I saw this on Pinterest and thought it sounded delicious. The past couple of days though I have been really tired and thought it was a lot of work so I never did it... but I finally re-looked at the recipe and noticed that it wasn't that laborious at all... I should've known because I rarely ever like recipes that look like they're going to give me trouble. I have to say that this recipe is delicious. You can make the hash the night before so if you are looking for an easy morning breakfast this would be it! The recipe says to bake the eggs ontop of the hash but for some reason I never have any luck with that... so for next time I think I will just make the sunny side eggs up on the stove and add to the hash. The only thing that took me a bit was to cut up the sweet potato, but the nice part of this recipe is that you keep the skin on! I just used regular breakfast sausage, not the chorizo, and thought it was delicious.
http://sweetfalcon.com/2012/10/15/sunday-supper-sweet-potato-hash-and-a-new-look/
JVG
Family photo Oct 2010
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Norah jump up
Our sweet little (ok, not so little) Norah is starting to enjoy some toys! At my parents house we still had the monkey seat that Tristan got when he was a few months old... and now that Norah has better head control she can sit in it and look at all the wonderful brightly colored things that chair as to offer. Its nice because that means I can put her in there for a few minutes while I make food, or eat myself! The only obnoxious thing about it is the music it plays... and boy do the Crazies love to turn that music on! They dance and are all silly but after awhile the music... well, needs to stop. They really like the fact that they can 'play' with Norah in it too. We have to be a little be careful that they don't rock her socks off, but they are generally pretty good about it. She is starting to reach out and grab things so she can entertain herself!
Another thing that she is really starting to enjoy is the jump up. I love that we have a doorway in the kitchen, so I can put her in there if I have to get dinner ready or something. She's really good at spinning and does the occasional jump. The crazies are better at helping her with the jumping part... Dude likes to jump up and down in front of her so she 'gets the idea' of what she should do. :)
I can't believe that she is already 12 weeks and is doing so many things already. She is becoming quite the champion sleeper... she usually goes down between 8-9 and sleeps til 3-4 :) I can dig it! She really is the sweetest thing ever. I love her so much!
JVG
Another thing that she is really starting to enjoy is the jump up. I love that we have a doorway in the kitchen, so I can put her in there if I have to get dinner ready or something. She's really good at spinning and does the occasional jump. The crazies are better at helping her with the jumping part... Dude likes to jump up and down in front of her so she 'gets the idea' of what she should do. :)
I can't believe that she is already 12 weeks and is doing so many things already. She is becoming quite the champion sleeper... she usually goes down between 8-9 and sleeps til 3-4 :) I can dig it! She really is the sweetest thing ever. I love her so much!
JVG
Monday, June 17, 2013
Baby Brother
Yup. For all of you who said that we were going to have another baby, you were right. Of course it's to soon to tell what the gender is but Dude has requested that it be a baby brother. He says that he loves Norah just fine, but he would love to have a baby brother... he'll probably get what he wants.
Just kidding. That would be terrible! Well, not terrible because we love kids and they are absolutely adorable but I am still sore from this last go! No, we aren't pregnant :P But, Dude did just matter of factly come in our room one day and said, "Momma? You know what I'd like? A baby brother..." And it was just so sweet the way he said it and the way he asked... and he may very well have one someday, but just not from me. But, I thought that it was funny that he asked for one and with such sincerity. He has a big heart and just wants to share it with others. :)
JVG
Just kidding. That would be terrible! Well, not terrible because we love kids and they are absolutely adorable but I am still sore from this last go! No, we aren't pregnant :P But, Dude did just matter of factly come in our room one day and said, "Momma? You know what I'd like? A baby brother..." And it was just so sweet the way he said it and the way he asked... and he may very well have one someday, but just not from me. But, I thought that it was funny that he asked for one and with such sincerity. He has a big heart and just wants to share it with others. :)
JVG
Gift from Big B
The kids received a package in the mail... all the way from their family in Seattle! :) Our dear friends, The Husteds, sent them a great gift... its a Discovery Kids building set. It reminded me of the Pipe Works we had growing up... but they loved it. We did already have a set, but it's perfect because now both of them can have their own and it cuts down on fighting... We have built a lot of forts already and igloos this week. So, thank you Amy and Brian for your thoughtful gift! The kids love it!
JVG
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| Getting out their new toy! |
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| Hanging out in the double igloo |
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| They're counting and hiding for Hide n Seek. Brian also calls these kid cages... hrm... |
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| They wanted to have a sleep over in their new fort |
JVG
Father's Day
This was Gaetan's first triple father's day. And yes, we both agree that Father's Day, Mother's Day, Sweetest Day, heck Valentine's Day are Hallmark Holidays designed for people to buy stupid cards and an excuse for that person (be it Mother or Father) to have something special but I think I would like to give an extra shout out to the Father's I know. It's nice that he does feel that way though because with three small children and not feeling well, this Father's Day wasn't going to be the most exciting... so hopefully when he feels a little better we can have a date night or something together. :)
First. Papa. Yes, he is amazing. We all know that. In fact, he just fixed my vacuum today, which was starting to make me a little cranky (the fact that it didn't work). Anyhoo, he really is. They say you marry somebody who reminds you of your Father (in my case) and I think that is true. Gaetan isn't as passive aggressive as my Dad, or he doesn't bend over backwards to keep the peace, but I can say with certainty and without a doubt that both of them love their kids. I can't think of anybody else that our kids would rather spend time with than their Papa. And obviously I think he's a good Papa or else I wouldn't have had so many kids with him! I can truly see that he takes delight and joy in being around our kids and raising them the way they should be. :)
Second. My Dad. The one thing that stuck with me about my Dad is growing up I never heard him speak an ill word against or about my Mom... and as a girl growing up around that made a huge difference. I knew I didn't have to settle, nor should I. He was always the one I could go talk to, even about odd stuff and I knew I'd get an answer that was grounded. I love that I can bring my kids around him and know that he bestows his silly, fun loving behavior on them but at the same time makes sure that they are obedient and listen as well. I am happy that my kids are able to spend time with them so regularly because that means I get to too!
Last. Our Heavenly Father. For me that image of God was always an easy one to make because I loved my earthly father and held him in such high respect. But, I know that is not the case for others in the world. I mean, I'm married to a guy whose Dad is a real dink. But, I hope that our kids can view God with that same image of a loving, compassionate Father who loves His children, as their earthly parents love them.
So, to all those Papa's out there... we do celebrate you and all that you do for us. I hope that I celebrate Gaetan more often than just once a year, and I hope that he knows that we love him dearly and appreciate all he does, and continues to do for this family. We love you Papa.
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| Dude gave him his Hippo to sleep with because he knew Papa wasn't feeling well |
First. Papa. Yes, he is amazing. We all know that. In fact, he just fixed my vacuum today, which was starting to make me a little cranky (the fact that it didn't work). Anyhoo, he really is. They say you marry somebody who reminds you of your Father (in my case) and I think that is true. Gaetan isn't as passive aggressive as my Dad, or he doesn't bend over backwards to keep the peace, but I can say with certainty and without a doubt that both of them love their kids. I can't think of anybody else that our kids would rather spend time with than their Papa. And obviously I think he's a good Papa or else I wouldn't have had so many kids with him! I can truly see that he takes delight and joy in being around our kids and raising them the way they should be. :)
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| My Dad sang Norah to sleep... sitting up. haha |
Last. Our Heavenly Father. For me that image of God was always an easy one to make because I loved my earthly father and held him in such high respect. But, I know that is not the case for others in the world. I mean, I'm married to a guy whose Dad is a real dink. But, I hope that our kids can view God with that same image of a loving, compassionate Father who loves His children, as their earthly parents love them.
So, to all those Papa's out there... we do celebrate you and all that you do for us. I hope that I celebrate Gaetan more often than just once a year, and I hope that he knows that we love him dearly and appreciate all he does, and continues to do for this family. We love you Papa.
Overnight Oatmeal
I tried this new recipe that is really easy and great if you know your mornings are busy! (Like ours can be!) I did this because I knew that if Norah and the crazies were up at the same time I wouldn't be able to make them breakfast... and this is something you can do the night before.
I have tried the cinnamon apple, pumpkin pie and raspberry vanilla. I would say that whatever dry spice or flavoring (eg the vanilla) you cut in half. It was really overpowering the first time, and I thought that it was still a bit strong the second time around, but much better. Lucy definitely loves it the most. We haven't tried the chia seeds yet, but I do like to add some pecans to theirs in the morning before giving it to them... gives it a nice crunch. :) Enjoy! I think it's fairly healthy too! :)
http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal
JVG
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| I also like the little mason jars that you make them in :) |
http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal
JVG
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Sibling love
I love how much the crazies adore Norah. Tristan and Lucy love playing with each other too, but they love it when Norah is awake. Dude is ALWAYS so excited when she firsts gets up in the morning.... "Norah! I can see your eyes! You're awake!" and it's always followed up by a kiss. He is such an encourager too. Whenever she is having tummy time and she lifts her head up for a really long time he points it out and says, "Look! Momma, look! She's doing such a good job!"
Lucy can't get enough of Norah. She usually is kissing her whenever she gets the chance. It's really cute. I can't wait til Norah is older and they can all be such good friends. :)
JVG
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| Dude sharing his favorite toys... Hippo and the dinosaur train. That is some high honor |
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| Sometimes we have to watch Lucy to make sure she doesn't 'love her to death' |
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| I absolutely adore this picture of them hanging out together on the floor |
JVG
Beaker and a Dinner Party
My good friend Beaker was in town for approximately 36 hours. He lives in Seattle but was in Michigan interviewing for our high school conductors position (which he got BTW!). He flew in Wed. morning, interviewed in the afternoon and then had to leave the next day at 3 pm. So he had some time to visit friends! Poor guy hadn't slept in over 24 hours and had been traveling a lot (which always makes me exhausted) so when he finally got around to seeing our place he literally fell asleep on our couch mid sentence. It was pretty funny, but I totally understood because I was tired tired tired too. Anyhoo, his interview was about an hour long and they told him to expect to hear from them on Monday but two hours later they called and offered him the job! So, I think that one of my best friends is going to be a lot closer! Whoo! But that was our Wednesday night and the kids did a really good job going to sleep so I didn't have to worry about getting them while Beaks was here.
Friday we were having a dinner party at our place to celebrate Norah. Tricia wanted to get together with some friends and hang out so I offered up our place because it so much easier having our kids in our own space vs trying to watch them at somebody elses and making sure they don't destroy things they shouldn't! All was going well. Dinner was good and everybody liked it. We had an interesting added item to our dinner courtesy of Edible Arrangements and our neighbors...
In the morning we were outside playing with chalk and our neighbors son had surgery so somebody sent him a get well soon arrangement. Well, when the guy was dropping it off they weren't home so he asked us if we would give it to them later, which is totally fine. We like our neighbors and they like us so he left them a note saying that's what he did with it. Later I was outside with Lucy and saw Kim (our neighbor) and told her that I had her arrangement in the fridge and asked if this was a good time to give it to her and she said that she called them and was unhappy that they left it with somebody other than her. She totally trusted us but she said you just don't leave food with your neighbors like that. How did that guy know that we weren't on bad terms and that we were going to refrigerate it and just not eat it?! So, she said that they were bringing her another one so that was a gift for us. It was delicious! And so we thank that delivery guy... haha.
Anyhoo, after dinner we were going outside to play and one of the soccer balls went over the fence. No big deal right? Sort of... on the other side of the fence is a highway... US131. So Tricia got a boost from Corey and jumped over the fence to get the ball (which hadn't rolled into the highway). Corey jumped up on the fence to check to make sure she could get back over and then we heard this popping noise... both of his shoulders popped out of place. Now, if you know anything about us and Corey he's always telling us how his shoulders pop out easily... like he sneezed once and they popped out. And if you know anything about Corey he is a bit of story topper, so we never really knew the extent of how bad his shoulders really where because we figured he was exaggerating... turns out, he wasn't. The poor guy was in so much pain he just laid down because sometimes if he can relax they'll just go back in. The left side did but the right side wouldn't... he was white as a sheet and he started sweating so badly that it was dripping and he was just laying down. Tricia ended up taking him into urgent care to get it popped back in... it was intense. Pretty much after that the rest of the people left and then I put the kids to bed. Corey and Tricia eventually came back after they got him taken care of but it was pretty late at that point. So we had some excitement at our dinner party! He is just fine, a bit sore, but doing well. :)
JVG
Friday we were having a dinner party at our place to celebrate Norah. Tricia wanted to get together with some friends and hang out so I offered up our place because it so much easier having our kids in our own space vs trying to watch them at somebody elses and making sure they don't destroy things they shouldn't! All was going well. Dinner was good and everybody liked it. We had an interesting added item to our dinner courtesy of Edible Arrangements and our neighbors...
In the morning we were outside playing with chalk and our neighbors son had surgery so somebody sent him a get well soon arrangement. Well, when the guy was dropping it off they weren't home so he asked us if we would give it to them later, which is totally fine. We like our neighbors and they like us so he left them a note saying that's what he did with it. Later I was outside with Lucy and saw Kim (our neighbor) and told her that I had her arrangement in the fridge and asked if this was a good time to give it to her and she said that she called them and was unhappy that they left it with somebody other than her. She totally trusted us but she said you just don't leave food with your neighbors like that. How did that guy know that we weren't on bad terms and that we were going to refrigerate it and just not eat it?! So, she said that they were bringing her another one so that was a gift for us. It was delicious! And so we thank that delivery guy... haha.
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| Our dinner guests! Minus Lucy, Gaetan, me and Norah. |
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| Goose and Trish |
JVG
My Super Momma Days
Due to Gaetan's procedure I was on everything duty. He wasn't allowed to really move, pick up, or do anything other than make a dent in the couch or bed. That meant no kid holding, no walking around, nada. Which meant all the little things that I take for granted that he does for me I had to do. I had been mentally preparing myself for it, so I thought I was ready.
Usually he is the one who puts the crazies to bed. Its just become a thing. I think it probably started with Dude after I had Lucy and I couldn't do stairs... and then the same thing with Lucy and Dude. So, I had to get the quick run down on how they do things to try and keep it as much as the same as possible. It actually went really well! :) There was only a few instances that I had to go upstairs and help Lucy find her way back to bed but it wasn't bad. Norah is becoming quite the champion at sleep so she only got up once but by the time she was back down the crazies had gotten up... so my day started WAY earlier than I would've liked. We had a good day though. I got as much stuff as I could possibly get done the night before so I didn't have to worry about it when the kids were up and I was thankful that I did. Having all 3 of them together all day and for everything is quite different. By nap time I was pooped. They needed the nap because they woke up super early but I needed the nap so that I didn't fall asleep. I ended up passing out on the couch for about an hour before Lucy got up so it was time for me to get up too. Dude had actually fallen asleep so we let him sleep for a little while longer but I didn't want him sleeping to long. My friend Beaker was in town for an interview so we were trying to schedule a time to see him. More on that later. So that was my Wednesday. The crazies and I did a lot of playing and running around outside so that Gaetan could rest as much as possible. It was really nice to spend so much time with them. I tried to do a dinner that was fun for them and easy to do, so we made pizzadillas. They got to choose what they wanted in them and make them themselves... they seemed pretty happy about that. Not the most exciting of meals, but they really liked it so it was worth it. :)
I would have to say that Thursday was the hardest. Mainly because Wednesday night the crazies didn't sleep well at all. I was up there probably once an hour :( From about 12-7 I got less than 4 hours of sleep and it was not all at the same time. I think I honestly went up and down the stairs 10 times within those hours... ugh. Poor Dude was so tired that he woke up and realized that he wet the bed... which is something he hasn't done in years. So, that was how my morning started. Gaetan was the one who actually woke me up because I didn't hear the kids getting up, which is not like me at all! Normally if they roll around to much in their sleep I wake up... just goes to show how tired I was. So then I dragged myself upstairs to find that I had to do all his bedding and part of his mattress. Ugh. Have you ever been so tired that your eyes burn? I wish I was at that level of eye burning because that meant I would've had some sort of energy! But I bucked up and we went outside and played some more. Its amazing how much those kids love sidewalk chalk!
Naptime was probably the best. Norah was down. Dude was in our room, but Lucy. Oh Lucy. She didn't seem like she wanted anything to do with naps. So, I told her that I would lay down with her for a little bit until she fell asleep hoping she would let me rest a little downstairs. Nope. I passed out in her bed next to her, but she did eventually too. I was just thankful that she didn't try to play with my face or anything like that and actually let me sleep. I woke up because Norah was awake so I got up and fed her. But I felt so much better after getting a little bit of sleep! Dude was waaaay passed out when I came downstairs to see how everything was going. Lucy was still asleep after I got done feeding Norah so I had a small opportunity to shower. When I got out I noticed there was an ambulance in the parking lot so I tried to get Dude to get up by telling him excitedly that there was an ambulance outside and he itched his nose and rolled over. Lucy had woken up when I was in the shower and had pooped, (in her potty) so she was excited for a treat. I got the kiddos up and then we headed out for the trails. I figured if I could run them into the ground then they wouldn't fight going to bed... and it worked. :) I know that every time we go out and play they are so tired out... a combo of the sun, fresh air and running around... its perfect. We parked at the library and walked the trails to the first playground. Its about half a mile there and a couple of steps into the walk Dude told me that he just couldn't walk anymore... ah... I told him that if he could walk to the bench then he'd be just fine. He ran to the bench a little bit ahead and sat there and waited til we got there... and apparently that rest was good enough to get him to the playground. He then proceeded to chase robins all the way to the playground... I guess he found his energy. The kids played and had a lot of fun but Norah woke up a few minutes into the play time so that got a little interesting. It turned out OK and Norah was pretty happy, but my arms got tired from holding her! I had to feed her there, but luckily the kids took a beverage drink while I did it so it kept them in the same area. We then had to get going back home so I could make dinner but Norah wasn't about getting back into the stroller... :( She screamed for the rest of the walk back to the car... whomp whomp. Dude said that he was so tired and couldn't walk anymore (again) but Lucy wanted to walk so they switched. She not only wanted to walk but she RAN pretty much the whole way back, which is all uphill. I was impressed because most of the time I don't want to run up that hill! And I thought that she did it in a pretty decent time of 8 minutes with her small little legs and she did take time to look at flowers and chase other things too.
Well, my plan for tiring them out worked like a dream. They went to bed no fuss and I actually got a few hours of sleep that night! Woot! It's amazing how much better you feel when you get consecutive hours of sleep! The kids slept in til about 8:15 the next morning and Dude woke up and just came downstairs quietly and read. :) It was a much better way to start the morning. Now... Friday.
JVG
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| Norah's mini photo shoot before Gaetan's appointment |
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| I LOVE THOSE CHEEKS |
Usually he is the one who puts the crazies to bed. Its just become a thing. I think it probably started with Dude after I had Lucy and I couldn't do stairs... and then the same thing with Lucy and Dude. So, I had to get the quick run down on how they do things to try and keep it as much as the same as possible. It actually went really well! :) There was only a few instances that I had to go upstairs and help Lucy find her way back to bed but it wasn't bad. Norah is becoming quite the champion at sleep so she only got up once but by the time she was back down the crazies had gotten up... so my day started WAY earlier than I would've liked. We had a good day though. I got as much stuff as I could possibly get done the night before so I didn't have to worry about it when the kids were up and I was thankful that I did. Having all 3 of them together all day and for everything is quite different. By nap time I was pooped. They needed the nap because they woke up super early but I needed the nap so that I didn't fall asleep. I ended up passing out on the couch for about an hour before Lucy got up so it was time for me to get up too. Dude had actually fallen asleep so we let him sleep for a little while longer but I didn't want him sleeping to long. My friend Beaker was in town for an interview so we were trying to schedule a time to see him. More on that later. So that was my Wednesday. The crazies and I did a lot of playing and running around outside so that Gaetan could rest as much as possible. It was really nice to spend so much time with them. I tried to do a dinner that was fun for them and easy to do, so we made pizzadillas. They got to choose what they wanted in them and make them themselves... they seemed pretty happy about that. Not the most exciting of meals, but they really liked it so it was worth it. :)
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| Dude presenting all our ingredients for the pizzadillas! |
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| Quality controlling the peppers to make sure he in fact wanted them in his |
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| Lucy with the cheese |
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| One of the mornings it was rainy out so we had an indoor picnic for breakfast |
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| Lucy running ahead of us on the way back |
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| We had to run an errand during one of the days and I'm not even kidding that she was crazy dancing, legs flying in the air and then mid kick she zonked out. It was like she had an off button and they pushed it. It was pretty hilarious to watch. |
JVG
Friday, June 14, 2013
Momma compliment
On Tuesday Gaetan had an appointment and my Mom had said that she would watch the crazies while I took him to it. She called earlier that Monday about having a dentist appointment on Tuesday but she should be done with plenty of time to be home to watch them. I told her no sweat, and that she should definitely take the appointment because I would want to not be in pain anymore! But in the back of my head I had a feeling that she wasn't going to be finished on time... and, well, I was right. We were waiting at my parents house and it was getting awfully close to go time and she wasn't anywhere in sight. I called her to see if she was on the road and was going to be there soon, but no answer... so I figured that she wasn't going to be making it home. So, I loaded all the kids into the car and off to the appointment we went!
While on the drive there my Mom called and was still not finished with her appointment! It was at 1 and turns out she didn't get home til 3:45! Doesn't sound fun to me! When she called she was so apologetic... and felt terrible that she wasn't there to watch them. She even offered to come pick them up from the appointment which was downtown, and anybody who knows my Mom knows that's a huge gesture. She hates downtown... and will do everything and anything to not be anywhere near it. I told her not to worry about it and that we would be back to their house to pick up all the toys we had left out since we left in a hurry.
During Gaetan's appointment the Dr and his nurse made it a point to tell him that they were impressed with how well behaved our children were. The Dr said that they were the best behaved children that he had seen come in, which is awesome! This place had a separate play room off the waiting room that had toys, a few books and a TV with a DVD player. Score! So, we went in there and waited for Papa to get done. We started the DVD that was in it but it was scary for the kids! Something about night monsters, so we asked the front desk if they had anything else and they did.. Toy Story. Classic. :) So the kids ended up watching/playing til Papa's appointment was finished.
Unfortunately during that time Norah had woken up and was quite hungry... so I started to feed her and of course Lucy told me that she had to poop and pee... but I knew that she was just doing it because she wanted to leave the room. I told her to wait and she kind of looked at me like, 'fine you called my bluff.' but then the kids started to fight over one train in the room.. Dude was watching the movie but was holding it in his hands and Lucy wanted to play with it. You see the problem. They both started to melt down and I was getting a little stressed because I didn't know how long Gaetan was going to be and I was still feeding Norah, so there wasn't a whole lot of mobility on my part. They eventually did calm down, but I was pretty frazzled by the time Gaetan came back.
He asked me how things were going and I told him that I was about to throw both the kids out the window... he chuckled and told me he had a story for me later. Turns out the story was the Dr and the Nurse had told him to tell me that how impressed they were with me. They said that most people can't handle having multiple small children at home and have them be so good. That he should tell me that I'm doing a great job and keep up the good work... and then I tell him I'm gonna throw our kids out the window! haha. Yeah, great parenting ;) but it is nice to hear people compliment you on your parenting based off of how well your kids act, because I feel like most of the time you can't because kids will act up because, well, they're kids.
I had psyched myself up for being Super Momma for the next few days and I was ready for it now! :)
JVG
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| This amused me while we waited in the play room... mullet-itious! |
While on the drive there my Mom called and was still not finished with her appointment! It was at 1 and turns out she didn't get home til 3:45! Doesn't sound fun to me! When she called she was so apologetic... and felt terrible that she wasn't there to watch them. She even offered to come pick them up from the appointment which was downtown, and anybody who knows my Mom knows that's a huge gesture. She hates downtown... and will do everything and anything to not be anywhere near it. I told her not to worry about it and that we would be back to their house to pick up all the toys we had left out since we left in a hurry.
During Gaetan's appointment the Dr and his nurse made it a point to tell him that they were impressed with how well behaved our children were. The Dr said that they were the best behaved children that he had seen come in, which is awesome! This place had a separate play room off the waiting room that had toys, a few books and a TV with a DVD player. Score! So, we went in there and waited for Papa to get done. We started the DVD that was in it but it was scary for the kids! Something about night monsters, so we asked the front desk if they had anything else and they did.. Toy Story. Classic. :) So the kids ended up watching/playing til Papa's appointment was finished.
Unfortunately during that time Norah had woken up and was quite hungry... so I started to feed her and of course Lucy told me that she had to poop and pee... but I knew that she was just doing it because she wanted to leave the room. I told her to wait and she kind of looked at me like, 'fine you called my bluff.' but then the kids started to fight over one train in the room.. Dude was watching the movie but was holding it in his hands and Lucy wanted to play with it. You see the problem. They both started to melt down and I was getting a little stressed because I didn't know how long Gaetan was going to be and I was still feeding Norah, so there wasn't a whole lot of mobility on my part. They eventually did calm down, but I was pretty frazzled by the time Gaetan came back.
He asked me how things were going and I told him that I was about to throw both the kids out the window... he chuckled and told me he had a story for me later. Turns out the story was the Dr and the Nurse had told him to tell me that how impressed they were with me. They said that most people can't handle having multiple small children at home and have them be so good. That he should tell me that I'm doing a great job and keep up the good work... and then I tell him I'm gonna throw our kids out the window! haha. Yeah, great parenting ;) but it is nice to hear people compliment you on your parenting based off of how well your kids act, because I feel like most of the time you can't because kids will act up because, well, they're kids.
I had psyched myself up for being Super Momma for the next few days and I was ready for it now! :)
JVG
Bells
The more we explore Kalamazoo/Portage the more we are falling in love with it. The community is so fabulous and there really is a lot of stuff to do around it. Kalamazoo, especially, is getting much better and not so 'ghetto'. For instance, while I was changing Norah in the bathroom these two ladies where really friendly with me and we talked a bit about babies and the baby changing table there. haha. I teased myself for having brought my small children to a brewery, and the lady was so sincere when she said that she was just happy to see us spending time with our kids and being apart of their lives. I was kind of caught off guard because 1.) Not many breweries have changing tables because, seriously, who brings babies to a brewery 2.) Have ladies so friendly and understanding about it and not judging me for bringing them there! Again, just love the attitude and atmosphere of the people there.
For the first time since we've lived in the area we tried about Bell's Brewery. I know its kind of the fad to drink local beer and go to breweries, but this was a nice little place. A lot smaller than I imagined, actually, especially because of it's popularity! It's definitely set up for more of the warmer weather get togethers, but this was nice. We met up with Tricia who wanted us to meet some friends who just moved into town that she went to college with, and I was excited to try a new place and not have to make dinner!
I would go there again but probably not for the food. It was typical food, good but nothing to rave about. I'm sure I would have to eat something if I was actually drinking beer ;) But it would be a nice place to hang out with friends when they are in town.
JVG
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| Yes, Norah looks bigger than Tricia... its probably because she is |
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| Chillin' at Bells |
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| Goose enjoying the remains of our dinner |
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| Duder |
I would go there again but probably not for the food. It was typical food, good but nothing to rave about. I'm sure I would have to eat something if I was actually drinking beer ;) But it would be a nice place to hang out with friends when they are in town.
JVG
Serve 3
I have to say that I love the church we attend. It is everything that we have been looking for, and I look forward to going every week. If we ended up moving away I would still listen to their podcasts because I love what they have to say that much... and its how they say it... they ask more questions than give answers and it forces you to think for yourself. I love it.
I also love their children's ministry... and with a church of that magnitude I wonder how they make it run so smoothly and so successfully. Lucy is now in a different wing... she is out of the baby bay. She is now in Dude's wing, but different class rooms. When that happens the children's ministry asks that each parent serves 3. Which is a Sunday once a month for three months... this way it gives them more volunteers and it allows them to see what is being taught and how their classes are taught. I think it's brilliant.
This past Sunday was my first Serve 3. I wasn't in Lucy's room or Dude's, because they needed me in the 4-5 year olds, which was just fine. It was probably better that way! I did get to be in the 'big room' with Dude, so I got to see him then, but other than that I was in a completely different pod. It was nice to see how they set things up... what their schedule is like and what they allow to go on in the classes. I had a bit of a feeling for it already since Gaetan had volunteered before when we were trying to get Tristan used to the idea of Sunday school, but it was nice to experience it for myself.
Lucy is much better about Sunday school because we started her earlier but Dude loves it and has friends that he sees every week. :) I am interested to see how the next serve 3 goes!
JVG
I also love their children's ministry... and with a church of that magnitude I wonder how they make it run so smoothly and so successfully. Lucy is now in a different wing... she is out of the baby bay. She is now in Dude's wing, but different class rooms. When that happens the children's ministry asks that each parent serves 3. Which is a Sunday once a month for three months... this way it gives them more volunteers and it allows them to see what is being taught and how their classes are taught. I think it's brilliant.
This past Sunday was my first Serve 3. I wasn't in Lucy's room or Dude's, because they needed me in the 4-5 year olds, which was just fine. It was probably better that way! I did get to be in the 'big room' with Dude, so I got to see him then, but other than that I was in a completely different pod. It was nice to see how they set things up... what their schedule is like and what they allow to go on in the classes. I had a bit of a feeling for it already since Gaetan had volunteered before when we were trying to get Tristan used to the idea of Sunday school, but it was nice to experience it for myself.
Lucy is much better about Sunday school because we started her earlier but Dude loves it and has friends that he sees every week. :) I am interested to see how the next serve 3 goes!
JVG
Mud Run
As many of you know we are huge advocates for clean water. Its one of those world problems that has a solution... we just need people to get on board with it! So, even if I am not the one who is directly running the fundraiser we like to support organizations and charities locally that are!
I did this race last year... Kalamazoo Community Church hosted it's first Mud Run and raised an obscene amount of money! It sold out last year, so this year I think they made changes so more people could participate, which ultimately meant more money for clean water! They changed the course a little bit so that it was just one long 5K loop instead of having to do it twice. The guy that I ran it with last year, Parker, did it again this year and asked if we were going to. I didn't think that I was in any sort of shape to do it so I told him that I wasn't going too, but Gaetan was really excited about it! He thought that the race had already passed, since last year it was in May, and was stoked to find out that it was coming up. So we quickly signed him up and got him in! :)
I was now on the end of what it was like to wait around for the other person to finish their race with all the kids. I was fortunate enough to have Norah sleep the entire time, so that was one less thing I was going to try and have to figure out. Lucy sat in the stroller happily for quite some time eating popcorn and Dude... well, Dude was awesome. So we got a couple of pictures of their race but not as many as I would've liked. I thought that the course was two loops, so I thought I was going to get a chance to take more pictures at different obstacles... :( I missed their finish too... boo.
But they had a TON of fun! I even got mud in my eye from standing to close... haha. We will probably make this a tradition... maybe get a team together for next year.
JVG
I did this race last year... Kalamazoo Community Church hosted it's first Mud Run and raised an obscene amount of money! It sold out last year, so this year I think they made changes so more people could participate, which ultimately meant more money for clean water! They changed the course a little bit so that it was just one long 5K loop instead of having to do it twice. The guy that I ran it with last year, Parker, did it again this year and asked if we were going to. I didn't think that I was in any sort of shape to do it so I told him that I wasn't going too, but Gaetan was really excited about it! He thought that the race had already passed, since last year it was in May, and was stoked to find out that it was coming up. So we quickly signed him up and got him in! :)
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| Dude was really excited about the fire truck that was there. |
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| How we kept Lucy busy for quite awhile |
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| First obstacle finished! Little dipper... he did much better than I did... he did not fall over |
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| Catching them running through the woods |
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| Pole pit... AKA bride thing. This is where I got splashed with mud. It was much more muddy this year than last... last year it was just COLD water. |
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| Goose was much more gracious about him being dirty at the end... she would still give him kisses haha |
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| The boys... all muddy and all finished up! |
I was now on the end of what it was like to wait around for the other person to finish their race with all the kids. I was fortunate enough to have Norah sleep the entire time, so that was one less thing I was going to try and have to figure out. Lucy sat in the stroller happily for quite some time eating popcorn and Dude... well, Dude was awesome. So we got a couple of pictures of their race but not as many as I would've liked. I thought that the course was two loops, so I thought I was going to get a chance to take more pictures at different obstacles... :( I missed their finish too... boo.
But they had a TON of fun! I even got mud in my eye from standing to close... haha. We will probably make this a tradition... maybe get a team together for next year.
JVG
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