Pure Michigan

These Michigan ads are killing me. KILLING me. I can't wait until summer! These, people, are hitting me right here {hand on heart} , kind of like those Mormon commercials!

My favorites: Simple Sunrise, Lost & Found, Pure Michigan Backyard, Waters of Pure Michigan, The Potential of Water, Treasure, The Nature of Trees (scroll down quite a ways)

How 'bout you, Heidi, are these ads killing you??

Conversation While Purchasing Groceries

At Christmas, Joseph and I gave our kids a coupon for new art supplies. I was taking down orders the other day and Elijah mentioned wanting a ruler. Since rulers are less than a dollar, I decided to get four. I went to Meijer yesterday evening to pick up some of the art supplies and also some food. While I was checking out, I had a conversation with the store clerk:

Clerk: Are you a teacher?
Me: Pardon?
Clerk: Are you a teacher?
Me: Nope. My kids just all want their own ruler. It's easier than sharing.
Clerk: You have four kids?
Me: No, I have five kids.
Clerk: Oooh, I feel sorry for you!
Me: Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Clerk: No.
Me: So, you were an only child.
Clerk: Pretty much......and I have one kid.
Me: Oh? How old?
Clerk (raises one finger)
Me: Oh! I LOVE one year olds.
Clerk: I hate one year olds.
Me: Boy or girl? How many months?
Clerk: Boy. 18 months.
Me: You'd better enjoy it now, it gets harder later.
Clerk: Don't even tell me that........he can only say one word, "Mama."
Me: That's normal for boys, they talk later than girls.
Clerk: Oh, I thought he should surely be saying more by now.
Me: Well, it is true that it's hard going from having no children to having one. It's hard to get used to.

Clerk agreed.

The end.

I can't get that little boy off my mind.

Lake Michigan in the Winter

I actually took these photos over Christmas break which feels like eons ago. I had never been over to the lake during the winter and still want to make it back when there's more ice sometime. I never realized that fences are put up to keep the sand on the beaches. I didn't walk out there, but the ice was covered with sand and it looked really strange.

This was in St. Joseph. We had a fun day at the Children's Museum and just drove by the beach right before we headed back home.

Brigham-isms

We've had the humidifier out in the living room for the last week. It's been a constant sleep-over party for all the sick kids who either can't make it to their beds or need the humidified air to sleep. Brigham has been putting little things into the spout of the humidifier. Last night, Nathan and I pulled out a LENTIL that had sprouted! Nathan asks, "Can I eat this?"

About a week ago, I told Brigham that I was going to go get his P.J.' s to get him dressed for bed. He told me that he wanted his car J's, his truck J's and his stop and go J's. (These particular pajamas have cars and truck and stop lights.). We had a good laugh and now Joseph says, "Considering those other kinds of J's, what are P.J.'s?"

Having slept with me in my bed for about the first year of his life, Brigham still shows up at my bedside at unreasonable hours wanting to sleep with me. He's very wiggly and recently, instead of trying to stay in bed with him, I just tuck him in beside Joseph and wander down the hall to the couch. About two weeks ago, I went through this ritual and just a few moments later, I heard the little feet running down the hall. Then a friendly happy face peered around the edge of the couch followed by, "Oh! There you are!"

Brigham can get the most fun and laughter out of a marble. He throws it over and over at the wall, across the room etc. and then bursts out with peels of laughter. Good thing he's kid number 5. The others wouldn't have gotten away with it. Oh, the leniency!

I've recently had to start putting Brigham in time-out for throwing things (NOT marbles. Oh, the consistency!). I've discovered that his face looks very cute when it's sad, but that he DOES NOT appreciate me telling him that.