December Memories

Even though it was a short 4-6 weeks ago, December seems like a long time gone. But, we had some really funny things happen (before I do a Xmas posting), so here we go.

First, Will was written up at school.  Yup, at 3.  I called both teachers immediately and got the scoop.  Basically, all the boys and one girl (9 out of 11) had bad days - no one listened during circle time, and Will (along with 2 other boys) was asked to leave gym class.  This was the first week of Dec and I think they were all a little jacked up from the Santa hype.  To Will's credit, when he got in the car and I asked how his day was, he admitted that he didn't listen and was really upset that he didn't get a stamp from Coach Goode that day.  So, we talked and he was wonderful (per his teachers, not me) on Thursday.  So, one school milestone conquered - we're so proud. :)

Then, the annual trip to Santa.  Will is starting to fully appreciate the fact that Santa brings presents and was really excited to make a list and tell Santa all about it.  I guess he didn't factor in sitting with Santa because when we arrived at Penny's (it's a great studio - they had Santa there so you could do Santa and regular holiday photos in one stop - just awesome!), he wouldn't let go of my legs and actually ran from the studio to hide behind the stroller while I held Sofia near Santa.  Take a look at how well that went . . .

While Fi wouldn't sit with Santa, she did smile at least.  Will wouldn't re-enter the studio until Santa left, and even then, I had to hold him on my lap for shots (that's why I always wear something festive, in case I have to blend in or be in the pictures). 

Luckily, the photographer was very patient and quick with the shutter, so we did end up getting some very good shots of the kids alone, together, and with Santa sneaking up behind them (most of you have seen them, either on the side of this blog, on ofoto, or in my Xmas card).

Our next December memory is decorating the apartment.  Since I didn't get a chance to go through our Xmas stuff before the movers got it, we didn't have anything.  And, I didn't want to spend a ton of money for things we didn't need because we have them and because we were going to be in MI for half of the month.  So, we ended up getting a super cute little tree (pre-lit) and some shatter-proof ornaments.  A friend of mine used to have his own tree in his room at Xmas and I always that that was a neat thing, so this tree will (most likely) end up in someone's room next year. 

I also started the tradition of an advent calendar with the little chocolate window treats - the kids loved that and I'm going to have to get two next year (I kept dividing the candy in half).  My mom made us a huge advent wreath that Steven and I took turns putting little ornaments on until Xmas and it was such a great holiday tradition and memory - we used to take turns doing the 24th and we picked out that ornament on the 1st day so that it wasn't used.

For a final decoration, I got a little snowman that holds a candle - the kids LOVE snowmen and can't get enough of Frosty.  It was so cute - Sofia would ask me every day to light the candle by saying "On, on no-man."  I love it !

Another Dec memory is truly enjoying ABC Family's 25 days of Xmas.  They show all the "classics" - the Grinch, Peanuts, Rudolph, Frosty (of course), and several others.  I've always really loved it (I know - I'm a huge nerd and geek, and proud of it)  but it was special to share that with the kids this year.  It was really a family thing.

And, last, but not least (again, saving Christmas for another posting), this year was Will's first Xmas pageant.  I actually got the date wrong and thought it was on a Tuesday (Will's regular school day).  So, Brent took the day off and we paraded the whole family, kids dressed in their Xmas couture, into the classroom.  I then asked the teacher if we just went up to the sanctuary and she looked at me funny.  She then told us it was the next day, Wednesday.  ARGH!  I was so upset I almost started crying (kids have made me so much more emotional - it's a bit silly sometimes) - work was really busy for Brent and we didn't know if he would be able to go.  So, we drove home and Brent headed into work, rearranging his schedule as we drove.  It all worked out (thank goodness) and it was so cute.  It was a whole school affair (the Academy goes until 5th grade) and they did it a grade at a time.  All the 3 yr olds lined up on risers (with the help of 6 teachers and several parent volunteers) and sang songs they learned, with hand gestures.  It was so cute and we were so proud of him!

December is just a wonderful time - for some reason, I wasn't stressed at all this year (even with doing Xmas cards, shipping gifts to MI, and organizing our visiting schedule).  I hope I can do the same thing next year.

November Recap - Deep in the Heart of Texas

Brent and I usually travel for Thanksgiving (you wouldn't believe the deals you get some places) and this year was no exception. The entire family went down to Houston for a Texas Thanksgiving this year - even my mom and dad flew down to spend a week with Steven, Reshma, and Layla.

This was Sofia's first flight, and we were quite nervous about handling both of them (and all the gear that goes with them). However, check-in was actually quite easy. Brent dropped me and Sofia and all our stuff off at curb-side check-in while he and Will went to park the car. By the time they got back, we were ready to roll to the gate. I'm sure we looked like quite the crew - I had Fi in the stroller that was packed with her little suitcase of toys, the diaper bag, and my giant purse; Will was walking with his little suitcase of toys; and, Brent was carrying the car seat and his briefcase. Good times!

We didn't have to wait long at the gate (luckily) and the kids were excited to get going. We bought Will a seat but decided to hold Sofia - we won't be doing that again. Will (sitting in the car seat - the kind we have is FAA approved to be strapped into airline seats), Fi and I were sitting in one row while Brent was sitting across the aisle from us. I could not get her to settle down (I pulled out all kinds of toys, food, and drinks) - she did not want to be held AT ALL! After take-off, a nice man behind us was sitting alone and offered to sit in Brent's seat so that Sofia could have her own seat. It was very generous of him, and as soon as the seat belt sign went off (since she was allowed to leave my lap them), she had a great time learning how to work the buckle. She spent 45 minutes clicking and unclicking her buckle. Good times! Unfortunately, we hit some turbulence and the seat belt sign went back on - not a happy baby. I was very glad when we landed in Houston.

Steven and Reshma picked us up and we headed to the homestead. Their home is beautiful and HUGE! It's 4,000 sq ft! We had our own room/suite on the first floor - it was large enough to fit a twin bed for Will, a king bed for us, and Fi's pack-n-play with room to spare. They call it the "Presidential Suite." We spent the day getting settled and hanging out - it was awesome! Mom and Dad showed up the following day and we got a plan together for the week. Reshma was a great vacation director and had all kinds of fun things planned for us.

Monday, we headed to Battleship Texas and the San Jacinto Monument. The Monument is huge (first photo) and Sofia made quite the entrance. She fell asleep in the car on the way over, and as Brent had some work calls to make, he stayed in the car with her. She woke up before we headed up the elevator to the top and came out of the car - totally styling (keep in mind I didn't put any pretties on her - she did it all herself). We rode up the elevator and got to see the views from the top - there are A LOT of chemical plants in Houston and the kids liked watching all the boats go by.

Will and Fi also had a blast turning the cranks on the penny souvenir things (you know them - you put a penny in, along with $0.50, and you get a smashed penny with a souvenir design on it). They even got the kids from a field trip interested in them.

Battleship Texas was right across the street from the Monument, so we headed over there next. Will really liked the "big ship" - he still talks about it. The guns still work and Will had fun turning the crank and aiming them.

We were able to go all over the ship - the main deck and below. We saw the main quarters (the crew and officers spaces sure were different) and learned that red toilets were for men who picked up more than just the ladies when they went off ship. :) All the boys went down to check out the engine rooms, but they are still under restoration. We weren't able to see the top levels as it was close to nap time and the kids were hungry. So, we ventured off to McD's and then back home for naps.

That night, we were lucky enough to have tickets to the Houston Texans/Tennessee Titans football game. Reshma dropped Brent, Steven, Dad and I at Steven's beer bar in downtown Houston before the game. It's a really cool bar - they have over 300 beers (or something crazy like that) and there's a card system to log the different kind of beers you try. You can log 3 every time (but drink more, of course) and once you hit 300, you get a plate with your name on the wall. Aside from that, they have THE BEST pretzel bites - they were so yummy!

From there, we rode the metro system to the stadium - it was packed! We made our way to our seats - Brent and I were a couple of rows behind Dad and Steven. This was my first pro football game, and I wasn't disappointed. It was a huge stadium and LOUD! It was a really exciting game, and even though the Texans lost, we had a great time.

Tuesday, Brent and I took advantage of the fact that we had 4 willing babysitters and we headed off to Galveston Island for the night. We had great timing too - the rates were super cheap and it was almost deserted (the cruise boats had already left and the Thanksgiving crowd hadn't shown up yet). We wandered around the main street shopping; we took a nap; we had a nice dinner (we ordered so many appetizers that the chef thought we were reviewers); and we discovered a great bar (21 - I highly recommend it) that made the best Cosmopolitans that I've ever had (thanks, bartender Mike!).

Wednesday, back in Houston, we went to a Rockets basketball game. There's a great display upstairs that shows all these things about Yao Ming - it's really cool and you can see (but not really fully appreciate) his size and all that he can do. In addition to measuring your wingspan against his (no contest there), you can measure against his foot (size 18), his hand, and his vertical jump (Steven did pretty well there).

The game was Ok - the seats were great, but the Rockets didn't play very well and we had a huge group of rowdy, crazy, drunk fans behind us (there were probably over 40 of them). So, we left during the 4th quarter. When we came back, we found we were on TV. The cameras were filming the crazies behind us, and got us in the shot too - what a contrast! We looked terrible - especially next to the crazies (who were wearing booty shorts). Oh well - I hope that doesn't count against my 15 minutes . . . .

Thursday (duh) was Thanksgiving. Sofia and I wore Indian outfits to celebrate the day. Reshma had given Fi two beautiful saris last Christmas and she's finally big enough to wear them. I couldn't figure out the skirt and wrap at first, so when she first had it on, she couldn't walk. Oops! Auntie Reshma to the rescue! She got us sorted out and Fi looked beautiful. We laughed and told her later that she can't eat a cow (see it in the little pot there?) when she's wearing a sari. :)

For our feast, we tried a tur-duc-en which is a chicken stuffed into a duck stuffed into a turkey. They're apparently really popular in the south and we enjoyed eating it. We had a ton of food and it was all really good. As usual on Thanksgiving, we entered into a food coma afterwards and enjoyed the day.

Friday, the women enjoyed the post-cooking tradition - Black Friday. Now, we weren't crazy and didn't wake up early at all. I think we left the house at 11 and were only out for a little while. I was on the hunt for new boots - after 3 winters in MI, my poor black boots had holes in them. But, I hadn't found anything that I liked to replace them. Luckily, Reshma's DSW (out by the super fancy Galleria mall that we visited) had a pair almost exactly like the ones I had. I bought them on the spot and put them on in the parking lot. Yea - I love getting new shoes! :)

I know I'm forgetting the order of some things, so I'll just put them in now. Reshma introduced me to a great accessories store - Charming Charlies. They have everything (and I mean everything) and it's all very reasonably priced. I actually bought Holly's Xmas presents and something for me as well (shocker, I know). We also had great acoustic guitar concerts from Steven, Reshma, and the kids - Will and Sofia really liked the "hashi-bashi" song (otherwise known as the Muppets version of the Hawaiian War Chant.) We also watched the Star Trek movie - it was really, really well done and I can't wait for it to come to cable so I can watch it again. Finally, we all got into the Star Wars Legos game for Wii - it's really cute.

It's hard to believe we crammed all of that into just one week and the time went by way too fast. We just had so much fun! Saturday we flew home again - the airport was a nightmare (really just the ticketing and security part -I won't delve into details after all this time - but it was enough) but the flight was great as Sofia decided to sleep. The funny thing was the lady that sat next to me was the same one who sat next to Brent on the way to Houston. She was really good natured about our family, so that was nice.

We were all glad to be home but can't wait to get the whole family together again. Steven, Reshma, and Layla, we just had so much fun - thank you guys for everything!

Sledding in South Carolina

This is the video I promised with the kids using the wardrobe box as a sled. It was taken on my phone and I can't figure out how to turn it, so just go with it. However, (dump-da-da-dum) we got a video camera for Christmas so there will be many postings with videos that have sound and don't require you to turn you heads. Enjoy!

November Recap - Move It In

* Remember, folks, this is Nov -- I'm trying to record all of this for our family, so I'm trying to get it all in (no matter how far behind I may be) *

We made it back to SC in one piece after getting all our belongs into half a moving truck, but the movers weren't able to unload our stuff until Tuesday. Since we had no beds or anything else to sit on, Barry and Cathy were kind enough to let us invade their lives for 2 days. And, it was an invasion.

Normally, Barry and Cathy stay up late and sleep late (after 11 or so) - they're both retired, their kids are grown - we totally envy them this lifestyle and look forward to the day when we can do the same. So, having us show up with children who start getting loud at 7:30 probably was a shock to them. They took it all in stride and we had a great time staying with them - they totally know how to do ice cream (more on that some other time)!

The movers started at the storage unit on Tuesday morning, bright and early, and as Brent had to leave for TN, Barry and Cathy continued to be kind and watched the kids for us. As the movers unloaded the truck and filled the storage unit, I started to get concerned. In Royal Oak, we had a 1,000 sq ft house with a shed and a 10x10 storage unit; in SC, we have a 1,200 sq ft apartment and had rented a 10x20 storage unit. We assumed we would have room to spare in the storage unit . . . we assumed wrong (shocker!) At one point, one of the movers told me, "It's OK - if it doesn't fit here, we'll just take it to the apartment." I told him that wouldn't work as the apartment wouldn't have room for it. Luckily, they used just about every inch of the 10x20 space (seriously, stuff is stacked up to the ceiling) and it fit. The move into the apartment was a cake-walk after that - they got everything unloaded and set-up in less than an hour.

After they left, I set to unpacking a few of the more breakable boxes and getting a little more organized before going back to Barry and Cathy's to get the kids. The kids, as usual, were having a great time (they just love Barry and Cathy). We really lucked out having great relatives nearby who are so supportive and helpful. So, Barry and Cathy (if you read this blog), we really appreciate you and are so glad to have you in our lives.

Since Brent was in TN, the kids were troopers about all the boxes and helping me unpack. It helped that I gave them a giant wardrobe box to play in - it was an ice-cream store, a tent, a rocket, and a slide (the video of that is coming). I (and them) worked my butt off getting all but 2 boxes put away and broken down by the time he got home on Thursday. Which was good, as we left Friday for Houston.

All in all, it's nice to have all of our things - it really makes it feel more like home (even if it's only until May).

November Recap - You Can't Go Home Again

But, you can show up to pack it all up and marvel at everything you had crammed into 1,000 square feet and outside.

This posting starts the recap of our month of November. It was so jam packed and busy that this is honestly the first time I've had to get a posting started. I'll try to be brief, as December is off to a really fun start and I want to share all of that.

In the middle of Nov, we headed back to MI to pack up our house and move our belongings down south. We left Friday after Brent got done working - of course, he got stuck working about an hour or so longer than we had planned, so we were a little past nap-time when we got on the road. And, to make things even better, the "regular" route we would take had a rock slide that has closed the road for around a year (the Army Corp of Engineers has been called in to fix it) and the detour, while completely scenic and beautiful, adds about 90 minutes onto our first leg. We've decided we like stopping in Berea, KY - it's about half-way, has a nice little hotel with an indoor pool (already a great draw for the kids when we're traveling and we say the word hotel) and a Cracker Barrel.

We had a good drive, overall, and were happy to make it to Maxwell's on Saturday for dinner. Sunday, we headed to my parents to more or less say hi, drop the kids off, grab the Tahoe and Dad, and drive to Royal Oak (RO). It was really weird to be back in the house again - I started crying as I walked around, looking at everything. Although we needed to move anyway, it was our first house - we got married there, had our babies there . . . it just has so many memories and, although staying in the apartment is a smart plan for now, I really miss having a house. Oh well - I know we'll have one down here soon enough.

After I had my brief pity party, Dad and I headed downstairs to start work on installing a new hot water heater. Good times, let me tell you. I learned quite a bit about plumbing and torches (those are good fun). While we were doing that, Jerry and Brent made 6 trips to the storage unit and put a ton of boxes back into the house. We all worked really hard and were more than ready to head home when all the fun was over.

When we got back to Grand Blanc (GB), Will was running a high fever and just wasn't feeling well. I stayed up with him until the fever came down a bit around 3:30 (and Mom kept getting up to check on us - all mommies worry about their kids) and we fell asleep in the recliner downstairs until Dad came down and woke us up on his way into the office. I put Will into bed and then I went to sleep in my own bed.

So, our plans for Monday were changed a bit - it all worked out though. Dad came down after his meetings were done and we finished installing the hot water heater. While we were doing that, we had a showing - not exactly the best scenario for a showing, but I'm not turning anyone down at this point. The way they ran through the house, I knew she wasn't interested. Oh well.

Will still was running a fever and ending up throwing up Monday night so Tuesday I took him to our old pediatrician in RO. It was funny when I called for the sick appointment - she looked us up in the computer and said, "Didn't you move? Your records aren't here anymore." I told her we were in town and I wanted Will checked out to make sure he didn't have anything serious. Everyone else in town must have had the same idea and the same thing - we waited an hour to see the doctor. But, she confirmed it wasn't anything serious (not strep) and as long as he wanted to play, it was OK.

The rest of Tuesday and all of Wednesday were packing days for me - I sorted everything into Apartment or Storage, made donation runs each day, and took things off the walls. Wednesday night, Brent and I were going to head for dinner in RO but he showed up looking like death warmed over (he got Will's cold) and ended up sleeping while I picked up take-out Thai and completed packing.

Thursday, the packers showed up. Given that we already have a lot of stuff boxed up and down here in SC, I didn't think it would take them more than 4 hours to do the house. Not so much - they showed up at 8 am (very timely - it was nice), took a half hour lunch around 11:30, and kept boxing up everything until 3:30. Wow! So glad I didn't have to do that myself. I did get to read a book and a half though - that was nice.

Friday, the movers showed up. I figured since everything was packed, this should only take the morning. Unfortunately, the movers had a flat tire issue that I didn't find out about 9:00 when they were supposed to be there at 8 - and they didn't show up until 10. That totally sucked as I wanted to make deliveries to Ann and Kristi when the movers where done, and had I known they were going to be late, I could have done that in the morning. Oh well. They did show up at 10 and it took them until 3:30, working constantly - they didn't take lunch - to get it all packed into half a truck. I should have taken a picture - it was stacked up to the roof.

Brent and I walked through the empty house one more time (very sad) and then headed to GB. We hung out a bit and saw what the kids had been doing that week. There was lots of playing, but the thing Will liked best was making a bird house with Dad. He kept showing it to us and still talks about it.

We spent Friday night at Maxwells and then hit the road home on Saturday. We made stops at Ann's house (they were, unfortunately, at music class) and Kristi's house (they were home and it was awesome to see everyone briefly). The drive back was uneventful and we were happy to be back home in SC.

General Update - We're Still Here

Just so everyone knows, we haven't dropped off the face of the earth. We've just been crazy busy and I wanted to sum up everything so you're all in the loop. I promise more details later.

First, we headed back to MI last week to move all our belongings down south. The house hasn't sold (unfortunately) but we actually save money by having a storage unit and an apartment down here. The drive up was made longer due to a rock slide on the best route, but overall, it was good.

In MI, we did the following:
- empty the storage unit and move everything into the house (it took 6 trips in the Tahoe)
- install a new hot water heater and remove the old one (I'm so thankful my dad is handy - I learned how to use an acetylene torch)
- take Will to the pediatricians after 3 days of fever (he had the flu but is totally fine now)
- sort items into "apartment" and "storage" for the packers
- the packers took one full day (8 hours) for our little house (I couldn't believe it really took that long)
- the movers took one full day (5 hours) to pack everything into half of a moving truck - it was jam packed (another thing I couldn't believe)

The only "fun" thing I did was get my hair done and buy new boots (they are super, super cute and made my stressful week better). I am so, so sorry to Ann (whom we didn't get to see at all) Nicole (who I saw for a minute - and it killed me that I couldn't hold baby Ryan cuz I didn't want to get him sick), and Kristi (whom we got to see for 5 minutes on our way out of town) -- I promise we'll see you all at Xmas when we have more time and less to do.

A huge, huge thank you to my parents for watching the kids all week while we took care of everything - I don't know how we would have done it without you.

We made our way back to SC and invaded Barry and Cathy's for two days, as our stuff couldn't arrive until Tuesday. Monday was the planned day - but most of this move did not go according to plan. Barry and Cathy were gracious enough to put us up for 2 days, and they watched the kids for us while we dealt with the movers on Tuesday. We really appreciated their help and support.

Tuesday, Brent left for TN so I was left to unpack by myself. It was a bit daunting, but the kids were great and by Thursday, we had most everything unpacked and put away, with all the boxes broken down.

Which is good because we're packing today to our trip to TX to see Steven, Reshma, and Layla. We can't wait to see them (it's been awhile) and to relax - we've been running for two weeks now and just want a little break from the craziness.

So, that's where we're at. I'll give more details when I have some time - thanks for checking in on us!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween 2009! After much debate (seriously, every time we went to a store to look at costumes, he changed his mind) and an inability to find an Austin costume (Backyardigans character), Will decided to be Elmo. Sofia was Tigger (Will's old costume) -- we pretty much had to grease her into the outfit and pull her out of it.

We started this Halloween on Thursday with Will's school party. It was so cute! Everyone dressed up and they had a parade around the other classroom to show off their costumes and get candy. Fi and I were waiting for them when they came back.



All the kids were excited to see their parents and we disrupted the order of the classroom a bit, but the teachers were Ok with that. We helped get everything set-up to eat the orange cupcakes and then let the kids have at it. It was funny to watch them - none of them actually ate the cake part; they all went straight for the icing and orange sugar. Sofia got it all over herself (she was a Clemson cheerleader at school - thanks for the outfit, Barbara!). After snack, they read a Halloween book and we finally got them wrangled for a group shot (as best as we could). It was a great start to the holiday though!

We started Saturday out with the Fall Fest (see previous posting) and came back to rest. Will was too ready for trick or treat to rest though. He came running out of his room after about 10 minutes saying, "Daddy's sleeping, Mommy." So, he and I headed to Target to get a last minute plastic pumpkin for treats. I had bought one for Fi since I already had a cute bag for Will. After seeing the pumpkin for a day or so, Will decided he wanted one - he called it "the jack o-lantern." I should have just bought 2 - Target was totally out of stuff and we walked away disappointed. I tried Walgreens as a last resort and found a Mickey Mouse one (aren't the mouse ears cute?). That more than worked for Will and we got back before anyone woke up.

After the gang got going, we headed over to Barry and Cathy's for the main event. It was so great of them to let us come over - the kids really love them. We got everyone dressed (praying that we could get Fi into Tigger one more time) and as it got dark, we headed outside.

Of course, Barry and Cathy were our first stop (if for nothing else than the photo op) and we wandered down the street. The rain had finally let up and we had nice weather for a little while.

Most of the houses were decorated really well (not too scary for the kids) and once Will went to 2, he was ready. He kept looking for the houses with the lights on (we told him that meant people were home) and ran up to the doors to ring the bells. Sofia liked it, more or less. There were a couple of houses where the people scared her for some reason (there was no common factor, so I'm not sure what it was) and we "helped" her get candy.

Except for one house - this one lady had a really cool stuffed witch on a rocking chair. The witch actually said stuff (not scary) and the real lady rocked the chair. Will would not go near the stairs - he wouldn't move from the sidewalk. Ali, a super cute teenager who joined us later (the daughter of one of Barry and Cathy's friends), went up and got candy. As soon as Fi saw that, she practically ran up the stairs. She even pushed the rocking chair with the witch - it was great!

It started to rain and Will said he had enough and wanted to go back to Barry and Cathy's. We got back, let them have some candy, and then they helped Barry and Cathy hand out candy.

That was really cute too - Will got so excited every time the doorbell rang. He wouldn't go near the door though if the kids had scary masks. Luckily, there weren't too many of those.

Once Ali had enough candy (she was a trooper - she went out in the rain with her giant umbrella and her parents) and everyone was back at home base, we all dug into my chili. I love to make chili and think I have a pretty killer recipe. Cathy doesn't like beans, so I made a beanless batch for her and a pro-beans batch for Barry, who Cathy told me REALLY likes chili. It was a hit (plus the rainy weather kind of sets the mood for comfort food).

Ali and her family left so Ali could organize her candy (I never organized - I just ate it!). We stayed and played for awhile. Like my mom, Cathy saved all the really great toys from her kids - Will played with the old parking garage I remember Steven having and Sofia played with the old cash register.

Eventually, the kids wanted to go upstairs to play with the pool table and ping-pong table. After a little while, Cathy got out a great game - it was a kind of marble maze that you assemble and put the marble down. Will really liked that one a lot.

We finally left and headed home. It was a great Halloween!