Track time…

Why are there so many cars in Red Ochre Falls?

Because my life is filled with cars. 1) I married a car guy who plays and works with cars. 2) My husband and I went to High Performance Driving School (before children, and it was so much fun we still talk about it). 3) After kids we bought a minivan, which I drove long enough I started fantasizing about other cars—any car other than mine with crumpled tissues, sticky cup holders, and pulverized cereal constantly accumulating on the interior.

My life, and these car fantasies, helped me write about the vehicles Mattie and Garrett would have and want to drive in Red Ochre Falls. Of course, my husband was more than happy to act as research liaison, looking at car specs and answering questions along the way. It was a lot of fun to dream of Maseratis and Hellcats while toting my babies around in an aging box, but once the first book was written, I started thinking of ways to add some new twists to this aspect of the series.

Enter, track season. The days, nights, and weekends my husband gets his fix watching all kinds of cars racing at all kinds of tracks, under all kinds of conditions. He also takes his old beauty (the car, not me) to the track. It’s a family affair and I bring the kids to see him when they aren’t in school. I sometimes drive, having taken our ‘ten-foot’ track car around GingerMan Raceway after an all-nighter on a hotel couch soothing a teething toddler. Thankfully, we survived, and turned in some good lap times.

Since the 2016 season is now in progress, inspiration is everywhere. I’m getting some great ideas watching everything from 1970s era classics to modern hot rods and Formula 1 cars running hot laps. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll have my own sports car. If our little driver-in-training has anything to say about it, it’ll probably be fast, like a Hellcat.

Don't blink…you might miss summer

I’m confused. Is summer over already?

I read an article last week about ways to spend the second half of summer vacation, and now I’m seeing status updates and posts about kiddos who are already back at their desks.

The saying ‘if you blink, you’ll miss it’ must be true. It was mid-June, I blinked. Then it was July, I blinked again. Now, it’s August and I’m afraid to close my eyes.

We haven’t completed too many resolutions from our summer checklist (see below), but we have done a lot of the important ones, like playing and unwinding as a family. We even played and splashed in the rain, it was awesome!

While I would have liked to check off many more items, the list doesn’t gauge the success of our summer, we do. And it’s been a good one.

We’ve played in the water, visited with family, biked, walked, picnicked and went to museums. We even watched local wildlife feast on our garden goodies (current count: four tomato plants, numerous hosta plants, and dozens of berries).

So, as I sit in my fluffy socks and wait for the heat to kick on (we live north of all things warm, and our house got pretty chilly last night, so don’t judge me), I’m stuck thinking summer is ready to snatch our Sunny Gs and umbrella drinks before closing up her cabana for the year. Brr.

Before she does, I plan to make the most of whatever the days and the weather bring. After all, long summer days are best enjoyed relaxing and recharging with family and friends. Checking off resolutions is just a bonus. 

How do you plan to spend the final days/weeks of the summer season?

2014 Random Summer Resolutions

1.     Play

2.     Unwind

3.     Be silly—good, clean knock, knock jokes can get the ball rolling

4.     Hit the beach

5.     Go on a picnic

6.     Ride bikes

7.     Visit the zoo

8.     Go on family walks

9.     Paddleboat/canoeing

10.   Have a special date night dinner and concert

11.   Have a special family dinner out to celebrate summer

12.   Play in the rain and splash in the puddles

13.   Hug more

14.   Kiss more

15.   Unplug more

16.   Let the kids stay up later a few nights

17.   Sleep in late a few days

18.   Have breakfast in our jammies a few times

19.   Swim

20.   Golf

21.   Read 10 books—about a book a week until school starts. This is a big task since I’m also publishing a book soon

22.   Finish and publish the book mentioned in item above

23.   Play tag with the kids

24.   Sit outside one sunny day without mowing, weeding or yard work

25.   Run through the sprinklers

26.   Make homemade ice cream with the kids

27.   Grow fruits and veggies—we’ll have to get new tomatoes, the deer ate the ones we planted

28.   Take a real family vacation

29.   Pick colors and paint a couple rooms in serious need of ‘refreshing’

30.   Can something—jam, tomatoes, just to try it

31.   Take a class—maybe a class on how to can things

32.   Make a grown-up appetizer for dinner one night, even if my husband and I are the only ones who eat it

33.   Make a list of people to call, and call them

34.   Send handwritten letters to 5 people I know

35.   Go to a movie

36.   Camping

37.   Bonfire

38.   Try a new food

39.   Try a new drink

40.   Make snow cones

41.   Learn to flip pizza dough

42.   Make something

43.   Have more game nights

44.   Go on a nature hike

45.   See fireworks

46.   Take a drive in the country

47.   Go to a ballgame

48.   Listen to more music

49.   Frisbee

50.   Tennis

51.   Go to an arcade

52.   Drive at a track day event

53.   Plan a dream kitchen

54.   Teach the kids something fun

55.   Learn something fun

56.   Roast marshmallows

57.   Barbecue

58.   Have a party

59.   Light some sparklers (being careful not to burn holes in the tablecloth, like last time)

60.   Watch the fireflies when the sparklers go out

61.   Enjoy a starry night

62.   Find a constellation

63.   Relax and unwind

64.   Try a new slow cooker recipe. Found this post on how to make almost any recipe work in a slow cooker

65.   Water balloon toss

66.   Sing

67.   Dance

68.   Train ride

69.   Write a story for my kids

70.   Play hopscotch

71.   Sleepover

72.   All night movie fest

73.   Binge watch a new TV show

74.   Sleep outside

75.   Practice my Finn McMissile voice (right now it sounds a lot like Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, seriously)

76.   Play euchre

77.   Create a family friendly outdoor obstacle course

78.   Early morning run/jog/walk

79.   Spin around until we get dizzy

80.   Head north

81.   Head south

82.   Head nowhere in particular

83.   Have a relaxing day at home

84.   Spa visit

85.   Be brave enough to find out what’s been growing in our compost bin the past five years

86.   Learn a card trick, maybe share it with the kids

87.   Clear out closets and donate stuff we don’t use

88.   Visit family and friends

89.   Show more love

90.   Practice patience

91.   Be goofy

92.   Watch a movie from our childhood with our kids

93.   Sketch a tree house or a garden

94.   Cider mill late summer

95.   Take photos, print and send some to the grandparents

96.   Watch a sunrise

97.   Watch a sunset

98.   Snuggle

99.   Smile

100. Relax

Ideas for Family Fun

It was high time I shared a link to the latest Metro Parent Fun Guide. This is a great resource with tons of activities and ideas to keep families, and even out-of-town guests, entertained throughout the year. 

Fun Guide 2014, Metro Parent 

Feel free to share the link, or pick up a copy local newsstands now.

Happy unofficial start of summer! 

Chocolate-Caramel Covered Pretzels and Other Festive Foodie Gifts

This is melted chocolate in a cup…

And this is more…

I have my good friend Debbie to thank for the idea. She gave us these delicious homemade dipped pretzels a couple years ago, and I dreamed of making them ever since. 

This was our year. I really wanted to make something homemade for my child's teacher, and realized it might be fun to give a gift from our kitchen since we love food and cooking—when we have time and it's not an ordeal to get the right ingredients. I even love the occasional culinary challenge, but these days simpler is better. 

I bought gift tins at the craft store a few weeks ago. Then I searched for recipes and eventually narrowed it down to three to five possibles—and changed even those a couple days before the big cook-off. 

I drove out in the snow to a local baking supply store, thanks again to my friend for the idea to go there. It was so much fun to see all the packages of milk, dark and white chocolate, and the sprinkles, sanding sugar and caramel. YUM!

I bought the ingredients and my family all participated in creating these festive goodies. Within 24 hours we made these chewy and delicious Chocolate-Caramel Covered Pretzels, Super Sugar Cookies and Strawberry Oatmeal Bars. 

The stars must have been aligned, or maybe I should consider it a Christmas Miracle because this just doesn't happen any more. We don't usually have enough time, energy, resources and participation to make something like this happen. So, this year's holiday bake-off and  gift giving goes down in the books as a special event. If we're lucky, we'll repeat it again sometime in the future, or even next year. But, for now I'll sit back and enjoy one of the sugar cookies we didn't give away because it wasn't quite round enough, or some other reason, say thanks for our foodie success, and try not to think of how much more we need to finish before Santa Claus comes to town. 

Enjoy the Holiday Season!

Christmas/Holiday Cards—A note on etiquette and why they are worth the hassle

Let me start by saying how thankful I am this year to have a loving family.

I am also thankful for a recent article by an etiquette master stating it IS okay to wish folks a Merry Christmas again. For a few years I’d stop myself mid-Merry even when wishing people I knew to be Christmas celebrants, because I did not want to insult anyone, and also because my brain was still catching up with the times.

Let’s be clear, it is probably not a good idea to wish your bubbe Merry Christmas. But, it does seem okay to wish folks Merry Christmas. Just try to be considerate when in the company of those you don’t know, makes sense.

You might wonder what all this has to do with cards. It means I can finally stop worrying so much when we send cards this year. We want to be respectful, but it’s also important to share an honest sentiment. So, send whatever holiday you celebrate cards to all your friends and family, and try to include a nice note. If you have a business contact or other person you aren’t sure about, send a more general holiday greeting.

Now, for the rest of the story. We almost did not get our annual holiday card photo this year. We take a photo because our kids are cute, and I force my husband and myself to participate so it feels like we’ve got at least one picture each year where we’re all together.

Moms, you know what I mean. There is a whole period of time where all the photos are of the child. Sleeping, smiling, crawling, crying, etc. There are probably thousands of our growing kids, but very few or none showing us. Okay, so I got a few with daddy doing sweet or silly stuff, but I was usually the one taking the photo—hiding my freakish hairdos and baggy eyes (at least a few months/years after baby’s arrival).

If nothing else, a once a year photo op like this forces me to get a haircut, shave my legs (although I sometimes wonder why) and buy/rediscover a nice shirt/outfit. Don’t ask me about shoes, it’s another story for another time (weeps a little).

So, this year we dragged a kid on the verge of a cold and another with a super case of the cranks, even though we discussed cancelling last minute, to the busiest place on earth this time of year and slapped our smiles on for the photog. A fun two hours later we packed the van with our exhausted, hungry family and headed home. Success! And Failure.

Would it have been wise to reschedule? Yes and no. Yes, but we were dressed and the car was warm. Rescheduling meant we probably would have missed our annual trek to the quickie pic place and an opportunity to see our children smile together, in the same picture, at the same time, with both eyes open and looking at the camera. Seriously, I don’t know how they do it, but they usually get some good shots no matter how hard we make it on them, and ourselves.

I say, pack the drinks, munchies, extra patience and a hairbrush and head to the studio. Or do it yourself, we did one year and it was hard and hilarious all at the same time. Your kids are probably growing faster than you realize. Just try to make the most with what you’ve got and smile. Say cheese! 

Note: This is not our actual holiday photo. It was taken on a good day in Frankenmuth though, and probably would have made a fun card.  

Parenting info. and articles

I figured it was time to share some info and articles for moms, dads, kids, and more. 

Family Fun Guide, Metro Parent 

High fashion photo shoots for kids, Ann Arbor Family (discount offered when you mention the article) 

Paying it forward, Ann Arbor Family 

Hoppy Spring: 12 things to enjoy this weekend

Enjoying the weekend yet? It's a long one for us, so I found a little time to write this post. Plus, college basketball is on and we're up cheering for our teams to advance to the Elite 8, to win the championship really, but we're getting closer one round at a time. But, I digress.

The point is we're taking a collective breath after a number of action-packed and work-filled weeks. Today, I told my hubby, actually felt like the weekends we used to know. I mean, these days, weekends are as full of work as weekdays - all the work blending together. Work at work, work at home, drive, write, meet, teach, care for, cook, clean, play, pay bills, strive, learn, love, so many important things fill our days and nights. Maybe it's because we have kids, but it feels like we're running non-stop, and it is good, we just need a little downtime. Doesn't everyone?

Here's to long weekends. We'll be trying to slow things down and enjoy some special moments. Maybe these will help inspire you to enjoy a few of your own favorite things. 

1. Family gatherings, big and small
2. Spring
3. Celebrations
4. Sunday clothes, or comfy ones
5. Family meals
6. Kids
7. Flowers, even if you just see them at the store
8. Breezy days
9. Sunshine
10. Singing
11. Low-tech fun
12. Enjoying a little downtime 

Baskets, grass on the outside
by K. Gibson

French Toast and Formula 1

In our house, racing rules. We’ve got a long-standing tradition of having French Toast and watching each F1 race. We sometimes change it up, but this year we celebrated the inaugural F1 race with my famous French Toast. Yummy, happy family!

Sweet Syrup Drizzles
by K.Gibson

It’s Baaack!

We brought the Porsche home from a warm winter slumber. The kids were as excited as we were to get it back. Let me just say, Thomas the Train has got nothing on this car. Our little guy can hardly keep away, “Porsche, Porsche!” he declares as he runs through the house hoping to get a peek in the garage. 

This is not so different from his sister’s reaction when we bought it. The car may be old, but it’s really cool. With all the upgrades my husband made, oil cooling – so it doesn’t overheat going around the block, tires, alignment, lowered a bit, front and rear spoilers, it’s even better than when we got it.

I do, however, admit to loving and loathing it on occasion. It’s a project car, so he spent a lot of time, and money, to upgrade it, and there’s plenty more he could do. Plenty more I’d actually like to see him do, but it takes time. Parents of young kids don’t have a lot of extra time, or cash, but we try to find what we can to get things done.

When he lets (encourages) me to take it for a spin, I sometimes feel guilty. But, it’s really fun to drive and it gets a lot of looks and thumbs up around town. It’s the lowest car I’ve ever been in, and sometimes feels like a Smart car could dwarf it. Really. I’ve pulled up next to trucks and been eye-to-eye with the running boards. There was even a time I imagined myself doing the Clark W. Griswold act from Christmas Vacation. Driving along and all of a sudden I'm driving under a semi, it seems possible sometimes.

While it is fun, it’s hard to steer around a track at high speeds – or anything over 50 mph. Holding the line through the corners is a workout since it has no power steering. Did I say how much I appreciate power steering? A lot. The car also has no heat, or air, and a bunch of other stuff he removed to decrease weight and increase speed. It worked, but some amenities might be nice when touring around town in the summer.

It’s just nice to have it back, and running. Although, it needs a tune up and who knows what else. At least now we can start planning track events and weekend drives, too bad there’s no back seat for the kids. Oh well, here’s to almost spring!

Two to the 0-1-3

There’s no time to shower, much less contemplate New Year’s Resolutions. But, the kids are both sleeping (yes!) and my husband is using his new video game steering wheel (it’s totally cool), so I have approximately 17 minutes to get this post in before something happens, like the baby wakes up or I pass out from exhaustion. Did I mention the two kids?

The past couple years I did a pretty good job of outlining meaningful and lasting resolutions, like resolving to make more reindeer cupcakes and making Twenty Twelve about more than Poo and Patty-Cake. But, I must confess, most of my 2012 list was untouched. Do you know what it’s like raising two kids under 5 while working on a freelance writing career, trying to fake like everything is handled while my husband launches a new electric vehicle and comes home to be an amazing husband and father in his spare time? Let’s just say we’ve kinda had a lot on going on.

So, this year we’re cutting through all the other stuff and getting to the top things we hope to do this year, in addition to all the things we already do and those other things we’d like to do (see the 2011 and 2012 list).

1.    Play with the kids more

2.    Play with each other more, instead of just keeping it all from falling apart

3.    Turn off all electronic devices, at the same time, an hour or more each night (don’t laugh, it seems like these things are on all the time!)

4.    Make a habit of going places other than Target and the grocery store when cabin fever hits and we all just need to get out

5.    Have one special date night dinner at a restaurant that doesn’t have a kid’s menu

6.    Have a special family dinner out and show all the other folks you can take kids our in public, and if the kids won’t cooperate, hopefully we’re in a loud place so no one will notice

7.    Play in the snow more (see #3)

8.    Play in the sun more (with sunscreen, of course)

9.    Play in the rain more

10. Take a family vacation that isn’t centered around some other event, say a birthday, reunion, wedding or graduation, but is a real family vacation

11. Try not to huff every time any of us spills something, it’s wipe-able, it’ll dry, or there will be a story (like salsa in the new house, this was even before kids)

12. Enjoy the sweet age our babies are before they get too old or too busy for us

13. Hug our children and each other every day and let them know how much we love them

14. Sleep like we used to (at least one night this year)

What’s on your list? 

What's Happening - Ann Arbor Family

If you're looking for fun family events in A2, check out the latest Ann Arbor Family for some cool stuff. You'll find everything from archaeology digs to live performances in the October edition and through these links: 

X marks the spot — The Kelsey
Imagination takes center stage — Michigan Theater
We got the beat! — Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra
Let's build something — LEGO KidsFest

Stop the madness, it’s not October yet!

There’s just something about a too-early Halloween that bugs me. Normally, I’m a happenin’ holiday kind of girl, but lately it seems as though we’re rushing from one to the next, which leaves little time for enjoyment. 

I get that you need to be ahead of the curve when it comes to seasonal shifts in merchandise. But, can I please finish my poolside lounging and adjust to the back-to-school routine before you drag out ghosts and goblins?

It’s no wonder I’m hesitant to take my kid to Target. They’ve already got aisles of spooky decorations and Halloween candy. Someone in a high place maybe forgot how hard it is for parents to handle eager children begging for sweet treats and costumes — hey, it’s hard for parents too. Some of those lit-up pumpkins are adorable. But, I cringed before school even started when I saw BTS on its way out and Spook-fest on its way in. Yikes!

As a way of protesting, sort of, I’m recommending we hold off on buying candy and costumes for at least one more week. I’d say until the end of the month, but I’m not crazy. I know the selection for costumes will probably be so poor, you’ll be digging through your basement for leftover boxes to make a robot outfit, which is not an entirely bad idea. Last year we saw a kid dressed in cardboard, he was a cereal box, and a darn cute one at that. They used a lot of paint, but he really looked like a box of Fruity-O Flakes or something. (I have to be careful what cereal I reference because my sis in law is now a big exec for the Kellogg Co. I'm not a paid endorser, just a fan :)

With all my soap-box protestation, I admittedly will bring out the end of year holiday decorations as soon as possible after Thanksgiving. You can read about it here, but I think it’s perfectly allowable since it can take weeks of work to get family heirlooms in place when you have kids running around the same indoor space you’re trying to decorate. That being said, I’m saying let six weeks or so be the guide. If you can wait to sell me spookiness until a month and a half out, I’ll buy. Heck, I’ll probably buy sooner, but I’ll be less irritated by it around then.

So, here’s to squeezing out the last drops of summer as it transitions to a bountiful fall. Go outside. Take a walk, bike, hike or drive. Get thee to a festival and enjoy doing something together. Just don’t scare me with your ghoulish garb before next week or I just might bring out the lit-up deer and snowman early and see how you like it, mwahahahah.

Make plans to hit a festival or family event in your area.  Check out these sites and find out more of what’s happening in your area. 

www.festivals.com

http://www.weather.com/family-kids/fall-festivals/top10-fall-festivals-20120828

Remember, every day is special - enjoy it!

SYOAS - See you online again soon!

Aww, not yet.

What summer?

If there is a pace to summer, a slower-sipping-iced-sun-tea-you-made-yourself kind of pace, we haven't found it. Or if we did, it didn't last long. 

I don't normally complain about summer changing to fall, but I'd like to enjoy more of it before the back-to-school, whoops, it's already Thanksgiving, melee begins. So, I decided to fill our schedules with every possible summer fun kind of activity these next couple weeks. With the exception of a (crossing fingers) cider mill visit, we'll be swimming, golfing, playing tennis, chalking, walking, hiking and triking our way around the area. Sounds fun, right? 

Well, even if I'm aiming a little high, I hope we can enjoy these last days before school bells and backpacks bursting with homework. What are your end of summer plans?

Traveling with Kids (and shaving with razors so cheap they’re free)

We recently took a trip with our kids. A long car trip. With two kids under five. They like to move around and do stuff. They don’t stay quietly seated for hours at a time. I don’t know anyone who has kids who can sit still so long, but if yours can I suggest you leave immediately and drive somewhere, anywhere, while you can.

As for us, we like a challenge (not really) and we like visiting family (this is true). The thing is, traveling with kids can be tough. If you’ve got a trip of any length you might find you or your children end up mildly cranky with sticky hands and flat butts. That’s if all goes well. You do not want to know what happens when things go bad. We will not be discussing the Thanksgiving trip we spent an hour+ in stop-and-go traffic on I-90. Not in this post anyway. 

Most kids are pretty good, but even the best can lose it if you’re on the road longer than expected. Take plenty of food, beverages, activity books and stuff to do. Also, make sure you stop, stretch your legs and potty when needed.

If you happen to make it to your destination on time or unscathed, thank your lucky stars.

We happened to arrive at the hotel two hours after our kids normally hit the sack. My husband and I hoped they would sleep like logs. They did not.

Since we were late and trying to avoid a total meltdown we showed our daughter the lighted pool. Then we jammed most of our house contents into the room, changed stinky diapers and prepared for bed.

Side by side by side, my husband and I hoped the kids would sleep so we could sleep. But, our little guy was a bit restless cutting a few teeth. Our girl would not stop talking or thinking about, you guessed it, the pool.

She woke me around midnight to ask if we could swim. Right now? I asked. Yes, it’s lighted, was her reply. She wouldn’t sleep until I assured her she could swim the next day. I think she got about three hours sleep. The rest of us didn’t get much more.

Thankfully, the next morning we had access to hot running water and large coffees. The place we stayed included a free breakfast, and the waffles were pretty good.

I highly recommend a suite if you’re traveling with kids. The fridge keeps food and milk cold while the stove is an invaluable bottle warmer. It also helped to clean bottles and other stuff so we weren’t stuck with a bunch of dirty gear clanking around the back of the van.

It’s also great to have connected, but separate spaces. This allows parents to put the kiddos to bed and still have a little time to chill out before the night shift begins. Sleeping in a new environment can be stressful. Sometimes kids sleep and sometimes they don’t, so wherever you stay, pack your patience.

We somehow recovered and spent the next day touring the Air Force Museum, swimming and playing. All the walking and activity, along with the previous night’s exhaustion made for sleepy kids. We got them to be at a good time and they slept. Yay!

The next day was pack and load then head to the reunion day. Visit, eat, swim, fun and drive the long road home.

We were up around 6 am and the reunion wasn’t until lunch, so it seemed like we had all the time in the world. And yet, packing up two adults and two kids worth of vacation gear took more time than we thought. At least my husband got donuts and coffee for breakfast. We ate all the donuts except one. Yum!

It got hotter and hotter as we washed, packed and loaded everything. I realized the only thing that would help keep me from fainting would be changing into shorts, which I avoided since I forgot to pack a razor. It seems we brought everything except my razor.

I kept working, but as we got close to finishing the pack-a-van Olympics the pants had to come off. My husband recommended I check the hotel shop for a razor, then shave and change.

The shop was the size of a walk-in closet. Sundries neatly arranged in small baskets lined the walls. Shampoo, packets of Excedrin, no razors. Oreos, chips, trail mix and still no razor. Scanning up and down. Wait, is that? Are those what I think? Dark blue, disposable stick razors. Cheap. Better not cost more than $5. I thought. How desperate am I? Pretty desperate, so I grabbed one and heard a voice say, “Can I help you?”

I must have looked pitiful because she saw me standing there holding up the razor and said, “Just take it.” I asked if she was sure. We both eyed the flimsy baggie and knew it wasn’t worth her time or my money, so I said thanks and left.

After I got upstairs, I volunteered to bring out a load and grab my clothes. Then I would cut down the forest on my legs, bring the last couple items and checkout.

My husband lifted 100 lbs of stuff off our suitcase in the back of the van and got my shorts. I ran to the door and swiped the key to get into the building. Nothing. I shifted the clothes in my hand and tried again and again. No luck.

By the time I made it to the hotel entrance, I was sweating. Great. Do I really feel like shaving my legs on the side of a hotel bathtub now? Nope. But, I have to get our last few items. And if that last donut is still there, I’m taking it.

Shaved in cool water and felt good, then changed. Wrapped up the donut, grabbed the diaper genie. Whoa! I caught a whiff right in the face. That smells bad. Put the donut in the last bag then shifted everything and left. Made it to the front desk and leaned over just as the diaper changer slipped out of my hands, it landed gently.

Checked out and ready to go, we sped out of the parking lot. Something you may experience is the need to escape quickly once a trip is over. We took a detour, but enjoyed some family time at the reunion. It’s amazing to see how all the little ones have grown.

I tell you though, we were ready to get home that night and sleep in our own beds, which we did, and it was wonderful. A big perk of going out of town is returning and feeling like you really are home again. Happy Vacationing!