days of nuwanda

Brushing my teeth is FUN!

 Look at me, Mom!

Oohh it's so much fun!

Standing at the sink w/ Grace

Morning blessings

A great start to my day...

When I walked in the kids' room to wake them up, Harrison greeted me w/ a loud, happy "DUDE!" Hey, anything is better than being called "daddy"!!! :)

New PCD release coming soon! (Hat tip: Lillium)

Sappy Thursday song

Falling In Love At A Coffee Sh lyrics - Landon Pigg lyrics

Falling In Love At A Coffee Sh Video - Landon Pigg Music Videos

Music Videos by VideoCure

Best quote from vacation--and the award goes to...

Grace, upon our arrival to the harbor at Lake Huron: "I think this is where we are now." Me thinks she is correct!

Missing MI Grandma already :)

 Harrison pretending to talk to Grandma on the phone

 "Can I come back to your house?" :)

Ummm, can Mommy have the phone back?...

To the beach and back

Our week in MI was not very sunny or warm (some days in the 50's even, but mostly 60's and low 70's) but it was very relaxing and low-key, which in my opinion is what vacations should be. We visited Hubby's Aunt on the west side of the state and enjoyed the view of Muskegon's beautiful beaches (though it was the coldest day of the trip, we still walked to the water and got our toes wet!) and then stayed w/ my parents on the east side. Good times of family kickball, baseball, and lawn bowling games, Mexican train dominoes (Tara, I forgive you! HA!), the fabulous Lexington General Store (ie, the candy store), the infamous DQ, the traditional visit to the coney island place in Port Hurson (MI coney dogs are superb!), and dinner at our fave pizza bistro, Smackwater Jack's, sitting outside looking at the lake. There's something very "homey" for me about seeing the lake and feeling the breeze as you stand out near the pier and dig your toes in the sand. I could live on a lake for sure.

The chilly temps meant no swimming, but the kids did get to play in the sand a couple times (they are oblivious to the cold) and we enjoyed the views. We went to a smaller beach to see the fireworks on Friday night, and ended up getting a private fireworks show at a lakehouse just up the hill that were just as nice as the city fireworks. It was pretty chilly (I was the only idiot w/ flip-flops on, and my toes were freezing!) but we didn't have to fight the crowds, as we shared this beach w/ only two other families.

We unpacked quickly last night, and I happily discovered lots of sand in our laundry. I love sand, even it it wasn't nice beach weather! Just means we have to go back soon...

 Jacob and Grace digging on beach (notice Jacob's jacket)

Hubby and me on beach before fireworks

Harrison and Dad waiting for fireworks

 

 

 

 

They really were this close!

P.S. It is worth noting that the week before we went up to MI (both in Muskegon and Lexington) it was in the 80's, then got cooler while we were there, and is warming back up this weekend to the 80's now that we are gone. The beach gods HATE ME for some reason!!! :)

Outta here

Headed to the Great Lakes, praying for sun and hot sand on the beach, leaving behind the laptop/blog/even my beloved facebook (will I survive???) and diving into the not-having-to-think-on-vacation mode. Trust me--I'm really good at not thinking. :) Happy (early) Fourth everyone!

A longer day

Some parenting days I keep my head up and laugh off the crazies. Other parenting days, like today, I teeter close to the edge of tears b/c I'm pretty sure my mothering is not only NOT working,, but is actually backfiring, which is why my daughter went yelling across the house "I HATE YOU!" and she's not even 4 yet...Some days are just longer than others. So no happy blogging, no proud quotes on display, no cute pictures of tea parties or random silliness. Just a tired mom, really ready for vacation in MI, seeking peace and quiet and/or vallium.

Duck tape is awesome! (or is it duct tape?)

 
Weird moment #4,170 this week: when Jacob asked me to buy him some duck tape for his birthday. I'm not joking; it's on his list, right under Star Wars legos and a visit to Chuck E. Cheese. And so begins another generation of men with properly aligned priorities!

Then came the conversation w/ Jean about 'ghetto-fying' her van w/ a battery-operated fan with duck tape. Awesome! Duck tape is so cool. Did you know it comes in 18 awesome colors nowadays? Bye-bye standard silver. Hello neon green! As if you didn't have enough trouble making life decisions, say deciding on your Starbucks order (low-fat, no-fat, lotsa fat, no sugar, bring on the sugar, double-shot, triple-shot, whipped cream, shaken or stirred????), now you can have too many choices in the duck tape aisle as well. Yay for 21st century madness! Surely this century will be known as the time when men lost their minds b/c they were given too many choices.

And if you're like me, you've stayed up late nighs with this one question on your mind..."Is it DUCK tape or DUCT tape?" Well, here is the answer to put your mind at ease. You may now go on in peace.

Feel-good song for your Friday

More quotes, in case you still do not believe that my kids are a little *off*

Jacob moping around after stubbing his toe: "I have the roughest life of all!"

Grace: "Mom, you're dicilous!"
Translation (I think): "Mom, you're ridiculous!"

Jacob's bribery after watching a JIF PB commercial where the Dad builds a treehouse, so his daughter makes him a PB sandwich: "If you build me something, I'll make you a sandwich."

Jacob after his mean Mother told him he had to finish his breakfast for the 400th time: "But why do I have to?"
Mom: "Because life is just horrible.
Jacob: "Life is not horrible. Just parents are horrible!"
He was promptly escorted to his room for some much-needed alone time.

When Grace threw her perfectly good flexy, bendy straw in the trash, I asked her why, and she replied: "Because it was bent." I hope she never finds the whole bag full of bent straws, or bye-bye straws!

Jacob before we left for lunch at Grandma's house: "Hello, we need to do my hair!"Something is very wrong when the 6 year old boy is worried about his hairdo. I'll cut him some slack since it's a cool mohawk, but seriously, get back to catching toads and stop looking in the mirror, son!

Grace drawing pics of herself: "That's me when I was a mommy and took care of my kids." She regularly draws pics of her former life. Honest, we don't teach reincarnation.

Jacob discussing colors: "How do you make gold? What colors do you mix?"
Mom: "I don't know."
Jacob: "I thought parents were supposed to be smarter than kids..."
Wow, he's got me there!

Jacob explaining that he did not feel well: "I think I'm sick enough to need to lay on the couch and watch cartoons all night." Obviously his memories of the last time he had the stomach flu are fonder than mine. He remembers cartoons; I remember holding a bucket. BTW, he was not that sick.

And finally, something we haven't discussed in quite some time....

After Grace pooped one night, she proudly looked in the potty, found two poops and said, "Hey Mom, that little one is like me, the kid, and that big one is like you, the mom!"  Not sure if that's the worst thing I've been called or not... :)

Ready for the beach

I found these tiny flip flops at Meijer and snatched them (well, I did pay) for our MI trip and (hopefully) time at the beach. Who knew they made flip flops so small? My other two kids would never have worn them at this stage, but Harrison likes them and giggles when I put them on his feet, as though he knows they're cool. Janet would be proud of her flip-flop-lovin'-cousin!

  Chubby baby toes are cute!

 And your other cousins would like the monkey on your outfit!

 That's a giant piece of colby-jack cheese he's eating, btw. The boy has a long and passionate relationship w/ cheese!

A little Jack for your Thursday

Jack Johnson "If I Had Eyes" (Music Video) - The Malloys

Spontaneous group hugs

When you find your children sitting happily together, without any coersion at all, you run for the camera.

 

 

Get him--he's trying to escape!