Day 304 - Monday, October 31, 2011

Day 304 - Monday, October 31, 2011 – Jordyn and her girlfriends all decided to go trick-or-treating as pop stars for Halloween this year. Here they are on Megan's porch. From left: Megan Kerin as Katy Perry, Taylor Jenkins as Ke$ha, Shelby Gulda as Taylor Swift, Jordyn as Lady Ga Ga, and Alicia Kuligowsi as Nikki Minaj. They all looked great! Such a good group of girls.

Day 303 - Sunday, October 30, 2011

Day 303 - Sunday, October 30, 2011 – The kids knocked their pumpkin carvings out of the park this year. Jordyn was proud that this was the first year she carved her pumpkin completely unassisted.

Day 302 - Saturday, October 29, 2011

Day 302 - Saturday, October 29, 2011 – More evidence that an Owen lives in this house. Mini erasers serving as his audience.

Day 301 - Friday, October 28, 2011

Day 301 - Friday, October 28, 2011 – During parent/teacher conferences tonight, we went next door to Owen's classroom to his Chinese teacher's room, Ms. Liu. He was in there writing on her white board. When we came in the room, Ms. Liu spoke to Owen in Chinese, asking him questions like, "Who is this?" And he responded in Chinese, "This is my mom. This is my dad...." etc. She asked him a number of questions, and he was able to communicate with her. I was impressed, and Jordyn started to tear up because she was so touched by his ability to speak another language. It was just a super cool moment for all of us.

Day 300 - Thursday, October 27, 2011

Day 300 - Thursday, October 27, 2011 – By far one of the kids' favorite Halloween activities...Ghosting! This year proved to be as much fun as in years past. Owen decided he wanted to run up to his friend's door by himself. Meanwhile Jordyn, Liam, and I couldn't stop laughing as we watched Owen drop things and stumble and then giggle uncontrollably as he ran all the way back to the car. It was a riot. Targets this year: the Kerins, the Snables, and the Prusas.

Day 299 - Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Day 299 - Wednesday, October 26, 2011 – Beverages at Amy's before heading into O-town for the Girlfriends walk with Errica, Tina, Kim, and Amy.

Day 298 - Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Day 298 - Tuesday, October 25, 2011 – Jeremy and his assistant Dan came by to install shelves in the garage so that we can get rid of our rented storage unit. If I did the math right, this will add about 200 square feet of storage space.

Day 297 - Monday, October 24, 2011 – So, this bug landed on the window ledge outside my office, and I nearly jumped out of my seat. That sucker is HUGE!

Day 296 - Sunday, October 23, 2011

Day 296 - Sunday, October 23, 2011 – We took the kids to Robinette's in Grand Rapids today. It's a lovely apple orchard and we enjoyed this hayride, pulled by a couple of horses instead of a tractor. Owen seems to be channeling me in this picture with this "skinny arms" pose. Ahem.

Day 295 - Saturday, October 22, 2011

Day 295 - Saturday, October 22, 2011 – We celebrated Carol and Don's fiftieth wedding anniversary at Blue Water Grill in Grand Rapids today. There was a professional photographer there to take pictures. She had her work cut out for her with this bunch, that's for sure.

Day 294 - Friday, October 21, 2011

Day 294 - Friday, October 21, 2011 – THREE dozen gorgeous red roses. Kevin outdid himself with this one. And then I whisked him away to a surprise get away at the Park Royal Hotel in downtown Rochester. We had a fabulous kid-free evening. Eleven years, seems like we've been married forever and since yesterday all at the same time.

Day 293 - Thursday, October 20, 2011

Day 293 - Thursday, October 20, 2011 – Jordyn has certainly put more expression into her choir performances. Taste of Broadway was a phenomenal production by the Oxford High School choirs. The energy was amazing especially when all 200 choir members took the stage to enthusiastically recite their creed: "I am an Oxford High School Singer. I will dedicate myself to advancing my choir to be the best it can be. I will fully engage mentally, physically and artistically in every rehearsal and performance. I choose to demonstrate positive moral character, thinking of others more than myself. To me every day matters in building a better choir. I will do all I can to make each rehearsal and performance better than the last. I am a member of a world class choir. I am an Oxford High School Singer." Replace the periods with exclamation points, and you get the idea of how enthusiastic it was.

Day 292 - Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Day 292 - Wednesday, October 19, 2011 – Mr. Perfect enjoying a spring roll. This kid cracks me up.

Day 291 - Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Day 291 - Tuesday, October 18, 2011 – Owen brought this Rockin' Reader certificate home from school today. He struggles with reading, so this was a very proud moment for him.

Day 290 - Monday, October 17, 2011

Day 290 - Monday, October 17, 2011 – Super excited about the design of Jordyn's and Megan's Sweet Sixteen and the City party invitation!

Day 289 - Sunday, October 16, 2011

Day 289 - Sunday, October 16, 2011 – Mega shopping today...Costco haul and loads of Sweet Sixteen decorations from Party City.

Day 288 - Saturday, October 15, 2011

Day 288 - Saturday, October 15, 2011 – Jordyn, Mom, and I went to see Bailey perform as part of the Michigan Youth Opera Chorus along with the Michigan Opera Theatre in Carmina Burana and the Medium at the Detroit Opera House. This was my first opera and it was quite a night.

Day 287 - Friday, October 14, 2011

Day 287 - Friday, October 14, 2011 – The Hillary Tavern, where Michigan and Michigan State fans get along ...as long as MSU wins, which they did today.

Day 286 - Thursday, October 13, 2011

Day 286 - Thursday, October 13, 2011 – Jordyn and I went to dinner at Bahama Breeze with Megan and her mom, Patty, for a Sweet Sixteen party planning session. The girls enjoyed their daiquiris. Virgin, of course.

Day 285 - Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Day 285 - Wednesday, October 12, 2011 – Chasing Ashton around Oxford Hills Golf Club during Jordyn's JV golf banquet was quite entertaining. He became enthralled with this green piano. Eighteen months old and perfect as ever.

Day 284 - Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Day 284 - Tuesday, October 11, 2011 – You boys told me that you know how to play chess (on the wooden chess board dad brought back from Poland), but your constant bickering over the rules and what moves are allowed suggest otherwise.

Day 283 - Monday, October 10, 2011

Day 283 - Monday, October 10, 2011 – Lego guys perched upon the stones surrounding our fireplace with a paper sign that says "Help me!!!!!!" are evidence that an Owen lives in this house.

Day 282- Sunday, October 9, 2011

Day 282- Sunday, October 9, 2011 – Jordyn and I are rocking our Oxford football tees on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon at Liam's OJW football game.

Day 281 - Saturday, October 8, 2011

Day 281 - Saturday, October 8, 2011 – My mom came over today to help me put my food processor to good use. We made zucchini bread and muffins and lots of soup to freeze for the winter months ahead.

Day 280 - Friday, October 7, 2011

Day 280 - Friday, October 7, 2011 – Upon seeing this message on the fridge this morning, my response was this: "Liam, you forgot the 't' in scratched."

Day 279 - Thursday, October 6, 2011

Day 279 - Thursday, October 6, 2011 – Honey Oh's all over the kitchen floor is why we need to start keeping the pantry door closed.

Day 278 - Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Day 278 - Wednesday, October 5, 2011 – Halloween sprinkles with organic yogurt. Juxtaposition, anyone?

Day 277 - Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Day 277 - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 – Bedtime story with the boys. Oh, I'm looking for my missing piece, I'm looking for my missing piece. So grease my knees and fleece my bees. I'm looking for my missing piece.

Day 276 - Monday, October 3, 2011

Day 276 - Monday, October 3, 2011 – Owen concentrating on his HL. (everyday math Home Link).

Day 275 - Sunday, October 2, 2011

Day 275 - Sunday, October 2, 2011 – Dear Owen, it is called SIDEWALK chalk...not side of the house brick that won't wash off after 100 rain falls and multiple dousings from the hose chalk.

Day 274 - Saturday, October 1, 2011

Day 274 - Saturday, October 1, 2011 – Alicia and Jordyn leading the pack of fierce golfers.  Work it, girls!

Day 273 - Friday, September 30, 2011

Day 273 - Friday, September 30, 2011 – I got a last minute phone call from Natasha Milosavleski to join her and Doris Gilles in a suite at the Palace for the Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias concert.  I wanted to stuff Enrique in my purse and take him home with me.  The concert was like a live Zumba class.  I loved every second of it!

Day 272 - Thursday, September 29, 2011

Day 272 - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - Zumba pants, Capezio dance sneaker, Gap beach bag doubling as a gym bag, water cup in a scrapbooking tote...yep, must be Zumba night.

Day 271 - Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Day 271 - Wednesday, September 28, 2011 – Chocolate milk tastes better when you use a 2 foot wavy straw. Fact.

Day 270 - Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Day 270 - Tuesday, September 27, 2011 – One of Jordyn's besties, Alicia, spent the night tonight (yes, on a school night because they have late starts on Wednesdays), and without my even asking them, they sat down at the kitchen table to do their homework. Such responsible girls.

Day 269 - Monday, September 26, 2011

Day 269 - Monday, September 26, 2011 – Owen hides from Ashton as they play a little bit of tag.

Day 268 - Sunday, September 25, 2011

Day 268 - Sunday, September 25, 2011 – Owen has been Skypeing with Grandma Bonnie while she is in Florida. She reads him books. He reads her books. It's wonderful having a technologically savvy grandma who can help with our bedtime routine from a thousand miles away.

Day 267 - Saturday, September 24, 2011

Day 267 - Saturday, September 24, 2011 – Tyra called and asked Jordyn to be on the upcoming season of America's Next Top Model. Going to the Homecoming dance as a single lady tonight, Jordyn told me that all of the guys with girlfriends would drop their dates as soon as she walked through the door!

Day 266 - Friday, September 23, 2011

Day 266 - Friday, September 23, 2011 – Apparently, the "cool" thing to do in high school these days is to get someone's football jersey to wear on game day. Jordyn is ready for the Homecoming parade, even if the jersey she is wearing is from a JV player, instead of a Varsity player.