Memorial Day Move - Good-bye Michigan!

Our move date is really here - we took the kids up to my parents on Thursday morning so we could pack and clean without worrying about what they were getting into (which can be A LOT). I tried not to, for Will's sake, but I cried for a lot of the drive up there - I kept thinking this was the last time my family would be in our little house. I was OK at Mom's house but then cried on the drive back to Royal Oak. Luckily, we were too busy the rest of the day for me to think about it much more. Friday was another busy day. But, then we were all done - with 3 very loaded up cars (thank goodness we had a moving truck take the rest of it - I should have given them more.) We walked through the house (spotless for once) one more time and said good-bye. It was a teary drive to my parents house.

Saturday morning, our 3 very loaded cars, 2 grandparents, 2 parents, and 2 grandkids hit the road (thank goodness we didn't have 2 cats as well - I don't think they would have fit!). It was a pretty easy drive (75 South) and the kids did great. Grandma Karen packed lots of good snacks to keep everyone happy. Ohio was flat and boring, as usual, but the tractors and construction kept Will happy. The scenery on our drive was absolutely beautiful down in the mountains (Kentucky). We made it a little past Lexington the first day.

We took the kids to the pool for a little while and it was a lot of fun. It was Sofia's first time in a pool, and after a brief moment of hesitation, she found she liked it a lot. She was kicking and splashing, and then trying to drink the water. I'm so glad she loves it. We had some pizza in our rooms and then went to sleep - I actually fell asleep with the kids at 9:30 pm.

We got moving fairly early (for us); Brent left before we did because we had a deadline to pick up the keys to the apartment. We had a beautiful, beautiful drive through the mountains. Really - Kentucky and Tennessee are beautiful. I had never driven in this part of the country before and I'm glad I'll get to explore more of it. We had lunch at a McD's near the Smokey Mt. National Park - this was Will's favorite part of the entire trip. Sofia made a new boyfriend while we were there too - a group of students from Penn State was there and kept smiling at her. She kept waving and looking at them - and then one of the guys left and she just started crying, loudly. Then, he came back and she was so happy - it was so cute! He came over and gave her a mardi gras bead necklace and she was an even happier camper. After we ate, Will got to play in the play-place for about an hour. He climbed all over and made some new friends - I'm always so in awe and proud of how he meets new friends. He had a blast! Sofia even got in on the action - she found that if she pulled really, really hard she could get onto the spiral staircase and climb - the enclosed, spiral staircase. So, we had to grab her before she got to the 3rd step or we were in trouble. She got really, really upset when we took her off the stairs too. We eventually made it out of there and back on the road.

We pulled into Greenville about 4 pm and started unpacking. Brent had unpacked his car (it was cute - his "passenger" was Sofia's little pink toy horse) and had luckily gotten most of the boxes done before we showed up. Will was excited to see the Lazy Boy again (he said, "there's my rocker!") and he liked having his own room. The apartment is very nice - technically, it's larger than our old house (it still feels really weird to say old house). This is the link to the complex -http://www.caledonwoodapartments.com/ - and we are in the 3 bedroom unit. We have a nice little deck that the kids can play on and not escape, which is great. The living room is very large, which is also really nice. And, as an added bonus, we have (drumroll please) - two bathrooms and a dishwasher! Oh joy! Serious, living with one bathroom the past 7 years had its scary moments . . . The only drawback is the cabinet space. I never thought the old kitchen was large, but compared to this galley kitchen, it was. I didn't bring that much (I thought) and it took all the space we had. So, there was no pantry room. This, and the stress of unpacking, made me start crying - just a little bit. Luckily, Will didn't see me. (I keep trying to be upbeat and show all the perks of our new house to him.) We got some fast food for a late dinner and called it a day. Will only asked to go home to his old house a couple of times.

We spent Memorial Monday unpacking and it finally started to look like a home. We went to Wal-mart (Will calls it his new Wal-mart) and picked up the things I had left in Royal Oak (thinking I didn't need them or that we just didn't have room to pack them). Tuesday, it felt like we really had all the unpacking done and just had some little projects to do. My mom is a huge reuser/recycler (Brent calls her Sanford Jr) and we found a basket rack near the dumpster that we repurposed (that's what all the home shows say) for toys and is now looking great in Will's room. All Dad had to do was realign the bars a little and the baskets work great now. Gotta love it!

Since Brent had to go to work, Mom, Dad, Will, Fi and I explored the area. After some searching, we found Lowes, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, and some other essentials. We found that we are close to the mall, and that all Barnes and Nobles stores have a Thomas the Tank engine train table to play with (thank goodness - we needed a rainy day activity). We even found the park close to the apartment - it has a toddler play area for Fi and a larger play area for Will. After playing for about 45 minutes, Will said he was too hot and wanted to go. I couldn't even talking him into waiting for Fi and me - he just headed to Mom's car.

Everyone's adjusting pretty well (Will only brings up his old home every once in awhile now) but it's still pretty surreal. We are so thankful that Mom and Dad could help us with the drive and getting settled. It made such a difference - I don't think we'd be done even now if we didn't have them with us. They left on Friday and it was a teary event for everyone. I know I've been insanely spoiled with having both sets of grandparents close for babysitting and help; but I'm going to miss them for even more than just that. I've really never been without my parents - even at college, they were only an hour away. So, after 33 years, this will be a huge change and it makes me sad that I can't just jump in the car to visit for a day. We'll still jump in the car, but it will have to be for more than a day. I'm just glad we have e-mail and webcam to make everything easier. So, Mom and Dad, thank you so much for all your help and see you again soon!

Some Kiddie Stories

Since I'm way behind in my postings, I wanted to catch-up some fun kid stories before I forget them.

While we were all busy packing, Will discovered he's pretty good with tools. Between my dad and Handy Manny, Will has a profound love of tools - he knows what they're called and what they can do. So, Brent is in the basement packing up records and CD's. Will comes up to him and says, "Daddy, look what my do (he doesn't say mine or I yet - it really comes out like mise)" and he hands Brent the hinge from the side door. Honest, the actual hinge. Luckily, he kept the screws by the door and helped put the hinge back on. We're very proud.

I think I remembered to blog about this big event, but I can't remember - Sofia is walking! She Sunday before her birthday, she walked about 4 steps from me to Brent before we headed to church. We tried to get her to walk some more the rest of the week, but she only wanted to hold our hand. Then, we left her with Grandma and Grandpa Maxwell and she was walking all over the place. Now, she's walking almost all the time and is trying to run. It's great and we're so excited for her!

An Open House, Packing, and Movers - Oh My!

Because we are crazy and gluttens for punishment, we decided it would be a great idea to hold an open house on Sunday and have the movers come Monday morning. Awesome! Seriously - we knowingly planned this. Now, admittedly, the mover timeframe really wasn't that negotiable because I did some major negotiating with the moving company and got them to cut their price in half. So, I was more than happy to let them pick up stuff whenever they wanted. In hindsight, we probably just should have cancelled the open house, but we were really excited and hoped our dream of someone buying the house soon would come true.

So, we had an ultra busy weekend (such a change from our previous past weekends recently). Saturday, I decided to start the day with a massage (thanks to Holly and Chris for the gift certificate - I'll help you with math any day!). I felt totally awesome when I was all done. When I was paying, the lady asked me if this was a start to a relaxing day. I had to laugh and tell her it would most likely be the ONLY relaxing part of my day.

From there, we did some brief packing/clutter clean-up and then packed the kids to head out to Gwenie's 1st birthday party. Gwen is Nicole and Mike's second little girl; her big sister is Maya, who is just a few months younger than Will. Nicole used to work with Brent and I have been super lucky to have gotten to know her better these past 3 years. She's extremely creative (I love her original artwork and the pictures she takes of her girls) and lots of fun. Will and Maya have a blast together (I'll always remember the splash pad - for all of you near Plymouth, I totally recommend it for summer fun -- and the gymnastics center) and Fi and Gwenie just hang out. We'll miss having them as playmates but hope they'll come visit soon, with baby #3 (Nic, just open the envelope and tell me!)

Will and Fi both had a blast at the party (Maya and Gwen have some awesome toys) and Will was quite upset to leave (lots of tears). The candy from the gift bag did make him feel a little bit better though. From there, we dropped the kids off with Grandma Carlene and Grandpa Jerry, who got to see Fi walk on her own the furthest anyone (including us) has seen her go; and then we headed back home to clean/paint/caulk/stage like crazy people.

We worked until 2 am and then got up at 9:30 (we felt we earned the 7+ hours) to do some final prep before heading out for the day. For all of you at ROFUM whom I told I would be there Sunday - I'm sorry! We just got way too busy. The open house was from 1-4, so we ran errands and had a great lunch at Mr. B's before heading to get the kids.

Although we had a beautiful day, we only had 1 (seriously) person go through our house all day - very, very disappointing. The bright light was that the realtor said the place looked awesome and that we're still getting hits on-line. She'll hold another open house in a couple weeks and we have our fingers crossed.

After hanging out with all the Maxwells for a little while, we headed home to pack all of our things for the movers. Even though we're not even taking half of our stuff, we had a lot! It was another 2 am night (and to make matters worse, the sound of making boxes woke up Fi - Brent won an award for super daddy and took her so I could go to sleep). In the light of day, we had 21 boxes and some furniture for the movers.

The guys were supposed to be here at 9, and luckily we all got up before then because they were at our door at 8:30. They moved everything with no issue and now all of our stuff is heading down south. We'll spend the rest of the week slowly (thank goodness) packing up the rest of the stuff we're taking down there, and taking care of paperwork (lots of shredding). However, I think for tonight, we're taking the night off of housework and packing. Our plan includes watching 24 and heading to bed before midnight. Yeah!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

*** Today's posting has been dictated by Brent***

Tonight, Brent and Jerry decided to take Will with them to the Tigers game. We all decided this would be a good idea, as the weather was supposed to be nice. So, last night before bed and all day today, I was preping Will for the baseball game with the boys - he even took a nap so he would be all rested for it. When Grandpa Jerry got here, unfortunately, it started looking like rain but after much watching of the weather channel, the boys decided to go for it.

On the way down to the game, it started to rain heavily. Brent came up with a Plan B - drive back to Royal Oak, have some McD's and play in the play place, and then, if the rain ends, head to the ballpark for a few innings. Will pouted when he heard about Plan B, but the promise of nuggets and fries soon won out. Back at McD's, he was his normal, gregarious self - climbing, sliding down slides, and talking to kids twice his age. After about half an hour and some grease, they all decided to give the game a shot.

They got down to the ballpark and made it into the stadium at the bottom of the first inning. By the time they got to their seats, the Tigers had managed to load the bases, Oakland had committed 2 errors, and the soggy crowd was in full roar. Two pitches later, Ryan Rayburn cracks a grand slam, the fans go crazy, and Will is a little confused by all the noise. Instead of being excited, he immediately asks to go home to see "moomy."

However, after another inning, our young baseball fan starts to get into the action. Realizing that he can yell without being told "inside voice please," he starts to yell, "Let's Go Tigers!" Then, in the excitement of the moment, he just starts saying "'bop, bop, bop." Several beer drinking fans in front of them get excited by this new cheer. One of them says, "Hey, the little dude's got it right!" So, they all start going "bop, bop, bop" as well.

Then, the rains start again (about the 3rd inning). They all hunkered down under 2 umbrellas - Jerry and Will sharing one, and Brent getting one from a neighboring fan who had an extra. Will continues to cheer the Tigers, much to the amusement of all around them. People they had never met prompt him to say things like "Get a hit, Mags." Will also joins in when the crowd roundly boos Giambi; Will mimicked the crowd, shouting "Steroids!" Meanwhile, he grabs Grandpa Jerry's umbrella and dumps a ton of water into Daddy's lap - he, of course, thinks this is hilarious!

At the bottom of the 4th inning, they decide to leave the rain and buy Will a hat, to which Will says "I think the game is over. It's time for fireworks." Unfortunately, the hat, and not the fireworks, will be the end of the evening as the rain increases and the tarp goes back on the field. They left the stadium with Will protesting "No, fireworks!" But, a great time was had by all. As they get in the car, Grandpa Jerry remarked, "That was great - we have to bring him back next Tuesday."

Mother's Day Thoughts

Despite all the craziness, Brent and the kids managed to get me beautiful flowers and 2 books on tape for Mothers Day. It was so very sweet - and then real life started again and I spent 2 hours taking the cats to the vet (just a routine check-up, but the vet was super busy for some reason). While I was there, I started thinking I should really write down all the thoughts I've had and things I've learned about motherhood these past 3 years.

First off, I want to dispel the myths of the mommy wars. Since the only news I watch is the Today show before Will's cartoon comes on (I'm so worldly), they do a segment on the "mommy wars" at least once a quarter, if not more often. It's totally annoying - the "studies" always contradict each other and there seems to be no point. First, everyone should stay home; then stay at home moms are depressives who have no financial security if something happens and no lives and should get to work; then the kids are better adjusted at home; then they're better with the socializing at day care. Who can follow all of it?! And, what's more - who really cares? (Although according to different studies, both camps look down upon one another.) And, isn't there enough guilt and second guessing that goes along with having kids - who needs any more of that? My two best friends have kids and work - and, shocker, I think they're great parents and don't secretly (or even publicly) say that they're terrible people for heading to work. Parenthood, like many other things, is about choice and finding a choice that works for you. Most other moms that I know, both working and stay at home, agree with this.

Something else I've found is everyone will give you advice. EVERYONE. It's really, really annoying - especially from random strangers (like the check out woman at the grocery store who kept informing me that Fi was teething and needed something cold - duh! Check me out faster and I can get her home and give her a cold chewie). It's wonderful to have your own mom, your mother-in-law, and your girl friends (with children) to consult with when you have a question or just need to vent about your child. Others - not so much. Brent has a great statement on this topic, "If you don't have kids, you don't get to have an opinion." And, with all this advice going around, just go with what you feel is right and don't worry about what anyone else thinks. Everyone has a different parenting style that works for them and their kids (all of whom are totally different) and finding that style is totally trial and error. (That's why my mom always said, "You were the first - you were the test case.")

So, some other things that I've learned:

- Whenever you're super frustrated with your child (think terrible twos here), tickle them to make you both laugh and remind yourself why you love this little person so much. Laughing and silliness work so much better than yelling (for both of you). Will and I have been trying this one out quite a bit lately, and it is definitely much more effective.

- Kisses really do cure whatever ails you - this goes both ways, and it's super cute when they give you kisses.

- Your kids will always surprise you - sometimes in a good way (like Sofia somehow climbing the stairs while chasing after Will) and sometimes in a bad way (when Will picks up - and correctly uses - words he shouldn't know at the age of 3)

- Don't be afraid to ask for and to accept help. Thank God our families are close by (for the moment). We've found that it really does take a village to raise a child. The first 3 days we were at home with Will, we found it takes 3 people to get things done: one to take care of the baby, one to take care of the house/food, and one to sleep. Thankfully, it was much easier with the 2nd baby (probably because our universe had already been altered so drastically at that point and we knew what was coming in terms of work and lack of sleep). The village is more than just family though - it's friends, playgroups, and neighbors. The first year of adjustment to being at home was hard. I really think I became a little more introverted (I know - maybe it was good I actually took it down a notch) - Brent was on the road a lot, I had lost the interaction you get from work, and Will really wasn't that verbal at the time. However, finding a playgroup was a life-saver - thank you to all the great mommies and kids we've met and played with the past 2 years. I will miss you all when we move. So, to all the new mommies out there who decide to stay home - find a playgroup and make some great new friends.

So, Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there. Love your moms and remind them how wonderful they are - and how wonderful you are because of them.

Zoo Fun with Kristi and Family

This past Friday, we spent the day at the zoo with Kristi and her family, her twin girls, Haneul and Iseul, and her new boy, Taeyang. We had so much fun! Will loved showing the girls his favorite things at the zoo (the tiger and elephant statues) and even the animals cooperated by being out and active (especially the tiger and polar bears - my favorite). We all took full advantage of the playground too - Fi and Iseul hung out, as they both did not like the woodchips near/in their shoes (they were so cute together) while Will ran between the boat and house structures and Haneul gave the spring/bouncy things a run for their money. Tae decided to eat, so I learned what having 4 toddlers was like - fun for an hour, especially with kids that you know well, but not something I would want to do all day, every day (a daycare business is definately not an option for me). As we wrapped the day up, it was very odd saying goodbye. It was just like a normal goodbye, but at the same time, not. We know we won't see each other again until Christmas (most likely) and it's very sad.

Kristi and I met my freshman year at U of M through Glee Club. She sat a row in front of me in the second soprano section, and was just super friendly in a group where I didn't know anyone at all. We sealed our friendship that summer with the Glee Club road trip to Cinnci and Chicago, and through running the "Blues Boosters" group that sang for the tailgaters before the football games. She left me our junior year to live in Spain (I'm still totally jealous) - we share a love of Spanish - but came back and lived with me through a bunch of crazy roommates our senior year. She left me again for Korea after college, but she found the love of her life, Seungho, and I got a personal tour guide when I visited her, so that all worked out for the best.

Kristi is such a wonderful person and friend. We have a love of music, musicals, and singing - but she is a much more accomplished musician than I am. She is very world aware and always makes me wish I actually wanted to watch the news and listen to NPR. She also reminds me about community assets that I should use more (like the library, although we've been very good about that this past year) and about keeping "things" to a minimum. She's got a great sense of humor and can be quite competitive with games (in a fun way). She's also an amazing mom - I don't know how she manages all 3 of them with a husband in law school (we're all really, really proud of Seungho). But, I love that she and I sing and read the same songs and stories to our kids (although she knows more songs and stories than I do). Although we haven't been able to get together as much as we used to (just part of having families and getting older, I know), Kristi just always gets me and it feels like we've only been apart for a day or so.

So, as you can see Kristi and I are used to brief goodbyes, so I'm more than positive that our friendship will continue to grow through this longer goodbye (I'm still convinced we'll be back in MI in like 6 years or so). Kristi, thank you so much for being my friend (for almost 15 years!)

Where Has the Time Gone?

I can't believe that another week has totally flown by. We have been ticking off our list of things to do before we leave MI (some fun, some entirely practical). We cleaned, packed, hauled things to storage, and touched up even more paint (I'm getting pretty good at all things paint related now). Brent headed to a Tiger game Monday, I had my last church meeting on Tuesday (more on that later), and Brent made it to the dentist.

Ok - church meeting. I became active in our church about 3 years ago (right about the same time I started staying home) and it was a great "work" outlet for me. I helped with the Evangelism/Membership committee, and tried to do a good job. I really think I could have been much more effective, but oh well. To make up for my lack of effectiveness, when the committee was split into 2 different committees, I joined one of them and tried to help with the church's marketing efforts. I started a logo idea, an initial marketing plan, and a welcome/information brochure outline. I feel REALLY good about all of that and wish I could have gotten it done 3 years ago. It was nice to try my hand at marketing again and I hope it all works out well for them as they proceed.

We celebrated the kids birthdays with a big trip to McDonalds, Will's favorite restaurant of all time. He climbed all over the play area, made a couple of new friends who introduced him to the concept of ghosts (the play area was dark, as it was late and there weren't really any extra lights in there), and he polished off a small vanilla milkshake (his favorite food in the world). It was a lot of fun for all of us.

Our realtor, whom we have nicknamed Tweak (South Park, anyone?), came by on Friday and we did all our paperwork. Unfortunately, she forgot her camera so all the cleaning/staging/hiding of things in the closet was for naught - so annoying. But, she came back again Satuday (and we managed to keep things pretty clean overnight) and took great pictures. So, we are now officially on the market (technically, 2 months later than we wanted - in reality, about 2 years later than we wanted). In any case, the place looks really good and I'm proud of our efforts and of our little house.

In all seriousness, this house does mean a lot to me. We got married in this house; we had our babies in this house; our babies learned to walk in this house (along with so many other firsts). I love this place and will be very sad to leave it.

Picture Request

Since John asked, here is a picture of me with straight hair - not the best shot in the world, but it gives you an idea (if you've never seen it before). Enjoy!

Busy Party Weekend and My Friend Ann

***Note: This is from the weekend of 5/1 - 5/3. I am behind in my posting.***

We have been super, super busy with everything in MI drawing to a close. We have been working like crazy on the house to do the updates/changes the realtor suggested and actually meet with her tomorrow (Fri) to do all the "official" on the market paperwork and get the show on the road. We were able to take a little break last Friday - Jerry (Brent's dad) let me take his Tiger ticket (they get a 27 game package each year - Brent is super bummed to be missing Tiger baseball in person; we're going to get the MLB package in SC to ensure he can still follow the team) and, even though they lost (despite the rally in the 8th inning), we had a great time and it was nice to not think about the move, the house, the packing, ect and just be together.

Saturday we had Will's 3rd and Fi's 1st birthday party - since they were born on the same day (I know - I still can't believe it!), we combined everything. Unfortunately, my parents couldn't be there due to our great-uncle Howard's failing health, but we did get to Skype with Steven and Reshma (I totally LOVE Skype and everyone should get it so we can chat face to face when I move) and that was really fun - Will really, really liked it and kept coming over to the computer to see what they were doing. They both loved their presents (thanks so much!) and had a great time running in the yard before we had cake. It was Sofia's first time in the grass and she was not a fan. She kept picking up her feet and making a funny face. It was pretty cute!

Will originally asked me for a Gordon the train cake. Now, the only "real" difference between Gordon and Thomas is the number (Thomas is #1 and Gordon is #4). So, when I iced the cake, I made the 1 into a 4. However, after seeing this, Will started to tell me that he wanted a #1. Oh well - Mommy tried. I think it turned out pretty good (see the picture). Sofia's was just a little cake (picture to come). She did put her fingers in the icing, but was not excited about it AT ALL and just made mad faces until we cleaned her fingers. She was not a fan of ice cream either. Guess we'll have to see what happens next year.

Sunday, we worked in the church nursery for the last time. It was a little sad because I do love our church and the people we've gotten to know there. They are all so genuinely kind and friendly; they will be missed. I think Will is going to miss it too - he looks forward to church and "playing with the kids."

After church, we headed to Lowes for mulch and flowers. I thought 2 bags would work for our front flower beds (this is the first time I've used mulch, as I really don't like the smell) - not so much. It didn't even cover the left side. Oh well - by the time I got all that done, it was time to head to the Lukes house.

We went to Ann and Jason's house in Canton for dinner. Ann and Jason had baby Sylvia in Nov and we have been so excited for them to enter parenthood and all its craziness. I have to admit that I had hoped that having a child would make Ann's house just a little bit cluttered (in order to make me feel better about the constant clutter state of mine), but no dice. It was totally perfect, like always. I don't know how she stays so wonderfully organized while working and having a family. Something for me to aim for when I (eventually) head back to work. We had a really nice visit - Ann made a great dinner, complete with a great Oreo dessert, and Will enjoyed their park and playing with their dog, Tucker. Sofia liked sitting next to Sylvia and checking her out (while bopping her on the head.) It was really odd to think that this may be the last time in a long time that we get together, and I still don't think I've fully processed it yet.

I met Ann my senior year at U of M (I can't believe that its been 12 years!) through an all-girls honor society. I really didn't get much out of the group, except for my friendship with Ann. I never would have met her otherwise (she was an English major and I was engineering - no classes/activities in common there), so I thank them for bringing her into my life. I can to talk with her about anything (husbands, friends, work, kids, money, ect) and she always makes me smile with her frank, common sense opinions and assessments. In addition to being pretty much the best interior decorator (amateur status) and organizer/party planner that I've ever seen, she could give Emily Post a run for her money (even though it reminds me that I'm still running almost a year behind on some thank you notes . . .) Being as organized as she is probably helps and, again, gives me something to strive for.

One of the great things we have in common is a love of books - she's always recommending something she'll think I like and I will greatly miss trading books with her. In fact, as a going away present (so sweet), she got me a stamp for my books that says, "From the Library of Janet Maxwell" - I've been going a bit crazy with it.

We also share a love of travel. One of my favorite vacations was our trip to the dude ranch in Cody, WY - it was just such a good time. Even though Brent is not into horses (he calls them glass eyed dinosaurs), I think it would be an amazing trip for the family someday. We also had a great time in NYC - we went on the Sex and the City tour (I'm proud to say I helped get her hooked on the show) and saw the Statue of Liberty. I have also been traveling vicariously through Ann the past couple of years - she's taken some amazing trips to Peru, China, and the Galapagos Islands. Those places are on my list and I love seeing her pictures and hearing her travel stories.

We've done a lot together over the past 12 years, and I know that we'll still be friends 12 years from now. I look forward to lots of visits and hopefully vacations together in the future. So, Ann, thank you so much for being my friend - your friendship has meant more than you'll know.