The Christensens

Camping June 2010

2010-07-25T09:26:00.008-04:00

Our third annual camping trip to Lake Michigan! It has been warmer this summer and the water in the lake was the warmest it's ever been for us in mid-June. It was like being at the ocean, only better-no salt water or seaweed. The waves were the perfect size for the kids to play in. We had so much fun with our friends the Bensons and Larsens. We camped for 4 nights this time and other than the rain on the last morning, the weather was perfect! The kids and adults had a blast, ate great food and enjoyed good company. It was Lucy's first camping trip and she did great. I honestly can't say that I "hate" camping anymore, and I can't wait for next year!

Roasting hotdogs
Girls decorating the sidewalk all around the bathrooms. The camp host told the kids they couldn't ride their scooters around the bathroom, but that they could do chalk. And, chalk they did! Every inch of that sidewalk was covered by the time they were done.
Ally on the beach
Lucy having her bottle by the fire
Bekah waiting for a wave
Sam and Mike - twins separated at birth! These two are 10 days apart in age and are such good little buddies. They are like two peas in a pod and had a great time together.
Lucy's beach set up. We lugged the pack and play down there each day, but it was worth it! She napped each day on the beach and mom and dad got to enjoy a little R&R!
Lucy - our little beach baby. She loved the water, until a huge wave got her in the face - oops!

Michael had so much fun playing in the water and rolling in the sand.

Breakfast by the Larsens. Stuffed French Toast! Yum!
John and Bekah - These two have been buddies since they were 18 months old. They just pick up where they left off each time we get together. Hopefully that will last for many more years to come.

Funnies from the kiddos...

2010-03-24T14:07:00.002-04:00

Michael on MLK day:

Mike: Mom, I know whey we have MLK day.
Me: Why?
Mike: Because the white people did things the black people didn't like and the black people did things that the white people didn't like and then they couldn't do play together.
Me: Yep.
Mike: If I lived back then I wouldn't have been able to play with Drake. (Drake is the tallest white kid in his class)
Me: Oh buddy, you could have played with Drake. Drake isn't black.
Mike: I know, but I am. You know, my skin is so dark. I couldn't have played with you either.
Me: (Totally trying not to laugh) Why couldn't you have played with me?
Mike: Because you're not black either.

Ally kissing Lucy on the head:

"Mom, I love her fur"

Ally while riding in the car and listening to the radio:

"Mom, is this Uncle Cracker?" How does she know that???

Bekah at FHE while talking about Easter and what different things represent:

Jeff: Why do you think we use eggs at Easter? What could they represent?
Bekah: I don't know
Jeff: Well, what do eggs turn into?
Bekah: Scrambled eggs?

Lots of Pictures....

2010-03-23T14:36:00.001-04:00

Again, playing catch-up! Here are some pictures of the past few months. Lucy is now 6 months old, Bekah turned 9 and Ally turned 4 and Jeff and I also had birthdays :) Jeff is 35. Time sure does fly! And, as usual, these are in no particular order!

Lucy, 6 months

Jeff: Multi-tasking at it's finest!

Michael will disappear for hours to listen to his music. His most recent download request: The BlackEyed Peas

The Girls

Ally's 4th Birthday Party

Ally and her "doll" in her doll stroller

Isn't she so sweet????

One day Lucy woke up from her nap and I heard her crying, but couldn't get her immediately. Michael asked if he could go up and talk to her until I got there. This is how I found them. She was cooing away at him. It was so cute!

Christmas Eve

Bekah's 9th Birthday

Ally's 4th Birthday

Pictures

2009-12-17T15:01:00.002-05:00

Lucy will be 3 months old on Saturday and that's about how far behind I am on blogging! Halloween and Thanksgiving have come and gone and Christmas is next week! Here are a few pictures of what we've been doing and how our darling baby is growing (well, she's really not growing, but she sure is getting cuter!) These pictures are not in chronological order and I don't have time to fix it :)

This is the most recent picture of Lucy in this post.

We went to Niagara Falls in November

Blessing Day

Halloween

Michael and Ally sharing Michael's Birthday present

Michael turned 6!!! Batman party and cake

Thanksgiving Card

2009-12-17T14:02:00.002-05:00

This year we sent Thanksgiving/Birth Announcement cards. You know, kill two birds with one stone. Happy Holidays!

Completely smitten!

2009-09-24T10:53:00.009-04:00

Introducing...

Lucy Juliet Christensen

September 19, 2009

7 lbs., 20 inches

6:04 pm

Ok, I'm so far gone. I am in love with this tiny little bundle! I just can't get enough of her, even at 2am! I wish she could stay this little for longer than a couple of weeks!

We are so happy to have little Lucy in our family. She is so sweet and tiny and after having 4, I know find myself being one of "those moms" who frequently says "they grow up so fast!" I'm trying to enjoy every minute of this gone-in-a-flash stage (although I am always happy when the middle of the night feedings are gone). The kids are great with her and have been such a big help. Jeff has been able to take this whole week off and I couldn't have managed without him. I'm sure I'll be an emotional wreck on Monday :)

Lins got her wish

2009-09-19T22:24:00.008-04:00

Well, Linsee really wanted to go into labor on her own. So this afternoon she started feeling contractions but since she has always been induced, wasn't sure if it was real labor or not. I asked her how far apart her contractions were and how long they lasted and she said I don't know - so I timed them and they were about 4-5 minutes apart and were lasting close to a minute. I didn't really feel like having a baby at home so we packed up and made our way to the car. By this time, Lins could hardly walk.

Needless to say, she really was in labor. Just after 6pm, she gave birth to a beautiful 7lb, 20in baby girl. We named her Lucy Juliet. Luckily, this was her easiest and fastest labor. Doesn't she look fabulous for just having given birth?

The end is in sight...

2009-09-14T12:53:00.002-04:00

My doctor scheduled an induction for the 21st of September. That will be exactly 1 week early. She wanted to do it earlier, but the hospital has tightened up on their policy. I keep hoping she will come on her own before then, since this will be our
4th and final induction. For some crazy, maternal reason, I'd like to actually experience going into labor on my own. We'll post pictures once she makes her appearance, and BTW... we still don't have a name!

What?

2009-08-17T15:51:00.002-04:00

Is it normal that our 5 year old recognized a Flock of Seagulls song after it played for about 5 seconds? I mean, really, does anyone recognize a Flock of Seagulls song after it plays for 5 seconds???

So long, farewell....

2009-07-26T17:03:00.008-04:00

Yesterday afternoon I sent Ally to the bathroom to wash her hands. A few minutes later she shut the bathroom door. She does this about 2-3 times a day when she takes her hairdo out and sprays it with the spray bottle until it's drenched. I guess she doesn't want me watching. I assumed that was what she was doing. About 10 minutes later, I had run downstairs to get something, she comes walking down the stairs with a big, shy grin on her face. I about DIED! She had taken the scissors to her beautiful, long, thick locks. I didn't know what to say. When she saw my face she started crying. I felt bad, so I tried to pull myself out of shock and figure out what to do. I went into the bathroom to find a garbage can and a sink full of hair. She had butchered it so badly that it had to be taken care of right then and by a professional (not me!) It was 5:00 on Saturday, so most salons were closed. I finally found somewhere that was open and she now sports a short bob that is still a little uneven on the left side, but I didn't want it all cut as short as she had cut it because I want it to grow back out and the sooner the better. Below are the pictures of the episode. Good thing she has such a darling little face!

Pictures by Jodi at the Reunion

2009-07-09T17:15:00.004-04:00

We just got back from an awesome trip to Utah and Idaho for family reunions on both sides. Jeff's sister Jodi took pictures of each family (all 8) in this broken down dugout in Idaho. They turned out great. Here are a few of our favs. Remember, I'm 7 months pregnant, so not at my best :)

Lions and Blood

2009-06-21T16:40:00.003-04:00

Michael is really into music and he loves to watch music videos on Jeff's ipod. He has a constant list of requests for us to download. Yesterday he asked for "Sorry" by Buckcherry. Seriously, I don't know where he comes up with the songs. Anyway, after Jeff's preview of the video, he determined that it wasn't one that was appropriate for a 5 year old. Upon hearing the news, Michael asked why he couldn't watch it and Jeff just said there was some "bad stuff" in it. Of course, he asked what was in it and we just said "stuff." Then Michael says, "Come on, just tell me, is it like lions and blood?" I'm just glad to know that we haven't corrupted his little mind too much yet and the worst he can come up with for "bad stuff" is lions and blood.

Too many "gools"

2009-06-01T15:16:00.002-04:00

As the saying goes, I guess the third time really is the charm. After ultrasound number 3, we are pleased to announce that we will be decorating the nursery in PINK. The tech said that she couldn't see "anything" and that it was safe to start painting. Michael isn't very excited. There are too many "gools" (as he pronounces the word girl) in the house. I think he'll come around. He'll have to, because this was his last shot at a brother.

I don't like these kind of surprises!!!

2009-05-16T19:25:00.003-04:00

Well, I'd hoped to have some cute post by now starring blue or pink, but apparently we are due to have another stubborn child :) They get that from their dad for sure! After 2 ultrasounds we have determined that our baby must be quite modest. Everything else seems to be fine, but I really don't like these kind of surprises. I'm a planner. I want to paint the nursery, rearrange furniture, and most of all, get rid of the other gender baby clothes for good!!! Jeff says we'll be going to fetal photos in the mall when we visit Utah next month.

So What

2009-03-23T18:05:00.003-04:00

As previously mentioned, our son loves music, especially songs with a catchy beat. A few months ago his favorite song was "So What" by Pink. Well, the other day, he must have been mad at me or something and I don't even remember what I said to him, but his reply was, "Well, I've got my rock moves and you got nothing!" Listen to the lyrics of the song and it will make more sense. Gotta love kids!

Happy Birthday Bekah!!!

2009-02-12T15:36:00.000-05:00

Rebekah Kate Christensen

February 12, 2001

6 lb, 12 oz.

19 1/2 inches

Provo, Utah

We can't believe that Bek is already 8!!! Time seems to go by so quickly. Bekah is our sweet little helper. She loves her little sister and is so patient with her. She is smart, funny, and so very talented. We love you Bekah and don't know what we'd do without you!

Happy Birthday Ally!!!

2009-02-09T13:00:00.006-05:00

Ally Janet Christensen

February 9, 2006

Troy, Michigan

7 lb. 4 oz.

20 inches

sometime in the afternoon

(she's the 3rd. I think I'm pretty close on the deets :)

I can't believe that our baby is 3!!! I feel officially "old" when I say that "they grow up so fast!" We aren't celebrating her birthday until Wednesday when my parents get here. Ally has been saying that her grandma and grandpa were coming for her birthday so we figured she'd be disappointed if the big day arrived and they weren't here, so we're just pretending that today is just another day, but I couldn't help reminisce! We love you Ally!!!

Guitar Hero

2009-02-08T19:37:00.001-05:00

We gave Jeff the newest Guitar Hero game for his birthday and since then, our kids #1 and #2 request for songs on our Ipods and whilst playing said game are, respectively, Livin on a Prayer by Bon Jovi and Beat It by Michael Jackson. Ally, who can say very few understandable words sings "beat it, just beat it" quite well. One afternoon when she had just woken up from her nap I heard her in her crib singing Beat It. I can't decide if this should be funny or not.....

It's great to be eight!!!

2009-02-02T18:04:00.008-05:00

I can't believe that our little girl is going to be eight next week! Bekah has decided to get baptized and the big day is February 14th ~ Valentine's Day! One of her friends from Church, Emma, will also be baptized that day, and she's excited to have a friend to share her special day. Grandma and Grandpa are coming out and it is going to be a fun week filled with birthdays (Ally and Bekah) and fun!
And, if you can't read the details, it's the 14th at 10:30 am. We'd love to have you celebrate this special day with us!

This is for you Ape and Jod!!!

2009-02-02T17:57:00.003-05:00

As promised, pictures of the apron. Yes, I did say the apron... I cranked out the one for my friend, but still have to do mine. Thanks for all of your help. I couldn't have done it without you and I think of our trip to Gracie Lou's every time I look at it! I wish we lived closer...

Three Cups of Tea

2009-01-27T16:24:00.006-05:00

I just finished reading "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time." by Greg Mortenson. It's about a guy, Greg Mortensen, who gets lost in the high hills of Pakistan while attempting to climb K2. He ends up stumbling upon a small, extremely poor village where he falls in love with the people and promises he'll come back and build a school for their children. Over the next decade and to date, he has literally moved mountains in Pakistan and Afganistan building primary schools and encouraging education for some of the world's poorest children, especially girls. He feels that education is the best way to end the war on terror. It is amazing to read about his challenges, triumphs and the effects of his efforts on these people. That's the very basic gist and doesn't do it justice. Just read it!
The book was amazing, inspiring, humbling and every other similiar type word. I was sucked in and couldn't put it down. I'll be honest and say that this is one of the first "biographies" that I can say that about! I highly recommend it.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-22T09:19:00.007-05:00

So I'm obviously a little behind at the blog thing, but better late than never! I just wanted to share some of the highlights of our trip to Utah last month. We had such a great time visiting our families and the kids have missed thier cousins since we got home. We loved the warm weather and seeing the mountains covered with snow. We had such a fun time seeing the lights on Temple Square. We miss and love you all!

Ally loves her Aunt Mel!

Ally and Kenedy in all their princess finery.

Ally and "baby" Gavin

Ally and "baby" Easton

Did I mention that Ally loves Mel?

Ally cheesing it up for the camera!

We visited Grandpa at the nursing home. He passed away a few days after we got home. We feel so blessed that we got to see him one last time.

Bekah and Jeff at Temple Square

Jaxon, Michael, and Easton at Temple Square

Michael and his "Best Friend" Caleb. They had such a great time together. It was fun to see them get along so well.

Ally and Brighton. What Cuties!

Girls afternoon out!

I took Kailee, Kenzi and Madi out for lunch and manicures.

Bekah and her buddy Alyssa. I don't think we saw these two for 6 days straight. They set up a beauty parlor and a garage sale in Lyssa's room and entertained themselves for hours on end. They both cried when we had to leave and Alyssa wanted to trade Bekah for Kailee.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-21T18:57:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Michael!!!

2008-10-03T08:23:00.008-04:00

Michael Jeffrey Christensen

October 3, 2003

Bloomington, IN

7 lbs. 3 oz.

20 inches

I can't believe that our little boy turns 5 today! I asked him a few questions this morning at breakfast and here is what he said:

What is your favorite color? "Hot pink like Cinnamon Toast's hair" (that's one of Bekah's ponies...hmmm....)

Favorite movie? "Kung Fu Panda"

Favorite song: "I Won't Go Home Without You" by Maroon 5 (hence, the song playing right now if you have the volume up). He loves this song, asks for it all the time and sings along with it ~ very cute!

What do you want to be when you grow up? "Missionary" (proud mom moment)

If you could go on an airplane, where would you go? "to meet Grandma and Grandpa"

Favorite thing about school? "NOTHING!" After a few minutes he did tell me that he likes playing outside on the playground.

Enjoy the pics. They brought back a lot of wonderful memories.

WE LOVE YOU MICHAEL and are so glad you came into our family!

Happy Birthday!

All cleaned up with Bekah and Mom

Bekah holding her new brother

Mikey sleeping

First birthday!

2nd Birthday

Holding new sister Ally

4th birthday party

South Haven, Michigan

2008-09-22T15:06:00.006-04:00

Well, as you can see...I am really, really behind on blogging. I have been meaning to post pictures of our trip to South Haven, Michigan so that everyone can see how beautiful Michigan really is. After "complaining" to my family for years that we get tired of spending all of our vacation time and money on traveling to Utah, my awesome family all came here this past August. We rented a great beach house in South Haven, which is on Lake Michigan, and it was awesome! The weather was perfect and it was so fun to be together. Hope this convinces more of you to come visit! We'd love to have you.

Kirk and Mel are the best uncle and aunt!

Jeff swimming with the kids at the beach house pool.

Mike taking on the waves

Sunset

Beautiful shoreline just below the beach house

Sunset at the pier

At the beach. No waves today.

Main street with a veiw of the pier.

Ally

Bekah and Kenedy (Garrett's oldest) Isn't the sand wonderful???!!!

The whole fam. Sorry, it's a little dark.

Gavin (Garrett's baby)

Lins and Mikey

Bekah building a sandcastle

Michael and Jaxon (Steph's oldest) fighting the waves. They did this for hours!

Detroit Redeemed

2008-08-28T12:02:00.002-04:00

After the car incident, I've been sort of down on Detroit and the whole Michigan thing. Well, I've come around and for the moment, am really happy to be here. Our week trip to South Haven helped a lot (pictures and post coming soon...) This morning I set out to pick up a few items from the Oriental Market. Long story short, after 3 different stops, I have everything I need and I had such a fun time meeting an old lady from Taiwan who owns this dinky little (very dirty) store, an old man from the Philippines, and some really nice Middle Eastern men. Laura, the lady from Taiwan, just loved the kids, fed them cookies (I was a little nervous judging from the looks of the store, but it seemed to make her so happy), and she just fell in love with Michael. The man from the Philippines was so nice and kept asking me questions about some festival. I couldn't really understand everything he said, but he was so helpful in my search for red curry paste and lomein noodles. Finally, I walked into an Eastern bakery (for all of you who live here, it's called Eastern Bakery and it's on the NE side of 16 and Dequindre. It's awesome!) They have this huge hot oven thing and were making fresh breads/pita/etc. It reminded me so much of my days in Jerusalem. I haven't had bread like that since I had been there. The old men working there couldn't speak much English, but they were busy slaving away over the hot ovens. I bought a big bag of bread fresh from the oven and the kids and I ate fresh, hot flat bread on the way home. I feel so lucky to live in such a culturally diverse area. Now, if we can just keep all of the wheels on the newly fixed Suburban...

Twice in one week!!!

2008-08-01T15:54:00.002-04:00

So, Jeff just sent me the following picture. This is how he found his chair at work today. Two wheels missing, up on "blocks." Very funny!!!

One of these things is not like the other...

2008-07-28T15:29:00.004-04:00

Can you spot the differences between the following two pictures?

If you said missing wheels, you were right! What about the next set?

Oh, you're so good at this game! Yep, missing Nav screen and stereo!

This is how we found Jeff's car on Saturday as we made our way from the Detroit Science Center. We figure it probably took the %&*^%$'s under 5 minutes to take off the wheels, smash the window and make off with the stereo/DVD player/Nav screen, oh, and Jeff's ipod. We spent the rest of the afternoon trying to find a Detroit City Cop, waiting for a tow truck, and hitching a ride back home. We spent the evening being angry at this miserable city that we have to call "home."

Let it be said that this was a VERY busy street that we were parked on! It was Saturday afternoon and there were tons of pedestrians, and we were in what the champions of reviving ol' D-Rot call the "New Center" right across from the Science Center, Wayne State, the African American Cultural Center, and the acclaimed DIA. Someone HAD TO HAVE witnessed this atrocity.

As a few days have passed, we're just glad that we were all safe and really, other than the ipod, it was just more of a HUGE inconvenience. We even missed the Dark Knight and dinner date we had planned with friends.

Oh, and if any of you are thinking, "didn't that happen to him before?" you are right! During Jeff's internship 4 years ago, he went outside to find his borrowed Cadillac up on blocks.

Detroit Zoo

2008-07-09T16:25:00.003-04:00

The other morning when I checked the weather I saw that it was going to just top 70 degrees with sunny skies so we decided to take an impromptu trip to the zoo. It was the perfect day and no one complained about it being hot. Bekah's favorite thing was the butterfly house where the butterflies fly all around you. Michael liked the lions and really wanted to see the wolverine, since he's really into X-men, but the wolverine was asleep the whole time. Ally just liked being wheeled around in the stroller. We had a great time. Hopefully the weather will provide another chance for us to visit.

The Grand Finale

2008-07-06T17:41:00.002-04:00

Bekah's last soccer game of the season

Spring soccer was busy and really fun. We had rain, sun, and Bekah scored a goal! Jeff and Bekah had a fun time playing soccer together and Ally and Michael kept me company on the sidelines all season. The kids won't be playing soccer this fall as the both want to try something different.

Michael scores a goal in Soccer

2008-06-22T21:20:00.003-04:00

We told Michael if he scored a goal in soccer we would buy him some super hero action figures. Anyways all year long he has not even come close. I try to get him to remember to do 3 things 1) keep your eyes on the ball 2) run fast and 3) kick hard.

On the last game of the year as we are getting situated on the sidelines I looked around to see where Michael is and he isn't on the field where the rest of our team is. I look around some more and then I see him except he is on an adjacent field where a game is in progress between two other teams.

Michael then proceeds to skillfully steal the ball from one of their players, streak down the field and boot it into the goal. With stunned parents looking around wondering where this kids parents are, Michael has the proudest look on his face. I told Linsee what he just did and he proudly ran over thinking that he had just gotten his coveted X-Men figures. We told him good job but that it was the wrong game that he scored in! He looked so deflated and kind of moped around during his real game!

Now before you think we are really mean parents -- yes, we ended up giving him the X-men action figures for scoring a goal. It was cute because I guess Bekah had said a prayer at lunch that day that he would be able to score a goal and Michael told me he said a prayer in his head before the game. It wasn't the way I thought the prayer would be answered but definitely more entertaining.

Best Buddies

2008-06-04T15:38:00.002-04:00

Michael and Ally have become little buddies, and often partners in crime. She loves to follow her big brother around. Michael is good at teasing her, but she's a good sport.

They like to eat lunch together on the patio. They always want to sit next to each other and never across from each other. Good thing they are both fairly light or the table would tip over!

I'll often find them sitting out on the steps eating something they've snuck from the pantry. But, they look so cute that I try to ignore the ants trekking into my kitchen to eat the trail of cookie crumbs they've left behind.

Yesterday night, it was pouring rain. Michael was all dressed for his soccer game, which was cancelled, and was dead set on playing outside. So Michael and Ally decided to go outside and play in the rain. They had a great time and came in soaking wet. Note the headband on Ally's forehead. She loves it and will ONLY wear it in that position.

Does that hair really belong to a 2 year old???

2008-06-04T15:24:00.003-04:00

The other day I put Ally's hair in pink sponge rollers just for fun. The results would make many adult women jealous, including her own mom! I had to share some pictures. My friend told me the other day that Ally's hair had changed from baby hair to adult hair overnight. I'll have to agree! It helps that she's the only one of our 3 who like to pose for pictures.

Soccer

2008-06-04T15:10:00.004-04:00

We're almost done with Spring soccer. It's been fun and extremely busy. Jeff has been coaching Bekah's team and that's been fun for him, I think.

Michael has been so funny to watch this season. He's really into X-Men right now and most games find Michael a.k.a. Wolverine in character on the field. He'll stop and pose, roll around on the ground, and then occasionally kick the ball. It's been painful for Jeff to watch, but hey, it's his first time ever playing soccer and it's just for fun anyway, right???

It goes both ways...

2008-04-22T15:11:00.005-04:00

When Michael was about 3, we introduced him to Star Wars in hopes that he would find a new hobby that didn't involve dress-ups and princesses. Bekah was constantly dressing him up in her princess dresses, and although he made a darling Snow White, we had higher aspirations for our little guy. There have been times that we've questioned our decision, since Mikey became obsessed with all things Star Wars. Those of you who know him well, can attest to the fact that everything can be turned into a light saber. Well, it seems that he has moved on to bigger and better things: Super Heroes... Spiderman, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. (all old cartoon versions, of course)

But, never fear... there is still a padawan in our midst! I found it extremely humorous, and incredibly adorable, when I walked in on Ally the other morning by herself in Michael's room. She had climbed up on his bed, as I'm sure she's seen him do a thousand times, and was playing with Michael's Star Wars guys on the headboard. She was even making "psshh, psshh" sounds for the lightsabers. I guess what comes around goes around. Bekah taught Michael the ways of the princesses, and Michael taught Ally the was of the Jedi. At least it seems more socially acceptable going in this direction!

Easter, belated...

2008-04-03T13:04:00.002-04:00

Easter seemed to come and go quickly this year, maybe due to the fact that it was a whole month early! We did the usual decorating of cookies, dying of eggs, and the Easter Bunny visited our house on Saturday this year. I broke down and got matching outfits for the kids. You'll notice that Michael is missing from the picture. It's a long story, but I'll spare you from another "To Wanda" moment and I'll take a picture of all three of them if the opportunity ever presents itself again.

Could it Be???

2008-04-03T12:53:00.002-04:00

I won't hold my breath, but Spring may have actually arrived. We've had over 40 degree highs for 5 consecutive days. Granted, some were windy and some rainy because heaven forbid we have sunshine AND warmth on the same day-But, I won't complain since at least it hasn't snowed for almost a week. On one of the warmer days a couple of weeks ago, it seemed like all of the neighbors came out from hibernation. It was so fun to see kids running around and riding their bikes, scooters, and skateboards again. We still had a huge frozen section of our back yard, so Bekah and her friends pretended to ice skate. Bekah came running in for a minute and into her room. I found her opening the window and trying to prop her radio in the window sill so they could skate to High School Musical. We ended up taking the stereo outside :) Hopefully the warm weather is here to stay! We've missed it so and I swore this past winter that I won't complain about heat this summer!

TO WANDA!!!

2008-03-07T10:14:00.006-05:00

I'll be honest, I don't remember everything about the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, I just remember that back in college, my roommates and I used to love the part where Kathy Bates gets fed up with being walked over and stomped on, so to speak, and finally fights back by yelling "to Wanda" and smashing into a car that stole her parking space at the grocery store. (like I said, I haven't seen the movie for a long time) Anyway, today, I feel like doing the same thing! Have you ever had a day when you decided that you would be super-mom only to have it all slap you back in the face? Well, Bekah went to bed a little bit hungry last night, that's a story in itself, so I decided that I'd make her her favorite breakfast, french toast, and her favorite lunch, egg salad sandwich. So, I got up super early, 6:30, so that I could run and then be out of the shower by the time the kids were awake. Well Murphy's law says that if you plan something, it usually won't run smoothly. Michael woke up and demanded cereal. I started cooking the eggs and then jumped in the shower. Bekah came down saying that Ally was crying, which is unusual because she usually sleeps until Bekah gets on the bus. So, now I have her crying in the high chair, I'm trying to cook french toast, make Bekah's egg salad sandwich and my hair is dripping wet-didn't have enough time to blow dry due to burning french toast. Then, Michael calls from the bathroom that he had an accident while sitting on the toilet. I know that sounds like an oxy-moron, but parents of little boys may understand. So, now I'm starting to get frazzled while wiping up yellow stuff in the bathroom and hurrying Bekah off to brush her teeth. Well, due to the delay in the bathroom with Michael, Bekah now misses the bus. Michael is crying, Ally is crying, and I'm running like a mad woman to get Bekah in the car so I can drive her to the other bus stop in the subdivision (my hair is now half dry and taking on that look that I'm sure none of you have ever experienced - the not all the way wet, not all the way dry, just kinky enough that it's probably not salvagable look). Since we were already running late, I had to rush Michael and Ally into the car to take Michael to pre-school, while Michael was crying that he didn't get any time to play.

Drop Michael off. Sigh of relief. I was just starting to feel a little bit of the morning's anxiety wearing off when I decide to pull into the automatic carwash. Just as the doors close around us and the water starts spraying, Ally pukes all over herself and her carseat and being the neat freak that she is, is now trying to pick the stuff off of herself and while getting ever more upset. And, I'm stuck in the carwash with no baby wipes!

Finally, the clothes are in the washer, the carseat is clean, and I feel horrible that I ended up yelling at my kids this morning when I had only intended on making them a good breakfast. As Simon Cowell would say, "this was definitely a little bit overindulgent" but sometimes venting makes me feel better. TO WANDA!!! (No, I didn't run into any cars, it just sounds liberating to take control of your own life!)

By the way, it's only 10:00!!! AM!!!

The future of the UAW...

2008-03-04T14:31:00.005-05:00

Michael driving a fork lift

Bekah working on the assembly line. She was quite good!

The girls are such good friends! BTW~I never thought I'd enjoy having my kids match!

Isn't she a doll???

So, I guess if we end up living in Michigan forever, our kids could always work on the line or in the plants. (No, not now... we do not endorse child labor here!) We recently went to the Science Center and Bekah's favorite thing was putting together gears on a mock assembly line. Michael seemed like a natural driving the fork lift. Who knew??? (Ally is just plain cute, so I had to add some pictures of her. As of this posting, we don't know what her auto industry skills will be)

Bekah's 7th Birthday

2008-03-04T14:15:00.004-05:00

Our quiet little Bekah comes out of her shell and surprises us all when she plays High School Musical Sing It on the Wii. Seriously, I don't know where she gets it, but she is a totally different person. It's so fun to watch. We gave her the game for her birthday since she has been begging to have a High School Musical party for months. We decorated the house in East High colors and served lunch on cafeteria trays. The best part was watching Bekah have such a GREAT time. Happy Birthday Bekah!!!

At least it's warm somewhere!!!

2008-02-12T13:27:00.000-05:00

Well, we finally did it. Jeff and I got away sans kids for a little R and R and a little sunshine. Actually, a lot of sunshine. We went to Jamaica last month for our 10 year anniversary, which is really in May, but since it usually starts to thaw out a little bit here by then, we thought we'd go somewhere warm while it was sub-zero here. And, it definitely was that. My mom and Grandma who graciously came to watch the kids and now have a very negative imprression of Michigan winters. The week they were here, it was the coldest it's been all year. I don't think they'll be coming back anytime soon. But, we did have a great time. It was everything we thought it would be and more. Great food, wonderful weather, warm water... fun fun fun! I'll post some other pictures soon.

Who's the real hero???

2008-02-11T18:43:00.001-05:00

So, we had some friends over on Friday night for a little Chinese New Year celebration. They were kind enough to introduce us to Guitar Hero. Saturday morning rolled around and Jeff was suspiciously quick to get a jump start on the day. He then proceeds to tell me that he's going to Toys R Us "to get birthday presents for Bekah." Need I say more??? We are now the proud owners of our very own Guitar Hero III. If you'll notice the picture, we think we might need to change our son's name to Axel. The pose and the facial expressions came all too easily for him. For those of you who haven't yet experienced Guitar Hero, we highly recommend it. Oh, and by the way, Bekah did get one birthday present out of the trip to Toys R Us, but it also involves a game for the Wii.