Things to Do - A Week Of Rain

It rained all last week. Constantly. A sunless week. Navigating the rain proved tricky at first, especially with kindergarten beginning. Since we walk F to school now, I had to master three raincoats, three umbrellas, and three wet little people. Though at first we felt like hostages to the weather, eventually we all adapted. The girls road bikes through the drizzle while T and I splashed in puddles. Dan continued to ride his bike to work, arriving home soaked but happy.

On Friday morning, while both girls attended school, T and I explored the trail next to Long Branch Nature Center and watched newly-formed waterfalls cascade down the hills. Despite the downpour, T turned to me and said "I like this mommy. I don't want to go home." And neither did I. The world always looks so beautiful in the rain, you notice the oddest little things - different shades of green, the reflection of rocks on the pavement, the sound of trees.

During law school I lived in London for a semester and last week brought back memories of that time, how it felt to carry an umbrella everywhere, sometimes showing up at places soaked to the bone. It felt oddly good. And the pubs always seemed more special, more intimate, when you knew there was a storm outside. Some days it seemed like the weather created instant friendships, as we'd stay to drink a little longer, hoping the downpour would end.

Thursday night I met a new friend out for drinks and we had a great time talking and watching the rain fall outside the restaurant. We discussed how nice it would be to have a monthly gathering of area bloggers. Anyone interested? Let me know. Rain or shine, it would be nice to meet some of you in person.

Happy Monday everyone! I'll have pics from our vacation on Mackinac Island up tomorrow.

Places to Go (Vacation) - Ann Arbor, MI, Part II - Nichols Arboretum - The Third Stop on Our Roadtrip of Michigan

Dan proposed to me in Nichols Arboretum. It was our third year of law school, during finals and I hadn't showered in about two days. We brought my dog to run around and decided to take my roommate's dog too, so we had a cheering squad. I hate diamonds so Dan had this beautiful, quirky, emerald and sapphire ring custom made, which was so perfect for me (and which I've since lost, as I tend to lose everything). At first I thought he was joking, as he swore we WOULD NOT be one of those cheesy couples who gets engaged during the last few weeks of law school (and, truth be told, I think two other couples in our class became engaged the same weekend as us).

Anyways, we thought it would be fun to take the kids to the arb. The girls loved asking questions, like
"mommy, what did you look like then?"
"Well, like me only younger and skinnier."
"I can't picture it."
"I can't either anymore."

And - "What was daddy wearing? Did Dos (the dog) cry? Did you say yes? Where was I?"

T, on the other hand, decided to throw one huge whopper of a tantrum. Seriously, the kind where we had to carry him back to the car screaming. In retrospect, it was much easier to bring dogs with us. Oh well, seven years, three kids later and I'm more in love then ever. Even with a screaming toddler in the backseat.


*F brought her own camera (we gave her a "real" camera, no more kids' camera) and took the pic of me and Dan, which sort of made my day.
*I think I need to frame the one of Dan and all the kids. Lots of love there. Lots.
In Ann Arbor we stayed at the Regent Hotel and Suites, which was great with the kids (a pool, an outdoor gazebo, a fairly decent free breakfast, Rio on demand). The Cabbage Patch Kids continue to travel everywhere with us. Along with a huge suitcase of Cabbage Patch clothes. Remember Koosas?

WEEKEND LINKS:

*THIS is quite funny.

*Rummey Bears has a great post on blogs vs. real life where she asks "As a blog author do you retain ownership to portray your life as whatever you please? Or do you think as your readership grows you have an ethical responsibility to be more aware of the picture you are painting?" I struggle with this too, I try not to concentrate too much on the tough side of parenting (who wants to remember all the bad stuff in life?), but on the other hand I just blogged about a toddler tantrum. So it goes.

*I can't stop listening to Miss Moss's newest mix. Click here to download it for free.

*Bruschetta three ways - these look yummy!

*WOW!! Stunning.

*Violence against women - a photo essay. Prepare to be depressed.

*Noel Camardo. USA.

Places to Go (Vacation) - Ann Arbor, MI - Part I - University of Michigan Law School - The Third Stop On Our Michigan Roadtrip

Dan and I met during law school, at University of Michigan. So on our way to Mackinac Island (more posts on Mackinac next week) we stopped in Ann Arbor for a few nights.

After we arrived, we took a family walk through the law school quad and watched as a large wedding party posed for photos. The quad is sort of famous for it's gothic and striking beauty, the whole thing really takes your breath away the first time you see it - like a secret garden or something. But when the snow comes it becomes cold and desolate. Which is sort of how I remember all of Ann Arbor.

Most of my law school friends (including my husband) have wonderful memories of the city itself and it was fun to watch Dan walk the kids through the law school, telling stories about Constitutional law and Antitrust. And F asking "oh, so is that where you learned arithmetic? Did you have recess? Were your teachers nice? Did you color pictures in class?" (well, not exactly). As for me, I still find the place uninviting and cold - like photographs of desolate places in Antarctica - so fun to look at, but not the best place to live year round.

An addition to the law school is under construction, which ironically contains a lovely GLASS CEILING. maybe they'll call it the women's lounge. now I just sound bitter.

After our law school "tour" we walked past Domick's bar, home of the regionally famous sangria and famed law school hang out, and then my own memories came flashing back. I miss you Dominick's. I miss you.

Places to Go (Vacation) - Warren Dunes State Park (Sawyer, MI) - The Second Stop on Our Roadtrip of Michigan

After the kids and I spent a week at my mom's house, Dan flew in to meet us so we could embark on a road trip of Michigan. First stop - a day at Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer, MI (a little over one and a half hours from Chicago).

As a family, we've gone to the beach quite a few times, but our trips usually occur while we're staying on our near the water; whereas we stopped by Warren Dunes for a few hours on our way to Ann Arbor (more on Ann Arbor on Wednesday). I found it rather amusing to watch Dan and T attempt to rally for a day at the beach - sand irritates them both (not only do they look alike, they think alike), so they spent a large part of the morning cuddled in a corner of the blanket, trying to avoid contact with the tiny granules that get everywhere.

The girls and I, however, couldn't stop playing in the water. I love summer.


My old Cabbage Patch Kids now travel everywhere with us. Luckily, they didn't go in the water.

RANDOM LINKS:

*Save America's oldest seed company!! Click here to find out how you can help.

*I REALLY want these shoes.

*This little girls' shirt literally made my stomach turn (link via A Day That Is Dessert). Luckily, these kids' t-shirts are AWESOME!(thanks Michelle!). I used to buy the kids a ton of t-shirts from Reckon, until they were old enough to say "these are too weird to wear."

*You are Not a Photographer. I found the idea for this blog somewhat offensive, but the pictures are REALLY funny.

*Gorgeous instagram photos. I can't decide which one I like best, maybe the lamp?

Things to Make - Swirly Stones

Honestly, this was one of my favorite craft projects ever. Watching the crayon melt onto the rock was mesmerizing, I couldn't stop coloring (nor could the girls), though this activity is NOT appropriate for toddlers, so we waited for T to nap before we began. Here's the scoop:

1. Find rocks. We went on a rock scavenger hunt through the neighborhood, but we only found a few. Luckily, I had a bowl of decorative rocks (from Ikea) that we used. Though in retrospect I think this project would work best on "found" rocks as the decorative ones were really shiny, so the crayon didn't show up as well.

2. Bake stones in the oven on a foil-lined pan for ten minutes at 225 degrees.

3. Remove stones from oven using a pot holder (be careful they are HOT!!) and place on paper.

4. Color on the stones using old crayons (with the wrappers removed) watch the wax melt onto the rock.

5. VOILA beautiful swirly stones!!



OTHER CREATIVE IDEAS FROM AROUND THE WEB:

*Tape resist art. Looks fun and easy.

*Lego stamping - this looks so fun, I wish I would have thought of it myself.

*This little paper dollhouse is the cutest thing ever. And a link to the PDF makes it easy to make your own.

*An indoor retractable clothesline fort. Genius.

*Fairy houses made out of milk cartons. I love it!

*I really want to make our own root beer. Has anyone ever tried it?