sticky hand that was worth 300 tickets. I loved that place even though the balls did smell like someone pee'd in them.
Naturally now that Kayden is getting older, Chuck E Cheese is the place to be. Kayden is far more interested in putting the tokens in the slots than he is playing the game. Do you see me up in that thing? That is a mother's love. Watch out, Triplet Dad, you will be here soon.