As 2010 creeps to an end, below is a poem I came across online and thought it was a perfect ending for the year. We hope you have a fabulous new year...free from stress, wrinkles, gray hair, and unwanted calories. Cheers!
Twas the month after Christmas and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste.
All the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).
I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt---
I said to myself, as I only can
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"
So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore---
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!
~Author Unknown
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
November News
The last day of November means it's time to update the blog before Christmas is upon us. (Plus, I just put a batch of Chex Mix in the oven, so I have 45 minutes to kill.)
We're proudly wearing our black and orange and cheering on the Kalamazoo College Hornets at their basketball games. The team played against Western Michigan University in an exhibition game. Keaton got some playing time and had a nice rebound and block. Keaton has had some playing time in the varsity games and scored his first official college basket in the game against Manchester University. He's been playing center and it's a new challenge for him. (He's a forward and has never played center before.) He's outweighed by at least 30 pounds in every game, but he pushes right back and holds his ground. He played in the JV game and only had a few rests on the bench to catch his breath. He was tired, but happy. Even though K hasn't won a game yet, Keaton is having a good time. The guys on the team (and coaches) are positive and supportive. There's no blame, no bickering, no yelling. It's such a nice change from high school basketball. Keaton's learning and will get more playing time as he gets bigger and stronger. He's hoping he gets bigger. He said he still doesn't have hair under his arms and he thinks he has Osgood-Schlatter disease, so he believes he's not done growing yet. I think he spends WAY too much time on Web MD...but the pediatrician gets a kick out of him and his self-diagnoses.
Speaking of basketball, I suffered an injury that I really do think is all due to the game. At my last dental cleaning, they discovered that I had a broken tooth...snapped right off the roots. They asked if I was in an accident or suffered some trauma. So, either Matt hit me in the mouth while we were sleeping or it's from clenching my teeth from stress. I don't think Matt caused it...even though he once hit me in the stomach while dreaming he was catching a frisbee. I think it's from clenching my teeth during high school basketball games. I used to have a drink before the games...I guess I should have had a few more.
Keaton came home for a day-and-a-half at Thanksgiving. I was planning to just have Chinese, but I felt guilty getting takeout when the poor college kid said he's tired of cafeteria food. We had a good time just relaxing and sitting around in sweats and pjs. Cyrus was the most excited for Thanksgiving dinner...he jumped up and staked his claim at the table at 8:15 a.m. He did get a plate full of goodies and he enjoyed every bite. (I think he might have actually smiled!) Keaton went back to school for basketball on Friday and Matt and I headed over to Flint to visit and drop off Cyrus on our way to a game in Ohio. (We know it's a long way to drive for a babysitter, but it is Sir Cyrus, after all.) We got home in time for Matt to put the Christmas lights on the house before the snow starts. (Another year without injury...whew!) We'll be putting up the Christmas tree without Keaton this year, so that will be different. But, maybe we'll Skype him and he can watch and tell us where to hang ornaments. Isn't technology great?
The Chex Mix is finished...so let the Christmas season begin!
We're proudly wearing our black and orange and cheering on the Kalamazoo College Hornets at their basketball games. The team played against Western Michigan University in an exhibition game. Keaton got some playing time and had a nice rebound and block. Keaton has had some playing time in the varsity games and scored his first official college basket in the game against Manchester University. He's been playing center and it's a new challenge for him. (He's a forward and has never played center before.) He's outweighed by at least 30 pounds in every game, but he pushes right back and holds his ground. He played in the JV game and only had a few rests on the bench to catch his breath. He was tired, but happy. Even though K hasn't won a game yet, Keaton is having a good time. The guys on the team (and coaches) are positive and supportive. There's no blame, no bickering, no yelling. It's such a nice change from high school basketball. Keaton's learning and will get more playing time as he gets bigger and stronger. He's hoping he gets bigger. He said he still doesn't have hair under his arms and he thinks he has Osgood-Schlatter disease, so he believes he's not done growing yet. I think he spends WAY too much time on Web MD...but the pediatrician gets a kick out of him and his self-diagnoses.
Speaking of basketball, I suffered an injury that I really do think is all due to the game. At my last dental cleaning, they discovered that I had a broken tooth...snapped right off the roots. They asked if I was in an accident or suffered some trauma. So, either Matt hit me in the mouth while we were sleeping or it's from clenching my teeth from stress. I don't think Matt caused it...even though he once hit me in the stomach while dreaming he was catching a frisbee. I think it's from clenching my teeth during high school basketball games. I used to have a drink before the games...I guess I should have had a few more.
Keaton came home for a day-and-a-half at Thanksgiving. I was planning to just have Chinese, but I felt guilty getting takeout when the poor college kid said he's tired of cafeteria food. We had a good time just relaxing and sitting around in sweats and pjs. Cyrus was the most excited for Thanksgiving dinner...he jumped up and staked his claim at the table at 8:15 a.m. He did get a plate full of goodies and he enjoyed every bite. (I think he might have actually smiled!) Keaton went back to school for basketball on Friday and Matt and I headed over to Flint to visit and drop off Cyrus on our way to a game in Ohio. (We know it's a long way to drive for a babysitter, but it is Sir Cyrus, after all.) We got home in time for Matt to put the Christmas lights on the house before the snow starts. (Another year without injury...whew!) We'll be putting up the Christmas tree without Keaton this year, so that will be different. But, maybe we'll Skype him and he can watch and tell us where to hang ornaments. Isn't technology great?
The Chex Mix is finished...so let the Christmas season begin!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Happy October
October was full of celebrations...Matt's adventure race, Keaton LOVING basketball again, Keaton's 19th birthday, and Halloween. Let's take a step back in time and review...and erase any new wrinkles (I wish!).
We kicked off October by heading out on a ghost tour down in Portage. It was a walking tour through a historical home, along a haunted trail, and through a cemetery where they supposedly see a shadowy figure of a woman walking through the graves. Yeah, right. We didn't hear anything or see anything, which was disappointing. I would have loved to have seen something or heard something...but nothing can touch me. That would be disgusting. I have serious germ issues and anything dead touching me would be beyond horrible. I don't think there's enough sanitizer in the world to disinfect awful, rotting, putrid, dead germs. We did work up an appetite out in the cold, crisp air and we now have a new favorite Mexican restaurant with really yummy food...and even better...fabulous margaritas! Ole'!!
The next weekend, we packed up the motor home and headed over to Ft. Custer near Battle Creek for Matt's adventure race. (Biking, canoeing, running, and orienteering. Yucky, dirty, sweaty, and not for me.) He and his friend finished the race with their best time (4 hours and 43 minutes) and found all 29 checkpoints. They had a great time and finished in 30th place...out of 70 teams. Team Lost Dumasse (supposed to be Lost Dumbass...but the race organizers frown on profanity) is taking the winter off and will resume their training in the spring. I will not be joining the team unless channel surfing and drinking are included in the race.
The following weekend, we headed over to Flint to catch all the kiddies play in their various sports. We were able to watch Cody and Hunter play some football on the big field under the lights and I especially loved watching McKenna get her cheer on. (She was pretty darn cute!) The weather was fabulous and it was fun to go back to high school. I have to admit I don't remember a lot about high school...it must be a side effect from all the fumes from the Aqua Net I used for my big hair in the 80s. (And I did have some big, crunchy hair!) We were able to watch Trevor play some great defense in his soccer game before we headed back. Karie and I attacked Kirkland's (the best home store EVER!) down near Detroit and were thankful we brought McKenna along so she could guard all our stuff (and we could blame her when we kept knocking stuff over!). The poor girl sat on a bench as we kept piling stuff around her. She was a good guard dog and didn't let anyone take our treasures. A lady commented on how well McKenna did holding out her arms to rest them on our stuff so other shoppers couldn't take anything. After our second round in the store to buy even more stuff, we called it a day. We couldn't fit anything else into Karie's car and we could barely squeeze McKenna back in the car. Next time, I'm bringing a U-Haul!
We were thrilled to receive a text from Keaton after K's (Kalamazoo College's) first basketball practice. He LOVED being back on the court. He was so excited and pumped after the first practice. We're thrilled he has his passion for basketball back. He's loving the laundry service for athletes. He puts his practice clothes in a bag and it's all magically cleaned, folded, and waiting neatly in his locker for the next practice. They did a lot of pre-season training by running, lifting weights, and doing various workouts. They sprinted up hills (and in Kalamazoo, the hills are HUGE!) and worked their way up to jumping rope for 1,000 repetitions and doing 100 crunches in a row. Ouch. He never complained and didn't even mind the 6 a.m. practices. He and his roommate were the first two at the gym for their first official practice. They showed up at 5:17 a.m. Practice didn't start until 6 a.m. but they were too excited to sleep. The coach was probably thinking...oh boy, freshmen. Who knew he'd like to get up early? He actually said he prefers the early morning practices. Keaton is happy and is loving college life!!
Matt and I went on our short fall color tour along Lake Michigan one night. We stopped in Saugatuck and climbed Mt. Baldy (insert own joke here). There were 300 steps to conquer it, but the view was awesome! I had on flip-flops, of course, so it was a little tricky on the sandy steps on the way down. Luckily I made it without falling...or ending up on YouTube. We headed over to the lighthouse in South Haven and took a few pictures before heading to a local restaurant for some fresh seafood. It was yummy!
We spent another fall weekend camping over in Allendale. Since Cyrus was the only youngster with us, we made him pose for fall pictures in the pretty leaves. We went with our camping compadres and had fun carving pumpkins and playing cards. Once again, we lucked out with the weather and made it home before the tornado warnings and hurricane winds.
Keaton's 19th birthday came quickly. We showered him with presents in his dorm room before we took him out to dinner. He was impressed that I could pull off a mobile party...complete with an ice cream cake, punch, plates, napkins, cups (all matching, of course!)...and even birthday candles. Move over, Martha Stewart! It was really strange not making Keaton chocolate chip pancakes for his birthday breakfast. (He's had them every year since he turned two.) It was nice to at least be able to visit with him for a little while on his birthday. We'll just have to start a new tradition...like me getting presents on his birthday. I did all the work, after all...WITHOUT any pain meds.
Matt and I donned our Halloween costumes over the weekend to pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters. Matt liked his costume so much that he even wore it to the Lions game on Halloween. Cyrus was so good and didn't bark once at all the kids...believe it or not. He sat on my lap and calmly let kids pet him. I think he was dazed and confused at all the costumes...or he got into my hot chocolate with Buttershots. Either way, it was another nice Halloween. It was a little bittersweet not to have Keaton pose for the annual Halloween picture with Cyrus and the pumpkins on the front porch. (I can name every single costume Keaton has ever worn...in order. I don't think that's too obsessive. I just think I have a fabulous memory.) I'm sure Keaton was happy I didn't make him wear the Santa costume. But, there's always Christmas, right?
We kicked off October by heading out on a ghost tour down in Portage. It was a walking tour through a historical home, along a haunted trail, and through a cemetery where they supposedly see a shadowy figure of a woman walking through the graves. Yeah, right. We didn't hear anything or see anything, which was disappointing. I would have loved to have seen something or heard something...but nothing can touch me. That would be disgusting. I have serious germ issues and anything dead touching me would be beyond horrible. I don't think there's enough sanitizer in the world to disinfect awful, rotting, putrid, dead germs. We did work up an appetite out in the cold, crisp air and we now have a new favorite Mexican restaurant with really yummy food...and even better...fabulous margaritas! Ole'!!
The next weekend, we packed up the motor home and headed over to Ft. Custer near Battle Creek for Matt's adventure race. (Biking, canoeing, running, and orienteering. Yucky, dirty, sweaty, and not for me.) He and his friend finished the race with their best time (4 hours and 43 minutes) and found all 29 checkpoints. They had a great time and finished in 30th place...out of 70 teams. Team Lost Dumasse (supposed to be Lost Dumbass...but the race organizers frown on profanity) is taking the winter off and will resume their training in the spring. I will not be joining the team unless channel surfing and drinking are included in the race.
The following weekend, we headed over to Flint to catch all the kiddies play in their various sports. We were able to watch Cody and Hunter play some football on the big field under the lights and I especially loved watching McKenna get her cheer on. (She was pretty darn cute!) The weather was fabulous and it was fun to go back to high school. I have to admit I don't remember a lot about high school...it must be a side effect from all the fumes from the Aqua Net I used for my big hair in the 80s. (And I did have some big, crunchy hair!) We were able to watch Trevor play some great defense in his soccer game before we headed back. Karie and I attacked Kirkland's (the best home store EVER!) down near Detroit and were thankful we brought McKenna along so she could guard all our stuff (and we could blame her when we kept knocking stuff over!). The poor girl sat on a bench as we kept piling stuff around her. She was a good guard dog and didn't let anyone take our treasures. A lady commented on how well McKenna did holding out her arms to rest them on our stuff so other shoppers couldn't take anything. After our second round in the store to buy even more stuff, we called it a day. We couldn't fit anything else into Karie's car and we could barely squeeze McKenna back in the car. Next time, I'm bringing a U-Haul!
We were thrilled to receive a text from Keaton after K's (Kalamazoo College's) first basketball practice. He LOVED being back on the court. He was so excited and pumped after the first practice. We're thrilled he has his passion for basketball back. He's loving the laundry service for athletes. He puts his practice clothes in a bag and it's all magically cleaned, folded, and waiting neatly in his locker for the next practice. They did a lot of pre-season training by running, lifting weights, and doing various workouts. They sprinted up hills (and in Kalamazoo, the hills are HUGE!) and worked their way up to jumping rope for 1,000 repetitions and doing 100 crunches in a row. Ouch. He never complained and didn't even mind the 6 a.m. practices. He and his roommate were the first two at the gym for their first official practice. They showed up at 5:17 a.m. Practice didn't start until 6 a.m. but they were too excited to sleep. The coach was probably thinking...oh boy, freshmen. Who knew he'd like to get up early? He actually said he prefers the early morning practices. Keaton is happy and is loving college life!!
Matt and I went on our short fall color tour along Lake Michigan one night. We stopped in Saugatuck and climbed Mt. Baldy (insert own joke here). There were 300 steps to conquer it, but the view was awesome! I had on flip-flops, of course, so it was a little tricky on the sandy steps on the way down. Luckily I made it without falling...or ending up on YouTube. We headed over to the lighthouse in South Haven and took a few pictures before heading to a local restaurant for some fresh seafood. It was yummy!
We spent another fall weekend camping over in Allendale. Since Cyrus was the only youngster with us, we made him pose for fall pictures in the pretty leaves. We went with our camping compadres and had fun carving pumpkins and playing cards. Once again, we lucked out with the weather and made it home before the tornado warnings and hurricane winds.
Keaton's 19th birthday came quickly. We showered him with presents in his dorm room before we took him out to dinner. He was impressed that I could pull off a mobile party...complete with an ice cream cake, punch, plates, napkins, cups (all matching, of course!)...and even birthday candles. Move over, Martha Stewart! It was really strange not making Keaton chocolate chip pancakes for his birthday breakfast. (He's had them every year since he turned two.) It was nice to at least be able to visit with him for a little while on his birthday. We'll just have to start a new tradition...like me getting presents on his birthday. I did all the work, after all...WITHOUT any pain meds.
Matt and I donned our Halloween costumes over the weekend to pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters. Matt liked his costume so much that he even wore it to the Lions game on Halloween. Cyrus was so good and didn't bark once at all the kids...believe it or not. He sat on my lap and calmly let kids pet him. I think he was dazed and confused at all the costumes...or he got into my hot chocolate with Buttershots. Either way, it was another nice Halloween. It was a little bittersweet not to have Keaton pose for the annual Halloween picture with Cyrus and the pumpkins on the front porch. (I can name every single costume Keaton has ever worn...in order. I don't think that's too obsessive. I just think I have a fabulous memory.) I'm sure Keaton was happy I didn't make him wear the Santa costume. But, there's always Christmas, right?
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Big Changes
Our baby bird has left the nest. It's been 456 hours and 47 minutes since we moved him into the second floor of Harmon Hall at Kalamazoo College. (48 minutes...not that I'm focusing too much on how long he's been gone.) We fit his staples of survival into two SUVs. He packed the bare minimum and I had to step in and play the mom card and insist he pack more than he thinks he needs. I just didn't see him surviving with 5 pair of underwear and one bath towel. I knew there was NO way he'd be doing his laundry every 3-4 days. He pretty much thought he'd be fine with a few changes of clothes, his TV, chair, and the futon. Shopping for supplies was another battle. He's definitely a minimalist.
So, we arrived on the campus of K (what everyone calls Kalamazoo College and what I'll be calling it from now on since it's just easier to type one letter) bright and early one morning to move him into his new life. We lucked out with a perfect moving day...sunny and 70 degrees. There was a long line of vehicles waiting to unload and we got in line. Keaton jumped out to go get his registration information and I waited for a spot to open up so we could unload the vehicle at Hoban Hall. One opened up right in front of the main door and I was thrilled we were so close! (K is VERY hilly and I wasn't looking forward to lugging all of Keaton's stuff up and down hills...or watching Matt stumble and fall with Keaton's TV.) Matt was able to pull right in front of me and we started to unload Keaton's stuff. Well, that's when Keaton called to tell us that we were at the wrong dorm...Keaton should be moving into another dorm (Harmon) down the road. So, we put everything back in the vehicles and rolled down the hill to the next dorm to meet him. He said that he read his dorm assignment and thought it was Hoban...back in June. He never looked at it again all summer. Sometimes I worry about him. If he decides to study abroad, I'll be totally freaking out that he'll plan to go to Spain and will end up in Sweden - he'll tell us it's an easy mistake...they both start with S. Ugh.
So, we moved him into his room and got him unpacked for the most part. He shares a bedroom with one guy - a fellow basketball player - and he shares a lounge with two guys - one football player and one tennis player. We didn't spend much time unpacking before it was time for brunch and separate seminars for students and parents. They were informative and gave us some insight into campus life. I will say that I honestly think Matt and I were the youngest parents on campus. After the seminar rounds were finished, it was time for the convocation. It was a nice ceremony and the professors all wore their robes and cords and lined each side of the sidewalk and applauded all the freshmen as they walked by to go to the chapel to sign their matriculation. It was all very regal...full of pomp and circumstance. Afterwards, Keaton came out of the chapel laughing saying that he felt like he was in a Harry Potter book. He can always find something funny about every situation.
After walking back with him to pose for a picture by his dorm, we hugged him, kissed him and told him we loved him. Then, it was time to leave. I had a flashback as we were walking back to the car. Keaton had the same expression on his face as he walked toward those big double doors of his dorm as he did back in kindergarten. Just like in kindergarten, he walked into the building full of excitement and confidence. No worries. My heart gave a little hiccup, but no tears. Matt was happy as he forgot to bring the box of kleenex in case I had a breakdown on the drive home. I will admit that I had a hard time sleeping the first week. I had a thousand worries on my mind...the "what ifs" kept me up a lot that first week. But, they slowly went away as Keaton would email or call and relieve my worries. He was adapting to campus life and was happy.
So, now we're about three weeks into our separation and I have to admit that I'm not drinking nearly as much as I thought I would be. It's taken some getting used to, but I think we're adapting to Keaton's absence. The dishwasher doesn't run as often, my loads of laundry are definitely smaller, and I don't seem to go to the grocery store as often as I once did. Yay! Cyrus used to run to the door the first week of separation anytime a car drove by...expecting to see Keaton. It took a little while for Cyrus to realize Keaton wasn't coming home anytime soon. So, he's taken to being under my feet that much more and doesn't let me out of his sight much. I don't like going into Keaton's room and it squeezes my heart a little whenever I do...it's just so empty. But, Keaton came through town for a quick visit over the weekend on his way to see his beloved Elizabeth (she's up at Grand Valley State University) and he chattered a mile a minute and seemed very happy with his classes and life in general. He just seems so grown up all of a sudden. He stopped by again on his way back to K to lie on his bed (he said he misses being able to stretch out his arms) and grab his Zetterberg jersey (he's going to see the Red Wings at their season opener on Friday night).
Matt and I have been trying to get ready for winter. With my directions and a lot of Austin Powers maneuvering, Matt was able to park two vehicles in the one-car stall in the garage. It is pretty impressive. Getting them out might be another story, but they're all tucked away for now - safe from snow. Matt and I are planning a camping trip to Fort Custer over the weekend. Saturday is Matt's adventure race that he's been training for - biking, canoeing, and orienteering. As always, I'll be back at the campground supporting him with my book and drink in hand. We went on a ghost tour last weekend, but were disappointed not to see anything. We did hear some whispering that was recorded by the West Michigan Paranormal Society earlier in the week at the historical haunted house, but I didn't hear much except a lot of white noise. Oh well. We went to an art festival in Grand Rapids over the weekend and found it very interesting. There were all sorts of mediums - metal sculptures, paintings, cloth, mosaic tiles, wood carvings, and some things that I'm not even sure what qualified them as art. Some things looked like a preschooler made them. Some I just didn't get at all...sod as art. Even enclosed between a frame, it's still just sod. But, I'm glad we went. We're not art connoisseurs, but we know what we like...and it isn't sod.
I have our Halloween costumes all ready for us to put on in a few weeks. We'll be wearing them during K's family weekend (it's Halloween weekend - maybe because K's school colors are orange and black). Keaton just shook his head when I told him what we're dressing as and that we'll be wearing them on campus. He's used to us embarrassing him...as a matter of fact, I think he's just accepted it over the years and just expects it. Plus, we've been dressing up since he started trick-or-treating so I don't see why we should ever stop. It's fun to dress up...even the dog gets into the act. He's really looking forward to it...yeah, right. Poor dog.
So, we arrived on the campus of K (what everyone calls Kalamazoo College and what I'll be calling it from now on since it's just easier to type one letter) bright and early one morning to move him into his new life. We lucked out with a perfect moving day...sunny and 70 degrees. There was a long line of vehicles waiting to unload and we got in line. Keaton jumped out to go get his registration information and I waited for a spot to open up so we could unload the vehicle at Hoban Hall. One opened up right in front of the main door and I was thrilled we were so close! (K is VERY hilly and I wasn't looking forward to lugging all of Keaton's stuff up and down hills...or watching Matt stumble and fall with Keaton's TV.) Matt was able to pull right in front of me and we started to unload Keaton's stuff. Well, that's when Keaton called to tell us that we were at the wrong dorm...Keaton should be moving into another dorm (Harmon) down the road. So, we put everything back in the vehicles and rolled down the hill to the next dorm to meet him. He said that he read his dorm assignment and thought it was Hoban...back in June. He never looked at it again all summer. Sometimes I worry about him. If he decides to study abroad, I'll be totally freaking out that he'll plan to go to Spain and will end up in Sweden - he'll tell us it's an easy mistake...they both start with S. Ugh.
After walking back with him to pose for a picture by his dorm, we hugged him, kissed him and told him we loved him. Then, it was time to leave. I had a flashback as we were walking back to the car. Keaton had the same expression on his face as he walked toward those big double doors of his dorm as he did back in kindergarten. Just like in kindergarten, he walked into the building full of excitement and confidence. No worries. My heart gave a little hiccup, but no tears. Matt was happy as he forgot to bring the box of kleenex in case I had a breakdown on the drive home. I will admit that I had a hard time sleeping the first week. I had a thousand worries on my mind...the "what ifs" kept me up a lot that first week. But, they slowly went away as Keaton would email or call and relieve my worries. He was adapting to campus life and was happy.
So, now we're about three weeks into our separation and I have to admit that I'm not drinking nearly as much as I thought I would be. It's taken some getting used to, but I think we're adapting to Keaton's absence. The dishwasher doesn't run as often, my loads of laundry are definitely smaller, and I don't seem to go to the grocery store as often as I once did. Yay! Cyrus used to run to the door the first week of separation anytime a car drove by...expecting to see Keaton. It took a little while for Cyrus to realize Keaton wasn't coming home anytime soon. So, he's taken to being under my feet that much more and doesn't let me out of his sight much. I don't like going into Keaton's room and it squeezes my heart a little whenever I do...it's just so empty. But, Keaton came through town for a quick visit over the weekend on his way to see his beloved Elizabeth (she's up at Grand Valley State University) and he chattered a mile a minute and seemed very happy with his classes and life in general. He just seems so grown up all of a sudden. He stopped by again on his way back to K to lie on his bed (he said he misses being able to stretch out his arms) and grab his Zetterberg jersey (he's going to see the Red Wings at their season opener on Friday night).
Matt and I have been trying to get ready for winter. With my directions and a lot of Austin Powers maneuvering, Matt was able to park two vehicles in the one-car stall in the garage. It is pretty impressive. Getting them out might be another story, but they're all tucked away for now - safe from snow. Matt and I are planning a camping trip to Fort Custer over the weekend. Saturday is Matt's adventure race that he's been training for - biking, canoeing, and orienteering. As always, I'll be back at the campground supporting him with my book and drink in hand. We went on a ghost tour last weekend, but were disappointed not to see anything. We did hear some whispering that was recorded by the West Michigan Paranormal Society earlier in the week at the historical haunted house, but I didn't hear much except a lot of white noise. Oh well. We went to an art festival in Grand Rapids over the weekend and found it very interesting. There were all sorts of mediums - metal sculptures, paintings, cloth, mosaic tiles, wood carvings, and some things that I'm not even sure what qualified them as art. Some things looked like a preschooler made them. Some I just didn't get at all...sod as art. Even enclosed between a frame, it's still just sod. But, I'm glad we went. We're not art connoisseurs, but we know what we like...and it isn't sod.
I have our Halloween costumes all ready for us to put on in a few weeks. We'll be wearing them during K's family weekend (it's Halloween weekend - maybe because K's school colors are orange and black). Keaton just shook his head when I told him what we're dressing as and that we'll be wearing them on campus. He's used to us embarrassing him...as a matter of fact, I think he's just accepted it over the years and just expects it. Plus, we've been dressing up since he started trick-or-treating so I don't see why we should ever stop. It's fun to dress up...even the dog gets into the act. He's really looking forward to it...yeah, right. Poor dog.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Summertime
Without any big trips planned over the summer months, we've still traveled a bit and created our own adventures. Matt and I headed up to Muskegon for his adventure race in June. He and his partner (not "partner"...his race partner) had a lot of fun and finished with their best time yet.
A few weeks later, we packed up the motor home again and headed down to Hocking Hills in Ohio for a long weekend. Cyrus and I were attacked by Cujo and I suffered my first-ever (and hopefully last-ever) dog bite. The crazy owner of the crazy dog stood by helplessly while I got dizzy spinning in circles as Cyrus ran around my feet trying to stay alive. He wouldn't jump in my arms and Cujo kept chasing him trying to bite him. I couldn't do anything but spin to keep from getting tangled up in the leash, falling down and having Cujo rip out my jugular. I finally put my hand down and pushed the crazy dog away so I could grab poor Cyrus and the psycho dog bit me. The owner apologized and I told her that's why dogs are supposed TO BE ON LEASHES in a campground. I just about bit her myself...idiot. Her husband came over later to apologize and thanked me for not kicking their dog. I again told him why dogs are supposed TO BE ON LEASHES in a campground. I had a hard time not kicking him...idiot. I am wondering if I need anger management classes. There seem to be too many idiots in the world. I don't know if I have the time or the energy to try to change them all. Okay...deep breath in...deep breath out. We did enjoy the Hocking Hills area. There were many pretty waterfalls and canyons to explore. The area is supposedly haunted, but we sadly didn't see or hear anything.
A few weeks later, we packed up the motor home again and headed up to the U.P. to visit Muskallonge Lake State Park. We took a day trip to TRY to visit Pictured Rocks National Park...note that TRY is the stressed word. We stopped at the ranger station and were dismayed to find that the main road is closed for repairs. We would have to drive a couple of hours to the west end of the park and then take a boat trip to see the rocks. (We had hoped to drive along the lake shore road and stop at various points of interest for photo opportunities.) So, we stopped at a couple of scenic spots before the construction and posed for some pictures. The gang went out to tube in the Two-Hearted River the next day. When the group returned, I asked how it was. Keaton's reply was, "My life flashed before my eyes. I thought we were going to end up in Canada." According to Matt, Keaton and Elizabeth were in Matt's little dinghy (feel free to insert your own joke here) and one of the oars broke. They got caught in the current and kind of were swept way out into Lake Superior. The other kids had to swim out with their inter tubes and pull them out of the current. I don't know why Keaton has issues in rivers. (Remember the flipping of the river raft in Colorado. That was another moment he had where he said his life flashed before his eyes.) I'm thinking he probably should just stick to pools in the future. I think they're more his speed.
My sisters and I had a surprise retirement party for our mother. It was a little tricky to pull off, but we did it. The kids were all great and didn't let anything slip. I'm not sure if we were just lucky...or if we just taught them to be really good fibbers. Hmmmm...that could be a moral dilemma. Everyone seemed to have a great time though.
Speaking of great times, Matt and I went away to Mackinac last weekend to celebrate our 20th anniversary. (It only took about two months to find time to get away!) We enjoyed some alone time, visiting the sites and eating lots of whitefish and fudge. We even found some time to donate some money to the casino.
Keaton was just assigned his dorm and roommate for college. It looks like he and his roommate will be sharing a lounge with two other guys (I'm thinking "Man Cave" will be the theme). He's looking forward to going to school in September. He registered for his classes and will be taking his mandatory Freshman class (kind of a freshman focus class), a computer science class, and Calculus. Basketball will be gearing up and he's looking forward to getting back in the gym. We see so little of him now that I think we'll have an easier transition when he leaves in the fall than I originally expected. It will be interesting to see how Cyrus will react when Keaton leaves. I'm thinking Cyrus is going to just move right into Keaton's room. I'd expect nothing less from Sir Cyrus than to claim Keaton's queen-sized bed as his own. I also think he'd watch a lot of TV if only he had thumbs to work the remote. He seems to like the Food Network...and reruns of Baywatch.
A few weeks later, we packed up the motor home again and headed down to Hocking Hills in Ohio for a long weekend. Cyrus and I were attacked by Cujo and I suffered my first-ever (and hopefully last-ever) dog bite. The crazy owner of the crazy dog stood by helplessly while I got dizzy spinning in circles as Cyrus ran around my feet trying to stay alive. He wouldn't jump in my arms and Cujo kept chasing him trying to bite him. I couldn't do anything but spin to keep from getting tangled up in the leash, falling down and having Cujo rip out my jugular. I finally put my hand down and pushed the crazy dog away so I could grab poor Cyrus and the psycho dog bit me. The owner apologized and I told her that's why dogs are supposed TO BE ON LEASHES in a campground. I just about bit her myself...idiot. Her husband came over later to apologize and thanked me for not kicking their dog. I again told him why dogs are supposed TO BE ON LEASHES in a campground. I had a hard time not kicking him...idiot. I am wondering if I need anger management classes. There seem to be too many idiots in the world. I don't know if I have the time or the energy to try to change them all. Okay...deep breath in...deep breath out. We did enjoy the Hocking Hills area. There were many pretty waterfalls and canyons to explore. The area is supposedly haunted, but we sadly didn't see or hear anything.
A few weeks later, we packed up the motor home again and headed up to the U.P. to visit Muskallonge Lake State Park. We took a day trip to TRY to visit Pictured Rocks National Park...note that TRY is the stressed word. We stopped at the ranger station and were dismayed to find that the main road is closed for repairs. We would have to drive a couple of hours to the west end of the park and then take a boat trip to see the rocks. (We had hoped to drive along the lake shore road and stop at various points of interest for photo opportunities.) So, we stopped at a couple of scenic spots before the construction and posed for some pictures. The gang went out to tube in the Two-Hearted River the next day. When the group returned, I asked how it was. Keaton's reply was, "My life flashed before my eyes. I thought we were going to end up in Canada." According to Matt, Keaton and Elizabeth were in Matt's little dinghy (feel free to insert your own joke here) and one of the oars broke. They got caught in the current and kind of were swept way out into Lake Superior. The other kids had to swim out with their inter tubes and pull them out of the current. I don't know why Keaton has issues in rivers. (Remember the flipping of the river raft in Colorado. That was another moment he had where he said his life flashed before his eyes.) I'm thinking he probably should just stick to pools in the future. I think they're more his speed.
My sisters and I had a surprise retirement party for our mother. It was a little tricky to pull off, but we did it. The kids were all great and didn't let anything slip. I'm not sure if we were just lucky...or if we just taught them to be really good fibbers. Hmmmm...that could be a moral dilemma. Everyone seemed to have a great time though.
Speaking of great times, Matt and I went away to Mackinac last weekend to celebrate our 20th anniversary. (It only took about two months to find time to get away!) We enjoyed some alone time, visiting the sites and eating lots of whitefish and fudge. We even found some time to donate some money to the casino.
Keaton was just assigned his dorm and roommate for college. It looks like he and his roommate will be sharing a lounge with two other guys (I'm thinking "Man Cave" will be the theme). He's looking forward to going to school in September. He registered for his classes and will be taking his mandatory Freshman class (kind of a freshman focus class), a computer science class, and Calculus. Basketball will be gearing up and he's looking forward to getting back in the gym. We see so little of him now that I think we'll have an easier transition when he leaves in the fall than I originally expected. It will be interesting to see how Cyrus will react when Keaton leaves. I'm thinking Cyrus is going to just move right into Keaton's room. I'd expect nothing less from Sir Cyrus than to claim Keaton's queen-sized bed as his own. I also think he'd watch a lot of TV if only he had thumbs to work the remote. He seems to like the Food Network...and reruns of Baywatch.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Graduate
Has it really been over four months since my last blog? Holy cow! I'll have to recap our life...backwards since I need time to remember everything that's happened.
Keaton. Has. Graduated. With. Honors.
WHOO-HOO!!! It's hard to believe (not that he isn't smart). It's hard to believe we're old enough to have a son who is old enough to graduate from high school. We're so very, very proud of him! He won numerous awards and scholarships that will help with college costs. He's going to go to Kalamazoo College (whew...not too far from us) and will major in mathematics and computer science. (I still think he's going to be a bookie. He says he and his friend plan to be computer hackers on a beach in Brazil since there's no extradition.) He will also be playing basketball for the Hornets. Their school colors are black and orange, so stock up on Halloween clothing and come and support the team! Look for the motor home parked in the dorm parking lot...that will be me. I'll just park there during the week and will allow him to have some freedom on weekends. I'm not THAT attached.
It was a whirlwind of activities around here for the past month. Keaton's open house party was fun...from what I remember. I, unfortunately, had a nasty bout of hives and was so drugged up on Benadryl and Zyrtec that I honestly don't know how I was even able to stand. (Oh sorry, since Matt makes generic drugs, I need to say Diphenhydramine and Ceterizine.) I scoff at people who whine about allergies...give me a sniffly nose and runny eyes any day. I leer at people who complain about having hives...and they complain about how uncomfortable they are with a smattering of a few itchy bumps. My hives are HUGE. My hives are legendary. My hives should be in movies. If you've ever seen the movie "Hitch"... the part where Will Smith's character has an allergic reaction to food and his entire face and ears swell up and he chugs Benadryl...I look about ten times worse than that. Okay, maybe I exaggerate...I look about NINE times worse than that. Seriously. I can handle hives covering my body...I just scratch until I'm covered in scabs. I can handle hives on my feet...it just looks like I'm walking on marbles. I just CANNOT handle hives on my face or in my throat. Trust me, kids will run screaming and even adults will shudder in horror if they see my deformed face or hear my scary, raspy voice. I was really worried about having a deformed face, having pictures taken with Keaton on this remarkable achievement in his life, and then having a record of my deformity scrapbooked for future generations to see. It really isn't pretty. My nemesis is grass, cat hair, and mold. (I'm allergic to everything and should be in a bubble, but those three things really set me off this time.) Of course, since I'm very allergic to cats, we have neighborhood cats who LOVE to visit my yard and outdoor furniture. My sisters and mom did a good job of playing guard dogs and making people take off their shoes if they came into the house. They're not fanatics about being clean...they honestly were trying to keep me alive. I'm not exaggerating with that one. I had a really bad episode the day before Keaton's graduation and was stupid and refused to go to the emergency room when I had hives in my throat because I HAD to finish Keaton's scrapbook pages for his open house. I gave myself 15 minutes for the Benadryl to kick in as my face swelled about twice in size, my eye swelled shut, and my lips were bigger than Angelina Jolie's. Luckily, the Benadryl did kick in. I know, I know, it was stupid and I should have gone to the E.R., but at the time, I honestly didn't want to waste those precious few hours in a hospital. I've been to allergy doctors and I'm not going back on shots. There is no cure for my hives...only ways to manage them. I have learned to avoid my triggers (or at least limit my exposure to my triggers until I find that bubble to live in - pink, of course!) and have bought stock in Benadryl. So, back to my guard dogs...my house was my one safe zone where I could sit and try to get back to normal. So, I floated (and I do mean floated because I honestly had more Benadryl in my system than is legal since I seem to have built up an immunity to it) around and fought through the fog and haze to try and focus on what was happening. So, if I appeared buzzed, dreamy, trance-like, or unconscious at any time around Keaton's graduation or open house, I apologize. It really was the drugs. Oh, and it also could have been the lack of sleep. Matt and I chaperoned the Seniors' Grad Bash (all-night party after commencement...we didn't get home until 7 a.m.) Then, I only took a couple of short naps for the next several days while we tried to set up for the open house. I'm a perfectionist (I know, it's hard to believe) and it's funny how that all changes at 4 a.m. I quickly learned that 3 hours of sleep is better than hanging a tarp in the garage to cover my cabinets. I wanted everything to be perfect...but realized that nobody will ever know what wasn't displayed. I was the only one who knew what wasn't done, made, or set out. Things went by so quickly. I honestly didn't have time to visit with everyone who came to Plainwell and I'm sorry for that. I tried to get the family together so they could visit, but I ended up working, chugging down the Benadryl so I didn't scare everyone and trying to stay conscious. We were all so happy to have so many friends and family come celebrate Keaton's accomplishment! It seems we blinked and the entire long weekend was over. The good news is that I'm slowly returning to normal...or as normal as I'll ever be. I'm hoping to be normal really, really soon because I really, really need a drink (or several). We have a lot to celebrate - Keaton's graduation from high school and...
...our 20th wedding anniversary! We didn't do anything for our anniversary. Stupid hives. I'm slowly reintroducing normal food back into my diet (I'm so sick of chicken and plain white rice!). I'm not quite ready to eat out in public yet because I really don't want to have a reaction and wind up on YouTube as "The Scary Hive Lady". We'll have to go out and celebrate another time once I'm normal. Matt's trying to talk me into going away to New Orleans, but that's not on my list of places to visit in the hot, steamy summer months. Maybe in the fall...before Keaton's basketball season.
Speaking of Keaton, he went to Florida for spring break without us. I guess he really is all grown up. He went with his girlfriend and her family. Matt and I worked on little projects around the house in preparation for the onslaught of visitors for the graduation celebration. Boy, did he ever need a celebration. After a disappointing basketball season, he was really down on himself. It was heartbreaking to watch our usually happy, smiling, joking son become sullen, quiet...and depressed. It was so difficult to watch him lose his self-confidence. It was so difficult to watch him lose his passion for basketball. Some coaches may think they can motivate players by getting them angry or lighting a fire under them. That doesn't work with Keaton. He was repeatedly told he wasn't a good player. He was told he'd never play ball in college. He was repeatedly told he wasn't a leader. We watched him help other players up from the floor during games. We watched him congratulate teammates on free-throws or baskets. We watched him cheer on his teammates while he was sitting on the bench, injured. We watched him work really hard in physical therapy to recover from an injury so he could get back on the court to help his team. We watched him talk with a younger teammate who was frustrated during a game and try and cheer him up. We watched him never, ever argue with a referee in a game - EVER. We watched him pass the ball unselfishly and not take unnecessary shots. We watched him tell his team to settle down after a bad call. We watched him try and pump up his team when they were frustrated. We watched him tell his team to be proud of being a Trojan. Unlike a lot of his team, he didn't spend weekends at parties, he never had a tardy or unexcused absence from school, he kept his grades at all As and never had a detention. Yet, he was repeatedly beaten into the ground and told he wasn't a leader. So, Keaton learned some valuable lessons...life isn't always easy; you'll always have critics; and you can always count on your parents for unconditional love and support. The sad news is that it took him a while to touch a basketball after the season ended. We hope he'll find his passion for the game again over the summer.
Keaton went to the prom with Elizabeth again. They had a great time and even joked about taking the motor home filled with friends to the prom. We even offered to drive them and have our neighbor drive kids in their motor home...and were promptly shot down. Oh well, we tried to be cool.
Back to the present time...we don't have any big trips planned for the summer, believe it or not. We are heading up to Muskegon this weekend for Matt's adventure race. (Bike-riding, canoeing, and orienteering.) I'll cheer him on in spirit while I sit on the beach and relax. We're heading down to Hocking Hills in Ohio for a long weekend later in the month where we're planning on going on a ghost tour. That should be awesome...as long as nothing touches me. That would totally freak me out. For those of you who don't know, I have a sister who used to talk to our grandmother who had passed away...only we didn't know who she was at the time. I was the lucky one to share a room with Laurie and her nightly chats. Next month we're celebrating the 4th of July in da U.P. where we'll be visiting the Pictured Rocks and surrounding areas. We've been talking about taking a long trip in the fall, but it's still just talk. We have 10 more states in the continental U.S. to visit...and those will be long trips down south and out west. Yeehaw!
We have a lot to look forward to in the next few months. I'm looking forward to shopping for college life and decorating Keaton's dorm room. Keaton's looking forward to going away so he doesn't have to make his bed anymore and eating in the college cafeteria. Matt is looking forward to the next chapter in our lives. Cyrus is looking forward to getting ALL our attention since Keaton will be heading out for bigger and better things. We're all looking forward to a fun summer before our baby leaves for college!!!!
Keaton. Has. Graduated. With. Honors.
WHOO-HOO!!! It's hard to believe (not that he isn't smart). It's hard to believe we're old enough to have a son who is old enough to graduate from high school. We're so very, very proud of him! He won numerous awards and scholarships that will help with college costs. He's going to go to Kalamazoo College (whew...not too far from us) and will major in mathematics and computer science. (I still think he's going to be a bookie. He says he and his friend plan to be computer hackers on a beach in Brazil since there's no extradition.) He will also be playing basketball for the Hornets. Their school colors are black and orange, so stock up on Halloween clothing and come and support the team! Look for the motor home parked in the dorm parking lot...that will be me. I'll just park there during the week and will allow him to have some freedom on weekends. I'm not THAT attached.
It was a whirlwind of activities around here for the past month. Keaton's open house party was fun...from what I remember. I, unfortunately, had a nasty bout of hives and was so drugged up on Benadryl and Zyrtec that I honestly don't know how I was even able to stand. (Oh sorry, since Matt makes generic drugs, I need to say Diphenhydramine and Ceterizine.) I scoff at people who whine about allergies...give me a sniffly nose and runny eyes any day. I leer at people who complain about having hives...and they complain about how uncomfortable they are with a smattering of a few itchy bumps. My hives are HUGE. My hives are legendary. My hives should be in movies. If you've ever seen the movie "Hitch"... the part where Will Smith's character has an allergic reaction to food and his entire face and ears swell up and he chugs Benadryl...I look about ten times worse than that. Okay, maybe I exaggerate...I look about NINE times worse than that. Seriously. I can handle hives covering my body...I just scratch until I'm covered in scabs. I can handle hives on my feet...it just looks like I'm walking on marbles. I just CANNOT handle hives on my face or in my throat. Trust me, kids will run screaming and even adults will shudder in horror if they see my deformed face or hear my scary, raspy voice. I was really worried about having a deformed face, having pictures taken with Keaton on this remarkable achievement in his life, and then having a record of my deformity scrapbooked for future generations to see. It really isn't pretty. My nemesis is grass, cat hair, and mold. (I'm allergic to everything and should be in a bubble, but those three things really set me off this time.) Of course, since I'm very allergic to cats, we have neighborhood cats who LOVE to visit my yard and outdoor furniture. My sisters and mom did a good job of playing guard dogs and making people take off their shoes if they came into the house. They're not fanatics about being clean...they honestly were trying to keep me alive. I'm not exaggerating with that one. I had a really bad episode the day before Keaton's graduation and was stupid and refused to go to the emergency room when I had hives in my throat because I HAD to finish Keaton's scrapbook pages for his open house. I gave myself 15 minutes for the Benadryl to kick in as my face swelled about twice in size, my eye swelled shut, and my lips were bigger than Angelina Jolie's. Luckily, the Benadryl did kick in. I know, I know, it was stupid and I should have gone to the E.R., but at the time, I honestly didn't want to waste those precious few hours in a hospital. I've been to allergy doctors and I'm not going back on shots. There is no cure for my hives...only ways to manage them. I have learned to avoid my triggers (or at least limit my exposure to my triggers until I find that bubble to live in - pink, of course!) and have bought stock in Benadryl. So, back to my guard dogs...my house was my one safe zone where I could sit and try to get back to normal. So, I floated (and I do mean floated because I honestly had more Benadryl in my system than is legal since I seem to have built up an immunity to it) around and fought through the fog and haze to try and focus on what was happening. So, if I appeared buzzed, dreamy, trance-like, or unconscious at any time around Keaton's graduation or open house, I apologize. It really was the drugs. Oh, and it also could have been the lack of sleep. Matt and I chaperoned the Seniors' Grad Bash (all-night party after commencement...we didn't get home until 7 a.m.) Then, I only took a couple of short naps for the next several days while we tried to set up for the open house. I'm a perfectionist (I know, it's hard to believe) and it's funny how that all changes at 4 a.m. I quickly learned that 3 hours of sleep is better than hanging a tarp in the garage to cover my cabinets. I wanted everything to be perfect...but realized that nobody will ever know what wasn't displayed. I was the only one who knew what wasn't done, made, or set out. Things went by so quickly. I honestly didn't have time to visit with everyone who came to Plainwell and I'm sorry for that. I tried to get the family together so they could visit, but I ended up working, chugging down the Benadryl so I didn't scare everyone and trying to stay conscious. We were all so happy to have so many friends and family come celebrate Keaton's accomplishment! It seems we blinked and the entire long weekend was over. The good news is that I'm slowly returning to normal...or as normal as I'll ever be. I'm hoping to be normal really, really soon because I really, really need a drink (or several). We have a lot to celebrate - Keaton's graduation from high school and...
...our 20th wedding anniversary! We didn't do anything for our anniversary. Stupid hives. I'm slowly reintroducing normal food back into my diet (I'm so sick of chicken and plain white rice!). I'm not quite ready to eat out in public yet because I really don't want to have a reaction and wind up on YouTube as "The Scary Hive Lady". We'll have to go out and celebrate another time once I'm normal. Matt's trying to talk me into going away to New Orleans, but that's not on my list of places to visit in the hot, steamy summer months. Maybe in the fall...before Keaton's basketball season.
Speaking of Keaton, he went to Florida for spring break without us. I guess he really is all grown up. He went with his girlfriend and her family. Matt and I worked on little projects around the house in preparation for the onslaught of visitors for the graduation celebration. Boy, did he ever need a celebration. After a disappointing basketball season, he was really down on himself. It was heartbreaking to watch our usually happy, smiling, joking son become sullen, quiet...and depressed. It was so difficult to watch him lose his self-confidence. It was so difficult to watch him lose his passion for basketball. Some coaches may think they can motivate players by getting them angry or lighting a fire under them. That doesn't work with Keaton. He was repeatedly told he wasn't a good player. He was told he'd never play ball in college. He was repeatedly told he wasn't a leader. We watched him help other players up from the floor during games. We watched him congratulate teammates on free-throws or baskets. We watched him cheer on his teammates while he was sitting on the bench, injured. We watched him work really hard in physical therapy to recover from an injury so he could get back on the court to help his team. We watched him talk with a younger teammate who was frustrated during a game and try and cheer him up. We watched him never, ever argue with a referee in a game - EVER. We watched him pass the ball unselfishly and not take unnecessary shots. We watched him tell his team to settle down after a bad call. We watched him try and pump up his team when they were frustrated. We watched him tell his team to be proud of being a Trojan. Unlike a lot of his team, he didn't spend weekends at parties, he never had a tardy or unexcused absence from school, he kept his grades at all As and never had a detention. Yet, he was repeatedly beaten into the ground and told he wasn't a leader. So, Keaton learned some valuable lessons...life isn't always easy; you'll always have critics; and you can always count on your parents for unconditional love and support. The sad news is that it took him a while to touch a basketball after the season ended. We hope he'll find his passion for the game again over the summer.
Keaton went to the prom with Elizabeth again. They had a great time and even joked about taking the motor home filled with friends to the prom. We even offered to drive them and have our neighbor drive kids in their motor home...and were promptly shot down. Oh well, we tried to be cool.
Back to the present time...we don't have any big trips planned for the summer, believe it or not. We are heading up to Muskegon this weekend for Matt's adventure race. (Bike-riding, canoeing, and orienteering.) I'll cheer him on in spirit while I sit on the beach and relax. We're heading down to Hocking Hills in Ohio for a long weekend later in the month where we're planning on going on a ghost tour. That should be awesome...as long as nothing touches me. That would totally freak me out. For those of you who don't know, I have a sister who used to talk to our grandmother who had passed away...only we didn't know who she was at the time. I was the lucky one to share a room with Laurie and her nightly chats. Next month we're celebrating the 4th of July in da U.P. where we'll be visiting the Pictured Rocks and surrounding areas. We've been talking about taking a long trip in the fall, but it's still just talk. We have 10 more states in the continental U.S. to visit...and those will be long trips down south and out west. Yeehaw!
We have a lot to look forward to in the next few months. I'm looking forward to shopping for college life and decorating Keaton's dorm room. Keaton's looking forward to going away so he doesn't have to make his bed anymore and eating in the college cafeteria. Matt is looking forward to the next chapter in our lives. Cyrus is looking forward to getting ALL our attention since Keaton will be heading out for bigger and better things. We're all looking forward to a fun summer before our baby leaves for college!!!!
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Joys of January
It's February and the groundhog said we have six more weeks of winter. Yuck. As I turned on the news this morning, I saw a winter storm warning in effect for 6-12" of the dreaded "s" word...snow. Double yuck. I can think of another "s" word to use for the coming snow.
We began January without any drama. We had some pretty snowfalls and Matt and I went snowshoeing with friends one day. We worked to finish up the basement - painting trim and touching up marks on the wall from the carpet installation. We LOVE the new carpet and furniture! We should have known it was too uneventful around here. We should have known it was getting too boring around here. We should have known it was time for some drama in our lives. Keaton suffered an agonizing groin pull during a basketball game one night. It was a strange injury suffered after bumping into another player (insert your own joke here). He immediately began to limp and tried to run down the court, but couldn't make it. Based on the view from the stands, Matt thought Keaton had a knee or ankle injury. He went for an immediate visit with the trainer and she thought he pulled or even tore a muscle and suggested he visit the E.R. (This may be the first year we've met our deductible in the first month of the year!) We ran him up to the E.R. and he was poked and prodded by the doctor and he confirmed a severe groin pull. The doctor put him on crutches for at least 48 hours and lots of Motrin. Fortunately we didn't have any snow falling and the parking lots and sidewalks were all fairly clear of ice during the crutches phase of recovery. It was a tough three weeks of limping, pain, and physical therapy. Poor Cyrus missed the extra attention and decided to create some drama of his own...
Cyrus decided to begin limping one night. At first, I thought maybe he had sympathy pains since Keaton was limping. Then I thought maybe he was jealous because Keaton was getting all the attention. Then I thought how awful it would be to have Keaton on crutches and Cyrus on little doggie crutches. Cy was pathetic when he wouldn't put his paw down and hobbled on three legs. There's nothing more sad and gut-wrenching than a dog hopping on three legs...especially when it's your poor dog. A trip to the vet diagnosed a pulled muscle in his shoulder. I was thankful it wasn't a broken bone or something worse. She put Cyrus on pain meds. and said to keep him still for a week...no running or jumping. Unfortunately, the pain meds. didn't make him sleepy. For those of you who don't know, Cyrus is a miniature schnauzer...a member of the terrier group. That says a lot about him right there. He's a bundle of energy. I think of him as my toddler...full of energy, demands constant attention, pouts, can be loud, puts everything in his mouth, is possessive, doesn't share, and won't let me spend two minutes alone in the bathroom without trying to come in. I spent one night on the edge of the bed, trying to keep him in his doggie bed on the floor next to me so he wouldn't jump up in our bed. That didn't work. I spent another night on the couch, thinking being closer to him might keep him on the floor in his own bed. That didn't work either. After two sleepless nights, I gave up and just let him sleep with me. Since he's my shadow and follows me everywhere, I spent the week on the couch with him on my lap. Needless to say, I didn't get much scrapbooking done...but I did get caught up on all episodes of Wife Swap and found lots of good recipes to try. Cyrus was happy to have my undivided attention. He was sure to give Keaton a look that said, "Ha ha...I get all the attention."
The seniors were defeated by the juniors in Testosterone Volleyball last week. (The guys play volleyball and the girls coach.) Keaton was impressive on the floor...he even had a kick save. It was nice to see him moving around, but both Matt and I flinched a few times when he dove for a loose ball. He's just about healed from his groin pull. He's fine with the forward and backward motion, but moving side-to-side still causes some pain. The doctors said it can be a long and slow process to make a full recovery because you use your groin muscle daily (again, insert your own joke here).
Keaton worked hard in physical therapy, did exercises at home, and did his daily ice rubs. (I'll let you use your imagination here because it's kind of strange trying to explain...and looks even stranger while he's doing it.) He was finally able to play basketball again on Friday night. He didn't start and only got about ten minutes of playing time, but that's a good way for him to ease back into the rhythm of the game. He was frustrated, but it's hard to play after sitting for three weeks. With the season 2/3 of the way over, he's hoping to finish strong. Saturday was Snowcoming at PHS. Keaton and Elizabeth met a bunch of friends for Mongolian Barbecue (it was a $9.99 all you can eat night, so the kids were pumped...at least the boys were) and then went to the dance. They had a good time and then Keaton went to spend the night at 'The Man Cave'. (His friend has an apartment above his garage for the kids to hang out.) He went back on Sunday to watch the Super Bowl at The Man Cave and came home $8 richer. We thought he won playing cards, but he won betting on running backs and receivers. He's a true Adams and this only proves my point that I believe he should be a bookie. I think it would look fabulous on his college applications to say he has his own business...as long as it stays profitable.
We're hoping for a fun, fabulous and injury-free February...for both of the boys!
We began January without any drama. We had some pretty snowfalls and Matt and I went snowshoeing with friends one day. We worked to finish up the basement - painting trim and touching up marks on the wall from the carpet installation. We LOVE the new carpet and furniture! We should have known it was too uneventful around here. We should have known it was getting too boring around here. We should have known it was time for some drama in our lives. Keaton suffered an agonizing groin pull during a basketball game one night. It was a strange injury suffered after bumping into another player (insert your own joke here). He immediately began to limp and tried to run down the court, but couldn't make it. Based on the view from the stands, Matt thought Keaton had a knee or ankle injury. He went for an immediate visit with the trainer and she thought he pulled or even tore a muscle and suggested he visit the E.R. (This may be the first year we've met our deductible in the first month of the year!) We ran him up to the E.R. and he was poked and prodded by the doctor and he confirmed a severe groin pull. The doctor put him on crutches for at least 48 hours and lots of Motrin. Fortunately we didn't have any snow falling and the parking lots and sidewalks were all fairly clear of ice during the crutches phase of recovery. It was a tough three weeks of limping, pain, and physical therapy. Poor Cyrus missed the extra attention and decided to create some drama of his own...
Cyrus decided to begin limping one night. At first, I thought maybe he had sympathy pains since Keaton was limping. Then I thought maybe he was jealous because Keaton was getting all the attention. Then I thought how awful it would be to have Keaton on crutches and Cyrus on little doggie crutches. Cy was pathetic when he wouldn't put his paw down and hobbled on three legs. There's nothing more sad and gut-wrenching than a dog hopping on three legs...especially when it's your poor dog. A trip to the vet diagnosed a pulled muscle in his shoulder. I was thankful it wasn't a broken bone or something worse. She put Cyrus on pain meds. and said to keep him still for a week...no running or jumping. Unfortunately, the pain meds. didn't make him sleepy. For those of you who don't know, Cyrus is a miniature schnauzer...a member of the terrier group. That says a lot about him right there. He's a bundle of energy. I think of him as my toddler...full of energy, demands constant attention, pouts, can be loud, puts everything in his mouth, is possessive, doesn't share, and won't let me spend two minutes alone in the bathroom without trying to come in. I spent one night on the edge of the bed, trying to keep him in his doggie bed on the floor next to me so he wouldn't jump up in our bed. That didn't work. I spent another night on the couch, thinking being closer to him might keep him on the floor in his own bed. That didn't work either. After two sleepless nights, I gave up and just let him sleep with me. Since he's my shadow and follows me everywhere, I spent the week on the couch with him on my lap. Needless to say, I didn't get much scrapbooking done...but I did get caught up on all episodes of Wife Swap and found lots of good recipes to try. Cyrus was happy to have my undivided attention. He was sure to give Keaton a look that said, "Ha ha...I get all the attention."
The seniors were defeated by the juniors in Testosterone Volleyball last week. (The guys play volleyball and the girls coach.) Keaton was impressive on the floor...he even had a kick save. It was nice to see him moving around, but both Matt and I flinched a few times when he dove for a loose ball. He's just about healed from his groin pull. He's fine with the forward and backward motion, but moving side-to-side still causes some pain. The doctors said it can be a long and slow process to make a full recovery because you use your groin muscle daily (again, insert your own joke here).
Keaton worked hard in physical therapy, did exercises at home, and did his daily ice rubs. (I'll let you use your imagination here because it's kind of strange trying to explain...and looks even stranger while he's doing it.) He was finally able to play basketball again on Friday night. He didn't start and only got about ten minutes of playing time, but that's a good way for him to ease back into the rhythm of the game. He was frustrated, but it's hard to play after sitting for three weeks. With the season 2/3 of the way over, he's hoping to finish strong. Saturday was Snowcoming at PHS. Keaton and Elizabeth met a bunch of friends for Mongolian Barbecue (it was a $9.99 all you can eat night, so the kids were pumped...at least the boys were) and then went to the dance. They had a good time and then Keaton went to spend the night at 'The Man Cave'. (His friend has an apartment above his garage for the kids to hang out.) He went back on Sunday to watch the Super Bowl at The Man Cave and came home $8 richer. We thought he won playing cards, but he won betting on running backs and receivers. He's a true Adams and this only proves my point that I believe he should be a bookie. I think it would look fabulous on his college applications to say he has his own business...as long as it stays profitable.
We're hoping for a fun, fabulous and injury-free February...for both of the boys!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Happy 2010!
As I sit here waiting for the delivery of our new furniture, I decided to be constructive and update our blog. Matt has almost completed his basement project. It's been years in the making, but the end is finally in sight. He did the entire basement himself: constructing, insulating, wiring, and drywalling. He did it without me having to call an ambulance, the fire department, or a marriage counselor. The carpet was laid last week and Keaton and his friends christened it with a late night of playing video games...each kid with his own TV and Xbox. They had them all lined up and were happy to "feast on the Christmas newbs". (Translation: they enjoyed beating all the new kids who got Call of Duty for Christmas and don't know how to play yet.) We have one room left to complete: the utility room. We have tubs and bins and boxes (oh my) to go through and purge. Matt has to mud, sand, and paint that room, lay the tiles, build some shelves, and then I'll be able to reorganize all our stuff...complete with labels. Then, we'll OFFICIALLY be organized and everything will be in its place...finally. I get tingly just thinking about it.
Christmas was a little different this year. We stayed home for Christmas and it was absolutely wonderful to wake up on Christmas morning in our own beds! Matt and I were the ones who were up early and we finally had to wake Keaton up at 11 a.m. to open presents. It sure doesn't seem that long ago when he used to wake up before dawn to open presents. We all got new cell phones this year for our gifts (oh and new carpet and furniture for the basement), so there weren't many presents under the tree. Matt and Keaton got smart phones, so they're able to be connected to the internet and have the answer to any question in the world at the tips of their fingers. I got a texting phone since McKenna is now texting me. (I'm not nearly as texting-challenged as I used to be! However, I refuse to text without proper grammar and punctuation. Texting shortcuts will be the downfall of the English language!) We actually spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day painting the basement. Fun times. Not. Seriously, it wasn't too bad and the time passed by very quickly...so quickly that it made for some late, late nights (or mornings). We ordered Chinese food on Christmas Eve and enjoyed watching 'A Christmas Story' while eating. We worked so hard on Christmas Day, we just had leftover Chinese for dinner that night too. (I had planned to have crab legs, but we just saved those for New Year's Day.)
Speaking of New Year's, this year was a little different too. We went to our friends' house to eat, drink, and play cards like we do every year. But, this year we also went to downtown Kalamazoo to watch the first-ever ball drop. They had events scattered around the area (music, magicians, hypnotist, bubble-guy) to fit every age group. We adults went to the KISS tribute concert and it was fun. The kids braved the cold, cold, cold weather while we warmed up indoors at the concert. We watched the ball drop at midnight, gave each other quick pecks on the cheek (it was so cold, lips would freeze with one another if you lingered) and then headed back to our friends' house for more food, drinks, and cards.
Keaton went back to school yesterday and is already looking forward to spring break. He's planning to go to Florida with Elizabeth and her family. He's been checking out discount airline tickets with his new phone. We braved a blizzard before Christmas and enjoyed two snow days. The seniors are hoping for more snow days because they won't have to make them up...only the underclassmen. Keaton anxiously watches the weather for any forecast of snow. He's been to some more college games and was invited to attend games at Kalamazoo College and Hope College. He likes both schools and both coaches. I kind of like Hope because Aaron lives there so he can play the babysitting game like he used to when Keaton was little!
With the basement looking fabulous now, I'm thinking it's time to re-do the upper part of the house. Judging by the dirty looks Matt gives me for even mentioning it, I think I'll have to wait a month or two to start another project. Soon, spring will be here and we'll be out and about in the motor home. He can rest then. But first we have landscaping to complete, the garage to paint, and all the odds and ends to finish for Keaton's open house. Matt can rest in the summer...maybe next summer.
Christmas was a little different this year. We stayed home for Christmas and it was absolutely wonderful to wake up on Christmas morning in our own beds! Matt and I were the ones who were up early and we finally had to wake Keaton up at 11 a.m. to open presents. It sure doesn't seem that long ago when he used to wake up before dawn to open presents. We all got new cell phones this year for our gifts (oh and new carpet and furniture for the basement), so there weren't many presents under the tree. Matt and Keaton got smart phones, so they're able to be connected to the internet and have the answer to any question in the world at the tips of their fingers. I got a texting phone since McKenna is now texting me. (I'm not nearly as texting-challenged as I used to be! However, I refuse to text without proper grammar and punctuation. Texting shortcuts will be the downfall of the English language!) We actually spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day painting the basement. Fun times. Not. Seriously, it wasn't too bad and the time passed by very quickly...so quickly that it made for some late, late nights (or mornings). We ordered Chinese food on Christmas Eve and enjoyed watching 'A Christmas Story' while eating. We worked so hard on Christmas Day, we just had leftover Chinese for dinner that night too. (I had planned to have crab legs, but we just saved those for New Year's Day.)
Speaking of New Year's, this year was a little different too. We went to our friends' house to eat, drink, and play cards like we do every year. But, this year we also went to downtown Kalamazoo to watch the first-ever ball drop. They had events scattered around the area (music, magicians, hypnotist, bubble-guy) to fit every age group. We adults went to the KISS tribute concert and it was fun. The kids braved the cold, cold, cold weather while we warmed up indoors at the concert. We watched the ball drop at midnight, gave each other quick pecks on the cheek (it was so cold, lips would freeze with one another if you lingered) and then headed back to our friends' house for more food, drinks, and cards.
Keaton went back to school yesterday and is already looking forward to spring break. He's planning to go to Florida with Elizabeth and her family. He's been checking out discount airline tickets with his new phone. We braved a blizzard before Christmas and enjoyed two snow days. The seniors are hoping for more snow days because they won't have to make them up...only the underclassmen. Keaton anxiously watches the weather for any forecast of snow. He's been to some more college games and was invited to attend games at Kalamazoo College and Hope College. He likes both schools and both coaches. I kind of like Hope because Aaron lives there so he can play the babysitting game like he used to when Keaton was little!
With the basement looking fabulous now, I'm thinking it's time to re-do the upper part of the house. Judging by the dirty looks Matt gives me for even mentioning it, I think I'll have to wait a month or two to start another project. Soon, spring will be here and we'll be out and about in the motor home. He can rest then. But first we have landscaping to complete, the garage to paint, and all the odds and ends to finish for Keaton's open house. Matt can rest in the summer...maybe next summer.
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