Today we enjoyed a beautiful fall afternoon, planting shrubs, moving landscape stones, and playing outside...
here is Elizabeth posing in the front yard...
and here is Andrew running up and down the sidewalk screaming, "Leaves!! Leaves!! Please come back!!" as leaves blew in the wind...what fun!!!
We have had a fun weekend...literally! We went to two different "family fun festivals" this weekend...Oktoberfest in Rochester Hills on Saturday with some friends and their little girl. That was very fun...we had a nice adult dinner and then pony rides and bounce houses for the kids! Elizabeth was unsure of the pony at first, but Andrew hopped right on...they gave him the littlest pony named "Peanut"! ha-ha! The second time around, Elizabeth did decide to join in and had lots of fun!
So today after church was our congregation's annual car show and family fun festival! Again, more bounce houses (this one had a slide!) and kiddie games, etc. Last year, Elizabeth won a goldfish...he's in heaven now, so she really tried to win another one, but no luck! (whew!) I was working the games, and preppy daddy was busy watching the kids, so we didn't get any pictures, but here is a picture from the same festival a few years ago...Elizabeth is so little, and I was pregnant with Andrew!
Now we have to rest up for a busy week of school!
Yikes...I went to the podiatrist today because I have been having some foot pain. I've been running and working out with my awesome friend, Bridget, who is training for her first half-marathon, and the pain has been gradually getting worse and worse, so I figured it was time to get it looked at. The nice Dr. took about 3 x-rays and determined that there were no breaks. Tendinitis. Next he says we'll just do a quick cortisone shot and see how that goes...yikes! As soon as I see the needle I start squirming...I've had 2 children, but I still don't like needles! Anyway, relax he says...it looks like it's going to hurt a lot more than it actually will...well, let me just say, it DID hurt as much as I thought that it would, and then maybe a little more! EEKK!! So I hobbled home, laid around with the laptop LITERALLY on my lap, and pretty much waiting until it's time to go to bed so I can take some strong pain-killers. I asked preppy hubby for a stong shot of jack daniels night-cap, but he suggested I just try and get some sleep! We'll see how it goes...
Ok, so since there is nothing exciting happening around here, either...I am taking a great idea from Beth over at Little Princess Chronicles and doing the meme the she recently posted.
Rules: Post a current picture of you and your children & answer the questions below:
*Although this is not a recent picture, it does make me laugh and brings back memories! Shortly after Andrew was born, I worked for a bit at a little scrapbook store, and when I got home this is how I was usually greeted!!*
Anyway, here goes the meme:
1. How many children do you have? Two
2. What are their ages? 5 and 2 1/2
3. What time do you usually start you day? Now that school has started, 7:00 a.m.
4. What do they eat for breakfast? Neither one are big breakfast eaters...usually a few bites of a pop-tart and some apple juice.
5. Do they watch television? Yes, we try to keep it just kid shows with minimal commercials. Current favorites are "Charlie & Lola" and "Curious George"
6. What is their favorite activity? Besides chasing each other around the house and screaming at the top of their lungs, going for walks and playing outside!
7. Do you get a break during the day for "you" time? Since school has started, Andrew and I have been going to the gym a lot during the week...he goes into the child-care area and I work out...I consider that "me" time! He will then usually nap a bit in the afternoon before we have to go pick up preppy girl from school.
8. What is your normal bedtime routine? Bath, p.j.'s, snack and snuggling/reading books. Then prayers and tuck into bed.
9. How do you end your day? Either working in my scrapbook area, fiddling on my new computer (trying to figure out itunes, my new digital camera, etc.!) all kinds of fun stuff! When I get bored with that, there's always bugging preppy hubby with too many questions during a complicated movie!! (He just loves that!)
10. What's your best parenting advice or tip? My youngest has some health concerns, and I got this tidbit from an unlikely source...after I was fretting about the potential damage that had unknowingly been done before he was correctly diagnosed with multiple food allergies...it went along this line..."Hey, we're all out there just trying to do the best we can as parents, trying to make the best decisions possible with the information that we have." I can't take credit for it, but I like it!
I had to post this...I didn't even realize he knew all the words to "Jesus Loves Me" until he belted it out in the car the other day...so cute!!
Oh my goodness...I am dating myself here, but I just got back from my 20-year high school reunion!!! I was so nervous to go...I almost backed out at the last minute, but am so glad to have gone! It was even more fun than the 10 year. It was so neat to reconnect with many people I hadn't seen since h.s./college...very fun to share family photos, and found out that a few people live near us! I am going to try and find some h.s. pictures to scan to compare with the ones taken this weekend. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I have really fond memories of high school...it was a happy time for me. You know how some people maybe were homecoming queen, voted "most likely to succeed", etc - guess what I was voted? Yes, that's right...I was voted "Biggest Preppie"! My prize was a bottle of spray starch, and the boy that was voted biggest prep took a briefcase to class instead of a backpack...good times!!
Ok, so on a positive note...in regard to the debacle that was my first 5k...this was a great event sponsored by the hospital up north where my cousin who ROCKS is a nurse...(and nurses ROCK!) anyway, I was harassing her to run it with me, and she ended up doing the 5k walk...and placing FIRST for her age division!
(Side note, she walked it only a few minutes slower than it took me to run it...yeah, I'm that slow and she's that fast!!)
So we'll be seeing her name all over the metro-Detroit 5k power-walk circuit for the rest of the summer!! Go Renee! Holla!!
Oh my goodness...I see it's been pitifully long since our last post, so here's a quick update...
1. I have been working out twice a week with my friend, Bridget, who is awesome!! She is getting ready to run the Detroit Free-Press half-marathon, and I'm getting ready to cheer her on! ha-ha!
2. I ran my first 5k (actually, first time running outdoors since high-school track...) and got lapped by a 10-year old girl, an 85-year old man, and one of those speed-walkers. I need some more training...
3. Vacation Bible School at Elizabeth's school was last week, and was a big success! Elizabeth hung out with several of her little classmates and had a great time. This was also good for me, because it meant only having to drag Andrew to the gym! (Shame on you, selfish mommy!)
4. Elizabeth celebrated her 5th birthday the end of June, with a small picnic celebration with two of her best buds...then proceeded to throw up in my new car the minute we pulled into the garage. (And no, it wasn't too much cupcakes like I originally thought, because Andrew was sick the next day...)
5. We just got over all the ear infections (Elizabeth ended up getting a double ear infection, although not as bad as Andrew's) and that weird throw-up incident, and now Andrew has a 102-degree fever and diarrhea...which brings us to -
6. We are (supposed to be) leaving tomorrow morning to spend the 4th of July holiday in scenic northern Michigan with preppy daddy's family - after we take out a 2nd mortgage to fill up the gas tank on our SUV! ha!
Happy 4th of July - we'll post some new pictures soon!
How cute are our little ballerinas? This is Elizabeth, along with our good friend, Sloan, the night of their big ballet recital dress-rehearsal! Check out the make-up...we were told, more is better - so we dolled them up! The first recital was last night, and they did just great! Their dance ends with them skipping off stage, while blowing kisses and waving to the audience - it was really funny! After we were back in the dressing room and I was telling Elizabeth what a great job she did, she says to me,"Mommy, I liked it when all the people were clapping for me!" Ha!! How funny is that?!
Grandma Berg sent us this picture of Preppy Girl, reading her bible with her "seeing glasses"! She realizes the difference between sunglasses and reading glasses, and calls them "seeing glasses" instead of reading glasses! She also sees me put my glasses in their case when I put my contacts in, so she has carefully chosen a little box with a lid to put her glasses in every night! She is too cute!
We've been battling sickness here over the weekend - after a couple sleep-interrupted, coughing-fit-filled nights - we took Andrew in to the emergency clinic last night, and he ended up having an ear infection! (I thought it was bronchitis...good thing I'm not a doctor!!) So we have antibiotics and he's already acting a little bit perkier - it's hard to keep a good kid down!!
Ah, Target!!! Did I ever mention I love Target? Preppy Hubby hates Target, because we (and by we - I mean me and the kids!) can't seem to leave that place without our total bill being at least 3-digits! My friend once jokingly referred to Target as her $100 store...so true!
So today, as Elizabeth and I are going to the gym, I felt my fake-Adidas-Target-knock-off flip-flop feeling a little funny (I thought the velcro was just loose)...so I look down and see the one side of it has fallen completely off...as in, the glue (not stitching) holding it together had completely disintegrated. Crap...now I have to wear my shower flip-flips into the gym (because it was raining, and I didn't want my running shoes to get wet, then I'd slip and fall on the treadmill, blah, blah).
So, after the kiddos are in bed, I swing on over to my local Target to look for the Adidas-Target-knock-offs. Which, btw, I saw earlier at a discount shoe store (the real ones, mind you) for $29. Called hubby to see if it was ok to get them (since I was already getting a new pair of more expensive running shoes) - he started hollering, so I took that as a "no". (Turns out, he was in the middle of a hot hand of on-line poker, and was yelling at the German across the table, not at me!!)
Anyhoo, so I go into Target for the flippy-flops - which now of course they don't have in my size. At least 1 pair in every size but mine...how is that for irony? So I left Target with a pair of pajama pants (on clearance for $3!!), a t-shirt, and some other random goodies from the dollar bins...my total was $30...and NO FLIP-FLOPS!! ha-ha. Somehow I don't think hubby will find this is as funny as I do...did I mention I love Target?
It takes so little to keep Andrew and Elizabeth occupied while we are grocery shopping...we don't need to use one of those fancy carts with the t.v. inside, we don't even have to bring along snacks. All I have to do is promise they can look at the goldfish, the lobster tank, and ride the pony on our way out.
Today, we were getting close to the lobster tank, and they could see it - but I had one more aisle to go down. Andrew didn't understand and thought we were bypassing the lobsters, so he starts yelling, "Monsters...I wanna see da monsters!" ha-ha! Some fellow shoppers thought he was pretty funny!
Note for Grandma Berg who had eye surgery today...hope you are feeling better soon! We love you!
Also, note to self: must watch mouth...hubby informed me that tonight as he was taking Elizabeth to ballet, she told him that her little brother was "really pissing me out"....yikes!! Even I have to admit she didn't get that from Wonderpets...
I received this beautiful flower from Elizabeth for Mother's Day (it was a Sunday School project!)
She was so proud of herself.
I also got this card...
I'm still not quite sure which stick figures represent which family members, but it's cute all the same. I love stick people!
Here's a cute story about Elizabeth...on Sunday (Mother's Day) I had to go to early service at our church to play in the bell choir, and then had to play my flute at the later service. Since the kids are so little, preppy daddy and Andrew come for the late service, and since we live pretty close to church, I run home between services and bring Elizabeth back for Sunday School. (Makes you tired thinking about it, doesn't it??) Anyway, everyone was still sleeping when I left for the early service, and when I came back to pick up Elizabeth, she was standing in the kitchen looking so cute, just beaming because she knew it was a special day. Preppy Daddy says, "Elizabeth, do you have something to say to Mommy?" Without missing a beat she says, "Well, while you were at church and Daddy was in the shower, I snitched a couple of marshmallows." - Of course what daddy meant was to wish me Happy Mother's Day, which she did!! Kids just can't lie - they rat themselves out every time!!
We are home from the hospital...Andrew had another gastroscopy procedure done today, to check the progress of his eosinophilic esophagitis (EE). It's basically a scope of his esophagus to check and see if there is more damage, or if it's staying the same - they also took a biopsy to check the white blood cell count. Doctor said the esophagus looks good (just some minor acid-reflux damage), we should get the biopsy results back in a couple of weeks. Then, we'll probably have to follow up with his allergist. Poor little guy is allergic to so many foods, we are concerned that he's getting enough nutrition for an active toddler!! ha-ha! He has been drinking his rice milk, though - so that is good. I am going to try to sneak in some of the neocate (amino-acid based formula), so we'll see. (Last time I tried, he declared "that's not good" and refused to drink it...)
The nurses sure loved him & paid lots of extra attention to him - he was the littlest patient today! (They all loved his bed-head!) He did very well coming out of the anesthesia...he's just a little groggy from having to be up at 5:30 a.m. - he's kind of stumbling around like a drunken sailor! We're going to watch Sesame Street now and maybe have a nap!
(This is our little friend Kendelia!)
Today was my birthday, and daddy brought home a chocolate birthday cake...it was a big hit!! Anything with frosting is a big hit around here...of course, half an hour later they were running circles around the living room...sugar buzz!!
We have encouraged both of our kids to have special "lovey" items...this makes going for naps, bedtime, etc. just so much easier. It also helps them when we travel to visit family, etc. However, with Elizabeth - her "taggie" and "lambie" have become more than just lovies - they are an obesession! Since she still takes regular naps...it's nearly impossible to pry them out of her hands to wash them. Grandma Berg made the wonderful "taggie" blanket, and Grandma Stedry got the lamb for her. I happened to see an identical lamb on clearance when I was out shopping, so I bought it. Preppy Hubby was like, what are you doing? I explained to him that if we ever had a throw-up situation, this "back-up Lambie" could come in handy, which it has. It is now known as "Lambie's brother, Lambie", which is all well and fine, except lately when you saw the two of them together, it was quite apparent that the real Lambie was badly in need of a bath! So one day last week I decided it was bath day for taggie and lambie - I took picture of both Lambie's - I'm not even sure if these pictures give you the full scope of how "loved" he was!!
Lambie - before his bath!!
Lambie's brother, Lambie - not quite as 'loved'!
As a side note, we're happy to report that both taggie and lambie came out of the washer and dryer in one piece, both smelling fresh and clean, much to the liking of their owner, Elizabeth!
I just have a question...has anyone out there heard the term "kitchen pass"? I will use it in a sentence. Preppy Hubby's good friend (SINGLE friend...) invited him to go to the Tigers' opening day baseball game...which not only means the game -it involves staying downtown all day, before and after the game. But hey - I figure, he works hard, he won't be driving, he deserves a day of fun, right? Here's what his single friend says to him, "So, d'ya think you can get the kitchen pass?" I was like, what is that? Hubby had never heard it either, so we though it was something his friend made up.
Tonight, he called and told me that his boss offered him a ticket for the company suite for the Red Wings play-off game. I'm a girl and even I know this is an opportunity he should not pass up, so I say sure honey, have fun. He stopped home to change his clothes, and told me that his boss also used that phrase when he offered the ticket. "Call Jill and get the kitchen pass!" What IS that?? I take mild offense to it, because I am the first one to encourage him to go out and do guy things with his friends...even though that means I am home all night with the little heathens (I mean, sweethearts!!) I'm just kidding, they are good kids. I do think it's a funny term...and now with golf season starting up, I can see it being grossly overused in our house all summer!!
PS - Go Wings!!
Here is a picture of Elizabeth's preppy new bob..we (and by we, I mean me!) are trying to grow her bangs out, and they are just about there! To try and be diplomatic, I asked her if she wanted to grow out her bangs, and she says, "YES!" followed by, "What are bangs?" Oh well, at least she really is happy with it! Less hair means less time washing it, which translates to less time crying about it while in the bathtub...I don't know about you all, but I wish I had someone who would wash my hair (without having to pay for it!) ha-ha!
And of course, you can't take a picture of one around here without taking a picture of the other... monkey see, monkey do, monkey says, "cheese!!"
Oh my goodness...today during lunch, Elizabeth gave me her order for cinnamon toast (the kind with cinnamon & sugar SPRINKLED on it, not cinnamon bread!) and since I would never have made it as a waitress, I gave her the wrong kind! As she politely points out my mistake, I say under my breath, "Mommy's crazy..." and Andrew chimes in with, "Mom-mee kah-zee!" I grab the camera to try and get him saying this on video, because I think it's hilarious, and all he will do is say, "Cheese!" over and over, because that's all he ever does now anytime he sees a camera, or a cell phone for that matter...(because in our house, a cell phone is just another camera!!)
PS - did I mention this was lunchtime? check out the major bed-head...isn't he cute!!
Sorry, I just had to do it! For those of you that know me, obviously this is not a picture of my real-life husband. However, he does have a strong resemblance to Andrew McCarthy circa Pretty in Pink, as well as Edward Norton circa Fight Club...kind of a rockin' combo, don't you think?? I showed this to him tonight, and he just laughed and said he found it mildly offensive, which I guess means I can keep the picture up, as long as I don't get a scathing email from the real Andrew McCarthy's publicist...love you Andrew, you are the defintion of Preppy in the 80's. And since I didn't have the nerve to really name my son Blaine, I figured Andrew was the next best thing...
Is it a bad thing that my 4-year-old knows what my Bluetooth is?? She saw me put it on the counter, and casually asked "Mommy, would you like me to put your Blue-toof in the basket?" Because between Preppy Daddy and me, we have 2 Blackberry's, 1 pager, 1 bluetooth and about 20 random charging devices (?), so we keep all of this "stuff" in a basket in the kitchen...yikes! Does this make us bad parents? Or is it good that we're teaching her real-world social and technology skills??
The other day, my sweet-pea daughter and I were having a random conversation about school, daily life, etc. I try to spice things up by asking what I perceive to be questions that will provoke funny answers. We were talking about people in charge, so I ask "Who do you think is in charge around here?" - feeling pretty sure she'll come back with "well, you're in charge, Mommy!" But instead, she thinks for a few seconds and says "Jesus is in charge, Mommy!"
All I could say was "Yes, honey - that's right!"
Jesus will be in charge if we just let him...
