FINALLY....our townhome is officially sold. It isn't that we've had it on the market that seems so long (only since January) but we've had this one contract that has been nothing but problems for almost 3 months of that period.
However, yesterday, we officially closed on the townhome and said goodbye to 7003 Plymouth Court. We also thankfully said goodbye to the total crazies that bought it.
In some ways I feel sad that I'll never go back there but I'm also very relieved to be ok closing that chapter in my life. That house will hold SO many memories for Chad and I but we know we're quickly making so many new ones in our new home!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Memorial Day
Memorial Day weekend is usually full of lots of fun activities for us as we celebrate my upcoming birthday, an extra day off and hopefully days of family time. This weekend started with the flu and had Chad spending lots of time at the townhome so until Monday it wasn't that exciting. However, on Monday we were very excited to go to Brookfield Zoo for the first time this year with the Thomsons and Agemas. The day was kinda rainy and overcast but that didn't stop Gavin from being totally enthralled with all the animals. It was Lauris and Jackon's first time as well and they seemed to love taking in all the people and animals. We had a good day and escaped just as the rain came.
Gavin peering in at the camels. He even learned how to sign camel that day!
Those giraffes were funny.
Three little sea creatures.
Not sure what this is but Gavin loves being it!
One of our fav animals of the day.
Jackson and Momma by the bubbles.
Although the wagon is cool...this is Gavin's preferred method of travel throughout the zoo.
Gavin & Uncle Dave check out the aquatic life.
In a moment of solitude Gavin looks into the deep blue sea.
In the monkey house.
The Thomson's.
Two dads and their little monkeys.
Our picnic lunch.
As much as I tried...I couldn't get him to tear his eyes away from the animals for a second for a picture.
Gavin peering in at the camels. He even learned how to sign camel that day!
Those giraffes were funny.
Three little sea creatures.
Not sure what this is but Gavin loves being it!
One of our fav animals of the day.Jackson and Momma by the bubbles.
Although the wagon is cool...this is Gavin's preferred method of travel throughout the zoo.
Gavin & Uncle Dave check out the aquatic life. In a moment of solitude Gavin looks into the deep blue sea.
In the monkey house. The Thomson's.
Two dads and their little monkeys.
Our picnic lunch.
As much as I tried...I couldn't get him to tear his eyes away from the animals for a second for a picture.The three ladies....and a prehistoric creature.
Gavin's reaction to the dinosaur.
Then his reaction when it started moving and shooting water.
Loving all his surroundings.
Then his reaction when it started moving and shooting water.
Loving all his surroundings.The No Good Very Bad Week
So in general last week, although having some high points, was just a bust. Here's a recap:
Monday morning: Gavin dropped my iphone in a glass of pop. No Good.
Monday evening: Gavin gets the puking flu. Very Bad.
Monday Evening: Chad's Grandma Harris passes away. Very Sad.
Tuesday: Gavin sick...we smell like puke...we're very tired. No Good.
Wednesday: We drive 4 hours to IN for funeral and arrive late at night missing American Idol finale. Very Bad.
Thursday: Wake, Funeral, another 4 hour drive home. Chad gets flu. Very Sad & No Good.
Friday & Saturday: I get the puking flu as well. Very Bad.
That was our terrible, horrible, no good very bad week. Thank goodness its over.
Monday morning: Gavin dropped my iphone in a glass of pop. No Good.
Monday evening: Gavin gets the puking flu. Very Bad.
Monday Evening: Chad's Grandma Harris passes away. Very Sad.
Tuesday: Gavin sick...we smell like puke...we're very tired. No Good.
Wednesday: We drive 4 hours to IN for funeral and arrive late at night missing American Idol finale. Very Bad.
Thursday: Wake, Funeral, another 4 hour drive home. Chad gets flu. Very Sad & No Good.
Friday & Saturday: I get the puking flu as well. Very Bad.
That was our terrible, horrible, no good very bad week. Thank goodness its over.
Visit to KZoo
Last week Monday Gavin and I went to Kalamazoo for the night to visit with Ben and Carrie and the kids. Things were going great....the kids took great naps and after Gavin and Zach pretended not to like each other for awhile...they finally warmed up to each other and before long were acting like two little peas in a pod. We had lots of fun playing outside, going for a walk in the neighborhood and just catching up in general.
The whole trip was going great and we were very excited about a trip to Lesley's the next day for lunch and to see Charley. Obviously our trip came to a screeching halt in the middle of the night on Monday (see previous post).
So...THANK YOU Leonards for not only hosting us...but enduring us, puking, diarrhea and all...and for remaining our friends even though we left the flu bugs behind for your two little munchkins to embrace a few days later. You truly are great friends.
And Lesley....boo, sad, super sad...but at least you are healthy. We'll meet her soon!!! Can't wait.
Here are the cute pics I got of the kids while they were all still healthy...
The whole trip was going great and we were very excited about a trip to Lesley's the next day for lunch and to see Charley. Obviously our trip came to a screeching halt in the middle of the night on Monday (see previous post).
So...THANK YOU Leonards for not only hosting us...but enduring us, puking, diarrhea and all...and for remaining our friends even though we left the flu bugs behind for your two little munchkins to embrace a few days later. You truly are great friends.
And Lesley....boo, sad, super sad...but at least you are healthy. We'll meet her soon!!! Can't wait.
Here are the cute pics I got of the kids while they were all still healthy...
Ewww. Gross. Super Gross.
Last week Monday night Gavin got the flu. For the very first time.
Gavin & I had traveled up to Kalamazoo to stay with Ben and Carrie for the night and planned on going to see Lesley and new baby Charley the next day. Well, Moday went fine....happy, playing, healthy...until Monday night...
I went to bed around midnight and for the next hour and half Gavin kept waking up crying and unhappy. At 1:30 I scooped him into bed with me and just a few moments later...he started puking.
He puked. I panicked. Carrie woke up and offered reassurance and a quick tip on "what to expect next"...for the next 6 hours. She brought a bowl and lots of towels.
For the next 7 hours Gavin threw up every 10-30 minutes. It was terrible. We were both covered in puke, wanting to cry ....in someone else's house.
When we had endured until 8 am on this schedule, we went downstairs and started packing our bags....and that's when the diarrhea started. I'll spare you the details...just wow.
We headed home and made it with only one throw up incident in the car. We were exhausted and smelly and sad.
Thankfully it only seemed to last about 24 hours and he had perked up by that night.
However, the traumatic experience of that night for me is not something I will quickly forget. Not only was it so gross and terrible but it made me want to cry watching my little baby endure the throwing up and the dry heaving and the whole yucky mess. The only thing you can do is hold him all night, hold his head over the bowl and rub his back each time....I knew this day would come...I just never expected to feel so sad for my baby when it came.
Gavin & I had traveled up to Kalamazoo to stay with Ben and Carrie for the night and planned on going to see Lesley and new baby Charley the next day. Well, Moday went fine....happy, playing, healthy...until Monday night...
I went to bed around midnight and for the next hour and half Gavin kept waking up crying and unhappy. At 1:30 I scooped him into bed with me and just a few moments later...he started puking.
He puked. I panicked. Carrie woke up and offered reassurance and a quick tip on "what to expect next"...for the next 6 hours. She brought a bowl and lots of towels.
For the next 7 hours Gavin threw up every 10-30 minutes. It was terrible. We were both covered in puke, wanting to cry ....in someone else's house.
When we had endured until 8 am on this schedule, we went downstairs and started packing our bags....and that's when the diarrhea started. I'll spare you the details...just wow.
We headed home and made it with only one throw up incident in the car. We were exhausted and smelly and sad.
Thankfully it only seemed to last about 24 hours and he had perked up by that night.
However, the traumatic experience of that night for me is not something I will quickly forget. Not only was it so gross and terrible but it made me want to cry watching my little baby endure the throwing up and the dry heaving and the whole yucky mess. The only thing you can do is hold him all night, hold his head over the bowl and rub his back each time....I knew this day would come...I just never expected to feel so sad for my baby when it came.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Making it Better
So Gavin picked up this new thing lately and its so darn cute....
As you know he is clumsy (as most 20 month olds are but he is particularly clumsy) and is constantly falling and/or hurting himself in some way. Often times I'm there to witness the injury and offer some quick encouragement and reassurance that all is ok. However, sometimes I'm not. So now if I don't see the injury occur he promptly rushes over to me while crying and points to "where it hurts"...arm, fingers, head, leg, you name it. What he wants from me is reassurance and at some point he learned Mom would "kiss and make it better." So, for I would say about 95 % of his injuries, which are more shock/drama than actual injury...he runs over, points to the spot and wants me to kiss it. At which point he instantly stops crying and returns to playing.
How much do you love that? I mean sometimes I feel like I'm straight off a tv commercial....all he needs is a kiss from Mom to make the pain go away. I just wish I could bottle that up and keep that solution for the rest of his life.
As you know he is clumsy (as most 20 month olds are but he is particularly clumsy) and is constantly falling and/or hurting himself in some way. Often times I'm there to witness the injury and offer some quick encouragement and reassurance that all is ok. However, sometimes I'm not. So now if I don't see the injury occur he promptly rushes over to me while crying and points to "where it hurts"...arm, fingers, head, leg, you name it. What he wants from me is reassurance and at some point he learned Mom would "kiss and make it better." So, for I would say about 95 % of his injuries, which are more shock/drama than actual injury...he runs over, points to the spot and wants me to kiss it. At which point he instantly stops crying and returns to playing.
How much do you love that? I mean sometimes I feel like I'm straight off a tv commercial....all he needs is a kiss from Mom to make the pain go away. I just wish I could bottle that up and keep that solution for the rest of his life.
Mommy Moment
In light of Mother's Day, I thought it was necessary that I document a "mommy moment" that I had on that actual day. I did something all mothers claim they will never do but before you realize it...you are doing it at that very second. Now I may have done it before (although I don't recall) and never thought twice about it but on Sunday mid-action ...it hit me. I am so "that" mom. What was it? Something very simple...
I licked my finger and wiped something off Gavin's face.
Yep, one swift lick of the thumb and I was rubbing who knows what off his face for a picture...dirt, food...I don't know. The point isn't what was on his face, it was the action that I did. We all claim that is gross and probably tried to stop our own mothers from doing so when we hit a certain age.
Well...mid wipe I thought...what did I just do?? You know what my response was? ...another quick lick and wipe for the other cheek. I'm a Mom and I have priorities now....unfortunately level of "gross factor" has serverely dropped on the list.
I licked my finger and wiped something off Gavin's face.
Yep, one swift lick of the thumb and I was rubbing who knows what off his face for a picture...dirt, food...I don't know. The point isn't what was on his face, it was the action that I did. We all claim that is gross and probably tried to stop our own mothers from doing so when we hit a certain age.
Well...mid wipe I thought...what did I just do?? You know what my response was? ...another quick lick and wipe for the other cheek. I'm a Mom and I have priorities now....unfortunately level of "gross factor" has serverely dropped on the list.
Mother's Day 2009
As mentioned before, we were in Detroit for Mother's Day. It was a beautiful day outside and after going to church as a family, we went to Gross Ile for lunch at Grandma and Grandpa Norton's house. We had lots of fun playing outside, eating a wonderful lunch and spending the day together. Unfortunately...we had a long drive ahead so we had to leave mid afternoon to head back home. Mother's Day is such a special day and I'm happy to have spent it with family. What a blessing to have the mothers that we do....one of God's greatest gifts is that of having and being a mother.
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Gavin discovers a new interest...
...and becomes my own little Stevie Wonder.
Thirty little fingers on 88 little keys.
Cousins on the front stoop.
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Our Harris family.
Great Grandparents with 3 of their 9 great grand kids.
Grandma and Grandpa Norton with the Harris kids...and kids.
Harris clan.
Helping Grandma open her present.
Cousin love (notice...the dress is still on).
Finally home....Mommy and munchkin cuddling on the couch.
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Gavin discovers a new interest... ...and becomes my own little Stevie Wonder.
Thirty little fingers on 88 little keys.
Cousins on the front stoop..JPG)
Our Harris family.
Great Grandparents with 3 of their 9 great grand kids.
Grandma and Grandpa Norton with the Harris kids...and kids.
Harris clan.
Helping Grandma open her present.
Cousin love (notice...the dress is still on).
Finally home....Mommy and munchkin cuddling on the couch.Miss Morgan's 4th Birthday
This past weekend we went up to Detroit to celebrate Mother's Day and my niece Morgan's 4th birthday. For her special party we went bowling and had a princess themed party. She was in heaven on her big day and was smiling and happy the whole time. Here are some pics...
Birthday girl was up first.
Followed by Kate.
Gavin's first turn bowling.
Watching it roll....VERY slowly down the lane.
Snack time.
Morgan's princess cake.
While the girls were into princess fun...the boys found the train set.
From the minute Morgan saw her princess dress-up dress we gave her for her birthday she was in love....in fact she only took it off to eat and sleep for the next two days.
Making a wish.
Beautiful princess Morgan in all her glory.
Craziness...12+ kids in one house for one princess party.
Birthday girl was up first.
Followed by Kate.
Gavin's first turn bowling.
Watching it roll....VERY slowly down the lane.
Snack time.
Morgan's princess cake.
While the girls were into princess fun...the boys found the train set.
From the minute Morgan saw her princess dress-up dress we gave her for her birthday she was in love....in fact she only took it off to eat and sleep for the next two days.
Making a wish.
Beautiful princess Morgan in all her glory.
Craziness...12+ kids in one house for one princess party.Gym Kinetics
So I just recently signed up Gavin for Baby Gym at Gym Kinetics. Its a local gymnastics center where every morning they have a baby gym class.
Gavin absolutely LOVES it. They do lots of activities to focus on gross motor, balance, coordination, etc. This includes lots of climbing over big foam mats and through tunnels....jumping and climbing through "the pit" full of spongey squares (think McD's playland but cooler and less gross)...running and jumping on trampolines....practicing forward and backward rolls...the list is endless.
Gavin just smiles and laughs the whole time. We've only had 2 sessions so far but we also sing songs while we stretch and this last time got to play with the parachute, play on some baby gymnastic rings and practice walking on a few inch high balance beam.
I'm telling you so far it is money well spent. Gavin cried when we left the first day. They do a great job with the kids and keep them entertained the whole time. He definitely loves our new gym class...hopefully one of these days I'll take my camera in with me and get some shots of him.
Gavin absolutely LOVES it. They do lots of activities to focus on gross motor, balance, coordination, etc. This includes lots of climbing over big foam mats and through tunnels....jumping and climbing through "the pit" full of spongey squares (think McD's playland but cooler and less gross)...running and jumping on trampolines....practicing forward and backward rolls...the list is endless.
Gavin just smiles and laughs the whole time. We've only had 2 sessions so far but we also sing songs while we stretch and this last time got to play with the parachute, play on some baby gymnastic rings and practice walking on a few inch high balance beam.
I'm telling you so far it is money well spent. Gavin cried when we left the first day. They do a great job with the kids and keep them entertained the whole time. He definitely loves our new gym class...hopefully one of these days I'll take my camera in with me and get some shots of him.
Celebrating Birthdays
The same weekend we celebrated two of my favorite Lisa's birthdays...Lisa Thomson and Lisa Karavas. Saturday night a group of us went out for tapas to celebrate Lisa T turning 28...it was a fun night filled with lots of new foods, sangria and good conversation. Then on Monday night we had a surprise dinner at an Italian restaurant to celebrate Lisa K turning 30. She was totally surprised and it was very fun to celebrate with her. I only have a few pics from Sat night and none from Monday night but ....they'll have to do.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Daddy Day
So the weekend after my mom and I hosted a shower for Heather, we attended a shower at her sister's house. It was a Sat mid morning which meant Chad and Gavin were on their own for most of the day. Of course on a "Daddy day" they do all sorts of fun stuff....starting with a bath in the big tub (aka the whirlpool in our bedroom) complete with bubbles. They also went to the hardware store, the pet store and out for lunch where they flirted with all the ladies in the local cafe. Sounds like a typical day Gavin has with mom...yeah right. Here is just a few pics of the bathtime fun.
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