Spoiling the Grandkids

A few days ago I received this email from my boys:

“Dear Dad, We are coming home from Chicago. We had a great time. We are looking forward to coming home. We hope you will spoil us as much as grandma and grandpa have been spoiling us.”

The three boys were making good use of Grandpa’s smart phone by pecking out this email to me. Grandma and Grandpa hosted them for a couple of days in Chicago and they got to do all sorts of fun activities. Going to museums by day and eating out at night provides a good basis for spoiling, and then there was the ice cream, cake, and smoothies.

Since we were not there, we don’t know all that went on, but all reports indicate they had a great time. However, a “great time” is in the eye of the beholder. Evidently Grandpa and the boys had a “great time” at Ed Debevic's while Grandma made a mental note to never return there with them. :-)

Of course, the trip was not really about spoiling the grandkids, but about loving them. We are thankful that Grandma and Grandpa took this time to invest in our boys.

Life Together

Here is a photo from the last newsletter we sent out.  It has K.D. trying on bee keeper clothing, Miss Bookworm celebrating her 16th bday, Anna singing in a church event, CrazyMom on her laptop, Little Foot ice skating on a lake, F.G. doing homework, Ed playing indoor soccer, and Buddy ice fishing.  Lots of fun memories just from life happening.

Beep, Beep, Beep

To get the full effect of this post, please play this video every few seconds.

Microwave beeping


You may recall a post from September about CrazyMom’s difficulty with waiting 30 seconds for her coffee to heat in the microwave – or for the sink to fill with water. :-( She simply has too much to do.

Since that time we have purchased a new microwave (are you still playing the video?) in our efforts to prepare the house to sell. One of the features of this new microwave is that it beep, beep, beeps at you until you go and retrieve whatever is in it – like CrazyMom’s coffee.

30 seconds is still too long for CrazyMom to wait for her coffee to heat, but now people will bring her the warmed cup of coffee just so that they can stop the microwave from beep, beep, beeping.

All busy moms deserve to have others serve them every once in awhile and a beep, beep, beeping microwave is just the thing to help others remember to do it.

If you will excuse me now, I have to go deliver a warm cup of coffee . . .

Predicted Failure by My Kids

Lots of times I get home from work 15 min or so before a meal and I help myself to whatever is laying around.  It does not matter if it is cookies, chips, or carrots.

“Can I have one, too,” I then hear from a child when I am snitching.

“Nope.  It might spoil your appetite,” is my reply in accordance with CrazyMom’s rule of no snacks before a meal.

“But you are having one,” the child will protest even though they already know what I will say.

“Yeah, but I am dad.”

Even though I have lots of years of proof that snitching before a meal will clearly not spoil my appetite, this is one of those awkward do-as-I-say-and-not-as-I-do type of moments, so I made a New Year’s resolution to stop snitching - sort of.

Clearly my children do not think I will be able to do this because they have seen me standing in the pantry eating potato chips too many times.  As evidence of their prediction of my failure, I submit this photo.  When the chips got laid out today for lunch, I saw this written on one of the bags.

They are right, of course.  In fact, they know that my New Year’s resolution is not to stop snitching, but only to stop snitching in front of them.

When Lending a Hand Isn’t Helpful

The other day I heard particularly bad music coming from the piano in our living room. While we don’t have a Mozart in our home, our children normally play better than what I was hearing. When I went to investigate, this is what I found.

Despite the fact that our soccer seasons are long gone, our soccer injuries live on. Miss Bookworm had surgery the other day on her wrist to sew back together some torn cartilage. Ed was still complaining about her ankles so we sent her to the doctor and she came back with a wrist brace since her thumb could do things that no thumb with all ligaments attached ought to be able to do. We are hoping that things will heal without her going to the operating room as well.

So, piano playing is out for both of them – or so I thought. Wanting to still work on their Christmas music, they got together and each played with their good hand. Although they work well together in many different ways, I think that doing a duet on a solo piano piece is not one of those ways.

At least they can still play soccer.

[Note: When I had the girls sit down this morning so I could take a photo for this post, they played “Carol of the Bells” and it sounded particularly good. I guess a little practice goes a long way!]

Banned Birthday Cookies

“To Mr. CrazyD,

Please do NOT eat these cookies. It is my birthday. They are for my friends at soccer.

Thank you,

F.G.”

I was about to enjoy a just-before-dinner snack when I noticed the above note taped to the top of the lid that I was holding in my hand. I had just come home from work and found a container of CrazyMom’s chocolate chip cookies on the counter.

It was one of those crisis moments in my life. A thousand thoughts flashed through my head – nobody is around – but they are her birthday cookies – but I bet there are enough – but what if she ends up a cookie short at soccer practice?

Ah, the dilemmas we face in life.

After one more delicious whiff, I reluctantly put the lid back on the container.

F.G. protecting her last two birthday cookies.

“F.G.,” I said on the way to soccer practice. “If somebody asks you for a second cookie, you had better tell them no or I won’t let you play in the next soccer game,” I said it my most serious tone, which, unfortunately, is also my teasing tone.

“But what if the coach asks for a second cookie and I don’t give it to him? Maybe he won’t let me play then,” said F.G. with a grin from ear to ear.

“Either way you lose,” chimed in Ed. “You might as well make dad happy instead of coach.”

“He will let you play,” I reassured F.G. “He is not as mean as I am.”

When I pulled up after practice to pick up F.G., the coach came up to the car to let me know how much he enjoyed finishing off the cookies.

Good thing for F.G. he was just kidding.

Crazy Mom’s Ways

“Look, there’s a rest area in one mile. Anyone have to go to the bathroom?” avid-coffee-drinker CrazyMom asked. CrazyMom, Miss Bookworm, Ed and I were in the car headed to Taylor University for the day for our 20-year reunion.

“No,” came the response from everyone else in the car.

“Are you sure? We won’t be stopping for another hour and a half,” avid-coffee-drinker CrazyMom said.

“I’m fine,” said each of the girls.

“Well, maybe we’ll pull over anyway,” said CrazyMom as she migrated to the right lane to exit at the rest area.

When we have seven children in the car, CrazyMom can hide the fact that we need to stop for a bathroom break because of her since there is always a child that has to go. But when there are just a few of us in the car, it is a different story.

Otherwise I Would Have to Play by Myself

Anna with one of her friends.

“Anna, you sure make friends easily,” Grandpa was saying as he left an older kid’s soccer game with her. Instead of watching her sibling’s game, Anna had made a new friend and played with that friend the whole time. Grandpa, like most people we know, was amazed at how social Anna is and how she can make a friend (child or adult) wherever she goes.

“Well, I have to be able to make friends,” Anna replied. “Otherwise I would have to play by myself.”

The logic is so simple I am sure she was wondering why Grandpa could not have figured it out for himself.

Anna in the Rain

Last Saturday was a very windy, cold, and drizzly day.  Despite the weather conditions and despite being dragged all over town to different soccer games, Anna still managed to enjoy herself.  She is certainly one happy child.

CrazyMom and 30 second waits don’t mix

“CrazyMom, can you come here!” I was saying very loudly trying unsuccessfully to make it sound like I was not yelling. “Quickly!” I added in a tone trying to convey to CrazyMom TO COME RIGHT NOW without the piano teacher, who was in our living room, thinking there was anything strange going on.

But something strange was going on, and I think the piano teacher knew it. How on earth can the planets align so that a calm, cool-headed guy like myself ends up sticking my head out of our room while hiding my dripping and under-clothed body while yelling for my wife because there is milky white water running all over the bathroom counter and flooding the floor?

Well, the planets get this way because CrazyMom has too much to do.

Riddle: Where is the best place to find CrazyMom’s coffee?

Answer: In the microwave.

You see, rather than waiting for the 30 seconds that it takes for the microwave to reheat her coffee, she figures she has just enough time to do this, which leads to that, which leads to the other thing. This means that a half hour later when she is looking for her coffee, she finds it cold again in the microwave. So she sets the microwave for another 30 seconds, which is just enough time to do this, which leads to that . . .

So tonight I came home a total mess because a student threw a can of white paint on me to help promote school spirit – one of those teaching things. Anyway, I went upstairs and started soaking my shirt in the sink. While I was in the shower, CrazyMom arrived on the scene and decided to flush and refill the water in the sink since there was so much paint. Of course, it takes about 30 seconds to refill the sink, which is just enough time to do this, which leads to that . . .

When I turned off the shower, heard the water running, and saw that CrazyMom was long gone, I knew there was a problem. Dashing to the bedroom door, I started yelling. CrazyMom arrived in a flash and we started soaking up the water.

“Don’t worry about the counter,” I told CrazyMom when she started mopping up the mess there. “We have to get it off the floor so it does not soak through to the ceiling below.”

As I said it, Miss Bookworm showed up at the bathroom door. “Um, water is coming through the ceiling downstairs,” she said.

Unlucky there.

So, here is the stack of stools to hold the fan to blow in the hole to dry up the water that came through the floor.

Oh, and one more thing. I just went and checked the microwave. Sure enough there is a cup of cold coffee there.

Losing Teeth - Natural and Unnatural Causes

As you can see, Anna currently is missing both of her front teeth. The first one came out the natural way. The second, well, I will let her tell you how it happened.

Women are So Hard to Understand

Pop Quiz: It is almost 10 o'clock at night and CrazyMom says, "I don't have ice cream for K.D.'s birthday party tomorrow. I have to run to the store." Which of the following best describes what is about to happen?

A: CrazyMom will run out to the store and buy ice cream and be back in 10 minutes.
B: CrayzMom will run out to the store and buy 25 bags of groceries and be back in 1.5 hours.

Well, I know the answer is B because CrazyMom just got back from the store and here is what she bought. Actually, she bought more than this, but this is all that I could fit on the counter.

I also wonder what she means when she says, "Why are you taking pictures of the groceries rather then helping me put them away?" While I don't know exactly what it means, I think it has something to do with me being in trouble.

A Christmas Wish for You

(This was one of the "articles" from our Christmas letter. If you did not receive a copy and would like one, send me an email at welovebigfamilies@gmail.com and I will send you one.)

On a warm evening a few days before Thanksgiving the family and I headed outside to hang some Christmas lights. As dusk was giving way to darkness, I found myself up on a ladder hanging our wreath on a familiar hook, as I have done every year for the last eight years. “OK,” I called down to those on the ground, “plug it in.” As the wreath lights came to life bathing all that was around me in a warm glow, I was surprised by the wave of emotion that swept over me. It was the same feeling I get when crawling into my own bed after having traveled too far for too long. It was a sense of peace and rest. It was a sense of home.

That the glow of Christmas lights could bring forth such strong emotions stemming from a sea of countless memories of Christmas’s past should not have surprised me, I suppose. Christmas, with its blending of faith and family through rich traditions, embodies all of the same qualities that a sense of home does.

So as I go through this Christmas season looking for those moments of home amidst the hustle and bustle, I will be wishing that you would be able to find a sense of peace and rest this season. The theme of peace could be heard long ago when the angels declared to the shepherds in the field that night, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:14)

Lighting the Town Tree

F.G. won a coloring contest and got to light the town Christmas tree along with two other winners from different age divisions. It was great to bundle up, head out to the town "square," and be a part of the official tree-lighting ceremony. Here you see F.G. with Louie the Lightning Bug - the official mascot of the power company that sponsored the tree. If you notice, the switch is up so F.G. had already done the deed.

Here is F.G. alongside her winning entry.

And, of course, the tree!

A House Divided - OSU vs. Iowa

OSU had a big game against Iowa last Saturday, as most of you know.  Rather than having the wonderful experience of sitting down with the family and rooting for OSU, I had to navigate the difficult waters of watching the game with an Iowa fan.

It all started a few years ago when my Iowa-born father was in town for an OSU/Iowa game (OK, I was born in Iowa as well).  He engaged the unethical practice of trying to brainwash some young minds to root for Iowa.  When that did not work, he turned to bribery.  Most of my kids were able to say no to the temptation, but two fell to the dark side.  Anna has mostly recovered from it all (notice she is shrugging in the photo and is wearing an OSU jersey but Iowa sweats) while poor K.D. has had to suffer through year after year of losses to OSU while donning Grandpa-provided game gear.  I was doing my best to comfort him while they interviewed Coach Tressel, but it was hard after all.

But now that we have this game behind us, we can all root together for OSU against Michigan and Iowa against Minnesota.  Oh, wait.  My sister and her family are in Minnesota . . .

P.S. A very special thanks to our friends who donated an old tube TV to the cause so we did not have to watch the game on our only surviving TV which is a measly 10".

Camping at Hocking Hills

A couple of weeks ago GrandmaF and GrandpaF came out to see us and we went camping in Hocking Hills. The leaves were turning, which made the whole area delightful. Also, the days were warm while the nights were cool. It was the perfect fall weather for camping. We had a lot of fun while camping, but one of the highlights was when GrandmaF and GrandpaF headed back home . . . in the RV! One less thing to get rid of before heading to Africa!

My Missing Jeans

“Um, Hon . . .” I said sheepishly. “Can you help me find my jeans?”

The whole family was supposed to be headed out the door in about 10 minutes and here I was begging CrazyMom to help my find my pants. It is always rather humiliating for me to have to go to CrazyMom with such requests – the type of requests that our kids make of her all day long.

She started up the steps quizzing me along the way.

“Did you look in your dresser?”

“Yes,” I replied. (I mean, come on hon. How bad am I?)

“Did you look in the pile of clean clothes by your dresser?”

“Yes,” I said, wincing because I knew that the clothes had been there a week and I had not put them away yet.

“How about the laundry?”

“Yes, I checked the laundry.”

Upon entering our room, CrazyMom went straight to my unpacked suitcase from a trip two weeks ago, reached into the bottom of it and pulled out my missing jeans. She held them out to me with an I-am-so-good-and-you-know-I-am-so-good-so-I-don’t-have-to-let-the-kids-know-about-this-like-you-would-have-to look.

“Thanks,” I said truly appreciative and in awe of how CrazyMom always knows where everything is. But I also wondered if she knew the whole time where my pants were but just wanted to be there for this moment.

You know, I guess part of me is looking forward to selling most of what we have as we go off to Africa. Maybe with so much less stuff even I will be able to find things like CrazyMom.

Back to School!

Soccer is Back!

Today was the opening day for the new soccer season with two teams playing five games. What a great day for soccer!

The Smokies

Last week Grandma and Grandpa hosted us in the Smokies.  It was wonderful.  Lots of hiking, playing in mountain streams, and seeing bears.  I highly recommend that all of you start planing a vacation trip to the Smokies.





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