Indians Vs. Royals

It's kinda become a mini-tradition up here of seeing our beloved Royals when they come to town to play the Indians! This post was from 2010 when Drew was a tiny seed in my tummy and this post was from last year when he was almost 7 months old. And now I have pictures from a 2012 game with our little guy.

These are from Friday night's game where we were the only Royals fans in attendance (that we saw). But then again, there was probably less than 10,000 total people there. (Neither the Indians nor the Royals are good teams right now).

I was really worried that we wouldn't last long as Drew would want to be up and exploring instead of confined to a seat. Thankfully, milk and snacks helped keep him still along with the video board. It became quite chilly and we had to whip out the blanket. It was fun snuggling and watching our team get beat really bad play. I think these next pictures are funny because it looks like there is NO one else in our section. 

And I always wish for a good family picture, but alas the best picture was with Drew looking down. Oh well... maybe next year!

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Also, Happy 40th Anniversary to my wonderful mother and father!!

A Typical Weekday Timeline

I know, I know, I'm kinda late on this bandwagon, but after seeing more and more posts like this, I had to do one myself! Not just for you readers, but more so I would remember what a typical weekday was like in our house at this point in our lives!

So here it goes. A glimpse into a day in the life of my family accompanied by Instagram pictures...

Then the next day we repeat it all over again. Thank goodness for the weekends and their relief from mundane weeks!

10 Years Ago On This Day...

10 years ago on this day Derek and I had our first real 'date'. Somewhat a blind date, somewhat not, it was the beginning of what would turn into the most wonderful relationship anyone could have ever imagined.

Backing up a bit, I say somewhat not a blind date because we had actually 'met' a couple weeks prior. It was a quick encounter, nothing more than exchanging names and light conversation over some beers. It was a weekend night in college and I was going out with a friend and her boyfriend, picking up a few other guys along the route to the bar. One was Derek. I will never forget seeing his face for the first time as he jumped into the car next to me. I played it cool despite a peeked interest, not wanting to get overly flirty that early on in the evening. Once at the bar, we chatted a bit, but nothing too deep. A while later my friend and I decided to head to another bar and Derek was meeting up with other guys somewhere else. A friendly 'goodbye' ensued and we went our separate ways. 

Fast forward about a week later and you'd find me stressing over a sorority party we have each year called Prohibition where flappers, zoot suits and boas run wild. I was tired of taking guy friends and examined my options for potential dates. For a brief second, I thought of Derek but talked myself out of randomly calling a guy I had met one night and asking him to a sorority party. I knew my friend Molly was dating his friend TJ and we'd probably get along but I was still skeptical. After a bit of convincing, I figured why not? I knew Derek would have fun with TJ there even if we didn't really get along so why not just get some balls and invite him? After Molly got Derek's number from TJ, I gave him a buzz. I don't remember the conversation whatsoever other than he accepted and plans for pre-partying and outfits were made.

I don't really remembering being nervous until only a couple hours before the event that Saturday the following week. As we loaded mascara on our eyes and lipstick on our smoochers, my hands started to run with sweat. We had decided to meet at TJ's apartment to have a few cocktails with the guys beforehand and as we made our way there I remember being so excited yet scared for the unknown. I didn't know this guy and he could be a total creeper. Or a jackass. Or just a nerd in general.

Thankfully he wasn't any of those. And from the minute we arrived, our chemistry was undeniable.... like a spark literally flew. We had an absolute blast that evening, even sharing a drunken kiss on the dance floor at the party, and it marked the beginning of an inseparable, deep romance. Derek couldn't even go an entire day without me as the next morning he picked me up at my sorority for a breakfast date. I remember stressing over which shoes to wear and ultimately picked these (now completely tacky) thick, wedged white flip flops. He was trying to impress me so hard that he even let me drive his car to breakfast. What a stud!

I'm so thankful that I went with something 'new' for my date party as I would have never known my soul mate. It taught me that sometimes risks are worth taking and they could end up being the best decisions you'll ever make. It's crazy to me to think that it was 10 years ago today as I so vividly remember little details about that night. Derek turned out to be the best surprise and made it one of the most fun, memorable date parties I had in college. And 10 years later I look forward to the next 10 wondering what they will hold. What I do know, thankfully, is that there is one person who will be by my side through them all.

He was my date 10 years ago on this day.

Actual pictures from our first date - September 27th, 2002

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Also, Happy 60th Birthday to my wonderful Father-In-Law! 

Changing Out Door Knobs

I thought for a long time on a more clever post title but kept drawing blanks. All this post is about is boring door knobs and how we made our house look a bit nicer with new ones. I guess I could have titled it "replacing door knobs from the 1930's is a pain in the ass" or maybe "who knew changing out ancient door knobs was so much work". Either way, you get the idea. The 1930's holes aren't the same as they are these days meaning the husband had to do a LOT of circular saw cutting and shaping to get everything to fit. (I didn't mind watching him work with his shirt off one bit).

Hellllllloooooo HOT STUFF!! 

Derek let Drew even hold the screwdriver a few times and I helped with the wood putty and painting. Because some of the knobs were so old, we had to paint around the new ones and figured it was a good time for a fresh coat of white paint on each door and trim. This momma LOVES a freshly painted door!

We only did 5 doors and have a LOT left, but it will be worth it. Most of our doors are that old, UGLY gold color below on the left and the new knobs are a dark rubbed bronze. The contraption in the middle was a HUGE help in drilling the correct holes for the new knobs. I'd HIGHLY recommend one of these if you have older knobs you're replacing. 

Anywho, don't you think they look much better? It's amazing how something so small can spice up a house! 

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Oh yeah, and the blog got a little face-lift and some pages up top if you didn't notice. It was time for a splash of color as well as some more information about our family members. Enjoy!

Weekend Getaway

This past weekend Derek and I took Drew up to Ann Arbor, Michigan for a long weekend getaway. We had so much fun in Columbus that we quickly decided our next stop of the "Northeast Tour" would be Ann Arbor, Michigan. The small city is only a couple hours away and we figured a weekend would be enough to enjoy this quaint college town.

Our first stop Friday night was visiting the Michigan campus and having dinner at Zingerman's Deli. I was told by numerous people as well as read on tons of websites that this place was not to be missed. With a HUGE selection of foods and some fun drink options, I'd say we had good sandwiches, but nothing spectacular. The potato salad, however, was absolutely scrumptious and I'm salivating a bit right now just remembering it.

After a bit of shopping we headed back to the hotel for Drew's bath and then to get him down. The goal was to enjoy the jacuzzi tub in our room of the suite with a movie on and a nice glass of wine in our hands. I will spare all of the details but after 90 stressful minutes of trying to get Drew to sleep in the hotel's crib and hopes of a relaxing jacuzzi soak fading, we gave in to hitting the hay around 10pm with a little one in our bed. Two things to note: A) Drew is normally an excellent sleeper so he had to have been terrified of something, and B) co-sleeping does not work for me. Derek has no sleep issues with it, but I wake with every movement/sound Drew makes. This means I woke up about 27+ times that night before Drew started to stir at 6:07am. Yes, I LOVE waking up next to my son's sweet breathing, but this mom needs her 8 hours of good sleep. I always have and always will. I wish I could co-sleep, but it's just not for us. But I digress.

We decided to punt another night's stay at the hotel and as I said goodbye to the jacuzzi tub, we set out for a packed day of a few places we wanted to hit. (And yes, my starbucks eventually helped me wake up for the day) First was this indoor play area called Jungle Java. For a mere $3, Drew got to climb, run and slide his little heart out.

Then it was on to the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. So far I've been to the Cleveland, Columbus and Kansas City Children's Museum's and I must say that this one takes the cake. The building was huge, obviously backed with some of that University of Michigan wealth, and was almost 100% interactive with SO much for Drew to do. We could have easily spent 8 hours there had we not had other places we wanted to see. Where else do you get to touch a tornado, play a piano with your feet, go inside a huge bubble, and so much more?

I think the last stop of our trip was, by far, my favorite. After a quick lunch at the famous Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger, we headed out of the city a bit to the country. Just like I knew would happen, Drew fell asleep in the car about 5 minutes before we pulled up to our destination. Why do they always do that? As I gently woke him, I knew the cry I was about to evoke would be worth it once inside. We ran through the rain up to the entry gate where Derek took the camera and I excitedly plucked a still-upset Drew from his stroller. Just like I predicted, the first site of an animal quickly led to dry eyes and the squeals of delight that followed were music to my ears. We thankfully made the right decision to prolong his nap just a bit longer for a quick visit to Domino's Petting Farm. {Cue gospel choir singing "Hallelujah"}

We were given carrots to feed the animals and a private bunny petting since not many other people decided to brave the rain that afternoon. About 20 minutes in we realized we had the entire barn to ourselves and we happily bounced back and forth between the donkey, calf, sheep, chickens, bunnies, goats, ponies, pigs, peacocks and more. I'm pretty sure I had a huge grin on my face as I watched Drew trying to communicate with the tiny 2 pound baby piglet or moo back when baby Dixie mooed at him. He never stopped 'talking' and his voice would get so high with excitement as he proudly pointed to each animal.

Although I was absolutely exhausted and we realized Drew won't remember any of the trip, we're glad we made it up there for a visit. Ann Arbor has officially been checked off list of cities to see while living in Ohio!

Fall is Here!

Today marks the first official day of fall and this household is ready. Sweatshirts have been washed in anticipation of their first wear, pumpkin latte's were enjoyed and Halloween decorations have gone up. We welcomed the fall weather with open arms last weekend but it's felt even more like fall this week. We are enjoying our delicious apples from Mapleside Farms and the breeze coming into my office from open windows feels so good throughout the day. 

I realize the majority of America is mostly excited for football and less heat, but I'm not in that boat. To me, it's the frigid weekend mornings where I need Derek's arms to keep me warm or wearing big, oversized fuzzy socks around the house and of course, mums. I love mums and their perfect sphere shapes. Oh how they freshen up my front porch steps each September.

To me, fall means that we're that much closer to my favorite holiday and Drew's birthday. It means footie PJ's keeping my baby warm at night and beautiful leaves to look at during my crisp, cool morning runs. Although technically not my favorite season, I do love fall and what it brings to the table. Let's hope fall decides to stick around a bit longer up here in the northeast this year before winter weather rears it's ugly face. I'm not ready for snow and less time outside. I want more time

What is your favorite part of fall? 

Caption This!

I was looking at pictures from last week and just died laughing when I saw this. Lacy is our gentle giant, but I don't know how I caught her mid-lick so well. I mean, doesn't it look like she's about to devour Drew's head?

I'm thinking we should have a little caption fun. Thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment with your best caption!

We Still Have Dogs

I realize this blog is about 98% Drew and 2% anything else, but I noticed the other day that I hadn't posted in a while that we still have our dogs and they are doing just fine. Since I ranted here about the rough phase we were going through with them, it has gotten tremendously better. This summer, I've tried to take them for little 15-20 min walks a couple times a week to help their energy and Derek and I have made a conscious effort to give them more attention and treats.

You can search for "Bailey" or "Lacy" in my blog and you'll find tons of posts on my girls but I'm not sure I had mentioned before that they are both rescues and (obviously) both lab mixes. Lacy just turned 10 years old and has always had the energy of a 20 year old dog. Bailey just turned 5 and has always had the energy of a 6 month old. They are night and day in some aspects, but best friends is something they'll always be. We don't know where Lacy's brother is out there in the world but we do keep in touch with Bailey's family. It's so fun to hear what her 7 brothers and 1 sister are up to. Bailey is the ONLY swimmer in the group and her sister and her are under 60 pounds where the boys all seem to be 90+ pounds. Weird, huh?

And what would these two choose to do ALL day if they could?

I guess we'll keep them.

(Click here for some professional pictures we had done a few years ago at epagaFoto's studio!)

Fall Fun

This past Saturday marked the first weekend with cooler weather up here in Ohio and we decided to take advantage of it.

If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll notice we like to venture out there a few times a year to enjoy the sites and splurge on some high-calorie sweets and drinks. When we took Drew last fall to pick our pumpkins, he was a bit too small for the children's Cow Train. This year, he enjoyed the ride in my lap with daddy in the cow next to us. Although nervous at first, he loosened up quickly as we pointed out apples, pumpkins, corn and other farm staples.

After the train ride, we ventured through the corn maze, then hiked back up the hill to the petting zoo. Obviously that couldn't be missed as we all know about my son's love affair with animals. Yes the goats were a hit as always, but petting the baby ducks and llama were an unusual experience one doesn't get to do often. 

Then it was finally on to the best part. They call the cider from these farms "liquid gold" for a reason. It's absolutely amazing both over ice and warmed up in a mug, and nothing pairs better with it than one of their famous apple fritters. Derek and I have one each time we visit and Drew has officially joined this tradition chowing down his first apple fritter in record time. 

Needless to say, we all enjoyed our weekend adventure and can't wait to go back in a few weeks to pick our pumpkins out! 

Goats Galore

Meet Papaya.

This sweet, brown-eyed beauty is one of the 87 baby goats that Drew assaulted hugged while at Deanna Rose during our Kansas City visit. It was quite humorous to watch her sit on her petite green chair while all of the kids touched her in every nook and cranny of her little body. She barely moved as if she was completely used to the annoying toddlers constantly in her pen and her little ears drooped with sadness the entire time. As I watched her stare off into space, I wondered if she was telling herself "just go to my happy place". In an effort to not get upset over something so trivial as petting zoo goats and their feelings, I just told myself that they were like dogs. They enjoyed being petted and hugged despite not having anywhere to hide.

Back to the original reason for posting about goats. When I was home I scanned a bunch of pics of Derek and I from our childhoods and guess what was in both stacks?

Yep, a picture of us each of us petting goats. Apparently it's a standard childhood picture.

... and yes, that's my father at the petting zoo with his shirt off. He was the man back in the 80's.  :)

Who Knew

Instead of a boring picture comparison of Derek, Drew and I all around 20 months, I let my creative juices flow a bit more....

FuzziBunz Repairs

So now that we've been cloth diapering for just over18 months of Drew's life, some of his FuzziBunz diapers are losing their elasticity. I feel like over the past week they've all jumped on the bandwagon and now I have  a whole stack of diapers needing some TLC.

See how the top side is much longer? That's due to the elastic band wearing out inside from so much usage. Unfortunately this company, much like most cloth diapers, doesn't warranty the elastic, only the snaps and material. I was really worried that these diapers would have to be retired for good until I happened upon some useful online help. I don't consider myself a big seamstress but I'm pretty good with some scissors and thread if needed. After finding a tutorial online I scrounged up the necessary items from my house and bought some elastic:

This video was the tutorial that helped me save my diapers! I think my first side took about 10 min as I did it pretty slow. After that I was able to knock out one side in about 4-5 min. It really is super easy and I must say I was quite proud of myself!

I love spending $1.15 and doing it myself instead of buying new $18 diapers!

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Also, happy 10th birthday tomorrow to our "first born child". Although our lives have changed a ton since we rescued her, she has always been by our side with the utmost loyalty and constant love. I can't believe she's been our companion for a decade and am so thankful for her wonderful relationship with Drew. 

Good Friends Are All I Needed

Friday was a rough day for me. Work was a nightmare last week to the point where I had to remind myself to breathe and by Friday it was just horrendous. My to do list continued to pile up and I felt like I was drowning in a sea of emails and deadlines. On top of that, I found out Friday afternoon that a family member had some pretty bad medical news given to them. By dinner, I was both emotionally and mentally exhausted and quite on edge.

Even though my good friends are thousands of miles away, sometimes I feel our connections go beyond the norm. As if on cue, at 6:21pm that evening, my best friend texts me that she's having a really rough night. I slouched down on the couch bracing myself for a texting marathon knowing it was just what I needed. Our phones blow up as we texted each other our issues, exchanged advice and consoled emotions. Sure we could have called and chatted, but we knew that the other just needed to read some positive and empathetic words. Of course, the hatred that we're so many states away added to the dark mood, but the pity party company helped. Jokes of tearing up McDonalds cheeseburgers and dreams of living on the same block turned our spirits around and by bedtime I felt better.

Saturday was a much better day for me. We accomplished so much around the house and even though KU lost, we had a great day overall. And then out of nowhere my phone missed a skype call from one of my other good friends in Florida. This friend and I don't text often and we only catch each other on the phone about once a month, but we don't need constant communication with our friendship. From the day I met her, almost 9 years ago exactly, we were unstoppable. Having virtually the same exact personality, our friendship has never been forced or fake. I immediately jumped onto our computer hoping to see that she was still on and up pops her skype call again. The smile I saw on the other end when I clicked accept was all I needed to bring me back to where I was before my hellish day on Friday.

Friends. It's as though sometimes they just know, without actually knowing. I'm so thankful for these friendships and although I don't get to see them often, I know that our bonds will never perish. They are all I needed this weekend.

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You know what else helped my mood this weekend? Seeing tons of dogs at a local public pool swimming their hearts out before they drained it for the season. My girls were prancing like they just won the lottery and dove in after every ball with more oomph than I've ever seen.

How could that not put a smile on your face?

KC Recap #3

One of my favorite places in Kansas City is Deanne Rose Farmstead. I've posted here and here about my love for this place, but I don't think I'll ever get enough. Watching Drew look at and touch the animals makes my day. I've got some comparison pictures from Deanna that I plan to post later, so for now I'll leave you with a few. Note Drew's hug in the bottom right picture? Yeah, pretty sure he hugged every single goat that morning. Those clothes got a DEEP cleaning.

Then it was on to some afternoon fun with my parents at Blackbob Bay. This pool was recently renovated and has a lazy river, two tube slides, and a HUGE kids area. Drew loved playing in the toddler pools with my mom and dad while Derek and I went off enjoying the adult slides. We had great pool weather and even got to take a family float around the lazy river a few times.

On memorial day itself, we enjoyed Derek's parents pool for a bit again and then relaxed with family in the afternoon. Once Drew went down we played the game Sequence in which my parents had just taught us the night before. Anyone else ever played this game? It's quite fun and really makes you think!

Again, sorry for the picture overload posts recently! I just had to share with extended family and far-off friends the fun we had in KC with our families!

Until next time Kansas City.....

KC Recap #2

The 2nd afternoon in town was spent at the new Kansas City Aquarium with my parents! Although super pricey, it was a great exhibit and Drew loved each stop. It was quite humorous to watch him "tell" my parents about all of the fish just jabbering away throughout the whole aquarium. I also spent some time watching my favorite sea creature: the seahorses. They amaze me how they essentially 'float' in the water effortlessly. Can I be a seahorse in my next life?!

Thanks again for the fun mom and dad, we had a blast!

Sunday morning was full of relaxing and playtime with Mimi and Grandpa before we headed to Lawrence to watch the Jayhawks play!

Unfortunately it was pretty rainy until that afternoon so we didn't get to spend any time tailgating on the hill with friends. Derek went to the game with his family but I opted to spend time with my aunt and her grandson, Drew's 2nd cousin Jackson. I knew chasing around a toddler in the stadium wouldn't be fun for 3 hours and Drew would have MUCH more fun with Jackson and his toys. Jackson is 8 months older than Drew and it was a great glimpse into the near future for me!

I love this picture of the two sisters and their grandsons. Thanks for letting us hang out Aunt T! It was fun to finally let the boys play together!

Kansas City Visit Recap

It feels like just yesterday we were saying 'only 5 more weeks til we're home'. As always, the trip came upon us quickly and we're already back in Cleveland with only memories and pictures of our vacation. Although it's not easy for Drew's grandparents, saying goodbye to family has become less painful for me. Most of the emotions I suffer are internal from seeing our families say goodbye to Drew. It's hard watching him reach for them and cry as we carry him away. Hopefully we only have to do this a few more times before we're back in Kansas City permanently... but I digress.

We did quite a few things with both sides of the family and you'll see a bunch of pictures over the next few posts of them. But before we get into the actual visit, I'd like to recommend an AMAZING purchase to keep a toddler busy on a plane. This "Catch 'em" game was a whopping $2 found at a local craft store and it entertained Drew for at least a good half hour. He would put the 'fish' back into their holes, take them out one by one and play with the poles as well. I'd highly suggest you get one of these if you're flying with a little one!

It was hot when we arrived so we had to start our vacation in the water at Mimi and Grandpa's pool. This was followed by a WONDERFUL dinner to celebrate Cal's upcoming birthday at Garozzo's Restaurant. We all enjoyed gourmet, delicious Italian food, wine and deserts!

The next day was spent with Grandma and Poppa starting off at Wonderscope Children's Museum. A bit larger and more to offer than our Cleveland Children's Museum, I was impressed with each room they had set up. There was quite a bit for toddlers to do, some with the assistance of an adult. My parents had so much fun watching Drew explore and we probably could have spent more than a couple hours there. 

I love the pictures of my mom and Drew building. He would carefully hand her a new block and cheer when mom would add it onto the tower. Her face in the middle picture shows how much fun they were having.

Apparently it wasn't just for children either. Derek had some fun with a lego challenge and I caught my dad playing with exhibits several times. I guess we're all just children at heart!

More to come later this week!