Pure Michigan 2014

This year we tried to make our Michigan trip a little earlier to avoid some of the bad weather we've experienced the last 2-3 years.  So we packed up the car on Labor Day weekend and headed to our spot with our best friends Ana and Sid and their mom and dad, Steph and Colin.

It was more of the same this year - apple picking turned into apple and peach picking; due to the season only a couple apples were available...

Pax picked his first apple ever. And for the first time in his life he could walk around picking things up off the ground and eating them and it was actually okay.

Took a little break up at Crane's for some donuts, apple cider and tomfoolery.

Then on the way home we were having a couple meltdowns when Dad laid the hammer - "Listen! This family may be a democracy but once in a blue moon your mother and I would like to do something that WE would like to do. Now we've never been blueberry picking, so the crew in the back seat is going to get it a grip on themselves and we are going blueberry picking!!" (There might have been a goddammit thrown in there for good measure.)

So we landed at a blueberry spot and it happened to be free picking weekend because it was the last weekend of the season for blueberries. It's a short season - July 3 through Labor Day, but we hit the mother load because only two other people were on the whole farm so we picked and picked to our hearts delight.

First stop - get your buckets!

Then it was out to the farm.

And then it got me thinking, "Boy, we've been doing this Michigan trip every year for quite some time." so I thought I'd throw in a couple pics from 2010 when I was two and Mae was a wee wittle kid who was just learning to stand up.

Ah, memories. Well, back to 2014 - next day we took advantage of the beautiful weather and hit the beach for most of the day, then the rest of the weekend consisted of breweries, parks on the water and ICE CREAM! Michigan 2014, you will be missed, but we'll see ya next year.

The Big Dog Turns 6

Well, today was my birthday and it was a very special one.

I came down the stairs to find donuts with candles in them and Mom, Dad, Mae and Pax singing to me.

Then I went to school where I got to wear the birthday crown all day. My friends sang and we pretended they were candles and I blew them out and they all fell down.

Mom made me my birthday dinner request - homemade pizza - and then we broke into song once again and ate some cupcakes.

I had a couple gifts to open up, the first of which was a harmonica from my friend Kim and the second was a new swimsuit from Mae, since I'll be starting up my swim lessons again soon.

All in all, it feels good to be six, though I'm on my 10th day with no binky and that is still not feeling so good...

Christmas Morning 2013

Where've I been for the last two weeks? Around, off of school, busy as a bee and not particularly feeling like a blog post. But that has passed, so here I am.

We left off on Christmas Eve. So Christmas morn came and we were ready to roll. Down the stairs we came...

to notice that Santa had, in fact, arrived. And what could that gigantic present on the right be???

But first stop was the food we left behind, which Santa and his assortment of sooted sidekicks took care of pretty well.

One problem though, good golly big jolly apparently couldn't stay away from the donuts. I'll let it slide this time, Santa, because, well, you done good. (did you notice, on the photo above by the oranges, he left the "no munching" sign that I put on the donuts? Kind of rubbing it in there, Santa, I'll be watching you this year.)

Got some good stuff, among them a stuffed cardinal that I REALLY wanted (long story, but did you know the cardinal is pretty much officially the Skertich bird?)...

And the movie Brave, which is flipping awesome!

Also scored this fancy vest.

And Mae? Well, she pretty much only needed her chap stick to be happy. He could've shut her off after that and I don't think she would've even noticed.

Pax did some opening as well from old St. Nick as well, and then it was on to our big present that was addressed to all of us.

Looks like there are gonna be some ballers in this house.

Lastly, this holiday season I'll leave you with our Christmas Card Wall of Fame. Thanks to all of you who sent one our way, we just LOVE Christmas cards.

Christmas Eve, 2013

As I mentioned, we did Christmas Eve at Nana's a few days before so this year we were snuggled in our house on Christmas Eve. And with all those presents under the tree from Grandma and Grandpa and from all of us in our family to each other, we decided to open those gifts on Christmas Eve and then Santa's on Christmas morning.

So first on the list - mostly because he was past his bedtime - was Pax. This was his first Christmas gift ever!!! (don't mind the snot and droopy eyes, Pax was still really not feeling well)

And... he got a new dog stuffed animal from Grandma and Grandpa. AND... all he wanted to do was eat the wrapping paper... okay, Pax, time for bed.

Now it was time for Mae and I to open our gifts to each other. First we exchanged these little buggers, which we actually picked out for each other while we were at the toy store with Mom a couple weeks ago.

Here's the thing - Mae wanted a pillow pet so badly so I picked one out for her and it was so awesome and then I realized I really wanted a pillow pet but how was I ever going to get one because...

Yeah, Mae! Great gift - you got me the Panda Pillow Pet that I wanted so badly. So that kind of reminded me of Ernie and Bert on Christmas Eve on Sesame St. when they both traded away their favorite things to get the other one what he wanted... okay, I'll be Ernie (Bert's weird and Mae is really weird a lot of times, too).

Then it was on to Dad's gifts. First up was Pax's gift to dad, drum roll please. Wait, Pax is still up?

Tank Tops/Wife Beaters!! Nice, Pax, solid gift. Next up was Mae...

Underwear!! Okay, my turn, I bet you think it's gonna be socks, right?...

WHITE T-SHIRTS!!! Gosh, Dad basically netted the "Dad Christmas Hat Trick." In all fairness, mom rocked him a new pair of tennies and a sweet backpack so he actually did score better than what you've just seen.

Then it was on to Mom. I wish I could do these next set of photos as an animation, like old school cartoon style. Anyway, here goes. Got mom a...

Dinner bell!!! This way, when we're upstairs or downstairs and it's time for dinner, Mom can ring it up total "on the farm" style and we'll come-a-runnin'.

Mae was up next. Got mom a really great teapot.  Well played, Mae.

Then, before we hit the hay, we put a note on our Christmas morning donuts, which we had picked out from West Town Bakery that morning. Since we left him some orange and apple slices we wanted to make sure he kept his hands off the goods.

Here, take a closer look.