Cressling Times

Something new....

2011-08-02T12:20:00.001-07:00

I've created something new that I'm hoping will become a great place for academic partners to network and share their stories. Check it out here:

theacademicwife.weebly.com

A New Toy

2011-05-16T13:52:00.001-07:00

Clay got a spectacular graduation present today in the mail. We're already benefitting from it's awesomeness as you can see here.

It's Official!

2011-05-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we traveled back to Ann Arbor to watch the Brain walk across the stage after being hooded and officially receiving his freshly minted PhD. It was a memorable ceremony filled with politically liberal speeches, borderline inappropriate whooping from the members of the audience and a sentimental sigh from myself as I watched my husband take the steps he's been working so diligently towards for many years. It was unbelievably satisfying. And someday when the bank accounts are a little more padded, I will happily hand the University of Michigan my pound of flesh ($$$) for their beautiful custom fit blue robes with specialized hood & tassel so the Brain can look like the sophisticated academic he is.

We also took the opportunity to visit the Henry Ford museum and Greenfield village one more time before our membership expires.

There were paper airplanes, which made the Chief happy...

and other airplanes...

and glassblowers, which made Beaker happy...

but, best of all there was time with family...

I can't thank Clay's Mom and Step-dad for making the trip to Ann Arbor to be a part of this unforgettable moment in our life. We had the most wonderful weekend visiting with them. My folks also made the trip down and I am ever thankful for their love and support. For those friends and family that could not join us, please know that you occupied our minds and hearts as we celebrated. It has been a great journey, one that continues, and we could not travel it so well without any of you.

Easter Fun

2011-04-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

Easter was pretty low key for us this year, since we couldn't make the drive to visit family. We just hung around Kingston enjoying the weather and having fun as a family. Here we are dying our eggs for Mr. Bunny to hide.

Our finished products came our quite lovely.

Though we had two casualties while we were decorating...the first just a clumsy mishap, the second a curious cat.

Both were enjoyed by the kids.

Sunday morning the kids woke up extremely early (6:30 a.m.!) to see what goodies the Easter Bunny had left them. They were both excited to get a new stuffed friend, but it was easy to see how exhausted they were.

Hopefully this year begins a new Easter tradition...naptime.

I hope everyone enjoyed the Holiday. Cheers!

Wolfe Island

2011-03-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend and rode the ferry over to Wolfe Island to explore the little town that we can see from our windows.

There's not much to it, considering how large the island is. We wandered around a bit and took some pictures of a few pretty churches, but it's obviously still winter here. Half of the shops are still closed for the season, waiting for warmer weather and tourists before they throw open their doors again.

Humorously, there are hockey decorations everywhere since Wolfe Island is in the running to be named Hockeyville.

All in all, it was a fun way to spend a few hours of our time on a beautiful Sunday. I'm excited to go back during the summer when we can bike and explore more extensively.

It must have been a good time...even I got in a picture for once.

Here's the view of Kingston from the ferry. Our building is one of those tall things, uglying up the shoreline.

Bring on Springtime

2011-03-17T08:44:00.001-07:00

I have been waiting for something to write about, but not much has been happening these days. The routine schedule of family life plays out day after day around here with not much variance. Most of the time it is a great comfort, knowing what to expect from life, but it doesn't lend much excitement to writing a blog.

Spring break has finally come for the kids and amazingly it actually feels like spring here in Kingston. The sun in shining and it's a balmy 2.5 C today (for everyone else that's 36 F). Now, I'm certain that some of you are rolling your eyes at the thought of 36 F being spring like weather, but you have to remember everything is relative. We've been suffering an extremely cold winter here the past couple of months, so 36 F feels like heaven comparatively. The lake has mostly thawed, the thick plates of ice giving way to the rolling rhythm of blue waves. Trees are budding, flowers are pushing up from the wet soil and the birds are singing. Yes, spring is definitely in the air and it makes me happy.

We had a wonderful visit with my folks this past weekend, who made the long trip out to see their Grandkids. It was so nice to have company though we didn't do hardly anything. Amazingly, we got to watch U of M play Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament. It felt a lot like being back in Ann Arbor.

The kids and I have been enjoying their time off of school by doing absolutely nothing. We sleep in (if you consider 8:00 a.m. sleeping in) and laze around the rest of the day - playing with legos, coloring pictures, and doing other such stress-free activities. Today, I think we'll take a walk/scooter ride and enjoy some time at the park. The Brain is still working hard this week, so maybe we'll pop in and see if we can entice him out of his hole and into the sunshine.

For those of you who share my strange affinity for Ireland despite not being Irish....Happy St. Patrick's Day. I, for one, will be going out in search of that illusive pot of gold while the sun is shining.

Cheers!

New additions

2011-02-20T13:36:00.000-08:00

We've added some new additions to the Cressler family. Meet Morris and Bo Peep:

There has been a lot of discussion over the past few years about adding pets to the family. Beaker would have loved to have a dog, but the Chief doesn't do dogs. He loves cats though. We went out to the pet store today to check these two lovely felines out and of course the kids fell in love. So our little clan has grown a bit and everyone is excited.

More snow...

2011-01-28T13:34:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness it's friday. It's been snowing non-stop all day and I don't think I could muster the energy to trudge the snow-caked sidewalks another day....at least until Monday. Everyone here is tired and a bit grumpy so the weekend couldn't come at a better time for us. We need to reenergize.

I'm having a Bridget Jones kind of day. I've been thinking about everything in terms of numbers today. Here's my diary list.

Number of walks to school: 3

Loads of laundry to do: 5 (at least)

Weight in pounds: 5 less than before

Pages written: 0

Now, hopefully I'm not as neurotic as Bridget Jones, but I do appreciate her simple (yet obsessive) way of looking at things. It's easy to see how life fluctuates on a daily basis when you think in numbers....sometimes for the good, other times not so much. For example, the 5 pounds lost in weight completely makes up for have a mountain of laundry to do and the fact that I've basically written nothing this week. Thank you Bridget for offering a bit of perspective. Now I want to watch that movie.

On a whole, I say it's been a very good week. It was literacy week at school and I had to make a yellow cat costume for Isabel to dress as her favorite book character. It's a testament to how far my sewing skills have come because I busted her costume out between the hours of 2 p.m. and 11 p.m. the day before she needed it. That time included picking Cole up from school, making dinner, eating, and washing the dishes. Not bad at all. Here she is:

She loved it so much, she even wore it to bed. I love kids.

2011-01-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

I have a confession. Since moving to the frozen north, I have cooked every single meal from scratch. No joke. Every single meal.

Now, for some people this may not seem like a big deal. But, those who know me best know that, while I love to cook, I also love to eat out! Despite that we have sworn off eating out until our first payday at the end of the month, so homemade meals have been taken to new heights.

Here are a few things I've made to eat this month:

1. Pierogies from scratch (I made the dough and the filling)

2. Chicken and dumplings (I made the broth using a stewing hen and biscuits from scratch)

3. Fresh Pasta and sauce

4. Southwestern noodle bowls,

5. Sweet potato hash with mortadella

On top of making dinner totally from scratch, I'm also making bread twice a week to feed the masses of my clan. I'm already on my second bag of flour and will probably need to buy a third during our next trip to the grocery store.

The effort of all of this has been worth it. Food has never tasted so good. Maybe that's because we pay for it all ourselves now, but I hope that it's because everyday I'm feeding my family with food that comes from the heart.

What's your favorite home-cooked meal?

On the menu tonight: Tandoori Chicken with homemade Chapati bread and Raita

Now I know how Superman feels when he visits Krypton...

2011-01-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

Our own version of Krypton

Woke up this morning to a clear bright sky, beautiful sunrise and freezing temperatures. At 7:30 when I was making the Chiefs lunch the actual temperature was -25 C with a wind chill temperature of -36 C. Now for those of you that can't do the conversion to Farenheit, don't feel bad neither can I. The Brain kindly told me that in USA speak the actual temperature was -18 F with a wind chill of -32 F. I'm not sure how that works out, but he's a math genius so I'm taking his word for it.

Anyway, we laughed to ourselves as we read online that despite the fact that bus routes may be delayed or cancelled due to inclement weather conditions, school would still be in session. In fact, I get the distinct impression that they don't cancel school around here....ever.

Maybe for the Stanley Cup, but it would have to be two Canadian teams in the finals.

So, despite the freezing cold temperatures, we suited everyone up and trudged our way to school this morning. And oddly enough, I kind of liked it. There's something about the cold winter air coming off Lake Ontario. It's refreshing. It's invigorating. I enjoyed the walk to school so much, I came home, grabbed my camera, and headed out to take a few photos.

Now, this sign seems rather ridiculous to me. I mean, who in their right mind would try to drive over to Wolfe Island? Are people really that stupid? In fairness, I hear they actually did allow trucks to drive across the ice a while back, but banned the practice after they lost a couple of trucks to the bottom of the Lake. Call me chicken...I would never do it whether it was allowed or not.

All in all, I have to say that I've actually enjoyed winter in Kingston so far. I would have never thought it was possible, considering how much I hated it in Michigan. To all my friends back in the States, I suggest putting on some long underwear and warm mittens and heading out in the cold. You just might enjoy it more than you think.

Our very own winter wonderland...

2011-01-04T07:11:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to report the kids survived their first day of school. Much to my surprise the Chief even enjoyed his French class. Both decided they would go back today, although Beaker was reluctant as usual. Nice to know that moving to Canada hasn't changed her opinion of school.

This is what we woke up to this morning:

Despite the swirling snow, the temperature is more bearable today than it was yesterday. The walk to school was kind of slow, but we still made it in time for the bell. Now I just have to motivate myself to go get milk and eggs. Why do we always run out on the days I don't want to leave the house?

A New Year...a New Adventure

2011-01-03T08:06:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been months since my last post and reasonably so. In the fall, we started to anticipate the end of our time in Ann Arbor. The Brain worked endlessly to finish his dissertation, so he could take a postdoc fellowship at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. The kids played as much as they could with their friends in Northwood V and I began organizing, cleaning, and packing boxes. Months of hard work have finally come to an end. After a chaotic move from Michigan to Kingston during blizzard conditions, we have enjoyed the holidays with family and survived the trip back to Canada. We've been in our new apartment less than a week, but everyone seems to be adjusting well.

The kids began school today with nervous anticipation. Here they are all ready to go:

It was short walk across City Park to take the kids to school. From there, I walked the Brain to his office building which is a block from the school and headed back to the apartment for my first morning alone....ever. It's been a little to quiet for my taste, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

Here's a few photos of our new place:

The white walls go on forever thanks to our 10 foot ceilings, so something will have to be done about that as well as the terrible 1970s curtains. But you certainly can't beat the view.

The house looking thing is the Kingston Yacht Club building which you can see from our balcony. The other view is from our front windows. That's Lake Ontario and Wolfe Island. It's beautiful and if I'm up early enough I can watch the sunrise.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We really enjoyed our time with family in Michigan, but we're happy to be home and moving forward with our new adventure in Canada. We miss all our friends terribly, so I'm certain we'll be in touch with everyone soon.

Free time for mom....finally!

2010-09-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

Well, school has been in session for several weeks now, and I'm happily enjoying the first few hours of free time I've had in years. Monday through Thursday I have the afternoon to myself to do whatever I want to do - no waiting on children constantly, no putting things off till later because I'm following the kids around. It has been amazing. I've been working a lot on the story that's been stuck in my head for over a year. It may actually get written in its entirety which would be an awesome accomplishment for me. Other than that, the house remains cleaner than it has been in years and laundry gets done regularly. It's a potent thing free time. I recommend it to anyone feeling a bit run down. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done sometimes.

In other news, both the Chief and Beaker are enjoying school this year. I'm amazed at how much Beaker has learned already. Just a few weeks ago I couldn't even get her to consider writing her letters. Now she writes her name beautifully. It's not perfect, but at least I can tell what it says. Anyway, we are really pleased with how the kids are doing. Here they are ready for the bus to come.

Sometimes it hard to believe that we've come this far in our life as a family - both kids in school, dissertation almost finished. I'm so blessed to have an amazing family. Furthermore, I've been blessed with so many wonderful, supportive people in my life - family and friends. I can't thank you enough.

Cheers to all!

Beaker - the Biker

2010-08-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

Beaker has learned a new trick....riding without training wheels. It's pretty awesome if I ignore the fact that she seems to think you can only ride at one speed - FAST! We've had a couple of spills that have produced a fair number of bumps, bruises, and band-aids. But, she always gets back on ready for her next hit of adrenaline. Needless to say, a helmet is a must for her.

Check her out:

In other news, we're getting ready to head back to school. The Chief is heading into second grade and Beaker will be starting preschool. Just the thought of a few child-free hours has my eyes glazing over at the endless possibilities of projects to finish! I'm sure I'll find my time used up quickly with volunteering at school and keeping the house in order, but I can't help but feel giddy at the chance to have some "me" time after 7+ years of "me+kids" time.

Any suggestions of how use your free time when the kids are gone?

The Annual Summer Camping Trip

2010-08-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

This year's camping trip took us to Muskallonge Lake State Park in Deer Park, MI - which sits blissfully in between Muskallonge Lake and Lake Superior.

The campground was wonderful. There were lots of people, but it never felt overcrowded or noisy. (Nothing like my summers working at Holland State Park, where the park is always full to bursting during the summer) There was even a man who brought his wood lathe and was making yo-yos for the kids.

We spent a couple days swimming in the warmer water of Muskallonge Lake and rock hunting on the shore of Lake Superior. The other two days were spent adventuring to nearby Tahquamenon Falls and Pictured Rocks.

After camping, we spent a night in St. Ignace before taking a morning ferry over to Mackinac Island for the day.

Our trip ended, with an out of the way jaunt to Cross Village, MI for dinner at the one and only Leggs Inn. (If you've never been there...go.)

It was a great trip and as always we loved having Grandma and Grandpa with us. It's been about a week since we got back and the kids seem to be readjusting to city life just fine. Now, I can't speak for the Brain, but I would rather be back up north enjoying the peaceful shores of Lake Superior.

Beaker's 4th Birthday

2010-07-26T05:56:00.000-07:00

Well, with the passing of her 4th birthday, my beautiful little Zu Zu has outgrown her first nickname. She has moved on to "Beaker" (like the muppet) which is appropriate since she makes squeaky noises all time. Despite this new nickname being a good "fit" for her, I can't help but lament that we no longer call her Zu Zu. I suppose that's my lot as a mom, watching her kids grow up. They never stay small, no matter how much we wish for it sometimes.

We had a small birthday party while in Alma a couple days before the actual event since we would be camping in the U.P. on the 19th. There was cake and ice cream, presents, and family. A good time was had by all.

The Brain and I stayed up all night working on Beaker's new tent. We got all the pieces together, but the finishing touches have yet to be finished. Here's what it looks like right now.

Probably not all that impressive to some of you amazing seamstresses out there, but we were working without a pattern, so I think it's pretty good. Eventually the front doors with have patches sewn on them to look like the rest of the patchwork and there will be letter's on top that say Beaker's House. I have to add ties and buttons to make all the walls fit snuggly on the PVC pipe. Needless to say I'll be posting more photos of the finish product.

Happily, Beaker also got some fun items to play with in her new tent as well, like a bean bag and a Buzz Light Year Pillow.

Check back for a post on our vacation in the U.P.

If you build it she will come....

2010-06-03T14:39:00.000-07:00

This Memorial Day weekend was in many ways the same as it always is. We traveled to Alma, MI to spend time with my family and take in the Highland Festival (a fabulous weekend of Scottish games, dancing, and bagpiping). The main difference this year from year's past was that my dad and I spent 2+ sweat drenched days building a bed for Zu Zu. She's been sleeping in a toddler bed for about a year now and it's time to make the step up to a big girl bed.

My friend Emily had told me about a fabulous blog where I could find free building plans for simple furniture (www.knock-offwood.com). I checked it out and after many hours spent searching through the plans I found the perfect bed for her.

So here's the fruit of our labor. A beautiful bed for a beautiful little girl. She has requested a red polka dot blanket, so I guess that project is next on my list. It will probably take the top spot over all of the other things I should be doing.

Needless to say, I'm more than a little pleased with my handy work and I'm already itching to build a bed for myself...and maybe a dresser or two...and some bookshelves....and a pantry cabinet.....and.....

If you have an interest in building furniture, or your just a practical person like me, check out the blog listed above for some awesome DIY possibilities!

Climber Girl and Robo Boy

2010-05-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

It's been a month since my last post, so it's time to add another.

The days have been passing quickly and everyone has things keeping them busy. The Brain took a job in Canada with a start date TBA, so he's trying to flush out everything he needs to finish while editing a book chapter he's been working on.

The Chief has been busy working on his science fair project. We salvaged some parts from an old answering machine and VCR to build a mini-robot. It was suppose to be light sensitive, but we had some issues getting the photocells to work. Right now it just moves forward. Here's the Chief and the Brain working:

The science fair was last night. Everyone thought the mini-robot was a success despite it's lack of light sensitivity. I imagine this is just our first adventure into the world of robot building.

As for Zu Zu, she's been taking a rock climbing class for a while now. She looks forward to it every week. Here she is climbing the big wall:

I have to say watching all of the kids in class is nothing short of awesome. It's been great to see her find something she can call all her own. Of course, the Chief wants a chance to try it as well now.

As for me, I'm just trying to keep the house and family from collapsing into chaos. It seems on the verge very often and I admit that I'm pretty tired these days. It's worth it though when I think of all the things we have going on. Everyone is happy and that's what matters most to me.

Cheers!

samwise

Par for me...

2010-04-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

So, my "Philosophies for Life" list has come to a stand still. Rest assured that I have more than three. In fact, I went to post my fourth philosophy "Cultivate", but I just couldn't wrap my head around everything that I needed to say about that philosophy. So, for now, my list is on hold.

I thought I would let everyone know that I have finished reading The Hunger Games as well as its sequel Catching Fire. I really enjoyed both, although I wish they were longer. There are some really great themes being explored and I wish it went more in depth. However, I realize it's a book for teens, and I think the author does a great job keeping that in mind. You could say that no one ever scoffed at J.K. Rowling for writing long books, but to each there own. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the conclusion to the series that will be out in August.

In light of reading those two books, I have not been as diligent about reading my non-fiction picks. That's about par for me. I did go back to reading those last night though which is an improvement from my previous attempts at non-fiction where things get set down never to be touched again.

Other than that, it's a dismal Michigan spring day. Rain, wind, cool temps...but I can't complain since it has been exceptionally nice recently. I hope life is treating you well, wherever this blog finds you!

Cheers,

samwise

Philosophies for Life: Day 3

2010-03-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Today's Philosophy:

3. Celebrate.

I thought a lot about what today's philosophy, and decided that since it's my 30th birthday I should go with Celebrate.

I'm a firm believe in celebrating. I love making a big deal out of holidays and birthdays. I love the decorations and gift giving. I love being together with family and friends. They're specials days of the year that are joyous. However, in the past few years I've come to believe in celebrating the small stuff as well.

Things like a sunny day or cleaning up the basement. The chief learning to tie his shoes or Zu Zu painting a gallery's worth of pictures.

It may seem silly to celebrate things that are so regular, but doing so makes everyone in the family happier. The kids smile more and laugh easier on days when we "celebrate". I'm happier (which makes everyone happier).

These small moments don't have to turn into huge ordeals. Order takeout or eat outside. Do a special project. Watch a movie on a school night. Little things like that can make the most normal of days feel special.

Big occasions often get captured on film so they can last a lifetime. But the small celebrations make up all the time in between those pictures and I, for one, remember those moments fondly. They are the moments that make up the regular days for our family.

So I want to know, what small moments do you celebrate?

Cheers everyone,

samwise

Philosophies for Life: Day 2

2010-03-24T06:34:00.000-07:00

Today's Philosophy:

2. Make food. Eat food. Together.

Again, sounds totally unoriginal doesn't it. I mean, who in this world can go without eating? However, I would argue that not everyone who eats food makes it.

Just ask the Brain. He's only allowed to cook a few things. That probably seems ridiculous on my part, but cooking brings me inner peace and I don't want to let those moments slip away. Plus, I'm a better cook than he is.

Anyway, I believe cooking is rooted in love. For me, cooking a meal is one way for me to say I love you to my family. We eat dinner together every night and it's a great way to spend time together.

Also, I want to equip our children with a healthy understanding of food. We live in an era of fast food and eating disorders, so it's our responsibility to help our kids navigate the chaos of choices out there. We try to emphasize well-rounded eating (though admittedly I'm not always great at it). But, my hope is that the kids will come away from our meal times with a healthy view of food and how to eat that they can carry with them always.

My cooking runs the gambit of multi-ethnic flavors and often we'll have to convince the kids to try what's in front of them. The prodding can be annoying, but I like to think that I'm helping my kids learn to be adventurous. Maybe that's just the delusional side of me talking, but I think they'll thank me one day for serving them Bi Bim Bop.

So, find a way to exercise your inner cook. For the inexperienced try making homemade mac-n-cheese instead of the blue box. For the more adventurous, take on something more challenging like making pierogies (including the dough).

Tell me, readers, what do you love to cook? If you need some suggestions, just ask. Cooking is my specialty.

Cheers,

samwise

Philosophies for Life

2010-03-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

I thought I would start a list to get myself to blog a little more. I'm always trying to convince myself that something aught to motivate me, so I'm going to begin with a list on Philosophies for Life. Everyone has specific ideas they view as essential to life. Here's the first of my essentials (in no particular order).

Today's Philosophy:

1. Read books. Daily.

I know, I know. It's certainly not a unique idea. But, have you ever stopped to think about exactly what you read during the day? Emails, blogs, online news articles, magazines, newspapers, food labels....the list could go on and on and never once mention a book.

I'm currently in the middle of reading two books, a task I've never taken on before. Not only is that new for me, but both books are non-fiction which is really random. Those of you that know me best, probably know that I've never finished a non-fiction book in my life (not even in college - much to my prof.'s dismay). Admittedly, I rarely pick up non-fiction material, so this is me aspiring to new heights.

Anyway, the books I'm currently reading and enjoying are: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and Reading like a Writer by Francine Prose. On top of those, I'm about to add a fiction book to the mix - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. We'll see how it goes.

So, why is "Read books. Daily" one of my philosophies? Severals reasons actually, but here are just a few.

1. I want my kids to love reading. Therefore they should see me reading, often.

2. Reading expands your knowledge, as well as your vocabulary.

3. Reading is relaxing. It's one of my favorite ways to slow down and enjoy the moment.

So tell me, my few faithful readers, why do you read books? And what books are you reading right now?

Cheers!

samwise

Chicago Trip

2010-03-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

At the end of February we took a trip to Chicago (thanks to Grandpa Doug and Grandma Karen!) for a few days, so I thought I would post some pictures of our adventures.

Here we are enjoying the train ride from Ann Arbor to Chicago. In my opinion, it's the only way to travel. There's plenty of leg room, you can roam about the train when the kids get antsy from sitting, the bathroom goes with you (enough said) and you don't have to do any of the driving. I love it!

We stayed down town, a block from the Magnificant Mile, so there were plenty of things to see and places to eat. The kids, of course, were most taken with the pool in our hotel. In fact, they chose to swim over going to the Aquarium!

We did manage to spend the day (and I mean the whole day) at Navy Pier, playing at the Children's Museum. Here's a few choice pics from our time there.

Everyone had a great time, seeing the city, riding in taxis, taking the train, and swimming in the pool. I hope we'll be able to it again sometime.

Getting Older....but not wiser

2010-03-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

I have to face the truth...

I turn 30 in less than two weeks and I admit, I can't decide how I feel about it. Thirty years, I realize, is fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of life, but it seems like it should be a big deal.

It seems like there should be a huge party or vacation that announces to the world that I've achieved...something. Though I don't know what that would be.

I have a great deal already. I'm well on my way to an average life. I married an amazing man (almost 7 years ago now) and have two crazy children who keep me on my toes day after day. Mine is a blessed and happy life.

So why does thirty feel like it should offer something more?

Maybe it's the fact that I won't be twenty something anymore. Thirty means I'm well past the carelessness of my youth, but it doesn't necessarily bring with it the wisdom or perspective of being older.

Maybe turning thirty is nothing more than another day of the year. Maybe turning thirty is just about getting older and nothing more.

Welcome 2010

2010-01-04T15:19:00.001-08:00

Hello family and friends,

I hope this New Year finds you all well. We survived the holidays despite a lot of time in the car. It was such a blessing to see a lot of our family this holiday season. The Brain and I are both thankful for the time we spent with everyone. For those of you we weren't able to see, we missed you greatly and thought of you much.

I, personally, am overjoyed to be back to the grind of A2. The Chief went back to school today, the Brain to work, and Zu Zu and I tried to reclaim the living room as a living space (instead of a present holding zone.) It was a tediously slow process that I relished in. Every once in the while cleaning can make me smile and today was one of those days.

I'm also greatly looking forward to not having anything immediate on my "To Do" list. We have only one thing on the calendar for this month so far, and that's a child-free night out for the Brain and I at the end of the month. *Loud sigh of satisfaction*

On a final note, I want to share my top five New Year's Resolutions.

5. Stay in side during the extremely cold Michigan winter.

4. Build the ultimate Lego vehicle with the Chief.

3. Paint a masterpiece with Zu Zu.

2. Nag the Brain less.

1. Live a healthier holistic lifestyle (better food, more exercise, more reading, more writing, etc).

Cheers!

The Difference in Kids

2009-11-15T12:33:00.001-08:00

Every once in a while I'm completely amazed at how different our kids are. Here are a couple head scratching moments where I wonder, "Who's child are you?"

Snack Time

The Chief (laying on the couch): "Mom, I'm hungry. (long moan) Mom, I'm hungry!"

Me: "What do you want?"

The Chief: "What can I have?"

Me: "You can have crackers or fruit or yogurt."

The Chief: "I can have crackers or fruit or yogurt?"

Me: "Yes, what do you want?"

The Chief: "Um. Um. I don't know."

....wait five minutes....

The Chief: "Mom, I'm hungry. (moan)"

Me: "What do you want?"

The Chief: "What can I have?"

....smack head in disbelief.....

The same situation with Zu Zu

.....hear fridge opening.....

Me: "Zu Zu, what are you getting?"

Zu Zu: "I'm just hungry."

.....hear fridge close.....

Zu Zu: "Mom will you open this?"

Me: "Sure. Here you go."

Zu Zu: "Thanks."

While Brushing Teeth

Me: "Time to brush teeth everyone."

The Chief: "Mom, will you brush my teeth?"

Me: "No."

The Chief: "But I want you to do it."

.....eye roll.....

Me: "No. Zu Zu, can I help you?"

Zu Zu: "No! I'm doing it all by myself!"

.....sigh......

Greenfield Halloween

2009-10-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

For those of you not in Michigan, let me say that the weather recently has been unfortunate. It rained all day yesterday which wouldn't have been a big deal, if we didn't have tickets for Halloween in Greenfield Village. Of course the tickets were non-refundable, non-exchangeable. So, despite the cold and the wet, I prepped us for going out last night to do some tricker-treating. Everything was going fine. I had dinner ready early, for once, and we had plenty of time to get there by 8:00 - the time for our tickets. The speed bump in the road came when the power went out and didn't turn back on. So, we got everyone ready by flashlight and candle. In the darkness, we lost time trying to find the Chief's clone mask and when we finally rushed out of the house we, of course, forgot the camera.

So we're driving through the pouring rain to Dearborn in hopes of making it on time. However, the traffic is as crazy as the weather and we show up a little late. In order to make sure we get into the Village, the Brain drops us off, taking a ticket for himself. Unfortunately, in our franticness, we forget to set a place to meet. I walk in with the kids and he goes to find a parking spot.

Immediately upon entrance, Zu Zu announces she has to go the potty ("Right Now!"). So now, I'm towing 2 kids, a purse, a bag holding Zu Zu's costume, and treat bags to the restrooms in the middle of Greenfield Village. Sigh. We made it, thank goodness. But then, we can't find the Brain and he didn't bring his cell phone. Nice. The next 20 minutes were spent chaotically searching the crowds, hoping to randomly find him. Finally we managed to get together again. The weather cleared and actually warmed up a bit, allowing us to really enjoy an evening of tricks and treats. Here's a couple of okay pictures I managed to take with my phone.

The Chief's favorite part was seeing the Mad Scientist in Thomas Edison's workshop whose creation escaped. Zu Zu's favorite thing was the Headless Horseman. Although, she said, "I think it's pretty hard to have a sword with no head." She and I agreed that he probably needed to find one, though we were unwilling to offer our own. We all like the dancing Skeletons playing the xylophone with bones and I personally liked the Scarecrow that came to life.

All and all, it was late night, but everyone had a great time.

Picking Perfect Pumpkins

2009-10-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

We had another great weekend, enjoying the fall weather. Saturday we tooled around Ann Arbor, running errands and stopping at a great playground. Sunday we headed out pumpkin picking with some friends. We had a great time searching for the perfect pumpkin for each of us.

For those of you that have never had the pleasure of living in the midwest, I'll tell you this. There is no better place to be in the fall than Michigan. The trees burst with color as they display mother nature's fireworks. The weather is brisk and refreshing, just the right temp for jeans and a sweater. There's apple picking (which equals apple pie at our house) and pumpkins for carving. And football, which is a must in my family since all of our blood runs blue and gold (except for the Brain who always cheers for the underdog).

I can't think of anywhere else I want to be during the fall. And for those of you who are taken aback because Michigan Fall gives way to Michigan Winter, I say to you....learn to dress in layers.

Other than that, we're getting ready for Halloween around here. This year we'll be filling our baskets with candy twice. Once, this Friday, at Greenfield Village Halloween Nights and once on the 31st. It should be quite the adventure since I'm making Zu Zu's costume this year. I"ll keep you posted on how it goes.

Cheers!

A Good Day

2009-10-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Nothing particularly exciting happened today. But, sometimes that's just what I need. Zu Zu and I took the bus downtown to have lunch with Clay. It's become a bit of a tradition since school started. With the Chief gone all day, we thought it would be nice to do something special just the three of us. So Thursdays are our special days.

Now for those of you who think the Chief is getting the short end of the stick, let me assure you that the Chief is never on the short end of anything. He can wheel and deal better than anyone I know and his gift ensures that he gets his way more often than I care to admit.

We also made cookies, which means we got to eat cookie dough, and who doesn't love that? Cooking with Zu Zu is always an adventure. She tried to convince me to let her eat a piece of cookie dough the size of a golf ball. Even after I told her no, she got down from her stool and tried to grab it off the counter. Hilarious. Needless to say, she needs the Chief to give her some pointers on how to get her way.

The day ended on a cheery note when Clay put the kids to bed, so I could work on my story. I'm on page 40 now, which isn't significantly father than I was before. But it feels great just the same, like I've crossed another milestone.

Think I'll go to bed while everything is still good. Who knows? Maybe it will carry into tomorrow.

Weekend Wonders

2009-10-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

We spent our Saturday at the Henry Ford Museum, enjoying the Grand Opening of the Lego Castle exhibit. The Chief was in Lego bliss. There were Legos and Duplos to play with, as well as a jousting area, a castle, and an digitally animated catapult attack. I have to say that I was just as impressed as the kids.

After our Lego adventure ended, we headed outside to Greenfield Village. The kids were excited to see the hundreds of pumpkins lining the streets right now as part of the decorations for the Village's Halloween nights. We headed straight for the glass blowers per Zu Zu's request. Not only did she remember the place, but she asked specifically about the girl glass blower who was working during our last visit. We watched for a long time and as we left to head back to the museum Zu Zu declared her ambition to become a glass blower. The artist in me was more than a little pleased with her announcement.

We rounded out our evening with a trip to our new favorite burger joint, Bagger Daves. Here's Zu Zu and I sharing a Honey, Cinnamon and Sea Salt shake.

Today we continued our adventures with a bike ride to Gallup park, a long stint on the playground there, and feeding the ducks.

Needless to say, it has been a great weekend. We're trying to pack in as much fun as we can before the snow hits (which is always sooner than you expect here in Michigan).

In other news, I've hit a bit of a road block with my story. There needs to be some research done in order to progress with part of it, but that shouldn't be too bad. I'm waiting on some materials to come in at our fabulous local library. Until then, I'm hoping to continue moving forward with rest of the story.

Cheers.

Something different

2009-10-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

It's true. My blog is not full of poetic prose or gritty detail about the everyday happenings of our little clan. I don't offer up bits of wisdom or witticism. What can I say? I'm a practical sort of person with practical ideas about blogging. Despite this fact, and ignoring good sense all together, I've decided to confess my funny little hobby.

Be kind. And if not that, indulgent.

For those of you that don't know I'm writing a novel. I know. Hard to believe isn't it? I can't even post to my blog regularly, so a novel is a bit of a stretch of the imagination. Go ahead, shake your head in disbelief. I can hardly believe it myself.

Needless to say, it's a very slow process, but going pretty well so far. I have over 30 pages typed up in Word and lots more to transcribe out of my notebook. Call me a sucker for old-fashioned things. There's just something about a pad of paper and pen that appeals to my creativity more than sitting in front of a computer screen.

So, there it is for the world to see. I'm hoping this confession will encourage me to write a bit more often. Now that everyone knows I have to continue, right? I hope to post updates on my progress alongside the daily happenings of the family. Hopefully it will add a little bit of flavor to this otherwise practical column.

Until next time....

Posting again....finally

2009-10-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

You know what's really sad about this blog? We do lots of cool stuff that never gets posted. We had such a crazy summer, going place and doing things, but you'll probably never hear about any of it. The plain truth is I'm a terrible blogger. Thank goodness I'm not trying to offer up anything meaningful into cyberspace.

Anyway, school has started and it's been great. The Chief is enjoying 1st grade. Can you believe he's in 1st grade? He's making new friends and learning new things. Zu Zu is enjoying having the Chief gone most of the day. It's really great spending time just the two of us.

We've had to adjust a bit since some of our good friends have moved away, but new friends have moved in so everyone is hanging in there. Me included....the summer just about killed me with no kids outside to play with.

Tigers Game!

2009-07-14T05:55:00.000-07:00

We went to the Tigers game Sunday with JC. It was a great game. We got to see Clete Thomas and Brandon Inge hit back to back homeruns. The kids enjoyed having soda, popcorn and carousel rides. Here's some pics.

In other news, the Chief has his first loose tooth, which is very fun.

Oh man...July is tomorrow!

2009-06-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

Since I do such a good job at posting regularly, I thought I would post some pictures from our recent trip to Greenfield village with Grammy and Buster.

The kids really enjoyed the old school lawn games, riding the train and the carousel.

Happy 6th Anniversary to us!

2009-05-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

In honor of our 6th anniversary we spent a great day together and with friends enjoying the beautiful weather. First we ventured over to see the U of M engineering team race their suped-up Go Kart. It's so loud that we could hear it from our house in Northwood V, so we went to investigate. The kids thought it was really awesome...but too loud. Here are some pictures.

After watching for a while, we continued on and burnt off some energy at U of M's "Wave Field" - a really cool environmental sculpture by Maya Lin (creator of the Vietnam Memorial). You can check it out at this website http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/lin/card2.html

We ran, jumped, and tumbled our way through this amazing ocean of grass. See for yourself!

Inspired by the engineering club, we came back home and built our own race cars out of legos. After lunch we went back to watch the race car, this time dragging our neighbors along. The 6 kids (the 4 actual children plus the 2 dads) had a fun chasing one another over the waves for a second time. Everyone had a really great time. And what better way to close out a great day than with ice cream? All in all, the perfect day, and the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary.

Kindergarten Sing

2009-05-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

The Kindergarten sing was last night. I thought I should post a short video of the Chief's musical talents. The footage isn't great....sorry. Guess it's time to invest in a video camera. Sigh.

Pie Makers

2009-04-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

So obviously I'm not an avid blogger, since my last post was over a month ago. Can you believe that some people update their blogs most than once a day? Where on earth do they find the time???

Anyway, while at work last night Clay and the kids made Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie. I wanted to post some pics of the proud bakers, lovingly working on their culinary creation. No one has tried it yet, so I can't attest to taste. They all need a little work in the presentation area though.

Report Card

2009-03-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm claiming the title of proud mom and therefore bragging as well. The chief has brought home an excellent report card for the second time this year, reminding me of what an exceptional child he is. We celebrated with new bionicles and milkshakes from McDonalds.

Confessions of a Mom....

2009-03-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

I managed to get up shortly after the alarm went off this morning. This is in no way an amazing accomplishment for most of the world, but I am not a morning person and I'm not feeling particularly well today. Anyway, I woke the Chief up and stumbled downstairs to grab a blanket and lay on the couch while Clay took over getting the Chief ready for school.

I admit that I laid there until I heard Zu Zu around 8:30 or so. I hauled myself slowly off the couch and headed upstairs to get her up. I walked into her room and immediately was told that she did not want me. She wanted her daddy. I told her, "I'm sorry honey, daddy is at work already." To which she responded, "WHY?" After accepting that her daddy was not at home she refused to get out of bed. "Go Away!" she said. So I let and immediately she began screaming because I left her room. I went back in to get her, only to have her stop screaming and roll over to ignore me. This went on for 10 minutes, so I finally gave up and went back downstairs to start my day. After a few minutes of silence, she began yelling again, but I figured she could use a few more minutes alone. Finally I went back up, hoping she was ready to get out of bed. I picked her up against her will. This was meant with more screaming and some pushing, so I put her down. She went to hide behind her bed and started screaming, "Go Away!" After a couple minutes of trying to calm her down, I went back downstairs in the hopes that she would follow. She stayed upstairs for another 15 minutes, finally giving in because she wanted her binky that I had taken downstairs. She went straight the couch and wanted to watch cartoons. And to be perfectly honest reader, I confess, I turned them on in the hopes that they would improve her mood. We'll see how the rest of the day goes.

March Already?

2009-03-02T07:11:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while since my last post. I'd like to say that we've been doing so many exciting things that I just haven't had any time to post....but I would be lying. The truth is we haven't been doing much at all, so nothing seemed worthwhile to post.

Spring break is over and we're getting back to the our normal, everyday routine. The Chief is at school. Zu Zu and I are doing some laundry and picking up the house. Clay's back at work.

I'll add more when there's something more to add.

A Funny Conversation....

2009-01-19T18:53:00.001-08:00

Here's a conversation between Zu Zu and I while making dinner tonight:

Zu Zu - Mommy you need a new kitchen.

Me - I agree.

Zu Zu - We'll have to break this house and buy a new one.

Me - We need to break this house?

Zu Zu - Yep. We break the stairs.

Me - You're going to break the stairs first?

Zu Zu - Yep. Then we buy a green one.

Me - We'll buy a green house?

Zu Zu - We buy a green one for the Chief.

Me - Oh. A green one for the Chief. What color do you want?

Zu Zu - Orange.

So, I guess I'm stuck with a green and orange house. If you see one, let me know.

Freezing in Michigan!

2009-01-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

In case any of you don't understand what it is you're looking at - that would be ice on the inside of our sliding glass door. That's how cold it is people. We also have ice on the inside of our windows and door. I think it's high time the University invested in some new windows/doors for family housing. I know it's fun to pay high heating bill prices because everyone has to crank up their thermostat in order to stay warm, but didn't you get the memo about the economic crisis? Come on people we live in the age of conservation! Think green, save green. Enough said.

The beginning of 2009

2009-01-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I'm only a week late, but better late than never is a philosophy in our house so there you have it. We're back at home and trying to get into the swing of the new year. The Chief has started back to school and Clay is back working everyday. I'm mostly trying to recover from lack of sleep. We switched Zu Zu's bed into a toddler bed because she kept asking for a big bed. Unfortunately, she sees it as an opportunity to get up and wonder around at night, so we're all a little sleep deprived from late night trips to the bathroom.

It was so nice to see family and friends over the holidays. Thank you all for your letters and gifts. They have made these holidays quite joyous. I'll be posting some photos as soon as I get them downloaded and sorted.

Cheers!

Christmas Eve with the Royal We

2008-12-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

Well, this is a very special day. Of course we're all excited about it being Christmas Eve and the kids are overflowing with thoughts of Santa coming tonight. However, here at the Cressler house Christmas Eve is not the only reason to celebrate. For us, this day marks the Chief's 6th birthday. I can hardly believe it. Although now that I've spent 6 hours putting together his new Lego Droid Transporter, I'm not likely to forget this day for about a week or so. That's how long my body is going to need to recover from sitting, crouching, kneeling on the floor over Lego instructions all day.

I'm running on a little sleep and a lot of caffeine right now due to late night wrapping and being up with Zu Zu a lot since she has had the stomach flu the last few days. Clay came down with it last night as well, so I've been on my own for a lot of things....lego building included. The Chief has already had it, so I'm hoping that the Lord will have mercy on me and I won't get it.

Despite my whining and regardless of my lack of sleep and sick family, I'm looking forward to celebrating the birth of our Lord and savior tomorrow. May God bless you and yours this holiday. Merry Christmas!

The snow that covered....everything

2008-12-19T09:17:00.000-08:00

Well, we're enjoying our first snow day and to say that we've gotten a decent amount of snow would be an understatement. The snow began to fly around 3:00 a.m. or so and I say we have at least 10 inches by now. Luckily we prepared ourselves by going to the store last night, so we won't need to leave the house for a few days. Unfortunately those last few Christmas gifts won't buy themselves and be magically delivered to my door. I suppose I'll have to venture out sometime in the next 5 days.

Just to prove that I haven't been completely lazy in our winter wonderland, I have to post a picture of Clay's Christmas stocking that has been in the works for 3 years. It took a long time, but it's done at last.

In other recent happenings, the Chief has given Zu Zu her first real haircut, deciding for her that bangs are the current style. No, I didn't know he was doing it. Yes, he got in trouble (for lying about it) and to our surprise he did a pretty good job. We've only had to do a very minimum amount of trimming. Here's a look at her before and after photos.

Welcome to the Royal We

2008-12-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

Welcome everyone and happy holidays. Here you will be able to keep up with the everyday happenings of the Cressler family - otherwise known as the Royal We. Today we're enjoying the company of our good friends the Bochniaks who have stopped in for a visit on their way home to Illinois. We keeping ourselves entertained and out of the cold by playing a little Wii sports, but the Chief is getting out of hand. Maybe it's time to be done....