Monday Randoms

Don’t think we’ve done a random list on a Monday before and also not going to do a search to find out if we have… sorry, that’s the effort I’m willing to put in today.

To kick us off, here’s a random photo from my computer:

That’s me on Christmas morning with some incredible crazy hair. I think I was pretty cute back then.

• My kids are missing being able to run around on playgrounds for hours at a time – this is what I’m blaming their nutso behavior on from when we were at my parent’s house this weekend. My dad suggested that our next house be big enough to have a jungle gym inside. I’m thinking a padded room (not sure if it will be for me or for them).
• Liam finally saved enough money to buy his green ninja – he was beyond thrilled and even slept with it last night (to ward off nightmares).
• Jack slept in his sweater with a skull and crossbones on it, also to ward off nightmares – to each their own.
• I exasperatedly told Jack he wasn’t cute this weekend (because he was being a pill) and he smiled, with a twinkle in his eye and replied, “I am cute!” To my credit, my dad laughed out loud before I did.
• My dad’s knee is looking like a science project (he had his second knee replaced on Monday) but he is getting around pretty well. The boys were fascinated with looking at the stitches (of which there were many).
• Making baked goods is my love language – I made two batches of Triple Chip Blondies and a double batch of Carmelitas last week – my friends gobbled them up but my hubby has been “too full” to eat any… pretty sure that’s against his husbandly duties. My children also refuse to eat them, though they happily lick the beaters while I’m making them… this kind of self control is not something I’m familiar with.
• I’ve been thinking about what’s next for me in life… what’s my next challenge, big thing, what have you… and I’ve been drawn to the discipline of working on my writing. I signed up for “The Practice of Writing” by Alice at Finslippy and have started reading a free ebook I got last week You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One). We shall see where it takes me.
• I’ve also been thinking a ton about things I gleaned from our speaker at the women’s retreat a week ago. Sharon Brown spoke of spiritual discipline and being open to what God has to tell us, saying, like Mary, “Here I am.” I’ve been praying about the Hebrew words for that “hineni” and wondering how I can live that and being totally open to what God has in store for me. I’m certainly not done with raising my boys (is a parent ever fully done?) but I feel like I have the capacity to take on something else, to be open to what God needs me to do, whatever that is.
• We had a fun double date night last night and checked out a new restaurant/brewery in town – Perrin Brewing Company. Great place if you are local and like beer (and chili cheese fries). We’d love to meet you there!
• I missed most of the Emmy Awards last night… completely forgot that were on but I’m happy Homeland and Modern Family won the big awards. Those are both shows I very much enjoy (though Homeland and enjoy are not really words that should go together when talking about a show focused on very flawed main characters but it is just so good).
• Thanks to my lovely husband, I have two concerts to look forward to for the fall after not going to any this year (other than The Verve Pipe family concert). Ingrid Michaelson and fun. will both be at Calvin, I’m excited to check them out.
• We checked out ArtPrize a little bit yesterday and I can’t wait to get down there and see more – I just love this time of year in GR!
• We started off our day of good company and good food yesterday by meeting my niece and her husband for brunch at our favorite breakfast spot: Wolfgang’s. Everyone was happy – Liam almost polished off an entire plate of pancakes and Jack made good work off his grilled cinnamon roll… it’s always a good meal out with kids when they happily eat the food in front of them. I felt a little bad that Quinn and Chris had to spend part of their child-free weekend with our kids, but someone else’s kids are always easier to handle than your own so we’ll call it good!
• Fall in Michigan is just magical. I dare you to disagree with me.
• And I have to admit… I miss [some of] my smoothies from the juice detox…
• I stopped at a local cafe one morning last week for a coffee and I have to say I will not be back because a) the coffee was way overpriced for the quantity I received (though it was tasty) and b) it took 15 minutes for me to get my coffee and there was only one person ahead of me in line when I got there. Sheer incompetence does not get repeat business.
• I love my friends. And I very much love my family.
• I do not love people who drive like they are the only people on the road.
• Simon and I saw a large fish in the middle of the road on our way to our date. We were out in the country and not anywhere near water and while I’m sure there was a reasonable explanation for the fish being there, I think we can agree that seeing a fish as “roadkill” is a bit odd.