Anniversary De'ja vu

Last year we had a blast skiing at Treetops Resort in northern Michigan, leaving the kids in Chicago with my family for 2 blissful nights. This year, Iz had an interview scheduled on our anniversary in Baton Rouge and we don't have family visitng so we figured we'd just go out for dinner over the weekend or something. But then our friend from Grenada, Bettina, offered to watch the kids for a couple days and let us go skiing again. After a brief round of are-you-sures we leapt at the chance. We love our kids, but we really needed a break.

So I booked a room at Caberfae Peaks and began the search for ski wear. Then, the next day I got a call from the reservation office informing me that they'd made a mistake and did not have an available room for the 23rd (and this on Friday the 18th). I was at the top of the list and there were multiple post-it notes all saying CALL CAILIN FIRST in case of a cancellation. So then I was on tenderhooks and worried that all my searching for ski gear would end up being in vain. I found a jacket/pants deal on craigslist for Iz for a good deal but couldn't find anything for me. Only florescent orange one piece suits in large. Shudder. I ended up splurging on a Spyder jacket at Marshalls for my Christmas present for the next couple of years. Then on Saturday I checked my email and saw an ad from Treetops for returning visitors which was way cheaper than posted on their website and cross my finger and call......to discover the office closed five minutes earlier. So I called at 9am sharp Sunday morning and booked us a room--with a free upgrade to a Lodge suite with jacuzzi bathtub since the Inn was closed. Sah-weet!

Of course, then I find out from Iz that he's been stuck at the airport for 5 hours only to find out that all the flights are canceled due to weather and the soonest he can fly out of NYC is Friday. FRIDAY! Christmas Day! And he has to miss his Baton Rouge interview to boot. So we check out Amtrack--full and start exploring rental cars--way, way expensive due to high demand, and then Ben Tano suggests the Greyhound. So for $80 and a 12 hour bus ride Iz made it home Monday afternoon--our anniversary. So a silver lining to all the mess. Too bad he got bumped to the waiting list for his B.R. interview. Here's hoping a slot opens up.

Anyhow, it all works out and we're able to head out to Gaylord for our second anniversary ski trip. Bettina was amazing about letting us drop off the kids so early in the morning so we could finish our 5 hour drive with time to ski for most of the day. The drive was easypeasy with no fishtailing unlike last year. And our room was way bigger, too. We used our vouchers for an awesome lunch--so now we know that this place does breakfast and lunch really well but our dinner last year was terrible....must be a different chef at night--and headed for the slopes. I spent more time than Iz on the bunny slopes reaclimating myself. It was all exhausting, awesome fun. I did bang into a fence once when I couldn't stop in time and I also fell coming off the ski lift because my skis got tangled with Iz's snowboard just as we stood up to go down the ramp. A faceplant ensued. And a throbbing headache. But Iz's sorrowful, sheepish look made up for it and we kept going.

Iz researched restaurants in the area and made me choose our dinner location--anyone who knows us knows neither of us likes making decisions so it all took a while--and we settled on "the most authentic Mexican food in Michigan" according to somebody online. Actually, it was really awesome. Everything was tasty from the tamales to the chile verde pork. And every single worker was Latino. It's always discouraging when you enter a place like this and it's run by Chinese. So another satisfying meal.

Followed by another great day of skiing and possibly an even better lunch. Iz got really good at spinning and I attempted some of the bigger runs with him. I had another bad fall. From the ski lift ramp again. This time it was a different lift that had a really short ramp before ending in a big dropoff and I wasn't sure I'd be able to stop in time so I deliberatey fell to the side, expecting my skis to pop off like they had the day before--even when I wasn't doing anything. But they held firm and my body went one way while my knees stayed pointed the other way. It's been a month and I can still feel stiffness in that knee. And poor Iz also came home with his own injury to his ankle tendons. So, I guess we can't really expect to ever come back from a ski trip wholely unharmed. But it was worth it. We had a blast. And I had time to miss my kids and remember all the good things instead of it being clouded over with the whining whatnot. All in all, it was a great anniversary. Maybe it'll become a tradition. We'll just have to find friends wherever we end up living that are willing to do a kid exchange. Any takers?

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Fall and Winter in GP

I love Hawaii and I miss wearing shorts and baking at the beach. But I must say I'm a fan of the changing seasons. This autumn seemed like it came on fast and the leaves fell so quickly. But I loved having a bright red tree in our front yard and how the leaves covered the lawn. Our unmowed lawn. That is until the neighbor's much larger tree with yellow flowers obliterated the blanket of red. Then we got to rake it all up and shove into piles along the roadside for the city to haul away. Awesome service, huh. And the kids helped-ish and then jumped into the seriously 3ft high piles. Autumn rocks.

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And now we've had a little snow and everything looks magical. The very first snowfall (12/8/2009)--more like slush--Iz and I went outside to take pictures. I think it's our new winter tradition. I love the snow. It feels so quiet and still and I'm filled with awe as I see the world change. Lakeshore Dr. is one of my favorite roads and I always wish I had a camera when I drive to the gym along the lake and all the massive, lovely houses. Now it's even more spectacular. And all those mansions covered in snow is even more magical. The edges of the lake are even freezing over and Keahi really, really wants to go walking on it. (So I finally brought my camera and got some cloudy pics of Lakeshore Dr. and they don't do it justice. But, oh well.) I can't wait to go ice skating soon. And I'm hoping we get one more good snowfall so we can have our first real white Christmas.

We went back to Blake's Orchard and chose a tree--it took hours and was ffffreeezing. I must say I'm impressed with our self control since it was still during our diet and we didn't eat any of the donuts or hot cider we got for the kids. Anyway,the tree is perfect and fits in our unlit front room perfectly and adds a nice glow in which to find your coat hiding in the closet. I found a woman on craigslist who apparently changes her Christmas theme each year and sold me all her matching silver and white ornaments, angel, mantle garland, and candles for $20. Score. If we're still here next year I'll have to look her up again. It's our first fancy tree--last year was paper ornaments. I love the lights all aglow and the Christmasy smells and all the fun things you get to do this time of year. Keahi made a bunch of fun crafts at his school including a 2ft snowman decoration, a reindeer trivet, and some lollipops. Guess which was his favorite. And now that it's all snowy and white, it really feels festive. I love the seasons.

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Thanksgiving in Chicago in meandering narratives

I meant for this to be the first Holiday I documented right away but when I sat down to write it, the pitfalls of having divorced parents reared its ugly head. This is the first holiday I've spent with my dad instead of my mom and I know they both read my blog occasionally. How to proceed without hurting anyone's feelings.....and I thought with envy of Mariko's blog which doesn't shy away from uncomfortable or awkward topics and generally feels unedited (in a good way, not as in full of errors). I wish I could vent about things or relate experiences without having everything filter through who might be offended or whatnot. Does that make me selfish? Anyhow, I've decided to recap everything and let the chips fall where they may.

I both love and dread visiting my sister's house in Chicago. I mean the house itself. When I walk inside I feel like I've entered a grownup's home. It's thoughtfully decorated and designed for their needs and is immaculate--mostly thanks to Tom, I know. On the other hand, I have two little boys who love destruction and mayhem and are used to our free furnishings and lack of breakable decorations. Last time they broke some of Keilani's hanging bead room divider things and Jarom broke a glass jar on an unstable shelf when he tried to get some pretty marbles to play with. I'm happy to report that they didn't break anything this time. This time it was ojiisan that broke the glass column full of sand on the staircase. He felt so bad but it really was an unfortunate series of unlikely events starting with bumping one picture frame and ending in cascades of sand and glass. Maybe the tendency towards destruction doesn't fade for boys.

Speaking of boyish mischief, I've discovered that the silly things little boys say are the same silly things they say as adults. Sorry, ojiisan, but I have to document this one. A while ago I gave a ride to one of my young women from church and Keahi asked very loudly "Why is she so fat?" as she maneuvered into the back seat, going through Keahi's seatbelt gap. She felt horrible about it and I lectured Keahi later and tried to soothe her feelings. Now, after our trip to Chicago I could tell her that boys just don't grow out of it because one night while I was lounging in my pjs, ojiisan called me fat. Actually he nudged Tammy next to him on the couch as I came and sat by the table and told her that I'd gotten fat. Tammy scolded him and he looked at me and tried to backtrack by saying, "No. I mean you put on weight...I mean you look healthy." Sorry dad but there's no backsies from calling your daughter fat. I know he didn't mean anything by it just like Keahi didn't mean anything by it but "fat" hurts. Sooooo....Iz and I revisited the lemonade cleanse when we got back. We only lasted 7 days instead of the recommended 10 because we wanted to be able to enjoy the branch Christmas party, the joy school Christmas party, and the relief society Christmas party. Amazingly, the weight we lost hasn't immediately returned despite our aggressive return to food. So, I'm less fat now. Maybe in a few more pounds I'll start wearing those skinny jeans Tammy handed down to me.

So back to the main event. I was still pretty sick by the time we got to Chicago so though I cooed over baby Maile from a safe distance, it was a few days till I actually got to hold her. I think she didn't like her house being invaded by a bunch of loud kids and bigger kids because she was really fussy for the first couple of days. Iz and Ojiisan took turns holding her all the time. And then she warmed up to Iz and suddenly started sleeping well and even having tummy time. What a trooper.

The other kids mostly played well together and had a blast dumping out all the toys in Keilani's playroom. I think that room is the perfect size for one little girl but it's mayhem when you add two little boys to the mix. Though Keilani did her fair share of throwing things around. And after several crashes one of the adults would have to go check on the damage. Ojiisan was very impressed with Tammy and Tom's enforcement of rules. When he would play with them in there he figured dumping and throwing and not cleaning up was fun. Then Tom stepped in and established sanity again. I'm really grateful that my sister and I share the same basic philosophies of child raising--aside from the Santa thing. It can be a real pain to share a house with people who completely disagree with your parenting style.

Some of my favorite moments with the kids: Everyone piling up on Ojiisan on the floor. He was a good sport about the kids "getting" him. Riding on the train. It was like being back in NY and the kids loved it. Taking family photos. I was surprised at how well they did though some of my favorite pics have Jarom doing some funny faces. Jarom pushing his inner tube past the small waves with the biggest grin on his face like he was such a big boy (you'll have to keep reading for that one). Playing standing up leapfrog. Bed tumbling. Constant squeals of delight.

Not so favorite moments: putting the kids to bed. It got better--especially when Keilani was put down on her parents bed in a different room. Apparently 3 in a room is too much fun. Jarom and Keilani kept climbing into the crib and throwing pillows inside--with and without Jarom being inside it. Jarom and Keilani tormenting eachother all the time. Tears and recriminations. Though apparently when they weren't together (like in separate cars) Keilani still asked where Jarom was like she missed him. Constant squealing of displeasure.

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After hours of prep (and thank you Tammy and Tom for soldiering on after I went to bed, hoping in vain to wake up feeling better), I thought Thanksgiving dinner was AWESOME. And I DON'T use Capitals WIlLyniLLY. The turkey was perfection: moist and tender and full of flavor. The gravy was really optional. The Chinese ham was delectable--to the point where half of it was gone by the time it was time to serve. Dad's kalbi was spectacular. They got a really good deal on a great cut of meat and I discovered dad's techniques that we will try to replicate for Christmas dinner--providing we can find the right short ribs. THe mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and jalapeno-cheddar cornbread stuffing were are wonderful. We thought about adding a salad but decided that it would be wasted on us carnivores. Hence the store bought desserts as well. There was something amok with the chocolate pie but the pumpkin was actually pretty tasty. Nothing compared to the hundreds (okay, dozens, and that's not an exageration) of pies eaten at the Palmer dinner, but perfectly passable for an Oshima gathering. I'm pretty proud of how well we did on that enormous feast of meat. The turkey never made it into sandwiches as planned.

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The next day, Tam and Tom did a little Black Friday and actually got what they wanted. Amazing. I attempted to do a little joy school lesson with the kids that mostly went well. They really liked the listening game where each musical instrument means a different motion. Then we headed into the city to do family pictures at Sears. I guess they weren't as creative or professional as the one Tammy used for Keilani's baby pictures but it's nice just to have an updated family photo......which will not be made into Christmas cards this year because I'm just too busy. Maybe next year will the year. Tammy straightened my hair and did my makeup for me. Then she gave me some stuff so I can do it myself back home. And, guess what, I've actually straightened my own hair 3 times since then. Woohoo! It's even straight right now. And Tammy's right, it does make a big difference. I feel made up even without makeup. Tammy calls it City Cailin.

Speaking of City Cailin, the next Monday Tam and I got all dolled up for a girls day out while Iz (husband of the year) watched all four kids by himself. Luckily by then baby Maile was in a much better mood. We ended up having to see a later movie than planned because it took us around 2 hours to get ready. Most of that, beyond doing our hair, was me being a life sized doll for Tam to dress up in different styles including one in which I was wearing cowboy boots with a shorter overall dress and tights. So out of my comfort zone. Oh and other options included me wearing different pairs of Tam's maternity pants. That's right. Maternity pants are what I could borrow from her. Luckily we settled on my own pair of long jeans with a pretty black turtleneck of Tam's, her black Couch wedge heels (which I ended up giving up on and switching to her black flats after about 5 blocks of walking), and her awesomely chic cream long coat. I love that coat. And Tam, of course, looked stunning in her jeans, black top, and beautiful fur wrap. We were going to eat at the Ralf Lauren restaurant but with the long wait time we settled for the Grand Hotel. The braised shortribs with carmelzed red cabbage was wonderful and I adored the stickybun breadpudding. So rich and tasty. Then we went next door to watch New Moon. It was better than Twilight but still nowhere good. Robert Pattinson's delivery still makes me cringe. I wish after the first one became a box office success they could have recast key characters but I know that would never fly with fans. Sadly, I will probably still see all the other movies in hopes that, like Harry Potter, they will arrive at good by the end. I really did enjoy the last HP movie. All in all, it was a great day out with the sis. Our relationship has changed so much over the years. We still have the big/little sister dynamic but it's mellowed a lot. Tammy even apologized a few times for being overbearing and they weren't even big deals. How cool is that? And how cool is Iz for watching 4 kids in a house with breakable things that aren't ours and only a small toy area?

Speaking of awesome husbands I'm not sure if I've posted about Dave Orme yet. When the Ormes came to visit, Kristine and a bunch of other moms went out to lunch while Dave watched 9 kids all by himself at the Tot Lot. He did relay games and obstacle courses and had chaotic fun with leaf fights. Then, some random woman asked if her kid could play with them and he said sure, thinking she meant she'd stay there with the kid. But she just walked off and left him with 10 kids alone. Wow, I know Dave looks trustworthy and she must have thought he was Superman to watch all those kids, but that is some serious nerve. Anyhow, I think Saint Dave has a nice ring to it, don't you?

But back to Thanksgiving and the highlight of the trip: Key Lime Cove. We stayed at this hotel about 90 minutes away that had an indoor waterpark and tons of fun activities for the kids when they got waterlogged--which didn't really happen. We tubed down the river, played in the gentle waves, slid down multiple slides ranging from tiny to huge, and even whirled around a funnel ride. Oh and there was a gigantic pineapple that dumped about 200 gallons of water in one go. It was beyond awesome: feeling warm in the winter, watching the kids get giddy for hours, and relaxing in the hot tub. Totally awesome. Thanks Tam for the idea and dad for funding it. When we weren't in the water, we participated in some games, coloring, cookie decorating, balloon sword fighting, and a treasure hunt that ended with some booty for the kids including some tokens for the arcade. Later, Tom funded the kids in a little arcade time on our own. Keilani loved the big gun and Jarom was disappointed that we weren't able to snag the Lightning McQueen toy with the claw. The adults had a blast hunting bucks and shooting ducks. I wish Kerv had been there to show us up. Oh, and we had a great breakfast buffet with a visit from Santa. Keahi's reaction to him was to not want to sit with him or take pictures or ask him for anything but he still insists that he believes in Santa and pointed out that this one's beard was real. Good observation. And I've caught him telling Jarom to be nice to him or he'll get a lump of coal from Santa. But he doesn't seem to believe in one true Santa. Instead he says there must be many of them all over the world that take care of their areas and look like the people around them. Let's hear it for the Asian, Polynesian, and African Santas out there. So, Tammy, because I can't figure out what Keahi really thinks about Santa beyond the fact that he wants presents from him, I'm resurrecting the blue stockings from last year that say "From Chicago Santa" on them. Hey, maybe that's where he got the idea of multiple Santas. Well, here ends one holiday and now I've got to go prepare for the next one. It's a busy season. Happy Holidays everyone.

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Halloween 6 weeks later

Man, I've gotta get caught up on my posts. Waiting till December to recap Halloween is pretty pathetic. But the kids looked so cute and had so much fun that it would be a crime not to document the experience. This year they made really good use of their costumes and wore them multiple times throughout the month. And the kids were always excited to become a knight and dragon each time.

First we went to Zoo Boo with the Kalcich family. Keahi was so excited that his friend Zeke was also a knight. And little Hallie was adorable in her unicorn outfit--which went along, I suppose, with the mythical beast and knights and damsels thing. The zoo was beautifully decorated with tons of fun jack-o-lanterns and scary themed exhibits. But I think my favorite part was all the animals constructed out of gourds. Some were very creative. Of course, the kids' favorite part was the looooooong trick-or-treat trek. We also got to watch The Phantom of the Zoo which was lame in a fun way. The actors were properly enthusiastic and dramatic in their expressions and dance and the kids ate it up. It's always a little painful though when they try to get the audience involved and nobody joins in.

We were mean parents and only let the kids eat one piece of candy while we walked about, filling our bags with goodies. But at one point I thought Jarom was asking for another candy and denied his request only to discover between sobs that he really wanted his red apple. Then Keahi piped in too and asked for his. I love that they love fruit......though in Jarom's case I don't love it when it's diaper changing time.

Then Jarom got to get dressed up again for his Joy school Halloween parade and party. The kids were adorable as they sang their songs and marched about. And even cuter when they served all the adults popcorn and cookies before getting their own. I really gotta get that video from one of the prepared moms who actually brought their cameras. The next day he was a dragon at Toddler Reading time at the library and was joined with an assortment of princesses and superheroes. He booed and roared at everyone he met.

And while they didn't wear their costumes we also hit Blake's Apple Orchard for their Haunted Village and something advertised as THE AMAZING BLACK HOLE. Well....it was amazing. It was this dark room with a suspended bridge crossing it surrounded by a dark cylinder with bright points of light that rotated around you. Difficult to explain, but the effect was that as you walked across the bridge you felt like you were starting to go up the wall and tilting over so you try to compensate and your equilibrium goes to pieces. The boys loved it so much we went through it 6 times in a row. They also enjoyed feeding the animals, the corn mazes, haystacks, playground, haunted scenes, tricycle races, jack-o-lantern bouncy castle, and the hot cider with donuts. We really, really liked those too. Donuts dipped in cider, yum.

Next was Keahi's Halloween party at school--at which I was in charge of the food. I spent way way too much time and effort on things the kids just wolfed down but I enjoyed the resulting spread and was comforted by all the admiration from the adults who actually appreciated the effort behind the meal. There were pb&honey jack-o-lantern sandwiches (I used a tiny bat cookie cutter for the mouth since the one I did with a knife was horrific), tuna ghost sandwiches, veggie platter with monster hand dip, apple monster bites, pretzel witches' brooms, and bat cookies. Of course, the kids ate up the cookies first and I ended up with loads of extra apples. Ah well. The school was very specific about offering healthy snacks and limiting sugary things.....which, I discovered was more of a suggestion than a rule in all the other class parties with their bags of donut holes and Kroger cupcakes with massive amounts of frosting (that was specifically banned at the parent meeting). Anyhow, the party was a success with games, crafts, food, and each kid made a picture frame for their Halloween portraits to take home. And before the party there was a parade around the block and a magician show in the cafe.

Right after that there was trick-of-treating in the Village adjacent to the school. All the boutiques gave out candy and/or coupons and one gave out toothbrushes. We waited in line for almost half an hour for one booth because it was the library one and they give out free books. The lady actually gave us an extra one on the side. Sweet! Sidenote: Keahi's Roald Dahl book, Witches, was not a hit. I'd never read it before and Iz only vaguely remembered it. But Keahi is all about what's real and what's not and the first chapter of this books talks about how witches are real but they look like everyone else so you can't tell who's a witch and who's not. Keahi ended up having a nightmare about it that night and we've put the book back on the shelf for a few years.

And then it was finally Halloween. We had a church party in the morning with yummy themed food and cookie decorating and games for the kids. And I found a friend there who offered me a princess costume so I could match my boys for later. However, Keahi insisted that princesses only wear pink so I obviously wasn't one. Instead I was the evil sorceress. Fine. More true to life anyway.

Then we had a party at a classmate of Keahi's house. Iz and I aren't really minglers but I must say that all the parents there were awesome and friendly and even comfortable to chat with. We actually spent time with them instead of chickening out and hanging out with kids like we'd normally do. I was one of the only adults in costume which was awesome for my need to stick out. I had thought Adam's mom would be there and I'd seen her amazing homemade costume the day before--her son's a knight, the dog's a dragon, and she wore a big tower with a window at abdomen height through which her princess baby peeped through in her carrier. But, alas, I was the only princess at the Miller's party. After that hoopla we decided to trick-or-treat with Keahi's friend, Tristan, around that part of the neighborhood instead of heading back to our part of GP. And that ended up being a good call since when we got back our neighbors told us they only had 2 people stop by their house for candy. Apparently nobody on our street gives out candy except for our neighbors. So our huge bags of candy corn and lollipops didn't even get a dent in them unless you count the one t-o-ter we got before giving up and heading into the warmth of the house.

So we've got bags of candy for anyone who'd like to dress up for it. Or, you know, just ask.

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Camping out

So this is yet another belated post about our end of summer fun. Before it got too cold we really wanted to go camping and decided to be good LDS members and camp somewhere close so we could make it back by Saturday night so we wouldn't miss church on Sunday. Mackinaw Island will just have to wait till later. We went about 2 hours away to Wampler's Lake for our first trip to the wild. Did I say wild, I meant a campground with electrical outlets at each site with plenty of parking for RVs and horseshoe fields and a mini playground. But we chose the site closest to the woods--and farthest from the bathrooms--collected our own firewood instead of using the precut bundles other people got from the office, and roughed it with our tinfoil dinners and s'more desserts. The boys were thrilled just to be outside playing in the dark instead of being in bed. Flashlights beaming into the night were the best toys in the world. Our tent could only fit the single airbed and the two pool rafts for the guys so I slept in the van. I made the mistake of thinking that the back seat was long enough for my short frame. It wasn't. Not when it's freezing cold and your side goes numb from not being able to move without fear of being dumped to the ground and you've got no pillow but your arm. And I learned that though I enjoy sleeping in a fetal position, I really, really like the choice to stretch out and rearrange once in a while. I ended up climbing over the luggage and into the front passenger seat just before dawn to try to unkink myself. Anyhow, back to the good.
The next day we went swimming--rather the boys went swimming--in the cold lake. Keahi chased geese and Jarom wallowed in the sand. We even saw a snake swimming in the water. Yikes. We picnicked on hot dogs and tried to fly a kite. The boys can always find ways to amuse themselves. In one vid you'll see them sidestepping on the picnic bench which they found hysterical. Keahi stretched his artistic skills with the camera and laughed at some of his results. And they loved the friendly ladybug that visited us.

Then after we packed up and headed home we stopped at one of the minigolf places we'd passed on the way in. It was kind of a jarring image to see these aged signs saying COME SEE THE GRAVITY HILL or advertisements for haunted trains next to paul bunyan statues all amidst cornfields and silos. We had to wake up Jarom, but once up he was thrilled to play golf. The one we stopped at had bumper cars which we didn't do--such sad boys--and a decrepit arcade. The shopkeeper only charged us for two players, we chose our putters, and headed out on a 27hole run. The boys loved it and so did we. Jarom mostly ran around like wild and occasionally hit a ball. Keahi did each one and whooped with pride everytime he sunk it. And he especially liked it when he did better than me. Then we ate at a BBQ place--Famous Randy's, I think. It had a big statue of a cow that said, "Save a cow. Eat pig." And we did. The food was only okay, but the service was good and the place was fun to look at. A huge guy, maybe Randy himself, walked around giving out Mardi Gras beads after answering his triva questions and making shapes like stars and puppies on the end of the necklaces for the kids. And the boys rediscovered pork rinds. You can tell from the pictures that Keahi was hooked. For dessert we got the pecan pie because I figured it's hard to screw that up and after our last dessert experience at a bbq joint I was definitely playing it safe. We liked everything at Red, Hot and Blue except for their blackberry cobbler. It was bad. I mean really, really bad. When the waitress came back and asked how it was we said Good around the dry bits of dough in our mouths. Then we giggled uncontrollably once she left at our perjury.

Then we finished driving home. It was a great experience and I'm glad we did it before it got too cold.

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Another Late Recap: Chicago in August

Israel took his clinical skills exam in August and chose the Chicago center since my sister lives there. Originally, when we were living in Brooklyn, Iz was going to fly out there alone. But since we now live 4 hours away, we all drove down to stay with the Burtons. And while poor Iz was stuck in a testing center for 9hrs, the rest of us played.
We went to the zoo. I think the kids had more fun playing with eachother than really looking at the animals. Well, what do you expect--with 3 kids we've got our own traveling zoo. None of the kids are all that athletic and you can see it in their haphazard running at breakneck speeds. We tried with limited success to get Keilani involved in the green light/red light game that's been pretty effective with the boys. Then Jarom started trying to get strangers to stop with him. People smiled, laughed, and walked around him.
We also played at the park and ran the kids silly to get out some energy before bedtime. I think the kids could live anywhere as long as there was a cool park nearby.
One other highlight was when the boys joined Keilani's swim lesson. Apparently there aren't any strict rules at their pool--unlike in Grosse Pointe--and the teacher welcomed the new additions. However, the pool was frigid. I mean turn-your-toes-blue frigid. The lesson was cut short and the two skinnier kids huddled in towels to thaw out while Jarom got right back into the water to explore the water playscape. But even he only lasted for one slide.
It was a good weekend and it's nice to have family closeby. I know that Lani lives even closer and we've really got to get together with them before we end up leaving Michigan....if we leave Michigan....I really wish we knew already where the heck we'll be living next year.

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Birthday Blues

Well, the morning part really was the highlight of the entire day since the rest of the day consisted of managing a whinny, demanding Jarom on some kind of whine-intensification diet. By the time Iz got home I was so ready for bedtime. It didn't help that I was starting to feel sick. But we ate at Burger Pointe accross the street which was yummy and didn't involve me cooking and finished off with birthday cake--or rather an Apple Tartin from Trader Joes which was not as delectable as the blueberry tart. Then it was bedtime for the kiddies and Thursday night shows for the parents. Yup, we're pretty much addicted to tv. I was feeling pretty blue by this time. I kept thinking about Mariko's blog post from ages ago about how you somehow expect something--either good or bad--from the universe in acknowledgement of your birthday and all the mixed feelings that come with it. It probably didn't help that I knew my sister had recently had surgery and was feeling depressed and my mom called and talked with me for a while about how depressed she was now that the reality of her accident was sinking in and she knew she couldn't go back to work for months. So then I knew logically that I had no reason to be depressed since I hadn't had surgery and I could walk and everything. Which just made me feel guilty. So not the best birthday ever. Especially since the sickness really took hold and I couldn't do any of the fun things on Saturday for my birthday either--no sunrise on the beach with hot cocoa or time at the gym or a date later in the evening. And now it's Monday morning and I've finally gotten to the hacking-green-nastiness-in-great-big-coughs stage. So, woe is me. I'm not looking for a job or recovering from surgery or had a tree demolish my house (like the guy we visited last Tuesday for mutual). But woe is me.

Birthday Morning

I don't know what the rest of the day will be like but so far I'm very happy with the start of 31st b-day. When I went to get the boys, Keahi immediately burst into a lovely rendition of the birthday song--and he's currently singing it again for me now that he's finished his breakfast. And he gave me an imaginary Warm Fuzzy (all you Joy Schoolers know what that is). His bright cheerfulness made up for Jarom's extreme whininess and refusal to tell me happy birthday after daddy came in and tried to prompt him. Then when we walked downstairs I saw why Iz had come to bed so late. The house was completely sparkling clean. Yay! No cleaning for me today. Iz left to go to Einstein Bagels for our breakfast while I made some yummy Trader Joe hot chocolate. I accidentally stepped on Jarom's toes and he began to wail. Keahi quickly ran to him and gave him a hug before I even got to him. Then he kissed his feet repeatedly while I tried to cheer him up with songs. Tried and failed. Jarom only cheered up when Keahi ran and got him a red warm fuzzy from yesterday's joy school lesson and had it waddle up Jarom's arm to his shoulders. Then when Jarom spilled his hot cocoa on the ground I got two paper towels for us to wipe it up and Keahi sprang out of his chair and said, "Let me do that for you!" Wow. What a great helper. Then we enjoyed a breakfast of bagels and pastries and now I've gotta go get ready for school and the gym. Oh and I got a birthday spaceship of magnaforms from Keahi and a photo message on the desktop from Iz. A great start, don't you think?

Happy Birthday Iz

It's 7am right now and I'm trying to keep the kids quiet so the birthday boy can sleep in. We'll see how long that lasts. In the mean time, here is my top 10 list of why my husband rocks.

-He doesn't hold grudges.
-He's very humble and doesn't judge other people's shortcomings.
-He does wacky, crazy things to get his family to laugh.
-His family is the most important thing to him.
-He makes me feel beautiful and special.
-He cares and worries about the world around him.
-He loves the work he does and he'll be a great doctor.
-He never mocks my sometimes juvenile interests.
-He fits well with my family.
-He is a good man. A kind man. (If you get the reference, brownie points for you.)

And he's up now so I better get going.

Happy Birthday, love.

1st day of Kindergarten

Yes, it's been a month now since this milestone. But it still needs to be documented so here's to old news.

Keahi couldn't wait for school to start and every time--and I mean every time--we passed it he'd cry, "That's my kindergarten!" just in case we weren't sure. The only thing he complained about was that it was only half day. He didn't understand why he could stay like the bigger kids. Actually, I don't understand why, either since this whole half day thing only exists in the Grosse Pointe areas. Another sign that I live in a bubble.

So, we were all excited and we'd been to the school the week before to meet the teachers and tour the school so on the big day I thought I'd get plenty of cool pics of Keahi putting his things in his new cubby (which is in a whole separate room within the classroom--no more cramped spaces in Brooklyn), playing at the centers, or reading in the reading pool--which used to be a 3 foot deep fishpond before it was considered a bad thing to have in a classroom. But, alas, the teachers gathered the kids up outside and ushered them in and we were all asked politely to leave. So me and all the other parents hurriedly snapped a few shots from the hallway window before leaving our beloved little ones behind. After the first day, we don't even go inside the building since the kids line up by classes and are led inside by their teachers when the morning bell rings.

I can barely get a kiss and hug in before Keahi takes off inside.

He loves his teacher, his friends who he always refers to by their full name, gym day, art day, music day, library day and now computer lab day, and is even excited by all the alphabet and number writing practice which I was afraid would bore my I-already-know-that son. He recites all the clever rhymes to help teach the kids how to write them and does his easy homework lickety-split. I'm so glad his kindergarten experience is turning out so positively. I love Mrs. Vandevusse.

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"I want to be 2!"

It's official. Jarom is out of the Terrible twos and into the Terrific threes. Except for the terrific part.

His third birthday was a casual and extended affair. It was during a weekday so we still had errands to run (like getting Keahi a soccer ball and searching for a smaller uniform that wouldn't drown him to his knees) and didn't have time to make a cake so we saved cake and presents for Saturday. But we did do the 2 most important things that Jarom requested: going to the zoo (once he was told there was no aquarium) and watching.......yup, you guessed it, Cars for the umpteenth time. And we had the pancakes and Portuguese sausage (substitute that comes close but not really as delectable as the real thing) that he wanted for dinner. At the zoo we even spent the $9 to ride the train back to the entrance--which made me miss the all inclusive membership at the Bronx zoo including the skyfari and the monorail. The boys laughed and pointed loudly--yes, you can even point loudly if you're a Temple boy--at all the animals and generally made such merriment that it was like a big party all on our own. I think because Jarom has Keahi he doesn't really think about having a lot of friends and doing a party like Keahi had starting with his 2nd b-day. It's nice to have a built-in friend. My favorite part of Jarom's big day was listening to him sing happy birthday to himself all morning. At first when he'd sing "..to you..." Keahi kept telling him it wasn't his (Keahi's) b-day but Jarom's so then Jarom started singing to himself in third person just to be clear. Sidenote: there are no pics because I forgot the camera on my son's birthday. Bad, bad mom.

Then on Saturday we went to Keahi's first soccer game where he scored his first goal--very chaotically and probably accidentally but nonetheless joyously--and then went to Chuck-E-Cheese to continue the birthday celebration. Then I went shopping with Bettina while Iz stayed home with the kids and made the Cars birthday cake--such a good dad. Jarom was very happy to get to wear his birthday crown--a road with cars on it--and get to open presents and have cake. We switched his dinner over to his new Cars bowl and plate and I don't think he'll ever eat off of anything else again. (Thank you popo.) He also got to pick out a couple of things from a rummage sale and chose a red sled and a blue chair. Today he tried to use his blue chair at the kitchen table and his head barely peeps over the top of the table. But he still enjoyed his sandwich sub-table style.

I think it's hard to let go of your birthday as a kid. Today he insisted that it was still his birthday and asked to eat more of his birthday--meaning the cake. But while he wants it to be his birthday everyday--who wouldn't--he doesn't want to grow up. The morning after B-DAY, he wailed, "I want to be 2!" I hear ya buddy. Sometimes I wanna be 2, too.

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Detroit Science Center

I love the whole one membership card gets you into all the ASTC places all over the country and that I can take my two boys to the Detroit Science Center for free whenever I want. Or, rather, when they want. This place is a science geek's dream. We played with pendulums, tornados, electromagnetism, and played around in Kid's Town. I think the Jam room with the drums and guitars was my favorite place. Though the water rockets was a close second. Here are some pics and vids of our adventures in science.

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Summer Fun in the Sun...with a tangent rant

Well, summer's almost gone and I haven't really posted much about what we've done and I'm too tired and too old to even remember what all we did so here's a brief summary of our summer in GP. We love that we get to go to our community park and pool. BBQing in the summer is the best way to eat. Keahi and Jarom took a 2 week swim lesson at the pool and now Jarom is less afraid of going under the water and Keahi can do the backstroke across the width of the pool and loves to jump off the short diving board and swim/paddle his way to the side. I also love that each GP neighborhood has their own park which we can visit with a guest pass. So far GP Farms is my favorite because the splash zone is amazing for Jarom and the playground part is way bigger and involving for Keahi than ours. Plus we love playing in the sand and the little beach and Keahi loved trying to catch tiny ripple/waves with his kickboard. Too bad every time we went there I forgot to bring the camera. GP Woods pool was fun, too, with a rock climbing wall in one pool area. Keahi was pretty disappointed at the GP Woods pool that he didn't meet the height requirement for the 3-story high waterslide. At his growth rate it'll be a long while before he'd get a chance at it. Anyhow, here are some pics to remember our watery fun at the parks.

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Two other fun things we did outside this summer were Greenfield Village (part of the Henry Ford Museum) and the state fair (which is supposed to end after this year except that people told us they say that every year). Bettina and I took the kids to Greenfield Village on a day when they were having free train rides and activities--just exactly what the boys ordered. They got to ride a steam engine and watch all the black smoke chug out when the stopped to purge the boiler? maybe. They made engineer hats and bandannas--well, mostly I dragged them from playing at the Thomas train table for quick spurts of random stamping and coloring--and got to explore a real roundhouse with turntable. And we roamed through the time-capsuled village and looked at people riding old-fashioned bikes (with the one huge and one tiny wheels), farmers plowing fields with horse and marveled at the waterwheel and ducks--because somehow that was the most exciting thing for the kids. And we dashed back to the van when it began to pour down on us.

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Last Friday we joined the Kalcich family at the state fair. While we didn't do any of the carnival rides (too expensive and the kids didn't usually make the height requirements and one required shoes when Keahi was, of course, wearing slippers), the kids loved the inflatable bouncy houses/slides, the one woman variety show, the live animal show and the miracle of life exhibit. It always amazes me how much fun it can be jumping around with your friends and falling down. Over and over again. Luckily for us, the girl taking tickets was talking on her cell phone and didn't care that the kids went way over the 5 minute limit. The one woman show was pretty entertaining with the usual juggling, balancing, and magic acts. I particularly liked the illusion with the spinning spiral that makes her face look like it's shrinking or expanding. Keahi's friend, Zeke, even got to participate in part of it. The animal show they liked so much they sat down for the second showing after the woman and we had to drag them away from it to see other things. Highlights included a dog catching frisbees, a girl from the audience squirting milk from a goat into the dog's mouth--after squirting it all over the trainer's legs, feeding the animals, and playing with a little piglet--who ended up escaping the circle of kids and running around causing mayhem.

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I had my own excitement when I clashed with an elderly woman who voiced too loudly her parenting advice to me. I had thought I'd left all the strangers with their parenting opinions behind in Grenada but it followed me to NY and now it popped up here in Michigan. I normally don't snipe back but this woman really annoyed me. While the kids were sitting in a circle trying to get the piglet to come to their side so they could play with it, Keahi squealed with delight each time it came by him. First he touched it gingerly with an index finger and then more bravely held his hand to its nose like the man had shown them. Then he grabbed at the hind leg for seriously a second. Then this woman yelled--and I mean really yelled--at him to stop grabbing the pig. When he did it a second time she then yelled at me, "You shouldn't let your child be so mean!" If she'd just gently asked Keahi to stop or pointed out to me that he was doing something she felt was bad, I wouldn't have snapped. But who yells at some kid like that? Or screams at the parent right next to the kid--not off somewhere ignorant of what havoc the kid was wreaking--that their kid is MEAN? So I snapped back at her that he wasn't being mean and that the Farmer Ben had shown them all that grabbing a pig by the hind leg is the proper way to transport it so that sometimes a farmer might grab 4 at a time. "Oh, well, I guess that's different." Seriously. I have never had the instinct to yell at someone else's kid or make just snap judgments about their behavior or their parents. What's up with that?

And that reminds me of the elderly woman in Brooklyn who cussed at Keahi. We were at the copy center that has snakes in an terrarium and two very fat cats, both of which make going there with kids so much easier. There's a stool that the kids use to stand on when the cats are too high up--either on the copiers or the counters. Keahi and Jarom were both standing on the stool, petting the cats when Keahi fell off and bumped into the woman's leg. I apologized, he apologized and I thought that would be the end of it. But she grabbed her leg like he weighed more than the 31lbs he weighs and started cussing loudly about how much it hurt and how rude he was and how I shouldn't take my kids anywhere if I can't control them. She insisted that kids shouldn't be in public and that I personally had no control over my kids either outside on the way here or inside. I kept apologizing and telling her that it was an accident and he wasn't being rude. And eventually her bile simmered down and I finished my business. At least another customer caught my eye and rolled his eyes at the bitter woman with understanding and sympathy. And I snidely warned the next mom who came in with her daughter who immediately got up on the stool to be extra careful she didn't fall off. All in all, I think I showed admirable restraint. Especially since on some days I could see where she might question my control--as if a parent controls a child like a remote or something--but this day they'd been perfect, holding my hands the entire way there. Plus they were wearing their elephant rain jackets. I've had people follow me across the block and into a store just so they could ask me to have them turn around so they could see the front. Just the other week, a guy--not a mom like you'd expect--at the Science Center asked where I'd gotten them since they were so cute. I can't count the people who'd turn and smile as we'd walk by in the downpour. These are magical raincoats that brighten people's rainy days. Just not this woman. And here ends the rant.

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I, Bargain Hunter

Anyone who knows me knows I detest pictures of myself and try to delete as many as I can when allowed....which is why I'm always behind the camera documenting events instead. So it's more than passing strange for me to post a picture of myself. Especially alone. Shudder. There's just nothing natural about a solo picture. But, I wanted to share my newest--well, more like revived--love: bargain hunting. I love this top I got from my new favorite thrift store called Sunshine T.S. for, get this, fifty cents. Yup, every Saturday this summer they've got 2 color tags for just fifty cents and another color for half off. I love this place. I've also found a brand new with tags Ann Taylor Loft top for fifty cents and an Armani Exchange jacket for seven dollars. My other favorite place to find bargains is garage sales. These cream cords from Banana Republic that happen to fit perfectly came from an awesome garage sale for twenty-five cents. At this place, I also got sweaters and pjs for the kids for two for twenty-five cents. Love it! So I just had to take a picture of one of my new outfits that I got for a grand total of seventy-five cents. Why would I ever go retail?

Michevious Jarom

1st Incident: Starting about 2 months ago, Jarom has been staying up past his bedtime after being put into his bed. He talks, sings, climbs up his brother's bunk, and runs around his tiny room in circles like a crazed monkey. We've tried soft reminders, louder reminders, laying in bed with him to keep him still, and spanking. We've yet to find the right combination. Then, a few weeks ago he added a new one to his usual antics. We heard him moving around upstairs so Iz went to go check on him only to find him sitting up in his bed gazing out his window. When he turned around to face daddy, his adorable, michevious face was decked out Kabuki style. Iz discovered that he'd gone to the potty and decided to put baby powder on himself. And then decided to fill the sink, tub and toilet with the stuff. And then, for good measure, decided to apply it to his entire face. Iz said there were also streaks across the sleeping Keahi whom Jarom had probably attempted to awaken to join in the fun. That's our diaperless, Kabuki Jarom.

2ns incident: During his naptime, I heard him moving around in the bathroom upstairs so I went to see if he needed help getting his diaper back on before climbing back into bed. This is what I saw.

Again, diaperless. This time soaking wet. And covered in white bits. Yup, that white stuff all over him, the floor, and filling the sink and the toilet was toilet paper. He'd used up an entire roll in minutes. And when I asked him why he was wet (assuming he'd gotten in the shower or splashed himself at the sink), he calmly informed me that he'd stuck his head in the toilet. And since he isn't strong enough to flush the toilet by himself, it's safe to assume that was pee water all him and everything else. Keahi has never done this before. It has never entered his head as a possibility to stick his head into pee water. Why does that make perfect sense to Jarom? Who knows. All I know is it was a fun afternoon of disinfecting the bathroom.

Fun with Art

I've always been afraid of doing art with my boys. It doesn't take much imagination to see the possibilities--permanent markers on the furniture, paint on the ceiling, toxic something-or-other in their mouths and eyes. Markers and crayons I can handle. BTW, since we got here Keahi has started getting into copying pictures from books. This dinosaur from The Bernstein Bears was his first attempt. And yesterday he drew this Harold. Jarom is still working on perfecting his "fireworks" technique.

So it was a big step for me to spend $80 on art supplies including lots of scary paint. And it's been stressful for me as I try to contain my kids exuberance to protect our house. But it's been lots of fun, too. My friend, Keri, turned me on to this website: http://www.discountschoolsupply.com. It's fabulous. The kids loved using the paintsicles (really does feel drawing with lipstick) and Keahi suddenly got over his aversion to face painting. In a big way. Now he wants to cover himself from head to toe in paint. And using the bio colors to make instant silly putty was genius. It was Halloween in the house for an hour or so. I love Keahi's scary faces for the camera. So now I'm a convert to art with my kids. And luckily, this bio color washes out well. Lucky for my splattered walls, blinds, and my hair.

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