"Don't Run With That... You Could Poke Your Eye Out!"

We have probably all heard or said this at one time or another. But really... could it happen?

Well, yesterday, we approached this unlikely scenario and spent a bit of time with the pediatric ophthalmologist at U of M.

After breakfast yesterday, Jack was doing his normal morning crazy-man exercise routine: running circles through the house, chasing Shergar. I generally use this time to clean up from breakfast, unload the dishwasher, etc., while pausing a few times to slow down Jack & Shergar or to remind Jack to stop teasing Shergar and to just give her the ball that he's using to taunt her.

However, yesterday, after about ten laps or so, I heard Jack's feet stop and then he started screaming. It was one of those cries that tells you something is actually wrong, as opposed to a normal bump or collision. Mick ran down from upstairs, I ran in from the kitchen, and we scooped Jack up trying to figure out what had happened. His eyelid was a bit red as was the side of his cheek so we figured he had run into the Christmas tree while playing "chase." After soothing him for a few minutes, Mick put him down for his nap.

He took a nice, long nap, but when he woke, he seemed very sensitive to light, kept rubbing his eye and crying, and his eye would sporadically start tearing. So, I called my dad. He had me check the basics (is the white part of the eye red, are the pupils the same size, is he tracking things with his eyes the way he should, etc.) and we established that probably what had happened was that he'd scratched the surface of his eye.

I was able to get Jack in to see the pediatric ophthalmologist at the Kellogg Eye Center (about 3 miles from here) and, after a few tests and eye drops that Jack did not appreciate, he established that Jack did indeed have a corneal abrasion. He was able to show this abrasion to me and Mick and it was just a small circle on Jack's eye. This has led us to believe that a pine needle from our lovely tree stabbed Jack in his open eye, causing the pain.

It will heal on its own and there won't be any permanent damage (thank goodness) but we do have to give Jack drops in his eye four times a day (NOT fun... poor guy hates us for doing it) and we have to put ointment in every time he goes for a nap or to bed at night.

As we were sitting with Ed & Yvonne last night once Jack was in bed, I just started laughing about the whole situation. I mean, really, a run-in with a Christmas tree?

Commemorating the Third Anniversary of Landon's Birth

Three years ago this morning, Landon James Klimek was born. He has been on my mind since I awoke this morning. It's hard to believe we all survived the grief that felt as if it were tearing us apart three years ago. When something so devastating happens, it is hard to imagine smiling and laughing again, hard to believe that you can "move on." In fact, it seemed as if it would be disrespectful to continue living life and enjoying ourselves. But the truth is, we all did come through it. And this Christmas, when we were all together and were able to watch Jack, Deagan, and Marcus race through the house together, we all smiled.

In memory of Landon, here is the email I sent out the day after he was born:

Landon James Klimek was born at 6:20 am on December 28, 2006 after only 15 minutes of pushing. Andy had just fallen asleep on the couch in Sarah's room when the doctor came in to check on Sarah (as of 6:00 when we checked on her, she was resting) and said "whoa, it's time to push!". Landon weighed in at 7 lbs, 1 oz and was 16 inches long.

I am so thankful that Landon's birth went the way Andy & Sarah had hoped it would. There was no intervention from the doctors when he was born and even though he struggled to breathe and his heart rate dropped drastically after delivery, Andy & Sarah were able to hold him and comfort him; he was eventually able to figure out the breathing thing on his own and turned a healthy pink color.

Everyone who was waiting at the hospital was able to go in and see Landon around 6:45. We stayed with him until 7:30 am when the doctors from the NICU came to take Landon for an evaluation. We all held him and took pictures with him and stared in awe at his tiny fingers and toes. He coos and cries and gurgles just like any other newborn -- music to my ears.

Landon does have complications, as we knew he would. Aside from his cleft lip & cleft palate (which are quite severe), he has a club foot, a malformed right ear, and some strange blood-filled sac attached to his right thumb; even the doctors haven't seen this before and aren't sure what it is. But these things are cosmetic and are very easy to look past once you've spent a minute with him; then he's just like any other baby that you fall in love with upon first sight.

Sadly though, Landon has other problems that go beyond cosmetic fixes and that will have an impact on his life. He has only 3 chambers in his heart with a big hole in the center & his pulmonary artery and aorta come out of the wrong sides of his heart; he has only one kidney; he has no sacral spine (the bottom part) which leaves a question as to how much mobility & functioning he will have in his lower body; he has no anus so at this point is not able to consume breast milk as his body will not be able to remove waste. In the last 24 hours, Andy & Sarah have seen at least 9 specialists and just keep receiving more and more information which will hopefully help them to make informed decisions about Landon's care. Landon's life may not be as long as we all hope. Yesterday, this thought was devastating to me. Today, I still have a heavy heart and am wondering why life is so unfair, yet I have resolved to give Landon as much love in his short life as we'd ordinarily fit into a lifetime.

I saw so many infants in the NICU yesterday; too many, really. There are so many other families suffering and worrying and wondering the same way we are. As I broke down in the hallway (I was so thankful Mick was there to hold me), a parent came out of the NICU, put her hand on my shoulder, and told me she'd keep Landon in her thoughts and prayers. Then she just walked down the hall. I didn't get her name or ask her what her baby's name was or tell her that I would also keep her family in my thoughts. But that one moment of comfort meant so much to me. People always say that they just want to have a healthy baby, but that sentiment has never meant as much to me as it does now.

This experience has, by far, been the most difficult thing my family and I have ever experienced. While the last two months of uncertainty were terrible for us, I am so grateful that we were able to know ahead of time that there would be challenges ahead as it has allowed us all to make changes to our schedule so that we can be there for Andy & Sarah. My break from employment means I will be able to stay in MI and help for a while, whether that means spending time with Marcus (who for now is staying with us at my parents' house), taking care of Andy's dog, or just being around to listen to and hug Andy & Sarah.

I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for being so kind to me during these last few months and for keeping my family in your thoughts. I ask that you continue to do so as everyone has a long road ahead of them. Please especially keep Marcus in your thoughts as he is very confused right now about why he's not with his mom & dad and why his baby brother, "Yandon", cannot come home.

Wreath that Mick, Jack, and I left at Landon's grave this year

Murphy's Law

For the gal who complained for the last nine years that she missed the snow, this weekend looks as if it will be an ironic reminder to me of Murphy's Law.

As of 7:30 this morning, the Weather Channel is reporting that DC has already seen 6 inches of snow, with snowfall rates expected to increase to 2" - 3" an hour (which is a LOT, even for us seasoned northerners).

To date, Ann Arbor has received about a grand total of 2" of snow.

So, for all of you Washingtonians who smirked when Mick and I announced our move and who said "have fun with all the snow!" I say to you "touché!"

Helping the Economy

It's again been a bit of a whirlwind around here. Last weekend, Mick and I spent four days by ourselves (!!!) in New York City and DC while my parents generously cared for Jack. It was our first trip away since Jack was born 16 months ago. We had a lovely time: I wandered around New York for a day and a half while Mick was in business meetings, we visited with friends in both Manhattan and in DC (though we wish we could have seen more people!), and we attended Mick's company's holiday party. We were a bit lost as to what to do in DC on Sunday as our flight didn't leave until the evening. It seemed so strange to be back and yet not have a home base. We ended up doing what people do when they visit DC: we went to the museum. We actually visited the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History which recently reopened after a 2-year-renovation. Sadly, Mick and I were underwhelmed with the renovation. The museum actually seemed smaller and the exhibits were a bit lackluster.

The best part of the trip, in my opinion, was that I actually read an entire book between Thursday and Sunday! This was a giant accomplishment for me because the last book I read (Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time -- which I highly recommend to anyone wishing to learn more about the impact of education, particularly for girls, in Pakistan and Afghanistan) I started during our summer vacation in August and just finished last week! It was also great to have meals with Mick where we could actually converse without retrieving food and sippy cups from the floor. Sometimes, we just sat together in silence... and even that was wonderful!

My parents get about a hundred gold stars for taking such absolutely wonderful care of Jack while we were gone. They picked him up on Tuesday and by Thursday by mom knew she had to get him to the doctor because he had developed a deep cough and was wheezing. Of course, I didn't bring his nebulizer to Big Rapids (he hadn't needed it since that awful time in October!) so my mom had to borrow one from the pediatrician in BR. My parents had to do breathing treatments with Jack multiple times a day and they had to cancel their breakfast with Santa outing they had planned to do with Marcus, Deagan and Jack since Jack was contagious. I felt so horrible about that. By Monday, Jack was still wheezing so my mom took him back to the doctor where she found out he had an ear infection and needed additional medication (a steroid) to relax his airways. He's still on the breathing treatment 3 - 4 times/day but it's going much better this time around than it did in October.

Although I felt bad that my parents had a sick kid on their hands, my mom told me it was the best way they could have spent a week. My dad had a rough week at work and, during a time that was very stressful for him, he spent more time laughing and playing with Jack than he did feeling anxious about the office. I never know what to do to repay my parents for all of their help, but I think (and this isn't a cop-out) that having some good Jack therapy is the best thing they could get!

It was good that we were relaxed during our time away because Mick and I returned to Ann Arbor Sunday night to find that our refrigerator died during our time away. That meant that we lost about $150 worth of meat & fish that was in the freezer plus lots of other groceries for which I'm too depressed to estimate the cost. We spent a few evenings this week researching and shopping for a new refrigerator only to find that, because of the configuration of our kitchen, we need a "counter-depth" refrigerator which is a customized feature... costing about $500 more than regular-size fridges. Wonderful. So we bought a smaller refrigerator that costs more than a larger one. Go figure. Thankfully, our fridge will be delivered tomorrow so we can move away from our current system (cooler is the freezer, purple container is the fridge).

We also bought two queen-sized beds on Tuesday night so we have plenty of comfortable room for our parents -- and other friends/family -- who visit. For the last few years we have resorted to sticking our parents in the unfinished, dingy basement when they visited so we are thrilled to be able to give them better living quarters now. The beds were delivered yesterday. Today, we receive our dining room table & chairs.

Between the beds, the fridge, the furniture, etc. I feel that we have done more than our part to help give the economy a kick-start.

Who Doesn't Like Green Eggs and Ham?

Although he was sick today, Mick was able to give me a bit of a reprieve this evening so I could get Jack's dinner made and clean up the kitchen a bit. While cooking, I overheard Mick reading to Jack and laughing. I wandered over and saw a sight so precious that it meant I had to grab the video camera. (My apologies for the poor quality; if I'd arranged the lighting better it might have distracted Jack and ruined the moment.)

What About This Tree?

Yesterday, Kelly and I took Jack to pick out a Christmas tree. Rather than our usual Arlington tradition (stop by the Kiwanis display of pre-cut trees in the CVS parking lot, well after the best ones have gone), we drove out to Urquhart Farms to select our own.

Jack wore his new snowsuit - an all-in-one comforter that protects him from the chill - while I forgot my hat and gloves. It just isnt second nature to me to bring them out. The little lad had a bit of trouble walking, with the extra weight of the suit throwing off his balance.
Still, after about 45 minutes of sizing up trees, we picked out a spruce, chopped it down, and hauled it back to the farm for processing, trussing, and conveyance back to our house courtesy of the Jeep roofrack. It now sits in the garage, awaiting installation and decoration.

Afterwards, Jack, meanwhile, slept for nearly 3 hours. Sans snowsuit, I might add.

Cold

It's currently 11 degrees Fahrenheit (for those of you in every other part of the world that uses the metric system, that's -12 degrees centigrade).

So our general feeling this morning is brrrrrrr (and some other choice words Mick has muttered that I will not repeat here).

iKid

People always say that teenagers are the fastest adopters of new technology; VCRs, DVD players, iPhones. And that the older generation struggles to keep up. Hell, I can't figure out how to change the music on Kelly's iPod.

But Jack can. He wandered back into his bedroom this morning, switched on the iPod, AND CHANGED THE MUSIC (from night-time lullabyes to a more dance-oriented theme - Mary J. Blige, to be precise). Naturally, he started to bob up-and-down in time with the music, and looked rather pleased with himself in the process.

What next? If he starts mashing tunes together to create more upbeat lullabyes, I'll take him to market. Daddy needs some new bling.

Thank Goodness for Lowe's!

Exhausted and desperate this afternoon to figure out what to do to with our little Jack to keep him happy and well-exercised, I decided it was time for a trip to Lowe's (home improvement store). I needed a snow shovel and a few car scrapers (snow is forecast here and, as opposed to the DC-area, that generally means we're going to get some of the white stuff) and I figured it'd be a good opportunity for him to run unencumbered and to get out some energy. Mick and I discovered over the weekend that, when it's too cold to play outside, the best thing to do with Jack is to take him to a big, empty store and to let him loose.

Lowe's was a wonderland of excitement for Jack! First, there were the Christmas decorations, which he was completely enamored by:

a bit blurry, but this is how much of the trip was - he just ran and ran and ran...

this was particularly exciting: they put a glowing decoration low enough for Jack to touch!

the wreaths were pretty, but more exciting were all of the moving inflatable figures on the very top of the shelves; as my dad said: "better than Disneyworld!"

this was especially funny: he grabbed a bag of fake snow fluff while running around and then slung it over his shoulder, Santa-style, while checking out the Christmas cactuses

then there were the funnels... he spent a while here. I actually should have bought these as a great toy for him; I think they were less than $3. Maybe they'll show up under the tree...

and of course, who can resist the shiny John Deere ride-on lawnmowers? Not something we'll need for our lawn here, but there's always Papa's John Deere (which even has a snowplow on the front!)

... and finally, the fire pits. In general, these were pretty thrilling as, again, they were kid-level. But this one particularly held Jack's attention as it also had benches that could be moved around and climbed upon.

We did get some strange looks while we were there (for well over an hour) but I promise that nothing was broken and everything was put back exactly where it belonged. We also bought two shovels, two scrapers, and two sets of lighted garland. So technically we didn't just use Lowe's for its space...

Anyway, thanks Lowe's. We'll be back...

Confessions of an Imperfect Mother

I never thought I'd be a perfect mother. But, given that this is the job I've wanted my whole entire life, I always figured it would come easier to me than to some people or that I'd do a really good job without really having to try.

But over the last few weeks, Jack has really tested me. I find myself constantly wondering what I'm doing wrong, what I could do better, why my mom was so much better at this than I am.

Jack is a wonderful kid. He really is. However, the hallmarks of his personality are his stubbornness (acquired from his father) and his liveliness (acquired, I think, from his Uncle Andy). Given the trade-off between a kid who just sits quietly all the time and a kid who is curious and going non-stop, most of the time I'd take the latter. However, there are days when the idea of a sit-quietly kid is oh-so appealing to me.

Since before our move, Jack has been cutting molars. I think the discomfort that this seems to be causing him is the reason for much of his crabbiness. When he's not climbing the walls (quite literally) he's whining, wanting to be held, or throwing himself on the floor, tantrum style. (I didn't think tantrums started until kids were older... maybe he's an overachiever?) Meal time has become a chore and an exercise in serious patience for me. He has recently taken to writhing out of the high chair, throwing all of his food on the floor, and refusing to eat. The sensible part of me reminds me to follow the thinking that's come quite naturally to me since Jack was born: don't stress the eating thing... the kid is healthy and will eat when he's hungry. But the human part of me cannot help but want to scream when he flings his food at the walls or throws his plate on the floor, even when I'm giving him his favorite food. Much of what he consumes at meal time these days seems to just be fruit. That used to be his dessert; now it's his main course.

And today, while doing a quick run to Trader Joe's, he had a complete and utter meltdown in his stroller. (I cannot shop with him by sitting him in the shopping cart anymore; he immediately struggles to climb out and I don't want to risk a kid with a serious head injury from falling out.) So, I did what I always used to say I'd never do (even though I saw other parents resort to this all the time): I grabbed a container of animal crackers, broke the plastic seal, and gave him a few to keep him quiet while I finished grabbing a few more items. Granted, they were the ORGANIC crackers, but still that did little to quell my sense of disappointment in myself for committing a cardinal sin (in my book) of feeding my son to keep him well-behaved while shopping.

I hate, hate, hate that I've started using food as the ticket to peace and quiet. For about 45 minutes on our drive back to Ann Arbor from my parents' yesterday, I handed mini pretzels back to Jack to keep him happy. I had no one else in the car to help and he refused the Cheerios I initially offered. So I did what worked. Pretzels. I try to comfort myself by saying "at least he's not eating McDonalds and heavily-processed foods... there are worse things than chickpeas and blueberries and clementines and bananas!" but deep down I know that I'm not really doing the right thing. I know I should not use food as a reward or a punishment. I know that contributes to childhood obesity. And I want Jack to be healthy. But sometimes -- oftentimes, lately -- I am just at my wits' end.

I was lamenting to my mom the other day that I think it's foolish that so many books are written on caring for babies. "Babies are EASY," I told her. "It's when the kid gets a mind of his own that the real trouble starts and then you really need guidance!"

Today, while driving around with Jack and Shergar (don't even get me started on Shergar's behavior lately...) while Mick did an important call, I found myself tearing up and wondering why I couldn't be a better mom. This might sound silly to some, but this is my full-time job and I take it incredibly seriously. I am wracking my brain trying to figure out how my mom pulled this off. She always wanted a dozen kids (no kidding!) and I think she was really cut out for it. I cannot remember her ever getting angry or impatient with us when we were little. (Well, except for the one time when she banned us from going trick-or-treating because she thought we lost a gold necklace with a cross pendant on it; she thought we had lost it while playing Mass in the basement. Seriously. How many kids do you know who "play" Mass? I guess that's a Catholic-school upbringing for you. Of course, I was always the priest. Progressive even as a child...)

This morning, I saw a woman in business attire grabbing a few groceries, BY HERSELF, and for a split second I thought "I wonder what it would be like if I had a "real" job? If I didn't have to deal with the crabbiness and whininess day in and day out and I had an office door that I could close and I could actually go to the bathroom without someone standing two feet away and unrolling all of the toilet paper." And then I put Jack back in his car seat and turned on the car and he started bobbing his head to the music and smiling. And my heart melted and I remembered why I am doing the REAL job that I am doing. And why I love it.

But boy is it hard.

Taking After His Dad

This morning as I was making Jack's breakfast he started rummaging through my mom's kitchen drawers. These cabinets and drawers are particularly exciting to him because they don't have child-proof locks on them the way ours at home do. It's pretty funny to watch him push a drawer back in. My mom tells him "watch your fingers - be careful not to pinch them!" and upon completely closing the drawer, Jack closely examines his fingers, showing us that they are all still there.

Anyway, this morning I was particularly amused to watch him pull my mom's potato masher out of the bottom drawer and then to get in a golf stance and take some practice swings. No kidding.

Moonlight Madness

This morning, I had the...um...privilege of joining thousands of other bargain-hunters in their annual Black Friday quest to ransack every store in town. The post-Thanksgiving sales are legendary for how they transform ordinary Americans into discount-hounds, sniffing out cheap deals with a level of productivity, organization, and zeal the likes of which are largely absent the rest of the year.

At one store, staffers were practically throwing TVs into shoppers' carts as they passed by on the way to grab Wii Fits or Bean Bags. But don't delay - getting to the store just minutes after it opens means facing the risk/unwarranted disappointment of missing out on the must-have items - big-screen TVs, pet sweaters, and Dora the Explorer scooters.

As a self-confessed Black Friday rookie, I faced the hypocritical dilemma of mocking other shoppers for their devotion to getting a top of the line vacuum cleaner for only $399 (the equivalent of a round-trip flight to Hawaii, I might add, but hey, it stops you from ever having to bend down or use those awkward dials) while standing in line with my new TV/DVD combo.

And we wonder why other nations laugh at us.

Exploring Our Neighborhood

Yesterday morning on our walk through the neighborhood, Jack, Shergar, and I saw three whitetail deer, just grazing in the woods a few hundred yards from our house. Surprisingly, Jack and Sherg were very quiet so we watched them for a while. On Saturday, Mick saw a few deer when he was walking Sherg and then we saw a few more that afternoon while taking a walk to the nearby playground. It's so strange to think that a month ago we had city buses and the occassional motorcade whizzing past our house and that now we have deer grazing so close by (yet are only 2 miles from downtown and the football stadium). I love both environments (and am really looking forward to Mick's and my upcoming weekend trip to DC!).

We had a nice weekend, still enjoying the unseasonably warm Michigan fall. I suspect this means we'll have a brutal winter but frankly, I cannot wait for snow. I had ten winters in DC where I sorely missed winter so I am excited to have a lot of good snow this winter. (I'm sure in April I will be moaning about the fact that it's still gray and that snowflakes are still falling...)

After watching (on TV) Michigan's sad, but not surprising, loss to Ohio State, the four of us took a walk to the elementary school that's just down the street. We tried out a new-to-us backpack carrier for Jack; he thought it was novel on the way there, but screamed and writhed when we tried to load him back in after playing at the playground.
Mick and Jack played for quite a while. From these pictures, you might wonder who had more fun between my two boys. I loved watching them.

We had Emily & Brian over Sunday evening for dinner, drinks, and conversation. Mick hand-crafted some delicious looking burgers for us. I say "delicious looking" instead of "delicious tasting" because we never ate them. While I was in the other room, Emily & Brian (who were seated at the table overlooking the back patio) suddenly gasped. One moment, they had seen Mick standing at the grill and the next moment, they saw huge flames erupt and a giant cloud of smoke... from which Mick emerged. The leg on the grill completely gave out which collapsed the whole thing and sent all of those yummy (but raw) burgers crashing to the ground. Mick was disappointed about those burgers but luckily we had back-up patties (store bought & nowhere near as good!) in the fridge. Really, once we realized Mick was okay, the whole thing was pretty funny.

Jack continues growing and is getting more and more verbal. Most of his words are still single words, though he does say "thank you" unprompted when we give him something (still working on "please"). He seems to add at least a word per day to his vocabulary, though as with most kids this age, only a few of us can tell what he's saying. During the move here, Mick's mum (who so generously spent the pre- and post-move with us and pretty much had full Jack duty during that time) noticed he was saying "gorilla" in response to a gorilla picture in one of his books. I didn't believe it until I heard it, but there's no mistaking it!

He's in a big "helper" phase right now and I'm taking full advantage of it while I can. I suspect that doing housework will one day lose its novelty for him. At the moment, he loves to help me swiffer (dry mop) the floors, dutst, open and close the microwave and press the start button, start my coffeemaker, raise and lower the blinds with me, take mail to and from the mailbox, and his favorite: feed Shergar. If he had his way, he would feed her ten times a day rather than just two. The best part about watching him feed her is that, before we fill her dish, I tell Shergar to sit and stay. Jack is very insistent that she stay, so he always holds his hand up to her and says "stay!" about five times before he finally decides to come and scoop out her food.

Two nights ago, I was making dinner while Jack and Shergar played "chase" around the house. For a while, Jack got really quiet (which should have suggested to me that something funny was going on) but I didn't pay much attention as he eventually came back to see me (I call this "returning to home base."). A few hours later, as we headed upstairs for Jack's bath and bedtime, I noticed what he was doing during the quiet time:
He apparently decided that the shoes should not be lined up on the rug inside our entry, but instead should be piled on a small table. I couldn't stop laughing.

We are headed up to my parents' house today and will spend the Thanksgiving weekend with them. We are having Thanksgiving dinner #1 at Andy & Sarah's tomorrow and then Thanksgiving dinner #2 in Big Rapids (with Trevor & Steph) on Saturday. We'll find out if Jack likes turkey!

Surprise Visit

Today, around 1:00, my little (well, not so little... just younger) brother, Trevor called. He wanted to know if I was around for a visit. He and his buddy were in Royal Oak, just about 45 minutes from Ann Arbor. A short while later, Trev and his friend were sitting at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and some cookies with Jack and me while we shared funny stories. Mick was even able to stop by (from his upstairs office) for a ten-minute visit. I just keep thinking about how fantastic it was that Trevor just called and said "hey, are you around? I am thinking of stopping by for a quick visit." I mean, that's pretty cool.

Now almost three weeks in to the move, I am starting to feel a bit "homesick." Mick brought me a gift from his layover in DC on Tuesday: a copy of the Washington Post. That made me smile. This week in particular though, I really miss the DC friends who became first-time moms at the same time I did. There's just something about that bond that I won't be able to replace with new friends here. And a bit of that makes me really long for home... my old home.

But there are so many wonderful things about living here, my really old home (Michigan): a U of M football game on a beautiful fall day, an evening with my cousin Emily and a bunch of her friends, a lazy Saturday spent visiting with Andrea, Tim, and Luke, and Trevor's completely surprise visit. All of those things make me feel as if I'm home again.

Week One, Complete!

One week ago today, we woke up for the first time in our new home. It seems like much longer than a week ago that we pulled into our driveway, breathing a sigh of relief that the truck, its contents, and the five of us (Mick, Jack, Shergar, Julie (Mick's mum), and I) made it safely. What a fantastic way to celebrate our fifth (!!!) anniversary.

We had so much help with the move: Trevor, my dad, and Mick had the truck unpacked and returned within an hour and a half. The three guys got all of the furniture in, Mick and Trev unpacked the kitchen, my dad piped natural gas from the basement up to the laundry room to accommodate our new gas dryer (Jack "helped").

My mom and Mick's mum helped wrangle Jack. That is no small job. I think we were all ready to collapse each evening as Jack is an extremely active, mischievous kid. Our first full day in the house was on Halloween. Mick bought tons of candy (while rolling his eyes and telling me "you ladies are like vultures around the Halloween candy at the grocery store"), we decorated the front porch with the small pumpkin Trev & Steph bought for Jack, and Jack buzzed around the house and the porch, excited every time a trick-or-treater arrived (we had tons!).



On Wednesday, I hit my limit. Jack was especially high-maintenance (a bit crabby, really acting like a stinker and getting into EVERYTHING) and I felt as if I would snap. As one of my friends pointed out, the last month was a pretty stressful one and I managed a good deal of the move while handling a kid who was cutting molars and went on a hunger strike. So it was inevitable that a breakdown would come sooner or later. I thought that taking Shergar for a nice long walk in a nearby nature area would help me relax a bit and it did...

...until I walked back in the door to a screaming kid. So, I bit the bullet and asked my parents to take him for the weekend. I just need a few days to regroup, have a nice "staycation" in our new home with Mick, and get some childproofing done. (I've realized that one of the nice things about having lived in such a small house is that it was MUCH easier to keep Jack safe as there were fewer rooms to childproof.)

I thought Mick and I would have a bunch of fun date nights without Jack here... but the last two nights have seen me fast asleep on the couch by 9:30. I think the rest and the few days of uninterupted productivity will make me a much better mom to Jack when I see him again on Monday.

Tonight's Top Ten

On Thursday, we moved. That's right. We packed up the l'il ole 26 foot truck, threw the dog in the cab, and drove to Michigan. Ten hours, several awkward truck stop conversations, and a night in Cranberry, PA later, and we pulled up to our new house in Ann Arbor. With help from Tom n' Trevor (no, not the cartoon characters), we unpacked within 45 minutes and there we were...proud owners of the state's biggest cardboard box repository.

From my perch at the Holiday Inn - Oakville in Toronto (spoke at an event this evening), I thought I'd outline my top 10 list of things I love about our new house.

10. It has stairs. Carpeted ones. That lead somewhere you want to go.
9. The kitchen has an island. Our last house had a coconut called Wilson. Oh god, we're characters in Castaway.
8. We're trying to name rooms. The living room has become the "library" while the downstairs room with the hardwood floor is now the "media room".
7. Guests drop breadcrumbs to find their way back from the bathroom to the "family room"
6. The neighbours are nice; several dropped by in Michigan fancy dress on Saturday. Who knew that Skeletor was a Michigandian?
5. Shergar cant decide where to sleep.
4. Jack cant get into the cabinets. He can, however, run several circuits of the house.
3. Kelly loves it.
2. Even moving a snake from the downstairs window gives me a sense of homeowner pride.

And the Number 1 reason why I love my house is....

1. I have to think through which bathroom to use. Instead of thinking through how to get into our old bathroom.

Giddy up.

I Won't Miss...

It's rare these days that I say "what I really won't miss about living here is x" as I've been feeling so emotional about the move. However, as I started winding down last night, I thought of two things I definitely will NOT miss about our current home. They are as follows:

Rolling the dishwasher over to the sink, connecting the hose to the faucet, plugging the dishwasher into the socket, and hoping I don't need to get water or get into the fridge for the next 90 minutes.

AND...

Cramming into tiny space in the bathroom to give Jack his bath. Really, neither Mick nor I can kneel at the tub side without splaying our legs out to the side. There just isn't enough room between the tub and the cabinet for long legs. When I was pregnant (like in the 9th month) I had to actually LIFT my belly over the sink to get in and out of the bathroom.

So yeah, there will be some really nice things about leaving Arlington!

Discovery

How is it that, after driving past this place hundreds of times in the last four years did it not occur to me, until today (one week before moving), to take Jack here? It's just a half mile away and I went many times in the past to watch Mick coach his kids' soccer team, yet I somehow never realized Jack would enjoy it.

On a walk this afternoon though, I decided to stop so he could watch. He was captivated! I only had my phone with me (no camera) so the pictures aren't fantastic, but you get the gist. (I loved that there was a girl at the skate park; we watched her for a long time!)

There was also a really cool children's rain garden that apparently is only working during the summer. This doesn't really make sense to me. I mean, it's a rain garden so shouldn't it work after every rain? Although it was bone dry today, I saw an old-fashioned pump and figured if I could use the lever to generate enough pressure, groundwater would eventually spill out of the pump and make its way down the water troughs. Of course, the pump was really squeaky and so I generated a lot of quizzical stares. Eventually one of the employees came over and told me the pump didn't work (?) and that he thinks "they turned it off for the season (?). I thanked him for informing me as I could have easily seen myself pumping away for another 20 minutes ("there's got to be water in her somewhere!") before giving up. Oh well, it would have been cool...

Exhaustion

We were all beat after our weekend closing on the house in Michigan, as is obvious from this picture taken on the flight from Detroit to Virginia. I should have included this picture with the previous post but it was on my phone & I just uploaded it.

Sold!

We did it! On Friday, Mick and I became proud first-time home buyers! With the help of my cousin & her husband (who have graciously hosted us the last three times we have gone to Ann Arbor for house-hunting/buying) and of my parents (who watched Jack during closing & helped us clean & child-proof the house once we had keys in hand) we were able to sail through the closing process without any trouble! Thankfully, it went nothing like my dream (see previous post).

Jack absolutely loves all of the space in the new house. It has an open floor plan so he's able to do circles around and around and around and through all of the rooms. Here he is helping me to wash the floor.


We've got just one week left in Northern Virginia and, in addition to packing, we are trying to get in as many fall activities and visits with friends as possible. We hosted a BBQ for friends two weekends ago and had brunch with friends in Bethesda (Emma & Claire were flower girls in our wedding).

Jerry, Emma, and Claire Sorkin (Lisa as photographer)

Since we weren't able to go with the rest of our playgroup to Cox Farms, Jack and I instead enjoyed a visit there early last week with our friends Lee & Iain. This place was incredible: hayride, corn maze, petting zoos (Jack fell straight onto a pile of goat dropping and when I picked him up he had hay and poo stuck to his mouth - I almost vomited but he just grinned at me), giant slides (we went down together, riding on a burlap sack), apple cider, play areas, live music, etc. It was fantastic fun... and so much easier now that Jack's walking!

Enjoying the Farm

Jack and Iain (Jack was fascinated by the cows!)

Crazy Guy

Our next post will likely be from Ann Arbor as we've got our hands full with packing, cleaning, and more packing! Stay tuned...

Dream Home

Buying a house/moving is one of life's major stressful events. I know this firsthand. After we put the offer in on our new house, I spent about two weeks tossing and turning, unable to get a good night's sleep. And my left eye keeps flaring up a bright red color, a stress sign that I seem to have inherited from my dad.

I'd been feeling pretty lucky though that I hadn't been having wacky dreams about the new house. It's not uncommon for me to remember extremely detailed dreams I have in the middle of the night and then to be able to recount them, bit-by-bit, upon waking.

Just two days away from closing on our house, I guess my subconscious got the best of me last night as it threw me a bizarre dream. In it, Mick and I showed up late to the walk-through of the house (which we're doing right before closing). The reason we were late is because our agent was trying to switch from her spring purse to her fall purse, but she couldn't find the fall one anywhere.

When we got to the house, the seller's agent was there... and he had MOVED IN! There was furniture everywhere, most of which was in bad shape. And the things that were staying with the house - kitchen cabinets, walls, etc. - were beaten up pretty badly. Wood was splitting, plaster and paint were peeling off the walls, floors were scuffed, and carpets were stained. Oh, and there was a half-eaten casserole dish of ziti on the kitchen counter; the agent claimed he hadn't had time to put last night's dinner away.

I immediately went crazy. I was screaming at the guy, asking what he was thinking to have moved in to a house he didn't own. I told our agent there was no way we were going to closing with the house in this condition. I mean, it looked as bad as some of the foreclosures we saw and did not at all resemble the house that Mick and I loved back in August. As is typical of our relationship, Mick was the calm one in the dream, saying he was sure we'd get it all sorted out. He really didn't want to let go of that house, regardless of its condition.

I kept looking at the clock trying to figure out where my dad was (he's planning to come down to wrangle Jack for us while we do the closing at the bank) as it was past time for him to arrive. I figured he'd know how to deal with the situation... he has bought and sold enough houses to have contended with weird situations, right? Eventually, I saw him rounding the corner but he had brought my entire family with him. I again got upset, saying I just needed him to come in to help but before I knew it my brothers were piling out of the car with more food and some tables which they proceeded to set up inside the house. When I reentered the house, again attempting to talk Mick out of going through with the closing, there was an actual feast in the center of the house. I don't recall recognizing many of the people who were there but it was probably about 40 people or so! Still, I was the only one who was upset about the situation. Everyone else was talking, eating, laughing, etc.

I woke up not long after the feast. The sense of relief that washed over me when I realized it was just a dream was tremendous! I'm sure there are all sorts of meanings that can be found in this dream, but I'm just going to take away the lesson of remaining calm and taking Mick's "everything will work out" lead.

Hanging Out... And Taking Deep Breaths

We have spent the last few weeks getting ready for the move. There are finances to get in line, insurance to set up, contingencies to resolve, boxes to pack, etc. My mom was gracious enough to come out for a week so she could help me pack. Of course, the day she arrived was the day Jack decided to exhibit the apparent dark side of his personality. I think he's cutting molars; he's been a bit like Jekyll and Hyde: playing happily (crazily!) one minute and hysterically screaming and wanting to be held the next. So my mom's time here was primarily spent cuddling Jack and keeping him happy... the perfect job for a grandparent. However, we did have some fun together, particularly visiting a children's shoe store and buying Jack his first real pair of shoes; of course, we went for ice cream afterwards to celebrate!

Jack woke up this morning with a cough that sounded pretty rough and he was wheezing. I'd been reluctant to take him in to the doctor over the last week or so because I was sure his "symptoms" (runny nose and fussiness) were due to the teething. However, I draw the line at respiratory distress. The doctor lifted Jack's shirt to listen to his chest and said "oh, you can see his chest caving in when he breathes. Yep, he's definitely struggling." So that made me feel like mom-of-the-year.

Because Jack sounded so bad, the doctor required that we get a breathing treatment while in the office and then that we buy a nebulizer machine to give Jack four more breathing treatments at home. I can't really describe how awful it is to give Jack these treatments. Suffice it to say that I've cried after both. Although we're just lightly holding a mask to his face, he acts as if we are torturing him. He pleads with his eyes for me to stop. But I can't explain to him that this will make him feel better. Ugh, it's awful. And it lasts for 10 minutes each time. We are going to see the doctor again tomorrow moring to see if there's improvement with his breathing. I sure hope we get a good report. (As an aside, his general demeanor and activity level are completely normal. He was a wild man tonight - racing around the living room, throwing himself at us for "hugs", laughing like crazy. Of course, this made his breathing even worse as he was working himself up so much, but try telling an energetic 13-month-old to sit down and read a book.)

This past weekend was very special for us. Some friends of mine (moms I met last year in playgroup) spontaneously planned a trip to New York City and invited me along. I've been dying to return to NYC for the last few months; my last visit there was for our friends' wedding in June 2008 when I was eight-months pregnant. I told them "yes!, I'll go!" as I could not wait to experience the city and let Mick have a weekend alone with Jack. But when I woke up on October 1, I sort of had a meltdown. I realized I had so little time left here and didn't want to spend my only free weekend away. So, I changed my mind and said I wanted to stay here. I didn't think I'd be able to relax and have fun while thinking about everything needing to be done here. Further, Mick and I have a long list of places that are special to us that we want to visit before we head back to the midwest.

We had gorgeous weather on both Saturday and Sunday and ended up doing quite a few fun activities. On Saturday, we went to Gravelly Point and watched the planes land and take off from National airport. We also went to Arrowine to buy a few bottles of wine for the evening.

Video of Plane Landing at National Airport

On Way to Arrowine

On Sunday, we spent a big part of the day at the National Arboretum, which is, hands down, one of my absolute favorite places in DC. Although it's off the beaten trail (which is part of why I love it) it will always have a special place in my heart. It's an oasis of beautiful trees, flowers, and plants in the middle of a busy city. And it's the place Mick proposed to me six years ago. We had a picnic there and walked and relaxed. It was another bittersweet experience for me.

The Bench Where Mick Proposed

Columns at the Arboretum

Family Photo - Arboretum

On Monday, Jack and I met up with friends at Arlington National Cemetery. We took our kids for a long walk and stopped at the Kennedy gravesites (JFK, Robert, and Teddy). I was surprised to learn that JFK and Jackie had two babies who died: a daughter was stillborn and then a son only lived two days. I couldn't stop thinking about how Jackie survived the loss of a son in August 1963 and then her husband's assassination three months later. We also went to the tomb of the unknown soldier and both babies were transfixed by the guard's march (though Jack jumped every time the soldier handled his gun).

A few weeks ago, we met up with friends and spent the afternoon at the National Museum of Natural History. Jack was actually much more intrigued than I thought he'd be (he sort of seemed to prefer the museum to the zoo... maybe because museum animals don't move and hide in foilage?). We went to the butterfly exhibit and were transfixed by all of the beautiful colors (I tried not to step on anything that had landed on the floor).

Butterfly Exhibit

Dinosaurs at the Museum (and us)

I'm trying to temper my sadness about leaving DC with an excitement for getting to introduce Jack to all of the great things we'll have access to once we move. We leave next Thursday for Ann Arbor. We close (and become first time homeowners!) on Friday. We'll keep the blog updated.

A Night on the Town

With Jack's maternal grandmother in town, Kelly and I took the opportunity to have a night out in DC. I booked us in at the Westin Grand in Georgetown; after checking in, we headed to a bar (Old Glory) to watch the Virginia Tech game and sample some of the local cusine (wings and a variety of cocktails invented by our bar steward, Adelle).

Following a stunning victory for the Hokies over Miami, we ventured out into a rare rainstorm and wandered down to La Chaumiere, an upscale French bistro. Sitting adjacent to Dick Gephardt (former House Majority Leader), we dined on escargot and salmon-en-croute (for Kelly) and pig knuckles in aspic and calf brain for me. Both of the latter selections were new experiences; I'd be hard pushed to order the brain again. However, it was an otherwise delightful meal.

Following a post-dinner cocktail, we walked back to the Westin for a peaceful night's sleep, no-rush morning, and lunch at a local Indian restaurant.

It was great to have some time to ourselves and "hang out" the same way we did prior to Jack gatecrashing the scene.

Makes You Think Twice...

I just read this horrifying article about a family whose pictures of their kids in the tub landed them in hot water... no pun intended. It's certainly made me think twice about the adorable shots we have of Jack splashing around in the tub and snuggling all fresh & clean in his towel afterward. I guess what I see as cute and innocent someone else could see as criminal...

To think these kids were removed from their parents' care for over a month saddens me. What a nightmare.


Arizona Couple Suing After Bathtime Photos Prompt Wal-Mart to Launch Child Porn Investigation - ABC News

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Moving Right Along

Jack turned 13 months old on Sunday. Three days later, he decided to walk. He's been taking steps for the last month, but only about 10 at a time and never for the primary mode of transportation. However, on Wednesday, he just seemed to have decided that he wanted to walk instead of crawl and he figured out how to regain his balance when the walking turned wobbly. Here's a little clip of him walking around this morning & one from yesterday (don't the jeans make him look grown up?!?).





Jack also has officially said his first word (other than "dada" and "mama"): DOGGY! He said this on the day we drove back from Ann Arbor at the end of August. Shergar started crying in the car when we were about 10 miles from home (she was excited) and after about five minutes of her whining, Jack just suddenly shouted "doggy!" clear as day! I can't say I'm surprised that's the first real word he mastered...

On the moving front, things are progressing nicely. The inspection & appraisal are complete, the sellers are making a few minor repairs that surfaced in the inspection, and closing is set for Oct. 16. We plan to make the actual move on Oct. 30, our fifth anniversary. (Ask Mick and he'd say "five years of marriage? Feels like 10.")

As the days roll by, I am getting more excited about the move. The first few weeks after we put in the offer were pretty tough for me. To say I'm going to miss the metro DC area, and especially the friends we'll have to leave behind, is an understatement. That said, I am looking forward to this next stage of life... at least once the packing & unpacking are completed!

The Wild, Wild, West

As the photo indicates, I woke up in Palm Springs, California today(no, this isnt a flimsy movie plot about how a trip to Vegas goes horribly wrong). I'm here to speak at a conference later this afternoon.

Drove the 2 hours from Los Angeles yesterday (the famed LA parking-lot traffic being relatively benign) through small towns and over mountain passes, before arriving in Palm Springs, a retirement playground for former Hollywood bright lights. I can sum up my thoughts on this town in just 1 question..."why is it here?" There seems no rhyme or reason for placing an oasis of greenery (lots and lots of golf courses) in the middle of a desert.

Reading about the history of Palm Springs, I came across this largely unverifiable claim about the town: "On any given day during the winter season, over 100 nationally known figures can be seen around the desert."

Had dinner at a local sushi/Tex-mex/pasta restaurant - the sushi was pretty good and the Tex-mex...well, it tasted like Tex-mex.

After the conference today, I am driving back to LAX for a flight to DC this evening.

Hail to the Victors

Michigan - 38, Notre Dame - 34.

It was a good day.

So Big!

Jack had his one-year well visit with the doctor today. Despite having four shots, two in each thigh, he seems to be in good spirits. I've heard though that the effects of the shots are often not felt until a few days after the injections, so we'll see. I did not do well during the shots, after being scolded by the nurse for not doing more to restrain him: "Mrs Collins, he's pulling at my needles!" and having her yank his leg back onto the table while muttering "my gosh is he strong." He cried big, fat tears (I swallowed my tears) but a cuddle with me after the band-aids went on and all was forgotten.

He's right where he should be developmentally and is sleeping right about the average for this age (11 hours at night, 2.5 hours during the day). In terms of size, he's around the 65th percentile for weight -- 23 lbs, 7 oz -- and is off the charts for height! The nurse actually measured his length twice because she was so sure she'd gotten in wrong the first time. But her measurements came out pretty similar: he's somewhere between 32 5/8" long and 32 7/8" long.

His walking is getting better every day - though he doesn't want anything to do with walking once I put his shoes on. I've heard that the walking often stops completely for a few days after the shots in the legs, so we'll see. I took this video yesterday (I never have the camera ready when he does one of his long stretches of walking) but it at least gives a sense that he can do more than 2 or 3 steps now.

School Days

It was a big day in Fremont this morning as Marcus prepared for his first day of Kindergarten! Sarah was kind enough to build in a few minutes this morning so Marcus could Skype with us and we could wish him well on his first day of school. He looked so grown up... and very smart, dressed in his yellow polo shirt. Andy & Sarah have got to be so proud of their little (big!) guy. I know I'm swelling with pride & I'm just his aunt!

Speaking of the start of the school year, I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the uproar created by some conservatives around why they won't let their kids listen to President Obama's speech about education. Apparently, these parents fear that Obama is trying to "indoctrinate" their children. (Actually, in the interest of full disclosure, the Florida GOP chairman who last week quipped that Obama was trying to "indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda" has now reversed his stance (after reading text of the speech) and has said he'd let his children watch as it's a "good speech" that "encourages kids to stay in school.")

Aside from thinking it's ludicrous to shield kids from a speech about education and its importance, I think it's equally foolish to keep young minds completely sheltered from viewpoints that may differ from their parents' views.

I truly hope that Mick and I are the kind of parents who encourage debate/discourse/discussion in our home about politics (and other topics). I want to be able to watch the President (whomever he or she may be) address the nation and then to discuss with my child(ren) what we think about the President's remarks. That's part of the beauty of living in a free county - that we can agree to disagree. But at least let's be educated about that upon which we disagree - which means watching/listening to these kinds of speeches instead of writing them off as having a certain agenda before we have an opportunity to make up our minds on our own.

Front Page News

OK, so it's not the Washington Post and it's not even the Big Rapids Pioneer (which featured a front-page story about my mom in January as she was out here during Obama's inauguration), but Shergar and I are the featured story for the summer publication of the Fairfax Pets on Wheels (where we volunteer) newsletter!

Here's the text of the story:

Collins Pays It Forward

FPOW volunteer Kelly Collins considers her visits to the Powhatan Nursing Center to be her form of "paying it forward." Kelly explains, "There have always been people around to support my family and me when we've gone through tough times. I have often wondered how I could adequately thank those people for their acts of kindness. I realized that the best possible thing I could do was to pay it forward... and I think volunteering with FPOW allows me to do that."

Kelly and her chocolate lab mixed breed, Shergar, try to visit Powhatan at least once per week. But Kelly is a new mom (to one-year-old Jack), so trying to find time to volunteer can be a challenge. "Even on nights when I'm tired and think of not going, I still go. And on every single night that happens, I drive home after our visit with a smile on my face - and I'm thankful I decided to go."

Oftentimes, Kelly finds herself on the phone with her mom after her visits, "telling her about an especially rewarding experience or conversation I had. The residents who remind me of my grandma have a particularly special effect on me."

Kelly was very close to her grandmother, who died at the age of 91, and "considered her a friend. So part of my desire to volunteer was selfish because I wanted to spend time with people who could make me smile, lend their wisdom, and share their experiences."

"I also knew of the benefits of pet therapy, especially as related to people with Alzheimer's. I knew Shergar had a great temperament and loved being loved, so I figured the pairing with the nursing home would be a perfect match."

Kelly has volunteered since 2006 and has served on the Speaker's Bureau as well as the FPOW Board of Directors.

"When I first started visiting, I wondered if it would last. Shergar was a bit scared and seemed to enjoy visiting the other dogs more than visiting the residents. But after one extended period when we couldn't visit because we were out of town, Shergar whined in the car as soon as she figured out we were going back to Powhatan. She couldn't wait to get out of the car and into the activities room to visit the residents... and no doubt to look for dinner leftovers on the floor. That was a wonderful turning point."

Kelly says "the best part of volunteering is, hands down, the look on the residents' faces when they realize it's Tuesday night and 'the dogs are here!'". I love fulfilling their requests when they ask me to send in certain dogs to see them. To know that we've brightened their day is priceless."