More things Eddie says

Eddie was looking around my office and asked if high school is the "last school." I told him about college, and how it's school where you get to choose where to go and what to study so you'll be ready for your job.

Eddie: I think I just want to be a regular dad.

Me: Well, lots of dads also have another job, like being a teacher.

Eddie: Ooh, I could be a hunting dad! Because we'll have to eat and stuff.

Me: True. So do you think your wife will have a good job?

Eddie: I don't know! I don't even know who she is yet!

Surprise Ball

I played a riveting game of catch with the boys yesterday. It's called Surprise Ball, because this time of year, you don't quite know what that is all over the ball. Is it mud? Wet leaves? Dog poop? Snow? Slush? All of the above? Here it comes--surprise! DJ came up with the name.

Eddie was the defender, which mostly involved falling on the ground a lot. It's fun.

Things Eddie says

I love all my kids the exact same amount (infinity), but I hope and pray for everyone's sake that all families in the world have at least one easy-going child. It's no secret that Eddie is one. He's got his things, of course, but Eddie can be generally be counted on to be kind-hearted and agreeable.

Here are a few good Eddie one-liners:

"Awesome." This is his response to any question like, "How was your day?" or "How are you doing?" And it's not a flippant or automatic response. He pauses to think about it for a second, that answers emphatically, "Awesome." Every time. It is, in a word...awesome.

"Mom! You are like a girl Hulk! You have Hulk muscles!"

"[Sighing] Aren't we lucky that God made snow so sparkly?"

"Mom! I can hear your heart beeping! I was snuggling with your heart, and I can hear it!"

DJ turns 8

Vanilla cake with football and baseball decor

The Great Eight! Everyone who has seen DJ this season after not seeing him for awhile comments either on how tall he's gotten or how different he sounds when he talks. He's definitely grown up a lot. This has been a fun year with DJ. He continues to do really well in school but also excels in general silliness and annoying his siblings. He discovered Who Was books, starting with Who Was Alexander Hamilton after Kevin and I went to the musical. That started him on a reading frenzy that hasn't stopped. His Christmas and birthday consisted mostly of Lions and U of M gear (our one Michigan fan in the family), books, and more books. And he was good with that!

Unlike his siblings, he's not particularly into watching TV and playing video games, unless what's on TV is a football or baseball game. I think Kevin likes having a new sports buddy. (He's commented more than once that DJ understands football better than him.) This a great age--equally likely to be telling me about what's going on in his book club or about an amazing play in last night's game. Oh yeah, and he wants his hair longer, so he's outgrown Kevin's barber abilities and got his first real haircut and he's adorable. Happy birthday, DJ!

How do you feel about being eight?  

Happy! Totally happy!

What kinds of new things do eight-year-olds do?   
Playing baseball in a new league. Being in 3rd grade.

What are you most excited about for the next year?
All those things. Also, going to Papa John's house and going to Lake Michigan with Grandma Lisa.

Who are your best friends?

Henry and Bennett, Otto and Mary Cate.

Who are your favorite people to play with?
Otto, Roger, Henry, Bennett, and Xander.

What kinds of things are you good at?

Baseball, basketball, football, playing catch with my football, reading.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Baseball player or police officer.

Why are you interested in those things?
Because I like baseball and I want to put handcuffs on people.

What’s your favorite song?   
Help by the Beatles.

What's your favorite food?
I don't have one. But my favorite drink is root beer.

Favorite movie?   
The Sandlot.

Favorite book?   

Who Is Derek Jeter.

Favorite color?   
Light green.

Favorite place to be?

Papa John's house. There's lots of room to run around and it's in the Upper Peninsula.

What are your favorite things to do?   
Play baseball, football, basketball, play catch with my football, read Who Was Books.

Is there anything else you want us to know about you?   
I was born one day after Dad! Like four hours after him.

What was your favorite birthday present?
The Babe Ruth bobblehead and my book Baseball Genius. 

The sleepy ones on New Year's Eve

Goodbye 2019, welcome 2020!

At our New Year's Eve party (movies and frozen appetizers in the great white north), we all shared our favorite 2019 memory and something we're looking forward to in 2020.

DJ: Favorite memory is going to Michigan Adventure this summer. He's most looking forward to playing baseball this spring, hopefully for Grand Ledge.

Nellie: Favorite memory is Christmas, getting a Hamilton ticket which she was not expecting! She's excited to turn 13.

Annie: Favorite memory is going on her first upside-down roller coaster and being in Frozen Jr. She's most looking forward to trying new things in 2020 now that she's older, like auditioning for plays and riding bigger amusement park rides.

Eddie: Favorite memory is going to Michigan Adventure and "all the other good things that happened." He's looking forward to next Christmas.

Mary Cate: Favorite memory is finding treasures. She is looking forward to "nothing."

Jamie: Favorite memories are watching the kids gain new experiences and interests. For the girls, definitely being in Frozen Jr. with Midway Theater Company. For DJ, starting to love reading. For Eddie, starting kindergarten and Mary Cate, starting preschool and learning to tolerate it. Running regularly starting this summer with Kevin was a favorite personal memory (especially the ledges on my birthday). I'm most looking forward to a couple of travel opportunities this year and of course, the great blessing of seeing the kids learn and grow.

Kevin: Favorite memories are playing football with DJ, turkey hunting with the kids. Running with Jamie (and sometimes Mary Cate) all summer and fall. He's most looking forward to the next hunting season.

Papa Mike: Favorite memory was backpacking in the mountains, especially the hike up to Lava Lake in Montana. He's most looking forward to "surviving" in 2020.

Christmas season = Christmas concerts

When we decided to have five children, no one prepared me for the fact that someday, some Christmas season, we would have six concerts/performances to attend in the span of two weeks. When I filled in our calendar over Thanksgiving, I'll admit, my stomach turned a little. That's a lot of quick dinner/get dressed!/get in the car!/we're going to be late!/sitting through a lot of music/taking lots of pictures/driving home in the dark and cold.

But I was also unprepared for how much I love to hear the kids sing and play. Yes, I have heard them many times before, but this was a year of firsts with Nellie's first year in choir, first year in middle school, Eddie in kindergarten, etc. And they love it so much (with the exception of DJ, as we know.)

Some highlights were when Mary and DJ actually got on stage and sang--it's always questionable until it happens, Nellie's descant at her choir concert, Annie's solo in the church show, and Eddie's joy throughout the elementary concert!

16 years of bliss

For our anniversary this year, we decided a night out with the kids would be a fun way to celebrate 16 years of marriage AND kick off Christmas break. We basically recreated our date from last year, during which we kept saying, "the kids would love this!"

We started with dinner at Olde Peninsula. Then we took a walk through the lights at Bronson Park, stopped in an interesting downtown candy store, gave the kids a driving tour of Western's campus (Nellie asked if the whole point was to make them want to go to WMU), and got coffee at Water Street.

I suppose a rare night out alone would have been nice, too, but we had a great time with the whole family!

Where Kevin proposed in front of the nativity

Kiss pose to embarrass the kids