Happy Friday and Sports Update

Hunter started karate and soccer in the same week. We were on a wait list for karate and it just so happened to open up the same week that soccer started. Things got off to a rough start with both sports. What we basically figured out is that he does not do well with us sitting and watching him from the sidelines. We had to switch into the parent/child soccer class, which has worked out well (or at least when I take him...Nick has not had such a good experience). Karate has gone well the last two weeks. Last week I dropped him off and he cried for a minute and then did fine after that...and participated in all the activities. Yesterday when I took him, I intended to drop him off again, but he said "mommy, will you stay and watch me?" I said yes, as long as he stayed out on the mat with his classmates...and he did. I think karate will be good for him. He really has to listen, respect his teacher, and be more disciplined. I am hoping it will carry over more to home! I am really proud of him and the fact that he's doing better each week with these sports. Nick would be sad if Hunter was not into sports, but I won't allow him to force it on Hunter if it's not his thing. I don't believe sports should be stressful or not fun when you are three years old. I more look at it as a way to interact with other kids outside of pre-school and get that energy out :)

Last week at soccer. I took him and he did awesome. He listened to the coach and we had fun playing together.
He would run up to the coach and say "watch how hard I can kick this ball!!"...too funny!

I just had to throw this in there....I love a sleeping child. Especially when it means no screaming in the backseat while we're driving places.

Have a great Friday and weekend!!

Easter Sunday!

Easter Sunday we went to mass with my family and then back to Gigi's for a little bit. We had an Easter egg hunt for Hunter and his cousin, Alex. We also ate brunch, cake, and then headed home for naps.

Gigi with her four great-grandsons. My mom and her sister Kathleen also--with their grandsons!
My grandma made this beautiful Easter cake.

The "grandma's" with their grandsons.

Hunter and Alex finding the eggs. Hunter got lots of eggs/candy and we accidentally left them at Gigi's. He hasn't asked about them, so we'll get them back soon. He got lots of other candy and a basket from us and from Hoppy & Mimi, so it's not like the child was lacking in gifts for the day.
After naps Mimi & Hoppy came over. We grilled salmon and had a nice "non-traditional" Easter dinner. (I hate ham in case you didn't know). Hunter was a handful, so it was mass chaos and I didn't take that many pictures :(

The Easter baskets for the kids this year...Lots of outdoor toys, sidewalk chalk, books, coloring books, and a few pieces of candy.

Easter Weekend

We had a long and busy weekend with the kids. Hunter tested our patience to the max, so we were probably more emotionally exhausted than anything. We went to bed at 9pm last night b/c we were both so tired! I love Hunter so much, but he is a handful right now. Saturday after soccer practice we went to Buhr Park...it was a last minute thing b/c we weren't sure of the weather, but Rhonda, Connie, Joe, Heather, Baby Tyler, Nicole, and Brooklyn (Connie's friend and daughter) met us there. We had fun and then went to lunch afterwards.

I love this picture! Joe and his son, Tyler both in their sunglasses :)

Us torturing Jack again with the Easter Bunny pictures (two days in a row--we are mean parents!)

Hunter loved the Easter Bunny

He even had to jump in while Tyler was getting his picture taken

Connie, Hunter, Tyler, and Brooklyn.

My Aunt Rhonda and Jack...She was so nice to carry and walk with him to give me a break! She also made some Easter baskets for the kids...Hunter loves his hat, which you'll see below.

Hunter and Brooklyn. They take a few minutes to warm up to each other, but then they have fun playing.

This was at about 6:30am on Easter Sunday morning. The first thing he said was that he wanted to wear this hat and watch cartoons. Then I had to sit next to him and wear the other one. I took a picture of him and he took one of me that is way too ugly to post (glasses, no makeup, and messy hair!) Thanks Rhonda :)

They also had a fire truck...and what kid doesn't love playing in a real fire truck!!

Saturday was a good day overall...I took Hunter to soccer and he did really well. The Buhr Park thing was fun. The kids took long naps. Saturday evening Nick took Hunter to this event at WCC...I don't even really know what it was, but they had a movie, inflatables, etc. I stayed home and played with Jack :)

Sunday was pretty good too--pictures to come! I wish I would have gotten a family picture yesterday, but didn't even think of it. Oops.

Visit to see the Easter Bunny

We took the kids to the mall today to see the Easter Bunny...nothing like waiting till the last minute. Jack was not happy about this as you will see. Hunter was excited and gave the Easter Bunny a hug and high five.
Hunter was super excited to see the Easter Bunny...

Poor Jack! I realized he did better with Santa b/c we kind of just backed up and stuck him on Santa's lap without him really realizing it and snapped a picture...I should have done that and faster this time b/c I was like "oh, look, there's the Easter Bunny!" He had the death grip on me while I tried to peel him off and stick him on the bunny's lap. What we won't do for a silly picture--a $35 picture I might add!! What a rip off. Yet we still do it every year. It makes me mad just thinking about how they charge an arm and a leg for a low quality picture.

Wordless Wednesday

OK, I can't resist making this post completely wordless.

If this picture doesn't make you smile, something is wrong with you. haha.

Family fun during the week

After dinner we like to try to go for walks, play with the kids, take baths, etc. The other day, my grandma (Gigi) gave me this hand mixer. I don't know how old it is, but clearly it's from before they had electric hand mixers! The funny part is they have one in Hunter's classroom and it's one of his favorite things to do. They can make bubbles with it and do other fun things, so I was really excited to show Hunter what Gigi gave to us.

He was very excited to "make bubbles" with it.

It's just like the one at his school and I'm pretty sure he will be the only one using it, but that is ok. I can remind him that his Gigi gave it to us!
Then we pulled the easel out into the kitchen for some coloring and painting. If you look closely, Nick is painting Hunter. Lovely. He had blue paint in his belly button for at least 5 days.

I was helping Jack to color, but he was more interested in playing with the markers and box...and rolling the markers all over the floor. Using finger paint is so fun!

Nick and I are NOT creative and don't really care for "art projects". We are both Type A people, so I'm trying really hard to work with our kids to like this kind of thing.

I'm dreading the projects that Hunter will have to do later in his school career.

Family pictures at Parker Mills Park

Two weekends ago we had family pictures done...It had been almost a year and I was excited to get some with Jack walking. It was pretty cold that morning, so we had to put coats on the kids eventually, but they turned out well. I don't have them yet, but our photographer put a few on her blog. Click the link below and then scroll down to the April 16th post. I just love the way they turned out--the park has some great backgrounds. Dayna did her engagement photos there and we actually go walking at this park quite often since it's only 5 minutes from our house.

http://www.daynamaephotography.com/blog/

If you need a photographer, I highly recommend her. She's so sweet and gives you the pictures on a cd, so you can order things on your own.

I love spring!

I love being able to get outside with the kids! Last Sunday was like summer (high 70's)...and it was awesome. Before bath time we played on the deck with the new bubble thing I got Hunter and I was blowing bubbles at Jack too. I love our deck--it's big enough for the kids to run around, it confines the kids, and soon we'll bring up the kid's table, sandbox, pool, etc. for them.

The Mater bubble machine has provided a lot of entertainment all week!

Trying so hard to chase down those bubbles

Just out of reach! Jack loves chasing and popping the bubbles. It's so cute to watch him toddle after them.

Have a great weekend!!

My Grandma--AKA "Gigi"

My grandma is such a wonderful grandma and great-grandma to me and my kids. She and my grandpa (until he died in 2001) have always been a big part of our lives. They came to sporting events, spent holidays with us, vacationed with us, etc. I see her probably 2 or 3 times per month and she really loves seeing the kids. I know she loves me, but she really loves Hunter and Jack! I just love inviting her to do things with us b/c I know it makes her so happy to see the boys. Gigi (this has become her nickname since Hunter was born) is so thoughtful--she will call me just to tell me the moon looks amazing and I should take Hunter outside to show him. She has told me before that it's so important for her to take care of herself and live a long life so the kids can remember her. Anyway, she has belonged to Liberty Athletic Club in Ann Arbor for a long time and they wrote an article about her recently that I wanted to remember by posting on here. She is in amazing shape for her age! She always tells us she does it for her family and never wants us to be embarrassed about the way she looks (as if we would anyway, but it's nice that she cares).

Here is the wonderful article they wrote about her. The included a picture of her, but I couldn't figure out how to easily copy it. Besides I like the one above better!

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT April 2011 A portrait of elegance and style best describes Liberty member Lois McDonald. Eighty-two years young, Lois has graced the club, primarily in the mornings, for the past 19 years. Lois became a member of Liberty, following her husband’s heart attack, when her daughter bought the two of them a membership. After trying the club for a month, Lois explained, “My husband liked it, but I loved it!” While never involved in competitive sports, Lois has always exercised, to the point of watching exercise shows on television, as well as lifting cans of vegetables as free weights. “The main reason I exercise,” she shared, “is because I care how I look for my family.” In addition to helping Lois maintain her petite figure, Liberty has provided her with a place to rehabilitate and stay fit, following a cardiac arrest she experienced, two years ago this May. As a result, Lois continues to set her alarm at 7:30 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, to get to Liberty by 9 a.m. and leave by 10 a.m. This was a habit she acquired when the club had senior hours. “Now that senior hours have changed, it would be easy to stay in bed a little longer, but for me,” Lois said, “to come later would just mess up my day!” Lois enjoys Liberty because it’s peaceful, not crowded and “the people are so nice.” A weekly training session with Kate Lambright is also a highlight. “Kate understands how I feel and what I can do, yet she pushes me,” Lois described, “while still being considerate of my age.” When not working out at the club, Lois likes spending time with her family, watching sports and playing cards. As a mother, grandmother and great grandmother, she is fortunate to have all of her family live nearby, including four great grandsons, all under the age of three! “When I wake up, I’m glad to be here and get out of bed, because I realize there are others who cannot.” With that kind of appreciation for life, a commitment to consistent exercise habits, as well as a devotion to a loving family, Lois McDonald will continue to beautify the fitness floor at Liberty, for many years to come.

I am so proud of her!!! I have pictures of her in my office and people tell me all the time they can't believe she is my grandma. Also, Nick has a client who is practically in love with her and he's never met her. He saw a picture of her and asks Nick about her all the time.

Playing with cousins

Saturday after naps Connie and Baby Tyler came over. Tyler's parents (Joe & Heather) were moving that day, so Aunt Connie took Tyler out for most of the day. I hope they realize how lucky they are to have an aunt that watches that baby so much...she even takes Tyler several nights each month so Joe & Heather can sleep--I'm jealous!! Connie is great with kids and used to watch Hunter one day a week when he was a baby (and still watches them a decent amount for us).

Connie, Jack, and Tyler

Cousins--Hunter was holding (or squeezing) Tyler's hand--so cute!

All three boys...it will be fun when Jack and Tyler are a bit older and can play more together!

Me and Tyler...he was a little fussy, so we did some walking around...and I pushed him in this car thing we have. He didn't make a peep while he was in there, but the minute I stopped, he'd get mad :)

I love this...they look like they are so serious.

Getting ready for bed...I think they look close to the same age here, even though Jack is about 10 months older. They have similar hair length and with the same binkies in, similar pj's, they look a lot alike!

Our Weekend...and my lucky night!

We had a busy, but pretty fun weekend. Friday afternoon Nick went to opening day. He rushed home so we could head to a fundraiser for an organization where he serves on the board. They had a live auction, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, dinner, etc. Chuck Gaidica (channel 4) was the "host". So...the exciting part...I WON THE 50/50 Raffle!!!! I could not believe it!!!! You could pay $20 to get someones height in tickets. Nick's friend, John, is about 6'4", so I used him. I could not believe when they read my ticket number. I took me a minute to jump up and let it sink in that no one else was yelling out. I ran up there and got almost $700 in cash--yippee!! The funny part was that I'd already bid on something for my dad in the silent auction. Nick wasn't thrilled, but it is a great gift idea (can't say b/c he reads this), so I figured it all worked out since a portion could go to pay for my auction item that I won for my dad. He's impossible to buy for, so I jumped at the chance to get something cool that I hope he'll like. Anyway, this is sick and embarrassing to say, but most of the money is gone already. I gave $40 to John for a "commission", paid for the auction item in cash, Nick bought drinks at our table, paid for our professional photography session with the kids on Saturday in cash, gave my parents money for dinner since they took the kids out Friday night, went to Costco TWICE on Sunday--food and plants and a toy for the kids, Target shopping (Easter baskets, diapers, etc), bought a friend's lunch on Sunday, paid a babysitter on Sunday, dinner on Saturday night ...oh my. I am going to donate $100 to this charity I'd been thinking a lot about lately. Also, Nick said he's sponsor the chocolate fountain at this organization's holiday party this year too. After thinking about how much we spend in a busy weekend, it makes us want to stay home and never leave the house again.

This is me going to claim my cash...I told everyone how Nick was upset that we didn't have much cash on us that night and I was using $20 to buy tickets which was taking away from his beer money. It got a good chuckle.

Anyway, so that got my weekend off to a pretty good start. Saturday Hunter had soccer and had a lot of fun with Nick--yay! Then we rushed off to the park to meet the photographer. It was COLD and Jack was not having it. It was supposed to be nice, but it was wet and chilly for us to be outside with no coats. Saturday after naps my cousin Connie came over with Baby Tyler (her nephew--pictures to come). We ordered pizza and let the kids play. Sunday we did the usual...Costco, etc. I had lunch with Amber and then we had a sitter come at 4pm so Nick and I could run errands and eat dinner together. She's a new babysitter and I want her to get used to the kids so we can start having her come more often (ideally so we could go on dates once a week or so). It was SO NICE out yesterday too...Nick took the kids for a long walk while I was at lunch with a friend and then Katherine (sitter) took them out later too. I got Hunter this cool Mater (from Cars) bubble machine and we played with that on the deck before bed. It felt like summer and it was amazing!

Amber had some "blue" popcorn that she gave me to give to Hunter, so we had that before bed last night. We had to take it away before he ate the whole bowl, but he loved it! He still had blue on his face this morning.

Hope you had a nice weekend!!

Jennifer

First karate lesson

Nick has some clients who own a karate studio in Plymouth, so we decided to give it a try. I've heard it can be really good for getting out aggression, learning to listen, discipline, and respect. All things most three year olds could use more of! I didn't have high expectations after the way soccer has been going...and I was right. He did give it a try, but did a lot of running back and forth to me crying. I am really going to try to stick with it for a month (3 more times) and if it's not working out, I think we'll take a break and try again in the fall. It's really hard to figure out how far to push your kids, but I really try to keep it fun and remember that he's only 3. Nick gets more frustrated with him not staying out there and the tears, but maybe he's just not ready. I just don't want sports to be a traumatizing experience for him and it's not not worth it to me at this age to push it too far. We did go get ice cream afterwards b/c he got out there for a while, so maybe that will help him get out there next time if we talk about getting ice cream afterwards! The instructor was very patient with him and kept trying to encourage him to come out there...even while the other kids took a break she let him do some kicking and punching alone with her--he was smiling and you could tell he was enjoying it. I sometimes think us being there is worse b/c he can see us, but we aren't allowed to just drop him off.

Punching the paddle with each hand They did some kick moves and he did really well with it

Listening to the instructor and getting ready to do some running around