Mayor in turmoil

You may have heard tidbits on CNN or Good Morning America about a text message scandal with the Detroit mayor. It's a story that has gripped this region since the Detroit Free Press broke it last week. Two of our top investigative reporters, M.L. Elrick and Jim Schaefer, basically proved that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his chief of staff had an affair, then lied under oath to cover up their firing of two cops who knew of the affair.

Watching this story unfold -- first in the newsroom and then to the public -- reminds us all why we got into journalism, even if some of us don't write stories or headlines every day. Not only is the story the talk of the town, but the Free Press is, too. With the industry's current state, that's not always the case.

As for this mayor, I've never cared for him. He's arrogant and young. He has made progress in the city, but he's also done more than his share to damage it. Detroit is a delicate city, and it needs a strong, worthy leader, not someone who ultimately believes he is above it. That will be Kilpatrick's undoing.

Splish, splash!

To take a break from the winter weather, which has been mighty cold lately, we jumped in the car and headed to Sandusky, Ohio. Sandusky is best-known as home to Cedar Point Amusement Park, but it also has three indoor waterparks. We chose the Great Wolf Lodge, since we enjoyed our August trip so much.

The lodge didn't disappoint, though this location was definitely older and smaller. We arrived Friday afternoon and stayed less than 24 hours, but that seemed to suit us just fine. One of the visit's highlight was seeing the boys on bunk beds for the first time. They spent the first hour in our room pretending to sleep on the top bunk, then wake, then sleep some more. I saw glimpses of Brendan and Ryan actually playing together and enjoying each other's company (which we've seen more and more of lately). (It was also Ryan's first test on a big-boy bed, and a preview of what's to come. We have bunk beds for the boys, once Ryan moves out of the crib.)

Brendan and Ryan enjoy breaking all the rules -- eating breakfast in bed, watching TV in bed and sitting on the top bunk.

The bucket atop the waterpark fills up and dumps tons of water on the eager swimmers below. It's definitely a show-stopper.

The waterpark wasn't overly crowded Friday evening, making it easy for us to go from slide to slide. Ryan enjoyed the toddler/preschool-geared slides and needed no help getting to the side so he could go again. Brendan feared little! He went down every slide, including two that were very fast. He also liked the family hot tub. Who wouldn't? It was warm inside!

Ryan, who is jumping in my lap, says, "That Ryan! Wearing goggles!"

Kelsey gets wet, though it was harder for her to stay warm, so she stayed wrapped in a towel most of the time.

Around Michigan, everyone gets antsy in late January or February for a winter escape. That's why our schools have a winter and spring break. (Our winter break is in mid-February.) I didn't understand the first couple of winters, but now I do. And if we can't get to the beach in the Virgin Islands, then the Great Wolf Lodge will have to do.

Kelsey at 9 months

Kelsey turned nine months old Thursday. It's hard to believe she'll be a year old in three months. Where has the time gone?

• Kelsey weighed in at 19 1/2 lbs. and 28 inches. She hasn't grown much in three months (mostly in length), which is somewhat common once babies start moving. And she definitely moves.
• She has started making a noise that seems to mimic the boys' monster-like sounds. It's very funny coming from this sweet, little girl.
• She watches with great interest when I clap, though she hasn't made that connection on her own yet. She did spend two minutes moving her hands in a motion today as if she were dusting crumbs off of them.
• Rolling remains her primary means of independent transportation. Second to that, her brothers have gotten the idea that they should help her move. That's enough to make me nervous.
• She starts her days between 7-7:30 and ends it between 6:45-7:15. She still naps twice a day (around 9:30 and again around 1:00).
• It's no surprise with 100s of Matchbox and Cars cars around our house that she has taken an interest in them. It's hard to keep them out of her reach when they are scattered everywhere!
• Ryan serves as her primary source of entertainment. I foresee the two getting into lots of mischief together in a year or two.
• She's picking up bits of food very easily nowadays, and will likely prefer that to being fed soon.
• Kelsey still has little hair, but she has a few strands that stick out behind her ears. Her hair color still changes depending on the light -- blond, red, brown.
• No new teeth to report, but she clearly is teething now. She's drooling nonstop, chews on everything, and her appetite has changed slightly. Those are all signs that teeth are coming!

Early reviews

Looks like I'll be buying my tickets to U2-3D soon. The review is good -- three stars!

U2 in 3D?!?

It's true! Coming to the Henry Ford IMAX theatre is the movie U2-3D. I can't wait!

The description:

U2-3D is a unique cinematic experience that puts viewers within the pulsing energy of a stadium concert given by the world's most popular band. Marrying innovative digital 3D imagery and 5.1 Surround Sound with the excitement of a live U2 concert -- shot in South American during the final leg of their Vertigo tour -- it creates an immersive theatrical experience unlike any 3D or concert film that has come before. U2-3D takes viewers on an extraordinary journey they will never forget.

Auto show time

Though we've lived here five years, we haven't experienced the grandest event that this town hosts each January -- the North American International Auto Show (or the Detroit auto show for the locals).

Ken and Brendan were off from work and school yesterday, so they decided it was time to experience the show. Brendan loved it. He reported that he counted 12 yellow cars. His favorite? The SUVs that look like Mom's and Dad's. He was also impressed with all of the Jeeps. Ken described it as a never-ending showroom.

You can learn more about the show at the Freep. They have tons of photos and videos, including a great package on Ford's new F-150.

Detroit isn't known for its public transportation, but it does have a small train that runs around downtown Detroit. It's ideal for getting from parking lot to event on a wintry day.

Brendan's ready to take the wheel! He enjoyed getting into the cars and trucks.

Times of need

My dear friends,

Please send all of your positive thoughts and prayers to my friend's Tyra and Steve. They need it right now.

Thank you.

Resolutions update

It's midway through January, so I thought I'd note how I'm doing on my resolutions.

• Simplify: Hmmm ... not so good here. I'm trying, but I don't think I've really done anything so far. It does help that Megan, our new nanny, is very helpful with laundry and light housekeeping! Does that count?
• Exercise: Good, though this week has been a challenge because of three busy evenings. I work out after the kids go to bed, so book club meetings and neighborly dinners can get in the way. Still, I'm doing well and already feeling the benefits.
• Organize: I keep thinking about cleaning up my desk area! And hubby said he'd organize his closet last weekend. Alas, neither project has been completed.

Some progress, but a long way to go.

(On a side note: I watched The Nanny Diaries last weekend while Ken was out for a boys' night. The movie wasn't great, but I want to make it clear that we are not a Type C family. We're full-time parents with help.)

"I walked 3 miles in the snow to school each day"

I know little about life with snow. You'd think after five years here, I'd know something. OK, I do. I know that the snow turns black after a day, and that the crud you track into the car is unavoidable and nasty. Don't get light-colored car interiors here.

Yet, there's little else that I know. So I've watched with interest, learning all about how children deal with snow and school. For example, Brendan's backpack is filled with snowpants, not books. He wears snow boots to school most days. Yes, he walks to school even in the snow.

When you arrive in his classroom, you're greeted in the hallway by a line of snow boots. School rule: No boots allowed in the classroom. This is to prevent that crud and snow from getting all over the floors.

At recess, when conditions permit it, they play outside in the snow. School rule: No throwing snowballs at other people's faces. The main playground has a small hill that the kids use as a makeshift sledding hill. (They sled down on their bottoms!)

Brendan's teacher sends notes home to parents, not about practicing writing names or numbers, but asking us to please have the children practice dressing themselves in this winter gear. Can you imagine how much of a kindergarten teacher's day must be spent getting those kids in and out of their winter wears? It's not fun with three kids, so I can only imagine when you have 23!

Spike TV

In April an interesting new TV series will debut on Spike TV, and it will be watched with an insider's eye in our house. Make sure to check it out. As my hubby says, it sure makes that job look exciting!

Mom tips

I'm always thinking of random, little tips that I wish I could remember to share with new Moms. They never come to me when I'm near the computer or a piece of paper. But I did have this thought after changing Kelsey:

Sleepers with buttons are so much better during the winter for babies. If you have to change them after they've been snug and warm in bed, you don't have to freeze their entire bodies. Just unsnap the legs! The zipper sleepers require full exposure.

Of course, for the littlest newborns, the sleeper bags or gowns are fabulous. Just pull it up, change the diaper, go back to bed. Ahhh, sleep. (But ... see, don't get me started. If your baby is born during the summer, all you need is a onesie. You'll want to swaddle them, and they'll get too hot in a gown.)

Ouchie waa waa (or something like that?)

Under the "why didn't I think of that?" category, comes make your own bandages. Daily Candy shares this cool idea for kids: www.ouchiesonline.com. A tin of bandages in four different colors comes with markers so kids can design their own!

This is quite the trend lately. Brendan received a cool T-shirt from Bass Pro Shops that has four pictures for kids to color. If you use washable markers, kids have a clean slate with each washing. For our little artist, it translates into tons of fun!

Kelsey at 8 months

At this point, I may as well be reporting on Kelsey at 9 months, since I am two weeks late. Forgive me.


My sweet baby girl turned 8 months old on Christmas Eve. She promptly showed off by presenting me with the most perfect Christmas gift on Christmas day: she babbled "mama mama mama" all day long. She didn't want to risk losing her daddy from around her pinky finger, so she followed up by babbling "dada dada dada" even more on Dec. 26.


As I'm sure I've said before, this is my most favorite baby age. Kelsey lights up when I walk in the room, she holds my gaze for several minutes, she's smiley and happy most of the time, she doesn't argue with me or talk endlessly yet, she can't crawl so she stays out of trouble, and she's just too darn cute.


Other fun facts about our little 8-month-old:

• She's eating more finger foods these days, and seems to prefer them to baby food. Her favorites: Cheerios, Gerber's fruit & veggie puffs, and Ritz whole-wheat crackers. (By the way, Rtiz are great for babies learning to self-feed, because they dissolve very easily and are easy to hold. I didn't know this five years ago.)


• Kelsey has caught on that juice in a sippy cup is yummy. She only gets a few sips after a meal, but she gets excited when she sees that cup!


• And now for the bottle report ... she's back on the bottle! Hooray! She stopped taking it when my sister Jenn was visiting in December. Then last week, she finally took another bottle for Ken. Whew. She's still picky about it, but at least we're making progress. Again.


• She isn't fazed by her brothers' crazy antics, yet she know voices her displeasure when they take a toy out of her hands.


• Bathtime still ranks as one of her favorite activities. Her little arms start waving and her legs start kicking as soon as the faucet goes on.


• Could she be destined for life in front of a camera? (Oh, I really hope not!) She spent plenty of her time with Grammy and Aunt Amy smiling after the camera flashed. The cameras were flashing often, so after a few hours of this, she caught on and began smiling as soon as she saw a camera. Cheese!


• Kelsey still naps twice a day, though I sense a change is on the horizon. She is spending more time talking in her bed before her afternoon nap, which is usually around 1.


• Her bedtime is getting a little later, somewhere between 6:45-7:15. She seems to get a second wind after eating a much larger dinner with the family.

Strange happenings

College football. Check.
Cloudy skies. Check.
Mild temperatures, high humidity. Check.
Tornados in January. Check.
Huh? It's true! It's January. In Michigan. And the southeastern portion of the state is under a tornado watch. For those of you not familiar with the great white north, we're usually under winter storm warnings or blizzard warnings in January.
Very strange.
The only thing stranger is that my hubbie's Buckeyes are getting their butts kicked right now.

A look at Christmas

Kelsey and Brendan show off their PJs, a gift opened on Christmas Eve. Ryan didn't participate. He was running a fever on Christmas Eve and had little energy to change clothes. He did enjoy wearing them the next day, though.

Brendan shows his excitement just before bedtime. Would Santa come to our house? Would he bring lots of fun toys? Brendan knew the answer would come soon!

Christmas morning, the children looked beautiful all dressed for church. Even Ryan, with his snow boots on! (He refuses to wear anything else these days.)

Kelsey hangs out in her exersaucer while everyone opens gifts Christmas morning. She loved watching all of the action.

A sleepy-eyed Brendan delights in his new knights castle, a gift from Santa.

Newest toy

For Christmas, we gave each set of grandparents a webcam so that they can talk and see the grandkids when they chat on the phone. Anyone who has ever attempted a phone conversation with a toddler understands why this is helpful. Often, the toddler thinks the other person can see what he sees. Therefore, much of the conversation is only understood if you're there with him.

Of course, we didn't have a webcam, so we purchased one as well. Today, Kelsey and I test-drove it. The results:



The quality is much better when not uploaded onto blogger. Otherwise, I think the kids will love seeing their grandparents on TV.

New Year's resolutions

I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. Usually, I don’t wait until a new year rolls in to work toward a goal. This year, though, I am compelled to do so. Here it goes:

1. Simplify. Life with three children, though wonderful as it is, requires so much work. I hope to simplify, and let go of the little things day-by-day.
   
2. Exercise. I’ve worked out too sporadically for my liking since Kelsey was born. In part, that is because nursing requires so much energy, and I find that when I exercise and nurse, I can’t eat enough on any given day to make up for it. And after being pregnant and nursing almost continuously since Dec. 2004, I am tired of being hungry all of the time! But I’ve already jumped back into my routine and will aim for 3-4 workouts per week initially.
   
   My short-term goal: Remind myself each night (when I'm debating whether to run) that once I get on the treadmill, I'm always glad I made the effort.
   
   My long-term goal: Run another half-marathon this summer.
   
   More ambitious goal: Get my husband to run it with me. (Are you reading, honey?)
   
3. Organize. This goes along with simplifying my life, though it will require much work to get organized! Too much of my home life is scattered here and there. I spend too much time looking for “lost” files and so forth. I resolve to spend the money on organizing tools (which always dissuades me from these projects) and devote time to sorting through our stuff, chunking the junk and organizing the rest.

So there you have it. In 2008: Simplify. Exercise. Organize.

Sounds of music

It doesn't matter how much I like another song or artist. When U2 comes on, my mood instantly changes in a way that happens with no other. Their music is simply the best.