A Mid Summers Nights Dream

I woke up this morning and turned on the TV to another day of the US debt crisis talks. I really wondered what the big deal was when they mentioned an August 1st deadline - that is weeks away! Uh, no, it's not. It's mid-summer and, am I dreaming, or is August and is school just around the corner? No, this is reality and it's time to look back to make sure we made our summer count...

June. A busy month, pretty well documented on the blog, but that was the last time I wrote. I never did mention that Aiden and Jacob played tons of baseball. A new sport for both. For Jacob, it was exciting to watch him learn and grow. It's a game he got excited about and did well at. For Aiden, it was a bit harder to watch. Maybe it was the heat... or the dust...or the flowers in the outfield that were yearning to be picked. I don't know, but maybe next year he will get it. At least we got a few laughs. Soccer also continued, which led to Saturdays being scheduled down to the minute with two Koops cars blasting around the parks of Elmhurst throughout the day. We were glad to see it all end!

July. The Fourth of July weekend was one to remember. We headed to MI, stopping in Indiana for some fireworks (legal in that state, not sure about MI...). Anyway, we had a few orders to fulfill from friends and in the end we ended up with 1 1/2 grocery carts filled with fireworks. I think we got carried away! But, we had a great time. I always said I'd never let my kids have sparklers, but then again, I always said I'd never let my 3 year old stay up til midnight. Both went out the window...

That weekend we also tried Jacob at skiing, which went down like a lead balloon. But as Jacob was screaming he'd never do it again, Jeb announced that he would try. I said no, but Tom had already put the skis on him. I have no photos since I was so nervous, but he didn't do to bad and always had a smile on his face when he fell. It just seals the deal that the kid has no fear.

Back home, the boys had sports camps and swimming lessons. In between, we tried to do a little more than just visit the local pools. So, we jetted off to the city and hung out at Navy Pier for the day. I'm not sure what they liked better, the free ice cream that we discovered on the walk over or the ferris wheel ride. There was lots of giggling up on top of the wheel while I was freaking out about hands inside the compartment! We didn't walk back to the car park, but took the water taxi instead. Good choice in the 90 degree heat. It was all capped off with a trip to the water fountains at Millennium Park. Nothing beats cooling down in a city fountain! And, I can now say that Jeb has peed everywhere, even in the shrubs in downtown Chicago. Thank goodness for boy's easy plumbing!

And, I had a lovely birthday with my boys. Tom took them to my favorite boutique in town and they picked out my gift. Jeb came home and told me he couldn't wait to see my 'Nicolas', which I finally figure out wasn't the neighbor boy, but a necklace. And then Aiden told me the next day that he couldn't wait for me to open my earrings and stuff. Hey, being a mum isn't about surprises is it? Well, at least when it comes to birthdays.

The rest of July was spent trying to stay cool, whether at the beach, at the Childrens Museum, Cars 2, or just hanging out with friends. So, tomorrow when I wake up and turn on the TV, I'll realize it wasn't just a dream. It's all written down, but it is still mid-summer and I really wish it didn't go by quite so quickly.

19 Kids and Counting

Although I've never watched this reality show with the above title for it's name, I thought it was a good way to describe my recent trip to a friends lakehouse in Wisconsin. We spent two days hanging out with Jacob's school friends and their siblings. Six women, nineteen kids between us, and...15 were boys. I know, watch out!

I think we were all a bit nervous about the numbers. Maybe that is why we all brought so much food with us. Boys are happiest when they are full, right? The food did help, but it must have been that all the stars were aligned that night cause it all went incredibly well. We spent most of our time by the pool, but a few of the die-hards went down to the lake to fish. Caught a bunch of beauties. Mrs. Arnett and myself seemed to be the fish-taker-offers. I even did a few worms. This is what happens when you have three boys - just suck it up and deal with it. Lesley has 4 boys, so she has learned to do the same.

We dreaded leaving, but God showed us it was time to go when a storm blew in suddenly. A tree fell a bit too close to the dining room window and for a short time we thought we might be stuck in Wisconsin. But, blue skies prevailed and we were home in time for dinner.

With three exhausted boys, I knew bedtime was just around the corner. But, as I tucked Jacob in, we heard the tornado sirens going off. So, we all piled down in the basement and listened to them for the next 45 minutes. I had 3 freaked out boys and Aiden went off the deep end when he thought he couldn't find his cuddly toy, Georgie. Daddy to the rescue. We waited while Tom rummaged through the rooms upstairs only to find that Aiden was, in fact, sitting on George. Good thing there was no tornado to sweep Tom away during the search!

It was a two day adventure that we won't soon forget and we can't wait for next year. Minus the tree snapping storms, of course!

18 of the 19 kiddos. Too hard to get everyone in a group. This is as good as it gets!

Road Trippin Again!

There is nothing like a good road trip. It's been about a year since we did a major trip in the car, but this year it's different. First, no minivan, which may be ok seeing there is less space for the boys to dump any unwanted books, games, etc. Second, we aren't traveling to another country. The time in the car is about the same, but since we are in the vastness of the States, we are only going two states away. To our home states of Michigan, but way north to the Upper Penisula, otherwise known as the U.P.

We packed up the car and headed out on a Friday afternoon, just missing Chicago traffic, but still having to endure Milwaukee traffic, which isn't too bad. We spent the night in Wisconsin and moved on in the morning, only stopping to pick up some famous Wisconsin cheese. Our plan was to reach our rented lakehouse by 3:30 that afternoon. But, after looking at the map and realizing that we were pretty close to Painted Rock National Lakeshore, we decided to do something spontaneous (Yikes! Us?!?) and head there today instead of taking a whole day to do this week.

We got there just in time for a boat tour. The weather wasn't pleasant. It was about 45 degrees and windy. Lake Superior at her best. A three hour cruise (I know you are singing the theme to Gillian's Island!) was interesting for the first half and then the kids just lost interest. Oh well. The shoreline was spectacular even with gray skies and the fish and chips in the restaurant after made up for the cold weather.

All that was about to change the following day when we woke up and headed to Lake Huron. The sun came out and we found ourselves in our swim suits. There is nothing like hunting for the perfect skipping stone with sun shining and the Mackinac Bridge in the backdrop. The boys soon discovered clay and I discovered that I would be doing lots of laundry this week!

We came back late and had smores. All the rules were out the window and it was 3 smores each. Little did I know that Tom gave Jacob the dark chocolate smores...he was up til 11!

The following day was what we had been waiting for - a trip to Mackinac Island. An island where cars are banned and the only mode of transport is on a bike or a horse and carriage. Bikes were out option. As soon as we stepped off the ferry we rented bikes. Me with Jeb in a seat behind me, Tom on a bicycle built for two with Jacob, and Aiden on a kids bike. It was fantastic. Jacob and Aiden would switch off, but Aiden couldn't reach the pedals, which made for a really easy for him! They made it all 8 miles around the island and their treat was fudge and ice cream. Remember, I said all rules were out the window?

I had forgotten about the old fort on the island, which was built in the early 1800s. I also forgot that it was built to keep the Brits off the island. I quickly realized this when they were demonstrating the canon and talking about how terrible the Brits were. Check out what my kids were wearing. Slightly embarrassing.

Oh, and not to be missed was the Soo Locks. We saw a couple of huge freighters go through, amazing to see them a mere inches from the side of the lock. But, the boys enjoyed seeing the tiny tour boat go through. Obviously, you need to be older to appreciate the engineering of the locks! And since we were near Canada, we decided to dust off our passports and visit for a bit. Our passports didn't get a stamp, but at least we are keeping up the international travel!

The rest of the week was spent hanging out at the cottage and also by Lake Michigan. The U.P. is so remote, so it was almost like having a private beach. We didn't see anyone the entire day. We did run across two turtles in the road, which Tom decided to put in the car. Did you know that turtles pee when they feel threatened? And they do it a lot. Nice. The capture was fine, but the release was a bit tainted...

And so we come to the end of another fantastic trip. Filled with dirt, bugs, crawfish, fishing (lots of it!), swimming and sightseeing. Now, off to do a load of laundry!

Check out the easy ride that Aiden has.

Ice cream at the end of the ride

Nothing like a sunset swim with daddy!

Except a sunset marshmellow (think this was #4!)

A Walk for a Cure

I must admit that there are just some things that I need to be pushed on. One is going to anything pertaining to CF. It's not that I don't want to go, it's just that I really don't want to admit that it lives in this house. It's a funny little disease that ranges from mild to really, really bad. We are lucky to be mild, but when I go to CF stuff, I see the really, really bad stuff and, frankly, it breaks my heart and I just don't want to face it.

This is where my lovely parents step in. They are behind us 110%. In fact, while I was procrastinating on fundraising, they were busy gathering checks. And this year, I had no excuses not to walk in what is the biggest fundraiser for CF - GreatStrides.

The goal? Raise $5000. My reaction? "Mom, we will never get that, lower it." My mom's reaction? "No. We'll get it." Did I tell you that my mom is pretty tight with God? Anyway, I put out an email asking for money, which is just so nerve racking. (I know, how did I ever make it in sales?). But amazingly, the next hour brought several emails with donations for Jeb's team. And each day brought more. I was a basketcase everytime I opened up the computer. Tears kept flowing and I'd spend the next hour pulling myself together only to have another email come through alerting me to another donation. I was wearing sunglasses to school in the rain - my eyes were forever red-rimmed.

In the end, between my parents team and ours (which made up the full 'Jeb Team'), we raised over $7000!! (Did I mention my mom has a thing with God?) I guess I should never have questioned it. We received donations from all over the world and from a lot of friends we hadn't seen in awhile. It's the most humbling experience I have ever had in my life. (Here come the tears again!).

And on May 21, we had a beautiful day in Grand Haven to walk with Jeb and several of our friends and family in support of a cure for CF. It was a great day. And it's been a great experience.

I've been thinking a lot about how CF has changed our lives. Honestly, we appreciate each day a little bit more...and each breath a little bit more. It has opened our eyes to other families that have it so much worse than us, but still manage to smile in spite of the difficulties they face each day. In short, I think CF has opened our hearts and made us more compassionate. Would I love to not have it in our lives? Oh yes, but God just didn't have that plan for us. So, we'll walk this path and pray for a cure. Jeb may not have won the lotto when it came to the two CF genes that he has, but he sure did get a heck of a lot of personality and who can say no to those big brown eyes of his?

And to all our friends and family who have supported us, there are just no words to express how much it means. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

The Koops Clan at the end of the day (obviously!)

Poor Papa, pushing the prince in his chariot!

The boys reunite with the Harrison boys only to explore the porta jon. Yuck!

Jeb's Team...THANK YOU!!!

Behind Every Great Kid...

Is a Mom who is sure she is screwing him up!

Tom has heard me stress about this so much in the past year that when he saw the card in the store on the Saturday night before Mother's Day, he bought it. Which makes me think that if it's at Hallmark, maybe it's not just me who is stressing about their kids.

It seems that we get trained for everything - driving, cooking, sports - but we don't necessarily get training for motherhood. It's on the job training only and if you do happen to get it wrong, you don't get your grade for 18 years! That is some huge pressure! Most days I don't think about it, but this past year the pressure has added a few wrinkles to my brow.

A few examples:

1. All I did was correct my children today. ie, 'Don't chew with your mouth open' and 'Remember your manners'...Did I even say something positive to them today?

2. I remained calm during 45 minutes of their 50 minute bickering and then I lost it in the last 5 minutes...I like to call it my shock and awe approach to parenting.

3. I couldn't take the on-slaught of the word 'weiner' while eating brats tonight, not to mention the laughter that ensued after each mention of the word. I ate alone in the coat closet...will they ever get over toilet talk?

4. Sports...we didn't start at age 3, are my boy's chances at being good over?

5. Fighting, tattleing, hitting. If they really wanted to torture terrorists they would put them in a room with 3 siblings for 8 hours. World peace would prevail within weeks. Instead, I keep a bottle of Pinot Grigio on hand at all times. Did I really crack it open at 3:30 today?

These are the things that keep me up at night. Or, when things get really rough, these are the things that keep Tom up all night because I'm asking him over and over if he thinks I'm messing them up.

And then a new day arrives and I'm given a second chance to start over again. And again. And again. And, they do seem somewhat normal, even polite on some days. But, I've got 10 years left til my first report card. Stay tuned.

Oh, and Happy Mothers day. Let's hope I get it right more often than not this year!

Happy Birthday Aiden!

When you are pregnant with your second child, you have a hard time fathoming them being any different than your first child. I distinctly remember thinking this, even when Aiden was a little baby. And slowly, he began to show his own unique traits. Six years later, I think that I may have him pegged, but I'm guessing that I might be wrong. This shy, introverted little boy with a huge ability to love, as well as a huge ability to stand his ground, still surprises me every day.

And when it came to his birthday, Aiden was pretty true to form. I asked him what he wanted and his response was, "I guess legos or something, but really whatever you want to get me." And when I asked about a birthday cake it was, "Just a cake with yellow and orange stirpes cause it's my favorite color and Jacobs." There was glimmer of some decisiveness with his party when he named off about 8 people that he wanted there and said no to anymore cause "those are the people I really like." These are just a few examples of how unique Aiden is. To know him is to love him.

So, when his birthday rolled around, we headed to Chuckee Cheese. The kids loved playing the games and Aiden was so happy just to be there. We had pizza with Chuckee and at the end Aiden had enough tickets to get a heap of junkie toys. It was good to see him interacting with his friends. While he is shy on the outside, he certainly can joke around with his buddies. He blends in, but he has a good time doing so.

At the end of the day, after opening his presents, we sat in Aiden's room - redone that day with new bedding and a new world map on the wall. Aiden looked up at us, suddenly looking older, and told us what a fun day he had. His sweetness shined through. Better yet, his uniqueness shined through. He's not like his older brother - extroverted and social. He's not like his little brother - also extroverted, but extremely cuddly. No, Aiden is quiet, he's a thinker, he HATES kissing almost as much as he hates being the center of attention. And the newest trait to show in his sixth year of life is loyalty. He stands up for what he believes in and he loves unconditionally. Pretty good qualities to have at the young age of six. I'm so proud.

Happy Birthday Baby.

We convinced him to go with a snake cake and celebrated a bit early with Grandma and Papa

All the kids at Chuck E. Cheese!

So excited about this map!

Journey Back With The Girls!

I'm often unlucky with timing. The line I go into at the grocery store suddenly slows and I end up waiting, I choose to take the highway and it's longer than the side streets...this is the story of my life. But, the biggest timing mishap for me is leaving England too early. I was bummed that we'd miss the Olympics, but then the royals had to go and one up it by announcing a Royal Wedding! Not that I would be sitting with prime seats at Westminster Abbey, but it would have been nice to say I lived there at the time. Good thing my former ex-pat friends thought the same!

Shortly after the announcement of Will and Kate, an email came into my inbox - "How about a Royal reunion of expats in Beaconsfield?" Umm...easy answer to that! Of course! But then we began to think details - busyness of London and overpriced flights. Well, we could celebrate early, right? And so we did!

I boarded the plane leaving behind three sad boys - one saying it was unfair, one wanting to fly on the plane, and one not wanting me to go. I have to admit, I felt guilty for only about 2 seconds! And as my plane touched down at Heathrow, I felt myself let out a huge sigh of relief. Have I been holding my breath for 9 months? The skies were dreary and the rain lingered, but I was ecstatic to be 'home.'

I moved through customs and baggage in record time - 12 minutes, which could only be a sign of good things to come for the weekend. I was met by my good friend Marcy, who swept me off to Beaconsfield where we sat at the Old Tea House for a traditional cream tea and a good chat. Not much had changed and my mind felt as if it were playing tricks on me - had I really left at all? Three hours past quickly and I was on to the next visit - The Clarks.

This, honestly, was my toughest visit and where I did feel guilty that the boys weren't with me. We spent so much time at the Clark household where they too had three boys our age plus a little brother. It felt like old times as we prepared for the school run. It was great to be back on the school field and saying hello to everyone. I may have even reached celebrity status, if just for that 5 minutes!

Thursday night passed too quickly and suddenly I was back on the school field saying goodbye to Fraser and Rory, hoping it wouldn't be too long before we'd see eachother again. Then I was off to the next destination and the people who made the weekend happen - Friday Morning Playgroup. These ex-pat women from the States and Canada sat with me on a weekly basis as we watched our babies grow before our eyes. It was so great to see these ladies and for once we could sit and have a conversation without being interrupted! I don't think that has ever happened before!

Carrying on with the theme of the weekend, this too had a short lived life cause we had to move on to the next task at hand - shopping. We were all feeling a bit drowsy. Good thing that Chantal, our gracious host, has some Red Bull on hand. Wow, does that work! We were off! We cruised through the mall, purchasing UK items that we had to have and some that we didn't need. Anna, my Jersey Girl, made me buy a new jumper. Hmm...Whistles brand. Really? Never heard of it. Turns out that young Kate Middleton loves the store - check out her engagement pic and her lovely Whistles blouse. You were right Anna!

And then we looked at our watches! Yikes, we were late. Something I hate to be. We needed to get to Carrie's for a curry and I needed to get to Waitrose for my fish pie and sticky toffee pudding. We flew back, and made it fashionably late. Again, a night of lounging and filling in details from our past year. Anna, Sheena and I returned home and stayed up til 3:30 talking. We really didn't worry about our alarms going off at 8:00...there was Red Bull in the house!

Sheena and I made it up, but I just didn't have the heart to wake our Jewish princess. We waited and when she finally emerged, I told her we'd help move her along by making her bed. I've never seen anyone look so surprised. Apparently, Jewish women don't make beds - at least that is what this JAP said to me. My reply, Dutch women do. And I did. And then we had a Red Bull before being swept away to Central London for more shopping.

I think we all got our list taken care of. Never have I spent so much time in Designal looking at handbags! My reward was a Mexican dinner with Sheena, Chantal and Kym at our favorite Mexican place in London (ok, the only one we've ever been to!). After a very interesting conversation on religion (which we will have to finish next year!), we looked at our watches. Oh no! We are going to miss the show! The other girls had gone to tea and we were meant to meet at 7:00 at the theatre to see Jersey Boys. It was 7:15! We sprinted and made it just in time. Just. And the show was, well, meant for an older audience. And at the end we wondered why Frankie Vallie was still alive - didn't he die in a plane crash? Oh no, that was Frankie VallEN. Opps. Thank goodness for the quickness of iphones or we would have wondered all night.

Since some of us didn't have families to get home to, we went clubbing. I know, what were we thinking? But, it was actually a lot of fun. China White - a top club, known for hosting celebrities. We cut the line thanks to Chantal's connections and were in, sitting at a £500 a night table. Until we were kicked off it. Oh well. It was an experience for sure...especially the walk there! And when we got home, we talked again until 3:30.

Sunday was the day to say goodbye to these lovely friends and head to see my Brit friends. Jane was waiting for me, serving me a bacon sandwich when I got there. I knew Tom would be so jealous. We walked my favorite foot path and had a cuppa at Costa before walking home. I miss that so much. The night was spent at the White Hart with my British buddies. Even though the pub had run out of most food, we had a lovely evening. And, thanks to Jane, I got two lovely tea cups out of it. Hmmm....customer service in England, it hasn't changed.

Monday came too soon and evener sooner than what I expected thanks to American Airlines canceling my flight in order to save money. I had to leave 5 hours earlier than expected. This meant a very short coffee morning with school mums. But, at least I had it.

I later sat on the plane, next to a man who would change into pjs under a blanket while next to me, on a cell phone no less. And to make it even more entertaining for me, the man behind me was extremely drunk, which didn't matter much to the flight attendant, who continued to serve him beer whilst spraying me with the smelly stuff when opening it for him. No apologies. I guess customer service on America's end is changing too. But at the end of the ride, I had 4 lovely men waiting for me. I was so excited that I punched Jacob while trying to hug Aiden. Sorry buddy, but, well, mommy's home!

As the plane took off, I felt myself take a deep breath and wondered when I would breathe that sigh of relief again. 9 months can fly by and for the most part, we love it in America. But, I miss Friday mornings. I miss the friends that I sat with to complain about silly things, ask advice on how to parent, and talk with at points when I needed them most. I miss standing outside the school gates, chatting about nothing in particular. I miss helping my dear friends with their children as they helped me with mine. I miss these people that became my family for 3 years and who carried me through my toughest times. A cup of tea may not mean much to most people, but it has become everything to me. In the 25 minutes it takes to drink that cup, you create a foundation for friendship. The more cups of tea, the stronger the foundation. I had a lot of tea, thank goodness for that.

Until we meet again my dear friends...cheers. Oh, and girls, if you are reading this, you'll see my small amount of pics below. Send me yours!!!! xoxo

Thanks for the free day off Wills and Kate!!

My Holstpur school pals at Costa Coffee.