To Laugh Often and Much...

A New Post....finally

2010-09-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

So, I figured I'd wait a good, oh, year and a half before updating my blog. Just to keep all of you guessing. Wild Sarah, you never know what she's gonna do next!! So anyhow, yeah, it's been a year or so. There are a few things that have happened...just a couple.

-I got pneumonia (got? caught? I'm not sure which is appropriate)

-When getting diagnosed with aforementioned pneumonia, I found out I was pregnant (yay!)

-We moved from the creepy (but large) apartment next to a man named Grubby and into a cute (but tiny) cabin with a 3 acre backyard and animals living in the attic

-Nate had his major knee surgery (replaced a chunk of his cartilage with his own that was grown in a lab and had a cadaver-gram on his ACL) and was on crutches for quite a long time

-Our little boy, Oliver was born on Feb. 15th, 2010. He looked like an adorable grouchy old man and had an attitude to match

-The first few months of life with Oliver were really, really hard. He had colic, a dairy and soy intolerance, and silent reflux. He cried for most of every day.

-I got a hematoma above my c-section incision and had to have surgery to have it drained. My OB was an ass, so I ended up getting it done in Marquette.

-Nate was able to walk/work again. yay!!

-My Postpartum Depression came back with a vengeance. It was bad. I try not to think too much about this time.

-The boys and I came to stay with my folks for a while, Nate went back to work

-Nate worked for two days and his knee went crazy, swelled up and he couldn't walk, again

-His doctor gave him a 10 lb. weight limit and told him he could not work

-His worker's comp. insurance disagreed with this and cut him off

-Now that we had no income, Nate could not get a job (due to his weight restriction) and I could not get a job (because Nate couldn't be home alone with the boys), we had to move...again

-We moved into my parents' house and are living here now

-Nate has had a few job possibilities come and go, and is now hired into a call center. We are all hoping this one sticks

-Oliver is much less grumpy, now that I don't eat dairy (I would kill for some ice cream, though!) and now that he's outgrown his colic. He is sitting up, rolling over, eating solids and trying to crawl. He's six months old and cute as a button.

-Corbin is 3 now, and a stinker and a half. He's really good with computers (he loves playing games on Sprout.com) and is so, so funny. He's potty trained and starts preschool in two weeks.

-Today is our five year anniversary. Nate and I have gone through some rough times, and we know there are more ahead. But we've stayed close through all of it and are thankful to be able to enjoy our time with our boys and each other.

So yeah, that's about it. There were some other things that happened as well (lots of visiting with friends and family!) but I can't go on all day. The post below this has a bunch of Oliver's 6 months pictures...hopefully it works this time.

I'll try to post again within the year...but I can't make any promises. Gotta keep you on your toes!!

2010-09-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

I forgot!

2009-05-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

I forgot to add our annual Saugatuck photo from this year. Here's this year and last. I'll have to get the year before's shot from my mom's computer. Will be added later and all that.

I also made a personal photo page on Shutterfly... http://itsthestarrs.shutterfly.com/

if you want to check it out, go ahead. It's really just a huge amount of photos of Corbin, and a few of us and the rest of the family. Cause looking at pics on this blog, myspace, and facebook just isn't enough. ;) I'll link it on the side too. I'm not sure if I will keep updating it... I really just made it to get some free prints from the site. What can I say? I'm thrifty. ;)

A Rather Lengthy Update

2009-05-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

I'm always saying "just a quick note" or "here's a short update", and then I get started and I end up writing two pages worth. So this time, I'm not lying. This might be long. Settle in and buckle up.

So, it's been a while since I've written. It always seems harder to write when I haven't done it in a while. I think about it..."oh, I should probably blog about what's going on"...but then I think about all I have to say and it's just too damn much so I go on Facebook or Cakewrecks instead. Today I've decided to allow Corbin to watch the forbidden "Dragon Tales", so that I can finally hammer this thing out.

So....what's been going on? Lots, really. Also, nothing at all.

My Dad.... Most of you, er, probably all of you, know that my dad had a quintuple bypass surgery at the beginning of April. I went down to Holland to be there, and was there for a week or so. My sister and niece came for the surgery as well. The surgery itself went great, and we were quite pleased with his progress. But then he ended up with quite a few complications. He got illeus (which means his bowels didn't wake up from his surgery), was in A-fib, had major breathing issues, then got illeus again, got pneumonia, and also apparently has emphysema. He was in the hospital for 3 weeks, then out for 2 days, then back in for a week or so. It was a long, long, long month.
Corbin and I came home, then went back. Carmen flew in from Cali. My mom went to the hospital (almost an hour from her house) every day, and spent most of the day sitting in an uncomfortable chair, trying to get the doctors to spend more than 2 minutes talking with her, and trying to make conversation with my Dad...who was not in the mood to say much of anything at all. He was very un-dad-like throughout most of this, but is finally starting to act more like himself. Mom has been through hell with all of this, but has kept a positive attitude and just keeps chugging along. She is providing me with a fantastic example of what a good wife is. My dad (and I) are so lucky to have her.
He is home now, and doing mostly pretty well. He is on oxygen still, and likely will be for quite a while. A nurse comes to the house every couple of days, and his vitals are being monitored every morning. He still has some pneumonia, but it's getting better. He's been using a walker, but is starting to use a cane now. Corbin, Nate and I went down to visit last week and it was so good to see him at home, watching the History channel and watching the birds. He is still weak and tired and, well, a little different than normal...but he'll get there. Right now he has to focus on eating (he hasn't been eating much at all since all of this happened, and has lost almost 40 pounds), getting his strength back, and getting rid of the pneumonia. But with many prayers and good thoughts, he's come a long way. Thank you all, who have been thinking about us. We appreciate it more than you know. :)

Next up...Nate. So, Nate had his knee surgery on the 8th. They went in thinking it was a torn meniscus, but it turns out it wasn't. It was a gash taken out of his cartilage, that was rubbing against the knee. Also there was some loose cartilage in there, that the surgeon removed. He cleaned up the gash as best he could, but he told me they may have to do another, larger (open knee) surgery if the pain isn't better. Apparently if he had known this was what the issue was, he would've done the open knee surgery in the first place. Neat. So Nate has been off of work, on worker's comp. His knee still hurts. He gets his physical therapy evaluation tomorrow, and has another appointment in two weeks with the surgeon, I guess he'll find out what their plans are then. He was actually able to work the last couple of nights, doing one on one care with a resident (he just has to sit there and make sure they don't get up). I guess they want him to do this for the next few weeks, until he is cleared for his normal work. This is good...except it's 8pm-6am. I really, really hate when he works that shift, but I guess we'll take whatever we can get. Neat, right? Right.

Let's see...what else? Well, there's Corbin. He's doing fine. He had a bout of the Croup a while ago, but seems to have gotten over it without issue. He's saying a few more words now, and is sort of telling stories. He'll say stuff like "Fwaaa (his word for dog).... Ho ho ho!!!" when he's trying to tell me about the picture in his Clifford book of Clifford dressed like Santa. The kid thinks dogs that are dressed up are so damn funny! I wonder if someone makes a book of just that? Maybe I should. Molly wouldn't mind being dressed up in a hat and boa combo, would she?

We've also been able to visit Marquette (and it wasn't even snowing!! MUCH better!) and hang out with Grammy. She's also coming to visit this weekend, so we get max Grammy time this month. Whohoo!! That reminds me... I need to pick up some coffee. We also hung out with Rick, Jamie, and the girls while we were up there. They are always so much fun to see, and Corbin loves the amount of toys in the house. ;)

While being down in Holland we visited with our dear friends Lindsey and TJ, and their little girl Jaely. We had a delicious lunch at Pekidills (I totally spelled that wrong, didn't I Linds?) and played at a park, then hung out at their house for a while. It was so nice to have all of us together. We miss them so much.

I also got to visit with Erin and her little man, Jack, when we were down the first couple of times. It was so good to see them too... she's such a great mom and Jack is the sweetest, most laid back little guy ever. I love chatting with Erin, we never seem to run out of stuff to say to each other. :)

Being in that area just reaffirmed for us how much we want to live there...or at least somewhere near there. We miss our friends, our family, the lake, the stores, the area, the downtown, the everything. We both feel comfortable there. We have been back and forth between so many places in the last five years... I really miss feeling "at home". I haven't had that feeling in a long, long time. That area seems to be the most like home to me. I really hope we are able to move back there this year... cause I want that feeling again.

Well, Dragon Tales is over and some weird sewing show is on. Time to turn off the TV and do something mom-like. Hopefully the next update will not take as long... and be shorter. Good for you if you made it all the way to the end of this, as I barely did. :P

Oh, and always...some pictures...

Mother's Day Brunch

Corbin has done a lot of hanging with his Grandmas lately!

Easter

Corbin's first ice cream cone...he had to eat it on Grandma's porch, for obvious reasons

Isn't he just the sweetest thing???

We've got...

2009-03-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

So as another St. Patrick's Day comes to a close, I'm left to reminisce on what the day means to me. Not a drunken night filled with green beer, not the appreciation of Ireland (although the Today Show really did make it look lovely), not anything to do with snakes or shamrocks or leprechauns. No, my very favorite part of St. Patrick's Day is the ABC Warehouse commercial. You know the one...don't you? Let me sing a bit...

"We've got.... Bargains and bargains and bargains and bargains and bargains and bargains and bargains and bargains and bargains and bargains and bargains and bargains and bargains and bargains and bargains galore!"

Ok, it doesn't look like much. The commercial itself it terribly dull...just pictures of TVs and info about their craaaaazy sale. But the song, oh the song. I am lucky to hear it just once a year, and I have been know to wake up out of a dead sleep when it started playing. It's just so freaking catchy. I've tried to find the video, but it doesn't seem to exist on YouTube or anywhere else. It's one of those things that you just have to catch the one or two times it's on, or you're out of luck. The leprechaun of appliance store commercials.

We did do a bit of celebrating today, in honor of our possible 0.07% Irish heritage. I made corned beef and cabbage, Corbin and I wore green, and I listened to the band Deep Blue Something, which I think is Irish because they mention Dublin in a couple of songs. I just couldn't go all the way and turn on U2, so I stuck with what I had.

Here's Corbin, eating his Irish dinner and wishing you all a great St. Patty's day!

Mornin'

2009-03-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

Corbin was up last night and early this morning, so I'm a bit sleepy. I may even take Nate up on his suggestion of a nap today...sounds kinda nice at this point.

Things here have been okay... Nate and I have been taking turns being sick, but Corbin's managed to avoid most of it. Thank goodness! We went back up to Marquette last weekend, for Nate's yearly reunion with his buddies. I was sick through most of it, but it was good to hang out with Andrea and let Corbin be spoiled by his Grammy. :)

Nate has his next appointment with his surgeon on Tuesday, so hopefully we will know more about the immediate future after that. Corbin and I have both gotten our hair cut in the last week, and we are stylin'. Here's a couple pics...
My before...

My after...

Corbin's before...

Corbin's after...

What? They suggested he use some styling products. We just use whatever we have on hand. ;)

So that's about it for around here. It's getting slightly warmer, so Corbin and I actually took a walk yesterday. Today we may do some laundry. It's all very glamorous here.

My friend Val posted this on her facebook the other day, and I found it terrifyingly accurate. Thought you might enjoy....

The Toddler’s Creed

If it is on, I must turn it off.
If it is off, I must turn it on.
If it is folded, I must unfold it.
If it is a liquid, it must be shaken, then spilled.
If it a solid, it must be crumbled, chewed or smeared.
If it is high, it must be reached.
If it is shelved, it must be unshelved.
If it is pointed, it must be run with at top speed.
If it has leaves, they must be picked.
If it is plugged, it must be unplugged.
If it is not trash, it must be thrown away.
If it is in the trash, it must be removed, inspected, and thrown on the floor.
If it is closed, it must be opened.
If it does not open, it must be screamed at.
If it has drawers, they must be rifled.
If it is a pencil, it must write on the refrigerator, monitor, or table.
If it is full, it will be more interesting emptied.
If it is empty, it will be more interesting full.
If it is a pile of dirt, it must be laid upon.
If it is stroller, it must under no circumstances be ridden in without protest. It must be pushed by me instead.
If it has a flat surface, it must be banged upon.
If it is Mommy (or Daddy), it must be hugged.
If it wants a hug, I must run away.
If Mommy's hands are full, I must be carried.
If Mommy is in a hurry and wants to carry me, I must walk alone.
If it is paper, it must be torn.
If it has buttons, they must be pressed.
If the volume is low, it must go high.
If it is toilet paper, it must be unrolled on the floor.
If it is a drawer, it must be pulled upon.
If it is a toothbrush, it must be inserted into my mouth.
If it has a faucet, it must be turned on at full force.
If it is a phone, I must talk to it.
If it is a bug, it must be swallowed.
If it doesn't stay on my spoon, it must be dropped on the floor.
If it is not food, it must be tasted.
If it is food, it must not be tasted.
If it is dry, it must be made wet with drool, milk, or toilet water.
If it is a carseat, it must be protested with an arched back.

I am toddler!

She added: God Bless the little turds. I have to agree.

It's not all about Elmo, all the time

2009-02-24T13:28:00.000-08:00

That's what I caught myself saying to Corbin this morning. I swore it wouldn't happen. I swore my kid would not buy into this crazy toddler obsession known as Elmo. I can't stand the monster. But really, who over the age of 8 can? The annoying whiny womanchild voice, the speaking in the third person, the Elmo's World song... no thank you. And at first, Corbin agreed with me. He really could care less about anything on Sesame Street. He was a Yo Gabba Gabba boy all the way. We supported that. Yo Gabba is fun, has crazy characters, silly songs, and teaches good lessons. Their musical guests are indy bands like the Ting Tings and the Aquabats. They even have Biz Markie teaching the kids how to beatbox! How could it get any better than that?

But then it started... Elmo toys, Elmo toothbrush, Elmo's world... now when I go to get him in the mornings, more often than not the first thing out of his mouth is "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHMO!!" Oh dear.

The obsession has now spread into all Sesame Street characters. The kid only says 20 or so "words", and 5 of them are Sesame Street characters. Lately it's all about "ERRRRRRRRRRNNNIE!" We got him a little stuffed Ernie from Walmart, and it's his new buddy. He give him lots of hugs, pets his hair, and plays this "up, up, up, down, down, down" game with him that I have always played with Corbin.

When Nate says "Daddy loves you!" to Corbin, he responds with "Ahmo". Nate has to say "and Elmo, yes." When I get him up from naptime, it's "Ehrrnnie? Ahmo? Bbbbbbbrrrr? (Bert)" Yesterday he spotted an Elmo stuck in the corner of claw machine at Walmart, and freaked out.

While we were up in Marquette visiting, Grammy got Corb an Elmo cookie from the bakery. He saw it, but wasn't allowed to have it till after lunch. A small freak out ensued. All the way through the store "Ahmo? Ahmo!!", all the way home "AHMO!!!". There was sobbing. Once we got back to the house and he ate his lunch, he got to have Elmo. He was a little confused at first, but eventually ate the whole thing. His face was all red, his belly full of cookie...and when I got him upstairs and settled in for his nap he very quietly looked at me with pleading eyes...."Ahmo?". Um, yeah, you ate him kid. So much for loyalty.

I'm a real mom

2009-02-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

This week I had a very real introduction to an aspect of motherhood that I had been lucky enough to avoid. I woke up to a very unhappy kiddo and crib covered in vomit. Somehow, in a year and a half, I've been able to scrape by with very minimal puking from Corb. He spit up sometimes as a little guy, and has thrown up twice in his carseat (once was on the way home from his surgery...can't blame him for that!), but he's never had the pleasant experience of waking up covered in it. I walked in and thought "that's it, I'm a real mom now, no turning back". And then I silently cursed this stupid apartment for not having a washer and dryer (none in the whole building. Curse them!!).
The vomiting turned into what we commonly refer to as the "pukey-poops", and it's been going on for days now. Blah. Poor little bug is hurting and tired and screams bloody murder when I change his diaper. He's had more baths in the last 4 days than he usually has in a couple weeks, and watched more cartoons that he ever knew existed. Thank goodness Amy and Becky have been coming over and taking the dirty laundry home to wash. We would've run out of towels and sheets long ago.
Today I am starting to feel icky. It just keeps getting better. Nate doesn't have a day off until Tuesday, and we will be in Marquette then for his CNA test. It's gonna be a loooooong week.

Oh, also, I joined Weight Watchers a little over a month ago and so far I've lost 13 pounds! Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. 13 down, about a billion left to go. :P

Christmas Dos and a Goofy Video

2009-02-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

First of all, here is the newest video of Corbin showing off. It's dark and grainy because it was taken with our (totally junky) camera, but you get the idea. He shows off some body parts, does some animal noises, and dances a little. He's learning new things every day, it's so awesome to watch how quickly he catches on to some things. He's still a little confused with some animal noises... in Corbin's world cows say Baaa and hippos make some sort of strange aboriginal clicking sound. Also oranges are called Cheeeeeeeeeeese, regardless of how many times we correct him. Goofball. :P

Secondly, how are things going around here? Well, the biggest excitement lately was on Friday when Nate hurt his knee at work. He was moving a patient or something (and by patient I mean "resident" and by moving I mean "ambulating" or whatever fancy word they use there) and twisted it funny. He suffered through that night and the next day, and finally went in to the Urgent Care clinic yesterday. They put him on a "sit only" restriction for work, and told him he probably tore his meniscus. So he's off for a couple days, and may or may not be returning to work later this week (they might stick him in the HR office for a few days, if not, he is on worker's comp). So yeah. He's on the couch now. His knee hurts. Corbin, of course, insists on climbing on it. Poor Nate. :(

Thirdly, a recap of our Christmas in Kentucky. Long story short, we had a blast! Nate drove Corbin and I down to Lansing to meet my parents, and we took off from there. It was snowing, icing, or raining constantly on the way down. It was really an awful drive, and we were lucky to make it to the hotel in once piece. Thankfully the next day was much better, and all the way home we had smooth sailing.

We arrived at the cabin/house we rented on Christmas Eve. It was a full house with Corbin and I, my parents, Breanna, Christopher, Micah and Quinn, Sylvia (Breanna's mom) and Rich (Sylvia's husband), Viola (Sylvia's mom), and Trevor (Breanna's brother). Oh, and Molly (my parent's dog) and Samson (Sylvia's dog). It was a full house, to say the least. Corbin had a great time getting attention from everyone, playing with his new presents, and tormenting Micah by trying to steal her toys. ;) Poor Micah!
We laughed and laughed, talked, played some games, laughed some more, argued a teensy bit (varying political beliefs in that house!), shopped (a bit), opened gifts (for hours and hours!!), ate, and laughed again. It was so great seeing everyone. They are all family to me, and I love them to pieces. I'm so glad Corbin is going to be able to know them as well, and make friends with Breanna's girls. I hope our family's friendship continues into their generation. The only bad part was that Nate wasn't able to come. I know he would've had so much fun. Hopefully he'll be there next time.
Here's a few pictures from our trip (warning, pic overload!).

Quinn and I...

Santa even came! (does he look familiar???)

Corbin opening his Band in a Box (doesn't really seem like a good idea, does it?)

Corbin attempting to steal some of Micah's toys...

Chris and Quinn...

Corbin and Micah on their new couches...

Quinn (isn't she gorgeous?!?!)

On our way home... Corbin with his new lion.

I realize I didn't take any pictures of Breanna or Trevor or, well, pretty much anyone but the kids. Oops. :P Next time we'll have to take a family shot. Hopefully it won't be too long from now.

Our New Chair

2009-01-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

On our trip to St. Vincent De Paul today, Nate and I stumbled across a real treasure. We were on the hunt for a smaller and less pointy coffee table, but this glorious chair caught my eye. It's a gold swivel rocker, and it's magnificent. I imagine it was made around the same time as our beautiful orange and green flowered couch. It is well taken care of, broken in, and just the size I was looking for. I HAD to have it.
So, now it's ours. Our gold swivel rocker, orange and green flowered sofa, and dark brown shag carpeting...we are slowly turning our house into 1964.

18 Months

2009-01-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

Today is Corbin's 18 month birthday. I don't usually give a hoot about half birthdays, but 18 months is kind of a big deal. To celebrate, I let him have a half sippy of chocolate milk at dinner. He was thrilled. Anyhow, to mark the occasion I thought I would make a list of where he's at right now. Because well, I'm not feeling particularly creative and I love lists.

Corbin Likes:
-Wearing random hats
-Shoes
-Dogs
-Monkeys
-Showing people his belly
-Santa Claus
-Animal Crackers
-Yo Gabba Gabba
-His play kitchen
-Daddy's Sunglasses
-Making his "ugly" face
-Turning off the computer
-Raisins
-"Single Ladies" by Beyonce
-Fish
-Waving
-Going places
-Poking himself in the eye

Corbin Dislikes:
-Deli Meat
-Having his diaper changed
-Taking a nap
-Not being able to turn the computer off
-Having to leave a store before he's ready
-Not being the center of attention

He's now saying a few more things...fish, shoe, eye, ear, nose (kinda), up, truck, dog, dada. He understands a ton, and shocks me everyday when he does something I've mentioned but didn't realize he understood. He did surprisingly well in Kentucky, visiting with so many people that he had never met before (or didn't remember). He runs off with the big kids when we have Sunday dinner, and would much rather walk than be carried. He climbs up onto the kitchen chairs and sits at the table sometimes, like he's just waiting for us to bring him a snack. He uses a spoon and fork (kind of), and today he got to sit on his potty chair.
He's officially a toddler now, and although I miss my sweet baby boy, I am having a blast with my little buddy. I'm starting to actually feel like a Mom now. I know the last year and a half have been difficult, with jobs and money and everything else; but when people mention how rough it's been, all I can think about it my family...how lucky I am to have them. It may have been hard, but it's also been the best year and a half of my life.

Happy 18 Months, Buddy!

P.S. I know I still need to do a Christmas Dos, I'll get to it, I promise. I also owe a few people emails... I swear I will get to them soon, I've just been really slacking on that kind of thing. Plus they are the type that will take some actual thought and I never seem to have any of that left. ;)
Also I've used an excessive amount of commas in this post. For that, I apologize.

Christmas Uno

2008-12-22T20:05:00.000-08:00

Just stopping in for a second to share some pictures. Corbin and I are off tomorrow to meet up with my parents and head down to Kentucky. We are renting a house with Breanna and her family, Sylvia and Rich, Trevor (Breanna's brother) and Viola (Sylvia's mom). Oh, and some dogs. Nate isn't coming, as he has to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It will be much less fun without him, but I know he's happy we are able to go.
Anyhow, because we will be gone for Christmas, we had our family (Nate, Corbin and I) Christmas today. Santa got the message to come a little early, and we had a nice time opening presents, eating lasagna, and hanging out together. Here's a few pictures from the day.

He really loves his Yo Gabba Gabba couch. He likes to point at all the characters and make us say their names. Over and over and over.

And a couple from playing out in the snow at Uncle Mark and Aunt Diane's.

I hope all of you have a Happy Holiday! Best wishes from all of us.

I'm a sucker for the Muppets

2008-12-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight there was a new Muppets Christmas special on, and it was fantastic. I had forgotten how much I love the little guys. I tried to keep Corbin up to watch it with me, but he crashed halfway through (amateur!). He seemed to like them, though. Here's my favorite guy, Pepe....

Is he not the cutest thing? He left his life as a chef in Madrid to become a star in Hollywood. According to Pepe, "There were one too many close calls in the kitchen. I was mistaken for an appetizer, okay." Love him.

The movie was pretty simple. The Muppets had a pile of letters to Santa that needed to be delivered, it was Christmas Eve and the post office was closed, so they had to take them to the North Pole themselves. There were a few songs, a few guest stars. The bear (I forgot his name and wikipedia keeps showing me Fozzie. It's not Fozzie) was airport security and Nathan Lane was his cohort. At one point the Muppets were at the North Pole, and snow started falling, things started moving, and there was Santa in his sleigh!!! (Um, I hope I didn't ruin that for any of you. :P) I'm such a dork, I was watching from the kitchen while loading the dishwasher, and I just get this huge silly grin on my face. Santa!!!! Even at 28 (8??!?!?), I still love the fat man.

I've been trying to teach Corbin who Santa is. Relax, I talk about the Jesus part too, but at 17 months old a fat guy in a red suit carrying presents is way easier to understand. Anyhow, for Christmas this year "Santa" (Granddad) will be visiting the children, so my mom sent me a picture to try to get Corbin used to the idea. I show him that picture, as well as a video on Youtube about finding Santa. Now the kid is obsessed. On the video, when Santa comes up into view he starts pointing and shouting. When we are in Walmart he points at every Santa blow up, Santa book, Santa ornament, and Santa candy he can see. I can only imagine that when he meets Santa on Christmas day, he will be terrified. :P

Here's a couple of shots from today. He refused to smile for either of them, so you'll have to take what you can get. In the first one he's wearing a hat and messenger bag that cousin Carmen sent us yesterday. He's so metrosexual, right? In the second one he's showing his belly to the fish. It's good cause that involves two of his favorite things.... fish and showing his belly to things. He's a strange duck, sometimes.

Snow, Trees and Sniffles

2008-12-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

So it's been snowing here. Quite a bit, actually. We have 12-18" inches on the ground, and snowbanks almost as tall as I am, as seen here...

See behind me there? Those are our mailboxes. The front parts are dug out, so they can still deliver our mail. The rest is a huge mound of snow. Anyhow, there's finally been a snow break for the last couple of days, but we have more coming. And coming, and coming, and coming. It seems this is pretty normal here. I'm not such a fan. We have snow mobiles that drive down our street. That's kinda weird. Sometimes this place is kinda weird.

Last weekend we went to Christmas in the Village with Amy, Michelle and Frank (that's my Sis-in-law, niece and nephew for those who don't know). To be more specific, we went to a craft show and watched a parade in sub-zero temperatures. The craft show was interesting. We were expecting a lot of doilies and toilet paper cozies, and we really weren't far off. The Cookie walk was no where to be seen (and damn, we were not happy about it. By we, I mean the adults. I'm sure the kids weren't happy either). We hobbled our cold, cold bones back to our house and decorated the place for Christmas.

In the evening we ventured out (bundled up like crazy!) to watch the electrical parade. It was actually pretty good, for such a tiny, tiny town. One truck was pulling a flatbed trailer with a bunch of people sitting around a real bonfire. Cool. Corbin enjoyed it, I think.... it was hard to tell as all you could see of him in the stroller was his nose and eyes. He must've enjoyed it, he was way warmer than the rest of us. I think it was about 6* with windchill. We weren't able to go see Santa afterwards, as it was just too damn cold. I was disappointed, but I'm sure we'll find another opportunity for Corbin to visit with him.

We found ourselves a tree at St. Vinnie's and promptly broke one of the legs while we were putting it in the car. It's now held at a slight angle with the help of fishing line. The soft/unbreakable/less important ornaments are on the bottom half, where most have been removed at some point by Corb-monster. It's all a little sad looking, really. Most of our Christmas village is out on our 2 little shelves, our stockings are hung above our TV with care, and Corbin has claimed the dancing, singing mouse as his own. We're all ready for Santa.

Corbin has been sniffley for a while here, I think the change in weather is getting too him. Nate and I have been on and off sickies too, as has the rest of the Roscommon clan. I hope this starts to go away soon, but I have a feeling that having a husband who works with old/sick people all day won't help.

Here' s a couple of random shots from the last few days...

Such a big boy!

Goofball :P

This is the infamous Elephant move. Arm up, raspberry noise. That's an elephant for ya, folks.

Mom, let's go!!!

Ready for Christmas in the Village

Enjoy the snow, ladies and gents.

This one's for my mom...

2008-12-01T19:42:00.000-08:00

It's Corbin in a sweatshirt Mom made for me, many, many years ago. For some reason it wouldn't send in her email, so I'm posting it here for her. Now you all may enjoy it as well. You're welcome.

Just a Quickie...

2008-12-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

As I'm sick and really should be laying down. I hope all of you had very Happy Thanksgivings and are enjoying this, the beginning of December. Here, it is cold. And snowy. There are no signs of stopping. This is the scene out of my front window; snow, railroad tracks, and the parking lot of a Verizon store.

Isn't it lovely? See those rails there? In between those are the railroad tracks. Yes, the train comes by. Yes, it is very, very loud. No, things do not fall off of our shelves and walls. Between the closest rail and me is the alleyway we drive down. it's all quite beautiful and serene, isn't it? :P

Anyhow, we had a lovely Thanksgiving. Andrea (Nate's Mom) came down to visit and we had many mornings of coffee with Andrea, Amy and the kids. Thanksgiving proper was at Uncle Mark and Aunt Diane's house and was full of yummy goodness. We had a shark steak, beef jerky, cheese curds and egg nog (brought down by Andrea) throughout the weekend, and we opened our Christmas presents with her before she headed back home. Wouldn't ya know, I forgot to take a single picture! That's not like me, I know. I blame it on still unpacking. How long do I get to use that an excuse? Until I move away? Works for me. I do have this pic of Corbin and Cousin Frankie, showing a little of their family resemblance. Ya think?

I don't remember if I've mentioned that we bought a couch. Well, we bought a couch. It's from St. Vincent De Paul, because we are trying to reduce, reuse, or recycle. Ok, the couch really probably should be recycled, but we are reusing it for now. It was cheap, nearby, and not falling apart. Those were our three requirements, so we got it. Here's a pic, to show you it's beauty.

Yes, those are little orange and green flowers all over it. It also feels as though someone wrapped cinder blocks and plywood with sandpaper. Eh, it was cheap and it will do. Nate actually likes it a lot. Corbin does too, as it's easy for him to climb on and chase the cats when they attempt to lay on the back. Please notice that in this picture Corb is wearing a cardigan and sweat pants. Nate commented on how he reminded him of his residents at the nursing home... cardigan (at that point it was mis-snapped), sweats, he mumbles, and poops his pants. Poor Nate, he just can't escape.

Ok, seriously, I've got to lay down. If you'd like to visit and see the couch in person, feel free to call. It would love to have a new person to give rugburn to.

Thank You

2008-11-22T06:03:00.000-08:00

This morning I was watching "Good Morning America". First of all, don't be concerned, I am still an avid "Today Show" viewer. GMA just happened to be on and I was too lazy to find the remote. Anyhow, they had a bit about giving thanks. Being as it is getting close to Thanksgiving and all, it seemed appropriate.

I try to give thanks often. I say a prayer of thanks every night as I rock Corbin to sleep. I thank God for my family, our health, our friends, our home, our food, our car, etc. The problem is, I'm not very open with my emotions any more. I don't tell people I love them as much as I should. I don't tell them how much I appreciate them. I don't thank them as often as they deserve. I hope my friends and family understand that although I may not say it often, I love each of them and thank God for allowing me to have them in my life.

However, this little bit on GMA was specifically about thanking someone who has made a difference in your life, but you have not thanked appropriately. I sat for a moment and thought, who would this be for me? My parents? Obviously they have done so much for me. They molded me into who I am today. They have taken me in, far too many times. They have helped financially, they've babysat Corbin, they've taken care of me my whole life and continue to do so. Of course I wouldn't be me without them. I do appreciate all they have given me, and I hope they know this.

Who else? My husband, of course. He has provided me with the security of knowing he will always be there for me. He has made me laugh harder than anyone ever has, and tries his hardest to make me see the positive in everything. He and I have made it through some difficult times, times that would've easily torn apart two people who loved each other less. He reminds me that love should be easy, not full of wondering and suspicions and distrust. He's my best friend and I am thankful for every morning I wake up next to him...even if he is snoring like a truck.

Anyhow, the person I finally settled on is a friend. I have a few close friends who have done so much for me, and I love them dearly. This friend, however, made a huge impact in my life. Her name is Chris, and she honestly changed my life.

I met Chris at Grand Valley, my sophomore year. We had an English class together (was it two?) and she started talking to me because she liked my coat (I've got to admit, it was a pretty kick ass coat. Bright blue. Vinyl. What more could you want?). We had a lot in common, Chris and I. We went to a lot of lunches, and talked a lot about boys, school, and friends. We both eventually moved back to the east side, and kept in contact. We saw each other occasionally, I met her now husband Brandon, we chatted on the phone. Chris has always made me laugh, and just sort of "got me" in a way not too many others have. It has been awesome having her as a friend, and I really miss seeing her as often as I used to.

But the biggest difference Chris has made in my life is introducing me to Nate. One day she tells me she has a guy she wants me to meet. He's Brandon's friend, lives 8 hours away, and he's engaged. Sounds perfect, right? Obviously, I brush off her suggestion the first, oh, million times. Then one day she tells me he's coming down to visit them, he's broken up with his fiance, and I AM going to go out with him. If you know me and my resistance to doing new things, you will understand how difficult it was to talk me into this. But, I relented and one afternoon all four of us went to TGIFridays and Chuck E. Cheese. The rest, as they say, is history.

So Chris, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for knowing what I wanted, even when I didn't. I want to thank you for pushing me to do something I was nervous about. I want to thank you for being a good friend all of these years, for understanding me and my weirdness, and for making me feel not weird at all. Without you and your insistence, I would not have met and married my best friend. Without you, I would not have my beautiful Corbin. Thank you for pushing me, as you've made my dreams come true.

In Our New Place and (mostly) Settled

2008-11-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

So here we are, somewhat set up in our new apartment, living in our new town, surrounded by our new neighbors. It's cold here, and snowy. There is still no Target. But, all in all, it's not that bad. We have a lot of family around, there is a Walmart (which is FAR nicer than the Muskegon Walmart!) to visit, our apartment is a good size and right in the middle of the town. It's right next to the stoplight. Yes, I said THE stoplight. Actually, there is one on the outskirts of town. That makes two. In the city. Yikes! Anyhow, I digress. It's not so bad. The best part is, Nate's working. That makes him feel better, it makes me feel better, and it makes life easier. He really (mostly) enjoys his job, and it sounds like his residents really enjoy having him there. It's nice for him to know that he's making a difference in their lives.
Corbin is happy to be around his daddy again, and is enjoying the new apartment. He even will hang out with Amy without crying or screaming at all. A major improvement, truly. Things are going well. We are doing well. Just cold. And missing Target. I hope you all are doing well too, and are enjoying Target for me. Just walk around the Dollar Spot a couple of times, tell me what it's like. Maybe take a couple pictures. Maybe just get a little jar and capture a bit of Target air for me. I'd appreciate it. Thanks. ;)

Cowboys and Candy and Mustaches, oh my!

2008-11-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

Happy November to all of you.
This should be a big month for us. Starting with, of course, the election. I have sent in my absentee ballot and am proud to have voted for Obama! I will be watching anxiously on Tuesday to see history take place.
Other things are happening this month as well. After much searching, calling, and recalling, Nate found (and rented) an apartment for us in Roscommon. He has some chutzpah, signing a lease for an apartment his wife hasn't even seen! ;) He sent some photos, and assures me that it's pretty big, in a good location, and most importantly, is a place for all three of us to live together as a family. We are excited to be back together again, three weeks apart is a long time! Corbin and I should (hopefully!) be moving up sometime early this week. Nate's dear, dear family have helped him move in almost everything already, as well as put away all of the dishes and clothes. Isn't that fantastic? I'm so grateful for them all. What an easy move this will be...for me, at least. :)
Corbin and I have been having a good time with my folks. There have been a lot of Halloween activities to attend, a lot of friends to say goodbye to, and a lot of Grandma and Granddad's things for Corbin to climb and/or destroy. We were able to spend a day with my Grandma, which I was so glad to be able to do. We went trick or treating at a farm, then a nature center, then a church parking lot.
Corbin wore almost all of the cowboy outfit my mom made him (we had to force him into the hat!) and mostly kept on his drawn-on mustache. He seemed to really like all of the trick or treating. The biggest night was Halloween itself, we went to a Trunk or Treat at a church. There were thousands of trick or treaters and 94 cars giving out candy. It was a lot of waiting in line, but Corbin and I enjoyed watching all of the kids... except for when they were pushing into us and hanging on Corbin's wagon. Dang kids. Get off my lawn!!
Anyhow, here are a few Halloween pictures for you all to enjoy. I'll update you all once we get up to our new place and get settled. Till then, here's Corbin eating some pumpkin.

Gettin' Down

2008-10-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hi ya'll.

Corbin and I are still at my parents' house, living it up here in Holland. We've been having a pretty good time, and have had lots to do. Yesterday we went to the Book Nibblers group for children 2 and under, at the Herrick Library. There were about 12 kids there, with their parents/caregivers, and us. We all sat in a circle and listened to a lovely librarian read a book, do finger plays, and play a song. I had my shy little Corbin sitting in my lap, staring at all of the new people and quietly wondering where the hell we were. All of a sudden my quiet, shy, momma-centered baby boy stood up, walked himself into the middle of the circle, and started to dance. Not just any dance, he was doing his patented Corbin-Squat dance. Squat down, point forward. There wasn't even any music on, just a somewhat wild eyed librarian reading silly finger plays. Yet, Corbin danced. He danced and danced and stood and stared, throughout the entire circle time. He also looked around to make sure everyone was watching him and enjoying his new skillz. They were, but really, how could they not?
Here is a video of Corbin doing the Corbin-Squat in my parents' living room, rocking out to one of his favorites, "Jungle Love". It ends with him attacking the TV and then my dad's slippers. All in a day's work.

Please, don't steal the kid's moves. I know it's tempting, but they are patented.

Corbin has also been putting away his toys at night (when I tell him to pick up each individual toy and put it in his toybox) and he's been grabbing my hand and taking me to the stairway when he wants to go to bed. How weird is that? Crazy kid. Just can't help but love him to pieces.

While we are here at Grandma and Granddad's we have had a lot of plans. We've already been to the Playhouse twice, the library, and on a hay ride. We are also going on a Halloween walk, to a Halloween festival, and then trick or treating at a Trunk or Treat thing at a church nearby. Corbin is having a great time. Here are a couple of pics of us at the orchard we visited (where the hay ride was). The first pumpkin one was from last year, same place. Oh how we've changed! The last two are Corbin playing at the park in our new hometown. That should fulfill your cuteness quotient for the day, so I am off to bed. I'll try to be back sooner, rather than later.

Ch-ch-ch-chaaaaanges

2008-10-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

So did my last post confuse any of you? I didn't mean to worry you, I honestly just didn't have enough information to share. Now I do, so I will tell you all what is happening.

So today we moved out of our house. Wait, let me start at the beginning....

Last weekend we went up to Roscommon to visit Nate's family and bring Leroy up to Amy's house. He is staying with her now, as are Max and Elton. We couldn't imagine him living in an apartment, and had a heck of a time finding one that would allow Pits. He was also starting to get a little too strong for Corbin, as Corbin would just run at him with his mouth open for kisses, and stand right next to him, letting Leroy's tail whack him in the face over and over. Anyhow, so the offer was made to Amy a while ago, she wanted him, and this weekend was the weekend.

While we were up there, Nate was going to apply to two nursing homes that his cousin works at. They were both hiring CNAs, so we knew he had a good chance of getting a job. He was offered both jobs, and decided on the one in Roscommon. The rent is cheaper there, it's right near his family, so Roscommon it is.

I should mention, Roscommon is a teeny tiny little town just north of Houghton Lake and south of Grayling. It's kinda in the middle of the state. If you'd like a map, please visit Nate's page. He's even color coordinated it. :) It's a different type of town than I've ever lived in, or wanted to live in. There is no Meijer, or *gasp* Target. I've been told I can somehow survive without a Target, although I doubt it. We'll see. There is a little grocery store, gas station, and McDonald's. 15 minutes away there is a Walmart and a pet store (thank goodness!). There are a lot of trees. A lot of hunters, a lot of snowmobilers, a lot of things that I'm not very familiar with. It will be different, it will be weird, it will be hard to get used to. But, I'm sure it will be fine and our little family will be happy there.

So, Nate was offered the job and was asked to come in for orientation this Wednesday. We need some time to find something to rent, so for the time Nate is staying with his sister and Corbin and I are staying with my parents. Hopefully it will only be for a few weeks, as I miss him already.

So, that's the story. We will be moving/have moved/are in the process of moving to someplace that is pretty far away. I am happy/scared/nervous/upset/worried/excited about this. Please continue to send good thoughts as I spend weeks upon weeks with my parents and eventually must learn to live with no Target. Thank you. :)

Haircut Day!!!

2008-10-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

As things in my life are a little crazy and out of sorts right now, I have not blogged. Once I know what is actually going on, I'll write about it. For now we will focus on the cuteness that is my child.

Today was Corbin's first hair cut. It was getting long and a little ridiculous looking. The cute baby curls were starting to straighten out and become an obvious baby mullet. Not exactly the look we were going for. So today we went to our local kid's hair cut place and actually had a pretty good experience. They have chairs that are made out of Powerwheel cars, mounted TVs with a huge selection of movies, a puppet theater, bright colors and fun stylists. We were the only clients, so both of the ladies were all about Corbin. They popped in a Wiggles video, let him play with a Thomas train, and told him how adorable he was. Perfect. He sat still through most of it, although got downright angry when they brought out the clippers. All in all, we were pretty darn proud of him. We were staring at him all day, and couldn't get over how big he looks now. He was wearing his Superman hat for a while this afternoon, and I swear, he looked like a three year old. Crazy. Anyhow, here's the required pictures...

Before...

During...

After...

On a side note, please send us good thoughts if you get a second. If you are the praying type, we could use a couple. We are at a bit of a crossroads when it comes to the job/location/schooling situation and need any guidance we can get. We need to figure something out, and that something needs to be perfect for us. So any prayers you've got, we'll take. :) Thanks!

Oopsie Daisy

2008-09-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

I put the wrong video link in the last post. This is the right one, it's much funnier.

I just spent three hours trying to make a photobook on Shutterfly. I received a free photobook offer that expired today, so I was trying my darnedest to get the thing done. Three hours later and I only have five pages. I figured I'd check and make sure it was accepting my free code, and wouldn't you know, it wasn't. Thank goodness I checked before I finished the damn thing at 3am. So no free photobook for me. Too bad, those things make me feel less guilty about not scrapbooking.
I did enjoy looking through all of Corbin's old photos. It's funny how many we have at the very beginning, and they slowly start dwindling down. I thought that only happened with the second kid?

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo...

2008-09-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

How about you, you, you? It's a song on our Little People tape. That's right, it's the Little People. On TAPE! It's perfectly acceptable to be jealous, don't worry.

So my parents took Corbin and I to the John Ball Zoo on Monday. It's their off season so it was cheaper, and they did have a few exhibits closed, but all in all it was a good time. We met my friend Gina and her daughter Gabriella there as well. Corbin was far more interested in Gabriella than any of the animals, as you can see in the following photos...

Poor Gabriella was not quite as interested in him, but man, Corbin was really trying all his best moves. You can see in the first photo, he is simply trying some small talk, just to get a conversation initiated. Gabriella seems more interested in initiating some action from her sippy cup. In the second shot there, Corbin is trying out some of his best lines. Moving in a little closer, a little stroller touching, and if you look close you can see that he is actually attempting a little hair stroke/grab/pull. Very nonchalant, I've taught him well. He then tried to impress her with some hard core Frog knowledge, as you can see from this video. (Sorry I couldn't post it directly, it's stuck in my photobucket account). Poor Corbin never got a straight answer from Gabby, but hopefully she'll be thinking about him in his absence and the next time we all get together, she will share her sippy with him. For now I've let him watch extra Wiggles videos to soothe his broken heart. Oh, and he found a new little lady at the playhouse this morning, so I think he's going to be okay. That's my boy.

Couple of gratuitous pics, just cause you love them.

Later, Gators. :)

Repost from Corbin's First

2008-09-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

I wrote this right before Corbin's first birthday on Myspace...just wanted to move it over because it gives me a little 'awwwww' moment anytime I read it. I just love my little guy.

This Thursday my baby boy turns the big 0-1.

It's hard to believe it's been one year since I was sweating my ass off, pregnant in the July heat. One year since I swallowed Castor Oil in hopes of getting this kid outta me before he got any bigger. One year since I found out I would have to have a c-section, and I cried and cried. One year since the nurse held this little, squished, wrapped up baby up to my face so I could see who this little person was that I would love for the rest of my life.
In one year Corbin went from a little, squishy, arms flailing, colicy, soft, good smelling newborn to a strong, smart, determined, adorable, almost walking little boy. In one year I went from a totally clueless mom who had barely changed a diaper, to a slightly less clueless mom who has many diaper changes under her belt.
Things have changed. We have less money, less free time, less sleep, less room. But we have more of everything that is important. I go back and forth between not being able to believe Corbin is one, to not being able to believe that only a year ago, I didn't even know this little person who is now so important to me. I can't remember what my life was like without having to worry about his bedtime, or his crusty nose, or his carseat. I can't remember (and don't want to!) what life was like without drooly kisses and sweet baby smiles.
When Corbin was a day old, Nate came back home to spend the night. I was at the hospital all alone, and had Corbin in my room with me for as long as I could handle (I couldn't walk well or bend over, because of the c-section). That night I sat in that hospital bed, cradling Corb and just talking to him. I told him I was his mom, and I would always love him, no matter what. I told him about his home, his dad, his family, his dog. I told him that I would always take care of him, and how blessed I was to have him finally here. He was actually awake and had his big blue eyes open and staring right at me; he knew who I was, I didn't have to tell him. That was one of the very greatest moments of my life; and with all of the chaos of the c-section, the pain, the difficulty breastfeeding, the lack of sleep...THAT is the night I will remember for the rest of my life.
That is the night I met my son.

Then

Now

Happy Birthday Baby Boy. Your Momma loves you, forever.

Another Caturday, Another Cat

2008-09-20T19:20:00.001-07:00

Man, those things make me laugh. Anyhow, it's Saturday night, Nate is talking to his mother on the phone, Corbin is sleeping, and I'm about to watch "Ace of Cakes". Pretty par for the course here. Not too much to report on... I'm itchy, we have a house showing on Monday, Corbin and I are off to visit my parents for a few days. There's not always a lot to do there, but at least it's a different room to stare at, a different Meijer to go to, and a different TV to watch. Corbin has some different toys to play with, different books to read, different cupboards/drawers/outlets/boxes to get into. That's all we can ask for, these days.

Corbin was a real bear tonight. He did not take a nap all day. Not even a tiny one, nothing. He actually fell asleep in his high chair, for the first time ever. Poor thing was just bobbing and weaving all over his pizza and frozen peas. I put him to bed right from there, and the screaming began. Little guy was so overtired, it took an hour to get him to sleep. Poor little monster. Hopefully he'll at least sleep a while tonight...Mommy and Daddy always love that!
Anyhow, here's a quick video of Corb falling asleep in the highchair...

While I'm at it, I'll throw in a few more shots and videos. I know the grandmas love the videos and pics, the rest of you can just deal. I'm a first time mom, I take a lot of pictures. :P

So, how redneck is this kid? He's got a black eye, big old Cletus teeth, he's climbing our big old recliner, wearing nothing but a diaper and a Simba shirt. Oh, and he's got impetigo. Nice, right?

Like father, like son...watching a little Yo Gabba Gabba

Playing in the park. Apparently Rachel loves Cody, isn't that sweet?

Isn't he just the sweetest thing?

And finally, here are a couple of bathtime videos. Really, Andrea will be the only one interested in these, probably. :) It's mostly just her son acting like a goofball.
Nate usually gives Corbin his baths, and has given all of the bathtoys names, voices, and personalities. I love listening to them laughing and goofing around in there, so I took a little video.

Oops, I'm going to have to add the videos later, as blogger is going crazy right now. Keep your eyes peeled!

Poor little bug...

2008-09-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

So Corbin had a bit of a rough time yesterday. He managed to wipe out and knock his head on the couch and five minutes later pull the chair down on his eye. Whoops! Poor little fella, the chair gave him his first shiner, and a good sized scratch under his eye. He took a nap afterwards and once he woke up he didn't even seem to notice. Man, these kids bounce back quickly! Anyhow, here's a couple of pics of his boo-boos. My poor bug!!!

Superman Ice Cream

2008-09-13T05:49:00.001-07:00

It has recently come to my attention that Superman Ice Cream, that childhood favorite, is not available in most areas of the US. Being raised in Michigan, Superman ice cream was a part of my earliest ice cream memories. That creamy red, yellow and blue melting together into a weird purpley-brown color at the bottom of the bowl, that strange fruity flavor that you just can't put your finger on, the stained tongue, shirt and hands.... now that's childhood!

After talking to a friend who was not at all familiar with Superman Ice Cream, I decided to do a little research. This is some of the information I've come across..

Apparently Superman ice cream, although common in Michigan, is difficult or impossible to find in many parts of the US. Many comments I have read regarding this particular flavor have said that they used to eat it when growing up in Michigan, and/or they will get Superman every time they visit Michigan or the surrounding areas.

Although some other parts of the country do sell Superman ice cream, it is often simply vanilla flavor, with blue, red and yellow coloring added in (truly, an abomination!). True Superman ice cream, the stuff that is usually sold in or near MI, has a fruity flavor. Some places are more lemon, some are more of a fruit punch. The most common is a slight fruit flavor, rather than a really strong "sherbet" type flavor.

The easiest place to find Superman ice cream is in an ice cream shop, serving hard, hand scooped ice cream. Only a few dairies sell Superman in half gallon or gallon containers. Lucky for me one of them, Hudsonville Dairy, is quite nearby and their Superman flavor (Superscoop) is available at our local grocery stores.

Honestly, I can't imagine raising a child in a world without Superman Ice Cream. For those of you attempting this feat, I wish you luck and pity your children.

Yum :)

A list

2008-09-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

I love lists. I love to write them, I love to cross things off of them, I love to leave them laying around and find them later and realize I've almost done everything on it and then write a new list with the things I have left. I add things onto my list that I've already done, just so I have something to cross off. My lists are rarely completed, but I will move on to new lists, just so I can write them. Anyhow, today's update will be in list form for the enjoyment of your's truly.

1. Have you seen the "Yo Gabba Gabba"? It's a show on Noggin and Nick Jr., made for little guys. It is freaking awesome. It's the only show Corbin will actually pay attention to, and it's crazy weird. They are these people dressed in monster like costumes, they sing little catchy songs and dance. They are all "owned" by a dude called DJ Lance Rock who wears a orange jumpsuit and furry hat. They are insane. We love them. Nate and I sing their songs all. the. time. Here's a picture so you can see the craziness. DJ Lance is in the middle.

Look them up on You Tube. You will enjoy them, methinks.

2. I've always sworn I would not add any apps on my Myspace account. Today I broke that promise. I just can't turn down stickers, regardless of how virtual they might be.

3. Corbin fell asleep tonight on his own, after only a little rocking and barely any sippy milk. Such a big boy.

4. We have a showing of the house tomorrow. We will be cleaning tomorrow morning. Yes, these things are related.

5. Nate actually worked today, thank goodness. I hope this job works out like we are hoping. Please send good thoughts.

6. Do you enjoy my lolcats? Perhaps you would also enjoy some political lolz. http://punditkitchen.com/ Funny, funny. My favorites are making fun of Palin, but I'll take the ones that make Obama look awesome as well. ;)

7. Corbin was such a nerd today. I took a little video, especially for any of your reading who might not see him often. He's just so much fun to watch when he's just hanging out, I wanted you to be able to see him too. He shows off a couple of his "tricks" in this one....

That's it for the list today. I'm exhausted and have to get up early to clean (you may notice my brand new laundry mountain in this video :P). Off to bed for me...

When it rains...

2008-09-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

...it pours. Or so it seems in the Starr household.

So, today was Nate's first day of training at his new job. Awesome! He's up, has directions, is dressed in his scrubs, runs out the door.... the car won't start. Of course. Turns out, the starter needed to be replaced. My wonderful, generous parents had to come out here and help us out. A few hundred dollars and a few hours later, it's running again, good as new. Why the car picked today, of all days, to crap out on us, we'll never know. Sometimes I think everything (including our vehicles) is out to get us. If it weren't for bad luck, we'd have none at all. I blame Nate for the luck.

In other news, we took Corbin to the doctor's today to look at some weird spots he had. Turns out he has impetigo, so we had to start him on an antibiotic. Gross, but he took the meds like a champ and hopefully it will go away soon.

That child continues to amaze me daily. Yesterday I decided it was time to try to switch Corbin off of bottles for good and only use sippy cups. He was only taking a bottle at naptime and bedtime, but he was pretty hard core about those ba-bas. Last night I gave him a sippy instead of the bottle. He wasn't a fan, but drank some and sat and rocked with me. I put him to bed awake (like always) and he cried for only a little while. Tonight we did the same thing and that child went to bed awake, laid down, and fell asleep. He did not cry at all! Not even one second. What a big boy!! I can't even believe how good he was. He is also starting to talk, a little. He says Da-Da and actually knows what it means. I think he also is saying "tit eee" for kitty and "waaasat" for what's that? I may be reading a little too much into his babbles, but mothers are allowed to do that kind of thing.

He's getting too big, too fast. Today he's done with bottles, tomorrow he's in a big boy bed, talking, going to school, moving out, getting married, having his own babies, and then putting me in a nursing home and not visiting. :( I may be getting a little ahead of myself, but lately I'm realizing how quickly he has grown. I tried to appreciate every second, but it seems I've turned around and I have a little boy on my hands.

Here's a picture of the big boy (wearing a leather jacket from a Build A Bear) looking delightfully redneck.

Oh, and at the doctor's today he was 27 lbs. and 32 inches. What happened to my tiny (well, tiny is relative...) little 10 and a half pound newborn? Where did he go??

Too big, too fast. Enough with the growing already, child!!

Good Day, All Around

2008-09-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

Oh man, it was a pretty good day.

First of all, we went to Target. Nate and I lurve looking at Halloween deco, costumes, etc. We rarely buy anything, but love looking. Oh, Nate is a big fan of looking at the Halloween candy too (surprised? didn't think so). Anyhow, Nate has been freaking out waiting for the stores to put out the Halloween stuff (yeah, we start a little early). Our Target has finally started putting out some stuff, including all of their signage. This is a picture of their main display....

THAT, my friends, is a Domo Kun. I love him. You don't see much Domo stuff around, except online and at Hot Topic. I like to imagine I started a trend, although it is far from the truth. Anyhow, Target has this giant stuffed Domo hanging, with a ton of awesome Domo signs all around. You must go see. They also have little stuffed Domos, Domo candy, all sorts of stuff. It's awesome. I wanted to just stand there and laugh at it all. He's too freaking cute.

Number two fantastic thing of the day...
We had fun with Corb today. Nate chased him around and he laughed and laughed. He had his bath, lotion, pjs, bottle and book like every other night. We've gotten him to fall asleep on his own, after a year of nursing him to sleep every. single. night. He cries for a little bit every night, but it's getting to be less and less. Anyhow, tonight I take him into bed and lay him down, still awake, not crying. I tell him goodnight and walk out of the room. He doesn't cry. I sit down to fold laundry. He still isn't crying. That kid fell asleep, all on his own, without even crying. I cannot believe it!! This may be the only time in his entire life that he does it, but still, I'm excited.

Oh yeah, the third good thing from today.... Nate got a job!!!!!!!! He went in to fill out his new hire paperwork today and starts training on Monday. It's a CNA job as a Home Health Nurse thingy? I don't totally get it, even though he's explained it a million times. :P Regardless, he will be working doing something interesting, something that he can learn a lot from, and something that will give him an actual paycheck at the end of the week. Thank God.

So yes, pretty good day, all things considered. :)

Cookie Monster

2008-09-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

2 more quick Corb stories...

So Corbin has never been much of a dancer. He will clap if we clap, but never does the bouncy knees, swaying, baby dancing bit. Apparently we've just been playing the wrong type of music. Here's Nate introducing him to Tupac and Dre with a little California Love. (excuse the mess, his toybox is blocking him from the cable box and the laundry is waiting to be folded on the chair :P)

Then later today Nate and I are sitting in the living room talking. Corbin is running about, getting into things and otherwise causing havoc, as usual. He has figured out how to push one of the kitchen chairs out of the way and gets into the cupboard where the plastic bags are, pulls them all out and drags them around the house. Whatever, we've given up on it (don't worry, we do watch to make sure he doesn't suffocate on them or what have you). So we hear him rustling around and are waiting to see him come running into the living room, with Meijer and Walmart bags blowing in his wake. He doesn't come. I go in to investigate.

This is what I found...

Yes, those are cookies. Chocolate Chip cookies, to be precise. He was just sitting there quietly, chowing down on some cookie goodness. He managed to push aside the high chair, open up the bread drawer, pull out the cookies and eat four of them. Four! What a monster. This is why I like to keep him in his cage...

Anniversaries and Car Keys

2008-09-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

See, I told you I'm not very good at keeping up with blogs. Eh, I'll recap.

Yesterday Nate and I had our three year anniversary. We've been through some crap together in that short amount of time, but we've never let it affect us or our marriage. He makes me a better person, makes me laugh every day, gives the best hugs and is a fantastic dad to our little man. I never forget how lucky I am to spend every day with my best friend.

We celebrated by going grocery shopping, eating cheap steaks and watching America's Got Talent. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Nate's mom was sweet enough to send us some money to go out to dinner, and my parents got us movie tickets, so this weekend we went to see Hamlet 2 and had our celebratory Pizza Hut dinner. My parents watched Corbin for us, and a good time was had by all.

So yesterday, during aforementioned grocery shopping trip, Corbin was being his typical fussy self. His favorite thing to do while shopping is to turn himself almost completely around in the kid seat part of the cart, reach his skinny long ass Larsen arm into the back of the cart, and grab whatever item he can. Then he brings said item into the front part of the cart and begins to chew it apart. We've actually had cashiers apologize for the chewed up boxes we are purchasing, until we explain that our little monster is the one eating them.

Anyhow, he's getting super antsy so I take him out to the car while Nate checks out. I stick him in his car seat without buckling him, so he can move around while we wait. I'm standing next to him outside of the car, he crawls out of the car seat and into the rest of the van. Whatever, I'll just go around to the other side and get in, so I can keep him from eating whatever random garbage he will find in there.

Um, the other doors are all locked. I don't have the keys. And I can't reach the unlock button from the one open door. That little stinker was crawling all over in there, getting into everything he knew he wasn't supposed to, until Nate finally finished and came out with the keys. Just in time too, as Corbin had just picked up a battery he found God knows where. What a little monster.

Caturday!

2008-08-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

O, hai!

As my brand new loyal reader, you will undoubtedly find that I have a great and undying love for all things lol. lolcats, loldogs, they make me laugh and type in funny ways. If you do not know what lolcats are, please do yourself a favor and visit http://icanhascheezburger.com. If you find them annoying and don't get why they spell things funny, don't bring it up to me. Kthxbai. Saturdays are Caturdays, and one must post many lolcats to satisfy the lolgods. So here are some for you all, I'm just doing my part.

C'mon now, you can't tell me this isn't funny!

Number one...

2008-08-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

So, this is my first post here, in my lovely new blog. I figured I should move onto a grown-up blogging site, rather than just writing on Myspace like a thirteen year old. Also, it was the peer pressure. I may not be all that consistent with my posts, as if they are anything like my diary entries were as a child I will have two weeks of writing everyday and then another post in four years saying "Hi, it's been four years. Things are good." and that's it. So don't expect too much from me.

Things here are good. Well, for the most part. Actually, things are a little up in the air, but nothing we can't handle. Nate and I are looking for work, trying to move, living with bats (seriously, bats! can you even imagine?!?!) and spending a lot of time with each other and little man. It's good, although under crappy circumstances. We're hoping this unemployment crap isn't a annual summer thing.

Today we went to the park, walked along the water and played on the playground. It's a great little park and although we've lived here for two years, we've never even drove through it. Way to discover awesome stuff as we are about to move away. I will leave you with some pictures, as the little guy has woken up and I assume would like me to remove him from the crib.

Sorry they are a little screwy...I'm new to this. I promise the next time will be better. Probably.