Lovin Summertime

We are having one of those busy and fun summers. I always remember summertime being really laid back. My sister and I did a lot of playing at our house and my grandparents' house. We wouldn't go a whole lot of places, but we just enjoyed being outside most of the time. Our family on the other hand has been enjoying lots of trips and visiting the various parks and the zoo and having a fabulous summer. Caleb at 4 has been a great, much easier and very fun and Nolan at 2 has been super cute but also a bit of a stinker at times. Here are some pictures of our summer fun!

What's better than Lake Michigan in the summer?


Fun in the backyard pool


Yum!


2 year olds and sparklers-what a brilliant idea!


Fireworks at the cabin


Mr. Adventure


The captain at the helm


Playing at the barn park

Birthday Fun II !

Caleb turned four in April! We went to Rainforest Cafe' for a yummy birthday dinner of dinosaur chicken nuggets and then played in the play area. He brought cupcakes to his preschool, got a fabulous crown and enjoyed opening his presents. Over the weekend, we went to Grandma and Papa's house for dinner with some friends from church and they had farm and fishing fun. It was a little boys birthday for sure!

I feel like it was some kind of rite of passage for me as a mother to make cupcakes for his preschool class. Caleb wanted a dinosaur theme, so here he is with one of the chocolate ones with crushed Oreos for dirt and he also had vanilla ones with green colored coconut for grass-too fun!




Who doesn't love big tractors?


Feeding the cows at Uncle Al's Farm! We loved everything but the smell!


Feeding the calves at Uncle Al's Farm!



We asked Caleb if he wanted to go fishing or open presents first, i love that he chose fishing over presents!



The birthday boy catches a fish! (But I don't want it to touch me!)



Dinosaur cupcakes being enjoyed by all the boys!



Caleb's birthday concluded with dinosaur cake and presents at Grandma and Papa's!



One of his favorite gifts!

Birthday Fun!

We have had a busy couple months with the boys' birthdays being in back to back months. I am now getting used to saying I have a 2 year old and a 4 year old! Wow, time really does fly!

Nolan celebrated #2 with a trip to Rainforest Cafe' with family and an Elmo birthday party with some buddies from church.

Here is the big man on his big day! He is my smart, easygoing, silly, super lovable, cutie pie!



Rainforest Cafe' with cousin Jack (who believe it or not turned 2 16 days before Nolan-he's huge!)



Nolan sporting some of the dress-up clothes he got for his 'birfday'!




The Elmo birthday party-gotta love Elmo! I don't know what it is but most 2 year olds love that furry little red guy!



Playing at the party with some buddies from church, too much fun!

You better sit down, I actually posted!

I'm so over the music, so I had to post. Lots of stuff going on in Lemke Land. We are trying to work on a bunch of house projects because we would like to try to sell our house. I am trying not to get too excited because I know how the housing market is, but this winter the house seemed to close in on me. It just got smaller and smaller. Maybe it is because the boys are growing bigger, I don't know, but in the cooler months especially, I could use a little more space. But even if we can't sell the house, having all the odds and ends projects completed will make me feel better (I like order, what can I say?)

In kid news, Nolan is talking like crazy with tons of new words every week. One of our favorites is his rendition of the word 'fox'. Caleb is enamored by heaven. Every few days he must ask questions about what heaven will be like, who will be there, what toys are there, how do we get there, what do we eat there, etc. He's probably got a better picture of heaven in his mind than I do

Why do we live in Michigan?

New distractions

So you may have noticed that there has been some time off in between posts and I have to admit that I have found yet another distraction...facebook. It's a fun little social network where I can leave quick little comments and feel a bit connected to people. Don't get me wrong, I love to blog about thoughts and ideas but I am finding I lack the time, energy and creativity at times. I would rather read about the lives of everyone on my blog reading list and that leaves little time for keeping up on my own but you may get a snippet every once in a while.

With the holidays and our first bout with winter illnesses over, I am actually looking forward (do I dare say it?) to a little snow. There are lots of things I want to do this winter like ice skate, go sledding, play in the snow (more) and go visit some of the museums in the area. Have you heard of this neat deal that the libraries in southeast michigan are offering? You can check out (just like you would a book-for free!) a 2 or 4 person pass to various museums in the area. I really want to take advantage of that. I think we all need our dose of culture every once in a while. Anyway I don't want this winter to pass me by before I get to do some of those things.

In a couple of weeks, we will be leaving cloudy, cold Michigan for sunny, warm Arizona to visit my mom and sister. As much as I want to enjoy the winter fun, I am excited to leave it behind for a week and spend some time outside.

Oh and for the latest kid quotes: when Caleb is asked whether he wants a little brother or sister he responds by stating that he wants a big sister (like Josh W. has). And when we tell him he can't have a big sister, it just doesn't work like that, he said is God all out of big sisters?
And Nolan, he has some favorite words as well namely mommy (makes my heart smile), pizza (who doesn't love pizza?), and Elmo. He is at that cute stage of acquiring words every day and surprising us with new things. Aaaahhh what fun it is!

The latest

We are about 21 episodes into the first season of Heroes. We've watched all of those in the last 2 weeks. It is pretty much what we do when the boys go to bed. We are regularly watching 2 and a couple times 3 episodes a night. It is a fun show with all the characters and the cliffhangers at the end of each episode. I like the whole comic book scene. At this point, I would still have to rate it #3 in the list of my favs, though, just after Lost and 24. We'll see if it can surpass them as time goes on. I think part of it is that I feel like I can find serious flaws in the storyline but I'll hold out judgment. Or maybe it is that I am not having dreams of Heroes like I did with both Lost and 24 so it isn't seeping into my subconscious thought life as much (maybe that is a good thing though).

Decorating the Tree

Nolan searching for the perfect tree.

Placing the ornaments perfectly.

The destroyer was in full effect.

Everyone got in on the decorating action (it only took a small pumpkin spice latte bribe).

Caleb lovin' the nutcrackers.

Lovin' the nativity. He pretends they are like action figures. One of his favorites is to pretend the angel is telling everyone to worship God, but not you sheep only the big mans.

What handsome boys!

Fall Fun

Thought I would post some pictures of the fun things we've done this Fall.

Nolan and Jack at the apple orchard.

Caleb on the tractor at the apple orchard.

Pumpkin carving fun!

The lion and tiger at the Zoo Boo!

The boys trick or treating with Ella and Lauren!

Fast internet connection!

A couple of hours ago, we had faster internet installed and voila! I feel like a whole new blogger. Thought I would add a couple pics to fill you in on the Lemke drama of the past month.

1st I started back to work teaching kindergarten and had jury duty and was put on a trial and then released before deliberations. Then Caleb started preschool. Nolan had some weird stomach virus that came and went and came. The dog had a strangely large mass in his neck, which we thought was many different awful things. He had surgery and it was plant material that caused an infection. Then Caleb fell into a dining room chair and cut his head open and got 5 stitches. Is that it? I feel like I have aged quite a bit in this past month. I am still waiting for this school year to feel normal. Or maybe this is just the new normal for us.

Honestly!!!

I would like to put in my resignation. You might be thinking, "she hasn't even started teaching yet, so why resign." Well, I don't want to resign from teaching. I actually want to resign from the portion of my mom job entitled the nurse. My kids have been so sick. If it is not one it is the other. Saturday, Nolan was writhing on the floor in pain, crying, screaming. I couldn't console him, he didn't want to be held, but he certainly didn't want to be anywhere else either. We finally brought him to a B'ham emergency walk-in clinic and confirmed that he had a double ear infection. By Sunday AM, he was a different child. All it took was a couple of doses of the magic pink stuff. The rest of Sunday was great, both children feeling pretty okay.

But, at 1:30 in the AM Monday, Caleb was puking. So the sheets must be changed, washed, pj's changed, washed. Never fun in the middle of the night, poor kid. After getting him back in bed, I laid awake trying to figure out what is going on. The past 6 months have been one illness after another, at least one illness for each child each month.

So, this morning Caleb's sickness is still looming, but we've been puke free for an hour and a half, that must be cause for a minor celebration.

Needless to say, I would like to resign from my nurse position because that has been far too much of my life lately.

Random happenings and thoughts

As cute as that picture is of Nolan, I thought it might be time to update the 'ol blog. Lots happening around here. Caleb turned 3 in April-yikes! He can ride a bike with training wheels, knows all his uppercase letters, has short hair for the first time in his life and is looking like an incredibly cute little boy (oh and did i mention that he is incredibly strong-willed?)

Well it also looks as if I am going to be employed in the fall. Yes, I am going back to teaching, part-time that is. I have some mixed feelings about the whole situation. It was one of those faith things where we said, "Alright God here is the ideal situation-the school where I taught before taking a leave of absence and part-time afternoons-if I get that which is a huge long shot, then we'll feel green lighted" And against the odds, that is precisely what happened, so I am planning on teaching kindergarten in the afternoons. Ty will be able to be home with the boys a few afternoons a week and we need to find someone like a college student with a flexible schedule for a couple afternoons a week. So if you know of someone who is good with kids and reliable let me know. Caleb will be going to preschool 2 afternoons a week and Nolan naps really well, so I feel pretty good about that. I'm a little worried about the time that I will have to spend on school related stuff outside of actually teaching. If I could only go in, teach and go home that would be super. But I'm such an over achiever. I've already been in to visit, been to an inservice and spent many hours on the internet researching ideas. We'll just have to see how everything goes down. I know there will be quite an adjustment period for our whole family.

Other news, we've been enjoying the warm weather, riding bikes, playing in the sand table and the water table, going to parks, playing with friends and going for lots of walks. We are gearing up for all the graduation parties and summer events of a high school youth pastor. We are also considering running a 5K in September. Now, to many of you, you scoff at how short a 5K is but to me, it seems like a pretty lofty goal considering how much I loathe running and after only a few runs, my knees are killing me. How old am I???? We shall see if I can stick with it.

Nolan is 1!!!

Nolan is 1, I can't believe it! The years just go faster and faster. Nolan has been walking for about a month now and continually gets into everything. He has such a beautiful sense of natural curiosity. He is such a snuggler and he has such a sweet disposition. He has six teeth, loves to eat (not green beans though), walks, says mama, dada, and uh-oh. Quite a lot of accomplishments for a little guy. We love him so much and even Caleb is starting to play with him.

Then: March 11, 2006 7 lbs 0 oz.

Wow! I can't believe that was a year ago! It kinda makes me want to do it all over again (Hee Hee, just kidding). When Caleb was a year old, we started considering having another baby. I think 12 months old is such a great age.

Conference

It has been so long since I have had the opportunity to listen to a great speaker and know that my kids were being lovingly cared for. I had the pleasure of going to Cobo Arena friday and saturday to hear Beth Moore speak on friendship with man and with God. I went with my mother-in-law (I got it for her for Christmas) and I had a great time. Worship was good and Beth Moore was excellent. She definitely touched on some things that were relevant to my life and she does it in such a humorous, non-judgmental way that it makes me want to change. Stacey, my sister-in-law, stayed with the boys friday evening and saturday morning, which I am so thankful for. I know she was exhausted but the boys love her. So despite a sleepless night for me on friday night due to Nolan, it was a great time.

Boys Will Be Boys (Part II)

Hopefully this is a phase that will pass but the stories are memorable. Last night Ty took Caleb to his Christian Ed. board meeting which is only supposed to last a few minutes but as many meetings go, he was in there for some 20 minutes or so. After only a minute or 2, Caleb whispered to Ty that "his penis was bothering him." So Ty took him out in the hallway to adjust himself. About 5 minutes later this was repeated, this time a few more people overheard his issue and giggled. The next time, Caleb was a bit louder and some ladies on the opposite end of the room overheard and were asking each other if they really heard what they thought they had heard. So when it came time for Ty to speak, he addressed Caleb's current fascination which had the board in stitches with one gentleman saying, "don't put that in the minutes".

BRRRRR!

Schools in the area are actually closed today because of the extremely frigid temperatures. So we are holed up inside trying to stay warm. Just looking outside makes me cold and our old house has old, leaky windows, so when you walk by them you can feel the cold air seeping in. On the inside (yes, the inside) of our bathroom window, there is ice. Ty was saying that going out in this cold actually makes him angry and I can understand why. When will it end????

On lighter news, I am quite excited that the Super Bowl was last night and marked the end of the football season. I was reminded that it will be short-lived with the draft occurring in the spring, but I am thankful for the break and I rather enjoy watching March Madness.

Boys will be boys

So the other night, Ty and I were awakened numerous by a child. Oh no, not Nolan as you might think, it was Caleb. He was complaining that his pe... hurt. Alright, whatever, it is something I will never understand but we showed him how to adjust himself and that seemed to work. Fast forward to today when we were at the library when he stuck his hand down his pants to "fix it". I was quite mortified. My house is full of boys, and sometimes I feel very out of my element.

Addictions

Sounds foreboding does it not? But really, I think we all have a bit of an addictive nature, some more than others, of course. I think on the scale of addictive personalities, I would rank in the med/high range. My latest addiction (which I happily share with others) is this crazy game-Settlers of Catan. Why I enjoy frivolously spending many hours upon hours playing this game, I have yet to figure out. It is the perfect blend of strategy and chance where every game is different enough that it holds my interest. It doesn't hurt to win every once in a while, as well.

In addition to that, I am addicted to 24 (the television show) and LOST. Nothing inherently wonderful about these shows, but they are different from your average sitcom. I like trying to figure things out and form my theories. So, there you have it, my addictions of the moment. You are absolutely welcome to join me in my madness. Come watch 24 or LOST and then we'll play Settlers!

Jungle Java and the New Tooth

Sounds like a great title for a children's book, right? Nope, just today's happenings. Caleb and I went to Jungle Java along with our MOPS group today. That place is a kids' wonderland of climbing fun and they have great coffee as well. Caleb enjoyed playing with lots of kids and running all over.

In Nolan news, we have not been sleeping well for several nights and today the culprit is rearing it's ugly head. Yes, a new front tooth is straining it's way through his little gums. That would make anybody wake up crying in the night. We just feel better knowing there is a reason for the madness.

Preacher's Kid

To preface this story, Caleb has been asking where Jesus is and where God is. We tell him heaven (but what can that abstract thought mean to a 2 year old) and that Jesus lives in your heart when you love him and invite him to live there. To which he responds, "My love Jesus". So, of course, Jesus (and God) live in his heart.

So the other day, Caleb comes running up to me crying and amidst the tears points to his chest and asks me to kiss his Jesus and God. After asking what?!? a couple of times I found that he had apparently hurt himself by falling on his chest, so of course, mom, you must kiss it and make my Jesus and God all better. Which, I did.

Poor kid is going to have some messed up theology.