Tour de Leelanau

Greg and I always wondered why everyone goes "up North"... and now we know. Our Memorial Day weekend was driven by curiosity, more specifically a European-style bike road race, The Tour de Leelanau.

Being the cycling enthusiast, Greg always wanted to see a real road race, and I thought it was just a good idea for everybody to get out of town. So we got ourselves a hotel room at Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City for two nights and took a mini-vacation. (we surprised the kids when we got there) Of course, the kids loved Great Wolf (their camp-style bunk bed room with their own TV and the water park just down the hall) and we all had fun driving around Leelanau county watching the bike race at various points, cheering them along. We also got a taste of the countryside mixed with the maritime feel of the Lake Michigan shore.

In fact, we liked the area so much, we booked a cabin for a week in August on Lake Leelanau. Score!

We also discovered that Henry could spend all day on the beach throwing rocks into Lake Michigan, and Madeleine doesn't like to watch bike races in the rain. Meg is easy, she likes everything. Most especially the little fountains at the water park, where she would crawl up to and get drenched head to toe. Another mermaid in the family, like her sister who also could spend all day in the water. (The best thing about the water park is that it made all the kids dog-tired. They were passed-out by 8pm.)

Tour de Leelanau... a pretty great way to begin the summer.

spring it on.

an amazing variety of tulips at Meijer Gardens

Grandpa Ken showing Meg around the Gardens

Henry with his many band-aids...

happy sisters in Holland, MI

Maddie's troop bridging to Junior Girl Scouts

sugar reconnaissance.

Let's just say when the Ice Cream truck visits our neighborbood, those kids are on it.

All the neighbor kids go into recon-mode when they HEAR the truck entering our subdivision a mile away. It plays the insane, repetitive music of "Popeye the Sailor Man" (and as the song plays over and over and over and over... it hypes them up for their sugar buzz. Like Pavlov's little dogs.) They don't always know which direction the truck is going to come from, so they send out the older kids on their bikes, as scouts. Somehow gaining an organizational force of a small infantry unit, they comb the surrounding streets, hunting down their source of sugar.

When the truck's position is located, they report back and wait.

As it turns the corner (approaching at a glacial pace), they descend upon it like locusts, shrieking and wielding their dollars, knowing that in moments their planning and waiting and excitement will have paid off.... for a frozen, sugary treat.

The Truck still delivers the tried and true: push-ups, bomb-pops, Mickey-mouse ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches, snow-cones and sundae cups with the wooden-spoon-thingy. Nothing too fancy or special. Just fabulous in itself, because you tracked it down and bought it with the money you earned, or begged Mom for... (not that Mom doesn't have a whole box of ice cream bars in the freezer. Maybe I should just hand them out through the window of my mini-van for dramatic effect...)

And for about 10 minutes, my kids get along, and eat in jubilant-peace. Probably plotting what kind of treat they're going to choose the next time the Truck comes 'round.

lil' stinker.

Well, I thought I'd be a safety-conscious mom and install a baby gate at the bottom of our stairs, because at 8-months of age, Meg can climb to the top of the stairs if we let her. And now that the gate is up, she's still insisting on getting up on those stairs. See exhibits A and B above (on two separate occasions). And once she's kneeling on there, she yells up the staircase as if to say, "who put this here? I once was able to explore these parts freely..."

Also, when someone leaves that gate open, she's quick as anything to get over there and begin her ascent. To top that, Meg is also walking along the couch and anything she can support herself on. So I'm thinking she'll be taking some steps by herself very, very soon.

a heathen no more.

Just a quick update from this past weekend. Meg received the Sacrament of Baptism at our church on Saturday. Ray and Danielle made the trip out to be present as her godparents (even when their flight was cancelled at the last minute they figured out a way to get here, which involved driving from Chicago! ugh.) Also visiting the newly baptized babe were Gran, Poppa, Freddie, Mya, Grandpa, Amy, Brett, Brittany and Bev. (so, we had a full house)

Little miss Meg was all in white, and was quite attentive and mesmerized when Father Vu spoke to her in a gentle voice as he performed the Baptism. No crying at all, which was surprising since she fussed with all the new faces in our house to see her. Although Meg did enjoy tasting her uncle's beer (she tried to share her bottle with him too) and she warmed up to Danielle with some peek-a-boo. We all played a lot of board games with the kids, and ate a lot of food... so overall it was a great weekend.

And on a side note: Poppa bought Henry his first car. Henry is now revving around the front yard like its a golf course, driving the dog insane. Just replace the divets Hen.

Kirby vs. nature

As the dog in the family, Kirby has it in his mind that he is king of the beasts. Ruler of all the smaller, lesser creatures in his electrical-fence kingdom. Typically, he'll sense a bunny/squirrel/large bird/mole/toad, and bark to be let out, to chase it out of the yard or under the deck. He'll bark at it some more, warning them to never return or fear his wrath. (I don't think he's ever actually killed anything, but I have seen him toss a toad once...) This is what he does. He's a dog.

But today, nature came over to laugh in his furry face. (see photo) He couldn't even muster a growl. All he could do was quiver and look at me, as if to say, "This isn't right. Why must I face this humiliation? You could let me out the front door and he'll never know what hit him..."

Ahh, Kirby. So close. Yet so far.

up with the gates!

hoppy easter.

well, we had a busy and fun-filled weekend. Maddie and I saw High School Musical on Ice, it was pretty cool. We made a bunny cake and Hot Cross Buns for Easter Day. Henry had a great time coloring eggs and decorating them in his own way. Meg even had some fun crawling into the Easter baskets whenever she got the chance.



egg decorating... so artsy.



Henry's 3-eyed "monster egg"

Here's Meg tearing-up the Easter basket.

I even made Hot Cross Buns. It only took a mere 4 hours to complete, but they were pretty darn good. (It inspired Greg to play the song on his recorder, if he still had it)

mmmm. bunny cake.

Mom, I'm coming to get you.

Yeah. There really is no stopping her now.

Stuff about moms.

This was sent to me, and I almost peed my pants. (although Greg did not find them as funny... probably because he's not a mom.) I could almost hear Henry say some of these zingers...

Why God Made Moms
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you Your mother & not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about Dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because Dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than Dad.

What's the difference between Moms & Dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but Moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Amen to that! -CR

Cutie-Patootie.

At 6 months, Meg is a very busy baby:
- Rolling herself into corners, and getting stuck
- Rocking on her knees
- Doing the army-crawl around the living room
- Sitting up in her high-chair
- Eating mushy fruits and veggies
- Eating her toes
- Singing to her blanket
- Flirting with the baby in the mirror
- Wrestling her toy-turtle
- Practicing her super, Kung-foo grip on our necks
- Making goo-goo eyes at Daddy
- Smiling at her big sister and brother

February update.

• Meg likes the snow, as long as she is bundled up.
• Greg does not like the snow.
• We bought a snowblower.
• I went to the 3-D Hanna Montana movie with Maddie and her friend. No chance of an Oscar there.
• Henry and Greg road-tripped to Notre Dame, and Henry saw his first fencing meet.
• Maddie's team won their first basketball game... she scored 10 points, with her Hoosier side showing through.
• Henry discovered Valentine's Day, he didn't remember it from last year. "It's my first one Mom!"
• Michigan broke its record with 90+ inches of snow for this season (and winter isn't over yet)
• Henry is Star of the Week at school, he took in his "Jack Sparrow" pirate book to share.
• Meg got 2 teeth.
• Maddie went inner-tubing with her brownie troop.
• Kirby was groomed, then rolled in all the fresh snow.
• Henry completed his soccer class, now he's starting another session of the "sports sampler".
• I went to the dentist.
• Greg went into a ditch. (His car has been at the shop for almost 4 weeks.)
• Meg went to the doctor and got 4 shots.
• We signed Henry up for our church preschool starting in the fall.
• Girl Scout cookies have arrived.
• Greg and I went to Fort Lauderdale for 4 days.
• Gran, Poppa and Freddie came to watch the farm while we were away in Florida. THANK YOU!!!!





the end.

she's thinking about it...

Meg is rolling around the house, scooting backwards on her back and just may be thinking about crawling. Some day in the near future.

sisters.

Meg just thought it was way, too cool to hang-out with her big sister under the blanket.
They chatted for quite a while.