A blog about our family in Lafayette, Indiana
Happy Birthday Amy
Fri July 25, 2008 by Mike
Today is Amy's Birthday. Below are many pictures in honor of our favorite wife, mother, friend, blogger, and the many other 'hats' that she wears. Please leave a comment and wish her a happy birthday too.
There are a TON of pics so have fun viewing Amy over the last few years. For any sticklers out there, these are not necessarily in chronological order. :-)
I love you Amy! Have a great day!
Fri July 25, 2008 by Mike
Today is Amy's Birthday. Below are many pictures in honor of our favorite wife, mother, friend, blogger, and the many other 'hats' that she wears. Please leave a comment and wish her a happy birthday too.
There are a TON of pics so have fun viewing Amy over the last few years. For any sticklers out there, these are not necessarily in chronological order. :-)
I love you Amy! Have a great day!
A Moment and Birthday Presents
Thu July 24, 2008 by Amy
Tonight Alex was punished for pretty much the same reason he's often punished for...not listening and doing what he was told after we've repeated ourselves one too many times. Anyway, he had quite the meltdown during his punishment (it was late, he was tired and well, this was typical). Well, when it was all over and he was still upset, he was sitting on the toilet going potty and he was telling us he was sorry and then asking for forgiveness. Which we're still working on the wording of that.. He'll often say, "I forgive you, mommy" instead of, "Do you forgive me, mommy?" :-) Anyway, after that exchange he was quiet and crying a little on the toilet and then he looks at me with sad eyes and starts messing with his fingers, first sticking out his thumb and pointer and then eventually getting the pinkie up. And then he holds up the sign to me and I said, "What's that?" (knowing full well what he was doing). He said, "I love you." Aww....it was a very sweet moment. Although, he will sometimes play the "I love you" card in the midst of getting in trouble and upset, but since this was after the fact, it warmed my heart! I will say we don't sign that between each other all that much, so that's why I was especially surprised that he thought of that in the moment. The day I taught him that sign, we were actually using it in a different way initially. I was teaching him to "rock" while we were jamming to some music in the car. So, he was rockin' while flashing the sign above his head and then I eventually told him the other meaning for it, haha!
So, tomorrow/Friday is my birthday. 31...and complaining about roller coasters. We went shopping for my present over the weekend. I had been wanting a new pair of good shoes for walking for a while now. These shoes, Nike Air Pegasus, came highly recommended by Beth a while back.
These are last year's shoe, but makes no difference to me. They were on sale at Dick's, so I was a happy woman. They are maroon and pink and very white. I'm used to having more gray in my shoes and then they never look too dirty, so I'm really worried about trying to keep these clean. The guy at the store recommended Oxy Clean, which I've never used in my life. Anybody else use this to clean their shoes or have recommendations??
I also got a bra (not pictured) and some comfy shorts. Today, a day in advance since I have plans tomorrow, Mike and Alex gave me a mini cake, a card that plays the Electric Slide (he knows I can't keep myself from doing it if I hear the music!) and some celebrity magazines (which I never get to buy anymore because of the budget).
I have to mention that we had fun staging the shoes. When Mike first set them up like that, I was very impressed. I asked if he previously worked in a shoe store and he said, no, he was a foot model :-) He chose the letters. I was thinking I would put "Walk on" and flash the "Rock on" sign!
Oh, and one more thing about my shoes, they are considered Nike +, which means I could get the iPod Sport Kit for $30 and sync it up to my iPod and like track miles I've gone, set goals...I don't even know what all. Do you think I should purchase the little Sport kit thingie which goes into a little opening on the inside of the shoe??? Which is pretty cool.
Just one more thing...
You gotta feel it. It's Electric. Boogie Woogie Woogie.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Thu July 24, 2008 by Amy
Tonight Alex was punished for pretty much the same reason he's often punished for...not listening and doing what he was told after we've repeated ourselves one too many times. Anyway, he had quite the meltdown during his punishment (it was late, he was tired and well, this was typical). Well, when it was all over and he was still upset, he was sitting on the toilet going potty and he was telling us he was sorry and then asking for forgiveness. Which we're still working on the wording of that.. He'll often say, "I forgive you, mommy" instead of, "Do you forgive me, mommy?" :-) Anyway, after that exchange he was quiet and crying a little on the toilet and then he looks at me with sad eyes and starts messing with his fingers, first sticking out his thumb and pointer and then eventually getting the pinkie up. And then he holds up the sign to me and I said, "What's that?" (knowing full well what he was doing). He said, "I love you." Aww....it was a very sweet moment. Although, he will sometimes play the "I love you" card in the midst of getting in trouble and upset, but since this was after the fact, it warmed my heart! I will say we don't sign that between each other all that much, so that's why I was especially surprised that he thought of that in the moment. The day I taught him that sign, we were actually using it in a different way initially. I was teaching him to "rock" while we were jamming to some music in the car. So, he was rockin' while flashing the sign above his head and then I eventually told him the other meaning for it, haha!
So, tomorrow/Friday is my birthday. 31...and complaining about roller coasters. We went shopping for my present over the weekend. I had been wanting a new pair of good shoes for walking for a while now. These shoes, Nike Air Pegasus, came highly recommended by Beth a while back.
These are last year's shoe, but makes no difference to me. They were on sale at Dick's, so I was a happy woman. They are maroon and pink and very white. I'm used to having more gray in my shoes and then they never look too dirty, so I'm really worried about trying to keep these clean. The guy at the store recommended Oxy Clean, which I've never used in my life. Anybody else use this to clean their shoes or have recommendations??
I also got a bra (not pictured) and some comfy shorts. Today, a day in advance since I have plans tomorrow, Mike and Alex gave me a mini cake, a card that plays the Electric Slide (he knows I can't keep myself from doing it if I hear the music!) and some celebrity magazines (which I never get to buy anymore because of the budget).
I have to mention that we had fun staging the shoes. When Mike first set them up like that, I was very impressed. I asked if he previously worked in a shoe store and he said, no, he was a foot model :-) He chose the letters. I was thinking I would put "Walk on" and flash the "Rock on" sign!
Oh, and one more thing about my shoes, they are considered Nike +, which means I could get the iPod Sport Kit for $30 and sync it up to my iPod and like track miles I've gone, set goals...I don't even know what all. Do you think I should purchase the little Sport kit thingie which goes into a little opening on the inside of the shoe??? Which is pretty cool.
Just one more thing...
You gotta feel it. It's Electric. Boogie Woogie Woogie.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Overheard at Our House
Thu July 24, 2008 by Amy
Here is the most recent installment (like, things heard just this morning).
Thu July 24, 2008 by Amy
Here is the most recent installment (like, things heard just this morning).
- When playing doctor, Alex tries to listen to my "heart beep."
- "He dooze that, she dooze that." (DOES)
- At 5:30 this morning just after crawling into our bed (and us hoping he would go right back to sleep), he yells (after touching his hair apparently),"Where's my spikes?" He got his hair cut yesterday morning and the lady spiked it a little with gel. Oh, and the reason he was up (and did not go back to sleep :-( at 5:30 am was because he fell asleep for good at 7:00 last night in the car on the way home from Indiana Beach.
- "Mom, I want to watch that video with that dad and his son. Mary Diener. The name for God." OH.....the video that I posted the other day about Team Holt. My Redeemer! Hahaha...actually, I think I know someone named Mary Diener!
- After I, somehow, broke a set of blinds when trying to open them this morning (sorry, Mike!), "Baby I can fix it with my tools." (MAYBE) He's going at them with his drill as I type.
Some Hoosier Fun
Wed July 23, 2008 by Amy
We never refer to ourselves as "Hoosiers" really, even though we're born and bred, but not from these here parts. Well, now I'm talkin' like I'm from down South!
Anyway, we spent about 8 fun-filled hours at Indiana Beach today. We had a GREAT time. The weather was absolutely perfect. I do not fare well in the heat, but today was high 70s with an occasional breeze--just right. Mike took the day off and his parents (Grandma and Papa) and Alex's cousins, Alaina and Nick, met us there. It was fairly reasonable since Wednesdays are Buy One, Get One free admission with a CVS receipt. We never had to wait in line for too long...many times we were able to hop right on a ride.
Mike and I were able to go off on our own for a little while. I have to say I used to think of myself as a roller coaster enthusiast. I grew up going to Six Flags Great America in Illinois (loved me the American Eagle!) and we always liked going to Cedar Point as well. However, after today, I can honestly say, I'm not a big fan of roller coasters anymore. Record screeches to a stop! I think this is the official sign that I am aging. I am old. I've never been a fan of spinning rides and that will never change. I did not enjoy the Scrambler and there was NO WAY I was going on the Tilt-a-Hurl. I think Mike almost puked during that one today.
Alex, overall, loves rides. The kiddie rides were no problem. He, regrettably, tried a couple of bigger rides today, specifically the Scrambler and the big pirate ship. Poor guy. He kept saying he was scared and "didn't like the hills" (on the Pirate ship) and I was feeling the same!!
There were no tears shed on this trip, which is major success!! Mike usually sheds at least a couple if he doesn't get to spend enough time at the arcade, haha.
Wed July 23, 2008 by Amy
We never refer to ourselves as "Hoosiers" really, even though we're born and bred, but not from these here parts. Well, now I'm talkin' like I'm from down South!
Anyway, we spent about 8 fun-filled hours at Indiana Beach today. We had a GREAT time. The weather was absolutely perfect. I do not fare well in the heat, but today was high 70s with an occasional breeze--just right. Mike took the day off and his parents (Grandma and Papa) and Alex's cousins, Alaina and Nick, met us there. It was fairly reasonable since Wednesdays are Buy One, Get One free admission with a CVS receipt. We never had to wait in line for too long...many times we were able to hop right on a ride.
Mike and I were able to go off on our own for a little while. I have to say I used to think of myself as a roller coaster enthusiast. I grew up going to Six Flags Great America in Illinois (loved me the American Eagle!) and we always liked going to Cedar Point as well. However, after today, I can honestly say, I'm not a big fan of roller coasters anymore. Record screeches to a stop! I think this is the official sign that I am aging. I am old. I've never been a fan of spinning rides and that will never change. I did not enjoy the Scrambler and there was NO WAY I was going on the Tilt-a-Hurl. I think Mike almost puked during that one today.
Alex, overall, loves rides. The kiddie rides were no problem. He, regrettably, tried a couple of bigger rides today, specifically the Scrambler and the big pirate ship. Poor guy. He kept saying he was scared and "didn't like the hills" (on the Pirate ship) and I was feeling the same!!
There were no tears shed on this trip, which is major success!! Mike usually sheds at least a couple if he doesn't get to spend enough time at the arcade, haha.
What is going on???
Mon July 21, 2008 by Amy
Yesterday, I felt God stirring something in me. I'm not one to throw that kind of phrase around lightly because, quite honestly, I hardly ever feel Him (except in some of my darkest, most broken, times) and don't feel like I know Him all that well. This is something I have been struggling with for the past several months after Lydia came...and went. Sometimes it bothers me that there have only been a handful of times when I can truly say I felt His presence and His hand in things. And I don't like the fact that for me, thus far, that connection has only been in the midst of some major turmoil in my life. I want to have that connection daily, or at least monthly...haha.
Anyway, as I have mentioned in a previous post, I have found myself feeling down, numb and blah lately (and I recently weaned from Wellbutrin). So yesterday, after watching the videos I posted (several times), bawling my eyes out, worshiping to some of my all-time favorite Christian music and some reflection, I began feeling renewed in a sense. I felt like He was lighting a fire under me (ouch..my bum...it was hot :-) and waking me up. Getting me excited about some things including my health, making me more productive around my home and just feeling, overall, more "with it" about a lot of things. An "I can do this" attitude and like He was nudging me along. I was feeling good! I went for a power walk at 9:00 last night (I can't remember the last time I had done that) and blared my favorite worship music on my Ipod. Even with my sweaty thighs rubbing together, seriously, I was happy! The thought kept crossing my mind that I wish I had some sort of music/Ipod system where I could blare my praise songs for all of the neighborhood to hear. People would hear me coming and they'd get to experience Him like I was. I wanted to share the love....it was a little crazy :-)
I was energized and stayed up late. I woke up feeling refreshed (on not enough sleep). This continued into the morning....almost like I was "on top of the world" and with Him I could do anything. I even told my friend, Renay, a little about what was going on with me and it was THEN that things started to change. Alex and I were out and about with one of his friends...went to the movies and a couple of other errands. One little thing went wrong after another. Well, it started out little...pulling into the wrong driveway (when I had been to this friend's house SEVERAL times), but then it was just more and more experiences like this...some involving possible damage to my car (we were safe the whole time). I just couldn't believe how I had felt like I was on this high, I really did, only for it go into this downward spiral. I was scattered and, frankly, kept doing STUPID things. Made me think of church yesterday where the topic was, "If I only had a brain" (from the Wizard of Oz). I decided we were not going to be out any longer and get home for our safety! It all added up to really put me in a bad mood and quite down on myself because I went from thinking I had things "together" with Him to feeling like--what the heck is going on, Lord? Where are You? I thought we had a good thing going and now I'm scaring myself and feel like an idiot. Instead of going from 0 to 100, I went from 100 to 0 fast!! And it sucked! Sucks.
I'm very confused and kind of hurt, honestly. I was getting excited about making some positive changes and I thought I had that mentality because of Him and was all about giving Him the praise. And now I feel like the rug has been pulled out from under me. I just don't understand what all of this means....if anything or nothing at all.
Mon July 21, 2008 by Amy
Yesterday, I felt God stirring something in me. I'm not one to throw that kind of phrase around lightly because, quite honestly, I hardly ever feel Him (except in some of my darkest, most broken, times) and don't feel like I know Him all that well. This is something I have been struggling with for the past several months after Lydia came...and went. Sometimes it bothers me that there have only been a handful of times when I can truly say I felt His presence and His hand in things. And I don't like the fact that for me, thus far, that connection has only been in the midst of some major turmoil in my life. I want to have that connection daily, or at least monthly...haha.
Anyway, as I have mentioned in a previous post, I have found myself feeling down, numb and blah lately (and I recently weaned from Wellbutrin). So yesterday, after watching the videos I posted (several times), bawling my eyes out, worshiping to some of my all-time favorite Christian music and some reflection, I began feeling renewed in a sense. I felt like He was lighting a fire under me (ouch..my bum...it was hot :-) and waking me up. Getting me excited about some things including my health, making me more productive around my home and just feeling, overall, more "with it" about a lot of things. An "I can do this" attitude and like He was nudging me along. I was feeling good! I went for a power walk at 9:00 last night (I can't remember the last time I had done that) and blared my favorite worship music on my Ipod. Even with my sweaty thighs rubbing together, seriously, I was happy! The thought kept crossing my mind that I wish I had some sort of music/Ipod system where I could blare my praise songs for all of the neighborhood to hear. People would hear me coming and they'd get to experience Him like I was. I wanted to share the love....it was a little crazy :-)
I was energized and stayed up late. I woke up feeling refreshed (on not enough sleep). This continued into the morning....almost like I was "on top of the world" and with Him I could do anything. I even told my friend, Renay, a little about what was going on with me and it was THEN that things started to change. Alex and I were out and about with one of his friends...went to the movies and a couple of other errands. One little thing went wrong after another. Well, it started out little...pulling into the wrong driveway (when I had been to this friend's house SEVERAL times), but then it was just more and more experiences like this...some involving possible damage to my car (we were safe the whole time). I just couldn't believe how I had felt like I was on this high, I really did, only for it go into this downward spiral. I was scattered and, frankly, kept doing STUPID things. Made me think of church yesterday where the topic was, "If I only had a brain" (from the Wizard of Oz). I decided we were not going to be out any longer and get home for our safety! It all added up to really put me in a bad mood and quite down on myself because I went from thinking I had things "together" with Him to feeling like--what the heck is going on, Lord? Where are You? I thought we had a good thing going and now I'm scaring myself and feel like an idiot. Instead of going from 0 to 100, I went from 100 to 0 fast!! And it sucked! Sucks.
I'm very confused and kind of hurt, honestly. I was getting excited about making some positive changes and I thought I had that mentality because of Him and was all about giving Him the praise. And now I feel like the rug has been pulled out from under me. I just don't understand what all of this means....if anything or nothing at all.
You Can
Sun July 20, 2008 by Amy
I don't have much to blog about lately (do I ever really? :-) So, instead I will share a couple of video clips that I hope will speak to you and touch you. I had seen a video of this beautiful story about 6 months ago and it brought me to tears then. I'm sure most of you have seen it, but it is SO worth seeing and feeling again and again.
It is the story of a father and son, Dick and Rick Hoyt--Team Hoyt. Rick was born 40+ years ago with cerebral palsy. Doctors said he wouldn't ever be able to walk or talk and would live in a vegetative state. They advised his parents to put him in an institution. His parents said, no way, they would bring him home and raise him like any other child. Rick is very bright. He completely understands and communicates through a computer. Rick and his father started running in races together when he was in high school, simply because he wanted to. His dad was not a runner by any means, but he became one. Dick is now 66 and Rick is 44. Over the years, they have participated in 950 races, 60 marathons and several triathlons (six Ironmans which consist of 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and 26 miles of running!! UNbelievable!). During races, Rick feels like his disability disappears. He has had an amazing life thus far, one that transcends the limitations of his body. Team Hoyt's motto is, "You Can."
This story, these videos speak volumes.
About the love a father has for his son. An undenying, unconditional love that is so visible in everything he does for him.
About a love that is significantly more magnified and powerful and unfailing, on a much huger scale. God's love for us. Can you imagine? Can you feel it?
About how God carries us through our lives and the trials it brings, similar to how this father carries his son.
About perseverance, never giving up, the ability to do whatever God's desires are for you.
Today was the first time I had seen this particular video/version. If you've seen it before, please watch it again! So awe-inspiring. I completely bawled and was comforted by my 3-year old :-)
Here is the original video I saw several months ago that gives more of a back story.
Think about that amazing love today :-)
Sun July 20, 2008 by Amy
I don't have much to blog about lately (do I ever really? :-) So, instead I will share a couple of video clips that I hope will speak to you and touch you. I had seen a video of this beautiful story about 6 months ago and it brought me to tears then. I'm sure most of you have seen it, but it is SO worth seeing and feeling again and again.
It is the story of a father and son, Dick and Rick Hoyt--Team Hoyt. Rick was born 40+ years ago with cerebral palsy. Doctors said he wouldn't ever be able to walk or talk and would live in a vegetative state. They advised his parents to put him in an institution. His parents said, no way, they would bring him home and raise him like any other child. Rick is very bright. He completely understands and communicates through a computer. Rick and his father started running in races together when he was in high school, simply because he wanted to. His dad was not a runner by any means, but he became one. Dick is now 66 and Rick is 44. Over the years, they have participated in 950 races, 60 marathons and several triathlons (six Ironmans which consist of 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and 26 miles of running!! UNbelievable!). During races, Rick feels like his disability disappears. He has had an amazing life thus far, one that transcends the limitations of his body. Team Hoyt's motto is, "You Can."
This story, these videos speak volumes.
About the love a father has for his son. An undenying, unconditional love that is so visible in everything he does for him.
About a love that is significantly more magnified and powerful and unfailing, on a much huger scale. God's love for us. Can you imagine? Can you feel it?
About how God carries us through our lives and the trials it brings, similar to how this father carries his son.
About perseverance, never giving up, the ability to do whatever God's desires are for you.
Today was the first time I had seen this particular video/version. If you've seen it before, please watch it again! So awe-inspiring. I completely bawled and was comforted by my 3-year old :-)
Here is the original video I saw several months ago that gives more of a back story.
Think about that amazing love today :-)
Flying Purple People Eater
Wed July 16, 2008 by Amy
We were just listening to a CD of miscellaneous space-related songs that I got from the library. Alex REALLY got a kick out of Purple People Eater. We've heard it about 10 times in the last half hour. The voice of the PPE and what he says cracks him up the most. I think your memory needs to be refreshed, so check out this high-tech video of the old-school song on YouTube :-) I have so many comments I could make about the graphics and animation, but I'll refrain. Really though, don't you think the thing on top of his head looks more like a crooked party hat than a horn???!!! Oh, AND the line throughout the song, "We wear short shorts," huh??? Did Nair steal that line from this song????
While searching for the original version of PPE, I came across this funky version that I didn't even know existed. You're welcome!
Oh, and I just read through a few of the comments on YouTube from that video and they're cracking me up! People just going on and on about how they didn't know Simon could sing like that and how he needs more lead parts. People comparing the three of them...it's a little disturbing. 1--The fact that people think about and discuss this...they take the time to comment and they really know their A&C stuff. And 2--Am I the only one that canNOT tell their singing apart on this song anyway (as if I listen to many of their songs)? hahaha. Seriously, I cannot tell a difference nor do I care to hear the distinction actually.
Bow chicka wow wow
Wed July 16, 2008 by Amy
We were just listening to a CD of miscellaneous space-related songs that I got from the library. Alex REALLY got a kick out of Purple People Eater. We've heard it about 10 times in the last half hour. The voice of the PPE and what he says cracks him up the most. I think your memory needs to be refreshed, so check out this high-tech video of the old-school song on YouTube :-) I have so many comments I could make about the graphics and animation, but I'll refrain. Really though, don't you think the thing on top of his head looks more like a crooked party hat than a horn???!!! Oh, AND the line throughout the song, "We wear short shorts," huh??? Did Nair steal that line from this song????
While searching for the original version of PPE, I came across this funky version that I didn't even know existed. You're welcome!
Oh, and I just read through a few of the comments on YouTube from that video and they're cracking me up! People just going on and on about how they didn't know Simon could sing like that and how he needs more lead parts. People comparing the three of them...it's a little disturbing. 1--The fact that people think about and discuss this...they take the time to comment and they really know their A&C stuff. And 2--Am I the only one that canNOT tell their singing apart on this song anyway (as if I listen to many of their songs)? hahaha. Seriously, I cannot tell a difference nor do I care to hear the distinction actually.
Bow chicka wow wow
Beautiful Flowers...
Mon July 14, 2008 by Amy
brighten my mood a little. I'm going to share pictures of how the flowers in Lydia's garden are doing...but Mike has the site set-up so I can't put the picture gallery until the end of this blurb.
So, I referenced my mood. Guess I should explain a little. I've been feeling kinda down lately. I can't pinpoint exactly why (it was especially bad for me Saturday morning when it was raining and our plans were changed) and can only say I've felt blah and unmotivated. I will say, honestly, that I did wean myself from Wellbutrin (that was prescribed for me back in January) this past month. I probably took the last pill a little over a week ago. Hmmm...is this a direct correlation? I don't know. I was feeling pretty good, normal, balanced a month ago and felt I didn't need the prescription anymore. That's what those drugs do to you though, huh?? Sure, my mood and overall mentality lately could have something to do with the way I'm living!!! My diet is out of whack, I'm lacking in the exercise department AND I don't get enough sleep. Yeah, that all adds up. I know if I worked on all of those areas, I could ONLY feel better and healthier. It's so much easier said than done, but I'm going to set some goals. Anyway, Lydia's pretty flowers bring a little sunshine and happiness into my life right now.
In other news...
Alex and I washed the Jeep today at the house...a good outdoor activity on this nice day. He loved washing his bike, Big Wheel and scooter as well.
Solicitors are annoying. We NEED to get one of the signs for our door because I don't want to deal with them anymore. I would not have answered the door today if it wasn't for my 3 year old who immediately looked out the front window after the doorbell rang and yelled, "Mommy, it's two guys!" Solicitors are especially annoying when they fake a British accent. I'm sorry but I just knew this guy was not from the UK.
So, I discovered a difficult card to shop for while at CVS this evening. A wedding card for one's mom, haha. They don't make them!! Well, I bet Hallmark would have something more specific like that. I realize it's not the typical card.....but I really didn't think much of it until I was trying to find one. So, unfortunately, she'll be getting more of a general wedding card. Congratulations to my mom and Dave (Nonna and Grumpy) who are getting married in Reno, Nevada on Thursday!! I will sadly not be there to witness the event...however, an interesting, eclectic group of people will be. I'm glad they will have some friends and a little family to witness their union and celebrate right then and there with them.
As we were returning from a couple of errands tonight, I said to Alex, "Did you love that Cotton Candy yesterday?" (It was the first time he had had it...at the Elston Family Carnival) and he faintly answered, yeah. He fell asleep as we were pulling into our neighborhood...at 7:30, woo hoo! So, he's been in bed for a while now. I hope he sleeps well through the night and is not up at the crack of dawn. He did go to bed late last night and woke up too early this morning, so is making up for it apparently. And I'm fine with that :-)
I rented Definitely, Maybe tonight from Redbox, my most favorite place to rent movies. I'm looking forward to watching it shortly...I've heard only rave reviews about it. Oh, and did you know that you can get a free movie (one night's rental--$1 worth) every Monday through this site? They post the coupon code that you just enter in at the kiosk every Monday, it's great!
Here are the pics....have a good night, everyone.
Mon July 14, 2008 by Amy
brighten my mood a little. I'm going to share pictures of how the flowers in Lydia's garden are doing...but Mike has the site set-up so I can't put the picture gallery until the end of this blurb.
So, I referenced my mood. Guess I should explain a little. I've been feeling kinda down lately. I can't pinpoint exactly why (it was especially bad for me Saturday morning when it was raining and our plans were changed) and can only say I've felt blah and unmotivated. I will say, honestly, that I did wean myself from Wellbutrin (that was prescribed for me back in January) this past month. I probably took the last pill a little over a week ago. Hmmm...is this a direct correlation? I don't know. I was feeling pretty good, normal, balanced a month ago and felt I didn't need the prescription anymore. That's what those drugs do to you though, huh?? Sure, my mood and overall mentality lately could have something to do with the way I'm living!!! My diet is out of whack, I'm lacking in the exercise department AND I don't get enough sleep. Yeah, that all adds up. I know if I worked on all of those areas, I could ONLY feel better and healthier. It's so much easier said than done, but I'm going to set some goals. Anyway, Lydia's pretty flowers bring a little sunshine and happiness into my life right now.
In other news...
Alex and I washed the Jeep today at the house...a good outdoor activity on this nice day. He loved washing his bike, Big Wheel and scooter as well.
Solicitors are annoying. We NEED to get one of the signs for our door because I don't want to deal with them anymore. I would not have answered the door today if it wasn't for my 3 year old who immediately looked out the front window after the doorbell rang and yelled, "Mommy, it's two guys!" Solicitors are especially annoying when they fake a British accent. I'm sorry but I just knew this guy was not from the UK.
So, I discovered a difficult card to shop for while at CVS this evening. A wedding card for one's mom, haha. They don't make them!! Well, I bet Hallmark would have something more specific like that. I realize it's not the typical card.....but I really didn't think much of it until I was trying to find one. So, unfortunately, she'll be getting more of a general wedding card. Congratulations to my mom and Dave (Nonna and Grumpy) who are getting married in Reno, Nevada on Thursday!! I will sadly not be there to witness the event...however, an interesting, eclectic group of people will be. I'm glad they will have some friends and a little family to witness their union and celebrate right then and there with them.
As we were returning from a couple of errands tonight, I said to Alex, "Did you love that Cotton Candy yesterday?" (It was the first time he had had it...at the Elston Family Carnival) and he faintly answered, yeah. He fell asleep as we were pulling into our neighborhood...at 7:30, woo hoo! So, he's been in bed for a while now. I hope he sleeps well through the night and is not up at the crack of dawn. He did go to bed late last night and woke up too early this morning, so is making up for it apparently. And I'm fine with that :-)
I rented Definitely, Maybe tonight from Redbox, my most favorite place to rent movies. I'm looking forward to watching it shortly...I've heard only rave reviews about it. Oh, and did you know that you can get a free movie (one night's rental--$1 worth) every Monday through this site? They post the coupon code that you just enter in at the kiosk every Monday, it's great!
Here are the pics....have a good night, everyone.
Wrestling AKA Playing Superheroes
Tue July 8, 2008 by Amy
Alex has enjoyed "wrestling" for as long as I can remember. It was a father-son thing for the longest time, but he will try to engage just about any adult in wrestling. When Mike and Alex do it, Alex is ALWAYS the good guy (typically Spiderman) and he picks which bad guy Mike is that time (believe me...he knows ALL of them...Dr. Octopus, Lizard Man, Electro, etc.) and then they use their respective powers.
I wrestle with Alex on occasion. I don't know all of the villains' super powers and can't portray them correctly, nor do I really want to, so when Alex and I wrestle he is Fire Man and I am Water Girl...our powers are obvious and it works for me. I'm going to be honest with you...secretly I really like wrestling not necessarily for the bonding time or providing endless fun for Alex. I like wrestling because I actually get a lot of rest time while doing it. I play dead a LOT...which means I close my eyes and rest on the pillows after he has used his powers on me in some way. It's awesome!!! However, as soon as I'm starting to relax with my eyes closed on the pillows, he ends up jumping on me, or whatever, but still.
Anyway, today's wrestling went in a whole other direction than usual. We were doing our usual Fire Man/Water Girl routine, when suddenly he said something like, "Fire Man is gone. I'm Bad Boy now." Well, Fire Man and I had really developed quite the relationship. I was a little thrown by the change. After we had interacted a little while, Bad Boy left the room and I heard him talking in the other room. He returned and said that he is now Good Boy, that he told Bad Boy three things (he relayed some gibberish that he told him) and then he was giving me hugs and being sweet to me. I loved Good Boy, but then suddenly Good Boy morphed into Bad Boy right before my eyes!! Aah!! A superhero with Multiple Personality Disorder--the scariest super power of all!!! Bad Boy said that Good Boy was in his chest? Huh? And that he only comes out at night. Thankfully daddy got home at that point...I was a little nervous to see what might happen next. Actually I'm intrigued by it and impressed with Alex's imagination. I, personally, am not all that creative and imaginative. He gets it from his dad...they do a lot of role-playing and I know that's a good skill to have.
Anyway, I just had to share today's funny wrestling experience.
I plan to post updated pics of Lydia's garden soon, since some of you have requested to see them!!!
Tue July 8, 2008 by Amy
Alex has enjoyed "wrestling" for as long as I can remember. It was a father-son thing for the longest time, but he will try to engage just about any adult in wrestling. When Mike and Alex do it, Alex is ALWAYS the good guy (typically Spiderman) and he picks which bad guy Mike is that time (believe me...he knows ALL of them...Dr. Octopus, Lizard Man, Electro, etc.) and then they use their respective powers.
I wrestle with Alex on occasion. I don't know all of the villains' super powers and can't portray them correctly, nor do I really want to, so when Alex and I wrestle he is Fire Man and I am Water Girl...our powers are obvious and it works for me. I'm going to be honest with you...secretly I really like wrestling not necessarily for the bonding time or providing endless fun for Alex. I like wrestling because I actually get a lot of rest time while doing it. I play dead a LOT...which means I close my eyes and rest on the pillows after he has used his powers on me in some way. It's awesome!!! However, as soon as I'm starting to relax with my eyes closed on the pillows, he ends up jumping on me, or whatever, but still.
Anyway, today's wrestling went in a whole other direction than usual. We were doing our usual Fire Man/Water Girl routine, when suddenly he said something like, "Fire Man is gone. I'm Bad Boy now." Well, Fire Man and I had really developed quite the relationship. I was a little thrown by the change. After we had interacted a little while, Bad Boy left the room and I heard him talking in the other room. He returned and said that he is now Good Boy, that he told Bad Boy three things (he relayed some gibberish that he told him) and then he was giving me hugs and being sweet to me. I loved Good Boy, but then suddenly Good Boy morphed into Bad Boy right before my eyes!! Aah!! A superhero with Multiple Personality Disorder--the scariest super power of all!!! Bad Boy said that Good Boy was in his chest? Huh? And that he only comes out at night. Thankfully daddy got home at that point...I was a little nervous to see what might happen next. Actually I'm intrigued by it and impressed with Alex's imagination. I, personally, am not all that creative and imaginative. He gets it from his dad...they do a lot of role-playing and I know that's a good skill to have.
Anyway, I just had to share today's funny wrestling experience.
I plan to post updated pics of Lydia's garden soon, since some of you have requested to see them!!!
Alex Stuff
Sat July 5, 2008 by Amy
Just some Alex randomness for you....
Hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend!
Sat July 5, 2008 by Amy
Just some Alex randomness for you....
- Alex has learned Mike's cell phone number. It's a very easy number to learn as it has four of the same number in a row (we need to get this kid to learn his home number though, really!). Anyway, he calls Mike a little too often at times and typically for no real reason at all. He'll even call without me knowing and then look to me when Mike answers and say, "What was I gonna say?" Um...no idea why you called, hon. The other day he was talking to Mike and said, "Hold on." Apparently a piece of paper on the floor caught his eye. He set the phone on the table and then proceeded to try to pick the paper up with his toes. I don't know where the uncontrollable urge to stop a phone call abruptly to use his feet in this way comes from. Well, actually I do. Daddy likes to pick things up with his feet, too....haha, once again, like father like son!
- Alex gives me a hard time lately about reading books together, which is such a bummer because I love sharing that with him and I know he needs it. It's sad that the way I "bribed" him to read a book the other day went exactly like this: He was whining and complaining about not wanting to read and then I said, "Look Alex, this book's about a fight!" He immediately and eagerly climbed up into my lap and was ready to read it....because it was about a fight. The name of the book: Gigi and Lulu's Gigantic Fight. Granted, it wasn't a physical fight, which I'm sure he would have preferred. Just a little tiff between a pig and a mouse, but still... :-)
- Speaking of reading books, once I got him roped in with the "fight scene," I was able to squeeze a couple of more books in there. We read Brassy, the Fire Engine and he got THE BIGGEST kick out of the line about him tooting his air horn, toot, toot! We use the word "toot" for passing gas. Typical boy to find the use or thought of that word absolutely hilarious.
- Any and every time a movie is brought up or Mike and I rent one for ourselves, Alex asks a specific line of questioning: "Does it have bad guys on it?" Does it have monsters on it? What it have on it?" Apparently he associates a movie having bad guys or monsters on it as something he can't watch (although, hello? He's obsessed with Scooby Doo and superhero cartoons), but then there are many adult-level movies with bad guys and monsters. But, he just doesn't get the fact that if the movie does NOT have those specific things in them, then why can't he watch it??? It's hard to explain to a 3 year old--as foul language and other inappropriate content are more abstract to explain than the literal "monsters and bad guys."
- Mike enjoys "chalky" candy (yuck!) and apparently the love has been passed down. Lo and behold, we have discovered these, which are perfect for my super-hero loving chalky candy eaters. Marvel Super Hero Candy Sticks. These are the equivalent of candy cigarettes in this day and age. They are basically the same thing without the red flame at the end and the awful "how cool is it to pretend like I'm smoking" message.
- Alex started beginner swimming lessons at the Y this past week. I was a little nervous to not be doing these with him (parent-child classes end when kids turn 3), but he is having the greatest time! He looks forward to them all day and incessantly asks if it is 4:00 yet. He brings up Sarah, the instructor, and the other boy in his group constantly. I'm SO glad he is responding this way as I witnessed a few younger ones show up the first day and not come back. That was us back when Alex was almost 2 (we quit after day 2), which you can read about here.
Hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend!
Aw, yeah...
Wed July 2, 2008 by Amy
Mike has had a song stuck in his head lately...he sings it often, plays it on the computer and dances his heart out to it. You'll never guess what it is....do you give up? But I'm never gonna give you up.
Hahahahaha....awesome, right? I especially love the moves that good ol' Rick Astley has perfected. Mike mimics them well. There's this thing going around on the internet called Rickrolling. I could have done a better job of rickrolling you, but I didn't feel like coming up with some elaborate made-up video clip only for you to view Rick Astley.
Oh, and you're welcome....for helping you get the song stuck in your head...and the lameness of Rick. Oh, and Alex danced naked to it while in the process of getting his pajamas on. He just couldn't help himself. Like father like son :-) (Wait, I just re-read that...Mike did NOT, I repeat...did NOT dance naked to it). Anyway...
Wed July 2, 2008 by Amy
Mike has had a song stuck in his head lately...he sings it often, plays it on the computer and dances his heart out to it. You'll never guess what it is....do you give up? But I'm never gonna give you up.
Hahahahaha....awesome, right? I especially love the moves that good ol' Rick Astley has perfected. Mike mimics them well. There's this thing going around on the internet called Rickrolling. I could have done a better job of rickrolling you, but I didn't feel like coming up with some elaborate made-up video clip only for you to view Rick Astley.
Oh, and you're welcome....for helping you get the song stuck in your head...and the lameness of Rick. Oh, and Alex danced naked to it while in the process of getting his pajamas on. He just couldn't help himself. Like father like son :-) (Wait, I just re-read that...Mike did NOT, I repeat...did NOT dance naked to it). Anyway...
Butterflies...
Sun June 29, 2008 by Amy
are meaningful to me. Since Lydia's passing, every time I see one I think of her. I don't really see them all that often, which makes it extra special when I do have that moment.
Did you know that a butterfly is a Christian symbol of resurrection? The caterpillar signifies life here on earth. It disappears into a cocoon and appears dead, but later emerges as a butterfly...far more beautiful and free than before. Lydia emerged from her cocoon a glorious butterfly, bound not for this world but one very close by. When I see a butterfly, I think of Lydia's new life in heaven, where every part of her is perfect... and I feel peaceful.
Yesterday I received a beautiful gift in the mail from some old friends from my mom's group in South Bend. A card with a butterfly magnet on it, with a note that it was meant for us with our magnetic wall :-). AND a special card from the Potawatomi Zoological Society (zoo in South Bend) that reads:
Dear Focosi Family,
A commemorative brick has been purchased in memory of Lydia Grace. The brick will be placed in the walkway that paves our new butterfly immersion exhibit--a lush and beautiful garden filled with butterflies. The brick inscription will read: IN LOVING MEMORY OF LYDIA GRACE
Isn't that just the neatest thing??? I don't even keep in touch with these friends like I would like, so I am especially humbled that they would do this. It is such an appropriate way to honor and remember Lydia and I cannot thank them enough. I can't wait to see the exhibit...gives me an excuse to get up there. SB friends-play date at the zoo, anyone???
I leave you with this...a butterfly in Lydia's garden in our yard.
Sun June 29, 2008 by Amy
are meaningful to me. Since Lydia's passing, every time I see one I think of her. I don't really see them all that often, which makes it extra special when I do have that moment.
Did you know that a butterfly is a Christian symbol of resurrection? The caterpillar signifies life here on earth. It disappears into a cocoon and appears dead, but later emerges as a butterfly...far more beautiful and free than before. Lydia emerged from her cocoon a glorious butterfly, bound not for this world but one very close by. When I see a butterfly, I think of Lydia's new life in heaven, where every part of her is perfect... and I feel peaceful.
Yesterday I received a beautiful gift in the mail from some old friends from my mom's group in South Bend. A card with a butterfly magnet on it, with a note that it was meant for us with our magnetic wall :-). AND a special card from the Potawatomi Zoological Society (zoo in South Bend) that reads:
Dear Focosi Family,
A commemorative brick has been purchased in memory of Lydia Grace. The brick will be placed in the walkway that paves our new butterfly immersion exhibit--a lush and beautiful garden filled with butterflies. The brick inscription will read: IN LOVING MEMORY OF LYDIA GRACE
Isn't that just the neatest thing??? I don't even keep in touch with these friends like I would like, so I am especially humbled that they would do this. It is such an appropriate way to honor and remember Lydia and I cannot thank them enough. I can't wait to see the exhibit...gives me an excuse to get up there. SB friends-play date at the zoo, anyone???
I leave you with this...a butterfly in Lydia's garden in our yard.
This Week
Thu June 26, 2008 by Amy
I feel like this week has been SO busy...I've hardly had any time to sit or pick up around the house, or anything. It has been GOOD busy though overall. I'm going to re-cap this past week....maybe that's lame, but I don't really have any other material in me than that.
Family Fun
On Saturday, our anniversary :-), we had my beautiful friend, Jessica, and her family over for a cook out. Alex adores her kids Helene and Luke and we like their dad, Scott, just okay, too :-) We had some hot dogs and sides and then the kids got their bathing suits on and had water balloon fights. It's crazy how quickly those water balloons disappear, yet are so time-consuming to fill up. Then, we made our famous elephant ears, haha...we had to share the love!! Believe me, we are not going to be making carnival food on a regular basis in our home. We are saving the greasy delights for special festivities only. We could not stop laughing over the kids' responses to the elephant ears.' It was hilarious. The three of them were playing upstairs as we were getting the dough frying (we did not tell them we were having this treat ahead of time). One by one (a few minutes' apart) they came down the stairs in like a trance. With big eyes and grins..."What's that smell? What are you making?" It was like better than Christmas morning (their reactions)...seriously, it was very funny. They couldn't wait to get their grubby hands on one when it was done...but they were so hot and they had to be patient. Luke was the funniest of all because he loves cinnamon sugar pretzels from the mall. Pure joy, I tell ya. Anyway, after the grease fest, we worked off a little of it by playing some old school dodge ball (with light beach balls...nothing aggressive). I can't remember the last time I played (I was having elementary school flashbacks of getting beamed in the face with those hard, rubber balls and my glasses breaking/cutting into my cheek, not kidding). The guys kept making up rules that they conveniently remembered when it would help them out in some way. Jessica is awesome at dodge ball, of course. The kids had a lot of fun, too.
Saying Goodbye
Sunday was our pastor's last with our church. It was a bittersweet day. He is moving on to Mesa, Arizona where his wife has her dream job in oncology and he has been hired as senior pastor at a Methodist church there. Alex and I went to a reception for Pastor Jim following the church service. Mike was not feeling well and was out of commission for the entire day, so Alex and I fended for ourselves, which is unusual for a weekend as we are very used to our family time. Anyway, back to Pastor Jim...Mike and I really connected with him and I just felt such a special fondness for him that I can't explain. I know I can attribute it to how much he helped us through the pregnancy and afterwards...and he met Lydia (only a handful of people can say that) and loved her. And he often expressed his love for us (which I've never experienced with another pastor). We always made it a point to give each other a hug anytime we saw each other. He is such a special man who has blessed so many and I know he will continue to do so in stupid Arizona (just kidding). I am happy for him, but he knows he will be missed. I am looking forward to meeting our new pastor since our congregation has heard a lot about him. His name is Scott Mann and he is from North Webster, I think? He and Pastor Jim are best friends....I'm sure God has a plan for our congregation and I am looking forward to this next phase of the journey.
VBS
Now, as far as the rest of the week....our church's Vacation Bible School is going on. And in order to get Alex to be able to participate in it (must be 4 to be a part of it), I HAD TO volunteer (is that an oxymoron? heehee). I was anticipating both me and Alex getting a lot out of it. So, we have been there every morning this week from 9-11:30. Alex is having a blast. I am a "group guide" for 22 five year olds. Thank God I am not the only group guide. There is another mom and teenager with us...and they are very much needed. And today, God sent Katie (the children's ministry director's daughter) to help us out. She was amazing and has learned a lot from her mom who is also a PreK teacher. I love children, do not get me wrong. But this has been a VERY tiring week...they are quite the handful. Apparently they were never taught the terms--listening ears, zip your lips, bubble in your mouths (actually that was a new one to me), hands to yourselves, line up, sit down, hold hands, obey, the list goes on and on (I might be exaggerating a little, okay..no, I'm not). I feel like a drill sergeant and I don't like that at all. I want to enjoy this experience more, I really do. I vowed today that I would at least not LOOK as stressed as I felt (I typically cannot hide my stress, at all). I think I accomplished that today...smiling while yelling, haha. Overall, I have met some very sweet children (except for a few. One minor, minor example of what one little girl did who looks deceiving like a little princess---I went to grab her hand and she yelled, "ow!" Believe me, I did not hurt her in the least...she just knows how to play people and is something else). Anyway, it really bothers me that the names I completely have to memory are those who are misbehavin.' And then there are the sweet angels who get lost in the crowd and I don't even get to know them. I did often praise good behavior today. One more morning of this...and a dinner/program tomorrow night. I will miss seeing some of them :-) Oh, and I just hug Alex extra tight and give him lots of kisses after the morning is over. Makes me really appreciate him!! Speaking of Alex, I have to tell you what he calls one of his teachers for VBS. Her name is Rebecca....and he calls her Chewbecca, which I figured out is a combination of Chewbacca (Star Wars) and Rebecca. I shared this with her and we got a good laugh--too cute.
Fun Stuff
We have spent a couple of afternoons playing with friends this week and got to go to Chick-Fil-A. Love that place...how they run their business and what they do for the community. We got free kids' meals coupons through VBS. The past two evenings I have attended different womens' outings through my bible study church, EFC. We had a "Fun in the Sun" fellowship night on Tuesday at Camp Tecumseh.
And then I have started participating in a Summer Study on Wednesday nights on this Christian book about marriage. It's fun to discuss with women in an intimate setting and I think will be very helpful in all of our marriages. Jill Savage, the founder of Hearts at Home, is the author.
This week's challenge for our Summer Study was to make our husbands' favorite meal. I didn't have to rack my brain too much to know what Mike's favorite meal is. So, for the first time ever, I made the Focosi family's homemade spaghetti sauce with meatballs. Sure, I've assisted Mike in the past, but he's always been the one to primarily make it. But, I made it all on my own and it turned out really well. He left the table "stuffed," which is how I know I/the meal was a success.
NOT Good?
Today, something big happened. Something huge! The grand opening of....the new Goodwill on the south side of town...and it was AWESOME. Totally insane, but awesome. This Goodwill is only like 1/2 mile from my house..this is good (hence their name), but also, oh, so bad. Think... my Dollar Tree problem. Really, I don't generally have a Goodwill issue, but since we have one so close...and it's huge and organized and TONS of new stuff in the box (discounted) directly from Target (way more than I'd ever seen at any other Goodwill), this may be a problem that I need to work hard to overcome (i.e., keep on driving). I could easily ride my bike there though...maybe I should...then I couldn't buy as much. Although we've been wanting to get a bike trailer. Anyway, I thought my legs were going to go out from under me when I first entered the store. It's so pretty. I never, ever thought I'd use that word to describe a Goodwill. And it doesn't have THE SMELL...not yet, anyway. And I said it's very large, right? And the books they offer...it's not just one measly shelf on a wall of books....a few rows of books...categorized, hello?! It's the closest version of Half Price Books in our town, I guess. There were a LOT of people in that store today. Think...a couple hundred, or so, die hard garage salers under one roof. So, I've realized taking Alex with means spending more money than I intend to, but often I don't have a choice (regarding taking him). We found some brand new Scooby Doo books and other miscellaneous books for him, a Scooby Doo video, a brand new (in the packaging) Indiana Jones Lego set (retails for $20 online) for $4.99. Let me tell you this was THE find. This grandma was talking to me about the Lego set...how it's her grandson's favorite thing ever and if there are any more. I helped her look, but didn't find anything. She kept eyeing me and my box and seriously, I would NOT put that thing down in my cart (which was off to the side) because I just knew she would snatch it. You did not see the look in her eye, okay??? I found a cute, new Old Navy sleeveless shirt for $3. I didn't get to explore the store as much as I would have liked because I couldn't maneuver the cart well amongst the crowd. I was about to check out with like $15 worth of stuff...that's not too bad, right? Well, instead of having the typical impulse items (gum, candy, magazines, etc.which are relatively cheap) at the checkout, they have these "special" shelves right at the check out with cool kitchen gadgets and other pricier (but discounted) things, including this inflatable pool (new, in the box, of course). Mike and I have been talking about getting an inflatable pool for a while now. I am such a sucker...but I knew we wanted one and pictured us spending way more than $14.99 (this is regularly $29.99). So, yep, I left spending $32, which I personally think is a lot to spend at Goodwill. I vow to you right now that I am going to set some Goodwill limitations, I really am. I just need to put some thought into that and will try not to go there in the meantime!
Exercise (lack of)
I can't remember the last time I truly exercised (something like 10 days ago?). I hate that. Between vacation and the packed schedule this week I have not been able to get to the Y during my regular times. Cardio is so important to me, but why don't I at least do something like 100 sit ups in front of the tv (I really haven't been watching much tv lately though) or leg exercises, or something? Hey, if there was a way I could do floor exercises while on the computer (which is on a desk), I would!!!! I'm all about multi-tasking!
In Need of Prayers
My dear friend, Lindsay (the one with the beautiful voice who sang at Lydia's service) is just into her 19th week of pregnancy. She has been leaking amniotic fluid for 8 days now and it's already a miracle that she has not gone into labor yet. The goal is to AT LEAST make it to 25 weeks to help the baby's chances of survival and quality of life. She is on the strictest of bed rest and is, generally speaking, at peace with what God's plan is for her baby and their family (which includes her wonderful husband, Mike, and their adorable daughter, Ruby). You can read all about Lindsay's thoughts, life on bed rest and their baby on their blog:
www.not2us.net/blog/
She is blogging extensively because...well, what else is she going to do in bed ALL DAY LONG? They have her laptop propped up nicely so she can be on the computer comfortably.
I adore Lindsay, I truly do. I don't use the word "adore" lightly or feel that way about just anyone. I love her, admire her, and am a devoted friend to her. She has the BEST sense of humor (actually similar to mine, hee hee) and our husbands (both Mikes) are a lot alike. Oh, and I razz her about being my young friend...she's like 25?! But wise way, way beyond her years! Lindsay is on my heart constantly, just like I continue to think of this friend (who lost her twins at 19 weeks). Lindsay has been such an influential friend and Christian in my life. I thank God for her daily and I KNOW He will take care of her (and her family) during this time in her life, and always. And even though I tell her ALL of the time, I needed to publicly put it out there how much I love and care for her and will be here for her always, just like He is. Please check out her blog, find out more about her (and her baby)...you'll probably start liking her right away like I did. And comment on her site...she's getting a TON of hits today with a post about suggestions for helping to pass her time on bed rest and she's totally flattered that people read her blog. But, most of all, please lift her, the baby, and the entire Goodwin family up in your prayers!
Thu June 26, 2008 by Amy
I feel like this week has been SO busy...I've hardly had any time to sit or pick up around the house, or anything. It has been GOOD busy though overall. I'm going to re-cap this past week....maybe that's lame, but I don't really have any other material in me than that.
Family Fun
On Saturday, our anniversary :-), we had my beautiful friend, Jessica, and her family over for a cook out. Alex adores her kids Helene and Luke and we like their dad, Scott, just okay, too :-) We had some hot dogs and sides and then the kids got their bathing suits on and had water balloon fights. It's crazy how quickly those water balloons disappear, yet are so time-consuming to fill up. Then, we made our famous elephant ears, haha...we had to share the love!! Believe me, we are not going to be making carnival food on a regular basis in our home. We are saving the greasy delights for special festivities only. We could not stop laughing over the kids' responses to the elephant ears.' It was hilarious. The three of them were playing upstairs as we were getting the dough frying (we did not tell them we were having this treat ahead of time). One by one (a few minutes' apart) they came down the stairs in like a trance. With big eyes and grins..."What's that smell? What are you making?" It was like better than Christmas morning (their reactions)...seriously, it was very funny. They couldn't wait to get their grubby hands on one when it was done...but they were so hot and they had to be patient. Luke was the funniest of all because he loves cinnamon sugar pretzels from the mall. Pure joy, I tell ya. Anyway, after the grease fest, we worked off a little of it by playing some old school dodge ball (with light beach balls...nothing aggressive). I can't remember the last time I played (I was having elementary school flashbacks of getting beamed in the face with those hard, rubber balls and my glasses breaking/cutting into my cheek, not kidding). The guys kept making up rules that they conveniently remembered when it would help them out in some way. Jessica is awesome at dodge ball, of course. The kids had a lot of fun, too.
Saying Goodbye
Sunday was our pastor's last with our church. It was a bittersweet day. He is moving on to Mesa, Arizona where his wife has her dream job in oncology and he has been hired as senior pastor at a Methodist church there. Alex and I went to a reception for Pastor Jim following the church service. Mike was not feeling well and was out of commission for the entire day, so Alex and I fended for ourselves, which is unusual for a weekend as we are very used to our family time. Anyway, back to Pastor Jim...Mike and I really connected with him and I just felt such a special fondness for him that I can't explain. I know I can attribute it to how much he helped us through the pregnancy and afterwards...and he met Lydia (only a handful of people can say that) and loved her. And he often expressed his love for us (which I've never experienced with another pastor). We always made it a point to give each other a hug anytime we saw each other. He is such a special man who has blessed so many and I know he will continue to do so in stupid Arizona (just kidding). I am happy for him, but he knows he will be missed. I am looking forward to meeting our new pastor since our congregation has heard a lot about him. His name is Scott Mann and he is from North Webster, I think? He and Pastor Jim are best friends....I'm sure God has a plan for our congregation and I am looking forward to this next phase of the journey.
VBS
Now, as far as the rest of the week....our church's Vacation Bible School is going on. And in order to get Alex to be able to participate in it (must be 4 to be a part of it), I HAD TO volunteer (is that an oxymoron? heehee). I was anticipating both me and Alex getting a lot out of it. So, we have been there every morning this week from 9-11:30. Alex is having a blast. I am a "group guide" for 22 five year olds. Thank God I am not the only group guide. There is another mom and teenager with us...and they are very much needed. And today, God sent Katie (the children's ministry director's daughter) to help us out. She was amazing and has learned a lot from her mom who is also a PreK teacher. I love children, do not get me wrong. But this has been a VERY tiring week...they are quite the handful. Apparently they were never taught the terms--listening ears, zip your lips, bubble in your mouths (actually that was a new one to me), hands to yourselves, line up, sit down, hold hands, obey, the list goes on and on (I might be exaggerating a little, okay..no, I'm not). I feel like a drill sergeant and I don't like that at all. I want to enjoy this experience more, I really do. I vowed today that I would at least not LOOK as stressed as I felt (I typically cannot hide my stress, at all). I think I accomplished that today...smiling while yelling, haha. Overall, I have met some very sweet children (except for a few. One minor, minor example of what one little girl did who looks deceiving like a little princess---I went to grab her hand and she yelled, "ow!" Believe me, I did not hurt her in the least...she just knows how to play people and is something else). Anyway, it really bothers me that the names I completely have to memory are those who are misbehavin.' And then there are the sweet angels who get lost in the crowd and I don't even get to know them. I did often praise good behavior today. One more morning of this...and a dinner/program tomorrow night. I will miss seeing some of them :-) Oh, and I just hug Alex extra tight and give him lots of kisses after the morning is over. Makes me really appreciate him!! Speaking of Alex, I have to tell you what he calls one of his teachers for VBS. Her name is Rebecca....and he calls her Chewbecca, which I figured out is a combination of Chewbacca (Star Wars) and Rebecca. I shared this with her and we got a good laugh--too cute.
Fun Stuff
We have spent a couple of afternoons playing with friends this week and got to go to Chick-Fil-A. Love that place...how they run their business and what they do for the community. We got free kids' meals coupons through VBS. The past two evenings I have attended different womens' outings through my bible study church, EFC. We had a "Fun in the Sun" fellowship night on Tuesday at Camp Tecumseh.
And then I have started participating in a Summer Study on Wednesday nights on this Christian book about marriage. It's fun to discuss with women in an intimate setting and I think will be very helpful in all of our marriages. Jill Savage, the founder of Hearts at Home, is the author.
This week's challenge for our Summer Study was to make our husbands' favorite meal. I didn't have to rack my brain too much to know what Mike's favorite meal is. So, for the first time ever, I made the Focosi family's homemade spaghetti sauce with meatballs. Sure, I've assisted Mike in the past, but he's always been the one to primarily make it. But, I made it all on my own and it turned out really well. He left the table "stuffed," which is how I know I/the meal was a success.
NOT Good?
Today, something big happened. Something huge! The grand opening of....the new Goodwill on the south side of town...and it was AWESOME. Totally insane, but awesome. This Goodwill is only like 1/2 mile from my house..this is good (hence their name), but also, oh, so bad. Think... my Dollar Tree problem. Really, I don't generally have a Goodwill issue, but since we have one so close...and it's huge and organized and TONS of new stuff in the box (discounted) directly from Target (way more than I'd ever seen at any other Goodwill), this may be a problem that I need to work hard to overcome (i.e., keep on driving). I could easily ride my bike there though...maybe I should...then I couldn't buy as much. Although we've been wanting to get a bike trailer. Anyway, I thought my legs were going to go out from under me when I first entered the store. It's so pretty. I never, ever thought I'd use that word to describe a Goodwill. And it doesn't have THE SMELL...not yet, anyway. And I said it's very large, right? And the books they offer...it's not just one measly shelf on a wall of books....a few rows of books...categorized, hello?! It's the closest version of Half Price Books in our town, I guess. There were a LOT of people in that store today. Think...a couple hundred, or so, die hard garage salers under one roof. So, I've realized taking Alex with means spending more money than I intend to, but often I don't have a choice (regarding taking him). We found some brand new Scooby Doo books and other miscellaneous books for him, a Scooby Doo video, a brand new (in the packaging) Indiana Jones Lego set (retails for $20 online) for $4.99. Let me tell you this was THE find. This grandma was talking to me about the Lego set...how it's her grandson's favorite thing ever and if there are any more. I helped her look, but didn't find anything. She kept eyeing me and my box and seriously, I would NOT put that thing down in my cart (which was off to the side) because I just knew she would snatch it. You did not see the look in her eye, okay??? I found a cute, new Old Navy sleeveless shirt for $3. I didn't get to explore the store as much as I would have liked because I couldn't maneuver the cart well amongst the crowd. I was about to check out with like $15 worth of stuff...that's not too bad, right? Well, instead of having the typical impulse items (gum, candy, magazines, etc.which are relatively cheap) at the checkout, they have these "special" shelves right at the check out with cool kitchen gadgets and other pricier (but discounted) things, including this inflatable pool (new, in the box, of course). Mike and I have been talking about getting an inflatable pool for a while now. I am such a sucker...but I knew we wanted one and pictured us spending way more than $14.99 (this is regularly $29.99). So, yep, I left spending $32, which I personally think is a lot to spend at Goodwill. I vow to you right now that I am going to set some Goodwill limitations, I really am. I just need to put some thought into that and will try not to go there in the meantime!
Exercise (lack of)
I can't remember the last time I truly exercised (something like 10 days ago?). I hate that. Between vacation and the packed schedule this week I have not been able to get to the Y during my regular times. Cardio is so important to me, but why don't I at least do something like 100 sit ups in front of the tv (I really haven't been watching much tv lately though) or leg exercises, or something? Hey, if there was a way I could do floor exercises while on the computer (which is on a desk), I would!!!! I'm all about multi-tasking!
In Need of Prayers
My dear friend, Lindsay (the one with the beautiful voice who sang at Lydia's service) is just into her 19th week of pregnancy. She has been leaking amniotic fluid for 8 days now and it's already a miracle that she has not gone into labor yet. The goal is to AT LEAST make it to 25 weeks to help the baby's chances of survival and quality of life. She is on the strictest of bed rest and is, generally speaking, at peace with what God's plan is for her baby and their family (which includes her wonderful husband, Mike, and their adorable daughter, Ruby). You can read all about Lindsay's thoughts, life on bed rest and their baby on their blog:
www.not2us.net/blog/
She is blogging extensively because...well, what else is she going to do in bed ALL DAY LONG? They have her laptop propped up nicely so she can be on the computer comfortably.
I adore Lindsay, I truly do. I don't use the word "adore" lightly or feel that way about just anyone. I love her, admire her, and am a devoted friend to her. She has the BEST sense of humor (actually similar to mine, hee hee) and our husbands (both Mikes) are a lot alike. Oh, and I razz her about being my young friend...she's like 25?! But wise way, way beyond her years! Lindsay is on my heart constantly, just like I continue to think of this friend (who lost her twins at 19 weeks). Lindsay has been such an influential friend and Christian in my life. I thank God for her daily and I KNOW He will take care of her (and her family) during this time in her life, and always. And even though I tell her ALL of the time, I needed to publicly put it out there how much I love and care for her and will be here for her always, just like He is. Please check out her blog, find out more about her (and her baby)...you'll probably start liking her right away like I did. And comment on her site...she's getting a TON of hits today with a post about suggestions for helping to pass her time on bed rest and she's totally flattered that people read her blog. But, most of all, please lift her, the baby, and the entire Goodwin family up in your prayers!
Five Years Ago Today.....
Sat June 21, 2008 by Amy
Happy Anniversary to us. It has been an amazing 5 years. I thank God for bringing us together and keeping us together through the sunshine and the rain. We feel truly blessed to have one another. I love you, Mike...then, today, and always!!
Oh, and for your listening pleasure....our first dance song. Love it. Okay, well this is the first time I've seen the video. It's slightly weird, but good music and lyrics :-) I'm going to go dance with my husband now.
Sat June 21, 2008 by Amy
Happy Anniversary to us. It has been an amazing 5 years. I thank God for bringing us together and keeping us together through the sunshine and the rain. We feel truly blessed to have one another. I love you, Mike...then, today, and always!!
Oh, and for your listening pleasure....our first dance song. Love it. Okay, well this is the first time I've seen the video. It's slightly weird, but good music and lyrics :-) I'm going to go dance with my husband now.
Getaway to Brown County
Fri June 20, 2008 by Amy
Mike and I enjoyed a 3 day mini-vacation this week to Brown County, mainly Nashville, IN. It was very relaxing and low key, just what we needed. It's so pretty there and we'll have to get back in the fall. We did a lot of shopping, walking, eating, talking, Scrabble-ing, hiking, horseback riding, reading, eating, shopping, walking. We definitely want to go back and bring Alex sometime, too. It's a lovely 2 hour drive from Lafayette and you can easily stop at the outlet mall in Edinburgh on the way--we did! I fell in love with this ice cream. The shop is actually located in Columbus, IN right off of I-65. So, so good. I have a ton of recommendations of must-sees, must-dos, must-eats if you plan to go sometime....let me know. And I'll join you! Here are just a few pictures to share :-)
Question to our readers: Where is a nearby place that YOU like to get away to for a night, or two???
Fri June 20, 2008 by Amy
Mike and I enjoyed a 3 day mini-vacation this week to Brown County, mainly Nashville, IN. It was very relaxing and low key, just what we needed. It's so pretty there and we'll have to get back in the fall. We did a lot of shopping, walking, eating, talking, Scrabble-ing, hiking, horseback riding, reading, eating, shopping, walking. We definitely want to go back and bring Alex sometime, too. It's a lovely 2 hour drive from Lafayette and you can easily stop at the outlet mall in Edinburgh on the way--we did! I fell in love with this ice cream. The shop is actually located in Columbus, IN right off of I-65. So, so good. I have a ton of recommendations of must-sees, must-dos, must-eats if you plan to go sometime....let me know. And I'll join you! Here are just a few pictures to share :-)
Question to our readers: Where is a nearby place that YOU like to get away to for a night, or two???
Elephant Ears
Mon June 16, 2008 by Mike
A Father's day that ends with elephant ears can only be called: The Most Awesomest Father's Day, Ever!
Amy and I made the tasty deep fried carnival treats last night in our own kitchen. We were very surprised at the outcome. Delicious is all I can say. I have now satisfied my elephant ear fix for the entire summer.
Sorry county fair. No longer shall I wade through your unbearably sweaty crowds or sidestep your sideshow freaks to feast on the ear of the pachyderm.
...Carney party at our house!
The dough, pre-fried (above).
Sizzling to perfection
Generously topped with cinnamon sugar
Also with powdered sugar.
A breakthrough in carnival elegance
Deliciously evil.
We're crazy, yes. Our kitchen smells like a festival but they tasted soooo good.
Recipe: County Fair Elephant Ears.
Mon June 16, 2008 by Mike
A Father's day that ends with elephant ears can only be called: The Most Awesomest Father's Day, Ever!
Amy and I made the tasty deep fried carnival treats last night in our own kitchen. We were very surprised at the outcome. Delicious is all I can say. I have now satisfied my elephant ear fix for the entire summer.
Sorry county fair. No longer shall I wade through your unbearably sweaty crowds or sidestep your sideshow freaks to feast on the ear of the pachyderm.
...Carney party at our house!
The dough, pre-fried (above).
Sizzling to perfection
Generously topped with cinnamon sugar
Also with powdered sugar.
A breakthrough in carnival elegance
Deliciously evil.
We're crazy, yes. Our kitchen smells like a festival but they tasted soooo good.
Recipe: County Fair Elephant Ears.
The Best Daddy in the World!
Sun June 15, 2008 by Amy
Happy Father's Day, Daddy!! I love you SO much.
Love,
Alex
Sun June 15, 2008 by Amy
Happy Father's Day, Daddy!! I love you SO much.
Love,
Alex
Some Randomness... Which Of Course Will Involve Mentions of Food
Thu June 12, 2008 by Amy
I was apparently very link-happy tonight...I have never posted so many links in one post. Sorry I made you click so much, but hope it was worth it!
Question for our readers: At which store do you end up spending more money than you should? Meijer and Wal-mart (besides my Dollar Tree addiction) are hard places for me to limit myself...gotta stick to my list, but it's so hard!!!
Thu June 12, 2008 by Amy
- My first food reference in this post..have you tried these? I didn't realize they made this dark chocolate version (been out since 2006?). Where have I been? Not that I'm a huge dark chocolate fan. Apparently I had bought a discounted bag of these (in spring colors) after Easter and just now opened them up (that is hard to believe that we held off that long, seriously!). They are delightful. Here's something good to try, eat a couple of these with a pretzel stick, heavenly! I've never even done this with the regular ol' M&Ms, why not? I only did it today because I happened to have the pretzels out on the counter at the same time I was opening up this bag...beware, they're addictive!
- Went back for a follow-up appointment for my plantar fasciitis to the podiatrist today. I've been wearing my tennis shoes with the lovely lift/insert most of the day, doing the stretches, taking anti-inflammatory meds and laying off the fitness walking as best I can for the past few weeks...it's tough! I think it's a little better, but still bothering me so I'm going to try a couple of other things and go from there. If it's still bothering me in July, I will be getting a hydrocortisone shot in the foot and have been explicitly told I would then need to lay off of it for a couple of days to get it to work (I recorded this conversation for Mike to hear...just kidding). I may need to send my kid away if it comes to this...so I can recline with my poor foot up and watch some tv marathons for a couple of days, hmmm...what would I watch? By that time we may finally be down to the basic cable as we've been talking about it forever!! Well then, I guess I will be watching Matlock and Murder, She Wrote...shoot.me.now! I think I should just get a pair of these and call it a day! Hey, those puppies are classic, versatile, neutral....can't lose!! Oh, and those make me think of the FACT that I am always the youngest person by 50 years (easily) at the Foot Clinic...hahaha. Sad, but true.
- Can you guess which store I've been dropping the most money at lately? Especially considering we're trying to have a budget in place. You would think Target, Macy's, DSW Shoe Warehouse (if we had one in Lafayette), Old Navy...nope. Just at my favorite store of all time. I could write a whole post on this store and all that it offers, but I don't have time tonight. I really, really should be banned from this place OR we should have a category in the budget specifically labeled Dollar Tree. Yeah, that sounds good :-) Certainly a lot of their toys are cheap and break quickly, so I'm not so fond of them, but it's amazing what all you can buy there. I just need to start going there before doing my major shopping! Well, I had probably not been there for a couple of months, seriously, and went thereon Tuesday (It's your fault, Kristy!) and spent $22 (that's a lot of goods) and then somehow I ended up at the other location today and dropped $17...aaah! I am out of control. I can't even tell you what all I bought (as in I can't remember off the top of my head)...but it's all good. I am very selective about what I buy there. I'm telling you though...with the way all of the groceries have gone up in price (I'm feeling it, don't know about you), they may need to change their name to the Buck and a Quarter Store, or somethin.'
- Speaking of money...I spent $38 to fill up my Saturn today. Gas was $4.14/gallon. Aaah...I can't stand it. Of course, the Jeep Cherokee easily costs $60 nowadays. I know a lot of you probably drive minivans or larger SUVs that cost a lot more to fill up. As much as I always thought I wanted a minivan, I'm glad we don't have one now. These gas prices are a major a reason why we don't get up north to visit friends and family more often, which stinks. Also, (you may think I'm kidding, but I'm not), driving to West Lafayette is considered an outing/trip nowadays for us. I am just sticking around my side of town as much as possible lately.
- My next food reference....yesterday I made homemade strawberry shakes with strawberries we picked last weekend and this ice cream, in vanilla of course for this kind of shake. I have only tried a couple of the flavors (including Cappuccino Chocolate Chunk), but this is so good for being healthier ice cream...fat free, slow churned....only 1 Weight Watchers point/serving which is unheard of! Tonight we made Rootbeer shakes with Diet A&W and the FF vanilla. Have you ever had a rootbeer shake? I can't remember who introduced me to them, but I started getting them when I was dating Mike (it's obviously basically just a blended rootbeer float), but you can order them from DQ even though they're not on the menu (you may stump some of their employees though) and there's no guarantee that they'll make it right...may be too runny or not rootbeer-tasting enough.
- The past two nights we've been doing some slipping and sliding on a slip and slide my friend got for a good deal at Walgreens. Last night I was fully clothed, but I did it to try to get Alex to actually slide. It helped a little (he ran around on it a little more, but didn't do much sliding), but was not as successful as I would have liked (for getting cold and wet in my clothes). There is some evidence in the form of pictures, but I look like a beached whale in them (as I am just laying on the S&S in misery) and the photographer has been warned that they better not end up on her blog, or else....Oh, and the past two days were glasses-wearing days, so I had to take them off to slip...and slide. Oh, brother. Such a blind klutz...it's a miracle I did not hurt myself...truly it is.
- Oh, my last food mention...but this is a gross one. I saw these at Dollar Tree the other day. Ewww. Burger King Ketchup and Fries as a crunchy snack? I thought it pretty funny though considering my recent post (that really stirred things up in the internet world I might add, hahaha). See, once again BK's desperation shows. Their sales of the hot fries have plummeted so they must try to sell them for a buck in a bag at the dollar stores. It's really, really sad...and disgusting.
- And finally...I have a different song in my head from the 80s (even though I still hear Footloose often since Mike burned it to CD for Alex...we're blaring it constantly and he is learning the words!). My friend, Beth, is giving away a Zune on her review blog. I had not heard of this mp3 player with tons of awesome features until she posted about it, but I'd love to have one. Anyway, she is asking those who want to enter the contest for the giveaway to comment and name their favorite song. Well, how hard is that? I have so many. So, I posted two...Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison and....Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves. Oh, yeah. Try to listen to that song without moving, I dare you!! We even made sure it was played at our wedding reception. So, now I can't stop singing that one! Did Katrina and her waves ever record anything else??? I would dance like crazy to it RIGHT NOW (since it's playing on my computer speakers), but between my tender right foot (I joke that my Native American name would be TenderFoot) and all of the slip-sliding I did the past two days, I am hurtin.' Dance for me, will you??? Better yet, dance with your kids to it!! They'll love it, too :-)
I was apparently very link-happy tonight...I have never posted so many links in one post. Sorry I made you click so much, but hope it was worth it!
Question for our readers: At which store do you end up spending more money than you should? Meijer and Wal-mart (besides my Dollar Tree addiction) are hard places for me to limit myself...gotta stick to my list, but it's so hard!!!
Overheard At Our House
Mon June 9, 2008 by Amy
Just a couple of funny things Alex said today....
Mike had one of the cable music stations playing on the tv yesterday (which he sometimes does...another reason to keep the cable!) and he and Alex were being silly and dancing to different genres of music, namely 70s and 80s. Well, Alex really enjoyed a certain song, so much so that he asked to listen to it today.
"I want to hear loose feet."
Gee, can you guess what he was asking for? Footloose, baby. Now, you've got it in your head, huh? Well, I do because we watched a YouTube video of it twice. Go on, watch it! It will definitely take you back. I saw that movie SO many times as a child (we had it on video). It really made me want to watch it again. Mike would make fun of me excessively if I did. Do you remember that Sarah Jessica Parker played Rusty, Ariel's friend? (Seriously, I did not remember their names and needed to look that up). But I do vividly remember her dancing in the chair, squirming to get up on the dance floor. And there are some frightening scenes in that movie, ya know? That I didn't remember until watching that video (and didn't want Alex to see), like when messed-up Ariel straddles the two cars and is heading straight for a semi, playing a "game" of chicken with tractors, the bar fight...I know there's more. But, who can forget some of the memorable songs from the soundtrack? Let's Hear it for the Boy, Holding out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Dancing in the Sheets (not to be confused with the STREETS), Hurts so Good. Alright, that's enough loose feet for now.
Earlier today, I was slicing up a bunch of strawberries to freeze and there so happened to be a humidifier on the counter that Mike was soaking vinegar in to clean it out. Alex came down the stairs and asked,
"Is that a strawberry machine?"
Speaking of strawberries, when I was trying to decide whether or not to take Alex strawberry picking today, he kept chiming in that he wanted to go. Sure I'd like him to have the experience, but I wanted a LOT of strawberries and it was so hot today. I ended up letting him go though. He was really looking forward to it. He seemed to have some knowledge about strawberry picking. Little did I know where that supposed knowledge came from and then he revealed it...Caillou went strawberry picking once. Oh, really? With who? Clementine (whoever that is...his friend, I think). Alex spoke up and was very worried on the drive there that we had forgotten our basket (which apparently Caillou had brought in that episode). I assured him they'd have baskets at the fields. Just for the record, I can't remember the last time Alex watched Caillou. I WISH he would watch a nice PBS show like that, but it doesn't keep his attention ever since he was exposed to Scooby Doo. I know there are a couple of people who read this blog who I can personally thank for that initial exposure to Scoob, ha! Anyway, Alex really had this fantasy or idea of what strawberry-picking would be like and I totally saw the wheels turning in him when we got there. We were in our row and he was just very still and taking it all in, realizing this is not nearly as much fun as Caillou made it appear to be. He picked maybe 10 measly berries of the 9 pounds I purchased, oh well. Did I mention it was hot???
And another kinda funny thing overheard in our house today (that I cannot quote verbatim, maybe Mike can chime in on this AND maybe you had to be there), but it was something I did/said. Okay, I borrowed this 20 questions game from Lindsay. I had never played it before and I've been a little obsessed with it since I started messing with it. Basically, you come up with something--an object, whatever--and the little thing will display 20 different questions to try to eliminate and figure out what you're thinking of. You answer the questions by pushing the buttons...yes, no, unknown, sometimes. I just really get a kick out of this thing...it has been right on in guessing some things that I have no idea how it came to figure out (I have won sometimes though as well...meaning, it didn't figure it out). Anyway, this morning I'm playing with it again and just raving about how it possibly guessed the word right when Mike said, "maybe it's voice activated". I know sometimes I had said aloud, "I'm going to try to get it to guess ____". But, I'm like whatever, I knew he was just teasing about the possibility of the machine hearing anything I say to try to figure out my word. However, as I was going through a line of questioning regarding my word, "skateboard," I was getting a little suspicious of the thing apparently and I whispered something to Mike. He didn't hear me at first. So, I (frustratingly) whispered it just a little louder, "Is a skateboard ____?" Whatever...I don't remember the question, but I wasn't sure how to answer it, so I was consulting him. He could not stop laughing that I was whispering to him because I didn't want to say my word out loud for fear that maybe this thing did have a little microphone in it. It was a funny moment. I'm not an idiot, but I was starting to get a little paranoid. Well, the stupid thing guessed "bike" so I won!! I just could not get over (which is why I was suspicious of voice-activation) how it guessed "pizza" the night before. It never asked if it was round or if it was a food....so, how did it know???? Spooky!
Mon June 9, 2008 by Amy
Just a couple of funny things Alex said today....
Mike had one of the cable music stations playing on the tv yesterday (which he sometimes does...another reason to keep the cable!) and he and Alex were being silly and dancing to different genres of music, namely 70s and 80s. Well, Alex really enjoyed a certain song, so much so that he asked to listen to it today.
"I want to hear loose feet."
Gee, can you guess what he was asking for? Footloose, baby. Now, you've got it in your head, huh? Well, I do because we watched a YouTube video of it twice. Go on, watch it! It will definitely take you back. I saw that movie SO many times as a child (we had it on video). It really made me want to watch it again. Mike would make fun of me excessively if I did. Do you remember that Sarah Jessica Parker played Rusty, Ariel's friend? (Seriously, I did not remember their names and needed to look that up). But I do vividly remember her dancing in the chair, squirming to get up on the dance floor. And there are some frightening scenes in that movie, ya know? That I didn't remember until watching that video (and didn't want Alex to see), like when messed-up Ariel straddles the two cars and is heading straight for a semi, playing a "game" of chicken with tractors, the bar fight...I know there's more. But, who can forget some of the memorable songs from the soundtrack? Let's Hear it for the Boy, Holding out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Dancing in the Sheets (not to be confused with the STREETS), Hurts so Good. Alright, that's enough loose feet for now.
Earlier today, I was slicing up a bunch of strawberries to freeze and there so happened to be a humidifier on the counter that Mike was soaking vinegar in to clean it out. Alex came down the stairs and asked,
"Is that a strawberry machine?"
Speaking of strawberries, when I was trying to decide whether or not to take Alex strawberry picking today, he kept chiming in that he wanted to go. Sure I'd like him to have the experience, but I wanted a LOT of strawberries and it was so hot today. I ended up letting him go though. He was really looking forward to it. He seemed to have some knowledge about strawberry picking. Little did I know where that supposed knowledge came from and then he revealed it...Caillou went strawberry picking once. Oh, really? With who? Clementine (whoever that is...his friend, I think). Alex spoke up and was very worried on the drive there that we had forgotten our basket (which apparently Caillou had brought in that episode). I assured him they'd have baskets at the fields. Just for the record, I can't remember the last time Alex watched Caillou. I WISH he would watch a nice PBS show like that, but it doesn't keep his attention ever since he was exposed to Scooby Doo. I know there are a couple of people who read this blog who I can personally thank for that initial exposure to Scoob, ha! Anyway, Alex really had this fantasy or idea of what strawberry-picking would be like and I totally saw the wheels turning in him when we got there. We were in our row and he was just very still and taking it all in, realizing this is not nearly as much fun as Caillou made it appear to be. He picked maybe 10 measly berries of the 9 pounds I purchased, oh well. Did I mention it was hot???
And another kinda funny thing overheard in our house today (that I cannot quote verbatim, maybe Mike can chime in on this AND maybe you had to be there), but it was something I did/said. Okay, I borrowed this 20 questions game from Lindsay. I had never played it before and I've been a little obsessed with it since I started messing with it. Basically, you come up with something--an object, whatever--and the little thing will display 20 different questions to try to eliminate and figure out what you're thinking of. You answer the questions by pushing the buttons...yes, no, unknown, sometimes. I just really get a kick out of this thing...it has been right on in guessing some things that I have no idea how it came to figure out (I have won sometimes though as well...meaning, it didn't figure it out). Anyway, this morning I'm playing with it again and just raving about how it possibly guessed the word right when Mike said, "maybe it's voice activated". I know sometimes I had said aloud, "I'm going to try to get it to guess ____". But, I'm like whatever, I knew he was just teasing about the possibility of the machine hearing anything I say to try to figure out my word. However, as I was going through a line of questioning regarding my word, "skateboard," I was getting a little suspicious of the thing apparently and I whispered something to Mike. He didn't hear me at first. So, I (frustratingly) whispered it just a little louder, "Is a skateboard ____?" Whatever...I don't remember the question, but I wasn't sure how to answer it, so I was consulting him. He could not stop laughing that I was whispering to him because I didn't want to say my word out loud for fear that maybe this thing did have a little microphone in it. It was a funny moment. I'm not an idiot, but I was starting to get a little paranoid. Well, the stupid thing guessed "bike" so I won!! I just could not get over (which is why I was suspicious of voice-activation) how it guessed "pizza" the night before. It never asked if it was round or if it was a food....so, how did it know???? Spooky!
Controversial?
Fri June 6, 2008 by Amy
So, the other day, I felt the need for some McDonald's when we were driving around that area at dinner time. I noticed the light at that particular intersection was not working, but I didn't think much of it. I pull up to the drive-thru and see a sign on the speaker that says, "Sorry, we're closed because we have no power." Are you kidding me??? I was really craving their Diet Coke...not to mention the food. Okay, fine, I'll settle and go across the street to Burger King then. The thought crossed my mind that BK might be in the same predicament, but it was fleeting and I headed over there. As I pull up, I see several employees standing around outside. Obviously, they're not open. I was just going to peel out since I knew what was going on, but one of their employees kept waving her arms at me. So, I stopped and she (of course) said, "Sorry, we're closed because the power's out." I said, "Darn, I already tried McDonald's, but was hoping you guys would still be open." And one of the male employees jokingly yelled, "Oh, so we weren't your first choice?" And I retorted with, "Well, ever since you changed your fries years ago..." THEN, I peeled out, tires screeching (just kidding about the exit, but not about what I said).
First of all, let me say, God did not want me eating fast food that night, apparently (I really made up for it today though, ugh!). Secondly, Mike was not with me that night. When I told him about this situation and encounter later (not really thinking that much of it), he found it hilarious and said I needed to blog about it. Not sure why. Probably because it is true--Burger King is NEVER our first choice when choosing between it and McDonald's and I got called out on it by one of their own :-) I really did not think much of it when I said that McDonald's was closed, but SNAP, I was busted. Who cares? Anyway, back to how McDonald's is ALWAYS our first choice. Like I mentioned, because of the fries!!! Mike and I equally have strong feelings about it and are in agreement completely (see why our marriage works so well? haha). I went to Burger King often as a kid and throughout my younger years (I sound old!) and loved it. There was never a fry issue. I have fond memories of the place, including searching through their trash to look for my retainer that I had inadvertently thrown away (since it was sitting, wrapped in a napkin, on my tray). Fun stuff--it has happened to ALL of you, several times, who wore retainers as kids!!!
Anyway, there was a point in time when they significantly changed their fries. Mike and I were trying to remember when and he said something like 10 years ago. He has such a vivid memory for the important stuff, I tell ya (really, he has an excellent memory). Sure enough, my web savvy husband found
this article. 1997....that's when my love affair for Burger King fizzled (apparently...I didn't remember the specific time frame we broke up) and McDonald's slid into first place for me. And I know they've changed the fries some even since this major change, but the verdict is still the same...blech, blah, no thank you. Don't get me wrong...certainly if we end up there, I begrudgingly force those fries down because that's what you have with a burger, but we don't end up there that often (unless we have a coupon for a free sandwich, or something--I'm not kidding). Their fries have a crispy coating on them...this is our issue. They're just not right.
So, I thought this situation I found myself in the other night brought up one of life's major dilemmas...McDonalds or Burger King??? You know I am saying this all in jest, right? (kinda) I don't frequent McDonald's THAT often and I certainly don't ponder this decision on a regular basis, but I know it's a little controversial, huh? Yeah, I know this blog tackles the serious issues. So, again, I do not know either establishments' menus extensively, nor have I eaten a huge variety from it, but just off the top of my head, how do I compare the two?
FRIES--well, you know...duh. McDonald's fries are All-American. Best when hot and salty and dipped in ketchup. Although, this is the truth...listen carefully...they are the only, I repeat ONLY, fries that I will eat WITHOUT ketchup (such as when you go through the drive-thru) because they are THAT good. Am I right, or am I right??? (Oh, and I've seen "Super Size Me" and it initially bothered me a little--as far as the fries not breaking down appropriately once ingested--but I got over it pretty fast--wanted to mention in case someone was going to comment on this!).
BURGERS--Honestly, I might throw you for a loop here, I prefer the flame-broiled goodness at Burger King. I like the Jr. Whopper or just a cheeseburger. Seems like better quality meat and not as much bun as at McD's.
CHICKEN--Let's see...as far as individual chicken pieces, BK wins by a landslide with their tenders vs. McD's pathetic nuggets. I'm sorry, but again, it's the quality of the chicken (and the breading, too). And I've always had a soft spot for BK's original chicken sandwich (with the long bun...do they still prepare it this way? Haven't had it forever).
REFRESHMENTS--I am partial to McDonald's drinks in general. Their Coke and Diet Coke is sweet and the best out there. Ain't nothin' beats a McDonald's Coke except...their Sweet Tea :-) I also enjoy their French Vanilla Cappuccino, although not every McDonald's location sells it (which is very frustrating, I must say).
HONORABLE MENTIONS--Vanilla soft serve ice cream cone at McD's (only 3 Weight Watchers points), the original Egg McMuffin and Hash brown at McD's--do NOT get me started on those coin-shaped greasy hash browns at BK (do they still do those? I have no idea). McD's apple pie, but dang that hot gooey, apple-ness burns the crap out of your tongue, right? I know if you're a big onion ring person (like Mike), they're pretty good at BK...a good substitute for those "fries." See, that's the thing, they know their fries are nasty, so they offer substitutions...besides the onion rings, aren't they offering like cheesy tots or something weird as an alternative as well. What is THAT about? Desperation, I tell you.
Okay, I could probably go on and on about other miscellaneous menu items, but I shall stop there. If this post stirs anything in you at all, please comment and share your opinion because I KNOW some of you have strong opinions about this topic, or am I the only one??? See, this blog tackles real-life issues and is SO scandalous!! Heehee!!
Oh, and when you look back at my list....you will see that BK wins in some of the really major categories like Burgers and Chicken, but the fries are the clincher...and keep me coming back for more...and more.
So, which do you prefer....McDonald's or Burger King??? And why???
Mike:
Fri June 6, 2008 by Amy
So, the other day, I felt the need for some McDonald's when we were driving around that area at dinner time. I noticed the light at that particular intersection was not working, but I didn't think much of it. I pull up to the drive-thru and see a sign on the speaker that says, "Sorry, we're closed because we have no power." Are you kidding me??? I was really craving their Diet Coke...not to mention the food. Okay, fine, I'll settle and go across the street to Burger King then. The thought crossed my mind that BK might be in the same predicament, but it was fleeting and I headed over there. As I pull up, I see several employees standing around outside. Obviously, they're not open. I was just going to peel out since I knew what was going on, but one of their employees kept waving her arms at me. So, I stopped and she (of course) said, "Sorry, we're closed because the power's out." I said, "Darn, I already tried McDonald's, but was hoping you guys would still be open." And one of the male employees jokingly yelled, "Oh, so we weren't your first choice?" And I retorted with, "Well, ever since you changed your fries years ago..." THEN, I peeled out, tires screeching (just kidding about the exit, but not about what I said).
First of all, let me say, God did not want me eating fast food that night, apparently (I really made up for it today though, ugh!). Secondly, Mike was not with me that night. When I told him about this situation and encounter later (not really thinking that much of it), he found it hilarious and said I needed to blog about it. Not sure why. Probably because it is true--Burger King is NEVER our first choice when choosing between it and McDonald's and I got called out on it by one of their own :-) I really did not think much of it when I said that McDonald's was closed, but SNAP, I was busted. Who cares? Anyway, back to how McDonald's is ALWAYS our first choice. Like I mentioned, because of the fries!!! Mike and I equally have strong feelings about it and are in agreement completely (see why our marriage works so well? haha). I went to Burger King often as a kid and throughout my younger years (I sound old!) and loved it. There was never a fry issue. I have fond memories of the place, including searching through their trash to look for my retainer that I had inadvertently thrown away (since it was sitting, wrapped in a napkin, on my tray). Fun stuff--it has happened to ALL of you, several times, who wore retainers as kids!!!
Anyway, there was a point in time when they significantly changed their fries. Mike and I were trying to remember when and he said something like 10 years ago. He has such a vivid memory for the important stuff, I tell ya (really, he has an excellent memory). Sure enough, my web savvy husband found
this article. 1997....that's when my love affair for Burger King fizzled (apparently...I didn't remember the specific time frame we broke up) and McDonald's slid into first place for me. And I know they've changed the fries some even since this major change, but the verdict is still the same...blech, blah, no thank you. Don't get me wrong...certainly if we end up there, I begrudgingly force those fries down because that's what you have with a burger, but we don't end up there that often (unless we have a coupon for a free sandwich, or something--I'm not kidding). Their fries have a crispy coating on them...this is our issue. They're just not right.
So, I thought this situation I found myself in the other night brought up one of life's major dilemmas...McDonalds or Burger King??? You know I am saying this all in jest, right? (kinda) I don't frequent McDonald's THAT often and I certainly don't ponder this decision on a regular basis, but I know it's a little controversial, huh? Yeah, I know this blog tackles the serious issues. So, again, I do not know either establishments' menus extensively, nor have I eaten a huge variety from it, but just off the top of my head, how do I compare the two?
FRIES--well, you know...duh. McDonald's fries are All-American. Best when hot and salty and dipped in ketchup. Although, this is the truth...listen carefully...they are the only, I repeat ONLY, fries that I will eat WITHOUT ketchup (such as when you go through the drive-thru) because they are THAT good. Am I right, or am I right??? (Oh, and I've seen "Super Size Me" and it initially bothered me a little--as far as the fries not breaking down appropriately once ingested--but I got over it pretty fast--wanted to mention in case someone was going to comment on this!).
BURGERS--Honestly, I might throw you for a loop here, I prefer the flame-broiled goodness at Burger King. I like the Jr. Whopper or just a cheeseburger. Seems like better quality meat and not as much bun as at McD's.
CHICKEN--Let's see...as far as individual chicken pieces, BK wins by a landslide with their tenders vs. McD's pathetic nuggets. I'm sorry, but again, it's the quality of the chicken (and the breading, too). And I've always had a soft spot for BK's original chicken sandwich (with the long bun...do they still prepare it this way? Haven't had it forever).
REFRESHMENTS--I am partial to McDonald's drinks in general. Their Coke and Diet Coke is sweet and the best out there. Ain't nothin' beats a McDonald's Coke except...their Sweet Tea :-) I also enjoy their French Vanilla Cappuccino, although not every McDonald's location sells it (which is very frustrating, I must say).
HONORABLE MENTIONS--Vanilla soft serve ice cream cone at McD's (only 3 Weight Watchers points), the original Egg McMuffin and Hash brown at McD's--do NOT get me started on those coin-shaped greasy hash browns at BK (do they still do those? I have no idea). McD's apple pie, but dang that hot gooey, apple-ness burns the crap out of your tongue, right? I know if you're a big onion ring person (like Mike), they're pretty good at BK...a good substitute for those "fries." See, that's the thing, they know their fries are nasty, so they offer substitutions...besides the onion rings, aren't they offering like cheesy tots or something weird as an alternative as well. What is THAT about? Desperation, I tell you.
Okay, I could probably go on and on about other miscellaneous menu items, but I shall stop there. If this post stirs anything in you at all, please comment and share your opinion because I KNOW some of you have strong opinions about this topic, or am I the only one??? See, this blog tackles real-life issues and is SO scandalous!! Heehee!!
Oh, and when you look back at my list....you will see that BK wins in some of the really major categories like Burgers and Chicken, but the fries are the clincher...and keep me coming back for more...and more.
So, which do you prefer....McDonald's or Burger King??? And why???
Mike:
I pretty much agree with Amy. McD's fries are the best but I prefer the taste of the BK burgers.
I have an idea, everybody should hop into their Hummer H2's and buy a Double Whopper with cheese then idle across the street to McDonalds for a large fry and Coke. All the while lighting Cuban cigars with dollar bills. Can you think of a better way to spend your economic stimulus check?
...And If anyone says Hardees is their favorite, I'm deleting their comment.
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