Naughty or Nice?

Looks like the boys are in the clear for Santa's upcoming visit....

Kyle's
http://family.go.com/santas-list/video/66606-krisnord/

Jeremy's
http://family.go.com/santas-list/video/66614-krisnord/

Finally the Christmas spirit found me!

One of my jobs at Lighthouse is to manage the Holiday program. It entails four months of interviewing clients,doing lots of paperwork, asking for donations (lots of donations), and troubleshooting odd problems all in hopes that about 500 families, 300 singles and another 100 kids "have Christmas." It ends with a bang as we spend 10 days managing the logistics of receiving and distributing thousands and thousands of gifts. It's the kind of experience that's supposed to make you think about how lucky you are and remind you to be thankful for everyone and everything in your life. Usually it does.

This is my third year managing the prograam and sadly I must admit, the massive nature of the project makes December feel more like a month to "get through" than a lesson in perspective. It's a classic case of not seeing the forest for the trees; I am well aware of that. Still, as such, I have not been in the mood for Christmas at all. I've been crabby with just about everyone. The tree's not up yet, no cookies have been made, shopping is barely started. Heck, if my siblings and I hadn't decided to "pick names" this year rather than shop for everyone I'd be a frantic last-minute-stressball. (oh wait, I already admitted I was that anyways)

Well, I'm happy to say the Christmas spirit finally found it's way to me tonight. It wasn't my work that brought it to me. It wasn't watching Rudolph on TV. It wasn't the cool light displays featured in the Sunday paper (that I finally got to read just tonight.) What did it to me were these words...

"Oh you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I'm telling you why, Santa Clause is coming to town."

Kyle has the entire song memorized (well, as much of the song as I know) and Jeremy is awfully close to knowing it all too. Alex taught it to them today. Not "he's been teaching them for a couple weeks", or anything - just today. They boys were singing it in the car at the top of their lungs. So excited and so proud of themselves. Finally the hustle and bustle made a little sense again. All the shopping, the decorating, the baking and the extra to dos, sounded like fun again. I remembered that I wasn't working to give the kids of my clients clothes or toys; I was working to give those parents the ability to provide holiday magic. Isn't that what we all want to give our kids? It's not about the toys, it's about the traditions.

I am reminded that the "grind" part of daily life will always be there and it can take over if you let it. I think it's time to stop the grind for a while to make room for some traditions. Hopefully this means you'll see some photos of the kids cookie baking and tree trimming soon.

Wishing You Six Merry Days Until Christmas!!!

Goodbye Grandma Johnson

Sad news on the Nordic front.... Grandma Dorothy Johnson passed away the evening of Tuesday, December 9th at the amazing age of 91. She will be missed by all. While the boys don't quite know what has happened... I know they'll miss her kisses and snuggles.

Love you Grandma Johnson!

The secret to crossing the border quickly

As most people reading this blog know, I frequently pass through Canada while on my way to visit family in Rochester, NY. The boys and I went out to visit earlier this month and had an absolutely wonderful time! However, the fun of our trip was only part of the excitement. I figured out how to get through Customs without waiting for an hour at each border.

Leave at 4 am! :)

I admit it's not for everyone, but for us it was perfect! Here was our trip itinerary (on a Saturday)

4:18 am - Put half-asleep kids in car & leave home.

5:30 am - Arrive Port Huron/ Sarnia border. Number of cars in line to speak to a Customs official = Zero! Kids don't wake up at all.

8:15 am - Boys have been up for about 30 - 45 minutes, snacking on granola bars, juice and such. Arrive in Niargra Falls. Number of tourists checking out the Falls at that time of day = Twelve. Number of available parking spaces in the lots closest to the falls = All of them! We were the ONLY car in the lot.

10:00 am - Leave the Falls because we want hotcakes from McDonalds and we don't want to use US currency in Canada so we gotta get through the border before 10:30! Get to border crossing, number of cars in each lane = 1 talking to each officer, zero or one more waiting in each line.

10:30 am - leave McDonalds (in the US) and get back on the road. Kids happily play with toys and sing along wiht the tunes on the radio.

11:45 am - get to Rochester, NY. So far we've lost about 1 1/2 - 2 hours off of a normal Saturday in Rochester (after you get up, showered, dressed, fed, etc. ) and absolutely saved that much in time by skipping the 45 - 60 minute waits at each border. Plus, I got to spend nearly 2 hours at Niagra, walking all over with two toddlers by myself without the slightest twinge of nervousness about them bolting or being in a huge crowd trying to manage them alone (without a stroller to strap them into). It was AWESOME! Here comes the best part.... We go see my Mom, eat lunch with her, return to hotel for nap time. I nap too. (naps are good!) Late nap means we are all energized to stay up until Midnight hanging out with Grammie (Mom) & Aunt Vicki so kids get to maximize their time rather than being to tired to visit after 8:30 pm.

Meanwhile, here was my drive home (on Sunday):
2:15 - Leave Rochester (this was my choice of a time to leave to maximize nap time in the car; plus we went to the zoo that morning with Grammie and that was fantastic - fall zoo trips, another great idea! No other people and the animals are active!)

Roughly 3:30pm - Arrive at US/ Canada border - get through at about 4:00 pm.

Kids wake from naps at 6 and want to run and play. Stop for dinner & bathrooms (less than 15 min). Start Toy Story DVD.

80 minutes of mostly silence. (well, except for the voices of Tim Allen and Tom Hanks)

Arrive at US/ Canada Border in MI at roughly 7:20 pm, just as Toy Story DVD ends and kids are mad because DVD player is out of battery life meaning no Diego which was supposed to be next.

Enter Michigan at about 7:50 pm - head home. Kids are bored and mad because it's dark and they can't see their toys. Drive with interior light on half the time so they are happy.

Arrive home about 9:20 pm. Kids aren't tired quite yet because they slept until 6pm and they have been cooped up. I am exhausted from the drive and from trying to entertain them for the past hour and a half.

Now here's the thing - each time I had a 30 minute wait at the borders. Truthfully that is a really quick wait time for border crossings! I'm used to at least 45 minutes each - often more like an hour!

So, for stress free driving I recommend leaving at 4am. That and not drinking anything for the first few hours (unless there's someone with you to stay in the car with the kids while you run into a gas station to pee. I'm now beginning to understand the appeal of Astronaut Diapers. j/k!)

Let's talk about haircuts

I've determined that deciding whether to

pay someone to cut your kids hair vs. doing it yourself

is an algebraic equation.

If the answer is Less that 1, you give it a whirl!

E * G/ $D - $15

[($Grrr + $2) * K + None] / $D

Where:

E = Embarrassment factor if this do-it-yourself haircut fails and your kids look ridiculas.

G = Gender factor : Boys = 1, Girls = 10

$15 = Cost of hair cutting set (with free how-to for dummies booklet: I totally qualify for this one!)

$D = Disposable income

$Grrr = Rising Cost of cheap BoRic's Haircut

$2 = Cost of Tip

K = Number of kids

None = available time to take kids to BoRics

Results? Take a look. One picture is when their hair was cut professionally, one was when I did it. Can you tell the difference?

Hate to say this in writing, but I guess Alex was right. (Yes, it was his idea)

Happy Belated Birthday Uncle Brad!!!

We owe a HUGE Happy belated 20th Birthday to Uncle Brad!

He turned the Big 20 yesterday!

It really doesn't seem like 20 years ago....

...or 11 years ago....

or even 5 years ago! (yeah, he's got a little Captain in him!)

Happy, Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Kyle!!!

Time flies when you're having fun!!!!!

Latest growth stats... for those keeping tabs.... 3' 2" tall & 35 1/2 lbs.

Enjoy this trip down memory lane...

Our Trip to Rochester, NY

Before summer winds down Kyle, Jeremy, Grammie and I took a quick weekend trip to visit our cousins in Rochester, NY. Kyle and Jeremy had a great time playing with cousins Nicholas (3 1/2) and Owen (11 months)! I had a great time catching up with my cousin Tara and of course, visiting my Aunt Vicki and Grandma!!! Grammie was a wonderful help with the boys and we all enjoyed plenty of adventures.

*****
Friday visited the Strong Children's Museum in downtown Rochester. If you ever get the chance to visit - it's absolutely worth it! When we were done I'm not sure who was more tired - the kids or us.

Kyle was on TV with The Count...

The boys played chess in a Giant's playroom...

Jeremy put bones on a conveyor belt to fill his friend Clifford's big bowl...

...but the garden didn't stand a chance against these four!

*****
Saturday we visited the Fish Hatchery. I remember visiting this as a kid and once again it didn't disappoint. Kyle and Jeremy loved throwing food to the fish and watching them swim and jump to eat it.

Kyle and Nicholas calmly watched to fish swim around at first

Then it was time to watch the fish get crazy while eating food.

So much fun! Can't wait to go back!!!!!

Happy (belated) Birthday Uncle Eric Nord!

(Aunt Laura & Uncle Eric with Kyle in April 2006 - Kyle was 7 months old.)

Time flies!

Wow - I swear July 23rd was just yesterday, but according to my calendar it was not. Summer is flying by and we are in the home stretch. What have we been up to?

Well, Alex and I went to see the movie WarGames (for the 25th anniversary) with Uncle Matt on July 24th at the Oxford Theater. The satellite feed stopped mid-show and I thought the poor theater manager was going to cry for fear of his life. Relax Mr. Manager - we've all seen the movie before, it'll be ok. No, you don't need to act it out to keep us occupied. (that was scary!)

The boys made their own pizzas for the first time. The loved choosing and adding their favorite toppings. Jeremy also loved eating half the toppings before they made it on top of the pizza. Look closely at his face - it's covered!

We went to the Taste of Oxford festival the first weekend in August. Jeremy and Kyle each got to spray a real fireman's hose (at a painted plywood cut out of a fire). They loved it! Did I remember to take the camera? No. :(

We started a new Sunday night party called Toddler Time for the boys and their friends, we tested it with Lucas (4), Will (2), Liam (3 mo.) and Jarrod (5). The boys get together and wear each other out running around the yard, swimming in the mini-pool and eating pizza. Probably going to try it again this weekend.

Did I mention we got a mini-pool? It's 10' x 30" and perfect for their size. Both can touch bottom or lift their legs and swim. Kyle can even keep his head above water when kneeling down. (he's getting so big!)

Uncle Brad babysat Kyle for the first time. The same day, I had my first real phone conversation with Kyle. (I believe I was triyng to tell Kyle that he needed to cooperate about nap time - go figure.) All of the sudden Kyle understand the phone, knows you need to keep it by your ear, answers questions and doesn't get distracted by everything else around him while talking on the phone. Daddy will be so worried and I am so proud!!! :)

Also we started taking the boys to the Clarkston Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. The Peaches and Cream corn has been fantastic and the boys play on the playground across the street when mom and dad are done shopping.

Kyle learned how to make the horn on a big-rig blow at the Tons of Trucks event in Clarkston on August 9th. You didn't have to show him twice! Every truck he climbed into he went looking for that string. Forgot the camera - bummer! On a similar theme, Kyle got to ride Grandpa's really big tractor for the first time. Grammie did not forget the camera! (of course.) Oh and he had been playing Pirate earlier in the kiddie pool, hence to swim trunks and pirate bandana.

Alex got a new (new to us) truck last Friday! I am SO happy!!! Now we can share responsibility for picking the kids up from day-care or Grandma's house! (I really need to take a picture and post it, don't I?)

I worked at the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills on Sunday, August 10th. Note to self - "not 19 anymore, need to take it easy." That was hard work! I had flashbacks to working in the food booths at the Renaissance Festival many years ago.

Jeremy is now totally into Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid. So cute when he starts yelling "mer-maid, mer-maid, mer-maid!"

Uncle Eric and Aunt Michelle are coming into town this weekend, we're headed to Rochester to visit Cousins Nicholas and Owen next weekend and then Labor Day weekend is upon us.

Oh and did I mention Aunt Kathy and Mr. Mike are engaged! HOW EXCITING!!!!!! In other wedding news, Alex's neice Beth just got married (congrats!) and his nephew Rich is getting married on the 31st. Best wishes!!! (wish we could be there.)

...and you thought I was just too lazy to blog... nope - just too busy enjoying all the best summer has to offer!!!

Happy Birthday Uncle Matt!!!

As a kid I remember you cracking us up with your comedy skits and antics.

Luckily for Kyle and Jeremy (and the rest of us too!)

even after 30 years you still know how to have fun and make us laugh!

Happy Birthday Uncle Matt!!!

(photo taken this past February in St. Petersburg, FL)

Wow! What a difference 16 months makes!

Most days I'm stunned by how fast Jeremy seems to be catching up to Kyle. Being younger doesn't stop Jeremy from trying everything Kyle does. Heck, when it comes to climbing, jumping and getting into things, Jeremy figures things out that Kyle hasn't even thought of doing yet.

Tonight however, Alex and I had to pause and say "Wow, what a difference 16 months makes."

You see, when we are in the car, as we were this evening, each child has their own way of asking for the window to go up or down. (remember, we don't have A/C in my Jeep so this happens A LOT)

Jeremy: (screaming emphatically) "Wee-doh! Wee-doh! Wee-doh! Wee-doh!"

Kyle: (calmly and politely) "Uh Daddy, I'm cold. Would you please put the window up?"

What a difference 16 months really makes.

Happy Birthday Alex!!!

Thanks for having a birthday today Daddy!!!

We love cake - see?!?!?!?!?

All I can say is "Doh!"

Yup, one of our cribs in included in the latest recall. I just saw the story online.... snuck under the crib while Jeremy slept and checked the model number and manufacture date. Apparently many models of Jardine cribs (sold by Toys R Us and Babies R Us) are affected.

Seems to me Jeremy just wasn't meant to sleep in that bed... you see.....

Last Tuesday I decided it was time to move Jeremy into the boys' room. We had him in the Pack and Play in our bedroom because the boys constantly kept eachother awake when they shared a room. Better to have one in our room, but sleeping than to have the whole house up all night in an effort to have the boys share a room. That was our philosophy at least.

So, Tuesday was the big move... we tried the crib immediately. Jeremy hated the idea.

We got smart... put the Pack and Play in the boys' room and let Jeremy get used to the sounds of the room from a "familiar" location (the Pack and Play). Worked perfectly! Jeremy slept. I felt smart.

Thursday afternoon, foolishly let the boys play "ball pit" with the Pack and Play. (If you've never seen it, it's a blast! The video below doesn't do it justice. Plus, it's even better with two toddlers in there at once.) Anyhow, both kids loved it. Jeremy watched Kyle climb in and out of the Pack and Play. My eyes grew big as saucers as I realized what I'd done. Jeremy now knew this was possible. 10 minutes later, Jeremy climbed out of Pack and Play too. Jeremy was so happy. All I could say was "doh!"

Thursday night, put Jeremy to bed in Pack and Play... walk out of room (feeling hopeful)... 30 seconds later hear the pitter patter of littlest feet chasing after me. Yup - advantage Jeremy. Put Jeremy in crib. Surprisingly he's sort of ok with the idea. Now remember, this is only Thursday night.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday - same routine. Each night Jeremy likes his crib a little more.

Tuesday night, it's been a week - Jeremy loves his crib. He goes to sleep no problem, I feel like we finally got something right in the baby sleep department. 11:15 pm - Kris sees recall info. Sees picture - no doubt it's my crib. Recall voucher for a new crib is on the way. Until then, I guess it's time to turn the "convertible toddler bed" back into a crib for Jeremy. Kyle likes to sleep on the couch in his room anyhow.

All I can say is "doh!"

Happy Birthday Et Deddy!!!!

It's Aunt Kathy's Birthday! Hurray!!!!!!

This photos is an "oldie" but a favorite none-the-less! That's Kyle (at 7 months old) and Kathy (not quite the 29 years she is today) back in April 2006.

Kickin' It Old School with Mario & Luigi

Yes, my boys watch Star Wars (IV to VI, for the record).... play Super Mario Brothers 3 on the old NES and sit around wearing nothing but diapers on a hot day. It's a good life!

Happy Birthday Uncle Eric!!!

Wish we could have gone to Chuck E Cheese for your birthday too Uncle Eric. :) Miss you!!!

Alex's May Home Improvement Projects

I am very excited to show off Alex's handy work! Upon my request, he made a few improvements to the deck.

First, he built this railing to protect the kids from falling into the garden, and protecting the garden from the kids. :)



He also granted my wish of wrap-around steps off the deck... I can't believe how much bigger the deck feels because of this simple thing! You really notice it when multiple people are standing around talking because you can spread out without feeling like you'll stumble off the deck. Also, notice, the alternating board design of the step corner... this means we see minimal end grain... nice touch!

Mother's Day 2008

Loved this picture from our brunch with Nina on Mother's Day! So rare to catch everyone looking at the camera and smiling... had to share!!!!

Jeremy's "15 month well-visit" just a little late...

Jeremy had his 15 month doctor's visit this week.... we were a little late (over a month), but I'm happy to report he's been healthy for a few weeks now so I didn't feel so bad scheduling his immunizations.

Anyhow - he was a trooper for his shots. He only cried for a few seconds. He weighs 26 pounds, 2 ounces and is a whopping 33 inches tall! That puts him in the 75th percentile for weight and the 90th percentile for height. Now I know why he almost fits into Kyle's pants. :)

Here are some recent photos.... one from tonight (no pictures please!)


...and this one from a couple weeks ago (here I come!)

Busted! :)

So, it finally happened. Someone asked (paraphrased) "so what's up with the new blog? No new posts...."

I am guilt as charged and happy to provide an update. It has been a busy month of May!

The boys participated in a charity walk early this month (well, two walks, but we'll get to that another day.) This walk was for the Share-a-Smile foundation... a charitable organization that help with everything from funding school computer labs to helping seniors get wheelchair ramps to emergency medical assistance. I have had a little interaction with it's director through my job at Lighthouse and was happy to join them in their first fundraising walk.

The highlight of the walk for Kyle in particular, was Charlie the Share-a-Smile Bear. Kyle chased Charlie all over the grounds... Charlie gravitated to Kyle & Jeremy whenever other kids weren't calling for him.




When we left the walk Charlie's impact on Kyle was obvious....

"{big inhale} I'll never...see the bear...again {sigh}" Now Kyle is as guilty as the next toddler of crying to get his way, but I had never heard him pour on the drama. It was the funniest thing! (OK, part of my felt bad for the kid cuz he was clearly distraught at the thought of leaving his new friend, but the rest of me just couldn't contain the laughter.)

The good news is that now, Kyle is happy to see his picture on he fridge with this friend Charlie the Share-a-Smile Bear and he is eagerly looking forward to next year's walk!

And this is one-year-old Jeremy

Meet the 2 1/2 year old - Kyle

Finally, now we blog....

How technology sucks the hours right out of your life (and keeps us willfully and happily coming back for more)

Step 1: Check out free blog website that friend is using. It looks like fun!

Step 2: Set up your own free blog - manipulate page look and feel making everything perfect and user friendly. After all this will be such a great communication mechanism!

Step 3: Daydream about how cool it will be to keep friends and family updated - create grand visions of daily blogging and constant photo uploading.

Step 4: Go to bed for the night - after all it's 2:00 am

Step 5: Don't touch blog again for 2 months. Keep checking friends blog... get jealous because it ROCKS! Realize this is a far superior way to share than old baby website you were using (and haven't updated in over 6 months) Call a do-over!

So here's our first post.... a photo taken at Uncle Eric's wedding in February. All four of us... the kids are more adorable though, so next I'll add more photos of just them. Cool slideshows coming soon! (really this time - I figured it all out!)