Fox 17 Morning Mom update...Izzo

On May 11th, Fox 17 sent us out to see Izzo Does Broadway.

It was my very first time going to any sort of Broadway show. Ever. I have always wanted to go. I have even watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and write down what shows I would like to go to. Really. Pitiful but really.

In school I was in a play. Once. It was fun.

And I have serious stage fright.

But I still had fun.

So I was ecstatic to go. Hubby, not so much. As in, not at all. The only saving grace was that it was dealing with a VERY good coach so it must not be too bad.

We found out seat easily enough. I was enthralled with the sights. Truly felt like a country mouse visiting the city mouse. Everything was beautiful. The women's jackets were beautiful! That's when I thought perhaps I should think about shopping more often than when just necessity dictates style. The walls change color while you wait. The building is just beautiful.

Intoxicating.

We sat seven rows from the stage. We sat in and amongst people we have seen in papers and on the news and who have buildings named after them. Hubby was rethinking wearing jeans.

But the show began and I laughed and laughed and was awestruck and amazed and laughed some more and blown away and I really want to learn to tap dance.

Hubby seen me drinking it all in and knew I was hooked. And that there was no turning back for me.

I also have decided that I am a staunch MSU fan and they have the cutest clothes ever and I so need to find some. Somewhere. Like the girls green t's and the adorable jackets. Hubby thought the Cheer teams outfits were a little more the style he thought I should invest in, ha! Ha!

After the show, we were invited up to the VIP room. I was thrilled at the idea. I had visions of the show Commander in Chief or something like that where they show the press room all the time. I couldn't wait to see the journalist in action.

Except that isn't what we found at all.

It was an ornately decorated room. Beautiful flowers cascading in vases. Green "S" on white carnations. Who's who of who we just had sat near.

I couldn't hardly take it all in.

Hubby was thrilled because there were tables laden with food. There were servers carrying food to us. It was amazing.

The light wasn't so great though so this is the only shot of me that sorta kinda turned out.

Even in the dimness, you can see Hubby's total delight at all the food. Literally, he ate all the desserts of his favorite kind off one server's tray! I think they sorta got a kick out of him!

It was a beautiful night. I could not stop beaming the entire night long. Fox 17 couldn't have been nicer to us. Or spoiled us more! Thank you ever so much!

(and Hubby, I snagged next years calendar, maybe, pretty please, I could go back???? )

Bay Pointe

For the Morning Mom at Fox 17, they surprised me and sent us all to Bay Pointe for a yummy Mother's Day brunch. We have never taken the boys to eat there that they remember...we went once with friends back when they FIRST opened, YEARS ago. I wasn't sure what they would do, really, and when Mike mentioned video any "food fights", S2's eyes lit up and he was ready to throw some food. I gave him the sternest look I could pull off and informed him that would NOT be happening.

Getting ready to go, S4 wanted to know if there would be a big wall with a sign to pick out the food, like at McDonald's. Because other than an occasional trip to McD's, we only ever get pizza (which we pick up and take home) so going out to eat is a BIG deal, an unknown adventure. An adventure they weren't sure they wanted to take when they found out they couldn't even wear their hats in to the restaurant. Which is like going naked to a boy, you understand. S4 tried to make up for it.....

The food was scrumptious. They had this HUGE beautiful display of fruit that the boys just loved, especially S3 and S4. Hubby had me grin for the camera and while I am not crazy over me in the picture, S4 is totally cracking me up in this picture. He would literally stuff the whole strawberry in his mouth.

Hubby loved the Prime Rib. He finally asked the chef to cut him a piece like he would cut for himself. By the time we left, Hubby and the Chef we laughing with each other.

This is a view from the back of the restaurant. Beautiful beautiful beautiful! The boys loved running around the grassy area, I really felt it was too cold to be running around outside (it was so cold our asparagus froze). S1 studied the docks and decided that really, this would be a great place to go fishing. And he was really bummed to think I made him take all those nasty dead baked worms and fishing poles out of the back of the suburban!

Here is a fun bit of history for you...Bay Pointe used to be this blue mansion of a house with a stone wrapped porch and a ton of history and photos of grand get togethers. It was once a restaurant that Chicago natives would drive to just to experience. They attempted to keep the house as 'house like' as possible and still have a it a find dining restaurant. In high school I worked there, it was a winter bit and I loved watching people interact. I am a big people watcher. On my first night there I had to go on break and not knowing what to do with myself, I went out the back door and decided to eat the hot roll with raspberry dressing (my Bay Pointe favorite) at the dock. Since it was a nice fall evening, I slipped off my shoes and let my toes dangle in the water just drinking in the beauty of it all and wishing I could see into the past to see the grand parties once held there. As I was getting up to go back to work, I somehow managed to drop my shoe in the water. Quickly I fished it out but I had a wet shoe for the rest of the night. Never ever ever ever did it cross my mind that one day, they would tear that old beautiful house down, they would build a beautiful resort, I would be sent there on assignment from my favorite local news station and my boys would run down the same yard I had once been in on Mothers Day.

The thought gives me goosebumps.

This, THIS, is the strawberry shortcake, which isn't really strawberry shortcake but strawberry cake. The cake was soaked in something and the cream was flavored like something and the strawberry was like a gel. Pioneer Woman I am not but this cake was WONDERFUL !!!! Somehow they accidentally gave me the house specialty coffee which was cinnamon hazelnut. If they had asked me if I wanted that coffee, I would have wrinkled up my nose and said "No, thank you!" But I loved it! And I just love drinking coffee out of fancy cups and saucers, don't you? You just have to raise your pinky when sipping the wonderful aroma-ed coffee!

Here is our happy family and our wonderful waiter, Mitchell. He was great. My coffee cup was never empty so he will always be tops in my book! The entire staff at Bay Pointe was generous and kind. They kept our boys well fed, they joked and took pictures. I felt a little bad for the rest of the diners, here we are videoing and snapping flash bright photos the whole time we were there. They were nothing but wonderful though, and I truly cannot thank Marc Jacobs and his staff or Fox 17 enough for a wonderful, memorable Mother's Day. Mitchell, I hope you seen yourself on the news!

Frogs, Mud, Dirty Floors and Happy Kiddos

Sometimes people wonder how our house can be so dirty, how the floors can have piles of dirt, how I could possibly have so much laundry. It is for these people I must post this blog entry.

Last week, on a warm day, two friends came home with us from school. Pulling into the driveway, the kindergartner boy yelled out "PARADISE!!!!!!"

Before I had gotten my purse, phone and coffee from the suburban, all six kids were already out of the suburban and running around the yard. It wasn't long before they came back into the house to show me their great finds.....

And isn't this a great picture? Can't you just see all the fun they have been having?

Yup, I am pretty sure that the little girl in this picture is having a blast with those frogs. I really love how this little girl loves frogs and her moma, well, she does NOT.

Yes, we all must admit that is a great looking frog!

And when they all filed back out of the house, this is what the floor looked like where they had been standing.

The day before, we had another little girl visiting us for the day. Somehow or another, they felt that their toes had gotten too dirty so I told them to wash them off with the hose. It was a bit of time later that I realized the hose was still running.

They were cleaner when just their toes were dirty. That is a lot of mud they so lovingly spread over the slide.

But look at their faces? How can you not love all that muddy fun?

We Were Attacked by Bats (sorta)

Today we had a field trip with S3's class. We were headed out to an outdoor nature center. And S3 has had a countdown for DAYS.

Today it rained. Well, poured really. And there was much thunder and flashes of lightening. Did I mention the OUTDOOR part of this nature center?

There was an indoor part and it was cool, the kids could pet snakes and really, how cool is that? But after eating lunch on the floor of the center, the sun made an appearance and so we headed out the "the barn".

Upon traisping thru the tall grass past gardens that would have been fun to explore, we arrived at a barn. When we got into the barn we heard a weird chirping sound. And there was, in this immaculately clean barn, poop stains on the floor. So us moms, wondering what it was we should be avoiding, looked up. And there we seen a large writhing mess of BATS.

Bats that were squeaking.

Moms plastered themselves to the far walls. Dads laughed and started telling bat stories of their youth. Kids sat down on carpet squares to hear stories about a Farmer (when most of them are on a farm or near a farm already) and the nature center workers in charge gave us moms the stink eye for making a big deal over the bats. "They stay up there all the time, they aren't a problem at all" the girl informed us.

So, moms did what moms do in such situations. We took pictures with the zoom of our camera. KE, the kids wonderful teacher and my beach bum friend, kept a sharp eye on the bats and another on the kids. We teased her they could fly for her and she informed us that if they flew at her she would be out of there.

Two more friends I was there with thought it would be funny that as KE was leaving the barn, we would tell her they were flying around. They laughed at their brilliance of the schemed plan.

Until the squeaking got louder and suddenly a bat really did start flying...and heading right in our direction.

Moms were screaming and plastered to the wall. Dads were on the other side of the barn nearly doubled over with laughter. Kids turned with wide eyes toward their mothers who protect them at all times as we hit the deck.

The bus driver has it all on camera. If it shows up on youtube, you will be sure I will be uploading it.

The young nature center employee girl was dumbfounded, we could tell, and scared, and she was the one who had to take care of it since it had just landed with a plop on the poop stained floor. She left to get a towel so all of us moms headed over to snap more pictures. The kids could not concentrate on the story and while they did settle down to hear the rest, they kept looking back at us.

A dad ended up getting the baby bat scooped up in a towel and putting it on the side of the barn beam so it could begin crawling back to the writhing mess of them.

All settled down. Until the bats started this screeching and squeaking thing again. Every mom's eyes looked up. We watched above our heads as the guide assured it was just a fluke and that they never flew around like that when...

One let go and started flying around the barn.

You have never seen a barn move and empty out so fast ever!

So S3 and I celebrated our field trip survival with coffee. Yum yum and fun fun!

Flip Flops for S4

This morning as I sat on my couch before we were headed to school, I thought how boring my mornings have been lately. I find this peaceful, and a little frightening. At any moment, I think total chaos will reign. And I fear it will be when I am skyping to Fox. That would just about figure.

But my morning wasn't slow forever. We had to find shoes. And when I say we needed to find shoes I mean we had to find the shoes of EVERYONE before we could leave. I mean, really, how hard is it to remember where you left them? It should be simple.

Should is a key word.

My sister tells us all that we should just take care of something in the first place and how wonderful our life would be if we would. That is the reason I have my sister come help me clean. I mean, I think her theory is GREAT, it's just that I can't usually put things back where they belong because those places always seem to be piled with laundry or I have to put them some great hiding place so Sadie doesn't find them and chew them to smithereens instead of her Kongs or chew bones.

Anyhow, this is the the story I have for you. It's a lead in. I just had to mention how wonderful my sister is and how complete opposites we are. Back to the shoe story.

Well, S4's favorite fast running crocs that were really too small for him got chewed up last night. It was tragic for him but just meant that I was finally forced to go to to town to get supplies I desperately needed but had been putting off (like a vacuum, since mine broke. And that makes me further believe that carpet is part of the curse. I mean, who thought inventing carpet would be a brilliant idea for a family of boys on a farm? Moving on...). And besides, he had is super cool can't run in them at all Lightning McQueen flip flops we had JUST purchased.

Except, those broke.

And that made me mad. Some great mom I am.

This is why it made me as mad as it did...

We just bought them. And that was a process.

S4 is the hugest fan ever of Lightening McQueen in the movie Cars. He loves Cars. He loves it so much we are on our second DVD of it because he literally wore the first one out. For some reason this spring, he decided he wanted to get some Lightening McQueen FLIP FLOPS. He has never had flip flops before but he was not about to budge on this. When we were at Walmart, we seen the flip flops, they were five dollars and I was thrilled (really, that giddy feeling you get) to have found the EXACT thing he wanted and get it for him. What fun! Even better, they were the LAST ones in his size.

When I went to check out, we soon realized that they were also the flip flops with no bar codes on them. The lady checking us out flicked on her light giving me evil glares from the five other people behind me in the only two lanes open. When she had run all my items through, no one had shown yet so I suggested she end my order and would she mind if I ran the flip flops over to the customer service desk to pay for them instead of making everyone wait. The flustered woman agreed.

So, I gathered up the steam needed to push a grocery cart full of bagged groceries and dog food and arrived at the customer service desk where I waited patiently with no sighs of irritation for their friendly conversation to end so they could get back to their job with the only customer at the counter....and then I explained where the shoes are and if I could get a bar code so I could buy them. She looked toward the back of the store. I could tell she didn't want to go back there. "Maybe I can find someone back there if I call....." she began.

Good grief! I could SEE the flip flops! So I suggested she watch the cart, I grabbed S3 and S4 by the hand (the other two were at school) and ran to the back of the store, grabbed the flip flops and ran back. "Wow" the customer service person said, "that was fast."

So she rang them up. I paid my five dollars plus tax for the shoes and left. But the grin on S4's face was worth it. His elation at wearing them was joyful for me.

When they broke.....well, now you know why I was mad.

And since you see the smile on S4's face, you know I will probably try to find another pair.

New Morning Mom Updates

I am typing this blog to you all on my new MacBook Pro wide screen notebook. My fingers are on the keys and I still cannot believe it is really truly fully mine.

And, to those of you following for awhile, you realize that my computer had died a painful death of virus eating disease and left us. My wonderful hubby had purchased me a little notebook and our thought is when we got around to getting a computer we would. But when does one get around to such things when life is happening at such a fast pace around you?

I am overwhelmed.

When the vehicle with FOX 17 pulled in, I was stunned. They really had truly shown up. Before they had arrived I had cleaned the house like a mad woman with my mom, who had graciously loaned me her vacuum. I had been sure that leading up to the news' arrival, the washing machine was going to explode, the dryer was going to start on fire, the refrigerator would die, the pipes would burst...you know, Murphy's Law and all? But it was only my vacuum and while I may morn the loss, my mom could easily help with that 'catastrophe'.

AS was just as sweet as sweet as can be. She greeted me with a hug and while I may have been suddenly scared and nervous and frightened I would sound hillbilly foolish, she was as kind as any one could be and I am so holding her to making jam together later in the season. Because making jam with friends is much more fun than making jam alone...and friends I do believe we have become!

Tech Guy D was as funny and laid back and unworried about no high speed and I am confident in his tech abilities. I have no doubt that later this week I will be filling you in how for the very first time in my life I have high speed. I have that much confidence in Tech Guy D.

They wanted to get some video footage of the house and me in my 'element'. I went to show them around like a little country girl tour guide but as soon as we left my cozy dining room where I spend any visiting time anyhow, I suddenly froze. The bedroom was unmade and still had piles of laundry. The upstairs was scary. I abruptly suggested we head outside. We wandered to the asparagus patch, I rattled on and on and on and on. When nervous, stressed, happy, sad, overcome with any emotion good or bad, or eating anything as spicy as ketchup...I get all red and blotchy looking. If I so much as think "I hope I am not red and blotchy" I will get red and blotchy. I am sure Tech Guy D videoed my red blotches. I am confident AS was the sweetest to not even so much as mention it. I am forevermore thankful I just get to call in for the first 'morning mom update' so I can hopefully feel much more at ease for the day I go "live". Do not be shocked to see me in a turtle neck....

I know I was screaming red and blotchy the whole afternoon.

And they still decided to keep me as morning mom. I forewarned them the chaos of some mornings and they still laughed with me without thinking us insane. My dogs nearly plowed them over and then loved all over them. People showed up to buy asparagus, looked oddly at the news vehicle, glanced nervously at us, and still bought asparagus and went on their way never saying a word or asking a question. Funny stuff.

So my new friends went on their way, I came back into the house where S4 had long since given up on us and fell soundly asleep UNDER the dining room table, seen the computer and just cried. I was so overwhelmed with thankfulness.

I called my hubby to share in the moment. Sniffing and wiping my eyes he let me ramble on until he said "honey, that is great and all, but have you checked the asparagus? Did you get any picked? Hows it selling?" So I shucked off my nice clothes for old shorts and a tank and headed back to reality, my smile unerasable.

Winning Morning Mom

Recently, my most ever favorite news announced they were looking for a Morning Mom to correspond with. Now, since I think they are the greatest and feel like they are really friends of mine thanks to facebook, I thought “Hey, it'd be fun just to try!” So, since Hubby was working nights and was home in the morning to film, we made a little video and sent it in.

Knowing me by now, you realize that when making the video, I had shoved all laundry into other rooms of the house, deleted the videos we tried when Sadie decided to bark at the cat and so on and so forth. You all KNOW about our hectic school mornings.

Hubby, after we had sent the video off, looked at me and said “you know, for a girl who doesn't like to talk to strangers and rather be home than anywhere else, I think you've done a good thing here. I think your time on facebook was well spent on this. And I am really proud of you for going out of your comfort zone on this.”

The boys and I circled the date when we heard they were announcing the winner and went on our merry little way.

Until Friday afternoon.

Friday was the day the asparagus came up. Fast. I spent all morning picking it, running it to the house, weighing it out and heading back to the field. Friday was also the day I was suffering from a cold and felt I could not breathe. Friday was also the day that I had to be to school by 1:30 so I could watch one of my favorite little boys (who isn't even mine!) win student of the month. I also had little MC with me so he could have an all day long play date with S4. Friday was ALSO the day that we were celebrating S2's birthday and since it was 82 degrees (thus the reason the asparagus was growing like, well, asparagus) my Dad suggested we have a campfire. Why not?

So, at three in the afternoon I pulled out of the school with SIX boys in the suburban. Spirits were high since IM was spending the night for the birthday party. MC was giddy to think I had asked his mom to the campfire too. Buck Howdy was blaring from the radio as we rolled into town to get the now famous RED WING birthday cake (no birthday is complete, in S2's mind, without a Red Wing cake).

As we were leaving the gas station where S1 was shocked I had put 40 dollars of gas in a suburban and S3 was crying because he hadn't washed the windows and I was assuring him we would, in fact, be back to the gas station again, this week in fact and S4 and MC were trying to do the Chicken Dance while still buckled into the suburban I seen I had a missed call.
When it showed no number, I figured it must be for the rental we are trying to rent so I called my voice mail not really listening too carefully as I had one boy's hand in mine, one boy's hand in my pocket and was hollering at four others to watch for cars as we headed into the store to get the cake.

“Hello, this is C from Fox 17”.....my heart skipped a beat.....”we are calling you about the Morning Mom contest”.....I am pretty sure I quit breathing here"....."and would really appreciate a call back before five.” I was floating.

“Its FOX 17!” I squealed. All my boys nearly fell over, in fact, S3 might have. The other two looked at us like we were crazy. But then again, we started acting crazy. Standing in front of the grocery store so we kept setting off the doors but not entering, we were jumping up and down and squealing and laughing as the doors opened and shut on us.

“Did you win?” S1 wanted to know.

“I don't know! We have to call back.” It took us five tries with four boys trying to all write the number down and getting four different numbers for me to decide, finally, I should just call from home.

We got the cake and party supplies and lots of stares from all the people in the store. When we got back into the suburban, I called Hubby. “Guess who called me it was Fox 17 for the morning mom and guess what they want me to call back and SQUEAL can you believe it??????” I gushed out all in one breath.

Hubby was elated for only a few moments. “Now, get a hold of yourself” he spoke thru my happy bubble, “they may just need to ask a few things of you and then you move on to the finalist. Winning is pretty slim. So calm down, call them in your best professional voice and STAY CALM.”

I set my cruise at 25 so I would not speed thru town. Literally. I didn't know you could set cruise so low.

When we got home, RC was there for her little guy MC and I told her I had to 'make a call'. I had had lunch with her the day we had made the video so she all but shoved me to the phone where I shakingly dialed.

And was told I had won.

No finalist. No “just a couple of questions”. Just “You have won”. C, whom I spoke with, was as sweet as could be, giving me phone numbers to jot down, explaining what I had won and a few other things that I tried really hard to soak in but really, my heart was beating so fast and all was spinning that it was hard to take it all in.

But I remained absolutely professional.

I think.

I did once say “I am so so so so so so so so excited.” To which she sorta chuckled and said “I'm glad.”

When I hung up the phone, I jumped up and down, I twirled in the air, I hugged RC fiercely and just kept squealing “We won! We won! We won!”

The boys fell into the house. “We won?” they yelled.

“WE WON!” I yelled louder and all of us hugged there in the middle of the dining room where we all huddle jumped together. S1 stepped back, “Woa. We have a LOT of cleaning to do.”

He was right.

I am not sure exactly what winning totally entails. I will find out later today. I do know that at seven this morning, all of us here on the farm will be GLUED to the TV to see the video we sent in actually played on the news. And I do believe that at that moment I may actually begin to believe we won.

To Fox 17, I hope we don't let you down. There are tears in my eyes as I tell you thank you, thank you from the very depths of my heart. You have felt like an extension of our family for so long, I surely hope we do you proud. Truly, thank you so very much from this little family in the country.