The Arm Adventure
We’re almost through the arm debacle! In case you missed it, here is a link to the photo album with…
Spring 2018 Piano Recital
Hayden and Violet had a piano recital on Sunday March 18th where Violet played Phillip Phillips’ song Home and Hayden…
Teary-eyed
I love Google Photos. I truly do. Each day, my phone prompts me with a 'remember this day' type of…
A Damp Monster Mash
The City of Portage has a Halloween Monster Bash at Schrier Park. We had never gone, so we thought that…
Last Summer Fun
Saturday was unseasonably warm so we decided to capitalize on it and go to the beach. We started off going…
So. many. pictures.
We have realized that not only have we been terrible at writing about what we've been up to ALL summer…
End of Summer Michigan’s Adventure Visit
Before going back to school, we decided to take the kids back to Michigan’s Adventure. This time we got to…
The Great American Eclipse Trip
Instead of camping, this year I talked the extended family into going down to Rocky Mount Missouri to see the…
Young State Park Camping Trip
The only downside bout the campsite was that dogs were not allowed on the beach. We took Bella to the…
Fun in the Sun
This summer we have all been spending a lot of time outside enjoying the summer weather. With Bella we have…
Girls on the Run
On May 25th Violet got a chance to run the Girls on the Run race that she has been training…
Sprinkler Adventures
Before this most recent bout of cold and rainy weather here, we actually had a few days where it was…
Bella: An Update
After weeks and weeks numerous visits to the vet, scans galore, and lots of medication constant, Bella is officially unmedicated…
Catching Up
Woah. Time just seems to be flying by!! Lots have happened since we posted last. Between two birthdays, Easter, an…
Violet’s 3rd Grade Concert
Below is a video of Violet’s 3rd grade concert that she was in this past week. Hope everyone enjoys!
A new family member
After much discussion, Mike and I decided to surprise our kids with what we thought would be the best. birthday.…
We’ve got some winners!
We wrapped up the ski season a few weeks ago, and ended it on a high note! Both kids participated…
Weekend of Skiing
Last weekend was a weekend of skiing. On Saturday we met Grandpa up north at Caberfae and all went skiing.…
Conferences
Last night was Valentines day (which was fun), but Libby and I also got the pleasure (truly) of attending student…
Junior Race Practice
Just in case our retirement accounts don't perform the way we want them to, we decided to put Hayden and…
Celebration, a decade in the making
Mike and I just (okay, we got back on the 4th...) returned from Puerto Rico - this was in celebration…
First Caberfae Trip of the New Year
Today was the first Caberfae trip since the kids have started their ski lessons. We got up to Caberfae around…
Ski Lessons
Violet and Hayden are signed up for ski lessons. Specifically, these lessons are to teach them how to race! Saturday…
First Ski Trip of the Season
This past Saturday Hayden and I had a chance to go skiing at Caberfae Peaks. It was our first time…
Christmas Prep – Day 2
And it continues! Today, we took time to decorate our gingerbread houses. Surprisingly, it went so wonderful. The kids' houses…
Christmas in Full Force
Today was one of those non-stop days where you’re not quite sure how you could have gotten in any more…
A Trip to the Mighty Mackinac
Back in June, Mike had a trip to the Straits of Mackinac to go scuba diving. We decided to make…
Piano Recital
Violet and Hayden had their first piano recital this weekend. A video of their pieces can be found below, and…
First Conferences of this Year
It is so hard to believe that the kids are now in 1st and 3rd grade. Summer flew by and…
SO FAR BEHIND
As we have been so well reminded, we are super far behind on our blogging as well as pictures. Therefore,…
A weekend of celebration
Huge THANK YOU to everyone who came to celebrate this past weekend with us. It was so nice to spend…
The heat couldn’t keep us away
We like to go to Frederick Meijer Gardens around the kids' birthdays because during this time, the butterflies are blooming!…
If Hayden Were on a Dessert Island…
So first off, we survived Hayden’s birthday party at Jungle Joe’s today. Everyone had a good time. Especially mom and…
Yummy Science
Today was official day one of Mike being gone! He will arrive in India today, where it is over 100…
Spring in Michigan
It's April! And in Michigan, that means the day started out beautiful, with the sun shining (a little brisk) and…
Disney February 2016 – Fun With Water
This is the first in a series of video posts for our vacation to Walt Disney World. This video shows…
Disney 2016 Adventure: Part 1
It's taken us some time to get this started. Partly because as soon as we got back from Disney, Mike…
Daddy Daughter Dance 2016
This past Friday I had the distinct honor to take Violet to the Daddy Daughter Dance. We started off with …
Flight to Disney
Since we have gotten back from Disney, we have been very busy. This is the first video of our trip…
Hayden’s Second Tooth
Hayden lost another tooth tonight. He was working on his second for a while. Hayden tried to loosen some Legos…
Let the voting commence
As we get prepped for our trip to Orlando and Mike gets ready for his interview in Arizona right after…
Hayden’s First Loose Tooth
Last Wednesday, Hayden lost his first tooth. It took a bit to get this posted because I wanted to post…
Teddy Grahams vs Tangrams
This afternoon, the kids are being crazy. Violet is playing with Tangrams and Hayden is working on building some Lego…
Overheard…
Let’s open this fire hydrant up and see what comes out! -Hayden, going to the bathroom prior to evening shower
More Skiing
Realizing winter is likely to be winding down soon, I took the kids up to Caberfae this past weekend. Both…
“Skiing” at Timber Ridge
Last Friday the kids had a day off from school so I took a day off from work and we…
Summer In February
I have been cleaning up pictures and videos from my computer and ran into some video clips from our trip…
Winter Fun in Muskegon
The other weekend we went up to Muskegon and had some winter fun with the snow they had up there.…
Mad skillz
My friends have been telling me for a while that, 'just wait, once your kids get older, it just gets…
Bittersweet Ski Trip
Yesterday the kids and I went to Bittersweet Ski Resort. Below is a picture of them in the ski lift…
An invitation
This year, we wanted to give our kids a trip to Disney for their ‘main’ Christmas present. This time, we’re…
Reading
Lately, Violet has really been into reading Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. She has read through the entire book, and has…
Too tired
The other night, Mike had an evening committee meeting, so I had the privilege of putting both kids to bed.…
Violet’s Video
This is a stop-motion video that I helped Violet to make. We made it in a few minutes. I took…
Snowy Day
Finally, the first real snow of the season! By 6:30am, Hayden was dressed and ready to go outside and play…
That’s a wrap!
Our whirlwind of a summer has finally come to a close. This past week+ was an amazing one. Despite Hayden’s…
Family Portrait
Today, when I picked up Hayden, he had this family drawing in his cubby. The people go: Mom, Hayden (notice…
Marbles
The other night Hayden was playing with the marble track and asked if I wanted to help build it. We…
Gone Fishin’
This past weekend I took the kids fishing while Libby was working. We went to Lakeview Park on Austin Lake.…
My Father’s Day Present from Hayden
The Friday before Father’s day Libby and I got a chance to pickup Hayden early to go see Inside Out…
Surprise!
Hayden was at daycare with one of his favorite teachers (Mr. Eric). He worked with Mr. Eric on a surprise…
Nice Image Post
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Video Blog Post
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Quote Post
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Wonder-full Blog
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Ready to get Started
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Nice View
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Why Choose Thefox
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Beautiful Sunlight
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New Photos!
Apologies for being neglectful when it comes to new blog posts and new pictures. Even though we haven’t been posting…
Awesome work
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A Single Blog Post
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Single Image Blog
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New Amazing Blog post
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Amazing Blog post
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Big Fan
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Amazing Standard Post
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Adventures at (and in) Lake Michigan
This past weekend the kids got to go to Lake Michigan. As you can tell by the date on the…
Fun with Science
This past weekend the kids spent some time at the grandparent’s house watching some science shows and at the other…
Daddy Daughter Dance
This past Friday Violet and I went to her second daddy daughter dance. Weeks before the dance its self, Violet…
Skiing at Caberfae
This past weekend we took the kids up to Caberfae Peaks to go skiing since Violet didn’t get a chance to…
Great Rope
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed varius ultricies metus. Donec ac ex porta libero venenatis sodales. Sed…
Winter Fun
This winter the kids have been having fun. As you saw in the post about us skiing at Timber Ridge,…
Snow day, part …??
Yesterday was Superbowl XLIX (49). It was also a snow storm. ALL DAY. It snowed. then snowed some more. and then…
Fun with the snowman
Yesterday (aka, before all the snow, the last day of January), the kids and I went outside because they wanted…
Simple Post
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Crash
What a sore day. Our whole family woke with aches from yesterday. Some were worse off than others, but at…
Hitting the slopes
Today, our family ended up taking the day to go downhill skiing. None of us has ever gone! Mike and…
Meaning of Life
All while Mike was out of town, the kids were planning a talent show. Saturday was the big performance. Mike…
Who knew?
Our kids LOVE going to the dentist. Every time. It has gotten to the point that the other cries that…
In case you were wondering…
This is what our germy bread looks like as of this morning. Before we headed off to daycare, we examined…
Stick Family
Stick people, by Violet An accurate representation. Mom: (dressed for work) black hoodie, dark pants, blue & black socksDad: Colorful…
I’m too much fun
Yesterday turned out to be another BEAUTIFUL day. The kids and I cleaned in the morning because some friends of…
Surviving
I know there has been some concern over the past week as to how I was surviving the various snow…
Margarita Night
We are ringing in the new year with salsa chicken and margaritas (just Libby and I are drinking these). Even…
Special day
Today, we spent lots of time together with swimming, shopping, and out to lunch. We played legos and marble tracks.…
Swim Tests
When we go swimming at the Y, the kids and I swim in the big pool. It is 25 yards…
Good Night Hayden
Tonight I adjusted Hayden's covers befor Libby and I went to sleep because he was all wrapped up in his…
Happy Halloween!
Violet decided to make a Halloween picture for her class. She spelled the words an designed the picture all by…
Why I Love Fall
When I was taking the kids one morning I stepped outside after Violet and Hayden were already outside. It was…
Violet’s Reading Log
Violet has a reading log she has to keep for her class. She has to write down the date she…
Up Up and Away!
Today we experienced a day of flight. We started off at the Air Zoo watching a science demonstration related to…
Hayden’s Boat
Hayden came home from school yesterday and started grabbing paper and tape out of the art supplies. He was keeping…
Violet knows the answer
At dinner this evening, I had been talking/complaining about work with Mike and Ray. I was going on about some…
Hayden at the Library
This week was the last week of the the summer where the library at Violet’s school was open for the…
Weekend Fun
This past weekend was pretty eventful. On Friday Libby got home from a business trip so we celebrated her birthday…
Father’s Day
The Friday before Father’s Day I picked up the kids from Daycare. When I got there, Hayden had a present…
Violet’s Last Day of Kindergarten
Violet’s last day of kindergarten was Friday. Libby and I both took it off to see the big day. Thursday…
Monkey Bars
Hayden has been finally going outside routinely at daycare now that the snow and rain have subsided. He gets to…
On the Hunt
Today Hayden found a caterpillar at daycare. One of his teachers put it in an upside down cup for him…
The Best Part of Waking Up…
This morning I got up at 5:30 to go swimming after having stayed up later than I should have. I…
Birthday Dinners
Violet and Hayden got to both choose where they wanted to have their birthday dinners. They both wanted to eat…
Great Wolf Lodge
We had such a great time up in Traverse City for our third time at Great Wolf Lodge. Thanks to…
Bed Time
We read to the kids pretty much every night. Violet continues to do well at reading herself. The other night,…
first truly spring day
Sunday was a beautiful sunny day and 72°F. Perfect for an Easter outside. It was one of the most pleasant…
New Pictures
We finally got around to uploading new pictures to Google. There are two sets. The first are some pictures of…
“F Bombs”
Tonight’s dinner conversation while Mike was out at a meeting: Vi: What does it mean to drop an “f bomb”?…
Bad Days
Libby picked up the kids tonight and got the scoop on how their days went. I got a text from…
Trips to Meijer
Usually I go to Meijer by myself because it is a lot quicker and the kids usually don’t want to…
Neon LIghts
A couple weeks back Violet brought home a flyer. This wasn’t that special since the school and PTO seem to…
“Spring” Time
The snow is finally starting to melt. The kids realized this and were playing in a true mud puddle. Since…
Catching up on some Videos
Violet is adorable. Well, both of our kids are adorable. They both LOVE to sing. Ever since we saw Frozen,…
Knowledge is Bad
Violet has only been in Kindergarten for a few months and I am already realizing that it would be better…
Ben Jammin
So Hayden is a groupie… At his Daycare there is a piano teacher by the name of Ben Jammin (given…
Hayden is my kid…
We were having hot dogs tonight and Hayden is eating hotdogs with relish and ketchup. I put sauerkraut on my…
Just cool like that
Yesterday, Mike attended an all day seminar with workshops held at the Radisson. It’s a big fundraiser for a nonprofit…
Good or Bad?
Is it a good or a bad thing that Hayden and Violet are without shirts playing in soapy water in…
Our Little Princess(es)
Oh, dress up. Our kids love to dress up. In an effort to get Hayden to go to bed so…
Sore Muscles
A few nights back Violet had a leg cramp so we put the heating pad on her. Once Hayden found…
Tricky Math
The other night Violet and I were practicing math. I started by having her add 2+7 and subtract numbers like…
Hayden’s Dentist Appointment
Today Hayden and I went to the dentist for his routine month checkup. Hayden loved playing with the suction tube. …
Violet’s Broken Nose
Last night as I was making dinner, Violet walked in from the living room holding her nose. I asked her…
Doctors are Confusing
Monday was a very. long. day. It started out like a normal Monday, but by the time evening arrived, it…
Disney Day 4 – Hollywood Studios
After a long night at Magic Kingdom we awoke early (relatively) to go to Hollywood Studios. The first thing that…
Time Out
The other day Hayden got a time out. Generally Hayden is a good kid, but this isn’t anything too noteworthy.…
New URL for Online Photo Albums
In addition to adding new photos to the web albums we also moved the albums to Google+. The new URL…
Disney Day 3 – Magic Kingdom, take two
Since the weather was a little less than spectacular on this day, we made sure to bring our rain gear.…
Disney Day 2 – Resort
When we booked the trip to Disney it was recommended to us to stay at the resort for 5 days…
Who was in who’s belly?
At lunch today Hayden and Violet were talking about how big they were getting. They then started to talk about…
Disney Day 1 – Magic Kingdom
Sunday night we stayed a couple of hours outside of Disney World in Gainesville Florida. After a short drive to…
Go green!
So this is not related to Disney, but I wanted to get this up here before we forget! At Violet’s…
Journey to Disney World
Our journey to Disney World started Saturday morning after breakfast. We piled in the car and made our way down…
Disney World
This is the first in a series of posts that will be devoted to documenting our Walt Disney World vacation.…
No competition here
On Thursday, Violet let us know that she got to be first in line for being the tallest kid in…
A visitor
The tooth fairy will be making a visit tonight. Yet again. This will be for tooth number three! Today, we…
The beginning of the end
The first day of kindergarten. Wow. Didn’t think it would come this soon, but really, everyone says it does, and…
First Day at Daycare
Tuesday September 3, 2013 was Violet and Hayden’s first day at the new daycare. Libby and I both took the…
It’s Hard Work Being an Adult
Tonight after dinner the kids were both helping Libby and I do chores. Hayden was vacuuming with Libby and Violet…
These kids sure do love their music
There’s a new radio station here in the zoo that both Mike and I enjoy and nearly 100% of the…
“I was so impressed with your calm”…
Those were the words from a fellow daycare mom this afternoon via text. Looking back, I am surprised that I…
Circle of Life continues…
The kids survived the dead bird incident splendidly the other day. Maybe too well. Yesterday, Hayden wanted to help Mike…
The Circle of Life
Last night while eating dinner Libby looked out the window and saw a relatively large brown ruffled mass in the…
We finally took them away…
… Violet’s training wheels, that is! It’s official. Our baby girl can ride her bike like a pro. Violet has…
Lessons from Violet
In the morning while I get ready for work, the kids have their “pre-breakfast” snack. This morning, Hayden and Violet…
Wakey wakey
Hayden loves mornings. Absolutely, LOVES mornings. When Mike leaves bright and early, Hayden usually comes into our room to make…
Helping Mom
Tonight the kids and I joined Libby at her work for an open house event they were holding. They had…
Vacation
We recently had the opportunity to take the kids up north for vacation. While we were there, the kids got…
Helping Each Other
Violet comes running in to tell me one of their toys is in the neighbor’s yard and asks if she…
Explosions in the sky
Some nights I love bedtime, even when all I want is them to fall asleep: Hayden: Mom, I’m tired of…
A Picture For…
Violet drew this picture earlier this weekend. At one point Violet drew it for me. Violet then decided that it…
Shower Time
Tonight I gave Violet and Hayden showers after getting back from the beach. As usual, Violet’s shower was uneventful aside…
Fun With Water
The video below is a compilation of the kids playing at Bishop’s bog, using the slip and slide, and playing…
Long Lost Photos
Mike and I were using a memory card from an old Blackberry phone I had and came across these pictures.
Hayden Sleeping
We were heading back from a cold and rainy Memorial Day party and Libby and I were talking about being…
Bashing Fruit
Yesterday I went shopping with Hayden at Meijer while Libby mowed and Violet played with her new birthday presents. As…
Underwear
Tonight Libby was putting Hayden down when he discovered that his underwear had a hole in the front where his…
It’s Been a While
Just because we haven’t been posting pictures to Picasa does not mean that we haven’t been taking pictures. Below are…
Good Morning
This morning I left the house after Libby and the kids. Most mornings the kids run outside an play before…
A bit of Trouble
So Libby went out to a networking event tonight. That meant I had to watch the kids. Since it is…
Mom’s Home!
Libby got back from her business trip tonight and the kids were ecstatic. After dinner and a bit of playing…
Playing Chalk
This afternoon it was almost 60 outside so I took the kids outside to play. We practiced casting their fishing…
Bed Time Routine
The other night we were getting the kids ready for bed. Now that Hayden is almost 3, he is wanting…
Dancin’ Hayden
The kids love to dance. We try to have as many dance parties as possible before bed (as you may…
Jeepers Creepers
Tonight Hayden threw a bowl. I asked him to pick it up but he didn’t listen. After trying to get…
Hayden likes to rock!
We have one Guitar Hero game for our ps3. Legends of Rock. At some point, our guitar stopped working, and…
Biometric Screening
#endToday was biometric screening for Libby and I at Stryker so the kids got to come along. They got to…
Violet’s Two Front Teeth
Tonight at dinner, Violet was talking about how it was difficult for her to eat since she was missing one…
Crotch Sticks
Tonight was bath night after a weekend up north. I was cleaning up after inner and Libby was getting the…
Cleaning up After Dinner
Tonight Hayden cleaned the kitchen floor after dinner using the new vacuum he got after visiting Pat. This vacuuming session…
It’s About Time
For those who do not like living in Michigan do not read any further. Much to my enjoyment and to…
Hayden NEEDS a Vacuum
The other night, Hayden was going on and on about the vacuum that Santa is going to bring him for…
New Pics
Time seems to be slipping by as Santa will be visiting in just a few weeks! Therefore, we decided it…
New Kicks
Violet has progressed to size 1 shoes – which I find extremely confusing. There’s infant, then toddler through 13 then…
Santa the Techie
Violet and I were talking yesterday morning about going to see Santa at the mall. She made sure to tell…
MISSING Tooth
In the previous post I said that I would update the blog when any progress occurred with Violets tooth. As…
VERY Loose Tooth
Last time Violet went to the dentist she said that Violet had loose teeth. At the time, you could barely…
Happy December!
After a very long day of Violet being sick, we all went to the City of Portage’s lighting of the…
Christmas Lists
This past weekend, Hayden and Violet made Christmas lists for Santa Clause. After going to Barnes and Nobel (which now…
Our Run
Today I got new running shoes since my other ones were getting old. In order to try them out, we…
Hayden’s Temper
The other day Hayden and Violet were playing in the family room with separate toys. Violet started to play with…
Fire
A couple of nights back while Libby was on her run Violet was worried about fire getting her in our…
New Pictures
The last time we posted pictures was at Halloween. Since then, Libby ran a race the kids played at the…
Nightmare
Hayden wakes up in the middle of the night every once in a while having what we guess are nightmares.…
Post-Halloween Dentist
Today, Violet had a dentist appointment. She absolutely loves going to the dentist. Today, was a special dentist day. Her hygienist,…
Happy Halloween
Despite the remnants of Super Storm Sandy, we were still able to take the kids out Trick-Or-Treating tonight. As you…
Halloween Decorations
Denise was having Hayden and Violet make Halloween decorations at daycare. They made pumpkins, ghosts, and bats. Most of the…
Hayden’s Dentist Appointment
Last week Hayden had his first dentist appointment. As you can tell from the blurrieness in the first picture, he…
After the Rain
It rained quite a bit over the past two days. This was good for our lawn and garden, but the…
Cuteness Abounds
One morning, the kids and I were taking silly pictures with my phone. This one is my favorite. I can’t…
Almost, but not quite
Our little Violet seems to have bad luck with her bike. A couple weeks ago, she ended up with a…
Getting Dressed
The other day Violet and Hayden were helping me get dressed. Hayden was putting on my watch and asking to…
Family Volunteering and a Night of Independence
Today was Volunteer Kalamazoo’s first Family Day of Service honoring 9/11. The event was geared toward families, even families with…
Art time
Tonight, Violet and I were working on doing some art projects before bed. She really wanted to use markers, so…
Scribbles
This morning Violet was watching as I was putting my birthday checks in the mail to send to the bank. …
New Show
As we were eating snack, Violet was telling us about a new show at Nesie's. The name of the show…
PS3 Fixed
So a while back I tried putting a movie in the PS3 and heard a grinding sound when it started…
The Talker
Hayden has gone from not too super talkative to full sentences, full thoughts, full stories, and strong opinions. It seems…
Evidence
Since Netflix worked last night for Hayden going on the potty we tried it again tonight. This time we have…
The power of Netflix
As you may or may not know, Hayden is in big boy underwear. He has been in big boy underwear…
4th of July
I know that it is already the 24th of July. So I’m only a few days late writing about the…
Bad Garbage Truck
A few days ago we got rain while we were sleeping. In addition to the rain, we got thunder and…
A Good Day
I’m a little behind on my posting duties. I carry my phone around taking pictures and videos of the kids…
Morning Snack
I took the kids to Meijer while Libby cleaned the house. The kids wnted pretzels so I got those for…
Farmer Hayden
Tonight Hayden, Violet, and I went for a loop around the block on tricycle, bicycle, and foot, respectively. When we…
Oh noes!
Tonight at dinner, we had quesadillas with chips and salsa. The boys finished an entire jar of salsa. Once it…
My Butt
Tonight at dinner we were eating and Hayden farted. He asked “What was that?” and then in a little bit…
Summer Camp Part 2
So the updates were less frequent than I was planning. Getting detailed information out of Violet about her day at…
Violet’s First Day at Summer Camp
This morning I dropped Violet off at her first day of Summer Camp. She is doing session 2 (Reptiles and…
Bread and Butter for Dinner
Last night we were having hot dogs, mac and cheese, green beans, and bread and butter for dinner. We gave…
It’s Hayden!
Tonight I was putting Hayden down and tried to get a video of him reading “It’s Spring”. He saw that…
BONK!
Tonight Violet, Hayden, and I were jumping on the trampoline and pretending to be animals. Violet started as a bird,…
Nature Walks at Daycare
Yesterday Denise took Violet and Hayden on a nature walk while they were at Daycare. They walked down the road…
Astronomers or Entomologists
Tonight is the transit of Venus. I don't know why everyone is so excited, all I see are clouds. Even…
Violet’s Favorite Things
Yesterday we all went to the school to play since they had new playground equipment at the school. After playing…
“Reading” Outside
It was a gorgeous day outside and the kids got new leap frog books so they decided to “read” outside.…
Fun Weekends
The past couple of weekends we have had a blast spending time with our kids and our family. Last weekend…
Dinner Help
Last night Hayden was "helping" to set the table by getting out salsa, baked beans, peaches, stewed tomatoes, and all…
Be on the lookout…
We recently spotted a burglar in the area. He is around 3 feet tall with a black penguin hat and…
Mom’s Night Out
Tonight mom had her first meeting as a member of the young non-profit professionals. That meant I had to pickup…
I’m Sorry
Last night Violet and Hayden were fighting all the way home from Daycare. It was mostly about who got to…
More Please
Yesterday evening, I received this email from my daycare provider… Hi Libby, I wanted to show you this when you…
Thank You Cards
So I was trying to keep this a secret, but I have to let the cat out of the bag.…
Birthday Pictures
New birthday pictures have been posted and can be found here. Thank you to everyone who came to Violet’s birthday.…
Tape Recorder
Some days, I seriously wish I had a tape recorder going all of the time to record my kids talking.…
The Park with Neighbors
Tonight we decided to eat outside since it was 80 with a slight breeze. As can be expected, the kids…
Gardening
As Libby mentioned in the previous blog post, we planted a garden this weekend. In order to get the plants,…
A Great End to a Great Weekend
Yesterday afternoon, Hayden, Violet and I went to the park while Mike installed some edging around a new garden in…
Evening Walk
Since it was a balmy 54 with 20mph wind, we decided to go for a walk around the block after…
Girls’ Morning Out
Some mornings are rough, especially the mornings when I have a deadline to be somewhere. This morning Violet had a…
Attack of the Lizard
The other night while I was making dinner, Violet and Hayden were playing in the living room being fairly well…
Llamas In Pajamas
Last night, Hayden requested Llamas in Pajamas as his first bedtime story of the night. Since that book was in…
What a Weekend! (Part 3)
The weekend at Great Wolf Lodge to celebrate Hayden and Violet’s birthdays was full of ups and downs (literally and…
What a Weekend! (Part 2)
This is part 2 of our series of posts related to our weekend at Great Wolf Lodge. The previous 2…
What a Weekend – the Prequel
Home with the kids on Friday was a little trying with one sick child and the other wanting that attention.…
What a Weekend! (Part 1)
We went to Great Wolf Lodge for Hayden and Violet’s birthdays this past weekend. Libby was home with both kids on…
Happy Birthday Hayden!
Now that Hayden has officially turned two, we have started a new Picasa Album for this year. The new link…
Ant Infestation
Tonight we had tuna fish sandwiches for dinner. Hayden ate two sandwiches and his veggies and baked beans. Violet ate…
Time-Out Routine
Hayden has been rather rude as of late. I’m sure it has mostly to do with his learning to assert…
Violet the Horticulturalist
Tonight we all rode bikes to the park after dinner (Hayden was in the bike trailer). Hayden and Violet swung…
Helpers
As resourseful and responsible parents, we generally work to fix things when they break rather than replace them. This holds…
Fun together
Hayden and Violet love to brush their teeth. LOVE. This morning, it was going well until they realized they both…
Game On!
Tonight was game night. Violet and Hayden started out playing the penguin fishing game while Libby and I cleaned up…
Big boy bed
Mike alluded to the fact that he gave in when Hayden “requested” he lay down with him in his new…
Choo Choo Train
Hayden and Violet usually come downstairs after they get dressed to have a baba beebee (vitamin) and watch some PBS…
New Bed
Libby was brave and took both kids to get shoes today. In addition to this, she also took them to…
Mom’s Night Out
Libby had a work meeting tonight so I picked up the kids and am now letting them play before Hayden's…
Violet’s First 5k
Violet completed her first 5k in just under 40 minutes on Sunday. What I forget to mention, is that it…
Go Fish!
Monday nights are Mike’s class nights. He is able to come home home between work and class to have dinner…
One less finger…
…nail, that is. Soon. I hope. Last month or so, Violet shut Hayden’s hand in a door at daycare. It…
Eeeeww…
On Tuesday, we went to Bob Evens (down on the farm!) for dinner since Mike was training at the Fetzer…
It’s safe, we promise
In an effort to get some energy out before bed, we had the kids race down the stairs. This went…
Negligent Parents
You may have noticed that it has been quite some time since we posted pictures on Picasa. Just to quell…
“Thursday Party”
Violet loves to sing, and now that Violet is being exposed to even more music, she loves to sing NEW…
Tornados
Last night we had a tornado warning for Kalamazoo county. Luckily, the warning was for a storm that had the…
Hot Water Heater
Grandpa Chuck helped to replace the hot water heater a couple weeks back. It's working great, so I brought up…
Best Friends
Yesterday was yet another early daycare day for the kids. I picked them up right after lunch and came back…
Meijer
After a weekend in Muskegon, we had to go shopping to keep the troops fed for the week. I went…
Different but the Same
Feb 15, 2012 (age 1 year, 10 mo) I got a picture of Hayden a few weeks ago after he…
A beautiful day at the park – in FEBRUARY
… in Michigan, I might add. Since it was 60+ outside yesterday, I picked up the kids from daycare a…
Evenings can be rough
“I’m so mad at you, mommy! I’m so mad at you I want to throw you out of the house!”…
Matching Wednesday
This morning, both kids were just little pistols. Sometimes that’s a little infuriating when I just want to get to…
Bee Bee Loud
This morning Hayden hapagee geed (had to go pee). He was squatting down grunting. Listening to this, I quickly rushed…
Kiss Mama
This morning, Hayden woke up happy as ever. As we were getting ready for work, Hayden said “Kiss Mama…” Being…
We had a good run…
For a while, both kids were healthy for an extended period of time. This all ended when I went to…
Are there any more hookers?
This morning was all about cleaning (and playing). We got the kitchen and family room all cleaned up with some…
“Blinging” it On
Since the kids have been sick, they have been watching TV at night and resting on the couch. Tonight, they…
Where is this going?
Sometimes, I realize that I cannot anticipate every conversation with a three-year old. Here’s a summary from the other day…
Happy Birfdaytines Day!
I’ll just start off saying that the kids love this ‘holiday’! Violet has been looking forward to it for a…
A Week Away
I had every intention of blogging each day while Mike was in Puerto Rico so he could see all of…
A Warm Welcome
I left for Puerto Rico Sunday February 5th and was there until Friday. I had a great time there training…
Obsess much?
Hayden’s obsession with vacuum cleaners has hit another level. My house has never been quite so well cleaned (at least…
Haircuts
I got my haircut for my Puerto Rico trip, so Hayden and Violet wanted their hair cut too. Hayden did…
Story Time
Libby’s attempt to read George Martin’s entire “Song of Ice and Fire” series (well, the first 4 released books, at…
Growing Trees – Part 3
The apple tree continues to grow (Part 1, Part 2). As can be seen from the picture on the right,…
Night night
Before hayden lays down for bed, he has to say goodnight to a myriad of items/people. Tonights goodnights included: Hairdryer…
Skittles still hasn’t learned
For anyone who knows our older cat, Skittles, you will know that she hasn’t been the friendliest of cats –…
Winter camping
This past Friday was a ‘no daycare’ day for the kids. Therefore, I stayed home with them. Most days like…
Weekend and the Grandparents
We went up to see grandparents this weekend. After a great pancake breakfast at Paula and Ray’s, we packed up…
Routines
Hayden sure does love his routines. At night, he has to read Goodnight Moon while holding his blanket (kampy) after…
Two Pea Bah
Hayden continues to set the table (See original). This morning Hayden wanted protein. He went into the corner cupboard and…
Health Screening
Today, Libby and I got a health screening at Stryker. Usually Libby and I do this over lunch, but this…
Setting The Table
I got home from my swim to eat a bowl of cereal and found evidence of what I assume is…
Growing Trees – Part 2
Fuji Apple Sprout It has been almost two weeks since we planted the seeds. Nothing has sprouted, so Libby and…
Hapa-Ge-Ge!
After breakfast I was cleaning Hayden and he said with much urgency “Hapa-Ge-Ge”. In the language of Hayden, that means…
Snow Shoveling with Violet
Since we got several inches of snow yesterday and the plow went by the drive, I got on my winter…
Silence makes me nervous
With two young kids, there never seems to be more than moments of silence – and those times are generally…
Heart melted: check
These kids are really awesome. Tonight, however, they hovered between the two extremes of being super cute and behaved and…
Dreams of a Future
The other night at dinner, Mike and I were talking about finances and how much we were putting away into…
Allergies, ugh
Hayden’s rash is all healed now. It only took a week. We’re not exactly sure what caused it, but we’re…
Time to seperate?
With two kids that are pretty big for thier age, I’m wondering to myself how much longer we can manage…
Great dinner to end a great day
Skinless red skinned potatoes, meatloaf, broccoli and carrots and peaches. It was a hit with 50% of the kids. The…
Sunny with a Chance of Sledding
Today was such a great day for going sledding – sun shining, with crisp snow. It was a little chilly,…
Growing Trees
We were having some apples the other day, and Violet asked if we could grow some trees from the apple…