I recently stumbled upon a beach poem that really stuck in my head. I thought of it while I was editing our beach photos and decided to post the poem instead of some witty or not so witty comments.

Of course then I had to find poems to go with our photos at the playground and our afternoon snack. Searching for just the right poem was so much fun I may start posting poems regularly. No, no, don’t worry; I mean other people’s poems, not mine! None of us wants me to try writing poetry, believe me.

Down to the Beach

by Sylvia Chidi

Down to the beach

Down to the beach
On a sunny day we go

Beach bags packed with sun screen lotions
Hands rubbing people’s backs in slow motion
Glistening oily bodies radiating with sensation

Down to the beach

Down to the beach
Where a chilly sea breeze blows

Let’s have some fun
In the red-hot sun

Down to the beach
Only there the ladies reveal saucy behinds
Whenever the raging sun is still kind

Down to the beach
As never-ceasing waves play across the shores
People happily play dreading any rainy downpour

Down to the beach
Where young lovers closely nestle

As sand creatures cause the sand to bristle
Seagulls gliding in the air with screams and whistles

Kids picking up shells and building stormy sand castles

Down to the beach
Where mostly good vibes flow

Down to the beach

We go whilst there is still sun without snow

The Playground

by Dr. Holly.

I love the playground – I feel so free,
To run around between the trees.

I can dance and I can shout.
I can prance and jump about.

I can swing the whole long day.
My feet touch the sky – Up, up, away!

I can climb – I never stop! –
Like a mountain lion straight to the top!

I can cross the monkey bars
Like an astronaut from star to star.

I can spin on the merry-go-round
Until I’m dizzy, then slow me down.

Fast Food

by Ethel Smith

Why is fast food
so full of fat?
It’s usually junk,
and garbage at that.

As it’s so naughty,
and we know it’s so bad,
why do we love it
and eat it like mad?

<  

Happy birthday Princess – I can’t believe my baby girl is nineteen already. How did that happen?

Over the past year you’ve experienced so many changes; some happy and some sad. Many of them have been difficult, but you weathered them all with a maturity and grace beyond your years. You have more roles to fill than other kids your age, but you seem to enjoy each of them.

You’re a wonderful big sister and role model for your siblings.

Remember taking this photo in 2006 for College Boy’s first year at college? You all look so young! I almost forgot your hair was that long.

You’ve always made friends easily, and once made there’s no more loyal or caring friend than you.

Here you are with your best friend Eileen on Halloween, 2004. That was the year she borrowed your poodle skirt and went as a sock-hopper.

You’re a fantastic mama who obviously loves Peanut fiercely and deeply.

I’ve always loved this photo from Christmas tree hunting last year. Remember how she got so heavy and slid down our coats so we had to keep trading her back and forth? As always, she was happiest when you held her.

You’ve always been a good student, and I know you’ll do great your second year of college. Last year was rough, being a commuter student full time plus being a mom, but you came through with flying colors!

This is from 2004 – was that 6th or 7th grade? Look at how straight your arms are – practice pays off!

You’re a loving and devoted wife to Cowboy.

This photo from 2007 is one of my favorite photos of you and Cowboy together. It’s obvious how happy you were to be together then – just as you are now, and just as I know you will be in the future. You two are perfect for each other.

You’ve always been an amazing daughter, who I am proud and happy to call my friend as well as my daughter.

I wish you joy, love, and happiness throughout the upcoming year. No matter what happens remember that we’ll always love you, and always be here for you. You’re an incredible person and we couldn’t be prouder to be your parents.

With much love,

aka Mom

My friends and I played Capture the Flag all the time when I was a kid, and now my kids love it too. After Z-Man’s birthday celebration the cousins ganged up on their dads and conned them into playing Capture the Flag with them.

Grandma and I sensibly stayed on the porch to watch the action.

They tried to get Grandpa to join in, but he had his hands full with Benny. The silly pup loves to play with the kids, but doesn’t have the sense to stop and rest when he’s tired.

My handsome guy – go get ‘em, Honey!

It’s Uncle Brian’s family vs Teacher’s family – that’s fair since Z-Man, Little Guy and their cousin J will just end up running around tagging everyone on both teams.

I dunno what Jo-Bear did to the girls, but they don’t look too happy. Come on, Jo-Bear; hide that thing already!

What a great hiding place! I won’t tell anyone where it is cuz that would be cheating.

But if I’m offered chocolate all bets are off; it’s not considered cheating if you were bribed with chocolate.

Uncle Brian tells his team to split up and attack from opposite sides.

Jo-Bear looks kinda bored defending his team’s flag. Don’t worry Jo-Bear, things will heat up soon.

Told ya so; here they come… Run, Angel Face, run!

Oh no, they got her – now she’s in jail.

Does anyone else think she let herself be caught so she could read her text?

After a long game Uncle Brian’s team finally won – congrats, guys!

Who’s ready for a cold drink and some more cake?

Our first day of vacation in Grand Haven was busy, but it wasn’t over yet! Teacher’s brother, Brian, and his kids came over to celebrate Z-Man’s birthday and hang out for a while. We hadn’t seen them for two years so it was great to spend some time with them.

And I’m just realizing I didn’t take any pictures of Brian and the kids together – or Grandma and Grandpa together. How dumb was that?! Please tell me I’m not the only one who spaces out on taking photos!

You can’t celebrate a birthday without a cake – at least in my family you can’t, unless you’ve got a death wish – and Grandma had ordered a doozy of a cake. Z-Man couldn’t decide if he wanted it decorated with Dinosaurs or Spider Man so he told Grandma that she could pick. Grandma likes to spoil the kids so she had them decorate the cake with both.

Z-man and Little Guy were in awe of the cake, until they were distracted by the lighter. What is it with males and fire?!

After cake and presents were finished Grandpa wanted to take a picture of all the cousins together.

I don’t think he realized how impossible it would be with all of these squirrely kids.

Maybe they were all sugared up from the cake.

C’mon guys, can’t you hold still for just a second?

Pleeeeease?

Almost – one more time!

Or not.

If you give a kid a camera she’s going to take pictures. When you see the pictures you might scratch your head at and wonder why she took that photo. Who takes a random photo of the UPS Store anyway?! When you ask about the photos she’ll say “I don’t know; just because.” and you’ll be more confused than before.

With Pronto Pups in hand we strolled toward downtown and some of our favorite shops. Angel Face offered to hold my camera so I could carry Pups and sodas. Little did I know she planned to keep it the rest of the day!

As we crossed the street she noticed a sandal in the middle of the road and thought it was hilarious. Not only did she have to take a picture of it, she kept looking back at it and laughing.

I’m not really sure what to say about that. Maybe the less said the better.

She seems to like hot pink petunias. Can’t fault her for that.

Hostetter’s is an old-fashioned magazine shop, the kind that smells like loose tobacco and has penny candy that really costs only a penny. We Santa used to get comic books and penny candy for the kids stockings at Hostetter’s.

She fell in love with these guitars even though the only time she touches a guitar is when she’s playing Guitar Hero at a friend’s house. That didn’t keep her from yelling “I want one of those!” on the sidewalk. And she thinks we’re embarrassing!

If you look closely you can see my reflection in the window. I like this window; it makes me look thin – and like I’ve got a guitar for a skirt. I wanted to take the thin-making window home with us but it wouldn’t fit in the van.

One of our all-time favorite places in Grand Haven has always been Mackinaw Kites and Toys. Teacher used to fly those really big cool kites when he was younger and Mackinaw has the biggest and coolest kites I’ve ever seen. Plus they have the best toys too – like Brio, Melissa and Doug, and all those other neat European educational brands that I can’t remember.

We wandered into a “green” as in eco-friendly clothing store where Angel Face took a photo of all these pretty scarves.

She had fun trying on a bunch of hats, and apparently liked this one a lot. I think it looks great on her.

I love hats too, but unlike Angel Face who looks fantastic in any kind of hat, I always look dorky in a hat.

I have no idea why she took this photo and why it had to be upside-down. At least my toes look cute.

We were in the right place at the right time to see these kids performing on upside-down buckets. They were a little nervous but did great, and were soooo cute!

Fortinos is another all-time favorite place to shop. Should I be worried that no matter where we go our favorite places usually involve food?! Fortino’s has the BEST fresh-roasted peanuts – perfect for Christmas stockings shhhh, don’t tell the kids – plus imported Italian foods, a huge selection of candy you don’t normally find, and a loooong counter of chocolates. Is it any wonder we love Fortino’s?

Angel Face was very amused by the South Butt merchandise in Buffalo Bills, but couldn’t find anything in her size. It’s tops on her Christmas list this year though!

I liked Buffalo Bills better when it had an old-fashioned soda fountain in back – big surprise that I’m all about the food again.

Wow, it’s hard to believe that we’ve had Pronto Pups, walked the whole downtown and back, and it’s only 3:00. Teacher and I could’ve gone on longer but the little boys were fading fast so we decided to head back to Grandma and Grandpa’s.

To be continued – we’re not done with the day yet!

There’s a tickle behind my nose from tears that are trying to breech my self-control. My stomach aches like someone punched me in the gut. The lump in my throat is choking me. I feel like throwing up.

I tell myself there’s no reason to be so freaked out. She’s not dead, not missing, not even moving across the country. She’s only five minutes away and comes over almost every day for heaven’s sake.

It’s just a bedroom – not the end of the world.

But it’s hard.

The week after College Boy was dropped off for his first year at school Teacher and I cleaned his room – and boy did it need it! We sorted, tossed, and boxed; only leaving out things we thought he’d need during breaks and summers. For the following two years his room stood empty while he was at school, except for weekday afternoons when a daycare child napped there.

It wasn’t until we found out that Peanut was on the way that I was forced to admit how silly it was to have a bedroom sitting empty nine months out of the year when the girls were sharing one room and the three younger boys were sharing another room. That summer Teacher, my Dad, Uncle Jon, and College Boy worked like madmen to redo the basement a subject I keep putting off writing about so College Boy would have a place to live when he was home from school.

Angel Face didn’t complain about giving up her place in “the Girls’ Room” for her niece. She happily moved into College Boy’s room and made it her own by hanging lime green sequined curtains, a Beatles valence, and papering the walls with pages ripped from magazines. The space her bed and dresser had occupied were filled with a crib and petite dresser, and all was well with the world.

For a while.

It wasn’t until a little while after Princess and Cowboy were married and moved into an apartment of their own that I was forced to admit it was silly to have a whole bedroom unused – except for Peanut’s naps – when the three boys were crammed into the smallest bedroom in the house.

But who would move?

I was totally enamoured with the girls’ room. Not only is it the kind of room I dreamed of having when I was teen, Teacher and I put twice as much love as time and effort into redecorating it for our girls. Remembering how the four of us worked together to create the pistachio, bubble gum, and lavender confection that was the girls’ room gives me head-to-toe warm fuzzies.

I really didn’t want to give up the girl’s decor so I hoped that Angel Face would move back into her old room and let Jo-Bear take over College Boy’s room. Besides, that room is dark jade green; perfect for a boy so we wouldn’t have to paint!

Angel Face wasn’t on board with my idea. For the past two years she’s spent countless hours decorating, arranging, organizing, redecorating, reorganizing and rearranging. She totally loves her room so I wasn’t surprised that she didn’t want to move – nor can I blame her.

So who was going to move?

I debated. I deliberated. I worried. I weighed the pros and the cons. Teacher wisely stood back and let me go through the necessary mental contortions until I came up with a plan.

I asked Jo-Bear if he wanted to switch rooms or stay where he was.

I suppose I could have anticipated his answer because it’s the only room he’s ever known, but I was still surprised when he said he wanted to stay in his room. He didn’t care that it’s smaller, that it has only one window, or that the decor is Noah’s Ark.

A wise mama knows how to influence her kids – at least some of the time – so it was easy to get the little boys excited about moving into a different bedroom. They were happy to have a new room, Jo-Bear was happy to have a room to himself again, Angel Face was happy to stay in her own room, and all was well with the world.

For a short while.

At first I was nothing but excited. I looked forward to finally seeing the floor of Jo-Bear’s room, to being able to determine who made what mess, to little brothers staying out of big brother’s stuff, to the end of three growing-bigger-every-day boys crammed in a teeny tiny room.

I started dropping little hints to Princess about cleaning out her room, but she was passively resistant. While waiting for her to get used to the idea I took small steps: emptying her garbage can, washing the dirty clothes that were under the bed, packing up the things Peanut had outgrown.

As the summer waned and the the beginning of the school year – my self-proclaimed “D-Day” – approached I attacked her room with an enthusiasm usually reserved for chocolate and Teacher’s Mexican cooking. I labeled paper grocery bags: Recycling, Garbage, Charity, Things for Princess to Sort, then filled them to the brim. I hinted, teased, cajoled, reminded, nagged, then finally dragged her upstairs to work on her room.

“This is hard, mommy,” she said over and over.

“I know,” I replied, “I know.”

I really do know.

The cleaner her room gets the harder it is to keep going. Memories flood my head and my heart as I see the last remnants of her childhood awaiting their fate.

The stick-on flowers that Teacher was so proud to find because they perfectly matched the paint and mirrored the girls’ personalities.

The teddy bears that are loved too much to be given away but not enough to be taken to the apartment.

The shelf and bulletin board that I can’t bring myself to take down. Somehow, taking things off the walls seems more final than putting things in boxes.

Her bed.

Her bed is the hardest to look at.

I remember when she was young, sleeping buried under the covers with just the top of her tousled head peeking out and one arm flung across her favorite stuffed bunny… surrounded by thick books as she worked tenaciously on an important paper… propped up in the corner; love and exhaustion filling her eyes as she nursed little Peanut.

It’s so hard.

But I’m the mom. I’m supposed to do the hard things.

And so I do.

I take a big breath. I square my shoulders. I press on.

When it gets too hard I step away.

I play with Peanut or read a book to the boys. I take some time off, then I go back to it again. I’m the mom; I’m supposed to do the hard things.

Instead of thinking about how sad as I am to see the end of Princess’s childhood, I concentrate on how excited I am to see her beginning her adult life. Putting aside my wistfulness over the bubble gum, pistachio and lavender color scheme, I focus on where to put the boys’ furniture and wonder what color scheme they’ll pick. Hopefully something that will match their bunk bed so we don’t have to repaint that too!

Mantra swirling through my head I fill another bag: “It’s just a room, it’s just a room, it’s just a room…”

The memories don’t live in any room; they live in my head.

And in my heart.

We have to go to Pronto Pups at least once when we’re in Grand Haven. This time we were lucky and the line wasn’t long.

When you eat a Pronto Pup you’re experiencing corn dog heaven on earth. The batter is tempura-crispy and light instead of dense and heavy like the batter on frozen corn dogs. Inside, the dog is steaming hot with a salty juiciness that’s as far away from Oscar Meyer as you can get.

Best of all, Pronto Pups are on a stick! nothing’s better than walking down the sidewalk under a hot summer sun with the sound of seagulls above you and a Pronto Pup – on a stick – in your hand.

It’s Jeff Dunham’s fault that I’m obsessed with stuff on a stick. Back in the early 1990s Teacher and I caught Jeff Dunham and Jose – the jalapeno on a stick – on TV. We laughed our heads off! I can’t think of many other times we’ve laughed as hard as we did at Jeff and Jose. Since then we’ve had a habit of turning to each other and saying “on a steek” at random moments.

“What’s for dinner?”
“Spaghetti… on a steek!”

“What do you want to do tonight?”
Let’s stay home and watch a movie… on a steek!”

I know it’s dorky, but that’s us.

On a steek!

Pronto Pups come with their own warning.

I pretend I didn’t see it.

Calories don’t count when you’re on vacation anyway.

Right?

I wish I hadn’t seen that; my imagination is too vivid. Ewww!

Pronto Pups is at the top of a hill so it has a fantastic view of the channel and the island.

The Fourth of July and Coast Guard Festival fireworks are always set off from the island. Teacher’s dad was a firefighter and has hilarious stories about putting out fires on the island while fireworks exploded over his head.

The channel curves around to the right and is marked by Grand Haven’s famous light house in the far distance. We’ll definitely take a walk out there before we leave Grand Haven!

The boys enjoy the view almost as much as I do.

They’re so adorable together they make my heart hurt. Jon’s girlfriend Diana calls that feeling “dying of cuteness.” I have to agree.

I think they enjoy their Pronto Pups more!

We’re on our way to Grand Haven, MI to visit Teacher’s family! We lived in Grand Haven for almost four years before moving to Wisconsin so it’s like going home – for some of us anyway. Actually, for Teacher it IS going home.

Teacher and I have taken so many family road trips that we know how to make traveling with kids fairly painless – even without a TV or DVD player in the van. I admit we cheated a little this time, but most of the trip was movie-free.

It’s a good seven to eight hour ride to see Grandma and Grandpa so the kids pack a “car bag” to keep them occupied. They bring things like books, crayons, Don’t leave them in a hot car or they’ll melt – trust me! CDs or iPods, pillows for napping and sweatshirts in case the AC gets too cold.

Teacher suggested that we put the little boys in the back seat together, and I put their toys in an open container between them. It worked out perfectly; they were able to occupy themselves without help for most of the trip!

Tip for families with small children: pick up some small, inexpensive toys to bring along on the sly. When it’s about half-way or three-quarters the way through your trip and the kids are getting antsy pull one out for each of them.

A couple of years ago we started bringing our laptops on trips, so we let the kids watch DVDs until the batteries die. Yes, I consider this cheating, but when you’re cooped up in a van with your kids for seven hours you fall into survival mode. Of course Angel Face had her phone to distract her.

Having the big kids in the middle worked well; they could help the little boys but were comfortable so they didn’t get crabby… much.

My hubby is just as smart as he is sexy – I’m a lucky woman! Kids, just ignore the sexy thing; I don’t want to damage your psyches.

I’m in charge of snacks for our trips, and I usually bring too much. This time I packed apples, grapes, baby carrots, Annie’s bunnies, almonds, organic “cheez-its,” Quaker rice cake snacks, honey wheat pretzels, and regular pretzels. Instead of napkins or paper towels I use plastic cups to hold the snacks; they’re easier to pass around without spilling and not as likely to slide off their laps onto the floor. We also bring water to drink because it won’t make a mess if when it spills.

Sometimes we pack fixin’s for sandwiches or wraps, but this time we decided to stop at Subway. Yes, I did take a bite of my sandwich before I took a photo. I was starved!

The advantage to bringing sandwich stuff is that everyone can eat whenever they want and as much as they want – within reason. The disadvantage is that it’s not easy to make a sandwich on a bumpy road; I always end up with someone’s lunch on my pants.

Tips for bringing your own sandwich stuff:

Once we hit the road we have a division of labor: Teacher drives and I read. Sometimes I entertain him by reading random sections from whatever book or magazine I’m devouring. He especially likes it when I read him a phrase out of context – it makes him think and exercises his brain. I just love a man with a buff brain!

I usually get so engrossed that I don’t come up for air until somewhere around Chicago.

And there it is: one of my all-time favorite scenes, the Chicago skyline!

For this trip Teacher decided to see where his GPS would guide us so we ended up going around Chicago instead of through, like we usually do. I don’t think it was any faster but the traffic was slightly less scary.

Shhhhhh! Angel Face is sleeping…

Teacher is stops for a breaki every three hours or so – generally at the Wisconsin/Illinois and Illinois/Michigan borders. Guess which one this is?

This particular rest area had a really nice playground so we let the kids burn off a little energy. Jo-Bear loooooves to swing.

Angel Face did an interpretation of the movie Titanic.

I’ve never made it all the way through that movie; I’ve see the whole thing, but in bits and pieces. It’s just too sad to watch all at once. I can’t help but think of all the families who died and how those mothers must have felt knowing that they and their children were going to die.

But I digress… let’s talk about something happier.

The little boys ran around like maniacs and weren’t too thrilled when it was time to get back in the van. Z-Man came relatively easily but Little Guy refused to budge. He caught up to us really quickly after we walked away without him though. Lest you think we’re terrible parents; no-one else was in the fenced-in playground when we left, and I watched him out of the corner of my eye the whole time to make sure he was safe.

I guess all that running around and swinging tired Jo-Bear out. Or maybe it was the staying up late to watch TV with Angel Face last night.

Are we there yet?

Yes, we finally arrived!

The little boys were thrilled about staying in Grandma and Grandpa’s camper. Grandpa was worried that we’d be offended they put us in the camper instead of the house, but I thought it was perfect. He’d set up the hot and cold water, a potty, and the TV; everything we’d have in the house except showers and the manic claustrophobia our crazy family brings into their quiet two-person house.

Now THIS is my style of camping! In some ways the camper is nicer than our house; it’s definitely newer and cleaner. Everything is so adorably compact, cute, and un-child-damaged.

I know that’s not a real word but I couldn’t think of another word that fit as well. We’ll call it “creative license.”

The table area transforms into a bed, so that’s where Angel Face slept.

Apparently the couch turns into a bed too – we didn’t try it cuz Grandpa hadn’t ever done it before and didn’t know how. Usually it’s just Grandma and Grandpa camping so they don’t need that many beds.

The back bedroom sleeps three – the “drawer” at the bottom is actually a trundle bed – so the boys slept there. I was worried Jo-Bear would roll out of the top bunk onto the little boys and squish them, but he didn’t. Whew!

Now that we’re finally here and the van is upacked our vacation can officially begin!

To be continued…

I don’t know what birthday parties in other families look like, but around here birthday parties are pretty basic. As long as there’s lots of food, a houseful of family members, cake, ice cream, and presents we’re all happy.

We recently celebrated Z-Man’s sixth birthday with a Sunday brunch that ended up lasting all day. Z-Man had very few requests: “little porkies,” marble cake with chocolate frosting, and vanilla ice cream. Teacher and I opted to go easy with the rest of the meal and added with scrambled eggs, bagels with cream cheese veggie, chocolate/chocolate chip, and plain, fresh fruit, and juice. My mom found a new recipe she wanted to try so she brought blueberry french toast – it was was out of this world good!

Peanut and Love Bug are so adorable together! I really hope they end up living near each other; I have a cousin just a couple of months younger than I am and we loved being together all the way through high school.

Games are big in my family so it’s not unusual to have a couple rounds of cards while we’re waiting for everyone to finish eating.

Once we’re all done eating it’s time for presents – yea!

College Boy and Irish Girl cuddled on the couch to watch Z-Man open his presents.

Look – I got a good photo of Mr. Elusive! But that’s only because he was contemplating this…

Don’t worry, no wives were harmed in the celebrating of this birthday. Irish Girl may look quiet but she can hold her own against College Boy.

It must have been “couples day” because Cowboy and Princess snuggled together too. It looks like Cowboy is playing on his iTouch but he’s actually kissing Princess on her head. She still has that “newlywed glow” – I hope it never fades.

Even Uncle Jon and Diana got into the act, posing together for me. Aren’t they a great couple?

Everyone’s ready Z-Man; ready… set… rip!

I made sure he’d save the best for last: my mom has been working on this quilt for him for over a year. It’s one of the most adorable things I’ve ever seen.

Love Bug thinks it’s pretty special too.

After presents it’s time for CAKE and ICE CREAM! I can never decide what’s the best part of birthdays; presents or cake. What do you think?

He’s gonna huff, and puff, and blooooow those candles out.

I took three tries but finally he got them all blown out. Personally I think he was trying to prolong the moment – that whole guys-love-fire thing.

Angel Face decorated the cake and scooped out the ice cream. She suffers from cameraphobia like College Boy, except hers is schizophrenic; sometimes she’ll dodge the camera but other times she’ll flash a stunning grin. I never know which persona is going to appear when I point the camera at her, which keeps things interesting to say the least. Trying to take her picture is almost as much fun as trying to take College Boy’s!

Irish Girl decided to let Love Bug “practice” eating birthday cake so she’d be all ready for her first birthday in a couple of weeks. I decided I should practice too, so I’d be ready for my birthday, but since I’m bigger I had to practice a lot more.

I think she’s got the hang of it! Me, I’m not so sure about. I may need to practice with Princess’s birthday cake. And Little Guy’s, and Teacher’s, and Jo-Bear’s, and…

Come to think of it, there’s still some cake left and I’m feeling a need for more practice. I’ll be back later… much, MUCH later.

Sometimes you’re tired.

Falling down tired.

Dead to the world tired.

So tired you’ll fall asleep almost anywhere.

Like in Mom’s underwear drawer,

Big sister’s wedding,

On the floor,

In your dinner,

Grandma’s lap,

In your carrier,

In mom’s chair,

On grandpa’s lap,

I don’t know what it is about sleeping children…

And kitties…

That I can’t resist…

Maybe it’s cuz they look so sweet and innocent…

Even though I know they’re not.