Chapter 1. Remember us?

Not sure how many chapters it would take to get caught up on all that has been going on around here. The busier we are, the more we have to blog about, the less time there is for blogging! The unfortunate result is that you haven't heard from us in way too long. :( So, in an effort to let everyone know that yes, we are alive and well, I'll include a brief synopsis of the summer along with some pictures. HOPEFULLY, there will be more posts to follow with more detail about trips and other events from the summer...there is always hope!

I (Peg) have been back to work (part-time) since the beginning of June. True to the nature of the business there have been times when I've been not so busy and times that I have been really busy. Somewhere in there, we also moved offices, from our temporary location to a more permanent home. The new office is really nice since we had everything to do with designing it the way we wanted and everything is well...new! I'm still enjoying the actual work, though during those busy times it does get to be a lot.

I've been spending a lot of time in the garden as well. The start of the summer was pretty rough with all the rain. We ended up replanting all of the green beans. Then we had a very hot, dry spell in July. Overall, I think we've weathered everything okay. We ate a lot of zucchini and cucumbers for awhile and now we're into tomatoes and green beans. It is a lot of work, but so good for the soul.

Jon has been keeping busy with yard work and maintaining the pool. It takes a lot of effort, but the kids sure do love it. There was that dry spell when he didn't have to mow the lawn for a couple of weeks. I'm sure he'd admit that he didn't mind, even though the grass was brown. He is still really enjoying his work at GM and was just awarded his first patent. And, it was for something that is actually being used in production! We were all very proud. Now he is getting ready to start his grad program again this fall. More late nights studying!

Marie continues to be a big help around the house, even when Joey would rather her not be. :) She had really taken off with her reading. It seems like it just clicked for her overnight. She had a great time at Vacation Bible School at our parish, which was a good warm up for school. She will be starting kindergarten in just a week! So far, it has been both fun and not so fun. The fun part has been getting school supplies, getting and trying on her uniform, getting to have play dates with her future classmates, etc. The not so fun part has been having to go to bed earlier and get up earlier. We have been gradually making that change and let's be honest, it is sometimes painful for all of us. But, it has to be done! It sure will be a change to have her at school every day.

Joey is turning into a big boy. He still has his 2-year old moments and can somehow find a way to narrowly escape serious injury (like when he pulled my almost 5' dresser and all of its contents over on top of himself...that will teach me to leave the room for 5 seconds). He likes to be doing whatever Marie is doing and has been doing a great job recognizing all his shapes and colors. He is even doing basic math ("Joey, if you have 3 bites of chicken left and you eat 1, how many will you have?"). He will surely miss Marie when she goes to school. We have been making some progress in the potty training arena. He is getting pretty good at letting us know and successfully going #2 on the pot. He is still not to interested in stopping what he is doing to go potty though. At least we're making progress.

Stevie is changing so fast...almost six months old already! He has been healthy and other than the last week or so (we think that teeth might be the culprit) he has actually turned into a pretty good sleeper. He is going to be just as active, if not more active than Joey. He rolls and scoots himself around the floor and gets up on all fours trying with all his might to get to whatever toy or colorful object he has his sights on. He can't quite figure out how to get his arms and legs coordinated so that he can really cover ground, but he is close. Then we'll really have to watch out. He has had a couple of check-ups this summer and all is fine. We still get the "You sure grow them big!" comment from the doctor, but we're used to that. He's big overall...most recently about 95th percentile for height and 85th percentile for weight. Compared to his siblings, he's somewhere in the middle, a bit bigger than Marie but smaller than Joey. We are going to be starting solid foods here very soon...fun, fun!

So, that is a brief update on us all. I'll include a few pictures and stories from the summer. Hopefully, you'll hear from me again soon to give you the update on our shut-down week road trip to visit the Speckhards, Shibata's, and Meinhart's, birthday parties and baptisms, our fun-filled weekend in Pittsburgh, lots of out-of-town visitors, and general summer fun...just to wet your appetite!



Marie: Joey, when you are seven your baby teeth will fall out. And then your big teeth will fall right in!

Marie dances and bops around the living room in her normal energetic fashion.
Itaxso inquires: Where do you find so much energy?
Marie: I just ate a lot of food.

Jon comes home from work and checks in with Joey on the status of his potty training efforts for the day
Joey, waking up from his nap.
Jon: Did you go stinky on the pot today?
Joey: I went potty on the pot.
Jon (in a disappointed tone): Oh. Did you go stinky in your diaper?
Joey: I hope so.


Joey: Dis-ter, do you love me?
Marie: Yeah.
Joey: Why?

Peg and Joey drop off Marie at Atrium and head to chapel at Domino’s Farm to go to a daily mass. The priest consumes the precious Body & Blood.
Joey whispers: He’s hungry!

Peg & Jon are talking...
With a very urgent tone Joey interrupts: Mom! Mom! Excuse me, Mom!
Peg: Yes, Joey!
Joey pauses: I can’t remember.

Overflowing with excitement from looking at the macaroni noodles on his plate Joey states: These are eyebrow noodles! I love them.

Marie: Mom! I just had a burp...and it tasted like Goldfish!

Joey climbs up to a precarious position on the side of Stevie’s pack-and-play.
Jon: Joey let go of that or you will fall.
Marie: And down will come Joey, cradle and all.



Joey talking to Grandma Shibata on the phone about packing and coming to visit when the baby comes.
Grandma: What do you think I should I bring when I come?
Joey: A present for ME!

Marie is talking to Peg while she is still very pregnant.
Marie: Mom? Does drinking Crystal Light always make you pregnant?

Joey, finishing his supper, very slowly.
Joey: I have a stomachache.
Jon: Well, I guess no dessert then.
A couple of minutes pass and Grandpa Meinhart asks:: Is your stomach better?
Joey: No, no yet.
Grandpa Meinhart: What do you think will make it better?
Joey: Uh. Just some milk... and a cookie.

Peg sighs as she is making dinner.
Marie: Mom? Are you getting tired of having three kids?

Joey has been making some progress in the potty training arena. Marie has been doing her best to encourage him. Jon and Joey return from the bathroom and come back into the kitchen where Marie is in the process of eating her dinner.
Marie (excitedly): Any news?!?
Jon: Yep. Joey went potty.
Marie: Good job! Don’t quit!






Joey: My tummy aches.
Peg: It does?
Joey: Yeah. Some goldfish would make it better.
Thinking he might actually be hungry, Peg reluctantly gives him some goldfish.
Joey downs some goldfish, brightens up and says: It’s good! I’m all better!

During the Knights of Columbus tootsie roll drive, Peg brought a couple home from the store. Quizzing Joey to see if he remembered what she had told him Peg asks: Joey, what are you eating?
Joey: A 2-year-old...candy.

Joey is drawing a picture and Peg overhears him talking to himself.
Joey: J-O-E-Y.
Peg: Hmmm. What does that spell?
Joey: Dad!

Peg and the kids are driving home from the park.
Marie: Mom? Can I have some pretzels?
Peg: We don’t have any. We’ll have to wait until we get home.
Marie (starting to whine): Why don’t we have any pretzels?
Joey: When we get home sweetheart.

After several weeks of watching Marie increase her speed at assembling a puzzle of the United States Jon is impressed at how well she can fit the pieces into the frame.
Jon: You sure love that puzzle, don’t you?
Maire: Yep! I can’t stop loving it!

We are nearing the end of our week long vacation. We started with three days with the Speckhard clan and were ending by spending a few days at Grandma and Grandpa Meinhart’s house.
Marie: Grandma before we leave tomorrow can you make all of my wishes come true?

Marie is talking on the phone with Grandma Shibata who is explaining how she had been sorting through some old toys still stored in their house.
Grandma Shibata: Grandpa and I have been playing with Legos... Can you believe that?
Marie (thoughtfully): Huh. I thought old people just rested and knitted.

Peg and Karen Mitzel enjoyed a fun shopping trip to the Outlets in Howell, small babies in tow. Meanwhile, Jon, Tim, and the rest of the kids (five in all) stayed back at the house to swim and hang out. As the Mitzels were leaving later that night...
Marie: Mom! I’m amazed that two dads could take care of so many kids!

Days at home with my kids...

To bring everyone up to speed, we have been keeping pretty busy as of late. Jon had a very busy week last week with various projects and a presentation at work and a project and mid-term exam for his class. And those are just the things that I know about. I've also finished tying things up for work...and am more than ready to take a good three months off. We have also been preparing for the arrival of our new little one. The delivery date is set for this Thursday. I'll be just past 39 weeks, so the doctor doesn't want to wait any longer. Some docs wouldn't have let me go this far along. Everything is looking good and the baby seems to be thriving. Hopefully he'll also cooperate and it will be a quick labor as well.

Somewhere in there, we also squeezed in a birthday party for our goddaughter Rosie. Marie had been talking about it all week and then the day finally arrived. We even got to meet Rosie's new little brother, Leo, just two weeks old! It was a great party and by the time we were headed home we were all pretty tired.

Who needs presents when you can play with bubble wrap??

To completely change subjects, as some of you might have gathered, one of the aspects of our bedtime routine is to share things that make us thankful. Joey's response almost inevitably includes sunny days and cars. Marie tends to look around the living room and respond with whatever her eyes happen to land upon...walls, windows, chairs, and of course the many toys that are (not so neatly) put away. One of the things that I occasionally share is that I'm thankful for "days at home with my kids." (Though I have to admit that sometimes after a long or challenging day at home, this is my own reminder that I am and should be truly thankful.)

This past month, we have spent a good amount of time at home. We definitely haven't been traveling and unless there was something that we needed to go out for, I haven't been ultra-excited about bundling the kids up, packing the car, and heading out in the snow while 8 months pregnant. I've reflected on this for the last couple of weeks and even though we've still had our challenging times, I've really enjoyed spending days at home with Marie and Joey. Perhaps a part of it is due to the fact that I know those days are numbered. I know I will be spending quite a few days at home with my kids in the next few weeks, but it won't be with just Marie and Joey.

Perhaps it is just the pregnancy hormones making their presence known, but there is something bittersweet about getting ready for a new baby. We are SO excited to meet the newest member of our family, to see who he looks like, and to welcome him into our home. But, at the same time, I'm saying farewell to the "days at home with my kids" as I know it. Marie and Joey will have to adjust to less attention, an exhausted and likely distracted mom, and altered schedules and routines. I'm sure they will be fine and that in a few weeks we won't even be able to image how our lives were before baby brother. But, appease me for just a while longer while I reflect upon those "days at home with my kids."






Joey: "Dis-ter. Do you love me?"
Marie: "Yeah."
Joey: "Why?"

Joey and I sometimes go to Mass while Marie is at Atrium. Right before communion, while the priest is partaking of the Precious Body and Blood, Joey turns and whispers, "He's hungry!"





While talking about St. Valentine and how while he was in jail...
Marie: "What's jail?"
Peg: "It's a place where sometimes people have to go even if they don't want to and they can't get out."
The story goes on about how children visited St. Valentine and brought him food.
Marie: "How did she get out?"



Peg and Jon are talking.
Joey (interrupting very urgently): "Mom! Mom! Excuse me, Mom!"
Peg: "Yes, Joey."
Joey (pauses): "...I can't remember."

Joey was talking to Grandma Shibata about coming to visit when the baby comes.
Grandma: "What should I bring when I come?"
Joey: "A present for ME!"

Marie: "Mom? Does drinking Crystal Light always make you pregnant?"


Here's to you, Marie and Joey. Thank you for being such great kids, for bringing me such laughter and joy, and for all those "days at home with my kids."

The stuff we've been up to...

I can't say that we've been up to all that much...but we must have been doing something. Hmm...let's see...

The kids always enjoy being outside and especially going for "walks." There is a small (~1/4 mile) pathway around the homes in our little neighborhood where we can walk and ride bikes. There are a couple of sections that are pretty steep and Marie is still tentative, but otherwise it is just right for her. As soon as we start heading to the end of our driveway, Joey runs off toward the path...a bit of a problem considering you have to walk on the street a bit to get there. Joey's other favorite thing to do is to stop and wave at all our neighbors' dogs who are invariably outside barking at us.

So much for Joey getting some exercise...

Jon and Uncle Mark were also able to assemble and erect the new basketball hoop. It is still a little tall for the kids, but not too tall that they can't make a high percentage shot with a little bit of help from mom or dad.



Our play structure is also a favorite place to be when we're outside. Both the kids love the swings. Joey can climb the ladder to the slide by himself...though we always make sure to be right beside him. Marie has been pretending a lot. The upper level has become her little house lately. The other day, she was grilling hot dogs up there for me. When I asked if we could have some vegetables with them, she graciously offered me some leftover asparagus. (Asparagus is the one thing she insists that she doesn't like.)


Marie has also been doing a lot of pretending in the house. Here is "Firefighter Marie" at the firehouse waiting to get a call for help. I'm not sure why she needs to type while she is waiting for the call. Maybe she is the 911 operator as well. When a call for help (made by mom or dad) does come in, she politely asks if we can wait until she gets on her fire gear.

Obviously, the Lego bin is her fire hat and the large ball is what holds the water for the fire. The small teapot is...just in case she gets thirsty. She "spits" out the fire and then heads back to the firehouse, ready for the next call for help.


On Saturday, we spent almost the whole day outside. Thanks to Uncle Mark who let us borrow his pickup truck so that we could haul three loads of mulch back to the house. It seemed like we just kept remembering other areas that needed it! Of course both Marie and Joey were a big help. We almost finished all of the landscaping, just a couple more small sections. Needless to say, we are very glad that this is an occasional job.



Other than that, Jon has been spending a lot of time in the garage after the kids go to bed. Since he got the Camaro, his goal has been to make the Blazer driveable so that he can sell it cheap or give it away. The more he works on it, the more he finds to fix, the more he is really glad he got the Camaro when he did. He has fixed a power steering fluid leak, replaced almost all the brake lines, and has just uncovered that he needs to replace the fuel lines as well. He enjoys it so much, that I'm not sure he's really that disappointed...

I've still been working more than I'd like. It is going okay, but I definitely don't want to be working this many hours when the summer really hits. I'd rather be gardening, having play dates, heading to local orchards and generally being outside. I also wrapped up my weekly volleyball league last week. I figure as long as my joints continue to hold up I might as well keep playing! It sure was great getting to play somewhat more regularly and at least then I'm assured to get some exercise once a week.


A few kid stories to finish up our update...

As the kids are getting ready for bed and we are picking up toys in the living room. Joey sits down on the floor, hits himself on the head, says, “Goo,” gets up and starts running around the stairs. (He’s playing duck-duck-goose all by himself.)


While eating supper, Marie and Jon were racing to see who could finish their drink first. Marie finished before Jon.

Marie: Daddy, I winned.
Jon: You mean, I won.
Marie: No, I won.


Marie: I’m putting my head on my arms. I’m dreaming that tomorrow will be a better day.
Peg: What was so bad about today?
Marie: Joey.


Marie is having trouble listening and gets a timeout. She heads for the stairs. Joey, who frequently blows his nose himself, asks for a tissue. He promptly takes one and hurries it over to Marie in her timeout.


Marie: Mom, I want a baby sister.
Peg: You do? Well, we’ll have to see.
Jon: What about a baby brother?
Marie: I already have a baby brother.
Jon: What about another baby brother?
Marie: Well, I don’t know about that decision.


Peg: I’m thankful for everyone’s hard work today and how everyone helped out. (To Marie) You were a big help today, weren’t you?
Marie: Yeah.
Jon: Was Joey a big help?
Marie: Not at all…he would just take the gardening tools and run off.


Marie: Mom, I love Daddy. But most of the time, I love you.

I LOVE....blogging.

Marie is into a phase where she "loves" everything. Sure, this is extremely cute when she inserts a family member's name, but we sometimes doubt that she really grasps the concept. Here are a few things she loves....

I love mud puddles.
I love flowers.
I love cheeseburgers. (Okay...not too bad.)
I love Daddy's friends.
I love Matt's friends. (Hmm...)
I love asparagus. (Really??)

We went outside to enjoy the spring-like weather on Monday, all three of us. Marie was busting at the seams, running around everywhere. I think that Joey also enjoyed the fresh air. (Warning...corny joke ahead.) It sure made him bear-y tired.



Last night we were reading books to Marie before bedtime. After her standard two books, she asked if we could read another one. We responded by saying that, no, it was time for bed. She sighed and said, "It's always time for bed."

Joey's 1st Tournament

Well, Joey got his first volleyball tournament under his belt this weekend. I played in an annual tournament on Saturday that always attracts a large following. There were 21 women's teams, mostly from Michigan, but some from Ohio, Indiana, and Canada. I have to say, I was a bit rusty, but it felt good to get out there again.

Joey, on the other hand, seemed like an old pro. We brought along Mary, a 13-year-old that we know from church. They had a grand time watching everything that was going on, fielding comments about how cute they were, and of course taking naps here and there.

Jon and Marie went to her buddy Max's birthday party, but stopped by the gym for a little while in the afternoon. Marie got a big kick out of running around on the empty courts. Jon was even helping her to work on her hand/arm position while blocking. He would lift her up so that she could reach above the net. You can never start them too early, right?

On a totally unrelated subject, Marie is usually really good about going to bed for us at night. She sometimes makes comments about not wanting to go to sleep, but her arguments are generally short-lived and never intense. For instance, here was a recent exchange.

Dad: Alright Marie, time for bed.
Marie curls up on the couch with her cup of milk and puts her head down.
Marie: I'll sleep on the couch.
Dad: No. You'll sleep in your bed.
Marie: I'll sleep on the couch with my cup and rosary.
Mom and Dad both hesitate...how can you argue with a kid who wants to sleep her rosary??
Ultimately, she still went to sleep without any resistance...in her bed.

In other news, we got a note saying that our camera was ready to be picked up. Hopefully, the quick recall fix did the trick and you'll see some more pictures soon.