Success!

The trip was uneventful, Mason and Grant were troopers, and my family was completely taken off guard! I love that they had no idea. The look on my moms face when we pulled up next to her and my sister at a gas station was priceless! Convincing my dad to come back into 'town' for dinner was a little more difficult. Once he arrived (amidst much grumbling), the surprise was enjoyed all over again! That was a great start to a very harried trip. Tim ended up having to work a 1/2 day on Friday which required him to drive 1 1/2 hours Thanksgiving morning (at 3 a.m.) to the closest airport. His return flight left immediately after work on Friday. Well, to make a VERY long story short...he missed his flight. So there I was in Virginia, with two boys, and no car.(It was in long-term parking at the airport, and I didn't have the claim ticket.) They put him on stand-by, but the next flight didn't leave Metro until 9:45p.m. that night. On top of that, he wasn't allowed to leave the airport because he didn't have a boarding pass. They couldn't even confirm that if he waited all day for the next flight, that there would be room for him. Needless to say, Tim became very familiar with Detroit Metro. He ended up on the next plane out, and arrived in Virginia safely. 1 1/2 hours away still. So at 2 o'clock in the morning he finally arrived at my parents house. How he found his way there in the dark, I will never know. Later that day, we packed the car, said our good-byes and headed north. The boys and I felt guilty having such a relaxing and enjoyable time while Tim was going through "you-know-what". My mom swears that he will never bring us back, and I've been too scared to broach the subject! But all in all it was terrific seeing everyone and spending time with my family. But if you ask Tim, his version might not be so pleasant...

Surprises Up Our Sleeves!

We have decided to arrive unannounced for Thanksgiving in Virginia! Are we crazy?? Maybe. I will let you know after we travel 10 hours in a car with a four month old. The decision was made spontaneously, we're not even sure that my family doesn't have alternative plans for the holiday. For instance, wouldn't it be funny if they were planning to surprise us in Michigan??? (That is said 'tongue-in-cheek' and with much sarcasm.) As I have stated before, I am not a huge fan of surprises, and envision many things going wrong on this trip. But, I am going to jump into this plan with gusto and appreciate the fact that my wonderful husband is willing to make all the arrangements necessary to pull this off. I will post further once we arrive and are crying tears of joy or dismay.

Halloween Havoc!

I've only got one word ...CHAOS! We can't figure out when we all got so many kids. How did it happen??? We used to get together and act like kids ourselves, and now there is no time for that because we are chasing after our offspring! Don't get me wrong...I am definitely not complaining! It is just a sight to behold, and definitely not one for the faint of heart! If you think I am kidding, let me throw some numbers at you. Adults: 17 Kids: 18 (all under the age of 10) As you can see, we were severely outnumbered because all parents know there needs to be a 2:1 ratio when it comes to 'out-of-control sugar induced holidays'! All of this took place in the Dodsons house - bless them! We made it through with very few tears and only a couple meltdowns and many laughs and good times!

Nana's Have Suprises Too!

Needless to say, my mom couldn't stand the fact that she hadn't seen us in 2 1/2 months. And by "us", I mean Grant and Mason. So on October 9th, my mom flew in for a week to visit! It was a wonderful week, crammed full of memories. We have realized that that is how we have to do it since they live in Virginia....just do as much as we can in a short period of time. We had lunch together, shopped, went to Apple Charlies, watched flag football, visited with Gram and the rest of the family, made a yummy roast, got my hair cut off, and in our spare time, she proceeded to smooch off Mason and Grants cheeks! It was a great surprise for Grant - I picked her up from the airport and we went right to his school to get him. She was sitting in the back seat with Mason (that tells you where I rate now - chauffeur!), and he saw luggage in the front seat. Once I calmed all of his fears that I wasn't going away, he opened the back door and launched himself across the back seat, including Mason! We were all so happy to have her here. I still haven't got used to the fact that they don't live here anymore, and it's always bittersweet when they have to leave, but we treasure the time that we do have together.

Grandparents Day was Great!

Grandparents Day...A day our children celebrate the people who were once normal, until their children had children. I'm pretty sure my parents aren't the only people who have been afflicted with this condition. I have witnessed my friends parents also experiencing strange behavioral changes, such as baby talk, weird faces, totally 'unpractical' purchases, and dropping whatever they are doing to accommodate, etc. I have to admit the first time I saw my pretty reserved father on the floor rolling around with Grant, and talking 'baby' with Mason, it was a shock to my system! It was easier to accept with my mom, who had acted silly around babies for as long as I could remember, but my dad???!!! As the years flew by, I watched Grant and my dad form a bond that blessed my heart. My mom and Grant have a different type of special relationship, which only Nana's and grandsons can have. Papa Kowalski doesn't usually act as silly as my parents, but he is totally hands-on and involved, and Grant loves him dearly. So, on this day that celebrates the selfless people that are Grandparents, Grant's school had a program to honor them. Papa Kowalski was supposed to be working, and unable to make it, but he skipped out early so he could be there. My dad drove up from Virginia to attend, because the invitation Grant sent him and Nana broke his heart. Then there was poor Nana who was left behind to work and hold down the fort! Don't worry, she heard all about the program from my dad, who I'm sure didn't rub it in at all! The kids did a great job and we got to see their classrooms afterward. The only downside was Mason, who had got shots that morning, and was in a foul mood. But I guess that is part of being a grandparent too!

I Guess Surprises Can Be Good!

I usually hate surprises! I know, I know, pretty strong language, but I really don't like to be surprised. Today was an exception. As I left Beckys house, running late as usual, I headed for the school to pick up Grant. When I got there I was pretty fired up to see him running around outside with his friends. He is supposed to be kept indoors until I pick him up. That is when I saw my dad walking across the parking lot towards me! He had driven all the way from Virginia that morning to surprise us!! I started crying so hard that a fellow mother got out of her car to ask me if I was O.K. I think she thought dad was upsetting me! After I got myself under control, I explained that I didn't think I would see my parents until Christmas, and I was totally shocked! I'm usually pretty intuitive about things, and can at least guess if something is going on, but this time I did not have a clue. Anyways, he had made the trip so he would be able to go to Grandparents Day at Grants school on Friday! (And of course, he missed Mason and Tim and I terribly!) We had a wonderful visit that passed way too quickly...he had to leave Sunday to go home :( My mom wasn't able to get away from work and was very jealous of all the stuff we crammed into just a few short days. So I guess there are some surprises that are worth not knowing about :)!!

Flag Football

I have now truly entered a season of our lives that I can honestly say I DO NOT UNDERSTAND!!! Football has always been a "foreign" sport to me. I don't understand "downs" or really anything else about it. Tim has tried many times to explain, and just like euchre, it doesn't click. I have been lucky so far that Grant has had no desire to play this particular sport, until now. Tim has introduced him to "flag football" and he loves it! His only conditions were that he wouldn't have to wear all the pads and that he wouldn't have to tackle anyone. (Or be tackled :) Well this particular version of the game fits all of his criteria, and he is doing great! I really don't understand what is going on most of the time, but I am a mother through and through, and I can cheer with the best of them! Tim is helping out as an assistant coach...a fact that Grant is ecstatic about. It is so fun to watch "my boys" out on the field together. I'm sure that in another couple of years, Mason will join them out there!
The one thing that I do still struggle with is the terminology. For example, when Grant told me he had "blitzed" and "juked" a player from the other team, I thought that maybe I should go apologize to the poor child's parent. Grant and my dad reassured me that these were both "good" things and there was no need to make amends. Oh well, I am still learning. I'm sure this will not be the last time that I have to learn something new as we continue to raise our children...

Surprise Aunt Diane!

We had a great time at the Longhorn restaurant for Aunt Diane's surprise 50th birthday party! There were so many friends there and she got a lot of nice gifts. Of course everyone went crazy over Mason, and he was smooched so many times, I thought the lipstick marks were permanent! I think this was the first time that Grant realized that he wasn't the "baby" anymore - but he handled it pretty well :)

Lazy Labor Day!

It was so nice to get out of the house and spend some time with friends. We went to Kevin and Mindy's and the Johns familly came over too. We ate way too much and Alli made an attempt to sample every one of the desserts! She was definitely on a sugar high! The boys decided to play baseball, kids versus dads, and it kept us laughing all afternoon. The highlight of the day was Grant striking out Tim, not once but twice! Even Mason enjoyed all the fresh air. We went home very full and very tired, but with even more great memories!

First Day in the Third Grade!

School has begun! For reasons I don't think I need to explain, this summer has flown by. I don't feel ready for school to be starting already, and needless to say, Grant doesn't either. He was very happy to see all of his friends, and he even has four new kids in his class. This year, parents aren't supposed to walk their kids to class and help them get situated, so they can develop independence. Tim says that I have to cut the apron strings and let him go on his own :( Well, third grade, here we come, ready or not!

The Many Faces of Grant and Mason!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words!

Brotherly Love

Grant has wanted a baby brother for many years now. He has patiently waited, prayed, asked Santa, asked the Easter Bunny, and asked for one for his birthday. Now that Mason is here, Grant can't get enough of him! He is such a huge helper, and does anything I ask except change diapers! One day in Meijer, he looked at me as he pushed Mason in the cart and stated, "Life is so much better with Mason!" Well, after I stopped blubbering about what a tender heart he has, I realized once again, how much our family has been blessed, and how God's timing is so perfect! I am so grateful for all three of my "boys" and how they make my life so great!

The Whole Story...

For those of you who haven't already heard the story, I thought I would share it because I think it is pretty amusing.

The day was a regular one. Nothing special. I babysat Alli and we ran errands with Grant most of the day. Once Mindy picked up Alli, we went to Moe's (as usual) for dinner. Ran into an old friend, told him I was due "any minute now", even though I was two weeks early and nothing was "going on" at my doctors appointment the day before. Well, we went home and I felt a little nauseous so I told Tim I was going to take a shower and go to bed. This was unusual because I had been feeling great up until that point. So, after my shower as I was heading to our bedroom, I felt (I swear you could hear it) a pretty powerful "POP". I'm sure that is self explanatory. After running back into the bathroom, I calmly informed Tim that my water had broken. He proceeded to stare at me and ask repeatedly if I was sure while Grant stood there telling me I had forgot to pull my underwear down before sitting on the pot! We decided to call Dr. Singh (who was at the movies with his son), in the meantime I had been timing my contractions which had picked up considerably since my water had broken. They seemed to be about six minutes apart, but what did I know. I had to get out 'What To Expect When You're Expecting' to figure out how to time contractions! We had planned on waiting for my aunt to come stay with Grant but I made the executive decision to haul "you know what" to the hospital and have her meet us there. Poor Tim had to run around the house getting our stuff together and layering the car seat with towels because I was busy trying to remember how to breathe, and reassuring Grant that I felt great at the same time. For those of you who have, or have had, an eight year old, they are pretty astute. I did a pretty good acting job if I do say so myself! By the time we actually got out the door, because all of you know we have a very hard time being on time anywhere we go, my contractions were four minutes apart. As we sped (and I do mean sped!) toward Wyandotte, with Grant informing Tim that he was going "pretty fast", and trying to call from memory all the people we had promised we would call, my contractions came one after another. I even had to hang up on my mom in the middle of one! After that, I envisioned her leaping into their car and flying like the wind all the way from Virginia! Well in my opinion, this is when things really got interesting. We pulled up to the emergency entrance and I attempted to get out of the car in the middle of a contraction. A kindly soul who was waiting to be seen in emergency saw my plight, and that Tim was trying to hold me up and console Grant at the same time, and brought us a wheelchair! Tim ran me through the doors and declared to one and all, "My wife is in labor!!!!" The emergency room attendant, who had probably seen many hysterical fathers-to-be, proceeded to ignore us while finishing reading his magazine article. Then in a VERY bored voice asked if he could help us. I told him my water had broken, I was 38 weeks pregnant, and as of the time that I left home, my contractions were four minutes apart. Well, we finally had his full attention! He ran around the desk, all the while yelling he was headed up to the maternity ward and telling Tim to hurry, park the car and meet us up stairs! I seriously felt like we were in a movie, as he whisked me down the hallway to the elevators, and upstairs to triage. I truly believe that he was terrified that I was going to deliver right then and there! He was so glad to ditch me, all I saw was his back as he hauled back down the hallway to safety! Things started jumpin' once the nurses confirmed that I was almost dilated to 7 cm.! By that point, my aunt and uncle were ready to take Grant home, but he was too worried to leave me. So, we had to time his visit between my contractions which were about two minutes apart by now. The nurse hustled him in to my room, I hugged him, smiled a lot, told him everything was O.K., gave him a smooch, and before the next one started, she hustled him back out!!! A very coordinated effort on our part if I do say so myself! Once he was safely on his way, I felt able to concentrate on the matter at hand! Then one thing led to another, and Mason was born at 2:24 a.m., July 26th. The cord was wrapped around his neck three times, so we had a small scare, until...man can he scream! (and he hasn't stopped since :) I can't believe he is finally here, healthy, and a part of our little Kowalski clan! We are so blessed!!!

He's Finally Here!!!

Mason James Kowalski has arrived!! He came two weeks early and is beautiful and healthy! He weighs 8 lbs. and is 20 in. long. We couldn't be happier to welcome him into our family!