Crazy Michigan Life!!

Here are our going away Maui pics.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Yes it is cold here in Michigan; and dry, dry, dry. Yes I am kind of missing the 85 degree balmy Maui climate. If I were not sick the last 2 weeks I would not notice as much. We actually exited the airplane in Grand Rapids, MI without a jet bridge, which meant walking off the plane into the lovely snowfall of the day--it actually felt quite nice at that moment and was very pretty. The boys asked, "It's Christmas mommy?" Then shorlty after Clayton asked, "Where is the baby?" :) I guess our timeline of moving and having the baby are not quite understandable by a 2 and 4 year old, but they got it pretty close (Michigan, then Christmas, then Jeriah's bday, then the baby).

Life has been crazy here trying to adjust to the climate; living in my parents house and getting the attic ready for Eric and I and the baby; and trying out a complex (glucose/cassein free) diet for the kids!! We had to test for mold in the attic and tear out old ceiling tiles and carpet so I am waiting for the guys in my life to get together and get it finished up. The carpet will be in next week but some of the ceiling tiles and insulation need to be replaced before we can put in the carpet. Eric can help when he gets here but i dont know when that will be--probably next week. He flew from Maui to California last night for work again. When he finishes up there he will fly to Michigan. We miss him a lot!! We have been apart 3/4 of the last 2 months :(

Clayton started school this week so I am getting a little more rest now--he does not nap anymore. So far he seems to like it and enjoys riding the big bus. I dont know if I can get Jeriah in preschool here since he is not potty trained yet. Hopefully Eric and I can work on that when he gets here--I do not have nearly enough patience, energy or fight left in me to try that on my own right now!
Needless to say, it has been difficult to prepare physically, emotionally, etc for a new baby and even for Christmas so rapidly approaching. Hopefully the next couple weeks will change that.

In case I dont get on here again soon, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Please give us a call if you are in southwest Michigan!! We would love to see you!

First Fight

This was a few weeks ago, but we thought there first fight/hitting match was pretty funny so here it is!

Here are also 2 videos of the boys doing my Hula workout video with me. They are pretty good at it!

UPDATE

As for the rest of this crazy life, we are on the home stretch now for moving to Michigan. The boys and I leave next Saturday the 15th. Slowly but surely i have been packing the house since Eric was gone for over 2 1/2 weeks this month. He is home now though and his parents are here helping. This weekend we are all taking a little vacation to Kauai and then we will come back and finish the packing and other details. See you soon, Michiganders. :)

Halloween and Insensible

Here are some pictures of Jeriah's last day at school and also of the boys and their downstairs buddy Ian tonight. They are all dressed and ready for family fun night at their school. Clay is the lion, Ian is the ninja and Jeriah is the cowboy, Woody from Toy Story.

Clayton's word of the week is "insensible." He was sitting on the toilet yesterday reading a book and got all upset. I thought he was mad at the book and asked him why he was mad at the book. He just looked at me, got a very slight smirk on his face, pointed his finger at me and said, "You are NOT insensible!" I was flabbergasted. Where in the world did that word and phrase come from? I dont know, but he used it several times yesterday while they were playing as well.

ps. still waiting for my husband to come back from CA. I guess they really like him (so do I) and need him (so do we) :)

Pumpkins and Goats

I forgot my camera, but the boys had a good time today visiting the pumpkin patch. They also got to see horses and goats--even baby goats. There was a dog running around the fence frightening the goats so we got to see a show down. First the mamma goat with the babies was eyeing the dog and taking one step closer at a time and giving him "the look!!" Then the other goats started to notice and one by one each of them turned toward the dog and started moving slowly toward then fence where he was and some of them were stomping their hooves on the ground. It was actually pretty hilarious. It was like a member of an oppossing gang had just come over and given lip and the goat gang turned and almost in unison began moving slowly toward the culprit/victim and giving him the deadly glare that he was about to be pounced!

Anyway, then we went to our friend Melissa's house and she helped the boys seed the pumpkin and carve it and even toasted the pumpkin seeds, while i tried to rest.

I am trying to tell the boys that we might have a baby boy but they seem convinced that it is a girl. We were praying at bedtime the other night and clay squeezed me and said, "you going to push that baby out to a girl... a baby girl is gonna be a baby sister." I told him it might be a baby boy and then i would be a brother, but he said, "no, it's a girl. it's a baby sister." So, we shall see. Let's hope the "faith of a child" is right.

Oh yeah, and here is my latest mug shot:) I usually take my pictures in the morning when i am smaller, but this one was at night so the change may be a little more drastic than my morning shots. I really am bigger in the evening. I even measured myself one day in the morning and then that night and I was like an inch or two bigger around that night--it must be the slow digestion!

Sarah

A conversation I just heard from Jeriah, standing on our front steps: "No, can't come in. This is my house. It's for boys. Go downstairs. Go to your house....please say ruf, please say ruf. ...Go. Go doggy. Get down. Hi...Bye. Bye." Our neighbors puppy had come over and wanted to follow Jeriah into the house, apparently.

The picture to the left is our family with Eric holding the 15 lb ahi yellowfin tuna he caught while he and the boys were out fishing with our neighbor on his red zodiak.

We have not had any house action for a few weeks. I guess that is good since my house is currently strung with empty bins, boxes half-packed, clothes piled that no longer have a dresser to rest in, and as always, toys strewn on the floor.

Guess Who?
I walked into the bathroom yesterday and one of my children was squatting on the floor, sticking his pee tool into a bathroom cup. I moved him toward the toilet and he began urinating in the trash can until i turned him toward the toilet.

One of my children just bought an electric guitar (toy) at our garage sale. I awoke at 545am today with the guitar music playing and my son scream singing. A great new alarm clock!

Update
Eric was in CA last week Sunday to Sunday and goes again this Thursday. When we picked him up at the airport Clayton said, "I so glad to see you again, Daddy." It was a heart-melting moment.
While Eric was gone last week I held 2 garage sales and got rid of a lot of stuff. I am trying to pack a few things here and there and prepare them for shipping. Some things I am not sure if i should ship or not, like my nice Pfaltzcraft dishes. If anyone has any suggestions on packing and shipping, please let me know. 3 1/2 wks and counting!
Sarah

Kiddie tales, Doggie tails and Moving tales

10/06/08 "Daddy....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I so excited to see you. I feel better to see you, daddy." -Clayton

11/13/08 Jeriah was acting like a dog so I tried to convince him otherwise by saying, "Doggies eat dog food and only drink water, no milk, no cookies; and they pee on trees and chase cats." So, what does my smart 2 1/2 yr old do? He heads toward the front door and says, "Wanna go pee on the tree and chase kitty cats, mommy..." and continues to say so until i let him outside where he proceeds to a tree, pulls his diaper down, and says he is peeing on the tree. So much for my bright idea. I guess next time I will stick to the no ice cream and cookies statement.

Jeriah just had his last day at preschool. He has been doing school 5 hrs/week and clay goes all day everyday. Clay just started soccer but his younger brother is much more interested in playing than Clay is! Funny how different their personalities are :) I am posting a cool shot of Clay's thoughts on soccer (throw the ball right at mom while she tries to take a soccer photo!)

As for our moving update, it is a little overwhelming trying to figure out what is worth keeping and what is worth sending back to Michigan but we are slowly working on the process. We go to Kalamazoo first to have the baby and let clay finish school for the year (till May or June probablyly) and then we will head up to the great white north. Eric will still be making a lot of business trips out here to Maui, where the main company location is, and maybe to California, but for now we can live either in Maui or in Houghton, where one of the company owners is still a professor at MTU. The kids and I leave for MI Nov 15 and Eric will come a few weeks later.

Speaking of Eric, he is in CA for work all week (on a one-way ticket so far) so hopefully he comes back to help me pack :)

Sarah