Silly St.Patty's Hat

This one is for Isaac's godmother.

Visit in Flint...

Isaac and I got to spend a few days in Flint last weekend. So, we played with the Gifford kids at the children museum, hung out at the Brown Sugar Cafe with uncle Michael, and even helped him get some work done. :)

Whole buncha boxers

Isaac likes his boxers.

Do you ever just listen to the words?

So, I am sitting at work, with my itunes cranked so I can try to get this design off my desk...when suddenly I start listening to the words of a song "What Sarah Said" by Death Cab for Cutie.

It depicts a person mulling about a hospital, obviously there for someone they love.

The words go..."I'm thinking of what Sarah said, that love is watching someone die..." and then..."who's going to watch you die"...

Oh so sad! How many times have I listened to this song and never heard what it was about? It's true though, all the words about waiting rooms and nurses with their heads hung low.

The irony is, my brother and I were talking about our Grandmother this weekend. 8 years later, we are still overcome with sadness at the memory of her passing. Not just that she passed, but the days preceding - all the love that was shown by the friends and relatives who came to say their goodbyes (whether they knew that it was a goodbye or not). Now this song makes me think of that...and thinking of that makes me worry and fret about my parents, my brothers, my husband, my child. Just a little more than I can handle because I turned on itunes. Another one to throw in the vault that is only visited when one if feeling morose.

Off to the next tune...Beck - "Where's it At?"

W.V.F.D.

Tim is the President of the Wolverine Volunteer Fire Dept - and so on Saturday, we took the boys for a tour of the firetrucks!!!

Tim shows us the oldest "fire truck" - built in 1904 - and it still operates!

Fireman Tim and his son, Will.

Snow Shoe-in!

Here are the boys, pre-snow adventure...

Will is a pro at snow shoe-ing!

All the gang....Tim on ski's, Missy helping Brian and Isaac in the backpack!

Weekend in Wolverine

We went to see Tim, Missy and Will this weekend. The boys played perfectly together! I don't have time to write much - so here are some pictures!

Isaac and Will - pre bath time.

Missy discovers that Isaac loves pesto!

Isaac and Will - two buddies, just hanging out.

Isaac's first haircut...

Today I took Isaac to "Snip-It" for his first haircut. I wasn't sure what to expect and was a little nervous - but he seemed to dig it! They had fun music playing, kid sized chairs and the hairstylist was VERY patient!

Now he has a cute little boy haircut!

Trains in Columbus...

A few weekends ago, we went to Columbus to visit Sarah. She and Paul took us to the Conservatory - to our delight, they had trains by the same guy that made the one that was at the Meijer Garden at Christmas. Isaac loved it! Here is a video...

Publish Post>

Monkey Tribunals

Isaac decided today that he didn't want to go to bed. Instead he held Monkey Tribunals and read them the riot act. Maybe no one else will find this as amusing as us, but we thought we'd share.

Videos of Isaac...

Courtney and Chris took some videos of Isaac while they were watching him a few weeks back...

http://genie28.blogspot.com/2008/02/videos-of-isaac.html

Stoopter Bowl....

I will have to blog more later, but I thought I would pop a couple pictures from our Super Bowl weekend at the Moyle's...

Funny how things go....

So, I was trying to find the website for the diapers I just purchased, so that I could forward it to a friend...

http://www.angeldrydiapers.com/store/Default.asp

Of course, I looked through all the pages, etc...only to find...they are handmade by a woman in the Flint area. Now, what are the chances that of all the cloth diapers being made out there in the world...I would pick ones that are made in Flint??? How cool is that!?

Anyways, thus far, Isaac has worn them every day since I have purchased them - 4 each day - and it's going really well. They are easy to use, wash and stay dry an amazingly long time!

Whatcha got cookin.

Today I am doing pork chops, ala crockpot. I am in love with the crockpot - as they say on the "Ronco" commericals - "set it and forget it".

Today's chops are being cooked in a fruit stuffing, complete with apples, cranberries, celery and onion. It smells SOOO good right now.

Last night, we were in Alma. We went to see an old classmate/roommate of Brian's - Bob Gruca play at Alma College. He is a classical guitarist. I honestly had no clue what to expect, but I will say, it was excellent!

If you would like to hear an example, visit his page: http://www.robertgruca.com/

Well, off to get some stuff done while Isaac is napping!

Hope everyone is keeping warm!

For those who thought it sounded good - here's the recipe:

Chops with fruit stuffing

6 boneless pork loin chops
1 tbsp oil
6oz herb stuffing mix
2 celery ribs
1 med tart apple, peeled and chopped
1 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup butter

Brown chops on both sides in oil. Combine remainder of ingredients in bowl.

Place half stuffing in slow cooker. Top with pork and remaining mixture. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or until meat reads 160 degrees. (Makes 6 servings)

Adventures in cloth diapers

For a long time, my green, earthy side has regretted not starting Isaac out in cloth diapers. Obviously, there are so many new things for a first time mom, trying to figure out the art of cloth diapers in a disposable world was sort of terrifying.

So today...we made the leap...ok, just a little leap, but one all the same!

I went with my friend Christine to Hopscotch, a terribly cute boutique in GR that is "THE PLACE" for those who want to invest in cloth diapers. (http://www.hopscotchstore.com/) I was shocked to learn how many different options and configurations there are in the cloth world. These "ain't yo momma's cloth diapers". Some of them could be configured in so many ways, I was amazed.

I bought some cloth diapers. I know what you are thinking...white squares with huge pins, noisy rubber pants...oh no...they are SOO different these days!

I chose one of the "mid-grade" styles - simple and easy to use - however, avoiding any pins, Velcro, etc. They are called "AngelDry Diapers" and I bought enough for 4 diapers a day. They have an outer "diaper" with an inner changeabl liner. When we get used to 4 a day...then maybe we will buy a few more. They even had some at the store that are the cloth equivalent of "pull ups"...which was pretty cool too! (that's a while off though!)

My thought is to introduce them on days when we are at home, still using the disposable when we are out and about, at day care, nighttime etc. Allegedly, potty training is easier in cloth diapers...so we shall find out!

Anyways, that's the adventure of the day.... :)

Been a while....

Ok...I know it has been a while since I have blogged...but life has been busy! Last weekend, Brian went away for a boys weekend at our neighbor's cottage, and I had some girlfriends over on Saturday night. Dawn, Courtney and I went shopping during the afternoon - and then Leslie joined us for a delicious pasta, whipped up by Courtney. We finished off the night with wine by a fire.

Then, I got great news that my friends - Glenn and Kathy, had their little girl! Congrats!! WHOO HOO, welcome little Ava! I can't wait to meet her this weekend!

This has been a unique week for me. I was "furloughed" due to lack of work this week. We are a bit slow, and obviously, the part timer is the first to go...but I sure hope nothing huge happens with my projects. I should be off for 4 weeks, as I told them 3 weeks was the min. for me to cancel my daycare. It's been nice being home with Isaac - but man, is he exhausting! Clean house - what? I did get to whip up some meatloaf and potato salad yesterday...and today I am making a hearty black bean soup....Yum. I love cooking when I am home! I have been able to go to the gym twice already this week, which has been awesome!

Today, while on the cross trainer, I could watch the kids playing in the gym. I noticed Isaac was REALLY into the basketballs, and all the sudden, he was being chased by 2 little girls. Poor guy, he couldn't get away from them! I told him on the way home, in about 15 years, he will love being chased by girls. Ha.

Anyways, I will try to upload some pictures later this week. I am off to finish my Shutterfly book of Cancun pictures so I can get it ordered...

Have a great week - and keep warm!

Da-Da needs to push record next time.

So today Becky & I were in the bathroom giving Isaac a bath. We did the normal "Say Ma-Ma". To our pleasure he said it clear as day. Like any good parent with a video camera I ran to get it so we could document this exciting event. We sat there for about 5 minutes and he was so proud of himself that when we told him to say his 3 words, MaMa, DaDa, and Ball, he would say exactly what we asked him to.

He was proud, we were proud.

And then I had the sinking feeling of hearing the tape start recording as I thought I was stopping it...I guess some things are just meant to be private memories rather then YouTube ones.

Happy New Year....

Well, since I missed blogging about Christmas....I hope everyone had a good one. We spent a good amount of time in Flint, between "Faux Christmas" with the extended family and the actual holiday. We took all of the boys (Sam, Jack, Chris, Gusieppe, Will and Isaac) to Crossroads Village for the first time - which was tons of fun! They all loved the train ride!

We even got to run up to the cabin for a night, just to check on things. All is well on Birch Ave.

Today we head to our New Year's fun. We are spending 2 days at an indoor waterpark with 3 other couples. 8 adults, 7 kids and 1 condo. Should be fun!!! I hope everyone else has a wonderful new year!!

Mean Kitty...

I got this from Courtney's mom. Anyone who has had a unique cat should appreciate this!

Motor City Bowl - Part Deux

Brian and I are going to the Motor City Bowl again this year. This year they will be playing Purdue. We are super excited to put on our Alumni gear and go cheer them on again. It will be our first game this year, due to an unfortunate flu outbreak in our house in September! We are going with the same gang as last year -but don't have the same time constraints of a 4 month old waiting for us at home! This year...I will likely be the only gal going...but you know, that does often seem an ongoing theme, doesn't it!?

Any other Chips out there planning to see the game?

Chris-giving with the Spratke's...

Brian's parents came this weekend to celebrate a joint Thanksgiving / Christmas with us. We have had a busy weekend!!!


Saturday morning, we got up and took Isaac to his first visit to Santa! Santa made a special appearance at Dematic (Brian's work)! Isaac didn't even flinch. He just sort of looked at Santa, then at us, looked at Santa - he was like "who IS this dude?". Needless to say, I am pretty sure he didn't ask for a Red Rider BB Gun...(you'll shoot your eye out!)

Then, we went directly to Meijer Gardens to see the Christmas tree / Train exhibit. It was just as fun as the last time!! We were able to get some photos to send out in our Christmas cards (which will likely be late again this year...ha).



After a nice nap, and some lunch - we headed out to get a Christmas tree. I LOVE going this - and we found a great place! They had fire, a sledding hill, and hot chocolate! We roamed all the way to the back before we found a tree. It probably wasn't the perfect tree - but as I told Brian - I can make any tree look Christmasy! :)

While we were there, Brian decided it was time for Isaac's first sled adventure. I was skeptical - however, Isaac surprised all of us with giggles the whole way down...all THREE times! He loved it!

We finished off the day with a big "Christ-giving" dinner and watching Blades of Glory.

Stay out of the way

Yesterday Isaac decided that he wanted to see what it was like to walk around with a bucket on his head. Who are we to stop a kid from running around with a bucket on his head?

Dancing Season

While Becky was making Christmas cookies tonight and getting herself in the Christmas mood, Isaac decided to do some entertaining.

A sign that it's cold outside....

Really? Isaac - you think that's a good way to get warm? Mommy doesn't think so....

Christmas Train at Meijer Gardens

This week, we went to Meijer Gardens to see the Christmas displays. Every year, they line the main hall with Christmas trees decorated to reflect countries and cultures around the world. This year, in addition to that, they have a train set up. This train is built by a gentleman who is famous for his scale model train sets. All of the buildings are replicas of historic buildings of the area - and are all made out of wood, bark and twigs.

Isaac was absolutely captivated. I can't describe his reaction any other way. It was a joy to watch! I am sure we will go back again soon to watch the trains!

Mom's Gone Wild - Cancun

Well, I know this is a bit belated, but here is my report on my first post-child, no-child getaway. The adventure of Katie, Mary, Jen and myself.

We left late on a Tuesday night and headed to Detroit. We got up at 4am to get ready and head to the airport. Unfortunately, the cold that I had come down with on Monday wasn't letting up - but I was still determined to have fun!

We made it down to Cancun around 2pm. It was BEAUTIFUL out. The airport was immaculate and we made our way to the hotel without any problem. Within the hour, we were in the pool....:)

The next 2 days were filled with reading, napping, swimming, sunning, eating and a tasty beverage or two. My cold did not let up, but I still have a really wonderful time. We were hit on by a group of "mature men"...ok, we weren't really hit on, and when I say mature, I mean about 30-some years older than us...but hey - I can pretend, right!? They were actually really cute - on vacation with their wives, and we made them take a group picture together!

The sand was so white, the water was SO blue, and every night, we slept with the door open so we could hear the waves! One night, we split up for date night - Katie and Jen to the japanese place and Mary and I went to the "meat place"...(brazilian?). I had a wonderful time getting to know Mary better, since this was the first time we had met. We also hit the Pacha - (disco, anyone?) and Katie honored us with a fabulous air guitar performance, in honor of her husband. We saw the most captivating couple dancing there, and were all left with a sense of...."dude, wish WE could dance like that!!!".

Katie drinking a "dirty monkey"


We took TONS of pictures, which are mostly on Mary's camera....While I was there, I read Eat, Love, Pray - which was a GREAT book!

I had a great time. I would totally vacation with these gals again! I did miss Isaac and Brian, of course, but for a Mom's getaway...

Happy Thanksgiving....

We hope that everyone has a party in their tummy this Thanksgiving!

Sunshine - Here I come!

Well, the week has finally arrived. My first girl-fest vacation. Brian has gone on lots of manpanionship adventures in recent years - and now it's my turn! Tomorrow night I will leave for 4 lovely days in Cancun. I am quite excited. I am going with 3 fun gals (Katie, Jen and Mary) to soak up sun (on my uber white body), drink fruitiness, read books and have a good time. This will also be Brian's first time staying home while I travel somewhere - so wish him a happy, content monkey-Isaac!

However, before I go...here an update on the last week or so....
- We enjoyed the rest of our time with Ms.Samantha. We made visited to the play area at the mall, Brian took her to Meijer Gardens, we made cakes, threw a tie dye party and played with balloons! It was a lot of fun, but it's amazing what a different level of energy a 3.5 year old has!!! Sam is happily back home with Jon and Dawn - and Dawn is recovering nicely. :)
- Thank you for all the birthday wishes. It's weird to think I am 32...seems like just yesterday I was 23! I am amazed and thankful for all that has happened in the last decade of my life. From meeting my husband, graduating from college, our first home, several exciting jobs. many travels...to having my son. Growing up isn't so bad... :)
- Brian and I had a quiet and restful Sunday at home. I was able to start my packing for my trip, and watch a few of our sitcoms.
- Today and tomorrow I am working (we leave tomorrow night), so the days are going to zoom by!

Well, enough for now...off to pick up some last minute items for my trip!

Happy Birthday to Me....

Wow. Since I don't remember my birthday last year - and it's not because of malty libations, but probably excitement over prepping for Isaac's baptism and the visit of Molly and Robert... I figure, I can say that - right?

Oh hum, happy birthday to meeeeee....

A nice birthday present would be if anyone in Flint could go out and vote for Walling, since I can't...ha. You think I am joking?

Or, for my friend Dawn to wake up feeling fabulous after her surgery today! That might be a stretch, but hey - good vibes can't hurt.

Anyways, I am going spending the day with Jon and Dawn's daughter Sam - doing fun thing, like baking cakes, hanging out - just doing things a 3.5 year old girl likes to do. Hopefully Isaac can be patient with us and doesn't go monkey wild on any of her toys!

Ohhhhh...happy birthday...to me.....

Monkey Causes Carnage - News at 11

 

Today was Halloween. It was pretty eventful! We had a good time! First, I went to Isaac's party at Rainbow. I thought it pretty funny when he went "ape" on the stuffed animals. He enjoyed the parade and got knee deep into a big sugar cookie with orange frosting. Ah, it's good to be a monkey.

This evening, Brian took Isaac around the neighborhood with a group of neighbors while I stayed home and gave our the candy. They were gone for ages - having made the rounds to EVERYONE! Ha. Isaac's favorite loot? Three duckies that have colored LED's in them - causing me to want to call them the "X-tasy Duckez". (is that wrong?).

Anyways, here are some pictures from Isaac's second Halloween. Fun was had by all. :)

Blue thinks to self...can I have that banana when you are done with it? (guess what folks...he did!)

Couple of Videos

It's been a while since I've done a video. Since everyone always complains that I put them on YouTube and make them private, I'm going to give it a shot and do a couple of public ones to please the masses.


This one is of Blue, a Balloon & Isaac


This one is of Isaac when he was in his, I want to sleep 2 hours before bedtime so I don't go to bed until past Mom & Dads bedtime.

MM....good...?

Only in babyland are bizarre combinations of food uber good.

Today's lunch...scrambled eggs with peas and carrots, a cheese slice and pineapple.

Once, at daycare, I saw a meal that consisted of chicken chunks, mandarin oranges, break chunks - all slimed in something resembling cream of mushroom soup.

Or - the ham and butter on bread-wiches. Eww.

Wanna play a game???

This morning, as we were leaving the house - Brian and I noticed a very interesting collection of items in our neighbor's yard. I decided it would make for a humorous game...can you name all the random items in our neighbor's lawn....

There are at least 16....

Bringing back the Berridge - Brother Brag...

My brother does a lot of cool things. Saving old buildings and making them awesome places to work and live is just one. Here are a couple articles about about one of his recent projects - the Berridge Hotel.



http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=local&id=5719610

FLINT (WJRT) - (10/22/07)-- A multi-million dollar renovation project for a historic hotel in downtown Flint gets underway later today.
This is the latest in a series of projects that will get underway in the Carriage Town neighborhood. When this project at the Berridge Hotel is finished, there will be 21 new condos in downtown Flint.

The Genesee County Land Bank is heading up the $6 million project, which calls for renovation of the old hotel inside and out. Each of the units will be about 1,000 square feet and will have either a loft or townhome style design. Sizes will range from one to three bedrooms.

You may remember in February, a fire damaged part of the building, but didn't stop the plans to renovate the building.

Plans also include turning the old Tinlinn House, right near the Berridge, into four rental units.

This is the next step in the Land Bank's plans to revitalize the Carriage Town neighborhood. The group last month announced it would place eight new homes and renovate several others along Stone Street.

That project is expected to be completed by the summer.

In the meantime, the Bringing Back the Berridge project kicks off this morning at 11. The public is invited to tour and learn more about the building at 421 Garland Street.

The Berridge Place Project is expected to be finished sometime next year.

http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=local&id=5720619

(this one has a nice video!)

FLINT (WJRT) - (10/22/07)--In downtown Flint , a building that has been known for decades as "last-resort" housing will soon get a new look and a new image.

But before the major transformation begins, developers decided to give the public one last chance to take a look inside the old, run down Berridge Hotel.

Floors feel like they're going to give way. Broken windows and plumbing and electrical bathroom fixtures are ripped out throughout the building. But the structure of the building seems sound.

Developers say they will be totally gutting the inside the of the building but maintaining the structure of the outside walls and some features in the lobby as part of a $6 million renovation project.

The financial package from government -- as well as some local foundations -- is already in place.

The project will move ahead immediately to turn the 70-year-old building and the Tinnin building next door into 21 loft apartments with an upscale look intended to draw people to downtown living.

What is significant about this project, officials say, is that the building -- which has functioned as housing of last resort for the city's poor -- could soon function as an attraction for the city center.

Renovation will begin within days.

The two- and three-bedroom apartments will be ready for occupancy by this summer. They'll range in size from 855 to 1,500 square feet. They start at $960 a month.

And even before they're built, the project is attracting spinoff development right across the street.

And the duckie lives on....

This past weekend, I helped throw a shower for my friend Kathy. I will post pictures soon - but in the meantime, I just had to post this.

I brought home one of the balloons from the shower - the big ol' duckie. Isaac has fallen in love, and he has been playing with it all day. He even refused to let go to eat breakfast and dinner. I just had to post a picture!!!



"This duckie? It's too important to me"

Baked Apples

Today, Isaac tried to steal my apple. So - I decided what would be more "fall-ish" than to make him some home-made baked apples with cinnamon of his own.

Baked Apples

1. Core apple and leave peel on
2. Place a wee bit of butter (if baby is ready for or has had dairy) on the inside of the cored apple (sprinkle a bit of cinnamon in the apple if your desire and if baby is ready for or has had cinnamon)
3. Place in a pan with just enough water to slightly cover apples – about an inch of water
4. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes or until tender; be sure to check on the water level.
5. Once baked, either cut apple into little bits and serve as a finger food or mash

The flu and monkey blue

This week, the Spratke house was hit with a bug. We presume it was the flu - whatever it was, was wicked and unrelenting. However, in the midst of it, Isaac still managed to make us laugh, and Blue still managed to amaze us with his patience.


Here is Isaac making sure Blue is paying attention to his dental hygiene.


Isaac is like the energizer bunny. I think Brian and Blue thought they might get some of that same energy with the power of the bunny ears. I will say - it did not work!

Have a great weekend everyone...stay healthy!

Chicago Marathon and werewolf movies...

Last weekend, with the babysitting assistance of our mothers, Brian and I were able to go on our first "post child, no child" getaway with our friends, Jon and Dawn.

We left Saturday morning, taking the train out of Michigan City, IN. It was so easy! We all decided it's totally the way to go in the future. 2 hours, no hassle, no gas, no traffic, no parking fees....

Anyways, after checking into the Swissotel on Wacker - Dawn and I went to spend some time on Michigan Ave. Unfortunately, we didn't find the store we were looking for until a half an hour before it's bizarrely early closing time, but we did get to walk the town and see some sights. That evening, Jon, Dawn, Brian and myself headed out to dinner at a wonderful italian place called Bella Bacino. Even on the walk back, around 10pm, it was bizarrely warm and humid for an October evening.

Perfect for werewolf movies (that's for Jon).

I must mention - I think that the Swissotel lies about having a floor 42. Dawn and I tried numerous times to get there, with no luck.

6:17am. That's the time the phone rang - Steve and Ellie had arrived. According to them, it was already 74 degrees out. Although we all realized this was bizarre, and it was going to be a tough day for running - I don't think any of us realized what was really ahead. So, we packed our bags and headed out on our adventure.



Brian, Ellie, Dawn and I had a nice breakfast before heading to Mile 3 to try to see the boys. When we got there, we thought that we had already missed them (however, as it turns out, we probably didn't!) - so then we charted our course to the next spot - the halfway point - Mile marked 13.1.



This was our rendezvous point to hand off Jon's mp3 player. We made our way there, using the EL, and were shocked that so few other people were using it. Hello people, it's air conditioned!!! By the time we staked out a spot at 13.1, it was hot. I mean....like, Collective Soul hot.

So then we waited....Dawn video taped some seriously irritating girls, and one painfully continuous cowbell...and we still waited. Finally, Dawn got the text message that Jon had hit the 13 mile mark...noticeably behind where she had expected him to be. Steve and Jon were hot...and I don't mean in a pretty kinda way...they said that the water stands behind them were empty and people were suffering big time. After some drinks, wringing out some drenched socks and some stretching - they were off again. It was hard to watch. According to the news, by this point, it was 88 degrees - and technically the race had been canceled. Apparently nobody at 13.1 knew this, because they kept running..even the poor man in the testicle costume. I know, I know, he was running for testicular cancer - get your mind out of the gutter!

So, unaware of the events unfolding, Brian, Ellie, Dawn and I made our way to an establishment for some refreshments and lunch. When we left...Dawn had a text message saying Jon had crossed the finish line....an hour later? We were very confused - but stuck to our plan - go check out of the hotel, head to the meeting point.

It wasn't until we got off the EL near Grant Park that it hit us. I think we overheard someone. We walked past a man, passed out on the ground with cops watching over him. People were everywhere. Dawn and I with our pile of luggage set up camp in a little park next to the Institute of Art. Brian and Ellie went off in search of Jon and Steve.

As it turns out - Jon hit about mile 18 when they rerouted the course. He thought something was up, but just kept running. Since he had his headphones on, he didn't hear the people on the blow horns or the helicopters above. he said after he got out of the finish area, there was no water and he had to (ahem) borrow some from an unwilling volunteer. Once we were all together, we stayed in that park, in the shade for a few hours, since our train didn't leave until 4pm. The sirens went on for almost the whole time, it was very surreal. So - we sat, drinking our beers - as it was the only beverage we had, listening to sirens downtown Chicago. I can't say it was a bad time, we actually were having some fun - but it seemed almost wrong, when you knew so many other people were suffering from the intense heat!

So then, we took the train home...had a wonderful dinner at Jon and Dawn's - tried on the bunny ears from the marathon that we didn't get to use and relaxed. It was a very memorable weekend!

Breakfast of Champions

My son decided to alter his normal breakfast menu today.

He tried out some dog food.

It took a while to chew...a few brown bits came out, but he finished it.

The jury is out on whether he liked it or not.