Instagram, week 12

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One day last week, the kids spent the morning at Millennium Park with Simon playing at the splash pad and the afternoon playing at the park with me. All in 90+ degree heat and that evening they went to bed with minimal fighting and only 15 minutes of getting up to “tell me something.”

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Stef’s “stolen” baby… I like borrowing babies for an evening… makes me forget all the other stuff that goes along with a newborn, like countless middle-of-the-night feedings…


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Isn’t he just the sweetest? (And I still have the magic touch with putting babies to sleep.)


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On the sidewalk leading to my office. Who knows how this got there but I’m going to pretend it wasn’t from dog poop from Spartacus.


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The next day they were at daycare and each played outside for at least 4 hours, then bounced in is bounce house for a good hour, followed by an hour in our friends’ pool and though they didn’t fall asleep on the way home, they did go to bed immediately. So six hours of activity + 90 degree temps = no trouble at bedtime. I cannot keep up that schedule, makes me tired 😉


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Keeping with the bad-at-bedtime theme… here’s Jack, who was supposed to be in bed and asleep at least 45 minutes earlier, telling me he wasn’t tired. Clearly because he didn’t pack in hours of entertainment that day.


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But at least we get to see rainbows…


Miscellany

Also, another way of saying random stuff, once again…

  • For a few moments there, I could not for the life of me figure out what day of the week it was… it’s one of those weeks (or months, or lives)
  • A blogger I’ve been reading for, well, nearly six years since I started reading blogs when I was pregnant with Liam (note to others: do not read pregnancy blogs and birth stories while you are pregnant with your first child… it’s a bad idea) posted something yesterday that I cannot get out of my mind. She has a teenage daughter who has been going through some health issues and who they have had to put in a residential care facility. Mir tells her own story so much better and bravely than I could do it justice here so please go through and read what she has to say and send her love and prayers as she and her family travel down this rocky path. It’s a reminder that while we can do our very best to be good parents, life is often out of our control and our very best isn’t always good enough. While it might sound hopeless, it helps remind me to be thankful that I have someone else on my side who already knows the path and who can carry me along when I have no idea what I’m doing or where I’m going. A God who holds us tightly when we can’t hold it together ourselves. I don’t refer you to Mir to be voyeuristic but instead to share her story with the hope you will share some compassion and love, and maybe be helped along yourself by knowing her story even as it is just beginning.
  • On on a less serious note… Jack and Liam were chatting this morning on the way to daycare and Jack held up something on the tip of his finger and said, “What’s this?” Liam said it looked like a booger and then reported, “When I was younger, I used to secretly put boogers on my carseat.” Thanks for sharing, buddy. [Note to self: Wash Liam’s carseat cover with HOT water.]
  • I borrowed my friend Stef’s baby yesterday and it was such a treat to be trusted with his care and to have a baby in the house again (though it also made me realize that another baby isn’t the best idea for us since we co-single-parent so much of the time). The boys were sweet with him, though, and loved having him with us for the night. Liam kept asking me if he could get me anything while I was holding the baby and Jack offered to feed him his bottle (and also a french fry). At one point, Eli was in the bouncy chair, scrunching up his face but looking in Jack’s direction and Jack asked me, “Why is baby Eli angry at me?” Cute and a great observation…
  • I love that Liam still responds to Dora when she asks children questions… yesterday’s response was telling with regard to what Liam wants out of life. When Dora asked what everyone’s wishes were for the shooting star, Liam said (seriously), “To have a play date every day with my friends.” My boy is a social butterfly, just like his mother.
  • I helped a nearly-70-year old with some computer issues yesterday and as I was leaving, she wanted to show me some new perfume she had gotten and then insisted that I try it on myself. Perfume tastes vary greatly from person-to-person so I would never assume that everyone would like the scents that I wear and I would never try to make others try them on [yet another reason I would make a very poor department store employee] but I was stuck trying on her perfume and I still smell decidedly like an old lady. Chanel #5 is not for me [no offense if that is a scent you like, or wear, please just don’t make me try it on my person].
  • It has been over 90 for a few days, this makes me sweaty and grumpy. Thank goodness for air conditioning.
  • Jack acquired a black eye last week, which along with his missing tooth, really completes his look.
  • My husband brought me ice cream at work yesterday… which makes me wonder just a little what he did wrong that I don’t know about… I’m guessing it was think ill thoughts about me when I slept through making the kids breakfast this morning.
  • Really, I’m going to guess it’s because of something else that I’m going to admit to you now and hope you don’t hold it against me… Jack threw up at some point in his sleep Tuesday night [this has happened before with Liam – what is wrong with my kids that vomiting doesn’t wake them up?] and Simon was the one who found it and had to strip the bed, do the laundry and remake the bed because he was home and I’m guess he was slightly unkind in his thoughts toward me [I know I would be if the shoe were on the other foot]. It was very hot the day before and my kids ran around a whole lot outside and I fed them McDonald’s for dinner. Jack never acted sick or complained of his stomach feeling bad either before or after the vomit, so… [here’s the part I hope you don’t hold against me – not the feeding my kids McDonald’s] I still sent him to daycare. My kids are very resilient [e.g., no ear infections EVER, puke incidents that I can count on less than one hand, getting a tooth knocked out and still participating in the Easter egg hunt… the list goes on… and just so you don’t think I’m bragging, remember both my kids stopped napping around 2.5 and both run around non-stop from morning until night, chattering way without end (cute but loud) so I have other things to deal with which means resilient children is a small bonus] where was I when I started that parenthetical? Oh yes… my kids are resilient so I didn’t even consider keeping Jack home because if he was really sick, I would have known, instead I’m 99% certain it was a combination of heat and poor nutrition choices. Was anyone able to follow that train of thought? I hope so.
  • Liam is apparently a delicate flower when it comes to puke because he could NOT stop talking about it from when he discovered it until we got to daycare, at which point I told him that unless he was going to be throwing up, he wasn’t allowed to talk about puke again.
  • And just so I don’t have to close this post out with puke, here’s a photo of my stealth vomiteur:

It’s a jungle out there

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before but the other business in our building (along with ourselves and the gym) is a driving school. A jungle-themed driving school. We are in and out of there a lot lately because, for some odd reason, our AC is controlled by a thermostat in their space (don’t get me started on that particular subject). It’s a large space that they mostly keep dimly lit with camouflaged fabric draped down from the ceiling and black lights for ambiance (or something). It’s a little freaky to walk into in the dark. At lunch Monday, my coworker and I decided we needed some chips to go with our pulled pork sandwiches so we decided to go check out the driving school’s vending machine options. We walk into the darkened space and I’m slightly in front; as we approach the vending machine I notice an animal which causes me to jump and maybe swear.

It is, of course, just a statue of a black panther but my first thought is NOT, “That’s obviously not real because why would there be a black panther in a building in Michigan” but instead I think, “That’s an awfully small black panther.” Really, Michelle, that’s the only thing wrong with this scenario? Not that it’s not real but that it’s too small.

Also, I’d like to say that I’m glad there wasn’t a class in there at that moment for so many reasons. I’ve realized that no matter how old I am, when faced with a room full of unfamiliar teenagers, I’m always going to feel anxious. Why is that? I’m a confident business woman (who admittedly hates public speaking), who can handle herself with a room full of adults or children (not that I’m ever in a room filled with toddlers for my job) but put a room full of teenagers in front of me and I’ll say, “No thanks, I pass.” I’m quite certain I’m not at all cool enough to pull off a successful interaction with a group of teens, that’s just the truth of the matter. I’d much rather be in a room filled with smaller-than-normal black panther statues (though not squirrels – those are too disturbing).

Favorite Pins and Posts

What I’ve been loving lately from around the Internets…

Favorite pins

Source: fromliketolove.blogspot.com via Michelle on Pinterest

It’s rather embarrassing the number of magazines I have around the house… making them into something pretty would really be wonderful!

Source: quirkability.blogspot.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I’d have to figure out what design I’d want to do but I think this could look really cool and super inexpensive!

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Michelle on Pinterest

My friendship bracelet-making middle school self loves the look of this for my own headphones!

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I used to hate potato salad due to an unfortunately-timed bout with the stomach flu but I’ve discovered I can love and eat it, so long as it’s not the traditional creamy stuff. This one looks yummy enough to try.

Source: thyhandhathprovided.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Just yes, please! I’m trying to figure out if I can get away with this for Liam’s birthday cake this year… I think he’d go for it!


Pins I’ve Done

Source: Uploaded by user via Michelle on Pinterest

Made these and they are as good as you’d imagine… once you get over the fact that you are eating 1.5 cookies, at least 1.5 brownies and PB cups.

Source: someecards.com via Michelle on Pinterest

So I can’t technically “do” this pin, but it makes me giggle every time I see it.


Favorite Posts

Music Monday: Recent Downloads

2011 was the year of concerts and 2012 appears to be the year I download music (thanks to deals on Amazon and iTunes gift cards). Here are some recent downloads I think you might like:

Ho Hey | The Lumineers [Actually, I downloaded this whole album and I love it – folksy and fun – perfect summer music]


Flowers In Your Hair | The Lumineers


That Wasn’t Me | Brandi Carlile [I initially had buyer’s remorse with this new album from Carlile, but after a couple listens I really like it, it’s just more low-key than what I’ve been listening to lately but sometimes change is a good thing.]


Better Days | Amos Lee [Just goodness all around, I can’t decide if I like this or “Windows Are Rolled Down” better.]


Gaucho | Dave Matthews Band [Love getting new music from old favorites.]


Brokenhearted | Karmin [I resisted this band because they are just too quirky but then I saw them interviewed by Chelsea Handler and they were funny and endearing and since Sirius plays their song constantly, it’s grown on me.]


The Fighter | Gym Class Heroes with Ryan Tedder (the guy from OneRepublic) [GCH do great collaborations – I also like their “Stereo Hearts” song with Adam Levine]


Mighty to Save | Newsboys [I can’t hear the Newsboys and not be instantly brought back to my college days.]


Ever the Same | Rob Thomas [An older song but a good one, perfectly melancholy – I love his voice.]