The Marron Clan

L is for Lego

2012-02-18T17:51:00.000-06:00

It's nice finding a lost unwrapped X-Mas gift in the basement, it makes for a perfect surprise in the middle of February. Putting it together with daddy makes it even better.
D has started a nervous habit that is driving us nuts. He has started twirling his hair. It gets so bad that he has a big clump of hair when he's done.
I guess it's better than nose picking.

Quote of the week

2012-02-17T07:00:00.001-06:00

Always be nice to you children because they are the ones who will choose your rest home.
-Phyllis Diller

Finding some time

2012-02-15T19:34:00.004-06:00

I went out during lunch today to check on some birthday gifts for our little man. We are looking for some specific birthday gifts he has asked for his Chuggington collection. This show must really be taking off because tons of pieces are SOLD OUT. Ordering on line will be our next move.
His list, he wanted to make sure we remembered.
His "talking Emery" broke today so he made the list, and of course talking Koko has made the list. The bike was an item mommy and daddy encouraged and then he had to add the 4th item because he's turning 4 so he needs 4 gifts. He wants Chuggington balloons.
While at the store I spotted this game.
It looked like something he could do after some practice. We got started right away after dinner.
You get a Chugger with a "V card" you have to fill the Chugger's cargo with the pieces listed on the V card. They could be specific colors, shapes and number of shapes. Good practice for a preschooler.
Here was D's Chugger and his V card. His first card only had colors and then they get a little harder.
He needed some coaching and reminders to be patient but he did it.
HE WON!
I would recommend this game. Very fun!

Dr. Looooovvveeeeee

2012-02-14T21:41:00.002-06:00

Preparations for the big day started yesterday when I decided to open up a box and bake with 3 additional ingredients. You gotta love Pillsbury! That and I had to bribe D with using the mixer to come and help me.
We can't forget the sprinkles.
The wait began.
But the reward was great.
The VDay shirts were being worn starting Friday with his "Most Eligible bachelor" shirt. I should have taken a picture in the morning because after school the shirt was delivered in a zip lock bag with hot pink paint all over the sleeve. We had plenty of back-ups.
The above shirt was worn on Monday to soften the ladies up prior to the BIG day.
And then the real thing to seal the deal...
This boy didn't have eyes on anyone except ME. He made a special visit with his grandparents to my office today. It made my day!!!
I love this holiday more with him than when I was dating. :)
He's trying to watch TV as I took this picture and 5 other ones I had to delete.
At night we ate heart shaped pasta (compliments of Grandma M) and then went out for ice cream.
We had to stop at the store to get Daniel a new water cup for school (he chose to bite the rubber off the new one I JUST got him). At the store I asked him if he wanted a red or blue one to which he replied "I want the blue one, to match my shoes, pants and my Dr. LOOOVEEEE shirt". I think he's been spending a lot of time with the ladies.
Hope your Valentine's Day was extra special.

I have many days like these

2012-02-13T16:06:00.000-06:00

This cartoon depicts my weekends perfectly.

Weekend Recap

2012-02-12T15:34:00.003-06:00

It was a semi-relaxing but also draining weekend.
Saturday, we ran around like nuts, between Dr. appts, food shopping and errands we were pooped. Ry and I tried to watch Midnight in Paris at night. We both fell asleep, it was horrible. We woke up, looked at each other and said "I think they broke up". That was our attempt at a low key evening. I will never watch another Woody Allen movie. I have never liked anything he has done and to think this movie was nominated for an Oscar makes me question who rates these things. We enjoyed watching WALL-E with Daniel a few hours before on Disney much more.
Anyway, Sunday, I proclaimed we would not go to church and just relax. Well, I'm sure God will punish me as I got D and myself ready and hit the mall. Shame on me but sometimes a 2 minute prayer in the car needs to count for an hour of not hearing a sermon. It's a balance.
At the mall we got some exercise. D not me, I stood in one spot as he ran around like crazy.
He needed to replenish his calories.
He was super excited about his purchase. He broke his pair in the car on the way to the mall.
We are going to relax and catch a glimpse of the Grammy's. I'm sure they are putting together a quick tribute to Whitney Houston. So sad, I wished she could have become a huge star after dumping Bobbi Brown and had a similar story like Tina Turner but it wasn't in the cards. RIP Whitney.
I hear two boys calling me in the other room to play with some trains, OK they aren't calling me but I hear them snacking and I'm salivating.

What a week!

2012-02-10T09:17:00.004-06:00

I'm ready for this weekend, it's going to be cold, snowy and a perfect time to spend at home and relax. It's been a few crazy weekends for us so this weekend we're making it a point to watch a movie with Daniel and then one on our own. I promised D a bowl of popcorn and maybe even chocolate milk. It will be wild! HA!
Daddy has a sinus infection so he needs some extra TLC. I'm planning to NOT clean a darn thing. Hope you all have a great, relaxing weekend!

Quote of the week

2012-02-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

"Who among us hasn't envied a cat's ability to ignore the cares of daily life and to relax completely?"

-Karen Brademeyer

January 2010

40 years!

2012-02-06T12:18:00.009-06:00

For the past several months we have been planning a surprise 40th wedding anniversary party for Ry's parents. I couldn't say anything on the blog because they are one of my 10 readers. HA! We worried about timing and were so nervous with dad's surgery and hospital stay but it all came together and the party was a success. It was a Mardi Gras theme party with beads, masks, southern food, family and friends.
We told them we were going to dinner and it was a surprise where, they had to come to our house first because Daniel had something for them.
Ryan was upstairs peeking out the window. I was by the front door Shhhhhing everyone as I saw mom and dad walk up the stairs. My stomach turned. Then, I opened the door and it was over. The party officially started. I think I heard my mother in law say "Oh My God" 50 times.
the lovely couple 40 years ago in New Orleans and now. Daniel had to sign his name nice and big.
Ry's speech made everyone laugh, cry and get sentimental. (BTW-that's not his speech below, LOL).
Family, food, drinks and good company make any party a success.
and who can resist a couple who still loves each other as much as 40 years ago!!!!
Me to Daniel "What was your favorite part about the party"
Daniel "The CAKE"
Nothing can beat family taking the time to come and celebrate. Ryan's aunt (dad's sister, first from the left) flew in from California.
A great party. (Note to self take a group picture at the beginning of the party when everyone is still there)
Happy Anniversary to a great couple!!! Here is to 40 more years of bliss!
We love you...

60 in February

2012-01-31T15:53:00.002-06:00

Today D and I went on a walk, he rode his tricycle as I walked alongside. Seriously, it's February in Chicago. I keep waiting for the day they announce we'll get 30 inches of snow in 5 hours.
I didn't have my phone with me to take a picture but I smiled and had tears in my eyes as he rode the tricycle that was a perfect size over the summer that was now clearly too small for him. It's only been 5 months since he rode it outside. When did this happen?!
He is excited for mommy and daddy to take him to the bike store on his birthday to pick out a blue bike. It will have training wheels, and I want to get him a cute horn and those things on the tires that make noise as you ride (OK I had those maybe they make boy ones). I'm so excited!
Ry and I want to take off of work and plan a fun day with our munchkin. D will be on spring break the week of his bday so it will be a week worth of celebrating!
I want him to stay this age forever.

Inspiration

2012-01-29T20:40:00.004-06:00

I haven't had the desire to blog much. My creative juices are at their ultimate low this week. I will be back soon with more creativity than you can handle.

I'm working on a few house projects now that have me running around like a nut.

For now I'll leave you with this...

There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do.

-Freya Stark

August 2010

Recap

2012-01-23T21:35:00.005-06:00

I've gotten lazy with taking pictures with my camera so I resorted to my phone camera. Not the best quality but it still captures the moments that need capturing.
We didn't do much this weekend except...
We went to church and had some donuts (best bribe for D to stay quiet during mass) after mass and hung out with Daniel's classmates and their parents. There are three girls, as in triplets, the mom and I compared notes about the class and then we were off to get a haircut with our fantastic girl Amanda. We tried going to places closer to home but Amanda just knows what I like. They call me "mom" there. So, they will say, how would you like his cut mom or can you have him look down mom. His hair grows like weeds so he is a pro now.
We went to lunch to Panera. Ry and I looked at the calories of our sandwiches and I almost gagged. What sounded like a healthy turkey sandwich was about half my calories for the day.
Daniel didn't seem to mind his calories. Did I mention he demanded fries and daddy had to walk to McDonald's to complete his meal? Ridiculous, I know. We dodged a bullet when he wanted ketchup to go with his fries and Panera didn't have it. We cleaned up quickly before seeing some ugly behavior.
After a nap, D and daddy watched some football.
and snacked
then D and I got bored and played hungry hippos. He beats me most of the time.
We could hear Ry getting all crazed downstairs in the family room watching his beloved 49ers lose. It was like a scene from the Christmas Story when the father goes downstairs to repair the furnace. He took it well, overall. Being a Cubs fan has prepared him for big losses.
Now that I have caught up with Mad Men I'm onto my next show, Downtown Abbey. It's pretty neat. Every time I watch it Ry comes into the room and shakes his head. I guess he didn't take me for an early 1900s British kinda movie watching gal. I'm full of surprises.

Say what?

2012-01-19T07:32:00.000-06:00

One afternoon Daniel looked at the calendar on our fridge and started pointing to numbers and saying them in Italian. I knew they were learning Italian in school I just didn't know he actually knew anything. Well, Polish school will be starting in the fall cuz this is not going to fly.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Quote of the week

2012-01-18T07:35:00.000-06:00

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.
-Dolly Parton

Frostini the snowman

2012-01-17T07:25:00.000-06:00

Daniel and Ry had the day off yesterday. The snow was perfect to build a snowman.
I found some sticks laying around and we replaced the broom with some contemporary looking arms. The body could use a little more sculpting but he looks pretty darn happy to me.
Mouth is spray painted with some red spray paint, eyes and buttons are silver spray paint.
Winter is officially here.

Traintastic weekend recap

2012-01-15T20:37:00.006-06:00

This weekend I spent supporting my men's interests....
We watched the 49ers game while enjoying our warm fireplace (I hate setting it up and cleaning it up. I loved our remote control one at our old house). D snoozed as we watched the game, it kept Ry from yelling so that was appreciated. His team WON, can you tell?!
Sunday, we went to a train show...we know who enjoyed that the most.
It was amazing to see little boys stare at all the trains, but it was even more enjoyable watching middle aged men with remotes in their hands salivate at their accomplishment of making a train move.
D got to pull the horn.
and ride the Thomas train. He's the one at the very end.
Ry was already starting to look at another Lego set to get his hands on.
D made out of there like a bandit with some new tracks to add to his collection and 2 chuggers that he didn't have. It was supposed to be one chugger but we needed to spend a certain amount to get this fabulous Chuggington hat. Well, you didn't have to pull my arm for that. Retail $14.99 for FREE. HA!
It was a great day. Maybe it's time for me to book a massage.
and yes I do torture my child with crazy poses. On our way to the show he asked "mommy did you bring your camera?" He knows what happens when mommy forgets her camera.

Boots and a shovel

2012-01-13T07:05:00.000-06:00

Our first real snow fall of 2012 came. We headed out to shovel and Daniel actually wanted to do it. This year he even put his mittens in the snow and was excited about walking through it. It was nice compared to last year.
He didn't want to go back inside but with the promise of popcorn and hot chocolate we went inside and took our layers of clothes off. We enjoyed some treats and a nice warm bath. Welcome winter!
Only a few more years before he demands payment for his work.

Quote of the week

2012-01-12T09:23:00.002-06:00

Life is a marvelous, transitory adenture.

-Nikki Giovanni

Let's ride the rails

2012-01-10T12:55:00.005-06:00

We've been hanging around the house a lot playing with Daniel and making his days at home relaxing. He has been getting better and better each day. Tomorrow is his first day of school post surgery. I got a sweet e-mail from his teacher saying "Hi" from all of his friends and letting him know they miss him.
Daniel insisted taking a picture with some of his chuggers. We would like to introduce you to the friends that keep him company at home and never leave his sight, including when he goes potty. "They need to watch me go potty mommy", he claims.
This is Emery, his first favorite chugger he received.
This is Irving, purchased post surgery.
Action Chugger, given to Daniel from Grandma and Grandpa M on XMas.
Wilson
Brewster bought today (in the third store we finally found him) with the money Bunia gave him post surgery.
Part of his die cast Chuggington town.
Then we have the wooden version. Daddy just made him a new track. It must change weekly or the tracks start flying when he's bored of it.
Of course, the chuggers follow him for nap and bed time. He picks them out each time very carefully. Whatever works in my opinion.
His imagination and ours run wild when we play with these guys, we rescue, we fly, we meet friends, we "get the job done".

During the break

2012-01-06T22:09:00.006-06:00

During Daniel's XMas break from school and prior to the surgery we did a few things to end 2011 right.
We went with friends to Kohl Children's Museum.
Daniel and daddy finished building a 1200 piece Star Wars ship.
We went to Botanic Garden for their Winterwonderland train exhibit. It was amazing. Everything was made from natural products (minus the trains).
That's the Chicago skyline behind D, made all out of natural material (moss, sticks, bark, etc.)
We rang in the New Year at Brookfield zoo (8pm for the kids). We fell asleep watching Toy Story 3 when we got home, when I say 'we' I mean Ry and I . We woke up at 11:40 to find the little man watching the movie and wide awake. He was there to ring in the REAL New Year.
I didn't take my camera, hence the fuzzy pictures. It was super cold but we even braved a ride on the carousel. We picked up two snazzy hats right past the entrance because we could not move forward without them. Ry even got hand warmer thingies but he got those because his hat cost a total of $3!!! I got a "Russian" hat with pink sparkly stripes. Let's say I wasn't picky with the wind outside. Daddy made his famous shrimp dish for us. Well, it was too spicy for D but we sure enjoyed it.
Now, to plan spring break memories...

Home sweet home

2012-01-05T09:07:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we spent the ENTIRE DAY at the hospital. We got to the hospital at 11am, that included me missing the turn into the parking lot and we had to circle around. Of course, our luck, the Dr. was delayed 2.5 hours with the surgery and we were stuck in the room sitting in chairs. At least D was quite happy in his bed.

Towards the end we had to whip out the iPad and put on Chuggington to get us through the last hour and a half of waiting.
By 3pm Daniel was whisked away in his bed as Ry and I stood with tears helpless. We finally could eat because we didn't want Daniel to see us eating and drinking since he hadn't eaten since midnight.

By 4:30 we were allowed to see him in recovery. Within the next hour he had a popsickle and some food. It was too much because he threw it all up. We had to start the waiting process again.

After some more water, jello and TV we were allowed to leave at 9pm. We got home and Daniel was ready to play with his new chuggers from mommy and daddy.

The night went well with no interruptions. I know because I slept next to him with my glasses on just in case I had to pop out to get things under control.

He's doing much better today and is bossing everyone around.

Quote of the week and prayers

2012-01-03T22:00:00.001-06:00

Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.

-Zelda Fitzgerald

Daniel will be having his adenoids removed today (1-4) and possibly his tonsils.

Please pray for a smooth operation, wisdom for the doctors and nurses that will care for him, an easy recovery for our baby and calmness for his worried mommy and daddy.

We know God will watch over him and that gives us much comfort.

I will update once we are home and settled.

I've been holding off on posting the fun activities we did over the break so that will come soon.

Last quote of 2011

2011-12-30T19:50:00.004-06:00

The great difference between voyages rests not in ships but in the people you meet on them.

-Amelia Barr

We have clearance, Clarence

2011-12-29T20:26:00.007-06:00

We got clearance today from Daniel's pediatrician for the surgery on Wednesday.
Our boy is a perfect 40/40. 40 1/4 inches tall and 40 lbs. Pure love.

We were waiting for the Dr. hence the bare legs.
I'm excited to eat all the food we had frozen for XMas in the next few days. We'll be enjoying shrimp, scallops, stuffed mushrooms (for me, Ry hates mushrooms) and Ry will be making a shrimp dish. Goodbye clean kitchen, but he's super excited to make it. The weather here is crazy, it was in the mid 40s today. I was a wild woman today trying to keep the squirrels away from the bird feeder we put up. The bag of food says "Cardinals will love it and squirrels hate it", I don't know where they did their testing and what kind of squirrels refused these seeds but the ones in our back yard were hanging upside down to get to the food today. I strategically placed the feeder so they wouldn't steal the food. There was a squirrel doing gymnastics to get to the food. I felt bad. I just can't afford to feed everyone out there. These squirrels don't look like they are starving either.
They are also not as cute as the birds chirping to get to their meal. I don't appreciate the increasing amount of bird poop on my patio though. I guess I can't win either way. For now the feeder stays.