Category Archives: Life in general

Reblogging…

Posted on August 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

I started my blog 18 months ago but for the first bit, didn’t tell anyone about it because I wanted to make sure it would stick and I wanted to find my voice a little bit before I shouted it out to my circle of people. Then at Christmas I put the URL on our Christmas card (no going back then) and started sharing links of FB (which still feels a little squiggy, but you can choose not to click through or just ignore me completely – I’ll never know) so there was no going back. I love writing, it’s a great outlet for me and I enjoy entertaining people, but I don’t write to entertain, I write for me (and I am apparently easily entertained). It’s free therapy, even when it’s silly stuff like about things I think while watching the Olympics, or self-indulgent birthday wishes to my kiddo who can’t read all the words yet. I love, love, love that someday, my kids will get to read these posts and learn more about their mom as a person instead of just their mom – what a (hopefully) great gift of insight for them.

I was looking at my stats page, wondering what my most popular posts have been (for the record, the winners are: Working Girl because of my reference to both Skidz pants and hypercolor clothing; Things I Love: Cake because of the Lightning McQueen buttercream transfer; and Perfectly Imperfect because it might have the most of my heart in it. And then I wondered what my least-viewed posts were and after looking at a couple, I wanted to re-share (pretty sure that’s not a word, sorry) them here for various reasons… maybe you’ll find something you like but missed and hopefully you don’t find that overly indulgent of me.

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Posted in Life in general

Five Question Friday

Posted on August 10, 2012 | 4 comments

Just for kicks, here are a couple of cute things Jack has been saying: instead of laughing he says “lapping” and when you tell him not to do something, he responds enthusiastically with, “I willn’t!” And my friend, Tracey, noted that when he says “coffee” it sounds like he has a Bostonian accent, apparently that’s what happens when you hybrid the Michigan nasal with the Australian accent.

That have absolutely nothing to do with anything but I wanted to share before I forgot.

Liam had a marvelous birthday, really, a birthday week since we have seen friends every day and gotten to hang out with some of our favorite people and eat lots of sugary things. His favorite present was a camouflaged wallet with a velcro closure (second favorite was the $1 bill he got from his cousin – the kid is currently obsessed with money which means we have some nice life lessons in store for us with saving/giving/spending).

Also, I’m having a good hair day today, at least I was until I left the house and when out into the rain multiple times to drop the kids off at two daycare locations (Liam’s daycare had to move for the last three weeks as they were using space that now needs to be used for a head start program).

How about a little 5QF?

1. Thunder storms- love them or hate them?
Love. My kids don’t wake up when it storms so I don’t mind at all when they come (that said, now they will totally start waking up because I dared poke the beast of announcing something to be true on the Internet). My only complaint about storms, or preference I guess, is that if a day starts out stormy, I want it to stay dark and gloomy all day – I don’t like it when it clears up and switches to sunshine after a few hours (probably because that usually means it is then humid and humidity I hate).

2. Do your kids get back to school clothes
Not really, I mean, I did buy Liam some new jeans and a couple shirts for his birthday but we shop throughout the year, hitting up good sales and stocking up when we see a good price (my husband is best at this and I believe we had Liam’s size 7 wardrobe done sometime in the winter). But as they get older, I know we will probably do this a little more, letting them pick out one special outfit that’s new for the first day of school. I remember what that was like when I was in school and I loved having something special for the first day.

3. Do you golf? Do you watch it?
I have golfed exactly once. It wasn’t a horrible experience but I’m not a natural. Growing up golf was always on the TV on Sundays (when there was a tournament) so I watched it then. I used to have a theory that only the guys who wore hats played the best, then the visors and then those with bare heads (which, really, I’m sure they are super happy about not wearing hats now that they have skin cancer on their noggins – and also because they always lost – sure, the white foreheads from hat-wearing looks ridiculous, but wouldn’t you rather be non-cancerous and a winner?).

4. Showers or baths?
Showers just because they are easier and more refreshing in the morning. But if I want to relax, then bathtub all the way – though I never feel clean after a bath. I don’t really enjoy sitting in a wet mixture of soapy water and sloughed off skin cells (you are welcome for that mental picture). For relaxing, I’d prefer a hot tub, at least then it doesn’t feel like a dirty soup.

5. What’s the strangest meal you ever ate?
In terms of the food, I’m certain the strangest meal I ever ate was in Kazakhstan when I was in college. There were quite a few things I ate that I don’t even know what they were (because I learned it was better not to ask). Actually, I felt like I answered this question already and I did a search and found that one week Mama M didn’t have a 5QF so I made up my own (please refer there – hilariously, I also noted that I was almost named Robin Renee and mentioned my dislike for that name, only to have someone comment who was actually named Robyn Renee – sorry).

And in terms of the whole experience, a meal I had in Kazakhstan to celebrate the 18th birthday of my roommate’s neighbor also ranks up there as the strangest (though most unique would be a better term); we ate for at least four hours, stopping at one point to take a walk around their backyard vegetable garden. And her whole family stared at me for the entire meal, asking endless questions and plying me with wine (from California – FTW) and vodka (from Russia – for the headache); for a few hours, I knew what it would be like to be a celebrity and it was a little heady. Then I sang Céline. And then the birthday girl’s parents and aunt and uncle sang Russian songs and made me feel like I wanted to stay there forever in that moment because I knew there would never be another one like it. I wish it were possible to relive that again with older, adult eyes and take it all in.

Linking up with Mama M for Five Question Friday.

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Posted in Five Question Friday, Food, Life in general

Things I’ve Thought While Watching the Olympics

Posted on August 9, 2012 | 6 comments
  • I wish my husband would take up swimming.
  • I wonder if they won this race/match? Let me pause the TV and check nbcnews.com… yes, okay, then I can keep watching [the not knowing sometimes stresses me out too much].
  • [at the gymnastics commentator] I don’t think you are actually familiar with something that should be called catastrophic; that, what just happened, was not catastrophic.
  • I wonder exactly how slow I would look compared to the people running the 100M, or 200M or (God forbid) the 400M? Laughably slow or humiliatingly slow?
  • If the beach volleyball players can win while wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, why exactly do their normal “uniforms” need to be so tiny?
  • The mens’ synchronized diving suits are just a wee bit too not there; would it totally ruin the sport to dive in say, bike shorts?
  • OMG, where are their boobs? [with regard to all female swimmers] Normal people would be showing off way too much side boob in that suit.
  • While I appreciate mothers being acknowledged, I feel like it’s a little rude and presumptuous to think that fathers shouldn’t be just as revered by PG. And everyone else that supports those athletes.
  • I could never be an Olympian because I like having dessert more than once every four years.
  • Michael Phelps has come a long way since his first Olympics when he was all young and geeky, oh wait… still the same and yet, still the muscles.
  • I wish I could have the fabulous hair swimmers have immediately after getting out of a pool and taking off their swim caps – I feel like they have some secret they should share with the rest of us.
  • If I were an Olympian, I would not want to be from China or Russia because they never look happy and their coaches look displeased at all times.
  • Shut up, Ryan Lochte. It’s better if you never talk.
  • I still think that gymnastics commentator sounds like John Tesh.
  • You’re right, that male vaulter does have a unique running style (if by unique, you mean completely hilarious) but why aren’t we discussing his completely creepy porn mustache?
  • Holy cow, the men’s gymnasts defy all laws of nature on the rings; also, that one guy is a wee bit old… I can’t believe they used a spot on their team just for him? Are Olympians not allowed to use Just For Men?
  • With all the stupid rules out there, how is it fair that the people who swim the semi-final relays do not have to be the people who swim the final?
  • Usain Bolt is completely impressive on the track; no matter what people say, he has a right to be as cocky as he is, especially if he doesn’t care about what people think (spoiler: he so doesn’t care what people think).
  • Why is that sport still in the Olympics?
  • How cute are Will and Kate cheering for his horse-riding cousin?
  • I’m pretty sure I couldn’t pull off a serious game face when they were introducing me before a race. I’d be all, “Hi, please like me…”
  • A lot of the female track athletes have impressively cool names.
  • Someone feed that person a cheeseburger, stat.
  • I hope Kerri Walsh is as nice in real life as she is in interviews, or at least I hope that’s the real her doing the talking and not just a public image.
  • I’m sure that Chinese diver appreciates the underwater shot of her putting her bathing suit back in place after a dive.
  • Is Bob Costas drunk?
  • Why is Ryan Seacrest on my TV when it’s not on E!, Fox or New Year’s Eve?
  • Wish I could appreciate Bruce Jenner’s athletic accomplishments rather than being annoyed he’s on TV. And also, stop talking about your daughters, Bruce… no one cares.

 

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Posted in Life in general

Instagram, week 17

Posted on August 7, 2012 | 1 comment

The good part about taking a long weekend/mini-vacation is that while Tuesday feels like a Monday, it’s not actually and suddenly your week is much shorter – hip hip hooray!

Time for a weekly recap using Instagram, warning, the end photos are all fun, sun and beach, do not keep viewing if it will make you angry because you are not having fun in the sun at the beach.
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Somehow Jadyn and Jack determined that if they achieved potty-trained status, then they could have a Spoonlickers date – who am I to argue? I love fro yo and unlimited toppings (sometimes that’s the best part of a frozen treat, but I have to say, the cake batter fro yo doesn’t hurt).

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Elijah Wood was on an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba and I was messing around with my phone and caught a scary image of him, had to share it with my peeps.

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And another photo of the church domes on the way home – but the sun was just too big and red that day to not get one – sadly, the photos were all a bit blurry.

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Jack found a headband and I got to get my hair done (can’t say the scary face was anyone’s fault but my own).

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I waited in my car to get this photo because it is just so wrong to do that to a Mustang convertible.

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Our first day at the beach Jack discovered the joy that is getting buried in the sand. He asked daily to get his “whole self buried up.” Okay.

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Duck Lake State Park is just a special kind of place – so perfect for kids and kids-at-heart. The older kids were schooling the younger kids on proper sand castle building.

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Max and Jax will be BFFs for life – this is what happens when your cousin is only a couple months younger than you (and though younger, Max is not surprisingly taller than Jack)

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Pure Michigan

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All fun in the sun means all naps in the car on the way home!

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Posted in Instagram, Life in general

Gratitude

Posted on August 1, 2012 | 5 comments

Someone gave me a gratitude journal last month, something I’ve wanted to start for ages, but there are many things I want to start and haven’t (anyone else with me on that one?). Related: my mom asked me last week if I kept a journal and without skipping a beat, I responded, “I have a blog” and she said, “Oh right.” And this blog is definitely a journal of sorts and also a baby book for my kids (sorry kids – check online for an accounting of my memories of your childhood), so why not also a gratitude journal? Indeed.

Here are some things I’ve been grateful for lately:

1. Simon being home and taking over the breakfast routine again.

2. A job that provides the flexibility necessary for having two kids.

3. Our church staff and the comfort they’ve shown us after Simon’s mom’s death.

4. Mucinex DM – almost completely eliminates my cold symptoms

5. Air conditioning (in case you haven’t heard, it’s been a bit hot in Michigan for the past month)

6. Liam’s summer program at day care – each day he has something special that he’s excited for.

7. A new recipe for a creamy green salsa/ranch sauce.

8. Friends who share my sense of humor.

9. The church domes on my drive home (I can’t stop taking pics of them, or wishing I could capture the beauty of them more perfectly)

10. Skype and other modern technologies.

11. Genius mixes on iTunes (though mine seems to favor Mandy Moore and her voice is just too breathy for me – the only reason she’s there is from the Walk to Remember soundtrack)

12. My niece’s house in Whitehall.

13. Duck Lake State Park/beach

14. Keurig coffee maker

15. Jane’s Krazy Mixed-Up Salt (though I object to spelling crazy with a “k”)

16. Summer television series’ on USA

17. My cleaning/ironing-loving mom.

18. Parents who listen to me ramble on when I haven’t had a husband to vent to for 2.5 weeks.

19. Friends who are awesome and give in just the ways that I need.

20. Jack’s awesome head of hair.

What are you grateful for lately?

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Posted in Gratitude, Life in general

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