Days with the Dorans

I can be quite the rule follower, especially when it comes to my kids and what is 'best' for them. When the pediatricians said no TV until age two, I followed that recommendation- usually literally to the day! Seeing the child pictured above isn't quite two, I didn't exactly make it. I actually let him start watching Sesame Street about a month ago (he'll be two in a week). The funny thing is the ONLY thing he will watch (in all of Sesame Street) is "Elmo's World" which turns out to be the last 10 minutes or so of Sesame Street. Watching Sean watch Elmo has become a bit of a past time for us. Even the Bigs are watching now (Elmo AND Seany). Sean will find the remote control (which we refer to as the 'clicker') and he will bring it to us asking for Elmo. This has been the cause of many lost remotes and a few meltdowns if we say, "No." But we are letting him watch and before he gets too much bigger, I thought I'd better catc...

To say that the Goose can be a little dramatic is an understatement... I love all of my children differently but more than I could ever describe. With Z, I wish that I had a camera, notebook or video with me at all times. Usually I don't have these things with me and I am sad that whatever funny one-liner he used will soon be lost (in my forgetful mind). Tonight though- I had my school camera at the ready and when I heard something that would be 'blog worthy', I quick grabbed my camera, held it low and had myself a little conversation with the Goose. It all started when Jeff and I heard Z start crying. Of course by now we recognize the different cries, and this was clearly a dramatic Goose cry- a cry because someone was ' blaking his heart'. And sure enough we heard him say, "My heart is blaaaaking right now" followed by, "I'm melting!" Hearing him say he was melting had me do a double take and when we heard it a second time, I grabbed...

A few weeks ago we were on our way to dance when Ali Jane told me we needed to pray for her friend, Sarah. She said that something was wrong with her heart and that everyone made cards in school. After telling me this, I couldn't get Sarah out of my mind either. I learned that not only is Sarah a neighbor (quite literally- I don't know how we haven't passed each other prior to now), but her dad is also a coworker of sorts (as in he works in the same district as I do). We've been praying a lot for Sarah and after one of Al's soccer games, we went to the store and Al picked out some things that she thought Sarah would like. I was so proud that my little girl was all about shopping for someone else (and didn't ask for something for herself... which I would have expected). When we got home, Al got right to work on a card for Sarah. When we went to walk to Sarah's house to leave the package and cards on her porch, Z wanted us to wait so he could make a card...

We have lived in our current home for five years now and somehow we have managed to avoid a fair that goes on each year at a Catholic church literally within walking distance of our house. Jeff and I aren't fair folk- I can't stand spinning rides, the food always makes me sick, and those who know me well know that I can't stand spending money especially on rides that last two seconds and go around in circles... But - I do spend money on my kids, and so Jeff and I grinned and loaded up the kids and were off to the fair. We went in the evening after soccer (rather than during the day when it would have been harder to get them to leave), said we'd spend forty bucks and get the heck out of there. Last year we managed to avoid the fair by driving in the opposite direction of it and acting surprised when the Bigs complained that they were the ONLY kids in their WHOLE SCHOOL that didn't go to the fair. I have to admit that it was fun to see them so excited. There wer...

At the time I write this, it has been more than a week since my Joe turned 8! I have good reason for this as my photo card from my 'good' camera broke and I thought I would find the cord so I could get the pictures off of it for this blog... no such luck so I have decided to just go ahead and write about September 15th (there is so much more to catch up on but school has me tired). As I mentioned briefly in my "Part I", I was able to spend some time at Joe's school between my doctor's appointment and my visit to the garden. I got to be a "Mystery Reader" in Joe's class (SO MUCH FUN), and then I got to watch as the kids sang Happy Birthday to my favorite 8 year old in "Alien voices" (his choice). He looked very 'cool' up there and I wondered where my little Joe has gone... 8 has changed Joe a bit (though obviously it happened before now). I've heard him slip using some 'bad' language ('stupid' and even...

I always have to write my September 15 th posts in two parts- because that is basically how I spend my September 15 ths ... in two parts. Even 8 years ago, I would describe September 15 th as the best day of my life (I became a mom) and the worst day of my life (I lost my son). I have yet to make it through a September 15 th without completely breaking down into a blubbering mess and I think I've finally figured out why. I spend September 15 th remembering where I was back in 2003- what I was doing at different times during that day- and at no time could I have ever imagined what would have happened later that night. That girl throughout the day was different then the one that was born at 10:35pm that night. Every September 15 th has been hard, and I suspect every future September 15 th will be hard. But still I have managed it- spending 1/2 the day remembering my first son Andrew (Part I) and the second 1/2 (or more) celebrating my second son, Jonasen . Here is this y...

Though I am late in documenting this momentous event, I am not THAT late. It feels like it's been longer- since the Z who is fast asleep right now no longer has those beautiful curls shown in these pictures (sob... haircut). But Zach finally got a big boy bed (no more toddler bed) the day we came home from our Elk Rapids vacation. He had been asking for one for a while but with the craziness of summer, we didn't really get around to getting it set up. We didn't have to purchase a bed because we were using the brother to Joe's bed (which together make bunk-beds). Once upon a time these were my dad's beds, and then my brother's. Since I had kids first, I took the beds (insert sinister laugh here...). Jeff and I went and bought a new mattress for the bed and I got bedding (not easy to find Z's favorite color) and sheets and some fun accessories to match. My mom suggested she and my dad put the bed together since they were watching the dogs and it would b...

I remember asking my parents where they were when Kennedy and MLK were shot, and asking my grandparents what it was like when Pearl Harbor happened. I knew that in my lifetime there would be defining events- things that I would remember- remember where I was when I heard the news... The OJ verdict, Princess Diana's death... but none will come close to that day back in 2001 when the world literally changed in a matter of moments. Where was I? I was in my early weeks of school. It was my first year being "Mrs. Doran ," as I had been married just that last April and was getting used to my 'new name'. I was getting ready for my second graders to arrive to school. It was a beautiful day and I loved September. I remember getting an email from Jeff that morning. Something about a plane hitting one of the twin towers. I didn't think too much of it at the time... Of course I prayed for the family of the pilot and anyone else who may have been on board at the ti...

Like last year, the Littles will be going to school three days a week because my mom will watch them one day, and my dad the other. Today was their first school day- the first day of the last year Z will be in preschool! He has been very excited talking all about Ms. Beth (who also taught Joe and Al) and how happy he is to have her as a teacher. Sean of course, had no idea what was in store for him this morning. He was excited when he got his shoes and coat on (it has been chilly in these parts) and waved to the Bigs and Papa saying, "Goodbye!" and I pretended for a moment that leaving him would be easy. But- I knew it wouldn't be and it wasn't. I am not an emotional mom really. I haven't cried leaving my babies at school ever- probably because I know I'll see them later in the day. Maybe this is because I am a teacher so know what goes on during the day- or maybe it's because I am a teacher with little down time to think of much of anything oth...

Today Joe started second grade and Ali Jane and I started first. It has been a busy few weeks for me (which is why I haven't blogged as much as usual). The Bigs were super excited. Ali Jane loved the 'new outfit' she picked out for her first day and I loved that she loved it because she wanted a long skirt 'just like mom'. So I got some sparkly fun shoes to be 'just like Al'. They were up early and had eaten before my mom got to our house (she and my dad come over in the mornings to help get the Bigs on the bus). Joe had his shoes on over an hour before it was time to go and he carried his backpack (which weighed a ton with all its school supplies) all over on ONE shoulder "because that's how second graders do it". I was off to work shortly after snapping a few pics, but thankful that my mom took these (and other) pictures to show me what their morning was like. The hardest part of my job is missing EVERY first day of school. The dinne...