Pride in my ride

Seven years ago, I bought my dream car. Subaru Impreza. Dark Blue. So fun, so fast. I felt so cool!

Later that year, I met my dream guy. So caballero, so talented, so athletic, so hard-working, so fun. He was everything on my list. I married him.

My dream guy had a dream--to help humanity by being a doctor.

I took one for the team and sold my dream car. We bought your grandma's old car--an Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. So practical, so dependable. Not quite as cool.

Bonus: three car seats fit in the back seat!

Suddenly we had three little ones and I knew our days of fitting in a sedan were coming to an end. We were going to become a mini-van fam! I wasn't excited about it. I don't love mini-vans. "Ugh!" was all I could think when I thought about driving around in one. Then I saw this (thanks, Cami!):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4&feature=player_embedded

And I thought, "OK, I can do this!"

Then my dream guy had a different dream. He wanted to tow our stuff across the country in a trailer. A mini-van was out. We were both so relieved! We bought a Chevy Suburban. So big, so cool, so fun! The pride in my ride is back, ohhh yeahhh!

El Diluvio and other adventures

I love adventure! These past few months have been quite an adventure--but we're still surviving, so that's great! So shortly after my last post, we moved into a suite in the hotel. D had made friends with the manager, so he gave us a $250 suite for $50/night. SWEET! Finally, we had a door we could close, so we didn't all have to go to bed at the same time. It had been exceedingly difficult to get our munchkins to nap or go to sleep at night, so they'd stay up until we fell in bed exhausted at midnight, and then they were awake early in the morning and not getting good naps... well, how can anyone hope for good behavior under those circumstances? We were so grateful to have a bit more space, a mini-kitchen, a fridge, and two rooms. Ahhhh...

D and I were frantically looking for someplace, anyplace to live. D had started residency and we were homeless. We had lowered our expectations from hoping for a 3 bed/2 bath house with a garage and fenced yard for under $1,000 (and a short-term lease) to settling on a 2 bedroom apartment, maybe even a 1 bedroom place with no garage and no yard. Seriously, we were getting desperate. I was in contact with four different realtors and scouring Craigslist and calling local Mormons--basically trying every venue possible. Then one day a place fell into our laps. A 3 bed/2 bath house with a nice fenced yard and a garage, five minutes from the hospital AND a month-to-month lease!! For $1,100! Immediately available!! We moved in!!! D worked really hard the whole weekend (including on his birthday) heaving boxes around and helping me organize a bit. We were loving the stability!

The plot thickens... Less than a week later, we got our first houseguests. My sweet friend Chalene and her husband were in town looking for housing also. I had to apologize for not being more hospitable, but we hadn't unpacked more than the basics, so I didn't have a bed or even bedding for them--but I did have two clean towels! They knew ahead of time and brought an air mattress, etc. Chalene's husband Kelly then became our new roommate since he was starting his new job before the whole family could get into a house in the area.

The following week, we were sitting in the living room in the evening watching a wonderful rainstorm. Oh, how I love a good rainstorm! I was talking about it with the munchkins--I was in heaven! Se fue la luz (the power went out) and I was REALLY in heaven, remembering every day of my mission when we didn't have electricity. Then Kelly said, "Wow, it looks like there's about a foot of rain in the street in front of the house." "Neat!" I thought. Kelly said, "Hmm, your neighbor's pulling leaves and stuff out of the drain out there." "What a nice guy," I thought. Then I thought, "I wonder if the basement is flooding," because I've heard that happens here. I headed downstairs with Squirt on my hip. As soon as I stepped into the basement, my feet flew out from under me and I landed on my back, fortunately with my baby still in my arms. She was not hurt, but we were wet--four inches of water had come up through the drain in the basement. D was at work, but Kelly was able to help me get all of our important stuff (computer and many boxes) away from the water. And here's a miracle--Squeak and Pip stayed upstairs when I asked them to!! So when D got home that night, we set to work eating all the ice cream up so it wouldn't go to waste, but honestly, I thought the power would come back on sometime during the night. Nope! Nor did it come on the next day, or the next night! We went for over 50 hours without electricity IN THIS COUNTRY!! Can you believe it? All the while, the basement remained flooded, because the sump pump (which gets the water out) wouldn't work without power. It could've been so much worse though--nothing important got ruined, we hardly had any food in the fridge, so not much spoiled, and we still had running water. With little kids, if I had to choose, I'd take running water over electricity any day. AND we got to use D's awesome lantern at night.

So... after the power came back on, we cleaned up the mess and decided to organize things a bit differently--you know, only plastic bins on the floor, leave the computer tower and cords on the table, etc. We were planning not to unpack most of our stuff in this house because we want to buy a place in the next few months--D had fortunately suggested (before the flood) leaving a bunch of boxes upstairs in one of the bedrooms--so the situation was WAY better than it could've been. Then, the next week, we had to go for five days without internet/phone service because, despite my best efforts, the company went back on their word (told me it would be down for one day, not five).

The next week I checked up on a piece of mail we received that was intended for the owners of this house and found out some interesting information: this house is in forclosure--it was apparently filed in March and the redemption period ends September 2 at which point the bank owns the house and the tenants (that's us!) are evicted. Of course, the landlords did not disclose this info when we moved in and sent them the rent check. AWESOME!!! Needless to say, we are on the hunt for another place again, but now we're trying to get the loan poo in order so we can just buy a place and not have to move again for FOUR YEARS!

And here we are in the present. I am so thrilled to be alive and healthy! D enjoys his job! My babies are so fun! We are loving Michigan! We have many wonderful friends so far, including some Spanish-speakers (who would imagine that we'd find a little Latino community in Michigan!?)! We love running with the triple jogger! D found us a beautiful red microfiber couch for FREE! We love the parks here! There's a CVS around the corner! Life is great, really!

The mother of all moves

This is our SEVENTH move in FIVE years. You'd think by now that we'd have learned a little something. Oh, but we have learned plenty!! Lots of learning going on all the time (it continues even now!) Here's something funny--I was actually looking forward to this move. Finally I wasn't pregnant and moving. Finally I wasn't trying to juggle a brand new baby and moving. Finally I was feeling a little bit organized, a little bit in control going into a move. Ah, the irony! Here's what I'm looking forward to: being able to look BACK at this time in our lives and laugh and enjoy the memory.

To recap the last several weeks: traveled to Phoenix for D's graduation from med school!!, purchased a car that would be able to tow our stuff from Utah to Michigan, purchased a trailer that would hold our stuff, packing frenzy, cleaning frenzy, cross-country drive with three little kids in two vehicles including one big trailer, one car break-down en route, lots of hotels along the way, arrival to the land of big, beautiful trees, car break-down after arrival, search for suitable short-term housing, D started orientation, more fruitless searching for housing, five people (including 3 kids who NEED naps and 2 adults who'd LOVE naps) in one hotel room for a week and a half... Well, we're climbing the walls here, and there's no end in sight. The good news is, we're all healthy. We're also hoping to end our homelessness soon!!

More of Squirt

We love that she sucks her thumb!
Thanks so much for the lovely photos, Ann!!

We love getting out!!

My kids are really fun, really cute, really charming--especially when we're out. Just like their mother, they love getting out. So today we went to the supermarket and it was very exciting for everyone because I was picking up some Grape Nuts and a canning funnel for myself (and a few other odds and ends), and Squeak and Pip were both getting a balloon at the end (because it's free). And Squirt got to look at her favorite person during the whole excursion. Excitement all around.

As we were waiting for the balloons, an older gentleman began admiring Squeak and Pip. And they just turned on the charm. "Hi!" said my little cherub, Pip. Squeak greeted him and started hamming it up. Pip called him "Bis-baba" (that's how they say "Great-Grandpa"). It turns out that this nice man has six girls, twenty-five grandchildren, and twenty-six great-grandchildren (so far). After a few minutes of conversation, he left. Pip wondered where he had gone, but I was busy getting the balloons, so I didn't see. Suddenly he returned with two candy bars he had just purchased. Oh, wow, and my favorite kind, too! He handed one to each of them--they were so excited. Balloons AND Butterfingers. What a party!

Spirited!

So far it's three for three. Can't say I mind, I mean, I feel like I've been really blessed to have three spirited babies. What would I do with a child who just sat there doing nothing? How would I know if my baby was happy, sad, hungry, satisfied, excited, tired...? Anyone who has a spirited child can attest that they're pretty fun--extremely happy, loud, excited, busy, and just into everything (figuratively and literally). Also very expressive with their emotions (whether deliriously happy or so very sad)--there is no mystery about how they're feeling. You just don't get that dead-pan look from a spirited child.

My fabulous firstborn came and I discovered that she was spirited... She was such a happy little thing, especially when she was with her favorite person. Then my wonderful number two came, and I worried that he would fade into the background because his sister's personality was so flamboyant. No need to worry; he keeps right up with her. But I really worried about number three, with two older, passionate siblings--would she survive? But my fears are allayed. She is as spirited as the others. She is the happiest baby in the world when she's with her favorite person (which is most of the time, thank goodness!), but if something upsets her, watch out! There's no better word to describe her cry than LOUD.

So a girl came over the other day with a baby--same age as mine. I got all in her face (the baby's face) and started talking, trying to make her laugh... NO REACTION! I couldn't believe it--this never happens to me with my kids! I thought maybe it was me--since I'm not the mom, she didn't want to smile at me. Then the other mom said, "Yeah, I try talking to her and getting her to smile, but mostly she just looks at me." WOW, am I grateful for spirited babies!!!

I'm also grateful for talented friends... like my dear friend who did a photo shoot of our littlest munchkin. I'll post more photos later (it's hard work trying to keep up with these three!!!)

SEIS MISIONEROS

We have six members of our family who are currently serving as missionaries! All of them also happen to be Spanish-speaking missionaries. FUN! Here they are:

D's bro Rob in Guatemala City, Guatemala

(can't get the photo to upload; I'll try again later)

D's parents in Bogota, Colombia

My bro Kev (on the far left) in Concepcion, Chile (currently in Santiago until things are more stable down south)

My parents in Santiago, Chile

It was a good dream, a very good dream...

 Who doesn't love the story of Mary Poppins? She is truly magical, coming at just the right time to save the Banks family from... themselves, really. She is firm yet fun. Cleaning is delightful with her. Suddenly the children are happy and well-behaved, the house is clean, and the parents are happy. Life is fabulous! And then she is needed in another place, so she is on her way. And she has left their little world much better than she found it.

When D arrived after his time away, I was still sane, but I was frazzled. I was able to sort of recuperate during his vacation (he had no work and no interviews for about a week and a half), but I was not looking forward to him resuming his 60+ hours a week at work. During a conversation with my mom, she happened to mention that she had a really hard time after her third (that's me!) was born--her first three were 19 and then 21 months apart (mine are 19 and then 20 months apart)--well, I figured she might have a little bit of perspective, so I asked her what she did. "I hired help," she replied. She spoke of how life suddenly became easier and she was able to feel more like a person again, more like herself. Isn't that what everyone wants?

So I mentioned it to D, and he started looking on Craigslist for a possible solution. Did I mention how much we love Craigslist? And then he found an ad that went like this: Looking for housing in exchange for childcare. I'm looking for an extra bedroom or basement in exchange for about 15 hours per week of childcare... "We have an extra bedroom!" D said excitedly. Yes, but it had turned into our storage room. I was more guarded... I didn't really want a live-in nanny situation because I didn't need a replacement. I really just needed a few extra hours each week to do the things that make me feel like a person. "Just email her," D pressured. So I did, and then we spoke on the phone, and then she came over for an interview. I was really impressed with her confidence and her answers to my questions. She had about a dozen references for families she had worked for, and one of her best friends who I'm acquainted with told me, "Nannying is her passion in life." Well, I was sold (D was sold when he saw her ad), so we prepared for our new roommate. It was actually pretty helpful to clear all of our junk out of that room--it will make moving in a few months much easier.

Ashley moved in during the second week of January. We arranged it so she'd be able to help for two mornings a week so I could go running, and then during Squeak's preschool so I could attend with her, and a few more hours so I could run some errands, one date night per week, and a few hours on Saturdays so I could teach a HypnoBirthing class. The kids love her! She doesn't mind that they are into everything (including her stuff!) and that they are very high energy and really loud. Even Squirt's "angry cry" doesn't phase her. Ashley volunteered to clean the house and stuff, but I told her to just play with the kids and give them love and attention. I was amazed from the beginning... I'd come home and the kids would be playing contentedly, the house would be spotless, and I was starting to feel resurrected. She would do the dishes, mop the floor, wash the clothes, clear the countertops... I suddenly had a personal assistant!! For the past three and a half years, I've been everyone else's personal assistant, and suddenly I had one for me! Such a lovely time for all of us!

And just like that, Ashley is needed in a different place. Her grandma in California is 94 and is no longer able to take care of herself. So Ashley is dropping everything--her college, her friends, her work, her LIFE--and running to her aid. She has left our little world SO MUCH BETTER than she found it. We will miss her so much!!

Those heels belong to Ashley--the kids LOVE them, but not as much as they love Ashley!

No longer unemployed!

We're moving to Detroit in June! D got into a great residency progam at Botsford Hospital in NW Detroit. He's specializing in emergency medicine. We feel so blessed to have a job on the horizon!

Pip just LOVES to wear high heels!!!

I've been saved!

Here's an old post that I forgot to publish...

And, hey, since I'm doing an old post, I might as well post some old photos, back from Halloween. Family theme this year was zoo animals. We were mama and baby macaw, giraffe, and leopard. FUN!

 

I just had a Christmas vacation. I mean, D had a vacation, which means that I had a vacation from single motherhood. It was SO NICE to go on regular runs! SO NICE to change fewer poopies! SO NICE to walk into a clean kitchen that somebody else had cleaned! SO NICE to hang around with my sweetie pie!

When D was gone for my eighth month of pregnancy, I was able to really enjoy my time with Squeak and Pip--we went out on runs every morning, then walks in the afternoon. We often visited the Bean Life Science museum that we all love! We read stories, ate harvest produce, and played together. We did lots of coupon shopping together. They were my faithful buddies. We had a lot of fun!
 
We were well aware that Squirt's arrival wasn't at the most convenient time...D was planning to be gone for two of her first three months. She was very much like my other two were as newborns--she never wanted to sleep and she never wanted to be put down. I was running on two hours of sleep, and I was trying to keep three little people happy.

When I thought of three kids, three and under, including a newborn baby who never slept and needed to be held constantly, and no husband to spell me, it all looked like an easy recipe for postpartum depression. I have to admit, I was scared. I've never wanted to go there. I'm so grateful I didn't have to go there. I was blessed to have many people do little things for the preservation of my sanity--but these friends did really big things to save me.


Sharon--Although I've always admired her so much, I didn't know her very well until recently. But Sharon would call me 3-5 times each week and offer her help with anything I needed. Wow!! She went walking with me and the kids, went to appointments with me (helping me juggle the three kids, because, you know, I'm still trying to get the hang of it!), held Squirt while I napped, watched the kids while I ran an errand, talked to me so I could have some adult interaction... so many favors. What a friend!

Rebecca--she made an appointment with me every week on Thursdays for the whole evening. She came over to hang out, play with my kids, get us all out of the house, and just talk to me. An added bonus is that she interacts spectacularly with my kids. On the one occasion when she couldn't come (because her coworker had H1N1), she did a "phone visit"--what a gal!

Susie--she enlisted the help of the young women at church. She arranged for someone to come over several times each week during Squeak and Pip's naptime. These sweet girls held my baby so I could either nap or go running or just get out of the house.

Kristie--She's truly a singular visiting teacher. The fifth time she brought a meal over, she was apologizing all over herself for not helping enough (huh??). Kristie offered her help with anything I needed. But she didn't sit at her house and wait for me to call and ask for help. She was in my face, asking what she could do (how did she know that I'm one of those people who won't call and ask for a favor unless I'm desperate?). She would show up at my door with a treat for us, start feeding the kids and cleaning the kitchen and talking to me. It is so obvious that she genuinely cares for me as a person.

I really needed these awesome friends in my life at this time. They have all saved me from postpartum depression. I'm so grateful!!