OK so maybe all the kids being in school isn't a normal thing to celebrate, but we did. After several weeks of the kids, and parents, being sick with one winter virus or another, they finally all made it to school on Friday. So to celebrate, Doug took me on a day long date. Now, before you say Awww too loudly here is a look at what we did.
First, we dropped ALL the kids off at school, even Sarah. Then, he took me to Bob Evans for breakfast. The plan was breakfast, then coffee at the Coffee Beanery, then we would play it by ear after that. While at breakfast we discussed many of the things parents talk about when they are alone, mainly the kids. We also drew up a floor plan on the back of a place mat for the basement and talked about what colors we wanted to paint the various rooms being built. When we finished breakfast, a little before 9am, we headed to Ann Arbor to go to Lowes to look at paint, with the promise of coffee at Starbucks once we got to Ann Arbor. We didn't have to pick Sarah up from preschool until 11am. We spent more time at Lowes and Meijer that we planned and so we had to hurry back to Britton to pick up Sarah. The plan was to pick up Sarah, get coffee at the Bear Claw in town and then head home. Well, we picked up Sarah and decided to go to Adrian to shop and have lunch, the opposite direction of the Bear Claw by the way.
We got to Adrian and ended up at the mall. There isn't much at the Adrian Mall. A JCPenny, a Sears, a few other stores, and a small food court. We had hot dogs for lunch and shared a soda. I did pick up a few new shirts and an Easter dress and sweater for Sarah. Then we went across the street to Hobby Lobby. I spent way too much there, but we got Valentines for the kids parties at school and a few other not really needed items. We finished up there just in time to head back to Britton to pick up the kids, in the opposite direction of the Starbucks ;-)
Finally, we picked up the kids and headed home. We had fish sticks and mac n cheese for dinner followed by popcorn and a movie, Madagascar 2. All in all a good day, but I never did get that coffee!!!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Getting Healthy ~ Sort of
We have been quite busy since I last posted. Not the kind of busy I like, but busy none the less.
Before the sickness began we made a trip to Hillsdale for Joey Weidmeyer's birthday party. We had lunch with the family and then waited for the kids to arrive. The girls all went upstairs to play dance and dress up. Sarah was in HEAVEN!! Marie and Ann love playing with her and Grace puts up with her because she likes Marie and Ann ;-) The dress Sarah is wearing is Ann's first dance recital outfit. It is Sarah's favorite to put on when we go over to their house. She wore it all day!! We had a lot of fun and really do miss them.
Then we began to get sick. First just a cough or two, some sneezes and runny noses. Then the fever's began. We missed church on January 25th and kept the kids home that Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday I took Daniel into the Walk in Clinic in town. He had an ear infection and a nasty cough, but thankfully no pneumonia. He stayed home the rest of the week and we made it to church on Sunday, Feb 1. Then Sarah got a fever, Nathan was still coughing and now so was Grace. They all stayed home on Monday, I sent Daniel and Jacob to school and took the rest to the doctor. Grace and Nathan only had Upper Respiratory Infections but Sarah had a Urinary Tract Infection, totally didn't see that one coming. Tuesday Daniel was the only one at school cause Jacob woke up at midnight with a fever. That brings us to today. Nathan is the only one home because I want him to take more cough meds with codeine before I send him back. Sarah is doing much better now with antibiotics. Hopefully they will all be in school on Friday for the first time in weeks!!!
I really wish I had more to blog about than sick kids, but that just seems to be my lot in life during the winter. Prayerfully after this round we can make it to spring! They have already missed so much school. I am going to have to do some after school supplementing just to get them caught up again.
One bright spot in our last few weeks was last Saturday, before Sarah got sick again, we took the kids to Toys R Us to spend some of their point money. We use a reward system of quarters. They get so many at the beginning of each day and if they misbehave or disobey or step out of line, they lose the quarters. The goal is to have more money at the end of the week than they started with :-) Then every two weeks or so we take them shopping to spend the reward of their efforts. They had a great time and so did we. Sarah picked out a Dora bag with beauty shop supplies in it. Doug is modeling some of them in the pictures below.
Nathan has also become quite the smart alec lately. He isn't mean, just quick here are a few examples:
While talking about the HSM 3 movie and how much she wanted to see it Grace said that she hopes they make a HSM Wedding movie and Nate in a sarcastic voice says "I hope they make a HSM Funeral movie!!"
The boys were horsing around and side bumping each other. Doug told them to stop or he would "side bump them into next week." Nates reply, "Oh great time travel by side bump!"
Then Doug gets in on it too. After watching Big Jake with John Wayne, the boys went to play cowboys and Indians and Grace and Sarah were having a tea party. Grace came out to ask for water for her tea pot. Doug's reply, "No. The boys don't get real Indians, you don't get real water!"
See what I have to live with!!! Blessings all!!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
I Cried
but not out of happiness. I am truly sad to see George W. Bush leave Washington today. He may not have done everything right, he may have made some poor decisions, his approval rating may have been very low, but he was a good man doing the best he knew how with what he was given.
September 11, 2001 shaped and framed his presidency. Had that day not happened we would be in a very different place today. I think that America tends to forget what happened or didn't happen in the days, months and years following that fateful day.
I don't pretend to be a politically savvy person. I don't know the rhetoric, I refuse to debate about it. I just know I don't feel right about the man sworn in as president today. He is a great speaker and he seems to have everything together, but still I worry.
Where will he take our country? What will we look like in a year? in four years? In an effort to make everyone equal will he take away rights we hold so dear? In an effort to be so different from the Bush presidency, will he make decisions he shouldn't? He mentioned God several times in his speech and referred to our founding fathers, yet I worry about the fate of Christianity under his leadership.
I question, I worry and above all I pray. I pray the Lord will work through the new President. To use a sinful, imperfect man to further His kingdom here on earth. I know there is a greater plan and I pray. I hope you are doing the same.
September 11, 2001 shaped and framed his presidency. Had that day not happened we would be in a very different place today. I think that America tends to forget what happened or didn't happen in the days, months and years following that fateful day.
I don't pretend to be a politically savvy person. I don't know the rhetoric, I refuse to debate about it. I just know I don't feel right about the man sworn in as president today. He is a great speaker and he seems to have everything together, but still I worry.
Where will he take our country? What will we look like in a year? in four years? In an effort to make everyone equal will he take away rights we hold so dear? In an effort to be so different from the Bush presidency, will he make decisions he shouldn't? He mentioned God several times in his speech and referred to our founding fathers, yet I worry about the fate of Christianity under his leadership.
I question, I worry and above all I pray. I pray the Lord will work through the new President. To use a sinful, imperfect man to further His kingdom here on earth. I know there is a greater plan and I pray. I hope you are doing the same.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Since my last Post
I seriously debated how to post today. I finally downloaded the pictures off my camera from Christmas and the weeks following. Originally I wanted to write a bit then include a picture or two about what was happening. Well, 30 pictures later, I didn't think my blog could handle that many separate downloaded pics. So as you can see I opted for another slide show. I hope you enjoy it. Some of the pictures need no explanation and some do, so here is a quick narration for the pictures. Enjoy.
We had several "Christmases" this year. The first of which was held here at our house with Grandma and Grandpa Adams, Aunt Amanda, Aunt Nora and Uncle Scott. Nora and Scott had flown in from Arizona to spend the holidays in Michigan. They spent two days at our house, playing with the kids and visiting with Doug and I. The kids had a blast with all the new toys too. Some of the favorites are featured in the slide show. We also did Christmas at Grandma and Pappa Wyckhuys' house. I forgot to take pictures after they started opening gifts so there are only a few from this party.
Right before school went back into session the boys received their monthly buzz. They had put on Star Wars tattoos from the card packs Aunt Rachelle had brought on her visit to our home shortly after New Years. With the buzz cut and tattoo they really did look like Marines.
The Saturday after New Years a bunch of the college kids, a high schooler and Grace's friend Alana all from Hillsdale came over for a visit. The boys brought their Warhammer stuff for a game in the basement and the girls brought the first two seasons of HOUSE to watch. They also brought a gift for Doug, the big decorated acorn. The kids had taken to calling themselves the "Squirrels" and had named Doug the squirrel keeper. They all have special names and each received their own nut on Christmas. The girls also played Tea Party with Sarah and Hannah Montana on the Wii. They were such good sports. We got in about 5 episodes of HOUSE too. It was a very fun day, I think everyone had a good time.
Then just last week, right before the deep freeze, all the kids got to go outside and play. Doug and the boys shoveled the walk while Grace played with Sarah and sometimes Daniel. Once all the work was done everyone but mommy joined in a wrestling match in the snow. What fun!! I stayed inside and prepared hot chocolate and helped replace wet gear. Let's just say it is a good thing we have more than one set of hats and gloves for each of the kids.
That brings us to today. We had a snow day today because it was just too cold to go outside. I suppose there are places in this country that have school no matter how many degrees below zero it gets, right Pam, but we got a free day because of it. Doug let me sleep in a bit and kept the kids busy watching a movie, "Tinker Bell", and then went to work. While he was gone I had the kids sweep and mop every square inch of tile in my house. They love to wash the floor with a good old fashioned sponge and bucket of soapy water. Hey, at least it is mostly clean right? Once our work was done, we ate lunch and took a nap, yes everyone took a nap. After nap we had Arts and Crafts time to help keep things calm. They had a blast making foam pictures for family and friends. Dinner was Pancakes and Eggs a favorite at our house. We ended the evening with a bit of Wii. All in all it was a great day.
The last picture in the slide show is one Doug wanted me to include. I hung these on the wall above our bed one day when he was at work. Now, despite the fact that they may be crooked or not level with each other, I kinda like the set up. Doug claims the two small ones remind him of head stones. What do you think? I have included a poll to the right, let us know what you think and the winning response will be our final decision on what to do with the wall.
Thanks everyone for reading and taking the poll. See ya all next week ~ or whenever I have something new and interesting to post and I promise no more slide shows for a while. :-)
We had several "Christmases" this year. The first of which was held here at our house with Grandma and Grandpa Adams, Aunt Amanda, Aunt Nora and Uncle Scott. Nora and Scott had flown in from Arizona to spend the holidays in Michigan. They spent two days at our house, playing with the kids and visiting with Doug and I. The kids had a blast with all the new toys too. Some of the favorites are featured in the slide show. We also did Christmas at Grandma and Pappa Wyckhuys' house. I forgot to take pictures after they started opening gifts so there are only a few from this party.
Right before school went back into session the boys received their monthly buzz. They had put on Star Wars tattoos from the card packs Aunt Rachelle had brought on her visit to our home shortly after New Years. With the buzz cut and tattoo they really did look like Marines.
The Saturday after New Years a bunch of the college kids, a high schooler and Grace's friend Alana all from Hillsdale came over for a visit. The boys brought their Warhammer stuff for a game in the basement and the girls brought the first two seasons of HOUSE to watch. They also brought a gift for Doug, the big decorated acorn. The kids had taken to calling themselves the "Squirrels" and had named Doug the squirrel keeper. They all have special names and each received their own nut on Christmas. The girls also played Tea Party with Sarah and Hannah Montana on the Wii. They were such good sports. We got in about 5 episodes of HOUSE too. It was a very fun day, I think everyone had a good time.
Then just last week, right before the deep freeze, all the kids got to go outside and play. Doug and the boys shoveled the walk while Grace played with Sarah and sometimes Daniel. Once all the work was done everyone but mommy joined in a wrestling match in the snow. What fun!! I stayed inside and prepared hot chocolate and helped replace wet gear. Let's just say it is a good thing we have more than one set of hats and gloves for each of the kids.
That brings us to today. We had a snow day today because it was just too cold to go outside. I suppose there are places in this country that have school no matter how many degrees below zero it gets, right Pam, but we got a free day because of it. Doug let me sleep in a bit and kept the kids busy watching a movie, "Tinker Bell", and then went to work. While he was gone I had the kids sweep and mop every square inch of tile in my house. They love to wash the floor with a good old fashioned sponge and bucket of soapy water. Hey, at least it is mostly clean right? Once our work was done, we ate lunch and took a nap, yes everyone took a nap. After nap we had Arts and Crafts time to help keep things calm. They had a blast making foam pictures for family and friends. Dinner was Pancakes and Eggs a favorite at our house. We ended the evening with a bit of Wii. All in all it was a great day.
The last picture in the slide show is one Doug wanted me to include. I hung these on the wall above our bed one day when he was at work. Now, despite the fact that they may be crooked or not level with each other, I kinda like the set up. Doug claims the two small ones remind him of head stones. What do you think? I have included a poll to the right, let us know what you think and the winning response will be our final decision on what to do with the wall.
Thanks everyone for reading and taking the poll. See ya all next week ~ or whenever I have something new and interesting to post and I promise no more slide shows for a while. :-)
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