Days with the Dorans

So nothing like seeing THIS in the morning to set off your day!! I feel like this should be old hat for me- similar drawings- different kid... but this time it was sharpie and on WOOD!  Thankfully it wasn't on our hardwood floor but on a table in our dining room (that we don't use as much but still).   I posted the picture on facebook and thankfully got LOTS of suggestions on how to clean it off.  I tried ALL of them (literally).  It looks a little better than the picture below (which was magic eraser only) but I can still see a faint outline of the work. I don't think that anyone who didn't know to look for it would see it.  Maybe one day I'll look back on it and smile.   Of course it was Sean.  The one who randomly on the way to pick up Ali from dance tonight said, "You know mom, I love you."  When I asked him why (thinking if he were older it may be, because you didn't kill me for writing in sharpie marker on your table) my five ye...

The kiddos always look forward to Grandma's packages!  They have become a tradition that they look forward to and can't wait to open!  I seriously love that she does this and no matter what the holiday (because she sends them for all of them) the package is always full of such love! In addition to candy and trinkets, she always sends some of her homemade goodness which doesn't last long in this house since Grandma makes the BEST goodies!!!!  She recently got an iPhone so we tried to facetime to thank her but it didn't work, so we sent a video to her (so she could SEE the kids).  Love technolgy- but not as much as I love traditions!  Thanks Grandma for always being AMAZING!!!  We love you so much!

 So Valentine's Day landed on a Saturday this year (I can't remember the last time it did).  I was SHOCKED when I got flowers at work.  I literally thought that perhaps it was from the kids (students) or something because I didn't think it would be from Jeffy- I'm a stickler about spending money- but he surprised me and what a wonderful surprise it was!  12 beautiful red roses!! He's been out of sorts lately, just negative- It may be that time of year.  We had a good talk about keeping things in perspective- seeing the positive in even the crummy times.  It really was a great conversation and one I know we've had before because he tends to go to the worst possible place.  His card seemed fitting and perfect!  It didn't just change my day, but he's been feeling much less stressed too (could be because we've had some time off work). I kept up my tradition of giving everyone a heart-attack!  I think I have as much fun doing it as they...

WHAT A DAY! I was home with Sean today so got the kids on the bus.  Pele' wanted to go out with them, but I knew he'd follow them, so I pulled him inside and watched from the window as the Bigs got on the bus.  I had my shoes on because I was getting on the treadmill- but no coat of course.  I say this because in the past, when I get my shoes on, Pele' gets REALLY excited because he thinks he's going on a walk.  We haven't walked lately because of the cold but mostly because it's hard for him to walk in the big snowbanks and we don't have sidewalks. I figured since I didn't have a coat on, he'd know I wasn't really going anywhere. So about five minutes after the kids left out the front door, Pele' went to the back door to go outside.  I didn't think much of it and let him out.  He doesn't go far in his old age (often with this snow he doesn't even leave the deck).  Anyway, it had been a good five minutes and no Pele...

I love snow days, but I ESPECIALLY loved these snow days!!  We got a storm (I think it was 16 inches) the day of the Superbowl and school was called early (which was wonderful)!  Jeff watched the game, I watched the commercials and halftime show and the kids played outside! You can see how high the snow is on the chairs on the deck!  We shoveled before the game (and Jeff shoveled at halftime) but when I walked a couple doors down after the game to get Ali, who was at Sarah's two houses down, you couldn't even tell the driveways had been shoveled and the road looked like no one had driven on it at all (which was odd since our street is a pretty main road in our subdivision).  It was cold but of course the kids took full advantage of the snow.  It was too cold for packing (aka snowmen) really but they went sledding down our hill (they actually go off the top deck down to the yard). Sean had left his boots at school so he borrowed an old (pink) pai...

In our stockings, my dad gave Jeff and me tickets to the Wisconsin game! I was eager to take them mostly because there were only two which meant that he was taking the kids!!  It's fun to get out once and a while with just the two of us and I wish we could do it more.  We got to Ann Arbor near Crisler and walked to Main Street to have drinks and a bite to eat at Ann Arbor Brew Co. It was so yummy and bonus... Got a lot of steps on my fit bit that day!  Over 20,000!!  Shannon and Jeremy came too which was fun but they were a bit late too (later than us) so we had to do a few selfies (with the court in the background of course). Jeff plays along well for the woman he loves! Though not a Wolverine (I couldn't ever do a Big10 school with my dad a Wolverine and mom a Buckeye) we loved cheering on the Maize and Blue and it was such a fun game!  Wisconsin was highly favored but neither team was really shooting well so the game went into O.T.  ...

So the day after Ali's Showcase, we headed to Auntie Jodi & Uncle Randy's so the rest of the Doran clan could meet their new cousin!!!  Of course Jack Paul isn't a cousin by blood but we've learned that our friendship bond is just as tight as blood!  Jodi is GLOWING in motherhood and Randy is just an amazing dad (though I didn't snap any pictures of him this time). I was a bit surprised with how much the kids wanted to hold the baby... I knew Ali would want to hold him a lot but the boys were just as eager to hold him.  In fact, Joey was the first to hold him and did a great job.  He just kept staring at him and it was the sweetest thing.  Joey feels a bond to JP because they were the same size when they were born (Though Joe was an inch longer. He did have 3 more weeks in the oven cooking than JP did). The Goose loved it too! He suddenly seemed a whole lot older to me~ I wouldn't have pegged him as the kind of kid who would be eager to hold a ...