Summertime Fun

Tis the season for fun in the sun ... and hand/foot/mouth. Two of my kids just contracted this virus (almost wrote disease - not quite so serious as that. HaHa) Zach had a fever for less than 24 hrs. and then he was fine for 24 hrs. and then came the blisters in his mouth and on the bottoms of his feet. His big sister Zoey decided to join in the fun tonight while we were out visiting the in-laws as they camped in Pentwater. It hit her like a ton of bricks and now she is feverish and miserable. You know what they say about all good plans ... they're usually spoiled by kids! :)

We are just hoping that Jeff's sister and her four kids that were staying with us this weekend somehow stay "virus free". Last night we had seven kids, three adults, and my sister's dog all tucked in our house. FUN, FUN, FUN & busy, busy, busy!

By the way, I changed my template for all my blogging friends that are changing theirs. (Imitation is the highest form of flattery) Very nice Steph & Bradi. :)

Here is a picture we got of some of the cousins on the pier in Pentwater tonight.

Shhhhh ...

Who would shush this little guy?

Here I am blogging again ... and complaining. Maybe blogging has become my therapy. Do you ever have times when you are just sick of people? Not any one person but just the entire population? :) It always surprises me when I am surprised at how inconsiderate, rude, and just not nice people can really be. I decided to take my two youngest kids to the library for a fun outing after preschool. Well, two year old boys and the word "quiet" don't typically go together so needless to say, I found myself chasing after him, telling him to be quiet, and shoving a paci in his mouth when he got too loud. After the very first noise he made, an old man on a computer in the center of the library just cranked his neck to see who made that noise. Any noises that followed were met with a similar craning of his neck.

After only 20 min. I decided it was time to go and as I walked past this man he actually put his finger to his mouth and looked me right in the eye and said, "SHHHHH". Since I had healthy amount of confrontation in my family growing up,(my mom had five girls in six and half years) and since I was not in the mood to be messed with, I looked right back at him and said, "Are you kidding me?" To which of course he replied, "No, I am not." I said, "He's two, give me a break." And he said, "And you are the adult and it's your job to keep him quiet." As my cheeks redden and steam came pouring out of my ears, I tried to come up with a quick comeback and came back with this lame reply ... "I am always surprised when I meet rude people." Then stormed away and thought of at least 20 different things I should have said as I walked to my car. I really need to stop being surprised - like the bumper sticker says, Mean People Suck.

If you have a better comeback I could have used, post it on my comments on the bottom. :)

Becoming a Soccer Mom

I have the mini-van, the three kids, and daily commitments of running my kids between school and activities. And now that I have my oldest child in soccer, I have come to the realization that I really am a soccer mom. I am the one calling the coach to explain that we lost the schedule just minutes after receiving it because our four year old decided she wanted to see it "fly" out the window in the back of the van. (Note to you all - 28th St. on a Saturday afternoon is busy and you will not find whatever "accidentally" got lost.) I am also the mom who is chasing her toddler off the field right before the ball comes at him. I also am the designated mom who takes all the kids to the playground because I have the youngest kids who are bored watching the game. I also am the mom who patiently sits next to two fanatical soccer parents who believe their job is tell every kid on the field where to play. I believe in competition, but I believe more in having fun. So, after watching this mom (not a coach) go out on the field between plays and take my daughter by the hand to show her her position - I SAID "ENOUGH". Tomorrow night at soccer practice, we are having a "team meeting" and I am proud to say that I am the mom who called the coach.

The Doggie Deal

Have you ever heard us talk about our crazy neighbor? Her name is Yoko (not the one formerly married to a Beatle) and after about three years of on & off trying to sell her house -she & her husband are finally moving next week. We affectionately call her "Yoko Loco". Well, she came out today to ask Jeff how the dog is doing and why she hasn't seen 'ole Cooper outside lately and Jeff gave her the scoop that after a very expensive and traumatic vet visit we decided to give Cooper back to the Animal Shelter. (Cooper had a pretty bad case of pneumonia, some digestive issues, and was pooping all over the house IMMEDIATELY after he would come inside from going potty.)

She (an owner of not one, but two dogs) was shocked and told Jeff she would have gladly taken him. She currently has two "taco bell dogs" that both have so many health issues she has to push them in a stroller to take a walk. Well, she caught Jeff again later today and told him she called the shelter to try and adopt him (OMW - oh my word) and found out that he has already been adopted.

We are very happy for Blaze (shelter name)/Cooper. And we are also very happy that we are getting new neighbors!

If you hear of a great family dog that is house trained (changing diapers and cleaning up puppy messes is a little more than I bargained for) - let us know!

The poop stops here!

Alright. What is it about boys and their obsession with their bodily habits? I just went to put Zach down for a nap and his hand is covered in what appears to be chocolate. Wait, it can't be chocolate because he didn't take a cookie downstairs and it really reeks like ... POOP. Yes, my darling son has decided that the days he is not wearing a onesie and lays a load he needs to examine it. GROSS, DISGUSTING, YUCK! I need to go on the record and just say that his sisters never even thought about doing this.

I hope you all had a happy Mother's Day. The kids and Jeff spoiled me with handmade gifts and a gift certificate for a pedicure and manicure. Jeff even made breakfast on Sunday morning (not really out of the norm at our house though) and all my brother-in-laws cooked dinner at my mom's. Very nice boys. I did however, clean up a post-puppy pee stain, did two loads of laundry, and cleaned my entire hardwood floor on Mother's Day. I really don't think moms can get an entire day off. If some of you moms had the whole day off ... I say "kudos to you!"

I DID IT!

This is me smiling at mile #6 of the Fifth Third River Bank Run. (I am the one wearing the blue jersey, white visor, & black shorts.) I met two forty year old dads that said they were going to run about ten minute miles. I said, "Oh good, that is what I am planning on running" ... and nine miles later we were still chatting and keeping each other on pace. Thanks Harry and Doug. I will probably never see this guys again but I really owe them a huge thank you for distracting and encouraging me. They even waited (just a few minutes) after they finished to watch me cross the line and give me a hug.

The kids were waiting to see me run by while wearing their T-shirts my husband Jeff got them. The t-shirts were bright red and embroidered with these three words, Run Mom Run. Too cute. Zach gave me a huge grin when I gave him a little tickle and then he gave me a very confused look as if to say, "what the heck are you doing?" :)

At mile #9 my triathlete, brother-in-law Hugh came to run the last six and half miles with me. He ran my pace which I am sure is way slower than he is used to and also was encouraging and inspiring. He gave me five after each mile I finished and told me that some were under ten minutes. He also fired me up to sprint the last turn into the finish line. Thanks Hugh. The fact that he thought of calling me a couple weeks ago and offering to help is so thoughtful and humbling.

The race was so much fun. The camaraderie among the runners was amazing. Perfect strangers became friends through the common goal of running this 25K race. There were cheerleaders, music, tons of spectators yelling, "you go runner, great job" and little kids yelling, "run, go, run". It was so much fun I might even consider doing it again! Any joiners? (By the way, I did run the whole thing and averaged 10:30 miles and finished in 2:42 min.) Thanks for all your prayers, calls of encouragement, and good wishes. And thanks for not using this overused phrase, "YOU GO GIRL"! :)

50 yards from crossing the finish line.

Cooper went Pooper

We are loving the new dog ... but not the poops in the house. We are 8 for 8 on peeing outside but 0 for 2 on the pooping. We jokingly thought we would say, "Cooper went pooper" and so far, the joke is on us!

Here is Cooper Champ Guikema. Yes, my kids had to give him a middle name! So far, two attempts at going potty and two successes. You Go Cooper! I had a slight moment of panic about an hour ago when I imagined how big he might get since with a stray you never know what you are getting. It's kind of like having kids ... you can't ask beforehand how tall they will be, if they will be sweet, or if they will play nice with other kids. You just love them up and pray they "turn out o.k." :)

I have a confession to make

I am not a runner. I am pretending to be one and I have been since January 8th when the training started for the River Bank Run. On May 13th, in front of thousands, including my family, I will be "acting" as a runner ... a runner that can run for 15.6 miles. I am more nervous about this than if someone told me I had to give birth again tomorrow ... seriously.

I have one more confession. My family is getting a dog this weekend and I am secretly excited. No dread here - bring it on - the nipping, the shedding, the getting up in the middle of the night to let it out, the pooping (o.k. I am dreading this a bit.) My kids are amazing with dogs and I look forward to having our family grow by leaps and puppy tails. I will try and post a picture next week if we find "the one".