Dumpster Diver

Yesterday:

After Gerrit finished breakfast, I put his leftover pear in the frig to eat when we got home. On that same plate was a small piece of Belgium waffle. When we got home, I took out the plate and remembered I did not throw away the waffle. It was pretty soggy, so I tossed it in the garbage and then gave Gerrit his fruit. Shortly after we were home and he began playing, I noticed he was eating the waffle that I had throw away! He didn't seem to mind that it was soggy and pulled out of the garbage!

Today:

We were waiting for Adam to get home from work and seeing he was running late, I decided we deserved a snack. I bought a box of the cereal Ohs (so yummy and reminds me of my childhood days visiting Joy) and had given Gerrit a few this morning at breakfast. He loves them just like his mommy. Anyways, I thought we'd munch of a few of them while we waiting for Adam and dinner. I emptied his snack dish (with a spill proof lid) which had old Cherrios in it and filled it with the Ohs. I gave myself a little bowlful as well. We both enjoyed our snack and Gerrit even started taking mine out of my bowl even though his were not gone yet. We both finished them and that was that. Then Gerrit disappeared and when he came out of the kitchen, I heard a sound like there was something in his snack bowl. I thought he had finished his a while ago. As I walked by to start dinner, I glanced in his bowl to see the Cherrios I had thrown in the garbage were now back in his bowl!

I guess the kid doesn't like to waste food - I think I need to put a lock on the garbage before he starts to eat something that is spoiled.

I Figured it Out

I just discovered how to add captions to the photos. Thanks to the secret that Eliza gave me, I played around on the program and tada! (I also think I lightened up the photo a bit too). Good night!

 

Sooo Big

Gerrit has a habit of waking up around 5 30 or so each morning. Rather than start our day that early, we bring him into bed with us hoping to get a bit more shut eye. Usually this works and I do believe we have started a habit too. The other morning was no different. The nice thing about that morning is that he slept past 7 am! I luckily got up (usually I rely on Gerrit to wake up at 7 which he usually does like clockwork - scary!) and began getting ready. I did all that I could upstairs in the dark and decided to get myself some breakfast. I finished eating and still didn't hear Gerrit so I decided I should wake him if we were going to get to Julie's on time. When I got to the top of the stairs, Gerrit stood there looking at me in the semi-dark hallway! Usually when he wakes up he is crying and wants to be carried. I was shocked to think that he woke up and didn't cry and got himself off the bed and headed to the stairs. I thought for sure he would freak out because there wasn't anyone in bed with him!

Since then, I have been thinking that we have some moving around to do in the house. It won't be long before Gerrit will either attempt to climb out of his crib or just want to sleep in a big bed. Our plan is to move him to the office where the bunk beds are and move the computer out. I think the switcheroo won't take place until summer, but my creative juices have been flowing lately...big boy room here we come!

Interests as of Late

Lately Gerrit has been into a few new things. I was able to capture a few pictures to show you just what the little guy has been doing....

A 3rd generation knitter? He loves to sit and play with my yarn. Luckily he doesn't demand skeins of it and is content with scrap yarn!


Rearranging the silverware drawer. One night he emptied almost all of his silverware (near the front) on the floor - I loved filling the dishwasher with them! Notice the silverware on the right - he moved the salad forks and large spoons to the side of the tray. (I did move the knives that normally sit in the side before he did this!) When I set the table for dinner, he'll often add his own silverware that he thinks we must need.


He loves his hockey stuff he got for Christmas. There are 4 balls like this blue one and they just fit under the furniture. Often we spend our time looking like Gerrit here locating the balls. He likes to look and then points if he sees them and we of course have to get down on our knees and actually get them from under the furniture.


He's practicing his shooting skills - put it this way, hockey is not in his blood! Notice the way he is holding his stick? We've tried numerous times to get him to turn it around but he won't. I think golf is more in his blood - hence his grip on the stick too.

Cool!

My friend Eliza shared the secret to doing collages!
(You can click on the picture to see it larger)

And yes, it is easy to do! Love it! I'll briefly explain the pictures:
Gerrit was wrestling with Abby while we were waiting for our rental car - at 10pm!
One of many views of Sedona and the red rocks
A beautiful home in Sedona
Adam during his bike ride with Matt and Travis
Gerrit's skinned knees
Uncle Travis assisting Gerrit at the orange tree
The family photo at the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona
Jerome, a little town built into the mountains
The happy couple sleeping - they loved each other and played well when they were out of their car seats - when they were strapped in, they bugged each other to no end!

The First of Many

Gerrit fell this morning and hit his head hard enough to draw blood. The odd thing was it didn't seem to bother him any more than when he normally falls. I noticed something red on the back of his sweatshirt and when Adam looked closer he noticed a small cut on his head and blood was slowly going down his head - hence the blood 'red' that I saw. We gave him a bath so we could clean up his head and take a better look at it too. The whole time Gerrit didn't seemed bothered by it - we were the ones concerned! Adam felt awful because it happened under his watch. I said its going to happen and I'm sure many times too! It stopped bleeding shortly after he got out of the tub so our level of concern lowered. A little Motrin and a hot dog for lunch seemed to make the kid happy - he was annoyed by us holding his head still! It was a bit scary but I think we handled ourselves pretty well for the first 'blood' incident. Cousin Max had been glued many times by this age so we are doing quite well! We'll see what happens this summer. :)

Not Gonna Happen

I was all ready to download my favorite photos from our trip and figured there were too many!(I need my friend Eliza to teach me how to do the collage thingy sometime.) So, just go to 'our pictures' on the side bar and look at them via shutterfly. I'm lazy I guess.

Finishers

This photo was taken by a professional along the course. It was near the end and he asked us to stop so he could take our pic. When I looked online for it and found it, it turns out it is free to download! Pretty cool. We paid a pretty penny to do the race so at least we got one perk! :)

Home Sweet Cold Home

We made it home on time and all went well on the flight, thankfully. Not that we wanted to come home to cold temps, we were ready to get back to the routine. I posted pictures on Shutterfly (click on our pictures). I will try and add a few favorites to the blog with explanation soon - nearing the end of a quarter at school so I've got lots of paperwork to sort through and submit grades.

Milk Man

Gerrit likes to help out by putting his milk back in the frig after he has had enough. He likes to keep it cold for the next swig:

Right after I took this picture Gerrit set his milk on a shelf and decided to pull on the spout of the Brita water! I soon had to clean up a puddle of water. Guess what I think is cute and funny can backfire.

Frequent Sight this Summer

Even though Gerrit has mastered walking and running I think we will be seeing a lot of these this summer:

This was taken at the end of our trip so they had started to heal at this point.

Embarrassing!

This one's for you Eliza - you've been waiting to hear a story like this one:

At dinner tonight Gerrit was hanging out by me in the booth and playing with the silverware. I looked down and realized he had the knife and was banging it on the table. Before I could grab it from him he threw it across the table at his great uncle! Luckily Uncle Bryan laughed and joked that it stabbed him in the gut. What a great first impression, kid!

We removed all items that Gerrit could use to throw, so we thought! He took his crock off one foot and before I realized what he was going to do with it he threw it at the table next to us! It landed near someone's plate of chips and cheese dip! Luckily it didn't land in her drink and she was a good sport and laughed about it.

At this point we packed things up and got out of there as fast as we could, we didn't want to see what Gerrit would throw next! I think this has been the most embarrassing thing he's done in public (so far).

Oh So Warm

We made it through the run! The best part was being able to run OUTSIDE, in warm weather in January! We had a good time, tons of people (it took us 30 min. just to get to the start!) and then 2.5 hrs to run the thing. It was odd not knowing where we were going and what to expect but we went with the flow. We saw parts of Phoenix that weren't that nice but then some areas that were. I think I have been spoiled running the TC marathon - I now know why it is called the most beautiful urban marathon. The bands were fun (although we could've used a few more along the way) and the sun felt good. We did notice that we were thirsty more being in the dry heat but luckily there were plenty of water stops to help with that. The cheering section did see us 2 times but missed us crossing the finish line. We finally did find our cheering section within this huge crowd of people! One of the best parts of the race was that it was only a 1/2 marathon. Both of us have done marathons before and it had the feeling and buzz of a marathon but was only 1/2 the distance! (The marathon was going on too at the same time but they had a different route).

We ordered pizza and ate that at Travis' house. Gerrit and Abby enjoyed picking oranges off his tree in the back yard and playing with his Wii drum and guitar stuff too. Luckily we weren't there long enough for any damage!

Following pizza was a dip in the pool while the dad's watched the rest of the Cardinals football game. The water was warm yet refreshing. The hot tub was a special treat that was enjoyed by all.

Our family then headed for dinner with Adam's uncle who lives in Phoenix and the Rockne's had a little family themselves. I am back at the hotel with a sleeping child and Adam is bonding with his bro.

Tomorrow: the guys are going mountain biking at some premier park and leaving us ladies with the kiddos. I think it will be a dip in the pool and playing at a park nearby until we all meet up again at lunch. Then possibly a hike followed by dinner at PF Changs - got to visit the sponsor of the race! Tuesday we might try and squeeze in the zoo before heading on the plane back to the cold...just a few more days would be nice.

AAHHHH

We arrived to the warm temps! The flight went well, Gerrit didn't sleep but thanks to friends who gave him a 'present' to open on the plane, he was content to play with stickers most of the time. Adam put the bag of 'arsenal' in the overhead so it wasn't easy to get to all the good stuff I had brought to keep him busy. It was a very full flight so no extra room to let him roam. It was a 3.5 hr flight and all the kids did well. Abby and Olivia did sleep which was nice. Our flight was early but the line at the rental car place was long. We didn't get to the hotel till well after 10 30 - AZ time, (11 30 for us). Once we got the kids in the car they fell asleep. Gerrit didn't sleep as long as we would've liked but we can't complain. Now that I figured out the internet here I can try and keep you posted as the trip enfolds.

Looks like we are headed to the expo to get our race packets and then off to Sedona for the day - in shorts and flip flops! :)

It is only 50 right now but it feels like heaven. I know 50 is probably colder than we would normally wear shorts in, but we aren't complaining. We even had the air on in the car last night! It just feels good to NOT be cold or have that chill in the air. It is suppose to get into the upper 70s today and sunny....we might just have to stay a bit longer to enjoy this weather.....

Determined

I really should be emptying the dishwasher and getting the house in order before we leave for the weekend but I wanted to post this before I forgot:

I decided to change our bedding before we left (see, I did do something to get the house in order!) and Gerrit was playing upstairs. He saw me in our room and decided that because the bed was cleared off, it would be a good time to get on it and play. I of course told him to give me a few minutes till I was done and then he could get on the bed. Not wanting to wait, he left the bedroom and returned a few minutes later with the footstool from his room. He put it close to the edge of the bed and was able to get up all by himself! Got to give the kid credit for his problem solving abilities!

He just finished his breakfast and put his empty plate in the sink (threw it in the sink seeing he can't actually reach it to set it down - glad we use plastic!)

Kudos

I am too lazy to get the camera and take a picture but I want to give a shout out to Peg Perego. We luckily were the recipients of a high chair from my brother's family when Gerrit was born. I was pretty excited to get it because it is a very nice high chair and in good condition. Well, I broke it just before Christmas trying to close it before a party we were having. I called and was able to get a replacement part - for a 11 year old high chair! How cool is that?? While I was paying shipping, I ordered a new seat cover too. We are back in business and good to go for a long time.

How Low Can It Go?

Yep, pretty low....my thermostat in the car read - 23 this am, on my way to work! Yikes. That is darn cold. All the schools where we live were canceled the night before but not the city schools. I guess they think those kids are tough and can handle waiting for the bus with wind chills in the -40s!!! As the day progressed we did warm up to a balmy -8. Tomorrow is suppose to be just as cold but we are to get above zero by the end of the day.

A few examples of just how cold it is here:

• I ran into Subway for dinner and all the cars in the parking lot were still running and no one was in the cars
• I went to get the laundry from the dryer to fold and a turtle neck sweater was damp, I mean stiff - it was slightly frozen!
• I got a few gallons of gas this am and just my finger was numb from touching a piece of metal on the nozzle.
• The sun was out all day, I need my sunglasses on a regular basis (unlike MI when you won't need them from Oct - April).
  

I can't complain, it is always temporary but none the less, darn cold! Heading to temps that are 80 degrees warmer tomorrow night is a welcoming thought.

Drinks or Hockey?

The best part of a hockey game...the drinks!

Just kidding! This was taken by my sister in law at the Griffin's game. I had a drink, compliments of Opah and Gerrit enjoyed the straw. He looks like a pro!

Daring Dad

Gerrit woke up from his nap not very happy. Adam thought a snack might cheer him up. Together they went into the kitchen and Gerrit did not like anything that Adam offered; he wanted a donut. Surprisingly, Gerrit has learned what the donut bag looks like (guess donuts every Sat. would teach him this!) and wanted what was left in it. Gerrit had already finished his donuts, (plain cake donuts of course) but there was one of dad's left in it - POWDERED!

I could see giving him the donut, but to let him eat it in the basement was a bit daring. I didn't say anything other than he (Adam) gets to clean it up! Gerrit went to town, and was a bit more messy that Adam had predicted:

The shop vac soon made an appearance and took care of any evidence that a powdered donut was inhaled by a 2o month old!

Devil Child

- Dumped his Goldfish crackers on the kitchen floor

-Threw his empty sippy cup across the table and knocked my drink over during dinner

-Threw 2nd sippy cup (full of water) while I was cleaning up the first spill

-While in 'time out', tore his tray off his booster chair and threw that on the ground as well as his bib (luckily there wasn't any food on the tray)

-Constantly changing the channel during the MSU bball game

-Takes the remote from Adam so he can't change the channel back

-Uses his new hockey stick to swat at things such as the lap top (thanks Uncle Jeff)

-When 1 stick is taken away, he gets the other hockey stick and starts swatting at things

-Tries to stand on top of the popcorn tin

Where did our sweet Gerrit go? I would like him back if anyone has seen him or knows how to get him back!

**this has all happened in less than 2 hours!

Welcome 2009

Its hard to believe it is 2009 already. Gonna take me a while to get use to it I think. Hard to believe another year has gone by, makes me feel old! We were blessed this past year and I am thankful for that.

We had a low key New Years' Eve this year. I didn't feel like planning anything and I don't think anyone else did either. We stopped by our friend's the Langley's for a bit. Adam wanted to show Dave his new cyclocross DVD so Gerrit and I tagged along and hung out with Pam. It was nice to catch up on the activities from the past week. We came home and put Gerrit to bed and watched a lame movie: Tropic Thunder. It had its funny parts but I think I was expecting more out of it. Adam fell asleep and I made it to the end. We were both in bed before 11 - whoo who - party animals, I know. Amazing how things change as you get older...

We woke up and saw that Santa had visited 4th St. We decided to do stockings on New Year's Day seeing we weren't around on Christmas (and I made cute stockings so I wanted to use them!). Gerrit didn't know the difference, but I did. Plus, with our fabulous gift of a vacuum, we thought if we did stockings, we at least would have some surprise. It took a whole 5 min. but it was nice none the less. I think I had hopes of a nice "holiday" breakfast as a family following stockings but that didn't happen. Adam went and took care of the ice rink/driveway and left Gerrit and I inside to play.

Evidence Santa did indeed stop by:
Gerrit opening his frige phonics:

Saving the best for last - foam balls!

We watched MSU lose and Gerrit took a nap - on the couch. I think we've started a bad habit of naps on the couch.

Gerrit sporting his 'post-nap' do - impressive....

Gerrit woke up just in time for us to head off to friends in the cities for our annual Rose Bowl party. We had tons of food for not a ton of people which is the norm with them. Gerrit took to their boys fast. I think he liked that they gave him his space and he could ease into things. The youngest is in 3rd grade and he enjoyed playing catch with Gerrit. We stayed well past Gerrit's bed time but knew he'd be sound asleep before we hit the highway. Always fun to watch football with fellow football fans...

We are now home again and I'm enjoying the fact that tomorrow is only Friday!