Sneaky, Sneaky

As summer approached, Josh was pretty bummed about not being able to go back to CA for our annual trip. He is taking Master's classes, and not allowed to miss any, so we decided to stick around here for the summer.

The long face and puppy dog eyes got to me after a while. I hatched a plan to fly Josh's best friend in to surprise him. I admittedly have a hard time keeping "fun" secrets. Any type of really great gift is always given to the intended recipient long before the birthday commences. My mom had to force me not to give her Christmas present the day it arrived. Anyway, the ticket was booked late May, I had seven weeks to not blow the surprise.

The first six went by so quickly that I only almost messed up once. We were in the grocery store looking at a giant rack of ribs and I almost said "We can get that when Hartog is here". I caught myself in time and he did not catch on. The closer the date came, though, the harder it became. It is natural to plan the next week, and time and again I caught myself before the words came out. Getting him to the airport was also complicated. I ran down the list of people we knew that would make visits to MI, and his aunt and uncle were about the only solution.


Monday, we loaded up the car to head on out to the airport. Just as the plane arrived, little Bryce decided to have a major blow out. I told Josh to quickly run to the car for the diaper bag. He got back just in time, and I finished changing the diaper just as Hartog came through the revolving glass door.

It took Josh a minute to connect that his friend was here. He muttered "Dude" reminiscent of the Bud commercials and popped onto his feet. He thought that Hartog was just flying through and we happened to be at the airport. After the confusion settled, he finally started to see just how many people it took to keep it a surprise... I think for a long time he still expected his aunt and uncle to show up.

Special thanks to my parents for letting us use the van, Uncle Norm and Aunt Char for allowing us to use you as our visitors, Josh's parents for playing along and getting us to the airport, and friends that knew for not spilling the beans.


He actually leaves tomorrow, but what a fun week we have had. Lots of reminiscing, laughing, and relaxing. The decision was made that the reunion next year needs to be at Huntington Beach hotel. I guess we better start saving!

Slide Show

I am having too much fun taking pictures of two kids. If I could ever figure out how to get the camera to focus on two subjects it would be great. I need to read the instruction manual.


Anyway, here are a few from today. Sometimes I think Bryce looks like a cabbage patch doll.

Awesome Comb Over

Move over, Trump. There's a new comb over in town.

Confusion

We headed to the mall today. Central to this particular mall is a large elevator. Capacity would be comfortably around 15-20 people, and it has a large glass wall to view the journey and shoppers milling about. Every time we go Kayden needs to ride the elevator, so before we left we hopped on to ride up and down one time.

If you would ever like to see mass confusion, decide to stay on an elevator. No one knew quite what to do.

As the other elevator riders starting filing out, the people outside graciously stood back to let us exit. The door closed. They pushed the button and gave us a confused look. The door opened then closed faster than my explanation could prevail. I watched the door open and close three times.

A few pictures:

Facebook

I have been bugged to sign up. I signed up. Now what? I am not sure I get how this all works. Anyone care to explain?

What is the difference between this and myspace?

From Girls Night Out....

Click to make larger. Take a look at Chelle's blog for full details.

Foam party, anyone?

So You Think You Can Dance was on this evening, and it just got me thinking. I was watching a spandex clad male do ballet. Wait, let me back up.

This morning, I had a older male helping me in the swimsuit department. I dread the task anyway; I have no desire to have a male ask me what size I am. Call me sexist, but it just made me think that some things are better when left to the ladies:

Ice Skating

Pageants

Ballet

Cheerleading, thank you GW.


and finally, having babies. That is just wierd.

Slideshow without the Slide

I really need to figure out how to do a slideshow. A few new pics of the kiddos:

Blue Cotton Candy icecream remenant thanks to Maggie Moos.

Bubble Shattered

As Josh and I were taking a walk to get ice cream, we stopped to chat with a few neighbors we have not met before. I must preface this by sharing that most of the occupants on our street are much older, and almost never just outside as we often are. I see them in passing-usually as their garage door is shutting behind them. I grew up in a neighborhood where "everybody knew everybody". Summer days were spent sharing the street with bicycles, baseball bats, and clusters of parents idly chewing over the latest news, so this has been an odd transition.

Just as I was feeling confident in our new connection, they informed me at that the neighborhood watch had taken place a few nights prior. Lt. Adams had come to let all of us know we have a prostitution ring two streets over.

Bubble Shattered.

Then Josh went to get the oil changed this weekend, and came home with this:

It says KENTHOOD. A slip, perhaps, but not entirely untrue.

Grand Valley State University, circa 1997. I walked past two girls from my Biology class, and overheard them say,
"There is that girl from class. You know, the one who always wears black pants."

My mom and I were laughing tonight remembering that I wore black pants literally every day for about four years. The cut and style were different. Every last pair the same color. Joan, I know you are out there and remember this vividly. Not denim, nare a navy, not even a touch of pink...just black. Most days I topped it with a matching black shirt.

Why, you ask? My desire to be invisible and unnoticable. I thought by wearing black pants I would not appear to have the large backside I was so self-conscious about. Enter: Josh. His parents do not own anything in the color black. They would not buy him black clothing growing up. I perused his closet one day and found, wait for it, an extra tall polyester dark purple suit with matching purple tie and plum purple shirt. Can you just see it?

In a self-reflective moment not all that common here, I thank God for bringing me my opposite. Someone to bring out my colors. Make up for what I lack.

And just for the record, the purple suit was retired shortly after we were married.

Fun Indeed

For as long as I can remember, I have had a very similar hair style to what currently is the do-long brown locks with a touch of strawberry mixed in. Not one to change things too drastically, I rest comfortably in the habits I have come to know since I first grew my hair in high school. My mom swore once I had kids I would chop it all off, yet this marks baby number two with no sign of scissors.

I have had it dark red, light blond, brown/blond, and a few colors in between. Yet I just can't summon the courage to cut it all off. As such, this website Michelle turned me onto, In Style Hair Makeover, is a fun time for this non-commital girl. Here are a few (notice none of them are too short:-)

The Cameron Diaz

Yikes! J Lo

Living Lohan

Reese

It's sinking in, Church Lady!

This morning, Kayden and I were sitting on the couch and he was playing with his beautiful craft from VBS last night. A clear water bottle, with aqua blue water thanks to food coloring, and a little Jonah floating around in the belly of the whale.

Kayden looked up at me and said, "God gave Jonah a spanking and then the whale threw him up."

Close enough for a three year old.

In case you do not hear it enough, Church Lady, thanks for making a difference in the lives of our kids!

Kayden, 3 months

Bryce, currently

Okay, so I guess they look more alike than I thought.

A little "Hello" to all my bloggers

Yikes. Twice.

"He comes by it naturally," said the doctor when we weighed and measured Bryce today for his two month check up.

15 lbs, 9 oz.

25 inches plus.

Yep, that is the average five month old, folks. So much for having him look like a baby long.



Oh, and just because I put a new post up does not mean I am letting you off the hook for the Bible verse. I am seriously stuck! Thanks for the verses thus far, those are great.

OPINIONS, again

I am separating the Wet Happened? wet bag website from MiniMe BabyGear. I am looking for a verse for the front page, and I am running stuck because I want it to be relevant. For MiniMe BabyGear, I have always loved that verse and since I sell all baby products it seemed to fit.

But, what verse would apply for a website about storing wet items? Something in the storylines of Noah's Ark?

Help me, Bloggers!

Vaccines

I never gave this a thought when Kayden was born. Everyone vaccinated their kids; I never even considered the option of going against the grain.

I am not a big Jenny McCarthy fan. However, I caught her interview on Larry King Live where she was talking about the link between vaccines and autism. Part of what she said got me thinking. Her thoughts were that she would rather have a kid deal with measles or mumps than autism. I see some validity in her point. Why do we have so many vaccines in such a short amount of time? Does he really need to get five shots this coming friday at his two months check up?

What are your thoughts on the alternative schedule...

In summary, this is a vaccination schedule that I would recommend (medical professional speaking here):

No vaccinations until a child is two years old.
No vaccines that contain thimerosal (mercury).
No live virus vaccines (except for smallpox, should it recur).
These vaccines, to be given one at a time, every six months, beginning at age 2:
Pertussis (acellular, not whole cell)
Diphtheria
Tetanus Polio (the Salk vaccine, cultured in human cells)




What are your thoughts, blogger nation?

As this summer approached, we knew the daunting task of re-painting the pool was looming. Due about every five years, we dreaded it since we moved into this house. Largely due to our inexperience and not knowing where to start, and also the amount of work it is to strip down the walls with acid, clean the acid off with chemicals, scrub the tiles, blue tape, and then paint it, it was something we were not looking forward to. Josh took a Thursday and Friday off in order to open it, then Bryce went in the hospital that week so we delayed.

Once the cover had been removed, the water depth in the shadow was about six inches. The floor was not even visible there was so much debris and sludge. Picture above. Special thanks to my dad- who loves me so much he was willing to inhale fumes for two days and clean the sludge out of the bottom of my pool.

Two days later, and this is how it looks. I almost do not even want to put water in it. Kayden had so much fun running into the deep end and trying unsuccessfully to climb back out. Sliding down the incline has been his favorite part. Josh even looks short standing down there.

We already had our first pool goers. Freezing cold temperatures made them not stay in long.

Bryce is really starting to smile a lot these days. Sometimes for absolutely no reason, he will just start smiling and cooing. His onesie says "I'd rather be Naked". Usually when he is smiling the most, that is the case.

Stress is the word of the day around here. I am waiting on Large wet bags for each of these boxes. Everything that could have gone wrong with this manufacturing run, did. First, I had to wait three months for the outer cotton fabric. Then, I called to put the inner material on hold and they did not but assured me they would have more by the time I needed it--- and the new shipment got held up in customs for three weeks. Once it shipped to the manufacturer, she had started another project and could not work on them for two weeks and her two week turnaround time has gradually morphed into six weeks. UPS was supposed to ship three day and instead it took a week. It would not be so hard if I did not have so many people waiting and asking daily about them. I guess that is a good thing they are interested at all, but I am a people pleaser so I just get stressed. Thank God for family--my mom and brother took Wednesday and we bagged and tagged for 9 hours...half down, half to go.

My manufacturer for the Target bags is sending those out June 21st, so that is another stressful event. Between booking the shipment, setting up and reviewing all of Targets trade policies, learning how to read purchase orders and warehousing goods, I feel somedays like I am in a foreign world. This learning curve has been steep, but hopefully soon they will be here and in the stores and worth all the stress. Below are the styles that will hit the endcap August 1st-3rd in 300 stores. No word yet which stores they will be in, but when they are online, I will let you know.

I am so grateful Josh is out of school so I can play a little bit of catch up. At this point, though, all I am thinking about is vacationing somewhere with lots of sand and waves. Anyone going anywhere fun this summer?

Friday.

The weekend ahead, full of unlimited potential on how to spend it. Should we take a walk and go get ice cream, plan an evening with friends, relax the day away at home, clean up around the house? Work is on the back burner; free time has arrived.

Can you imagine my excitement, then, for next friday? Schools out for the summer.

5 days and counting.

Bryce-y Boy and KK

He looks nothing like what I pictured. I guess I saw him a little whiter with a lot less hair. If he was not so darn tall- already around 25", I might think there was some kind of mix up at the lab.

A bit unconventional, perhaps:

Oh Brother.

Yesterday was Kayden-Grandma day. Since I started working from home, one day a week my mom takes Kayden so I have one day without distractions to get things finished. I always get way more finished in the day she babysits him than I do working evenings the entire rest of the week.

There they were sitting in the hot tub with my middle brother, Nathan, when their neighbor came over. She is retiring Friday, so I think she is maybe around 55 years old? As she was talking, Kayden kept singing "turn around, turn around, turn around".. Nancy, the neighbor, did as she was told until the next line of the song blurted out...

and give that big booty a slap.

Nice. Apple Bottom jeans, sung by Kayden, with thanks to my two brothers for bringing such a fine song into his repertoire.

Another Uncle moment came when I was swinging him the other day. We have a Little Tikes playset with one of the plastic infant swings. He leaned so far forward that the old swing straps broke and he flipped out of the seat and landed square on his face. He look up befuddled and asked me if he still had teeth. Referencing the video below, Break.com is a new favorite of Uncle Justin so Kayden loves it too. I must admit I chuckle as well at just how moronic some of those people are. Who seriously thinks leaping from one building to another or flipping off a house is a great idea?



Failed Roof Flip - Watch more free videos


This one really busts me up though:


Saudi Woman Vs Treadmill - Watch more free videos