Day 59 - Saturday, February 28, 2009

Day 59 - Saturday, February 28, 2009 -
Today, Jordyn and I went to see my niece, Bailey, in the Michigan Ballet Theater's production of Sleeping Beauty. Bailey did an awesome job as one of the fairies. In the lobby, there was a table filled with retired pointe shoes that were decorated and signed by the dancers. They were selling them for $5 a pair as a fundraiser for their dance company. Very cute idea.

Day 58 - Friday, February 27, 2009

Day 58 - Friday, February 27, 2009 -

Jordyn went to a sleepover at Shelby's tonight. Tina took them roller skating in Lapeer. They had a blast. Jordyn has known these girls since kindergarten. They were in Girl Scouts together through 5th grade. They are a great bunch of girls (Shelby, Kayla, & Molly). I'm so thankful Jordyn has formed such great friendships, and I hope these friendships last through high school and beyond.

Day 57 - Thursday, February 26, 2009

Day 57 - Thursday, February 26, 2009 -
I never have to ask Jordyn to do her homework. Ever. She just does it. I can walk into her room on any weeknight and see her sitting on her bed, in her PJs, just like this. Of course, her phone is never out of reach. Hopefully people aren't texting the answers to her! :P

Day 56 - Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Day 56 - Wednesday, February 25, 2009 -

Today was the fourth day of my fast. Days 1 & 2, I only drank water. Days 3 & 4, I drank water and a couple of these POM blueberry pomegranate juices. Yummy. What a cleanse.

Day 55 - Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Day 55 - Tuesday, February 24, 2009 -
I voted YES today on the school bond proposal. Unfortunately, the proposal failed by a slim margin. Ahh, the democratic process.

Day 54 - Monday, February 23, 2009

Day 54 - Monday, February 23, 2009 -

Today was Owen's day to celebrate his birthday at preschool, even though his birthday isn't until April. He typically gets home from preschool before noon. When I got home that evening after 6pm, he was still wearing his birthday hat. Amazing how a little bit of cheap paper in the form of a star birthday hat can make a kid feel so special.

Day 53 - Sunday, February 22, 2009

Day 53 - Sunday, February 22, 2009 -
We got this multi-pack Play-Doh kit for Owen this past Christmas. Whenever he gets it out to play with it, he inevitably turns away from playing with the Play-Doh and turns his attention to playing with the Play-Doh CONTAINERS. Here is one of many Play-Doh container towers he has created since late December.

Day 52 - Saturday, February 21, 2009

Day 52 - Saturday, February 21, 2009 -

Today we celebrated my dad's 65th birthday at our house. My sister's family and my brother's family were all there. We had a delicious venison chili made by my brother-in-law, Scott and yummy cornbread that Kevin and I had bought at Papa Joe's. Bailey made the carrot cake. It's so nice to gather together with family. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Day 51 - Friday, February 20, 2009

Day 51 - Friday, February 20, 2009 -
Liam woke up today feeling a bit under the weather. I told him he could stay home from school, but he insisted on going, in the hopes that today would be HIS day to bring home the class How-To Book in which each kid had written and illustrated instructions on how to do something. Anything from shooting a basket to making a peanut butter and jam sandwich (yes, jam, not jelly, which Liam had a BIG problem with!) And guess what? It was his turn.

Day 50 - Thursday, February 19, 2009

Day 50 - Thursday, February 19, 2009 -

Liam brought this wooden bear with him to school for show and tell. Why he picked this bear to share with the class, I don't know. We bought it in the summer of 2004 when we walked across the border from Texas to Progresso, Mexico. Liam wasn't even 3, yet. But he told the class he remembered getting it, and that he thought it was when he was 4 or 5. He LOVES show and tell day.

Day 49 - Wednesday, February 18, 2009 -

Day 49 - Wednesday, February 18, 2009 -
My parents brought out dinner again tonight (they're the best!). And they brought my precious niece Bella with them again. Bella LOVES to have books read to her. So, I wasn't surprised when I walked in the playroom to see this scene.

Day 48 - Tuesday, February 17, 2009 -

Day 48 - Tuesday, February 17, 2009 -
Jordyn is all teenager these days. We NEVER see her anymore. If she's not at a friend's house, she's up in her room or in the playroom or basement. Tonight, after we had finished the delicious home cooked meal that Kevin had prepared, she immediately asked to be excused. For some reason, tonight, I said no. Just sit and hang and visit with the family. We started to give her a hard time (in jest, of course) about why she never wants to spend time with the family (especially on the heels of her choosing to go to a friend's birthday party on Valentine's Day instead of coming to the hotel with the family). Kevin told her she needed to go up to her room and write two paragraphs with her reasons for not liking us anymore. This is Jordyn reading her paragraphs to us, and below that is her letter. Aww.

Day 47 - Monday, February 16, 2009 -

Day 47 - Monday, February 16, 2009 -
Kevin and I took the boys to Outback Steakhouse for dinner to use up the rest of our holiday gift cards. Liam, out of the blue, decided he wanted to practice his cursive on the kids menu, even though they aren't learning that yet in 2nd grade. I think he did pretty well on his two signatures, especially for a first try in the world of handwriting.

Day 46 - Sunday, February 15, 2009

Day 46 - Sunday, February 15, 2009 -

Kevin and I counted down the minutes from 10:30 am until noon when we could go to Papa Joe's to enjoy a bit of this action (in Michigan, you can't buy alcohol before noon on Sundays - if I could have gone at 10:30 am, I would have). In case you've never been to one of these joints before, you can taste all of these wines at a self-serve station. Each wine bottle is connected to a little spigot thing and each wine costs a different amount per taste...depending on how expensive the bottle is and what size taste you select (small, medium, large/full glass). You simply grab a glass from the shelf, insert your prepaid wine card, and push a button to select the wine/size taste....and enjoy. My kind of afternoon.

Day 45 - Saturday, February 14, 2009

Day 45 - Saturday, February 14, 2009 -
Me and my two little lover boys (wearing festive Buccaneer red), celebrating Valentine's day with Kevin at the Crowne Plaza in Auburn Hills. This is at dinner at the hotel restaurant, O'Malley's. Earlier in the day we had lunch at Max & Erma's, went to see the movie Coraline, and went swimming, hot tubbing, and sauna-ing at the hotel. Our family lovefest.

Day 44 - Friday, February 13, 2009

Day 44 - Friday, February 13, 2009 -
Me, Lori & Lainee, Erika & Chunkie (ok, his name is Tye), and Aimee share a candlelit dinner, drinks, laughs, sweets, stories, and general good times. Loving these girls and these babies! And this is how I looked when Liam came home from school and asked me, "MOM! Where are you going tonight?!? Because YOU look TIGHT!" Oh, that kid.

Day 43 - Thursday, February 12, 2009

Day 43 - Thursday, February 12, 2009 -
Liam, Owen, & Jordyn opening a Valentine's Day care package that Grandma Carol sent in the mail from Grand Rapids. She spoils us on every single holiday and the kids loooooove it. Thanks Gramma Rapids! (That's what Owen calls her.)

Day 42 - Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Day 42 - Wednesday, February 11, 2009 -
This is the door in our kitchen that leads to the deck. During holidays, I like to decorate it with the kids' arts and crafts projects from years past. For some reason, I only had one Valentine's related project to hang on the door this year. And it was making me a little sad that either the kids didn't create projects in years past, or that I wasn't organized enough to save them with the rest of the Valentine's Day decorations. Well, today, Owen came home from preschool with this arts and crafts gem. I look forward to hanging it up on that door for many Valentine's to come.

Day 41 - Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Day 41 - Tuesday, February 10, 2009 -

Today was another theatre night. The group and I went to see Spamalot (wonderful show). And beforehand we went to dinner at Michael Symon's Roast restaurant in the beautifully restored Book Cadillac Hotel. This is the ROAST BEAST of the DAY!! Scott ordered this for his meal and it was DIVINE! (although divinity, as was the case with this beast, is usually marked as "MP" on the menu, so I didn't order it...but I should have.)

Day 40 - Monday, February 9, 2009

Day 40 - Monday, February 9, 2009 -
Owen putting together a puzzle about the solar system. Such a smart boy.