Ostreko Family Blog

Donations on behalf of Jack

2011-05-02T08:21:00.000-04:00

Thanks to our friends & family, nearly $6,000 was raised for Mott Children's Hospital Pediatric Cardiology on behalf of Jack. If you would like to make a donation, here is the link.

http://www.med.umich.edu/mott/help/gift.html

Jack Douglas Ostreko 3-20-2006 to 3-29-2011

2011-03-30T07:23:00.002-04:00

Jack's Obituary

Jack's Birthday Pictures - Happy 5th Birthday

2011-03-25T11:57:00.000-04:00

Kindergarten Round Up

2011-03-09T11:30:00.000-05:00

Last night I went to Jack's kindergarten round up at Park Elementary - where he'll be going in September. What? Kindergarten? Really? Already? Preschool is one thing, but this is the big time.

It's way different from when I was in elementary school xx--** years ago. They have 2-3 teachers in the classroom. Center the learning around their skill set. For instance, the reading teacher will be doing comprehension with one kid and learning letters with another. They didn't do that when I was in school. Everyone got the same lesson. Wonder how we turned out as well as we did.

They'll get a tag on their backpack to find the right bus. I think there was only 1 bus when I was in school and everyone else walked. Not anymore.

They get a blue and white electronic ID card to purchase lunch and milk. Yep, they don't have to worry about losing lunch money because they get to buy with a credit card while someone else (mom and dad) pays the bills. Guess that gets them ready for when they're teenagers. I just know we're going to pay the $5 replacement fee for that sucker at least once.

The teachers all seem very nice and I got to meet the principal. In fact, one of the teachers is the wife of someone who works with John, so we'll have our own little Gentex-communication system.

Should be fun. Jack's excited and that's the most important thing. I just hope he waits a while before going away to college. :)

MSU - NMU Hockey Game

2011-02-12T16:23:00.000-05:00

Check out the link below to see some pictures from the hockey game.

Hockey Slide Show

Jack's Skating Lessons

2011-01-23T13:42:00.000-05:00

Jack started taking skating lessons this month. He gets to do 25 minutes with his class and 25 minutes of practice. Good thing I got skates because I've been helping out during the class and during the free time.

Check out this link to see Jack doing some skating with his teacher Miss Jessica.
Jack's Second Skating Lesson

Jack's First Sledding Trip to a Big Hill

2011-01-09T13:33:00.000-05:00

Our little thrill-seeker LOVED going sledding. I have a feeling we're going to be regulars at the sledding hill. Check out the videos of John and Jack going down the hill.

Jack and John Sledding #1

Jack and John Sledding #2

Christmas Pagent, Babysitting & Ostreko Family Party

2010-12-19T18:34:00.000-05:00

Jack's 4 Year Old Preschool Class

Babysitting Caden Ypma.

Just Dance for wii. Super fun!

Jack definitely has some moves.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T08:27:00.000-05:00

At the Hudsonville Thanksgiving parade. Good thing we bundled up.

Jack was ready to snatch up all the candy that was thrown his way. Unbelievable how much he got.

Auntie Ellen and Jack at Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving from Redford.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T08:11:00.000-04:00

After a last-minute costume change, Jack decided he wanted to be The Cat in the Hat.

It was super popular with the kids trick-or-treating. Everyone kept calling out things like "Hey, there's The Cat in the Hat."

And Jack got so much candy I had to carry around a separate bag to offload some of it from his pumpkin.

Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-24T17:40:00.000-04:00

And the scary Halloween animal he wanted carved in his pumpkin... an Elephant.

I had to do the scooping out since Jack touched the guts of the pumpkin and said "Ewww, no way."

MSU Football Weekend

2010-10-03T16:42:00.001-04:00

John and Jake (with Jeff totally focused on the game). Little chilly, little wet, but a great game against Wisconsin.

Jack's Nana & Papa took him to the Childrens Museum for their Curious George exhibit.

Checking out the man in the yellow hat.

Picking out pumpkins.

Great weekend get-away. Ran into some old friends, tailgated with new ones. Always fun to go back.

Check out the link to the MSU band for pre-game doing the fight song:
MSU Fight Song

Art Prize - Grand Rapids

2010-09-25T15:56:00.001-04:00

Last year was the first year of Art Prize in Grand Rapids. It's a contest where artists display their work, people come check it out and then vote for the winner who gets $250k. We didn't make it last year but wanted to make sure we got downtown for this year's festival.

Carousel ride at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

John and Jack at the mastodon exhibit - or as Jack called them the mama and baby elephants.

Giant birds nest.

Jack signed the world's largest greeting card all by himself.

Giraffe sculptures.

Sand art with a cement ball that had leaf and fish pictures on it.

Lion ride on the carousel - ride #2.

Back of the horse-drawn rail road car.

Old time bike. Jack's big complaint - he couldn't reach the pedals. Yeah, no kidding.

Michigan Adventure

2010-09-12T17:10:00.000-04:00

Super warm and sunny day for the Gentex company outing at Michigan Adventure.

Weren't sure what to expect with Jack but he wanted to jump right on a roller coaster first thing. When we got done with the Big Dipper, he said "Can we find a bigger one to ride?"

Rode the two kiddie roller coasters, did bumper cars with the Pollack guys so Becky and I could ride the Thunderhawk roller coaster. Did the ferris wheel, the log ride and the train (and between those, several more trips on the Zack Zoom wooden roller coaster and the Big Dipper one).

Jack had a blast and wanted to know when we can go back. Totally our kid since we are big roller coaster fans too! Can't wait until next time.

Mackinaw Vacation

2010-08-24T18:33:00.000-04:00

Spent a few days up at Mackinaw. Had a great time. Check out some of our pictures from our trip.

First Tiger Game

2010-08-11T12:06:00.000-04:00

Pre-game party for the crowd from Northern Michigan.

Going into the park. Notice the apprehensive face. Not because of the big tigers, but because of the huge crowd of baseball fans.

Took 2 rides on the carousel. Once with me...

And once with his Nana.

So how do you keep a 4 year old with way-out-in-left-field seats occupied? Snacks and Dippin' Dots. Oh yeah, and cute tigers from the gift shop.

He made it through 6 innings, which was more than I thought we'd get.

Binder Park & Air Zoo

2010-08-02T08:29:00.000-04:00

Binder Park Zoo is located in Battle Creek, MI and is part of our Summer 2010 zoo tour extravanganza.

Zoo tram we took to the African section where Jack and I got to feed a giraffe. Got slimmed by a giraffe's tongue. Something I never imagined would happen to me in this lifetime.

Jack also got to ride an elephant.

Then we went to the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo where Jack went on a lot of the kiddie space rides and then he and I went on a hot air balloon ride. He LOVED it!

Jack's Up North Vacation

2010-07-25T16:11:00.000-04:00

Little Harry Potter?

Ain't nothing better that floating around on a sunny day.

Loving the boat rides.

Smores anyone?

Yep, we even let him drive.

Redford Art Festival.

The babysitters. Much appreciated by Jack and his parents!

Grand Rapids Children's Museum - Curious George

2010-07-07T12:43:00.000-04:00

Had to make a stop to give our buddy George a big hug.

Dangerous thought.

This is Jack's George doll that was mine (or Uncle Dave's) when we were little. They called in Vintage Knickerbocker 1982.

The doorman.

Allendale Fireworks

2010-07-04T15:02:00.000-04:00

Snacking before the fireworks. Waiting for dark.

Jack & Jake.

Great night. Clear sky. Warm weather.

Little pre-firework excitement with sparklers.

Jack's Last Swimming Class

2010-06-30T15:21:00.000-04:00

Kicking on their backs.

Using milk jugs to float.

Noodle helping with front facing kicking.

Going under with ring around the rosy.

Waiting in line to go down the slide.

Kicking with front floating weights.

Here's a link to Jack going down the slide into the pool:

Jack - Slide Video - You Tube

Jack LOVED his swimming lessons and is bummed they are done until next year. The teacher recommended that I swim with him and work on everything to keep him on track for next year. Good thing his mom likes swimming.

Driving Range

2010-06-29T19:40:00.000-04:00

Took Jack to the driving range. They were all ready for little tikes. Gave Jack his own bucket of colored balls to hit.

For not having hit a golf ball in over four years, I was pretty impressed with my hitting. A year ago, I would have made a reference to Tiger Woods, but...

Jack can't wait to go back.

University of Michigan Congenital Heart Reunion

2010-06-27T08:25:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went to a reunion party for kids born with congenital heart defects that the University of Michigan has treated. The weather was saying rain (and we did get a few little sprinkles for about 5 minutes) but it turned out to be a sunny day.

They had food, blow-up bouncy toys, visiting the petting zoo animals and Jack's favorites, putt-putt golf and riding through the orchard on the back of a fire truck. We ran into a couple of the nurses and doctors that treated Jack. The last time they saw him, he was only 18 months old, so they recognized John and me. They all said it was great to see Jack now and how great he's doing.

Father's Day Camping

2010-06-20T15:21:00.000-04:00

Campsite at Hopkins Creek State Campground. Notice the tarp. Weather guy predicted rain. Didn't see a drop.

John and Jack getting sticks ready for the big fire. Jack helped search in the woods to gather all the sticks too.

Roasting marshmallows.

Jack took us on quite a few hikes. Some more adventurous than others. Notice the "old man socks" as I lovingly refer to it when Jack decides to pull them up to his knees.

Happy Father's Day morning.

Last walk before we packed up to head home. Jack's favorite parts of camping - getting to pee outside and eating lots of marshmallows. Such a boy.

Gazebo and the Fish

2010-06-13T21:35:00.000-04:00

Friday I bought a new gazebo for our back deck. I've wanted something for a while and found a great one at a great price and snatched it right up. Friday afternoon I worked hard to put it together (a surprise for John when he got home) and except for a few small things, did it all by myself.

On a side note, we took Jack fishing today (first time) to get ready for camping this weekend since John plans to go fishing with Jack. He caught a fish on his second cast. Now the fish is not what you'd call a whopper, but it was really exciting. When I went to take their picture, Jack said "Smile fish." Cracked us up.

Toledo Zoo Trip

2010-06-12T09:56:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we went down to the Toledo Zoo (part of our Zoo Tour 2010). Jack really, really, really wanted to see the elephants (which we made 3 separate trips to see them).

Uncle Dave and Jack in the back seat watching Cars on the DVD players.

Jack with a picture of his very favorite animal of all time.

One of our return trips to see the elephants... again.

Waiting for Uncle Dave to finish checking out the polar bears.

Zoo Train through the Safari. Dave did not want to be photographed, but John took one anyway.

Memorial Day - Jam Packed

2010-05-31T11:31:00.000-04:00

John, Jack and I did new bark for the landscaping - which it really needed since we hadn't done bark in quite a few years.

John also put new clothes lines in the backyard.

We had John's parents over for BBQ on Saturday.

John and I also did stain and polyurethane our new table and chairs. The dining room is officially done.

Research Study that Jack Participated In

2010-05-30T14:03:00.002-04:00

University of Michigan - Research Study Article

Zoo Trip with Nana & Papa

2010-05-24T08:06:00.000-04:00

John Ball Park Zoo.

Waterfall.

Banging on the drums by the lion exhibit.

Aquarium exhibit.

Jack's First Baseball Game - West Michigan Whitecaps

2010-05-16T16:16:00.000-04:00

Super Max to the Rescue

2010-05-13T13:53:00.000-04:00

Max wearing Jack's Wonder Pets cape (Jack's home made birthday present). And what was he so intently focused on?

The female duck on top of the bird feeder and her partner in crime waddling beneath her.

Chicago Trip

2010-05-08T16:51:00.002-04:00

Preschool - Mom and Me Teddy Bear Picnic

2010-05-03T11:57:00.000-04:00

Today at Jack's preschool was a Mom & Me day. The kids sang songs with their teddy bears.

Then we had a little snack at the cute tables the kids decorated.

I've also included some videos on YouTube if you want to see the songs.

Jack YouTube Songs

Zoo Visit

2010-04-28T10:24:00.000-04:00

This year we got a family pass for our local zoo (which also lets us get discount/ free visits to other zoos). Since yesterday was sunny and around 60, Jack & I decided to check out the animals.

We saw the lions, monkeys, snakes and the bear (all of which Jack was a little too nervous to see last year). Good dry run for next week when we're in Chicago and the Lincoln Park Zoo.

April Pool Party at Nana & Papa's

2010-04-19T08:25:00.000-04:00

No bathing suit? No problem.

Masters Champion In Training

2010-04-12T09:02:00.000-04:00

Jack got golf clubs from his Grandma and Grandpa for his birthday. With Sunday being the final day at Augusta for the Masters Championship, Jack figured he'd get started on learning how to play.

Of course, his style was more hockey player (a.k.a. Happy Gilmore) but he started to get the hang of it after a little practice.

Easter Egg Colors

2010-04-03T11:33:00.000-04:00

Garden Gnomes

2010-04-02T19:49:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we had 4 yards of dirt delivered to expand our garden, since it was a 75 degree day in April and in Michigan you have to take advantage of those.

Keeping boys away from a big pile of dirt proved to be a little tough, but after John got home the boys set to work (including some neighborhood kids too). By Friday morning, all the dirt was back in the new expanded garden, ready for planting hopefully in May.

Spartan Final Four

2010-03-29T08:28:00.000-04:00

Big Spartan fans in this house. Last year for March Madness, I hung up MSU flag on the front porch and it didn't come down until after the championship (which MSU lost, but did amazing). So this year, it was back on our porch and MSU made it to the final four. Championship here we come!

Closet for a bed

2010-03-28T08:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Jack informed us he was going to sleep in his closet instead of his bed. To which John & I shrugged our shoulders and said "sure, whatever you want bud."

Jack's 4th Birthday Party

2010-03-26T08:09:00.000-04:00

Jack Turns 4 Today!

2010-03-20T08:58:00.000-04:00

Born March 20, 2006. He arrived around 10:30 at night weighing in at 7 1/2 pounds. John got to hold him before he was taken up to the ICU (and after he launched a pee stream that soaked not just his bed but the one next to him too).

First Birthday - Peter Rabbit Cake. Jack had just started crawling around this time and was into everything. We had lots of toys to keep him busy and they were scattered throughout the house. This was also the time we put gates on the stairs that garnered us dirty looks from the dogs who were used to free reign of the house.

Second Birthday - Celebrated in Detroit. This is the year Jack's blanket (or Baby) became a constant fixture, going everywhere with him. We were also monkey-crazy around the house with Curious George.

Third Birthday - Elmo Cake. (Jade looks very excited too.) During the summer Jack discovered his love of swinging, and my fear that he'll never learn to pump on his own so I will be a permanent fixture along with the swing set. Jack also started liking boat rides, whether up north with Nana & Papa or at Uncle Jeff & Aunt Debbie's cottage. He also went to his first MSU vs. NMU hockey game, his first parade, moved from his crib to the bunk beds John built, and started preschool.

Fourth Birthday - Wonder Pets Cake. Jack turns 4 today! We're hoping this year is lots of fun! Trip to Chicago. Swimming lessons. Warm Michigan summer (not like last year). Camping for the first time. Learning to ride a bike and pump on the swings. Four year old preschool. And I'm sure lots more adventures to come.

Happy Birthday Jack!

What do we do?

2010-03-09T15:54:00.000-05:00

Jack and I were reading a book yesterday about different jobs people have. I asked him the question from the book:

What does your daddy do?
Daddy makes pork (to which John added "really good pork"). Goes to meetings. Has lunch. Plays computer.

What does your mommy do?
Gives me lots of hugs and kisses.

That about sums it up.

Bye Bye Snow

2010-03-08T15:56:00.000-05:00

Jack suited up on Sunday since it was 50 and sunny outside. There's been a slow melting of the snow, but steady none the less. Of course, saying that has officially jinxed us so I expect a foot of snow to arrive any day.

Cardiology Appointment

2010-03-05T13:09:00.000-05:00

Today was Jack's 4 year cardiology appointment. Had John come along because entertaining and holding down a 4 year old for the 2 hours we were there can be pretty tricky and exhausting to everyone.

They checked all his stats, his pacemaker and did an echocardiogram.

About 2 1/2 years ago they put in a pacemaker because Jack had what they called heart-block. Basically one half of his hear would beat, but the other wouldn't get the signal to know it was time for that side to beat. The pacemaker he has was pacing for him 100% of the time because of this block.

Today, the cardiologist did a thorough analysis and found that when they turned his pacemaker off, his heart was beating normally during the brief period they tried it. Before he changes anything, he is going to get the approval from his pacemaker doctor in Ann Arbor, but the hope is that they could adjust it now so Jack's heart would beat a majority of the time on his own with his pacemaker only going when he needs it, which is better for Jack and extends the life of his pacemaker batteries. They told us when they installed the pacemaker, that his heart may "heal" itself. Hopefully that's just what it did.

Every other stat looked good including his blood pressure and his echo. Great appointment and we're glad to get another 6 months until our next visit.

Naptime in the Box

2010-02-24T15:15:00.000-05:00

So today for naptime I totally caved and let Jack sleep in his box. Happy as a clam.

Picasso's Feeling Better

2010-02-19T09:31:00.000-05:00

After a week of not feeling too well, Jack's energy really picked up today. He even wanted to do some painting, so we busted out the paints and brushes (or toothbrushes as Jack calls them). This is a picture of Jack spelling his name. Not too bad.

Remember Congenital Heart Defects on Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T11:38:00.000-05:00

February 14th kicks off Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. Take a moment to look at how far Jack's come in his journey.

Born March 20, 2006 at Mott Children's Hospital (University of Michigan).

First open heart surgery was 8 days later. Called the Norwood, it's the most risky of the three open heart surgeries Jack's had to repair his heart condition, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

After about 3 1/2 weeks in the hospital, Jack was able to come home. To avoid any chance of illness or infection, we kept him away from almost everyone which allowed for a healthy period before his next surgery.

The Hemi-fontan or Glenn surgery was performed in September of 2006. For that surgery, we spent a total of 6 days in the hospital and after coming home and recovering, Jack was finally ready to meet everyone.

For his last surgery, which included the Fontan procedure to complete his three-stage surgeries and the installation of a pacemaker, was done in September of 2007 and we spent about 6 weeks at U of M. His tubes, which drain the fluid around his lungs post surgery, kept draining and draining. Only after coming home and slowly weening him off his medications were we able to stop it completely.

So we passed the time with walks all over the hospital, both inside and out, logging countless miles on our stroller with the big orange flag. Good thing for our legs, everyone took a turn.

Jack's going to be 4 years old next month and hasn't had a stay in the hospital since his Fontan surgery over 2 years ago. While our life seemed consumed by his heart condition for the first 2 years of his life, it's something we rarely think about now. He's healthy, growing and doing all the things a normal 4 year old would do.

The question I'm most often asked is what does the future hold for him. My response is always the same, no one knows which is why we try to focus on enjoying every day we have together.

So on Valentine's Day take a moment to think about kids with hearts that weren't quite perfect who's laughter and smiles have filled the hearts of everyone around them.

Super Bowl Party (of 3) and Early Valentine's Day Present

2010-02-08T12:39:00.000-05:00

This was our super bowl party of 3. And for the record, I was the only one who stayed up to watch the ending. Good thing the team Jack & I were cheering for won!

For Valentine's Day John made me a holder for my necklaces and bracelets. I had to paint it, but it works great and minus labor was only around $5! Not the price but the thought that counts here.

Ann Arbor Childrens Museum

2010-02-06T09:23:00.000-05:00

Thursday we went to the Ann Arbor Childrens Museum to check out the Bob the Builder exhibit.

It was nice going during the week because it was not busy at all.

In fact, we were able to confiscate all the blocks to build a house using all the foamy blocks. A house complete with a tv and couch (per Jack's instructions).

Jake's Basketball Game

2010-02-02T14:10:00.000-05:00

Here's Jake taking one of his two free throw shots.

We also got to see Jake shoot a lay-up. His team won!

Jack had a lot more fun at this game and even yelled for Jake.

Wonder Pets Cake - TRIAL RUN

2010-01-30T12:37:00.001-05:00

Wonder Pets (Linny, Tuck & Ming Ming) with their fly-boat.

Jack told me he wanted a Wonder Pets cake (and anything else Wonder Pets I can get) for his birthday. Thought it best to do a trial run on the cake to make sure I can whip one up Ace of Cakes style.

Some minor changes for the big day, but all together, not too bad.

John Deere and Two Light Sabers

2010-01-17T21:19:00.001-05:00

True story:

Today Jack was playing with his Wonder Pets. (If you are saying to yourself "Self, what are Wonder Pets?" you need to be so thankful that you don't know the answer to that question. In case you're still wondering, they are three animals that save other animals and for some reason Jack LOVES them.)

Anyway. Jack was playing with the little houses that come with the Wonder Pets and having his fire engine drive up and rescue them, because that's what Wonder Pets do. Then he goes dashing up stairs and comes down with one of his plastic phones because he has to "call the fire department to come fix the truck."

Okay. At this point, John and I are doing our thing while he keeps playing. Then he races upstairs again and comes down with - get this - a John Deere baseball hat and two light sabers. John and I both try to stifle our laughter while he tells us he needed some tools to fix his fire engine.

So apparently "appropriate tools" to fix a fire truck requires wearing a John Deere hat and while holding two light sabers. Who knew? Gave us a good laugh.

Libby Playing Hoops

2010-01-16T17:42:00.000-05:00

We met up with the Maddox clan to watch Libby's basketball game. A little nostalgic for John since he remembered playing in that same gym. He mentioned something about an elbow in the eye and the wind knocked out of him one game.

Libby (33) had a great game. Their team lost, but not by much and there was even a 1/2 court shot that someone one her team made right before the half - just like the pros.

Snowman Art

2010-01-13T11:54:00.000-05:00

My kind of snowman. One where I don't need to be outside cold and wet to enjoy it.

Storytelling

2010-01-11T20:01:00.000-05:00

Since there haven't been any posts since Christmas, I thought I'd include something funny that we've been witnessing around the house lately.

Jack's Storytelling.

It usually starts out with something vague that came from no where, like a giant hamburger or Vikki's mitten. We have no idea who Vikki is by the way. Then it takes a turn into some adventure that ultimately ends on a farm or in a zoo. Every time. Not sure how the hamburger got to the zoo, but it did.

One of these days I'm going to write one down and probably make millions from the childrens book and subsequent Disney movie that will surely follow.

Wirth Family Christmas

2009-12-26T13:48:00.000-05:00

Playing Leapster Games.

Play Dough Burger Time - Creating a Delicious Meal for Uncle Dave.

Lego Building.

Opening Presents.

Jack's 3 Year Old Christmas Program

2009-12-16T13:32:00.000-05:00

Check out the two links to some selections from Jack's 3 year old preschool Christmas program.

Jack Jumping & Singing

Jack Clicking Sticks

Hello Suzie Homemaker

2009-12-14T15:27:00.000-05:00

My name's not Suzie, but I did make and decorate cookies for Jack's preschool Christmas party like a good homemaker. I thought they turned out pretty good, so hence... the picture.

Ostreko Family Christmas

2009-12-13T17:27:00.000-05:00

Jack got a Leapster and accessories for it. For those of you who don't know (like I didn't before Jack) it's like a Game Boy.

He also got a Curious George game - off list - that the Maddox's knew would be a hit.

And a sled for the winters in Michigan.

Yeah. All that stuff is Jack's loot.

Uncle Jeff's Aunt Eileen sent along a hat from the Canadian Olympics that will be in Vancouver next year. Little big, but a total collector's hat he'll have for a long time.

Uncle Dave Visit

2009-12-11T09:25:00.000-05:00

Uncle Dave came by for a few days to visit during our blizzard. He was even nice enough to snow blow our drive while he was here.

Jack and I were nice enough to take Dave shopping and had to stop off at the play area so Jack could Superman down the slide.

Who would have thought driving in the car could be so much fun.

Pizza Night

2009-12-06T19:33:00.001-05:00

Tonight we did homemade pizzas. Fresh dough, our own toppings. Here's the sausage pizza that Jack made all by himself...

when he wasn't eating the cheese or the sausages.

John made a duplicate of the California Pizza Kitchen Jerk Chicken pizza that rocked!

Snowball Fight!

2009-12-04T13:39:00.000-05:00

We only got a few inches, but it was great packing snow for snowballs.

So we bundled up (Jack in his snowmobile suit handed down from his cousin Dylan) and headed outside.

And it wasn't just us out there. Our neighbor's brought over snowball makers and we had quite a time (adults and kids included).

Happy Thanksgiving Part II

2009-12-03T08:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T14:46:00.000-05:00

Jack's 3 Year Old Preschool Class Picture

2009-11-24T08:19:00.000-05:00

Happy 10th Anniversary

2009-11-21T08:34:00.000-05:00

Highlights from the Last 10 Years

What was 1999 like?
Gas was under $1
Cher had the #1 song with "Believe"
The Matrix was in Theaters
Courtney Cox & David Arquette Married (of course so did Reese Whitherspoon & Ryan Philippe)
Y2K Dominated the Media
Detroit's Tiger Stadium Closes
The "dot.com" Bubble was in Full Swing

Raking the Last of the Leave

2009-11-12T15:22:00.002-05:00

Raking up the last of the leaves in the front yard.

Helping John gather the leaves that found their way into our neighbor's yard.

Happy Birthday to Max!

2009-11-05T08:45:00.003-05:00

This is the first night we brought little Max home with us. Jade wasn't too sure about him, but he took to her right away.

How cute is he?

Jade was supposed to be my dog, but turned out to serve only one master (John) so I had to settle for Max. Works out since Max and I have more similar personalities, just like John and Jade do. Strange.

Finally got a retriever with Max. He loves playing fetch and will do it for hours.

Whether rain, snow, cold, heat, water or land. Max never fails to get his kong.

Happy 6th Birthday, Max!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T19:28:00.004-04:00

Jack was Curious George this year. He was a little so-so about going out trick-or-treating before we got going.

That lasted for about 3 houses until he made the connection between trick-or-treating and candy. We did almost our entire neighborhood and Jack came home with a bucket full of candy.

Good thing we were bundled up too (with mittens right in the costume) because it was a little chilly, especially since I dressed for doing about 5 houses not our whole neighborhood.

Hawaii Vacation

2009-10-28T09:02:00.002-04:00

Curious George Live!

2009-10-17T17:15:00.002-04:00

Fox Theater - Getting ready for the show.

Lobby of the Fox. Lots of kids brought their Curious George dolls.

Intermission - blowing off steam.

Georgetown Township Fire Station Open House

2009-10-08T19:09:00.002-04:00

Jack and I in the back of the fire engine waving to John.

Paramedic truck.

Jack flying solo in the back of the other fire engine.

Checking out another engine before we left.

Georgetown fire station and the ladder from one of the trucks. They were also cutting apart a car while we were there (got video) which was pretty cool.

Post Family Farm

2009-10-05T19:13:00.003-04:00

John and Jack on the hayride out to the pumpkin patch. We went with our friends, the Pollack's (Chris, Becky, Jacob & Lucas).

The kids could sit on the tractor if they wanted. Jack thought it was super cool.

Jack and I on the hayride back with our $5 bag of pumpkins. And yes, we know. Our coats match. Spartan fans.

These were pulled behind a riding lawn mower. It was packed. Jack and one other kid in the long train of barrels.

The kids spent the most time on the straw patch. Jumping, climbing and of course throwing straw at each other.

Critter Barn at the Zeeland Pumpkin Festival

2009-10-02T18:20:00.002-04:00

Petting one of the little bunnies. And no matter what John says, I didn't drop the bunny. He jumped out of my hand.

After about 10 minutes we got Jack to get down and pet the bunnies.

Then he didn't want to leave.

Zeeland pumpkin festival weekend. Rain. Cold. Lots of pumpkins.

Their theme was story time so we had Jack pose as the Cat in the Hat.

Happy Birthday to John

2009-10-01T18:39:00.003-04:00

John's Winnie the Pooh cake (and just so you know, he turned 36 today).

John and his master cake builder and mom's assistant.

Blowing out the candles.

Uncle Dave Comes for a Visit

2009-09-27T12:02:00.003-04:00

We all tried the jump ropes at the playground. And we all looked good.

Jack and his mates.

Rolling around on a basketball just for fun. Ahh, to be 3 again.

Slides, slides and more slide.

Playroom tents where imaginations run wild.

Jack's Artwork

2009-09-22T08:54:00.002-04:00

John and I were pretty impressed that (on his own) Jack stuck on the eyes, drew a nose and mouth and put his heart sticker all in the right spot. Not bad.

Jack's First Day of Preschool

2009-09-16T13:20:00.003-04:00

Jack all ready for his first day of 3 year old preschool.

Monday and Wednesday at Georgetown Christian Preschool.

Jack standing by his cubby hole that holds all hist stuff for the day.

New Car Got its First Bath

2009-09-13T13:27:00.004-04:00

So this is the rusted out bottom of John's 1998 Ford Taurus. The whole reason we bought the new car. This didn't qualify as a clunker either. Can you believe that?

So this is the new Honda Civic we purchased.

Today the boys decided to give their cars a bath. Jack handled his car, John did his.

Jack scrubbing the top of his car with his purple sponge.

John spraying of his shiny new car. You may be asking, how did he dry it. Leaf blower!

And just because it felt right, we gave Max and Jade (who refused to be photographed) a bath too.

Happy Birthday Katie

2009-09-12T08:34:00.003-04:00

Out with Beth & Chris in East Lansing for my birthday.

Dinner at BW3's.

Thought I'd include at least one baby photo since I embarrassed John with these for his birthday last year. Check out Jack's pictures. See, looks nothing like me.

Smurf birthday party. I think I was 6.

Art, Sue & Jeff Came for a Visit

2009-08-14T11:24:00.002-04:00

Coast Guard Festival

2009-08-02T20:06:00.002-04:00

Grand Haven, MI

Taste of Grand Rapids

2009-07-26T08:23:00.002-04:00

By the afternoon, the sun came out and it started to warm up.

They had a kids tent where Jack made an animal mask.

Big boxes of markers and crayons.

When we asked Jack what he wanted from the booths, he replied with pizza and ice cream.

Vacation Up North at the Cottage with Nana & Papa

2009-07-10T22:43:00.002-04:00

Cherry Picking with Grandma & Grandpa

2009-07-03T14:09:00.004-04:00

Grandma brought Jack his own bucket for picking cherries.

Jack had lots of fun picking some juicy red cherries from the lower branches.

He even decided to eat a few.

Yes, slip & slides are still around

2009-06-27T17:10:00.002-04:00

And for the record, John went down too, I just don't have video of that, but the image will be forever burned into my brain.

3 going on 16

2009-06-22T17:52:00.004-04:00

Dylan was nice enough to offer up his set of wheels. A cool one-person Jeep for Jack to drive around the neighborhood.

He's still getting the hang of it, but it's been lots of learning fun. Probably what he'll look like in 13 years when he starts taking to the actual road with a set of wheels.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-22T07:29:00.003-04:00

We figured early on Jack was going to have to be a water kid, between his Nana & Papa's cottage, the Maddox cottage and his cousins Dylan and Holly's house. Water everywhere.

We use the backpack quite a bit to take Jack to some fun places like the zoo, on hikes and to the Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven.

Like looking at a mini-version of John, huh?

Jack always loved a good snuggle when he was a tiny tot.

This is their first picture together. Where am I you may be asking? Knocked out in the other room. They let John hold Jack before they hooked him up to everything but after he shoot pee on his bed and the one next to him. My kid had great aim from day one.

Big Trees Falling Down

2009-06-16T21:46:00.004-04:00

Here's your where's waldo moment to try and see the tree cutter hanging by ropes. Of course he was dressed in green so he could hide.

Here's the biggest branches that covered most of our yard after they were done. John's there as a scale to show you how big it was.

Our neighbor (Mr. Joe as Jack calls him) came over to work the chain saw so John and I could schlep wood back to the woods. Huge help. Most valued employee.

With only two big logs to take care of, we let Jack wander back so I could snap a picture of him. What a cutie.

Visit to Detroit

2009-06-13T08:21:00.003-04:00

Jack and I took a visit to Detroit to visit his Nana & Papa and my friend Miss Beth and her boys Alex and Andrew. Check out some of the pictures.

Jack & Papa at the Detroit Zoo.

Jack & Nana by the Elephant Statue at the Detroit Zoo.

Playing at the Playground.

Jack & Alex at the Playground.

Jack and GG before Bedtime.

Jade's 8th Birthday!

2009-05-26T15:05:00.004-04:00

Doesn't Jade just look thrilled that we dressed her up like a pumpkin to match Jack's first Halloween costume?

Of our two dogs, Jade is definitely the kisser of the bunch.

Pre-Max and pre-Jack we took Jade backpacking with us. She carried her own pack with bowls and food. Except for a thunder storm one night, she would zonk out like the rest of us.

With that big pink tongue, she is always read to head off for a walk.

Jade turns 8 today. Hard to believe we've had our puppy for that long.

Up North at the Maddox Cottage

2009-05-24T20:25:00.002-04:00

Notice Max with his kong and Jade doing her best to become a sand monster.

Kinda like Forrest Gump. A boy and his dad going fishing.

Taking a spin on Uncle Jeff's boat. Sweet ride.

Jack got to see swans and geese on the trip. Loved it.

And this is Jade, sand monster. Yes that is sand all over her face. AHH.

Jack spent almost the entire day in the water and on the beach. Except for the boat rides and dinner he was pretty much a sandy mess the entire time. He complemented Jade and Max, who were there to witness Bernie learn how to swim. Needless to say, everyone was zonked by bedtime.

Jack's New Bunk Bed... and New Bedroom

2009-05-23T11:42:00.004-04:00

Jack's birthday present (2 months later) was finally finished. Instead of painting over Jack's bedroom, we decided to move him into the front bedroom. Surprisingly, it seems he has more room in both his new bedroom and new playroom. Now we have to finish the curtains, hang a few pictures and his room will be all done.

Bedtime Pals

2009-05-21T09:08:00.004-04:00

This is what I witnessed when I went to get Jack up from his nap yesterday.

Tulip Festival & Meijer Gardens

2009-05-12T20:16:00.003-04:00

We had some visitors this week. Jack's Nana, Papa and GG (Great Grandma) came over for a visit and we showed off W. Michigan's flowers in bloom.

Late Night Snack

2009-05-05T07:45:00.003-04:00

Last night Jack and his buddy Jake (from next door) decided to share a pre-bedtime snack on Jack's picnic table, the place where Jack would eat all his meals if his mom would let him.

Uncle Dave comes for a visit

2009-05-03T14:28:00.002-04:00

You know what that means... lots of great pictures. (And John got the bunk beds done too. All we have to do now is some painting. Yipee!!)

Dishwasher reporting for duty

2009-04-25T07:36:00.003-04:00

That's right. Jack helps with the dishes. Even volunteers and gets a little upset if we don't let him help. Of course, he is the child of two parents who worked in the MSU cafeteria doing dishes. Guess it was in his blood.

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-11T17:29:00.003-04:00

Started - 10:00.
Ended - 10:01.
Total eggs collected - 2