Our particular elementary school is K-5.  It seems to be an arbitrary process in deciding how many grades constitute school grades since some are K-4, 5-8, 9-12 or other forms of elementary, middle, Jr High and high school departmentalization.  Our elementary just happens to end at 5th grade.  They also happen to have a 5th grade "graduation". I was always under the impression that graduation was a celebration of achievement and of transition from child to adult.  What hav...

I just got tagged so I guess I have to think up 5 of my most embarrassing childhood moments....here goes: The first two are separate parts of a single incident- 1) I won't say how old I was at the time but I was still technically a child.  I can't remember why I was upset or mad but whatever it was prompted me to take off on my bike with my sister chasing behind.  We lived on a dangerous, winding country road with deceptively hilly spots.  I happened to head down one particu...

My 36th birthday is coming up next month and whenever anyone asks me what I want, I blank.  So I thought I would write down things that I thought of today before they are lost in my pregnancy brain. Usually I ask for my favorite carrot cake.  This year I would prefer ice cream sundaes.  I have been craving ice cream non stop since I've been pregnant and it is usually nice and hot for my birthday. I actually have some jewelry now but could really use a jewelry cleaner and a n...

As some may know, I am expecting my third child soon.  My first two both have the Anne Geddes "My First Five Years" baby books.  I so wanted to get the same book for my third but was told it was out of print and I couldn't find it anywhere. Luckily, for some reason, I mentioned this to my friend who started searching the internet for me.  She found used ones on a couple of sites but I really wasn't interested in anything other than a brand new baby book.  Then my wonderful...

My home is filled with toys.  I have two young sons and a husband who is very in touch with his inner child.  There are baseball gloves (3 of them), legos, action figures and star wars toys everywhere!  All three boys (that is including my husband) have comic books everywhere.  All three play computer games.  I think the only things the boys play with that Brad doesn't are the stuffed animals and pokemon cards.  He's right in there on the rest of the toys though...

This week has been nothing but rain!  I know it is good for all of the vegetation and at least it hasn't been cold, but enough already!  We need the sun back! The gloomy, rainy days are making me want to do nothing other than sleep.  I can't wait to be able to send the kids back outside to play after school.  Their baseball and tee-ball teams haven't gotten a chance to get going yet.  We need sunshine! I got my 3rd grader off to school this morning and strongly con...

I saw the headline "Celebrities make pregnancy glamorous" on MSN.com today and laughed out loud.  Yeah, glamurous.  That's what I would call my swollen legs, ankles, and feet.  Those vericose and spider veins are gorgeous!  I feel like a movie star!! I feel anything but glamorous but I'm not one of those thin girls who don't have an extra ounce anywhere except their cute little round baby belly.  I sometimes think I am carrying the baby in my butt.  I'm bloated e...

At a time when I feel my family is on top of the world, I keep hearing of tragedy after tragedy.  It is almost enough to make me think that my good fortune is at the expense of others.  I sure hope that isn't the case. First Alex's friend from school dies of cancer.  Then I learn that one of my cousins has a son who, at 16, just killed himself.  Then I hear of my cousin/aunt being found hanged by a chain in her garage.  Then we get news that one of Brad's friends had ...

I remember quite clearly the events of March 30, 1981.  I was 11yrs old and watched in horror as footage showed our President, secret serviceman and James Brady getting shot over and over again.  The image of Brady face down in a pool of blood was burned into my brain instantly. Of course the overexposure of the video had to be made fun of and SNL was just the show to do it.  My dad, much to my mom's dismay, let us stay up and watch Saturday Night Live on occasion (he also let ...

I caught a Faith Hill and Tim McGraw video on TV while flicking channels and couldn't help thinking "Why on Earth should two people be so beautiful and talented?!"  They make singing look effortless.  They make the simple act of walking look like something I simply can't do. There are so many things I hate about my body.  Many are from my own doing but many are from genetic "gifts".  I have pale skin that simply doesn't tan.  Freckling and burning are the only things ...

I noticed in an article by a fellow female blogger that she mentioned hating sex.  This added to a long list of women I know of who at the very least feel they could live happily forever without it.  I don't get it! My best friend from childhood told her husband, after having their first baby that she couldn't have sex for 6 months rather than the truth of 6 weeks.  She told me she just doesn't enjoy sex and getting pregnant was like work.  I couldn't help but tell her she...

Today my sister and I enjoyed High Tea at a local tea room.  It was a very lovely, very girlie afternoon.  We were surrounded by an eclectic assortment of china tea cups and saucers.  There were doilies galore and everything was flowery and lacey. We talked over a pot of orange cinnamon tea.  We had finger sandwiches, mini quiches, scones and tarts.  Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. The little tea room was cozy and smelled wonderful.  Not a ...

We have had an extremely odd winter here in Michigan this year.  Yesterday it was 55 degrees and we had thunderstorms.  Thunderstorms in February!  Today it is 25 degrees and snowing.  Argh! I don't know lately weather to give the kids umbrellas or snow pants for school.  It's hard to tell if we need the snowblower or the lawn mower ready to go.  It is intimidating to plan a driving trip since you never know what kind of storm might be coming. The old Michigan...

I have two young, very imaginative boys so one method of recycling in my home is giving them stuff to "create" with.  Creamer bottles, milk cartons, oatmeal containers, they all can become very cool space ships!  They use things in ways no adult would ever imagine.  It is fascinating to watch and great exercise for their brains. We have a great recycling store in Ann Arbor called the Scrapbox.  People and businesses can donate materials and then you can come in, purchase a...

It is so beautiful out right now.  It literally looks like we are inside a snow globe that just got a good shake.  Big snowflakes are fluttering in every direction. Nothing is sticking though.  There is still green grass as far as the eye can see.  So weird!  Michigan is usually battling big snow banks this time of year (not that I'm complaining). I remember saying that I wish we would just have snow for Christmas and then have it gone by New Years.  Guess I w...