The Mike Marchand family

What to do on a cool June day?

2009-06-04T15:35:00.009-05:00

Mixing blue goo- I love how Dani can bend all the way down with her legs straight!

The weather here has been unseasonably cool for June the last few days. It is too cold to play in the sprinkler or pool. Today, Joey suggested that we make blue goo to play with outside.

What is blue goo? It is a mixture of cornstarch, water, and food coloring. Today, we left out the food coloring. It tends to give the skin a nice tint that requires bathing. I was just not into giving baths before lunch today, so I guess my kids had to suffer with "plain old goo" rather than the pretty colored stuff. Goo is a very interesting mixture. When you squeeze it in your hand, it feels like a solid, otherwise it acts like a liquid. Here is the information below from the website so you can try it for yourself:

You can make squishy, fun blue goo to play with. Ask your mom or dad to help you. This will be messy, so be sure to do it in the kitchen on old newspaper.YOU WILL NEED• Newspapers• Mixing bowl• Cornstarch (16-ounce [454-gram] box)• Measuring cup • Water• Blue food coloringHERE'S HOW1. Pour a box of cornstarch into a bowl.2. Add 1 1/2 cups (240 milliliters) of water.3. Add about 15 drops of food coloring. You can also try this with different colors.4. Mix it all together with your hands. Have fun squishing!
COOL SCIENCEThe weird goo hardens in your hands when you squeeze it. It feels like a solid. When you open your hands, the goo feels like a liquid. It acts like both a solid and a liquid.

PARENT TIP: SCIENCE
Promote scientific thinking: Have your child develop a theory by predicting what may happen, and then prove or disprove it. After making blue goo, discuss the properties of liquids versus solids by asking your child to describe the differences between how water feels, how cornstarch feels, and how blue goo feels.

I have made this in the house before (during a snow blizzard) but it is much more fun outside where you don't have to clean up! (The water evaporates out of the cornstarch, then you just have cornstarch that blows away!)

If you are having an off day or don't feel well, do what I did last summer and have "mommy's spa day". Whip up a batch of this stuff, sit in the lawnchair with your legs up and let the kids smear it all over your skin. Fun for the kids because they are getting to put gunk on mommy; fun for you because your little precious angels are touching you and you don't have to worry about where they are as you are sitting there with your eyes closed. (Did this last August when I had an ear infection/sinus infection and could barely move).

NOTE: Today, a 16 oz box of cornstarch cost $1.59; that's all it cost to do this project. My kids were entertained for literally two hours and then this afternoon they both took two hour naps! Quite a great investment for $1.59!!!

Prayers for baby Garet

2009-05-30T21:55:00.002-05:00

We personally do not know this family. His grandpa is a Methodist minister and that is how I have learned about baby Garet. He has a blog which is http://garethoward.blogspot.com/.
Garet needs a heart transplant. I am hoping that everyone that reads this will pray for this sweet little boy.

If you knew me when Joey was born, you know our story. Due to complications at birth, Joey was placed in NICU. This was the last thing Mike and I expected and it was an extremely stressful time. Joey's story has a happy ending; his lungs needed to clear of amniotic fluid and he needed lights to recover from jaundice. He is now almost five and the best big brother in the universe (so maybe I'm a little biased...)

Anyway, please pray for little Garet.

These are the moments...

2009-05-26T13:23:00.010-05:00

Our gymnastic champions, Danielle and Joey. Both began gymnastics in September 2008 and continued through the entire school year (except for the nine week hiatus Dani took with her broken leg). Here they are with their medals from their spring gymnastic performances.

It has been quite a while since I have updated our blog. Since I have gotten on Facebook, I haven't blogged as much.

A few weeks ago, Danielle and I were home alone. I said to her, "I would love to just bottle you up and keep you." She replied, "Mommy, I too BIG!"

So included below are some of the moments from the past few months that I would like to bottle up and keep if I could.

Photos above: Dani playing in our backyard pool, our family with Ronald McDonald at the 2009 Tab Top Pandemonium, Fred Bird upending Joey at the Diabetes walk, Dani covered in shaving cream, chalk, and who knows what else, Joey holding a snake at Tab Top Pandemonium.

Good Friday

2009-04-10T21:22:00.005-05:00

We attended the Good Friday service at church today at noon. I had debated going tonight at 7pm, but I was afraid Joey and Danielle wouldn't last and that the church would be packed. Mike took a long lunch hour to join us and all the pews were FULL at noon.

I had mentioned in a previous blog about Mike Lewis, the Jesus Painter and he was at our church for Good Friday services. He did three huge painting; each one completed in about seven minutes! It was intriguing to watch him work. The first portrait shown at the left started as a cross and people standing gazing at the cross. It was truly a blessing to see his work. He has a website http://www.jesuspainter.com/

Happy Easter

2009-04-07T21:30:00.007-05:00

HAPPY EASTER 2009! Yes, Joey and Dani have been to visit the Easter bunny. No, Easter decorations have not made it up at our house yet. The Marchand family will be having Easter lunch with us on Sunday, so I have until then to get the baskets and eggs out, right?

This week has already been full of Easter festivities. Monday, the kids and I met some friends at a local historical house where we got to see a puppet show, pet a bunny, visit the Easter bunny (again) and make a craft.

Tomorrow we're off to a local farm where we will visit and pet baby bunnies, chicks, pigs, play in a hayloft, watch a dog show and visit the Easter bunny (again!).

I am quite excited about something happening at our church on Good Friday. We have a special guest coming; Mike Lewis, the Jesus Painter. You can google him and see his work. He does a huge portrait of Jesus in 20 minutes. At 4 1/2, Joey is very interested in art and so I am excited that Joey will be able to see an artist in action. If you are in the area, come on over for church with us at 7 pm.

We had snow a few weekends ago. I was so thankful it was on the weekend. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a summer girl; so thankfully Mike was home to take the kids out to play.

Mike and the kids made a volcano in the basement in March. It is pictured above. I don't know if you can tell from the above photo, but they planted trees on the mountain and also dinosaurs. The volcano is a 2 liter soda bottle. They add baking soda and vinegar and the volcano erupts. The kids really enjoy doing this with daddy.

There was a celebration at Mike's work site last Saturday for the opening of a new research facility. The children had a great time enjoying bounce houses, balloon animals, face painting, and train rides. Joey wanted me to be sure and put on our blog a photo of him with his face painted as a skull.

Joey is in his 4th session of gymnastics this year and Dani is in her 3rd session (she sat one out due to her broken leg). Both of them really enjoy it and are gaining so much self confidence. Here is a photo of Dani hanging from the rings with her instructor by her. We will be taking the summer off to relax, but if the kids want to, I will sign them up again in the fall for the next year of gymnastics. Joey's class has a spring performance in May and I am excited to see that. I do not get to watch Joey in his class because it is the same time as the class Danielle is in and her class requires parent participation.

May Jesus bless you as this Easter season. I hope everyone is able to spend time with their family and friends.

Twilight DVD Release Party

2009-03-21T16:06:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I have lived a sheltered life and never been to a "release party" of an item. When Harry Potter books were popular, I watched the release parties on the news and it looked like a good time. All these people dressed up as Harry Potter characters waiting anxiously their copy of the newest book. However, I have never been (1) because although I enjoyed the H.P. books, I didn't want one that bad and (2)these parties are late at night and I'm sleeping!

I had girlfriend time last night and was scrapbooking with BFF Michele. Michele reminds me that the Twilight DVD is being released at midnight. Hey, we're up, we're caffienated, so we decide to go and find a party. We go to Border's bookstore; nothing happening except a lot of preteens and teens standing around waiting. Same thing when we went to Blockbuster.

In case you aren't in the know, Twilight is a book by Stephenie Meyer (she has three more in the series) that has been made into a movie. It is a story about a 17 year old girl named Bella who falls in love with Edward. Edward is a vampire.

FYI I have read Twilight and enjoyed it. Awaiting my turn to read the 2nd book (on order at the library), but no intention of purchasing the DVD; will just rent it and watch it.

Michele and I were expecting to see all kinds of vampire costumes and dark makeup. Instead, I think people were looking at us; we weren't exactly in the age range of the other girls!

To commemorate this occasion, here is a photo of me with a Twilight umbrella and a copy of the book and a photo of Michele with Edward (well, a photo of him anyway!)

Open Mouth, Insert Flip Flop

2009-03-19T17:15:00.005-05:00

The weather here has been in the 70s and Joey and Dani have both outgrown their flip flops. So, Tuesday we went to the mall to find some new ones.

We went to Children's Place and the flip flops were $3.50 ea or 2/$5.00. Of course, Murphy's Law is that one child will throw a fit and not want a pair now that we are there.

As we are checking out, the sales clerk reminds me of the price and I decided to go ahead and pick up a pair for Dani anyway because as soon as we get home, I know she'll want some. The sales clerk says to me, "yes, I know how that is. I have children at home myself." She was wearing a loose black top and I say to her, "oh! and you're expecting another one!". To which she replies, "no, I'm just fat!"

I wanted to die right there on the spot. I was so embarrassed and I apologized. Anyway, hope you all get a laugh or learn a lesson from my outing this week.

Bagel Fridays

2009-03-06T12:46:00.005-06:00

On Friday, Joey attends a Kids Day Out program from 9:15 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. After I drop him off, Dani and I run errands. One Friday morning, we stopped for a bagel. Now on Fridays, as soon as we drop Joey off and I put Danielle in her carseat, she says, "Go have a bagel, mom?". So this has become our weekly routine. I extremely enjoy it. This is one of the few times where it is only Dani and I and it is fun to see her little personality shine and how much she is growing into a big girl.

Today, while we were waiting in line for our bagels, she went and picked a table out for us all by herself. (It was two feet from where I was standing). Then, I went to get my Diet Coke and Dani says to me , "I stay here, mom." She stayed at the table and waited for me to get my coke and bring it back to the table, grinning from ear to ear.

Last night while I was at Bunco, I received a phone call from Dani that she had peed and pooped in the potty. She was very excited. This morning when she got out of bed, she peed in the potty. So after grocery shopping and bagels, we took a trip to one of my favorite stores. When Joey was about 2 1/2 years and we were in this store baby shopping for Danielle, he fell in love with a dinosaur bank. I bought it for him. Totally by fluke, the next day we began potty training with it. He got to "feed" the dinosaur each time he went on the potty.

It worked so well for Joey. (Mike and I gave him about $100 in change!) I explained it to Dani this morning and showed her Joey's bank. So we went to pick out a bank for her. Here she is with her new kitty bank that she chose all by herself. As soon as she got home, she pooped in the potty and got to "feed" her kitty! Hopefully, this will continue as I know she is very young to potty train.

I am enjoying my kids being a little older and a little more independent. They can play together now, have conversations now, wrestle (usually initiated by Dani), and walk without a stroller or being held. However, part of me is sad to be leaving the baby days behind. There is nothing better to me than a little cuddly snuggly cooing baby. Luckily, I have several friends still having babies, so I can always snuggle with their little ones.

If you would like to contribute to the Danielle potty fund, please email me for our address! just kidding! Wouldn't you know that I would have children that want money and are not thrilled by the stickers or M&Ms most mommys hand out for going in the potty??!

Danielle Marie turns two!

2009-03-05T18:12:00.008-06:00

Dani turned two on February 22. It is hard to believe that our baby is no longer a baby! On Saturday, Feb 21, she had a birthday party at Olympiad Gymnastics, where both she and Joey have gymnastics classes. At the side is a photo of some of Dani's friends that were at the party. (Dani is standing in front in the unitard with the two pink stripes. Joey is to the right of her in the blue t-shirt and what looks like a rainbow on it).

Dani had 15 kids at her party between the ages of 5 months and 12 years. Everyone had a blast going through the obstacle course, jumping on the trampolines, jumping in the block pit, and just running around. We hired a photographer to come for her big day. She took over 300 pictures! Of course, I am not going to post all of those here, but the photos are great and she has a website you can visit to see Dani's party pics. http://www.jillarnoldphoto.com/ look for the tab labeled "Parties". Click on it and you will see something similar to "Danielle's 2nd birthday". Click on that and you will be asked for a password. The password is Dinah.

Bethany and Jacob (my sister Karen's kids) came with my mom and dad to the party and that was a very special treat for my two. The four cousins don't get to see each other much, so it was a very special day that they were able to join us for Dani's party. Grandpa posed with his four grandchildren. Unfortunately, I didn't have the camera in hand when Grandma (my mom) posed with the kids.

One of my best friends has a five month old baby who Dani calls "Baby Chubba". Dani just loves him! She was so proud that she got to hold him at her birthday party. When I tried to take him from her, she said very firmly, "NO!" and held on tighter. Baby Chubba weighs 20 pounds and Danielle weighs 23 pounds, so if you think they look about the same size in the photo, that's because they are!

(By the way, Dani did not come up with this nickname on her own. My friend told Dani that they call the baby "Bubba Chubba" and from there, Dani came up with "Baby Chubba".)

There have been a few warm days here and there and the kids really like to go to the park to play. One of our favorite parks also has a paved walking trails and horses. We take a picnic lunch and enjoy being outside. Here is a photo that Joey took of Danielle and me on one of our park outings:

And now from the retro files....this blue McKendree College sweatshirt that Dani is wearing is mine. No, we don't wear the same size! ha ha This is a shirt that my mom saved from my baby days when my dad attended McKendree College.

Okay, well, I need to go, as usual, and referee (why do my kids fight when I update the blog??). I just heard Joey yell, "Dani, never mess with me!" This doesn't happen at anyone else's house does it??

Thankfully, Mike is a great daddy and will be staying with the children tonight while I go out and play Bunco with the girls!

Enjoy the weekend. We love hearing from everyone!

Joey Meets a Famous Author

2009-02-12T21:05:00.004-06:00

Not much has happened since the last time I wrote. I am busy taking the kids to gymnastics, swimming, preschool, and going to MOPS. We are finally pretty well adjusted to our "new" schedule that began in January.

On Wednesday, February 4, our church had a guest speaker, the author Dr. Mary Manz Simon. Dr. Simon wrote a book that I purchased when Joey was a baby. This book is well used and well loved in our home. Some of the pages have had to be taped back in. The book is called "Little Visits for Toddlers" and it is short devotions to do with toddlers. What I really like about this book is that most of the devotions require some kind of action (jumping, twirling, etc) while you are reading it, and it keeps my kids interested.

Mike and I were laughing because this is the ONLY children's book we own that the kids fight over! We let each of them pick a devotion before bed and sometimes arguing and crying ensues over who gets to pick first.

Dr. Simon gave a talk on "Parenting in Pop Culture" and it was very interesting. One of the comments she made was this: Children read emotions even before they read books. She talked about how children are growing up faster in today's society. Even though a preschooler can operate a computer, does that mean that same child will not throw a tantrum? Sometimes, we, as parents, forget that children still go through developmental stages. Dr. Simon stated: Children are not in a race to the finish line. We cannot rush God's timeline for child development.

If you would like to know more about Dr. Simon, her website is http://www.marymanzsimon.com/ and she has a blog http://marymanzsimon.wordpress.com/ . She also has a radio show called Front Porch Parenting.

After the lecture, I had Mike run to childcare and get Joey so that he could meet Dr. Simon who wrote the book that he calls "Toddler Stories". We had brought our copy so that she could autograph it. Below is a picture of Joey and Dr. Simon.

At the end of January, our church started a new service called "Family Live". We went to the pilot service and it was awesome! Think VBS type worship service. The music was all kid oriented and there were about 10-15 preteens and teens on stage dancing. There were also skits and a message by one of our pastors. This service has really stuck in my head and I am looking forward to the next one at the end of February. This service was on gratitude and Pastor Ryan talked about keeping a gratitude journal. We have implemented this at our house and at dinner time, we write down one thing we are thankful for that day. Joey understands the concepts and is thankful for friends, Jesus, God, etc. Dani doesn't always have something to contribute, but her submissions have been those of an almost 2 yr old: her baby, her pacifier... I hope this is a tradition that we can keep up for many years. I think it will be fun to look back later and see what we were thankful for when the kids were small.

The only other thing that has happened recently is Joey woke up Tuesday around midnight vomiting. He was out of commission all day Wednesday. He couldn't believe that he had gotten the flu again. The poor kid is on about his third round since fall. Today, we skipped MOPS because I wasn't sure how healthy he would be. He woke up and was wanting to get out. So it was nice enough we spent some time at the park and grocery shopping. I am keeping fingers crossed that it passes by the rest of us.

I want to leave you with a quote, out of the mouth of babes:

We are sitting at the table getting ready to eat dinner and Danielle farts. Joey says to her, "Did you backfire?"

I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. The things kids come up with!

Until next time, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and we are doing the same for you.

A Matter of Perspective

2009-01-28T11:41:00.007-06:00

We got the snow the weatherman had been promising. (The above photo is trees in our yard). I got up with a big sigh hoping that Mike would have the day off work. No such luck! I immediately thought to myself, "if Mike isn't home, that means I have to take the kids out to play in the snow." Big sigh....I am not a winter weather person. I would much rather spend time on a warm, sunny beach...well, that won't be happening anytime soon.

The kids have had breakfast and I am getting dressed. On my dresser mirror, I have posted the following quote:

Forgive me Father,

You gave me the perfect gift of right now,

but I threw it away hoping for a better gift later.

As I read that quote, I realized that was exactly what I was doing. By summer, Joey will be 5 and Dani will be 2 1/2. Do I really want time to go that quickly? NO! So I ran into the living room and said "Hey kids! We're going outside! Let's get dressed." Now, Joey knows I don't like to go in the snow and it is a Daddy activity, so he was pleasantly surprised. We got on snowsuits, snowboots (Joe's are a size too small, they're from last year!) and I even got them to wear gloves!

Dani looked like that kid in the movie "A Christmas Story". She looked like a stuffed tick and if she fell over, well, I don't think she would be able to get back up. She was completely adorable!

Remember how when you were a kid and we got so much more snow and it was so much deeper than it is now? I realized as I'm watching Dani that it is a matter of perspective. The snow is almost to her knees! I don't think we get less snow, I think I am just taller now!

I got a little exercise shoveling the sidewalk and part of the driveway. At least then Dani could walk around. She decided to make the best of the situation by sitting on the front porch and drawing with chalk.

Joey enjoyed digging in the snow, pushing his dump trucks around and just running. The kids were completely enthralled, happy, and not fighting! What a great gift that I almost didn't take advantage of! We were out at least a half hour; maybe longer. I'm not sure how long it took to get those snowsuits on.

Now we're back inside, toasty warm. And guess what? The kids are arguing! Doesn't that just figure??

This week's happenings

2009-01-26T14:22:00.011-06:00

This week on January 22, Danielle turned 23 months old. It is exciting to see all the new things she can do. At the same time, I am sad to be losing my baby. I have been cleaning out all the baby items from our house: bottles, bottle warmer, crib mobile, baby food processor - it all has to go! Our home is cozy and we don't have room to store all of our memories. I do have tons and tons of photos. If only I could find more time to scrapbook....

Anyway, January 22 was a fairly warm day so we headed out to what Joey refers to as "Goo Park". In the spring, the cottonwood trees leave sappy stuff all over the playground equipment, so because of the "goo", we now call this place "Goo Park". Dani went down the big slide all by herself. Joey was close behind her going up to the slide to make sure she didn't fall.

Also this week, Dani and I took a trip to the mall. She fell in love with the Elmo underwear. Dani loves Elmo. She uses the potty sporadically right now. I have been telling her that she will be a big girl when she learns to use the potty. She decided to wear her Elmo underwear right away when she got home. As you can see, it makes a great hat!

Yesterday, it snowed. Not much but one time the snow started coming down pretty good. The kids just HAD to get out in it for a few minutes. Joey grabbed a dump truck to push around. Dani decided to try and catch snowflakes on her tongue. In case you're wondering, yes, my children do own gloves. They just opt not to wear them. Plus, they were only going out for about five minutes. It is really supposed to snow later today. We are expecting 3 - 7" the last I heard. I would rather it be 80 and sunny, but the kids do enjoy the snow, so we'll get our snowsuits on tomorrow and go out to play IF the snow really does come.

Last evening (Sunday) we took a trip to the Magic House. It was a private event fundraiser for the preschool where Joey currently goes one day a week. It was so nice. Not overly crowded. The kids could actually try out all the different activities. We have been going to the Magic House every year around this time, so we always have our picture taken in front of the big wall of Skittles. Then, Dani and I really got wild and tried out the electromagnetic ball. Doesn't our hair look great?

Those of you who have known me a long time (like in my college days) know that I always wanted my hair to stand up like this but it never did. Finally! I got the punk look I always wanted!

Here's hoping everyone keeps warm in all the nasty weather that is supposed to be heading our way this evening. Will post snow photos as soon as we get the big storm!

An update for Aunt Charlotte

2009-01-21T06:05:00.009-06:00

This post is especially for my lovely Aunt Charlotte who lets me know whenever I see her that I just don't update my blog often enough (unlike some of my cousins...).

Being a stay at home mom, I don't know why I cannot find the time to update more often; I am here all day just watching TV and eating chocolate, right? WRONG! So wrong!

We started a new schedule at the beginning of 2009 and the kids and I are still trying to adjust! We were so used to leisurely mornings,and now we have places to be at least three, sometimes four mornings a week. I know, don't you all feel sorry for us? This is quite a change for me as it means my babies are growing up and have lessons and activities.

So our schedule is now like this:

Monday morning - gymnastics (both kids)

Tuesday morning - swimming lessons (Joey)

Wednesday - usually a free day HOORAY!

Thursday morning - MOPS (mothers of preschoolers)every other week

Friday morning - preschool (Joey)

Let me just say that I am not good at change! This is our third week into our new routine. It is certainly better than the first two weeks that were filled with morning tantrums trying to get everyone out the door.

My favorite incident: I needed to put stuff in the car and warm it up, so the kids stayed in the house. Dani was having a HUGE fit! When I came back inside to get the kids, Joey tells me that he had told Dani to be quiet and she hit him. I told him that was terrible! Joeys says, "So I told her, 'Danielle, in this family, we don't hit! So I hit her back!" All I could do was laugh. He has the basic concept but the urges of a four year old to reciprocate in kind. No harm done and we were soon on our way!

So, let's see. Here are some recent photos. The first is Dani and her Godmother (and cousin)Claire. We went shopping one day when Claire was home from college on Christmas break.

The next photo is Dani with one of her favorite characters, Bob the Builder. Hey, if anyone sees any Bob the Builder stuff let me know. All I can find these days is Handy Manny, which my kids don't watch. When Joey was little, we had a lot of Bob the Builder clothing, shoes, etc. I gave them away when he outgrew them and now I am kicking myself because Dani loves Bob!

Here is a photo of Joey at his first swimming lesson. Joey is standing on the right side waiting his turn to go in. It is taken through glass so it is not that good. Parents aren't allowed on the swim deck during class. I am so proud of him. Yesterday was his third lesson and he was jumping into the deep end, going under, bobbing back up all by himself. His class is three kids and one teacher. They do not use swim belts or life jackets. Yesterday, his class spent a lot of time just jumping in the pool and going under. I do not like to go under water, so I am glad that he is learning how to do this and will not fear it like I do.

Finally, a big step for Mommy. Dani got her first hair trim. She had lots of wispy little hairs everywhere that would not stay put and she was starting to look like she had clown hair. I took Joey to get his hair trimmed (he did not want it cut short, says it keeps his head warm!). While we were there, I asked Dani if she would also like to get her hair cut, and she said yes. So here she is with our stylist, Carol. Dani just sat there and didn't move. Don't you just love the pacifier in Dani's mouth?

We hope all of you and your families are doing well. Keep in touch! We love hearing from everyone.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T09:57:00.013-06:00

I find it hard to believe that the holidays have come and gone for another year!

Joey and Dani are lucky kids in that they got to open presents THREE times; once on Christmas Eve with the Marchand clan, Christmas morning when Santa came, and Christmas afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's house (my parents).

Here are some photos of Christmas Eve with Mike's family:

Danielle checking to see if Uncle Rick has all his teeth. He had just checked her mouth to see how many teeth she had!

Dani cuddling with Aunt Cheryl and Joey cuddling with Aunt Kathy

Joey and cousin Brett

Christmas morning, Mike and I woke our kids up (yes, you read that right!). Joey and Dani are NOT early risers, usually they sleep until 8 a.m. every morning. But, we had lots to do and places to go, so we got them up at the unheard of hour of 7 a.m. Mike and I were excited that Santa came and wanted to see the looks of joy and excitement on our kids' faces. Here they are sitting under the tree right after we got them out of bed.

Some of the presents that Santa brought were a monster truck, pinball game, fishing pole, Cars matching game for Joey; a baby doll, doll stroller, Bob the Builder tool belt for Dani.

Santa brought me a new waffle maker and Mike got a new coffee maker!

After opening gifts, we got in the car and headed to my Aunt Charlotte's house for the annual family Christmas gathering. My dad has a large family and it is always fun to go and see aunts, uncles, cousins, and meet all the new babies! We have a gift exchange there; a "rob your neighbor" kind of game where you never know what gift you will come home with. A lot of the gifts are homemade (okay, so this year, I contributed a non-crafted fiber optic Moose!) One of the most wanted gifts is Aunt Wanda's quilt. Every year, Aunt Wanda makes a quilt for the gift exchange. This year, I came home with it! For all of you that were at the exchange, and did not come home with it, here it is on my bed and it sure is warm and comfy!

After the family party, we went to my parents' house where the kids (and Mike and I) received more gifts!

Grandparents are wonderful! This is where Joey and Dani received the gifts that they were most wanting.

For Joey, an electric train and Dani got the "bike" (tricycle) that she has been requesting since before Thanksgiving!

Danielle had more fun than she could stand for the day, (no naps!) and ended up cuddling on the couch with Grandma.

Mike had the entire week off work -he goes back tomorrow :( and it was a fun time for all of us.

New Year's Eve was spent at home eating popcorn and ice cream! What a celebration! The kids were in bed by 8:30 and Mike made it til 11:00 and I made it til 11:30, so none of us were up to ring in the New Year. Now, to start working on those New Year's resolutions, which I will tell you all about another time...

Getting ready for Santa's visit!

2008-12-24T12:14:00.006-06:00

Happy Christmas Eve everyone! The kids and I are busy cleaning house this morning so that the place is nice and tidy when Santa comes tomorrow morning. We certainly don't want him to trip on any old toys that are laying around!

I have discovered that Joey and Dani really likes to help clean! Note to all moms of preschoolers: if you have a Swifter, simply remove part of the handle to make it "kid size", put the mop cloth on, and let your kid go to it! Of course, the cleaning may be done running up and down the hall, zig zagged, or some other creative way, that you as a mom have never considered, but, I say, as long as the floor is wiped down, who cares how it has been done?

Besides, swiftering for me, Joey and Dani put away lots of toys that had been laying around all around the house. All the games and puzzles are now mostly complete with the pieces back in the boxes. If Dani started to drag something out, Joey would say, "No, Dan! We just cleaned that up!" Quite funny to see that he is starting to understand about picking up and keeping things neat.

Here is a photo of my little cleaners in front of the Christmas tree once we had finished cleaning their bedrooms, hallway, and living room. Did I tell

you that the dining room table is still covered with stuff to put away and the family room still needs to be picked up and vaccuumed? Sigh...does it ever end? Anyway, here is what our living room looks like when it is clean, in case you have never seen it that way!

And now a word or two to let you know that my children really aren't perfect. Yes, they do a lot of things right, but then we have those days where they scream and fight and act like...siblings!

In the spirit of Christmas, I have taken a Christmas song, "What Child is This?" and rewritten it to fit my own unique situation one day while we were out Christmas shopping:

What child is this who lays

in Home Depot entryway

kicking and screaming?

While shoppers peep and Mommy keeps

a watchful eye on the tantrum.

This, this is Joey Marchand who didn't

get his way in the check out lane.

Haste, haste to take him home and put

him in bed for a nap!

Many moms with older children have told me that the preschool days are long, but the years are short. Already, Joey is four and Dani is almost two! How can that be possible?? I try to remember that even on the bad days; even during the tantrum days when nothing can calm the savage beast.

Enjoy the season. Enjoy the little ones in your life. If they are your preschoolers, try to hold your smile while they cry because (1) they are tired, (2) they are overstimulated, (3) a well meaning unknown relative has touched them/picked them up/looked at them, (4) a sibling has smacked them/looked at them/taken their new toy, (5)they have thrown up from eating too many cookies. If you are just "enjoying" watching the action because you no longer have preschoolers, just remember that the child is not in their normal everyday environment and may not behave like the little angel the parents claim they are usually. Everyone take a deep breath, smile and say MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Waiting for Christmas...

2008-12-20T08:20:00.007-06:00

Joey and Dani anxiously await the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Joey's Santa list includes an electric train, pinball machine, duck game, cars game, and Bob the Builder DVD. Dani is asking for a hat (helmet) and a bike (tricycle).

Joey received a book from his preschool called "This is the Stable" and we read it almost every night.

Amy sent Dani this dress and necklace from Hawaii. Being the fashionista that she is, Danielle had to try it on right away. I think it looks fabulous with the sweatshirt and striped socks!

Last Saturday, I had lunch with two girlfriends, Jana and Lisa, who I met my freshman year of college. It was so good to see them and catch up on everything happening in their lives. We decided that getting together once a year was not often enough, so our New Year's resolution was to meet up quarterly.

Another holiday tradition at our house is to go to St. Louis Mills mall and let the kids ride the train. I am surprised that Joey remembered this, but he has been asking to go, so we braved the ice and snow one morning last week and went. The tradition was lacking something, namely our best friends Amy, Adam, and Cole who always did this with us.
We hope that Christmas preparations are going smoothly at your house. Remember the meaning of Christmas, Jesus birthday. We bake a birthday cake for Jesus each year. With all the rushing around on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, our birthday celebration ends up happening a few days after the 25th.

At a MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) meeting last week, we were asked a question that I have been thinking about quite a bit, so, in closing, I'll throw it out there for all of you to consider:

What gift are you getting Jesus for His birthday this year?

Santa Claus is coming to town!

2008-12-14T17:22:00.008-06:00

You better watch out, better not cry, better not pout, I'm telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town...on a train!

Joey, Danielle, and I traveled to Oblong, Illinois on Sunday, December 7 to see Santa arrive on a train. Santa was traveling on the Indiana Railroad, making stops in several towns to greet the children and hear their Christmas wishes. The weather outside was about 30 degrees and several characters entertained everyone while we waited to board the train and visit Santa. While waiting in line, we saw a bear in a red Christmas outfit, Rudolph, Buzz Lightyear, the Gingerbread Man, Spiderman and a few others. It took about 20 minutes in line to get onto the train. The train was beautifully decorated inside with snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, several Christmas trees, Mrs. Claus, and of course, Santa Claus!

We spent several days visiting with family. Dani's favorite person is her pa-pa. I think she may also qualify as his favorite person -besides my mom :)

Joey, Dani, and I also spent a few days visiting with my Aunt Jan. The kids got to bake Christmas cookies with her. One of Joey's favorite activities is helping in the kitchen, so he really enjoyed this. We also took a drive out into the country (by the looks of my vehicle, it looked like we went four-wheeling) to look at a house that was extremely decorated for Christmas.

Our way home included a stop at my Aunt Wanda's house for a family luncheon. The ham and beans were delicious and we got to see several family members. Then it was a 3 hour ride home to see Mike after four days away.

Danielle is crying right now (ready for dinner and mom not paying attention to her), so I'll have to quit posting for now and go check our dinner. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Wonder

2008-12-06T14:24:00.004-06:00

Christmas is a time of wonder. I had forgotten about the "wonder" of Christmas in all the busy holiday preparations, shopping, and parties. For so many years, I looked forward to Christmas, but with all I was trying to do to "prepare", Christmas would come and go and I felt like I had missed the special day.

Joey is looking forward to Santa coming. He understands about gifts and has made a Christmas list for Santa that is still sitting on the dining room table and needs to be taken to the mall. Joey, Dani, and I read advent devotions and light the advent wreath at lunch each day. I want to teach my kids that Christmas is about the birth of baby Jesus, not just Santa coming to leave presents.

This year, there is a sense of wonder in our house. Wonder over all the Christmas decorations that are brought out of the box and placed out for view. Wonder over the little Christmas trees that Joey and Dani have in each of their rooms and the special ornaments hung on each that belong just to them. Wonder about how reindeer fly. Wonder about why mom really needs to know what I need for Christmas when she isn't buying it; Santa will be bringing it! (Joey).

I hope that your Christmas is as magical as ours is turning out to be this year. Take some time in the busyness to again find the wonder. I remember the Christmas hymn "We Three Kings". The refrain for the song is:

O star of wonder, star of night,

Star with royal beauty bring,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect Light.

May you find Christ's perfect Light this Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-30T18:57:00.003-06:00

Our family has had quite the month in November. Any germ that is out there has seemed to find our house! We have all had the flu earlier this month.

Then, we were looking forward to a great week together with Mike being on vacation and guess what? We all came down with some kind of cold/cough bug that had us pretty much housebound the whole week. Thanks to the wonderful girlfriends, Michele, Laura, and Katie, we did receive turkey and dressing and all the other fixings for Thanksgiving. It is truly a blessing to have friends.

October Happenings

2008-11-05T13:36:00.005-06:00

Wow! The month of October flew by! With the excitement of Dani breaking her leg, I never even posted anything about the wonderful family vacation we took to Pensacola Beach, FL at the end of September. We drove down and rented a house close to the beach. We all had a wonderful and relaxing time!

A few weeks ago, Thomas the Tank Engine came to East St. Louis (over by the Casino Queen). I purchased tickets online as a surprise for Joey. The four of us went over on a beautiful Sunday and got to ride, in Joey's words, "the REAL Thomas!". Both Joey and Dani enjoyed the train ride. Mike and I were disappointed that there wasn't a little more to do. The kids could play with legos, get a tattoo, listen to a story, and that was about it. There were long long lines everywhere you turned and this event was held on a gravel lot. Of course, there was a huge tent set up so you could purchase every Thomas item known to man!

Halloween was lots of fun. Joey was a dinosaur and Dani was a dalmation. Above is a photo of them with some of their buddies.

October also included a trip to Thies Farm where we enjoyed their Pumpkinland and a hay ride. We also drove to Grafton, IL to go to Eckert's Farm for apple picking.

Yesterday, Dani's cast came off. She has had it a month. This is the only time she has cried while at the doctor's office. The saw that removed the cast was loud and scared her. Once the cast was off, she kept touching her knee and saying "hurt hurt". Because her knee has been immobile for a month and in a bent position, the doctor said that it would be sore until she got some range of motion back in her leg. She is now sporting a black velcro boot that goes up to her knee. It can be removed for sleeping and bathing. So far, she wears it to bed. It still hurts her too much to be without the support of the boot for long. She will wear the velcro boot for a month before going back to the doctor.

Well, that's it for now. Everyone keep in touch!

Breaking News

2008-10-07T00:20:00.007-05:00

Sunday, October 5 was a beautiful fall St. Louis day. We began the day with church immediately followed by two birthday parties. We were looking forward to a wonderful day together as a family. The first party was Joey's friend, Clayton, and was a pirate party. Above is a photo of Joey (on the left) with his friend Clayton.

The second party ...well...what can I say? We got there in time for present opening and cake. Danielle was playing on the bottom step by the grass and another child at the party threw a ball for the dog from the top step of the deck. The dog took off after the ball and ran into Danielle. She tried to hold her own and planted her foot on the step. Her leg twisted and she fell over into the grass onto her bottom. Mike brought her to me crying and I told her that she was fine, not a scratch on her. She sat on my lap and did not want to go play with the other kids. After about 45 minutes, I finally convinced her to go and draw with chalk. After a few minutes, she began crying hysterically. If you know Dani at all, this is not her personality. She has never been a cryer. It is close to 2pm and Mike and I think she is just waaay past naptime and needs to go home.

She doesn't nap but about an hour and is up and crying again and refusing to put weight on her right foot. We call her doctor and then go to the emergency room. It turns out that she has a buckle fracture in her tibia close to the ankle! She was placed in a temporary cast for the night and Monday we took her in for a permanent cast that will be on for four weeks or so.

Dani is such a brave girl and didn't cry at the ER or the orthopedist today when the cast was put on. She has only had two doses of Children's Motrin Monday, so I think she tolerates pain a whole lot better than I do! Her injury has caused me many tears, but at the same time, Mike and I are so thankful that it is a treatable injury, no permanent damage and we are truly blessed by our God for the protection he gave to our little girl during her fall.

While looking on the internet, I learned that what Dani has is often called a "toddler fracture" and it is a common fracture of toddlers and preschoolers. It occurs when the child is running or steps on something on the floor and loses their footing. A sudden twisting of the tibia "shin bone" causes a fracture. The theory as to why these fractures happen is new stresses associated with ambulation are applied to bone that has not previously been accustomed to such stresses in the nonambulatory infant. They commonly happen to children who are just beginning to walk. Dani began walking 2 months ago at 17 months, so she is a classic case.

Hopefully, we will not have any other exciting news like the above to share with all of you in the near future. Please keep our Dani in your thoughts and prayers. Also, please keep Joey in your thoughts and prayers, too, as his sister is receiving a little extra love and attention these days and he doesn't really understand why and so acts up to try and get his share of mom's time.

September happenings

2008-09-18T06:04:00.001-05:00

Joey, Dani, and I went to the annual Thompson Labor Day bash while Mike stayed home and worked on the bathroom. We had a great time seeing all of the family. Joey and Dani LOVED Aunt Charlotte's huge waterslide. My job was to stand at the bottom and catch them as they came off as the pool was 4' deep and over their heads.

Danielle had her first bike accident. Mike was pulling and she was on the bike pushing with her feet. He let go (unknown to her) and she still pushed and flipped right over the front and landed on her face. She had a helmet on which took most of the blow, but she still had a fat lip and some minor abrasions. Daddy felt just terrible!

Joey started preschool on Fridays at a local church. His class is 9:15 am - 3:00 pm and he loves it! There are 12 children and 2 teachers in his class. Dani is a little lost during the day without big brother around!

We welcome into the world baby Henry, born on Sept 11 to our good friends Mike and Ellen. He is just adorable!

Our outings this past week

2008-08-29T22:35:00.000-05:00

This week, we did some fun things with the kids. Last Sunday, Aug 24, we went to the Wabash Pacific RR and rode the train. Joey and Dani really enjoyed riding the little train. It is a beautiful ride through the woods with the cliffs on one side and the Missouri River on the other side. It is about a three mile round trip.

On Thursday, Joey, Dani, and Dinah went to Purina Farm. Joey got to try and milk a cow. We saw a dog show and took a wagon ride behind a tractor. Dani really enjoyed seeing all the animals. Joey enjoyed swinging from a rope in the hayloft and riding a pedal tractor.

Happy Labor Day everyone!

Remodeling the Bathroom

2008-08-20T11:43:00.001-05:00

Mike's summer project has been to tear out and completely remodel the guest bathroom. It is almost finished! The tile is currently setting and will be grouted within the next few days. As the photos show, he has helpers who are very interested in every aspect of the remodel process.

We're moving into the 21st century

2008-08-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

Well, all the girlfriends have them, so I decided it was time we got one of our own. Yep, our own blog to keep family and friends updated on what is happening with Mike, Dinah, Joey, and Dani. This first post is simply a trial to see if I can do this; I'm trying to improve my computer literacy. I will be adding pictures soon.