Introductions

Last night the littles and I headed up to Hubby's new school for their homecoming parade and bon fire.  It was a lot of excitement for our little ones on a Wednesday night when they have two more days of school this week... but we packed a picnic dinner and decided to give it a shot.  It was the first school event the children and I have attended, so we really wanted to support the school and participate in the Homecoming event.

Our little Lee Lee -- who talks ALL THE TIME these days surprised Hubby and me, when he and I were greeting a family that we hadn't seen in awhile and I was introducing the mom "Mrs. Whatshername" and Addallee just looked right up at her and said, "I'm Lee Lee."

This, of course, sounded more like, "I'm Yee Yee," but both Hubby and I looked at each other with surprise admitted that we didn't know she knew how to introduce herself.  She is not even two.

For the rest of the night, every new person that came over to greet our family, Addallee piped right up, "I'm Lee Lee.  I'm Lee Lee.  I'm Lee Lee" until the new party acknowledged her. 

 

 

Senior Year

I saw this on facebook awhile ago and thought it would be fun to fill out:

Tell us about your SENIOR year of high school! 

The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be!

 

Class of 2002

 

1. Did you know your spouse? 

No

 

2. Did you car pool? 

Not to school... to football games and tennis practice, sometimes.

 

3. It's FRIDAY night where were you? 

At the high school football game or usually on a date with my boyfriend, or getting to bed early because of Saturday tournaments.

 

4. What kind of job did you have? 

Not many... I didn't baby-sit much by Sr. year anymore and I was paid a few times for playing the harp, but not much.  I pretty much considered it my job to get top grades so I studied a lot.

 

5. Were you a party animal? 

No, but my friends and I had a lot of fun... dorky, non-partying fun.

 

6. Were you considered a jock? 

No, but I was Captain of the Tennis Team and was City Champ my Sr. year.

 

7. Were you in choir/band or orchestra? 

All of the above.  Well, actually, I quite Choir senior year because I couldn't get it to work with my schedule, but I played the harp with all of the choir, band, and orchestra senior year.

 

8. Were you a nerd?  

It probably depended on who you asked.

 

9. Did you get suspended? 

No -- I was never so much as reprimanded in an administrator's office.

 

10. Can you sing the fight/school song? 

I can still sing the Alma Mater, and I can sing about as much of the fight song as I ever could... I know about the first two lines, and then I know the tune, but not the words (Anchor's Away).

 

11. Where did you eat? 

In the cafeteria

 

12. Where was your high school? 

Norton Shores, Michigan

 

13. What was your school mascot? 

Sailors

 

14. If you could go back and do it over again would you?  

Probably not... it was a great time while I was there, but I'm really happy with where I am now.   

 

15. Do you still talk to the person you went to prom with? 

No.

 

16. Are you planning on going to the next high school reunion? 

I would consider it if it worked, but my class doesn't really seem to be big into planning reunions.  The only one so far was the 10th, and we were given about two weeks notice.  This year marks 15 years since we graduated and I've heard nothing about a reunion.  I have never been back to Homecoming since my Sr. year because I've never been home in the fall (first college, then grad school, then teaching, it was never a good time to make it home).

 

17. Are you still in contact with people from high school? 

I'm in touch with acquaintances via facebook, which is nice as we're all having kids at the same time, but I am not in touch with my close friends from high school anymore than the acquaintances.

 

18. Did you skip school? 

Once but it was for a school event -- I was in AP government class the year before the Bush-Gore election and our teacher had us very involved in following the election.  Al Gore was holding a rally in Grand Rapids and I attended with a lot of other students from Government class.  It wasn't a class field trip, so really, we skipped school to go.  I don't remember if our parents excused us or if the school sort of overlooked it because it really was educationally related.

 

19. Do you know where your high school sweetheart is? 

I do not.  I tried to "friend" him on facebook many years ago when facebook was new, and he never responded so we are not in touch at all.  Sometimes his mother runs into my mother at the grocery store and they catch up a little and I hear from my mom what he's up to but I don't remember where he is.  I do know he is married and has at least one daughter who's within a year or so of my oldest daughter's age, but that's all I know.

 

20. What was your favorite subject? 

I loved science even though I had to work really hard in those classes and history.

 

21. Do you still have your High School Ring? 

Yes, somewhere.

 

22. Do you still have your yearbooks? 

  Yes, somewhere.

Peter Pan

I don't think I posted about it, but a few weeks ago, I took Tracey to see her first live performance play at our local high school.  It was the musical Annie, which was the first live musical I ever saw.  I played the movie for her before we went, and talked to her about the story, and really emphasized that this was a BIG GIRL outing that she got to take with Mama, so I felt pretty confident she would do well throughout the show, and she did.  She had some squirmy moments, but overall did very well.

So, last night, Hubby and I took her to another school performance of Peter Pan.  This was really special because she got to go out with both Mama and Daddy while the twins were home with baby-sitters.  We realized we haven't taken Tracey anywhere with both parents and Tracey by herself since before the twins were born.  We went out to dinner first, and then to the show.

In preparation for this very special big girl date, we curled her hair, painted her nails, and let her pick out her extra special princess dress to wear.  Also, I had purchased the DVD of Mary Martin's Peter Pan, which I watched growing up, and we played a few times leading up to the show so that she would be familiar with the music and plot.

 Tracey absolutely LOVED the show -- much more so than Annie, but the fact that actors were literally flying across the stage probably had something to do with that.  This show we attended last night is put on by an entire school near us, which is grades preschool to 12th, and was incredibly impressive.  It is half-Homeschool, half-Classical curriculum, and we may consider sending our children there in the future.  I'll tell you, watching this elaborate musical the created and watching children as young as 3 participating was very impressive.

I spend so much time with babies, and training toddlers/our preschooler, which I really do love... tedious though it sometimes becomes.  But last night it was so much fun to really see Tracey growing into a new more grown-up stage of life where we can take her to a grown up two-and-a-half hour musical, and she will sit still and enjoy it.  We still love babies, but it is reassuring to know that all children will grow up eventually (save Peter Pan, of course) and there are wonderful new stages to enjoy with them at that time.

Here are some pictures from our Big Girl night out:

Our big girl at dinner

Walking with Daddy... and her pink purse

Watching the show

Congratulating a friend from church on her great performance

Meeting Tiger Lily

A little leery of Captain Hook...

... she did give him a high five eventually.

Peter Pan was awesome, and she sprinkled Tracey with pixie dust

And we saw Wendy before we headed home.

 

Cold Water Challenge

Its probably just because I grew up in Michigan and so I remain in contact on facebook with a number of people who reside in West Michigan, but my facebook newsfeed has recently inundated with people taking the "Cold Water Challenge".

Apparently you need to take a video of yourself jumping in Lake Michigan (a VERY cold Spring Lake Michigan), or give $100 to the charity of your choice.  Then you post the video on facebook and challenge a few of your facebook friends.

To be honest, I'm a little grateful that I'm not currently residing around Lake Michigan, lest I might get challenged...

But all of these videos remind me of a very special memory, which I would like to share.  I have done a Lake Michigan challenge... but long before facebook existed.

My best friend from childhood (Abbie) and I decided we wanted to be the first people in Lake Michigan in this millennium.  We were 15 years old and sophomores in high school with a lot to learn but an insatiable urge for innocent adventure.  We rung in the new year with her parents at her grandparents house (we were real party animals), and then we embarked on the task of convincing her dad to let us quickly jump in Lake Michigan.

Abbie's parents were NOTHING like my parents -- absolutely polar opposites even to the tune that my dad was Abbie's dad's pediatrician when he was a boy.  For years into our friendship, Mr. Rockwood continued to call my dad Dr. Sanden because this man had been his pediatrician.  It took much urging on the part of my dad to FINALLY convince Mr. Rockwood to call him Howard.

I don't remember all the details of convincing Mr. Rockwood to give us a ride to Lake Michigan... but I do remember we had an elaborate  "Warm-up Plan."  I remember reiterating our "Warm-up Plan" repeatedly, explaining to Mr. Rockwood that we would be fine, and we would only be in the water for seconds... and then we had a warm-up plan... we would be fine.

I know, among other things, the "Warm-Up Plan" consisted of leaving the heat blasting in the car, wearing winter boots, pants, coats and hats, with swim suits underneath, so we would be fully bundled up... then strip down to our swim suits, run into Lake Michigan, submerge ourselves under the water, run right back out, quickly dry off, and bundle up again... then run to the car with the heat blasting.

We FINALLY convinced Mr. Rockwood to let us have this experience.

IT. WAS. AWESOME.

Such a great, stupid memory that Abbie and I shared -- the first people in Lake Michigan in this millennium -- around 3:00am January 1, 2000.  We have pictures, but I believe they can currently be found in my parent's Michigan basement.

I don't have a strong desire to participate in another cold water challenge at the moment, but I can attest that it is fun, invigorating, and empowering.  Also, after dunking in freezing temperatures, the cold air feels really mild.

What an awesome memory.