recent pics of the boys

Kindergarten

So much has been going on lately and I have not been able to update our blog. Jack started kindergarten a few weeks ago and things are going great. He had no fears on his first day and actually told me to stop taking his picture inside the classroom. His teacher is great and has made a great schedule for the kids. I was worried about him in an all day setting, but he has enjoyed every minute and has been behaving perfectly. I went to Tim Hortons one day around noon and decided to swing by his school to see if it was lunch time recess. I am embarassed to say that they were outside and I watched Jack interact with his peers. I was laughing because he was playing rough with the boys and then a group of girls swept him away. I am glad he is a social butterfly, I wonder where he gets it from? LOL!!!

James 1st Bday

It is so hard to belive that my baby boy is one already!! We had a perfect day with the family, playing and spending time together. We had my inlaws over for cake and James opened a few gifts with the help of his favorite older brother Jack. My favorite part was watching James jam his face into his ice cream cake and destroying it!! I added some pics from parts of our day.

Mark Spitz

I can barely contain my enthusiasm. I can't believe I saw Mark Spitz, one of my swimming idols, in the flesh at my little cafe. Jeorge called me yesterday to tell me a famous swimmer was in the restaurant but had not found out who it was. A few minutes later he called and said "Mark Spitz in eating at table 8!" I freaked and immediately began to doubt him and kept asking over and over if it was really him. He said he was sure of it because he was getting mobbed by all of our guests asking for autographs and pictures. As soon as I heard that, I jumped in the car and drove to the Maple Leaf. As soon as I arrived, I went to the front and caught a glimpse of him. I was so excited I began to shake and did not have the nerve to walk over to him. One of our employees got his autograph for me and I was thrilled!! I went outside with james b/c I was still shaking and could not believe my eyes. He came out with his wife and started walking towards us. I could not even mutter hello, I had instantly become shy. A group of people passed by and I heard one of the gentleman say "Oh my god thats Mark F'in Spitz"!!

I went to the Maple Leaf with the kids today for breakfast and found out he had been there an hour prior to us eating breakfast. I was so sad I was not there to see him. One of the waitresses said he is going to New York today so he can appear on one of the early shows. He is going to come back to Michigan for a few more days because his son is competing in the maccabiah Games. I hope I can see him again, and I hope I will be able to mutter a few words to him.

Summer

Its hard to believe it is the middle of august!! James is going to be one which boggles my mind. I feel like he is aging too quickly. He is a mover and a shaker lately. He is almost walking and I feel like it could be any day!! He is definitely curious and somehow squeezes thru every blockade I have set up around the house. He is beginning to talk more and his vocab consists of baby ( his favorite word) , dada, papa, and the occaisional mama. He has attempted to say Jack ( JAJA) too. He definitely resembles his daddy and has a reddish hue to his hair.

Jack has had a productive summer too. He has been working on his biking skills. We got him a new bike earlier in the summer. At first he was all over the bike 24/7, but after falling a few times he developed a major fear. We worked on it for weeks and finally got him back to his bike. He is doing very well and loves to go out for rides. Jack also has been quite busy in the swimming dept. He has been to Forest Hills this summer with my parents. He is in the big pool now which was a huge relief to my dad. I think he was tiring of hanging with jack in the baby pool. I think his lessons all summer at Goldfish have truly paid off. He is gaining sao much confidence in himself and has been interested in Phelps at the Olympics. He says he wants to continue swimming in the winter and he also wants to do indoor soccer again. Kindergarten is right around the corner and Jack cant wait to start!!

As for me, I am disappointed in myself. I had wanted to start swimming and train for an open water race. I am sad to say I only went a few times and then slacked. I am writing this to motivate myself to start and stick with the program. I am done making excuses for myself and need to get going. I am down because I need to lose weight. I am lacking so much energy and know if I got the lbs off I would have more. I know for sure that I would have my esteem and confidence back.

Thats it for now. Love

happy 4th

We had a relaxing 4th of july. We all slept in and had a leisurely day. Jeorge made us all breakfast and we cleaned up the house. I enjoyed watching Wimbledon for a few and can't wait until the finals. I was thrilled the Williams sisters made the dbls finals as well as the singles final. It is satisfying because American Tennis has been lacking ,and its nice that the Williams are in top form again. I don't know which one to root for tomorrow but I am leaning on Venus b/c Serena is 5-1 in major finals against her. On the Men's side I am rooting for Nadal. I love Federer because he is such a classy guy and a great champion, but I love the intensity Nadal brings to the court. I love his fist pumps and the agility he displays running down the majority of shots that look unattainable.

The latter part of our day we enjoyed a family walk. Jack decided we were transformers on a mission. Jeorge was Megatron, I was black arachnea, Jack was star scream, and James was baby megatron. Our mission on our walk was to destroy the autobots and conquer the universe. It was in effect for a few minutes until we saw several cute dogs, and a pair of cats in a stroller!!!

Lastly, we enjoyed a bbq at my parents house. We had a simple but delicious meal and more importantly good company. My sister in law was there and has 8 weeks to go before she is due to have her first baby. I like to hear about how she is feeling, her baby plans, and upcoming showers for her. She has had a rough pregnancy so its nice to see her feeling better. The only ailment she is having is fatigue. I remember that all too well. I am still fatigued with the boys...lol!!

Happy 4th!! Cheers

random pics

swimming lessons

Jack had his 2nd lesson today and is doing quite well. He has great swim mates and his instructor Mark deserves an award for his patience and kindness. I really enjoy watching my fearless boy swim on his own. He swam 1/2 length today. Mark reported to me that Jack will probably be moving to the next level before his set of lessons are done. I am wondering if he got my swimming genes. I would totally dig that!!!

Swimming

My mom called and invited us to the pool today and I happily obliged. It was a hot day and i thought a dip would do us all good. I am still at the tail end of my inner ear infecIion, so I was very careful. Jack was so amazing today!! After one swimming lesson and a few tips from me he is swimming by himself and going underwater!! The proudest moment of our day at the pool was when jack asked to jump off the diving board. He got on the board and walked to the end and then his nerves kicked in. I thought for sure that would be the end of it, but jack asked the lifeguard on break to catch him and was back on the board. I could not believe my eyes when he finally left the board. He liked it so much he had to do it again!!!

jack's preschool

A parent of jack's preschool friend was kind enough to take photos from the last few weeks of preschool and share with us. I thought I would post some. Jack is looking forward to his free time this summer. He started swimming yesterday and it was a big success. I was so proud because he was fearless and did everything he was asked to do. My heart was so full of joy when he swam on his own without any assistance!! It will be interesting to see what he does at Forest Hills this summer.

On a side note, I had to delay the start of my swimming due to a dbl inner ear infection!!!

The Latest from Chez Swanson

James attended his very first bday party for his friend Everett. The party was wonderful and the food was even better. My friend Carol deserves an award for the spread she served!!! James got his first two teeth and it was a harmless process. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the others will be just as smooth, but that is pretty unrealistic.

We attended the annual adopt an animal day at the Detroit Zoo and welcomed Fisher to our family!! She is a 7 month old short hair brown tabby. She is named Fisher b/c the shelter that had housed her found her with a fishing lure jammed thru her nose into the roof of her mouth. She is healthy and happy and we are glad we saved her!!

Jack wrapped up his school year and was sad to say goodbye to his friends. I am glad we survived the year and am looking forward to enjoying our summer. Jack is going to take swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School and I am thrilled. I have tried to teach him, but he is still hesistant and not always cooperative with me. I think the group setting will help when he watches his peers in the water.

Jeorge is spending more time at work and getting reorganized. He is feeling better and loving our new central air. His pulmonary Dr recommended we get it due to his condition and with this heat, we are all happy about it.

I am working a few days a week and loving it!! I worked last Sunday and made 200!! I am looking forward to more of those kinds of days. I am also looking forward to swimming. I decided I am going to train for a long distance open water race. I am hoping lake tahoe has one so jeorge and I can go back to where we got married. I am going to put my goggles on and start my journey on Monday. Forest Hills will be open daily and I can swim my laps while the kids are entertained with my folks.

Other than that I can't think of anything new to report. I will be logging in my swimming progress to aid in motivating myself.

Love to all!!

Reunion

`Today was a perfect day. The weather was absolutely perfect, Jack had a great day at school, the tigers beat the yankees, and the reunion/playdate I organized was successful. Speaking of the reunion, I was able to get together with friends I have not seen in a very long time, say 15 yrs!! We all met at a local park with our kids and caught up. It was so fun seeing all of my friends with their own children and it was nice to hear about their lives. I have facebook to thank for this one because I was able to locate and reconnect with them. My only downfall is I forgot to bring my camera!!

I'm back!!

My computer had a slight mishap and was out of commission for a long time. It was spilled milk, compliments of Jack. The main problem it was not an accident and was done deliberately. I am happy that I have a talented nephew who fixed it free of charge!!

Here is what is new at our house
Jeorge is getting better day by day and is more energetic
Jack is biking every day and finishing up soccer. We also have been visiting schools b/c we are unable to afford Waldorf without financial assistance
James is his happy little self
I am working more and taking classes

Jack had his 1st dental appt and it was a hit!! He was power boy ( he was wearing a blanket as a cape) and he was a hoot. He was asking a trillion questions and was extremely cooperative and on his best behavior. I was very proud and was happy it went so well!!

New Digs

We recently got bunk beds because I had nowhere to sleep. Our bedroom has become a machine inferno. Jeorge has a nebulizer, oxygen tanks, and a bi-pap machine. Needless to say, it is literally like a sauna in there. I tried to sleep there one night and between the noise and the heat it was terrible. I resorted to sleeping on an air mattress for a week but quickly decided that I could not keep that up!! My new bed is amazing!!! I am so comfortable and sleep great every night. Jack is my new roomie and he loves it. Every night he climbs up to his bunk and reads books to me. At least the fun factor is fading so he is talking less and getting to bed earlier.

Work

Ok so I have only worked a few shifts at the restaurant and they were on the slow days. Today was a completely different story. I forgot how hectic and exhausting waiting tables can be!!! I went to work at 9 and expected to get a few tables here and there, but I was busy from the second I walked in until 4 pm~!! Don't get me wrong, I like being busy and the money is great but I am an amateur these days and need to get my rhythm back. The highlight of my day today was seeing some old friends from highschool. I saw jarchow, Dave, and Brad. Its always fun to see a familar face, especially ones you haven't seen in 15 yrs!! I am looking forward to adding more time in at the Cafe so I can see more people on a regular basis.

On a side note... I am bummed State lost.
Another note.. ...Happy I did not do a bracket this year because it would have been ugly!

Baby james is 7 months!!

It is so hard to believe that my little guy is 7 months old today!! He is at such a fun age right now. He is trying so hard to talk and is constantly making loud noises to make his presence known. He adores his older brother and always gets excited and laughs whenever Jack talks to him or is acting silly. I am still waiting on his first tooth. It seems like it could be any time because of his excessive drooling. He is rolling over and sitting up. I have to eat up as much baby time as I can because you blink and they are already toddlers.

Happy Easter

Jack was thrilled that the Easter Bunny prevailed thru the snow and made it to Chez Swanson. He couldn't believe the Easter Bunny knew he liked Cars and was loving his 1967 blue ford mustang gt coupe!! James recevied a pokemon stuffed animal from his loving brother who was willing to share some of his basket, now thats LOVE!!

Jeorge part 2

`Jeorge is home!! We are so happy. He is recovering slowly and needs lots of TLC!!

Jeorge

Some of you know what has been going on with Jeorge and some may not. jeorge was admitted to StJohn's hopspital this week. After admitting him and settling him in a rm, I got a call a few hrs later saying he was being transferred to ICU. Needless to say, I was panicked and I dropped my cell phone in the toilet and lost the majority of my numbers b/c I did not save to sim. He was in really bad shape for a few days and the dr's were alarmed b/c he had lg amounts of carbon dioxide in his system from his sleep apnea and the lack of sleep he had been living on since we opened the restaurant. He has since gotten better and was able to leave ICU. He is in a regulart room at St Johns Oakland and getting better day by day. We are hoping he can come home within the next few days. Hope all is well, KARA

Facebook

I joined facebook this week and I love it!! I think it was made for me!! I love to know how people are doing and I love seeing pictures of friends I haven't seen in years with children of their own. It is so refreshing to see everyone grown up and happy in their lives without any silly high school drama. I have reconnected with several people and hopefully going to have our own mini-reunion ( kids included) because we have not had a organized one lately.

Decorating eggs

the goods

teamwork

Working away!!

Jack's favorite egg, I wonder why!!

The boys showing off their creations!!

Jack's 5th bday

Jack is 5 today and it is hard to believe!!! It just seems like yesterday that after 15 hours of labor that included 2 hrs of pushing, I was looking at my new baby boy. It feels like I blinked and now he is this big boy. We had an awesome day today!! I woke Jack up with breakfast in bed. It was his favorite blueberry pancakes with a small amount of syrup and bacon. We played with his different toys for awhile and then we ventured out. We were able to eat lunch at our restaurant, spend time with both sets of grandparents, go to rite aid to get his favorite cars, and go to the Sullivan's for a mini play date. We had cake and presents at our house after dinner and then Jack played some more. Overall, I think his bday was a success. He is having one more celebration at my parents house this Sunday!

My nephew

My nephew won his wrestling regionals this past weekend!! He is a model to all involved in any sport because he demonstrates all the qualities an athlete needs: heart, determination, strength, knowledge, and courage. He has been wrestling with a torn ACL for several weeks. He has states in 2 weeks and we are hoping he can win it all!! Good Luck Josh we love you!!!

Jack's bday party

Jack's bday party was a huge hit!! I had it a week before the actual date because many schools were having mid-winter break and i thought the moms would enjoy a day of not having to find an activity for their kids. We had it at Bounce U. This place is a huge warehouse with giant moonwalks. The kids had so much fun and the place was electric with all the happy children running around. We served lunch and cake afterwards and the kids were still energized from all of the excitement of bouncing. Jack is obsessed with Hot wheels so it was very appropriate that he received many hot wheel gifts and he recevied so many other cool things like a giant frisbee ( perfect for the spring days ahead) and a spider man web blaster. We were happy we had our party there because Bounce U did everything for us and I mean everything. I never lifted a finger for anything. They even wrote a list for me with the names of his guests and the gift they gave jack. I heard from other parents afterwards that their kids slept for several hours after the party. Jack is the energizer bunny so he keeps going and going so no nap for us. I am looking forward to this Thursday because my little guy is going to be 5 yrs old!!!