Days with the Dorans

Gotta love Groupon! I hate to spend money but when you can go to a concert for $15, you sure get your money's worth!  My mom watched the kiddos so Jeff and I could go see Switchfoot and NeedToBreathe (we also saw Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors- new to us but we liked them). When we got there, we panicked because WE DIDN'T HAVE CASH FOR PARKING!!  It was an awful, sinking feeling (we're ALWAYS cash poor), but then we learned we could pay with a credit card!  Brilliant.  All was well with the world and we sat on the lawn and enjoyed the day, music and each other. We also ran into some old friends (Julie and Ryan) and it was great catching up with them.  They were in the Pavilion and Ryan told Jeff that we could get up real close (we had lawn seats), if went to the side of the stage.  We ended up doing that and it was great!  Yeah for date- nights!!  Thanks Nana (and Groupon)!

I love summer days when we have nothing (or not much) to do.  I have some creative kiddos... In this case, I'm talking about my three sons! 

It's been an interesting summer because of course the Bigs have things they need to do around the house and they also write and do a little math.  I try to get Seany involved but he is going into kindergarten so to have him do anything seems strange...  Still he likes to do "homework" and has JUST taken up writing!  I mean, he never wanted to color AT ALL and all of a sudden, he's picking up his marker and writing and this little picture had quite the story to go with it (as they all do). Sean is an amazing story teller!  He's known for a long time how to write his name but recently he's figured out how to spell mom and love (are any other words really necessary?).  I'm so proud of my little man.  Can't wait to see how he does in kindergarten~ which is around the corner!!!! GULP!

 Zach was so excited for his first soccer tournament.  It was only about an hour away so we (team) decided against getting a hotel for the night.  On the first day, Joe and Sean ended up staying back with my folks (we thought it would rain) and Al joined Jeff and I to cheer on the Goose! He didn't start (there was only one sub) but we kind of new that would happen.  He went in shortly after though and played GREAT!  We were so proud of him.  I guess after the game when the coach talked to the team he said Z was "The best hustler in the game."   Goosie was really excited about that! For as spacey as the Goose can be (and it's A LOT), he is so razor focused in soccer and it's fun to see.  We lucked out having no rain at the actual game but got to drive home in a pretty cool lightning storm.  On the way to the parking lot, Z was running and tripped and skinned up his knees and elbow.  I told him it was battle scars! The next ...

Joe and I went to the orthodontist today.  Joey was under the impression that his braces were coming off (since that is what they told him and Jeff last time).   When he came out (not too long after he went in), Joe was quiet and I could tell something was wrong.  I looked at him and asked if he was OK and he showed me his teeth.  Blue rubber-bands... braces still there.  I could tell he was so disappointed and trying hard not to cry. I asked about it and the lady said next appointment he will be there for 40 minutes and he'll get them off and impressions for his retainer.  Gosh I hope they're sure this time... We had talked prior to the appointment about getting lots of taffy and gum for him but that will now have to wait.  I did my best to cheer him up.  I suggested lunch, asked him if he wanted a special dinner (pizza would be fine, I guess....).  Nothing seemed to help cheer him up.  I even asked if he wanted to hit th...

 Piano this summer has been hard.  Joe has not wanted to practice and when we tell him to, it seems he gets distracted on his (short) walk to the piano and doesn't get there.  We basically had a come-to-Jesus-meeting with Joey where we told him either he begin practicing or we're done.  It's not that we don't want him to play but we don't want to pay if he's not going to practice so he's on notice for three weeks... He says he wants to play but his actions will talk louder than his words and we'll see what they say... On Monday, Joey went with some other kiddos over to a retirement community (where my Auntie used to live) and he played a couple pieces.  Afterward, they gave people ice cream.  Jeff and I skipped out on the dessert but Seany (shockingly) didn't want all his so Jeff DID have some.  It helped wake him up.   Here is a video of Joe playing...

 Lordy, Lordy, JEFF IS FORDY and I can't believe we have spent 18 birthdays together! We've almost known each other as long as we haven't... For Jeff's birthday, we decided to get away.  Since we are unable to go up north (with Z's soccer schedule and other activities), Jeff wanted to head to a great lake.  We picked Huron since it isn't that far away.  I sent a message to my old boyfriend, Chris who is from Port Huron and asked him to tell me about his hometown.  He was a great help suggesting where to stay and places to eat.  We went to the Vintage for lunch which was DELICIOUS!  They even had dill pickle soup which wasn't as good as Jeff's or Hamtramck but the rest was yummy and the decor was wonderful! We walked the area around the Blue Water Bridge leading to Canada and also found Michigan's oldest light house!  It was very cool.  There was a beach nearby too so I dipped my toes in the (cold) water and we watched as a guy ...

Jeff and I didn't get season tickets this year and because of that (and our crazy lives), I haven't been to a game all summer.  Everyone else has.  It was good that we could all go together.  It was our family, minus Seany, plus my dad.  My dad treated us to dinner before the game and of course we bought our signature peanuts (outside the stadium) and dollar scorecard (which Al filled out).  The game wasn't very good but we had fun!  We laughed and talked and caught up and I kept my phone away (except for a few pictures that I couldn't resist).  Next year we'll have to make sure Sean comes but this year it was nice to just have the Bigs.  Ali didn't want to stay for the fireworks and so she offered to clean Zach(who wanted to stay)'s room for two weeks if they could leave.  He took it (smart boy). I laughed at Ali's "7th Inning Stretching" and loved how the kiddos sang at the top of their lungs with their Papa!  It was a grea...

I can't believe it but in three years, my Nan will be a century!  Yup!  She's 97 years old and while her demensia absolutely SUCKS, her body physically is hanging in there and so is her smile. On her birthday we met my folks, brother and his kiddos at my Nan's to celebrate!  It's always hard because you never know who you're going to get when you visit.  We usually time our visits so they're brief and back up to an event like dinner or something...  I know it's especially hard for my mom who sometimes has to tell her mom who she is... "It's Pidge, I'm your daughter." But the thing I have always loved most about my Nan is her infectious smile and great sense of humor.  Though this has been terribly hard for her (and us), she still has moments of happiness and I saw many of those when we celebrated her turning 97!  We didn't have dinner with her but we did have cake!  We sang to her and she blew out her candles like a ch...