Category Archives: Life in general

Instagram 32

Well howdy… I’m thinking I need to stop eating sugar on the weekend because boy to I get a detox headache every Monday and Tuesday. Doesn’t dieting and healthy living sound wonderful? I’m sad to say that despite working out 6 days last week, I was thwarted by Jack’s birthday party and some Super Bowl good eats and have gained weight from last week… we’re going to pretend it’s muscle because otherwise I shall cry (not really – just being headache-fueled dramatic).

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Just minding my business at the grocery store on a Thursday morning and standing at the self-check was a very tall, long-haired and bearded man in a utili-kilt (that would be a kilt made out of Carhart-type material, see one here*). I texted my encounter to Stef and she told me to take a picture… I thought I had missed my opportunity but when I saw him walk by me again, I had to paparazzi him with my phone camera. Awesome.
*Also awesome, the tagline “American Made Utility Kilts for Everyday Wear.” But of course.


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Various shots of the same sunrise, since the snow started coming we just get grey skies in the morning so now I miss this pretty sight.


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Liam gave two thumbs up to my homemade whole wheat waffles. “Best Waffles Ever, mom!”


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Sometimes you just have to wear a Jango Fett mask.


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I love how George tucks his paws up when you hold him in your arms, I also love that I can just care my dog around like a small child.


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As I said on Instagram: Noted and denied.


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Pretty views on the road into daycare.


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A year ago we were just returning from Oz. Pics from our time there.


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Jack’s very first drawing of people – he went from scribbles to heads and arms – love this. First he drew me (bottom left) then counterclockwise he added himself, Liam and Simon and then George on top (with four legs and still two arms).


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Jack likes to make up “kisses” to go along with butterfly and eskimo kisses… my favorite are thumb kisses because we still have to pucker up and make kissing sounds.


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Liam had a snow day so he got to spend the afternoon with me at a local coffee shop, not so quietly playing Angry Birds.


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Ham.


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George had to hide out in the bathroom one evening because the waffle maker scared him due to it’s beeping when it was ready. He also hates the vacuum (understandable) and flashlights (no idea).


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Two shots of the back of our house within a 24-hour period. Michigan weather is confused.


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This license plate makes me giggle, it’s on a car that is always in the parking lot where I meet Simon at Calvin to get Jack when we trade parenting shifts.


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Just discovered this delightful treat – a Greek yogurt that is creamy and not very bitter with the most delicious stir in of honeyed apricot. It makes me feel like I’m eating something very European and then I feel all sophisticated. All yogurt should make you feel sophisticated. [dumbest sentence I’ve ever written]


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I didn’t have time to dry my hair yesterday and sometimes this is fine, but yesterday was not one of those days so I put it up in a bun with a pencil. Liam was perplexed by this hairstyle when I picked him up from school. And I totally went to Target with a pencil in my hair… just don’t care.


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Speaking of Target… this tab was on my computer yesterday thanks to a note from daycare that head lice had been reported. I was hoping Target would have some lice preventives that I could pick up while I was there. They did not but the search and resulting tab did make me giggle so all was not lost.


And more search terms to amuse yourselves with

Previous posts of this variety can be found here.

I do find it endlessly entertaining (if not a little worrisome in some instances)  to see what search terms brought people to my site…

  • #1 search term of the last quarter: kippers (the canned fish I used to love), I’m apparently not the only person who wants to know more about this delightful snack… or was perhaps subjected to them by their older parents or grandparents. I still haven’t gotten up the gumption to try them again.
  • Sadly, my runner up search term is gratitude, by half as much. So twice as many people found my site by searching for canned sardines as thankfulness, what does this say about our world?
  • I’m also happy to note there are many variations on symbrachydachtyly and I’m glad people are seeking out more information about limb differences and I hope that other parents are finding the site helpful to them as they navigate the world having a child with a limb difference. I think together we can make a difference, not just for our own kids but for kids with all variations of differences.
  • I’m less thrilled to tell you that there are multiple variations including something about toes, or (my favorite) college toes (is that a thing?), including the eerily specific “michelle ememby feet,” the sad “hate hate toes” and the disturbed “freakishly huge big toe” (sorry, my big toe is average, but my other toes are freakishly long).
  • preteen monster | Four people searched for this specific phrase which makes me worried for a few years from now when my kids are preteens, clearly this is not something to look forward to.
  • god’s plan for you | I gotta tell you, the Internet is not going to reveal God’s plan for your life… but you might want to check in with Him or the Bible.
  • young girl in velcro rollers | Sorry, I’m an approaching middle aged mom sometimes puts velcro rollers in her hair, not likely what you were looking for.
  • balls removed surgery | file that one under: not great
  • thanksgiving fingernail designs | for the person with (literally) too much time on their hands
  • what state has a license plate that is green on top and blue on the bottom | not sure how this long, specific search term led you to my site. But I had to google the term myself and found there is a plethora of sites dedicated to license plates. This is a wee bit sad.
  • ways to cut toddler hair to avoid mullet | this one made me laugh out loud, but it’s true, mullets must be avoided at all costs, especially on toddlers
  • why is it that when I eat chicken tikka masala I can’t sleep at night it’s insomnia | The “it’s insomnia” just kills me; asked an answered.
  • bookmark little preteens | Um, what? Would you like a bookmark with little preteens on it? Are you looking for preteens so small they would fit on a bookmark? I just don’t know.
  • chili bowl hairstyle | As opposed to soup or salad bowl hairstyles?
  • slow people drive me crazy | Me too, though I have never felt the need to google it to find others like me.
  • pray god with say | Again, I’m confused.
  • finger ingrown | I’d imagine having an entirely ingrown FINGER would hurt. And also be impossible.
  • made up designs of battle bridge hexbug | another winner in the category of dedicated parent; they are like me, who has been known to reference YouTube to find out how to get passed a level in a Wii game. Thank goodness for geeky children (and grown ups) who video themselves going through various levels (with and without amusing commentary) of Lego Wii games.
  • what did one direction do in January 2012 | I have no idea and I’m okay with that. But I will venture a guess that they made some sacrifice to Simon Cowell so they could cash in on all manner of fame and also sing in the Olympics opening ceremony.

Music to warm you up

If you are in Michigan you are currently cold – for everyone else perhaps not so much (especially Australia, where it has been about 100 degrees warmer than here – Fahrenheit, of course). But you might still enjoy some of the following songs… They are new to my line up and are currently helping me stay warm by bopping around listening to them. I share them with you because I am a giver. Enjoy!

Take a Walk | Passion Pit


Mountain Sound | Of Monsters & Men


Radioactive | Imagine Dragons


Locked Out of Heaven | Bruno Mars


Carry On | fun.


not peppy, but still loved:
You’re the Reason I Come Home | Ron Pope


Monday Musings

ememby_Monday_MusingsTwo weeks in a row!

  • I used the word “patootie” yesterday morning when talking to Liam and he very seriously looked at me, without a hint of impishness or impropriety and asked, “Does that word mean ‘ass’?” To my credit, I did not burst into laughter and from the way he asked, I’m pretty sure he didn’t know he was saying a swear word, but perhaps a word that was too old for him. I just said, “Patootie means bottom and don’t ever say that other word again.” What in the world? [And yes, future Liam, patootie does mean ass, in a way.]
  • I also forgot to ever tell you about this gem: Liam was upset to the point of tears shortly after the election and when I inquired as to why he was so upset, he sobbed, “Because I’ll never get to vote for Barack Obama in a real election!” I did not know how to deal with this particular break down.
  • And one last Liam story: Today, I walked him up to the school because I had to go in an retrieve his forgotten “Friday Folder” so I would know what homework he should be doing this week [my eldest is a forgetter, it drives me insane]. We didn’t even make it to the steps up to the school before he said, “Bye, mom, I’ll see you this afternoon.” And then proceeded to walk up the steps next to me, all the way to the school, as if we didn’t know each other. Stinker.
  • And what can be said for Jack? He’s a newly minted liar (he will lie about all manner of things, including things we know the truth about and when pressed he will point out that he wasn’t lying, but we didn’t ask him specifically enough). For example, I heard a sound that would indicate he had hit Liam so I said, “Jack, why did you hit your brother?” Jack: “I didn’t hit him.” Me: “Yes, you did, I heard it.” Jack: “No, I did not hit him.” Me: “Okay, then how did he get hurt?” Jack: “I pushed him hard.” Semantics. He will also lie about who took the food from the fridge, who drank from the now-empty cup and who got out of bed, turned on the light and/or got out the toys. We apparently have another child named, “Not me.” Not me is a real pain in the patootie.
  • Not ones to simply bask in the glory that was a date night last Friday, Simon and I upped the ante this weekend with TWO date nights – Friday AND Saturday! Simon had Friday off again because of an all-day training so we got to go out (Panera and “Silver Linings Playbook”) and then he said, wouldn’t it be fun to go out two nights in a row? Um, yes. So we revisited a new-to-us place with yummy burgers and brought along our friends Sarah and Brian! Fun times. Add to the fun a small group meeting last night and we didn’t have to put our kids to bed for three nights in a row – that is practically a vacation!
  • This week we are back to regularly scheduled nothing on Friday nights and no date night for Saturday. Alas. It was fun while it lasted.
  • Liam has a four-day weekend this week, mid-winter break in February and then spring break at the end of March. This seems like a little overkill on the days off school.
  • “Silver Linings Playbook” was superb. My kind of movie (and we’ll be honest and say that pretty much any movie with Bradley Cooper is my kind of movie) but Simon loved it, too. So well acted. True to life “dramedy.” Plus ballroom dancing. I laughed out loud a number of times and once I even snorted. Yup, I did.
  • We were dumb and left the restaurant we were at (post-dinner) in search of something else on Saturday night in downtown. Since we were all neither a) in our 20s or b) drunk, we were not up for waiting any place for a table or paying a cover charge. We ended up standing in the front of a bar to watch the end of the MSU basketball game and all have one more drink [we did not get carded- boo] – we were really just trying to avoid going home too early and having our kids still be awake. I wish downtown had been like this when I was in my 20s – so much fun would have been had! And we still had fun and good company, but now we are just in bed by 10:30. Alas.
  • I’ve been doing modified push ups on the kitchen counter (so not at all real push ups) and today my shoulders are killing me. I love the burn of sore muscles.
  • The first week of the blogging weight loss competition I had the biggest percentage loss… hopefully it’s not the only time I’m in the lead, but I’ll celebrate while I’m there! Whoot! Go me!
  • I cannot “do” Twitter… at least not that and be able to keep up with reading blogs, Facebook, Instagram and, you know, real life like my kids and my job.
  • I’ve been having cold flashes (like hot flashes but, you know, freezing instead). Does this mean I have circulatory issues or other problems? My hands are currently freezing to the touch.
  • We re-arranged the boys’ room a little this weekend and both boys thanked me profusely and told me how much they liked the new look. They will make good husbands someday.
  • Our small group hosts made faux Mexican Ice Cream last night (blocks of ice cream rolled in crushed corn flakes and cinnamon sugar, drizzled with chocolate sauce). That was delicious. So good. Still thinking about it. Thanks, Steph.
  • It finally really snowed here so now the heat wave can come back and we can be done with winter, right? Side note: Where Simon’s sister lives, it was about 111° F last week. It was 11° F this morning. Awesome. I believe we’d both happily meet in the middle.
  • Two months until our road trip to Texas – cannot wait! Honestly. I love road trips and having grown up driving for every vacation with my parents, I’m excited to give those memories to the boys!
  • If you are interested, you should totally join me on MyFitnessPal, I’m ememby there, too! It’s like Facebook for healthy living!

Instagram 31

So apparently I can’t keep up with my Instagram posting in a timely fashion, but instead, you get a month’s worth of images (with witty descriptions). You are so lucky.

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Jack hurt his finger. The 12 year old boy in me kept asking him to show which finger got hurt.


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Same downtown drive, different church at sunset. It still amazes me how much the position of the sun shifts throughout the year… science, it’s so amazing.


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Just sitting in a bucket.


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Liam got this No Stress Chess set last year and we still love to play it and it is pretty angst free. Though I do coach him into beating me the first time we play, which then makes him say, “I won because I am awesome at this.” Yes, that is it.


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Our New Year’s Eve included a DVR’ed episode of Grey’s Anatomy, wine, slippers and yoga pants, plus a whole lot of making fun of Ryan Seacrest, Carson Daly and Jenny McCarthy.


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Happy New Year from the Bennett family.


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Just hanging out, laughing with Jack’s foot in the photo.


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Tiny hearts were lighting up my kitchen wall.


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I love soft black licorice (without salt, I might be part Dutch but I cannot stomach salty black licorice). This stuff is special because it is Australian and therefore adds an extra “u.” Sadly, it was purchased at Target and the company that makes it went out of business in Oz.


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Jack has super fancy dance moves. This was an outtake from this video:


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Yet another jampile, Simon always wonders why this happens when he gets on the floor.


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Sledding at my old sledding hill. It seems so much smaller now.


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Self-photo in Simon’s sunglasses. I am wearing my mom’s crocheted/knit hat – Simon was not a fan.


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I was surprise-gifted Smitten Kitchen’s cookbook and had to get started reading it while I exercised, as you do. Everything looks yummy. Please make her acorn squash quesadillas or her tomato sauce with butter and onions (the only pasta sauce I would eat for the rest of my life).


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My sidekick and I waiting for Liam to get out of school.


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Despite the photo being focused on the side mirror, this is probably my favorite photo of Jack.


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The boys played so nicely last weekend… it had to be documented and I didn’t even jinx it.


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Jack lined up Squinkies with his little hand. So someone so wild and crazy, he sure can calm down and concentrate when he wants to.


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And winter finally came to Michigan, and while the cold temps have remained, the snow has all but melted. I am not complaining, but I am baffled by our lack of snow.