vanover central station

Happy 2010/11/12/whatever

2012-01-01T12:59:00.003-05:00

We celebrated NYE with the O family. They have triplet 7's and a 4 year old.

They also let all of the guests spend the night. Amazing and equally terrifying. Happy New Year.

An evening at Boyne Mountain

2011-12-30T12:15:00.000-05:00

2011-12-09T15:41:00.001-05:00

It's time to have some rip roaring fun at Ford Field! Being a Feld Family Ambassador, I was graciously given some awesome discounts to share for the upcoming shows. Please note, the Family 4 Pack must be purchased through the link noted, or via phone. Also, Kids seats are HALF OFF!

HAVE FUN!

TO PURCHASE: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/08004782F1AE6B95

Freebies for Adopted Dogs

2011-12-07T13:42:00.001-05:00

Since bringing Nina home, I've found that many companies offer free items, or significant discounts to rescued pets once you show your papers. Most of this is secret-underground stuff that I've discovered through weird conversations- not outright known, so I am going to compile a list of things thus far:

Start with a Shelter Pet! We adopted a purebred Weimaraner for $136.50 including all shots, spaying and a bag of toys. Nice. I may have spent more in gas going to get her. Nina is from the Oakland County Animal Shelter. Very nice, and very clean. You can save more by finding out what they are collecting when you go- when we went, they offered $5 off per gently used coat. And, by adopting a pet from OCAS, we also got a free vet visit (reg $39) and a free grooming ($20+) The vet also gave us a book and a bag of goodies and coupons and a free month of heartworm prevention. We have not redeemed the grooming visit yet.

Petco offers $20 off training. And a free book. And coupons.

Petsmart offers a similar program if you adopt your pet from them. We did not, but were able to finagle a "Friends & Family" discount on training.

Pedigree offers a free month of food

Science Diet offers a free bag of food via (mail in rebate) at your vet.

I'll add more as I discover them :) Please share if you know of any!

so much to say. so little time

2011-12-07T13:41:00.001-05:00

or am i just totally preoccupied? either way, i'm vowing to be better about blogging. i'm in the process of backdating, but it's my number one resolution for the new year. for me. for you. but mostly for me.

Our family is growing!

2011-11-03T14:26:00.000-04:00

But this one is furry-

We've just adopted Nina, a 4 year old Weimaraner, from the Oakland County Shelter which brings our pet count to 10*. We found her on petfinder and everything just fell into place. It's kismet. She's sweet and so pretty (and so much bigger that I had expected!)- please come meet her soon!

*Asha & Bina (cats that hide under the couch) + Ceilidh (plecostomus vaccuum fish) and 6 guppies (Darth Vadar, Darth Maul, Yoda, Anakin, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

dill pickle soup

2011-10-24T16:13:00.000-04:00

okay, the proper way to do this would be to start by making a roux, and then stirring in garlic and diced onions and browning them.

unfortunately, that whole gluten-allergy* gets in the way and i don't do that, but i used to. keep your eyes (and potatoes) peeled- there's a gf alternative at the bottom:

if you can eat gluten, make a roux first, then go on to step 2. (if you cannot eat gluten, obviously skip this first step).
start by sauteeing onions & garlic in some olive oil.
add 4 cups of vegetarian broth
peel and chop 4-5 medium sized potatoes, bring to a boil
cook until potatoes are soft
add one jar of kosher dill pickles, chopped (including juice)
season as you wish (pepper, salt, fresh dill, etc.)
simmer until flavors are blended and pickles are slightly tender.

garnish with sour cream if you want.
*for gluten-free option, you can thicken the soup with instant potatoes.

recipe: 239 bean chili

2011-10-14T08:09:00.000-04:00

this chili is ridiculous. it's meatless, gluten-free, and high in fiber. best of all, it's quick and easy to make:

in a crockpot dump in the following:

48 oz jar Randall* deluxe Mixed beans (drained and rinsed)
24 oz jar Randall* deluxe Great Northern beans (drained and rinsed)
14 oz jar Meijer Naturals* pizza sauce
2 T. each of cumin, oregano
1 t. each of garlic powder, cilantro
dash of pepper
28 oz can Meijer Naturals* petite diced tomatoes (do not drain- dump on top)

crockpot: low for as many hours as you want- I do at least 4 so my family thinks I'vc been cooking all day and the smell permeates throughout the house. Top with Daisy sour cream & fancy shredded sharp cheddar cheese

* I'm a Meijer shopper. I came up with this recipe because the beans are directly across the aisle from the pizza sauce. Randall's beans are flavorful and already cooked. You could sub them out for dried beans that you soak, along with fresh diced tomatoes, but that would not be quick nor easy. Enjoy.

holy bees nest, batman

2011-08-11T15:08:00.000-04:00

so incredibly thankful that this is not in my yard!

we're all mad here...

2011-06-23T18:45:00.000-04:00

on tuesday evening we had seven 7ish girls over for kylinn's "mad hatter tea" themed birthday party. the girls (plus one brother to entertain kylinn's brother) all had a wonderful time. the decor was awesome and the girls loved dining in their private tent- a major perk to having an event planner for a mother. tegan sported a teenage mutant ninja turtle costume for the occasion.

thank you to those who came and celebrated with us.

happy 7th birthday, kylinn

2011-06-20T13:31:00.000-04:00

to my wonderful, sassy, spunky and spirited little girl:
i love how your eyes light up when you smile.
i love your daredevil antics on your bike.
i (almost) love the drama while you clean your room.
i love your fearless skiing.
i love when you try to say things in french.
i love how you scare your principal.
i love when you play with your brother.
i love that you are not afraid to say anything.
i love watching you swim and do amazing jumps in the pool.
i love how you complain about your cat in your room.
i love you.

happy seventh birthday, fred.

i will love you forever.

30 Days of Music (Day 7): A song that reminds me of an event

2011-04-07T08:58:00.003-04:00

Roses remind me of the birth of my daughter. This is both terrible, and terribly entertaining. This is a date stamp to tell you that she was born in 2004 just after this song spent some serious time on the Top 10 charts. I spent a lot of time in the car, stuck in traffic, cranking the bass up when one day I noticed my baby was kicking along to the beat. It seemed that the harder the beat, the harder Kylinn would kick, and being a fan of Outkast, we played this song a lot.

On the way home from the hospital (at 2 days old) this song came on and we turned it up a bit, and I *swear to you* she started kicking.

30 Days of Music (Day 5): A song that reminds me of somewhere

2011-04-06T08:43:00.001-04:00

This song (the entire album, actually) always takes me back to my honeymoon in Hawaii when we frantically ran to WalMart to buy cd's because we were so done with Hawaiian radio after two days. I bought this CD and Adam bought Eminem (we are very diverse) because we could not handle, "I Miss you, My Hawaii" one more time." Papaya was about to go flying.

30 Days of Music (Day 5): A song that reminds me of someone

2011-04-05T08:33:00.001-04:00

RevCo Do Ya Think I'm Sexy. Okay, no more hippie music, though oddly enough this song reminds me of some (unnamed) hippies. Not for the faint of heart, this is the best cover of this song EVER.

Random fact: when I posted this on facebook, most of the positive comments were from my derby team. And my step-sister. How can you not be entertained? I could listen to this all day.

30 Days of Music (Day 4): A song that makes me sad

2011-04-04T08:30:00.002-04:00

I don't know what to tell you, folks. I was raised by hippies in the woods. Excuse the hippie music.

30 Days of Music (Day 3): A song that makes me happy

2011-04-03T08:14:00.002-04:00

How can you *not* love this song. I'll admit the lyrics are cheesy, but the vocals are phenomenal and this dude has an incredible range. This is my secret shower belting song. Top o' my lungs, baby!

A friend recently posted that for years she thought the lyrics were, "carry a laser." That just proves how awesome this song is. Cherry on top: breathtaking mullets in the video.

30 Days of Music (Day 2): My LEAST Favorite Song

2011-04-02T08:05:00.001-04:00

BARFORAMA! I'd actually like to meet someone who actually likes this song. Aside from the fact that *for years* I thought the lyrics were, "Twisted Sister, you're the only one" I still thought the song was awful. And, to add salt to the wounds, the lameness increased significantly when I learned them correctly.

'Sister Christian' was big the summer before Kindergarten while my parents were building a house. The teenager down the street would blast it all day long- every day. I had a banana seat bike and was riding double and chopped the back of my heel off and have held a grudge against this song ever since. Rightfully so.

30 Days of Music (Day 1): My Favorite Song

2011-04-01T07:53:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my 30 Days of Music. I hope you enjoy the videos and maybe learn a thing or two about me- good, bad or otherwise.

For a white girl in suburbia, I have some mad love for Jimi Hendrix. (Fiona Apple has a ripping cover of this song, but that is probably a bit less surprising to post) And here's a slightly relevant (thank you, Google) fact for today: I pulled Lenny Kravitz' dread lock. (Is dreadlock singular? Separated? Hyphenated?) Anyway, though it was purposely, it was not maliciously. And that's all I have to say about that.

facebook, facebook, why have you forsaken me?

2011-02-02T08:18:00.010-05:00

I'm killing my blogging (and my parents) with my facebooking habits as I'm totally neglecting my blog. I have a memory card full of photos to post and I promise to get them all up here and get back to blogging. I've been here since 2005. I should keep on truckin'.

Life suddenly really picked up speed this year. Adam is crazy busy (a blessing, I must remember!) Tegan is totally loving preschool, Kylinn is rocking first grade and me- I'm all over two schools and then some. I'm the Vice President of the PTO and volunteer too much, still helping to run the moms group, my awesome business continues to grow, and I'm a derby girl.

WHAT! Yes, back in November, I randomly decided to join a roller derby team. After (re)learning to skate on quads, passing both my skills & written exams, and making the team, I'm enjoying being *way* out of my element (even if it does get a little bit like junior high sometimes) I'll try to post upcoming bout information. Just don't try to mess with me- I'm tough now.

happy 4th birthday, tegan!

2011-01-23T12:09:00.000-05:00

78% weight (39.8 pounds)

91% height (42.5 inches)

100% wild & crazy!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T00:51:00.003-05:00

My (last) sister-in-law discovered this earlier in the week. It totally rearranged my thinking.

I hope you all have an incredible holiday season and celebrate what is truly important to you.

************

Gratitude is something that fuels love - it should be practiced daily. Not once a year.

A daily prayer of mine as I go about my day goes something like this:

Thank you Lord for these dishes to wash, because it means we had food to put on them.

Thank you Lord for this pile of laundry to do because it means we have more than one pair of clothes.

Thank you Lord for this electric/gas bill because it means that we have hot water and a heated house.

Thank you Lord for messy rooms, because it means they have toys to grow the creativity you put in them.

Thank you Lord for bottoms to wipe because it means that they had food to eat.

Thank you Lord for kids who call us in the middle of the night, because it means they know they have parents who will answer them.

Thank you Lord that I can't decide what to make for dinner, because it means that I have a choice.

Thank you Lord.

Posted by His Hands His Feet Today at 11/23/2010

like a steam locomotive

2010-11-22T08:17:00.002-05:00

rollin' down the track
the teeth are gone, gone and
nothin's goona bring them back...

i know, it's been awhile.

2010-11-22T08:15:00.001-05:00

my phone is filled with pictures of our recent adventures.

i will share them soon with plenty of backdating for frustrate everyone's feeds.

shit my sister left here:

2010-11-14T08:37:00.005-05:00

being that my sister has three children now, she tends to forget a lot of things. she stopped by for a few hours on saturday and left more shit. i did check under the furniture for any missing kids, but this is all that i have come across thus far.

count with me:

1. jacket for 5 year old boy
2. jacket for 2 year old girl
3. sweater for baby girl
4. sweater for 2 year old girl
5. bottle for baby (still full, since washed)
6. nalgene for 5 year old boy

and yes, documenting this does provide me with much entertainment.

why i am not even going to look:

2010-08-30T11:26:00.002-04:00

*bang* *bang* *boom*

me: please stop whatever you are doing!
tegan: i'm not breaking my body, mom!

elementary, dear watson

2010-08-25T07:48:00.002-04:00

tegan: kylinn hit me.
me: well just give her some space- she just woke up.
tegan: I can't. I have to be a brother.

Why geography is essential and the media is full of lies: (or "The Mosque is not at Ground Zero")

2010-08-23T15:24:00.003-04:00

Before anyone else rants about this, please do a bit of research. Start here.

Welcome to the World, Baby Evie!

2010-06-13T11:30:00.002-04:00

Evelyn Jane Ross
13 June 2010 at 12:18am
8lbs 15oz and 21 inches

Congrats to Sarah & Nate Ross and big siblings Joshua and Sadie!

no kindergarten babies in this house!

2010-06-10T15:36:00.004-04:00

Kindergarten  is over. I pride myself that I manage to pack Kylinn a healthy,  mostly-organic lunch and drove her to and from school every day. Well,  every day except the 13 that she was absent, most likely because we were  being awesome parents and sneaking off on mini-vacations.

Welcome to the world, Baby Elia!

2010-05-26T13:09:00.002-04:00

Elia Rain Vanover

5lbs 13 ozs

19 inches

26 may 2010 at 10:30 am

Congrats to Christian, Brittan and big sister Meren

why kindergarten is a party...

2010-05-04T17:01:00.002-04:00

TRANSLATION: I made a yucky pizza.
It had spiders and slime and mold and flies and shampoo.
It is not good for you!

algonac state park mishap...

2010-05-01T14:56:00.000-04:00

The semi-formal 5 year old

2010-04-24T08:25:00.004-04:00

Last night Kylinn & Adam attended the "Daddy Daughter Dance" at her school. It was a luau complete with a huge meal, limbo & hula, sand, fish, live dj and a gift raffle. I had bought her a Hawaiian dress ahead of time, and a back up toile dress for my very particular fashionista. Of course, the Hawaiian dress wasn't "fluffy" enough, so she went dressed to the nines. This morning she told me that it was "the best time [she] ever had!" Adam (and I) wore our [matching] garb from Hilo Hattie. I'm glad that that one impulsive purchase in Hawaii 10 years ago has been worth it. Apparently, there was a scramble around here for aloha and the re-sale shops were stripped clean. The dads were all so sweet & funny last night. They were far more concerned about matching their leis to their outfits than their daughters were.

While it was so awesome for Kylinn & Adam to have that special time together, the event was put on by the PTO and I co-chaired, so it was fun to peek in on them every once in a while.

happy birthday to our kitties

2010-04-06T07:55:00.003-04:00

for the first time in history, the kids have deemed it absolutely necessary to celebrate our cats birthday. tegan is insisting that i go to the store and buy stuff for a party, and kylinn is stressing over "what to wear." i tried to convince them that we need to just act like kitties all day by sleeping and being quiet. they don't seem convinced.

i'll update on the fascinating celebration later.

happy 6th birthday to asha & bina.

Happy Easter

2010-04-03T16:13:00.002-04:00

overheard...

2010-03-29T08:08:00.002-04:00

kylinn: when mommy was a little girl, she had two babies in her tummy, and when she grew up, i just got to come out first.

tegan: ohhhhhhhhh. mommy had a really big tummy.

A Scottish St Pats!

2010-03-17T21:10:00.001-04:00

Kylinn had her first performance at a senior citizens center with her dance studio.

Tegan, on the other hand, put on his own little show to torment his sister.

family fun in the city

2010-03-02T17:54:00.006-05:00

On Saturday we took the kids to Autorama at COBO Hall.

While I was on the hunt for mullets, (sadly, none could be found!)
Adam was scouting bobbers and the kids were on a mission to locate the Batmobile.

Not only did we find the new one, we also found the old one and even a batcycle.

Afterward, they had their maiden voyage on the "People Mover" and lunch in Greektown.
We all had an awesome time.

this is the famous dead sea tupperware...

2010-02-16T14:44:00.001-05:00

Kylinn's dance studio (Michigan Highland Dance Academy) is having a Tupperware fundraiser through March 13th. The money raised will go toward the USIR 2010 National Competition. This year, it is hosted by all of the Mid-West studios in Traverse City.

No pressure to buy anything, but I'm just putting the info out there. If you were considering buying any Tupperware (they have awesome kid snack & lunch sets!) and don't have a consultant, please order through this link to be a part of their fundraiser.

I have to admit, though, I LOVE these FridgeSmart containers. Adam and I are just amazed with how well they keep produce (particularly mixed green salads!) They have significantly cut down on spoiled food since we've had them.

THANKS!

sweets from my sweet

2010-02-14T17:02:00.002-05:00

coming soon to a face near you:

2010-01-29T13:45:00.003-05:00

well i wasn't calling about hearing aids..

2010-01-26T11:43:00.002-05:00

so i finally called a vision center...

me: hi, i believe that i need glasses. do you have any current specials?
lady: yes, we have a complete package from $38 for frames & lenses.
me: i thought that i saw a sign for something for $59?
lady: no, m'am. it says $38.
me: really? well apparently i do need glasses.

happy 3 to my little t!

2010-01-23T06:52:00.000-05:00

happy birthday, tegan.
you are macho and a robot.
and you are taller of the babies.

i love you!

ML vs MLK

2010-01-18T17:02:00.002-05:00

confession:

growing up catholic brought a lot of confusion and ignorance toward other religions.

after sitting in my informative lutheran education class at age 20 (i was converting) it dawned on me (after nearly an hour) that martin luther and martin luther king, jr were obviously not the same person.

huh.

at least i knew about the parties and pot-lucks.

you'd betcha bottom dollar

2010-01-17T06:51:00.000-05:00

on saturday (yes, because we're that awesome) adam and i were watching bridezillas* and in two different episodes, the bride could not fit into her dress. this is not like an inch because the final fitting was a hair off- this was several inches of lapse where the zippers would not meet. in one show, the bride wanted her parents to "just" buy her another dress, in which she proceeded to go to the asian buffet and have three plates of food the day before her wedding. well, mama wasn't going for it and bought her a $95 girdle and stuffed her in it like sausage and casing.

so, of course, i love to judge reality tv- without hesitating i proclaim, "i bet that i could still fit in my dress."

quick to call my bluff, adam says, "let's do it- it's in the closet." (who the hell keeps their wedding dress in the coat closet? damn!)

well, folks, i'll be the first to admit that it was tight, but after nearly 10 years and two kids later, the dress still fits. it did zip and with minimal rib removal, it would probably be just fine.

so later, slightly bothered by this, i say to adam that perhaps i "shouldn't have had three pieces of pizza." he adds, "or the litre of pepsi." (thanks for the support, honey) hmmmm....

brides, lay off the buffet.

oh, and hire a wedding planner :P i won't judge, i promise.

* aka my "research" (according to adam)

donate

2010-01-14T17:57:00.004-05:00

pull you from your tower, and take away your pain
show you all the beauty you possess if you'd only let yourself believe
that we are born innocent
believe me, we are still innocent
we are born innocent

elca- earthquake relief
st jude childrens fund- earthquake assistance

BE THE CHURCH!

recipe: quick tomato bisque

2010-01-06T11:32:00.005-05:00

for years (seriously, years!) i have been working on the perfect all-vegetarian tomato bisque soup. my dad (a professional chef) makes an incredible soup, and even though i have his recipes, it just isn't right. i can make a delicious soup entirely from scratch- starting even with a roux. it's good- but not easy. yesterday, i wanted tomato bisque, but i also wanted to be lazy. and i only wanted to make it in my crockpot because i didn't want to scrub pots. it may shame my father, but it tastes damn good and was dirt cheap.

for your (horrifying!) pleasure:

-1 large can of whole peeled tomatoes (do not drain!)
-1 large can of tomato soup
-1/2 jar of classico vodka sauce*

(shameful) instructions:
dump all ingredients in crockpot. cook on high for 4 hours or low until you get home from work. just before serving, crush tomatoes using a masher, or large fork.

top with a dollop of sour cream (daisy is all natural/vegetarian) and french's fried onions**

*classico is currently on sale at target for $1.84 + printable coupon here
**french's coupon here

happy new year!

2010-01-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

here's hoping that the new year brings so much more to all of us!though i am incredibly grateful for the blessings that we do have,
i'm can't wait to put this year and its challenges behind us.

here's to 2010!

we wish you a merry christmas!

2009-12-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

from our home to yours
wishing you a healthy and happy holiday!

Disco Christmas

2009-12-18T12:57:00.002-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Have a Hip-Hoppin Holiday!

2009-12-11T13:23:00.002-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

breakfast with santa

2009-12-07T19:20:00.001-05:00

IMG_1038, originally uploaded by Meagan Vanover.

twilight

2009-11-28T07:57:00.002-05:00

so i finally finished "breaking dawn", the final book in the twilight series. i honestly held out forever. most (not quite all) of my friends were reading it, so i decided to give it a try. embarrassingly. when i had jury duty in the federal building in detroit, i wasn't allowed to bring my cell phone in. no laptop, no peek no anything. figuring that i would need way too many magazines, i decided to borrow twilight from my neighbor, who promised me that it was worth reading.

it was a quick mindless read. done in just a couple of days. but i could put it down. and walk away. and probably never pick it up again. but i did read the second book "new moon", to see if i would enjoy it more. i read the third book "breaking dawn". i saw the movie. i still had the same feelings: bella whined too much. it's irritating that the cullens have 50 cars from 50 different brands. that's not practical, it's just dumb. jacob is ridiculous. if someone (anyone!) were hitting on your girlfriend like that, no guy would really just stand by. they curl their lips too much. i get it- they're vampires, but seriously. they are so pissed off all the time, that they curl their lips back every other paragraph? finally, the author uses the word "incredulous" way too much. i mean way, way, too much. i think she learned a big word recently. like in eighth grade when i overused "condescend." it was annoying when i did it, and it was so much more annoying to see a published author do it. throughout four books! incrediously, this is what put me over the edge- the characters were teenagers, so they would say dumb teenage things such as, "ooh, he's so cute. i love his amber eyes. oooh!" which makes perfect sense for a teenager to say. but then, "edward looked at me incrediously" really? hmm. i don't think that works out. i'm just saying.

so after several months, i decided to read the last book. it was decent, like the others, a quick read. jacob was still annoying, bella still whined excesively. edward was still incrediulous. the cullens car collection quadrupled. but the book still was poorly written and made my head ache. the final straw- renesmee. how could the story get any more ridiculous? with a ridiculous name such as renesmee. i'm just saying.

i'll watch the new movie, eventually, on dvd. but i'm certainly not dying to. there are more mature, well-written books on the same theme, such as anne rice's vampire chronicles, which are more about the lifestyle and personal interchanges rather that on the vulgarity of drinking blood. (i've honestly only read the first 6- apparently there are a few more. there are also two great movies "interview with a vampire" and "queen of the damned", though they are not like the books).

my review? 6/10. it was decent, but i won't reread any of them. and if you are in jury duty without a phone, it's an incredulous way to enjoyably occupy your time.

i swear we didn't teach him that.

2009-11-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

allow me to set the scene: when adam got home from work, tegan ran and grabbed a beer from the fridge.i don't know why. adam rarely has beer to begin with.

tegan: here's your brewski, dad
adam: uh, thanks tegan
tegan: mom, you can't have it.
me: why not?
tegan: it's too spicy for you. we are boys and we have penises and we can drink brewskis.

the circus is in town

2009-11-20T10:32:00.000-05:00

wednesday night we went to the circus for the first time. since you all know me well-enough, i have to start with a disclaimer: being a card-carrying member of peta, i've been very leery of the circus for their reports of animal abuse. it seems that quite a while ago, ringling bros, barnam & bailey circus really changed their position, even opening up an asian elephant conservation. they have gone entirely to positive reinforcement, their violations (if any) are minor- more cosmetic than anything) and seeing them in person would help me to formulate my own, current opinion on the health and well-being of the animals.

so we attended "over the top" which really was over the top! it started at 6:30 with a free all-access pre-show which allowed you to get up close & personal with the clowns, the strong men, and some of the fancy ladies. everyone was super-friendly and the kids loved trying on the actual costumes. tegan and i stopped for a quick photo. you can see them here (images 21-25). as the show started, we were blown away- every act was better than the one before: motocycles on tightropes, contortionists, trapese artists and ladies hanging by their hair, clowns, and clowns and more clowns. it was like a vegas style show- with a booming ringmaster and tons of sequins.

kylinn stood up the entire time, though tegan was exhausted after intermission. the show is 7:30pm-10:00 pm with a one hour pre-show. it was a long night, but definately worth the money. honestly, we loved it and we will probably go back next year. i appreciated that the animals appeared to be well taken care of. the tigers were on the chubby side (in stark contrast to the sleek muscular ones at the zoo) and one elephant had a significant limp. since detroit sent our aging elephants to california, my kids have never seen one, let alone nine amazing elephants. the circus was really awesome, and absolutely worth going. the best part? possibly seeing seven motorcyclists in one of those round cages. it was absolutely insane. it was a really awesome night.

there are more photos and videos in our flickr. enjoy!

my superhero is growning up

2009-11-18T11:04:00.004-05:00

last weekend, we finally got around to re-doing tegan's room. he has been asking -for months- for a superhero room, and we have had the supplies -for months- just not enough time.

well, apparently i took too long because our new little neighbor came over to play and promptly informed me that tegan has "a baby room." i decided that it was finally time, and little peter rabbit needs to go off to the land of ebay.

i still need to paint the trim, and figure out his bedding, but here are some action shots of my little man in his new batcave.

what the hail?????????????

2009-11-05T17:27:00.002-05:00

halloween holiday happenings

2009-11-02T20:01:00.004-05:00

halloween a whirlwind holiday! it's hard to believe that 350 rick-or-treaters and our rockin' party have come and gone. our outdoor decor came down in a record breaking three hours. the inside, however, is still a work in progress.

the school pto halloween dance was a huge success. it was my first event with the pto, and of course- i volunteered to co-chair it. lots of festive fun was had by all, but it was also a lot of work.

our baby girl has lost her first tooth- and the next one will soon be on it's way out, as well.

my grandpa is doing okay. he is still in the hospital, after another emergency procedure to address the blood in his lungs, which later led to a mini stroke. we're still hoping for him to be home in time for thanksgiving. with my asthma (which is very, very bad at the moment) we haven't been back up to see him.. continued prayers are very much appreciated.

that's all folks!

halloween happenings

2009-10-25T17:46:00.005-04:00

Our annual party was phenomenal (as usual) photos are on facebook, but i'll get them up on flickr soon as well.
Thanks to all who came out- we had a blast.

We recently attended a really cool event: The Pumpkin Walk at Weigands (my favorite nursery) aside from the fact that it was cool to trick-or-treat through the nursery at all of the spooky stations, it also raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association- a charity that is very near and dear to us as MD has (unfortunately) been a part of the Vanover family for generations.
Finally, if you haven't read my (old) neighbors (Jeremy) blog recently there is an awesome post up there now. I'm not feeding you to it just because he says some really nice things about us, but because i'm just really proud of him starting over in a new environment and for keeping up the tradition and not the Joneses.

cows, we're remarkable cows...

2009-10-18T18:43:00.002-04:00

tegan: milk comes from cows
me: yes. and where do happy cows come from?
tegan: wisconsin. (and then very seriously, he asked) where do mad cows come from?
me: england!

seriously. i couldn't resist.

and he's................................................................. safe!!!!

2009-10-18T08:33:00.003-04:00

miraculously, the surgeon was able to perform a double bypass using the veins in his leg. they were able to surround the "widow maker" and entirely remove the massive blockage. grandpa is still in the cardiac icu, but is doing great. thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers. i don't believe he would have made it without them.

prayer request

2009-10-14T21:37:00.002-04:00

my grampa is having a very risky open-heart surgery tomorrow.

please pray that he survives. thank you.

the trouble with childrens car seats:

2009-10-04T19:48:00.002-04:00

tegan: ow! ow! it's squishing me!
adam: your car seat keeps you safe.
tegan: it's smashing my arms. and my tummy. and my penis.

sneak preview

2009-09-30T20:10:00.005-04:00

welcome to the world, baby douglas

2009-09-26T20:23:00.003-04:00

Douglas "Dougie" Mitchell Grishkevich
26 September 2009
3:29 PM
7 lbs 0 oz
20 inches

Congrats to Nicol & Paul and big sister Josie!

on the eve of picture day...

2009-09-24T20:39:00.003-04:00

just as we have done for three years prior:

a last-minute hair cut.

factory girl

2009-09-20T08:43:00.001-04:00

our annual salsa factory opened for the season on saturday. after buying 200 pounds of produce from eastern market, we came home to can several varieties of salsa and some spaghetti sauce just for fun.

what does 200 pounds of produce consist of, you ask?
-2.5 bushels of tomatoes
-50 pounds of onions
-1 bushel of peppers (serrano, thai, banana, habanero, etc.)
-1 case of jalapenoes
-3 cantaloop (flip fantasia)
-3 lemons
and 1 ginger root

cost? $71.50
yield?
-30 quarts of salsa (and counting)
-8 quarts of pasta sauce

we'll finish canning this weekend, so if you'd like a lesson, please contact us soon~

more home projects

2009-09-08T18:14:00.003-04:00

if we got this much accomplished during only part of the school day,

what the heck am i going to do for the rest of the year???
new fountain (late anniversary gift-50% off! awesome!)

butterfly/birdhouse installation in childrens garden.

kindergarten kylinn

2009-09-08T14:25:00.002-04:00

labor day labor

2009-09-06T12:12:00.003-04:00

we finally painted the underside of our balcony, a project which i had grossly underestimated the complexity of.

peach festival fun

2009-09-05T19:59:00.000-04:00

after the bike decorating contest,
kylinn placed third in the bike race!

god's neat; let's eat!

2009-08-27T10:11:00.003-04:00

tegan: i went to church.

adam: you did?!?
tegan: yeah. with granny and papa.
adam: what did you learn?
tegan: cookies. and crackers...

the gratitude campaign

2009-08-25T20:20:00.000-04:00

we love our friends

2009-08-23T17:08:00.005-04:00

and you're right, guys... being 30 is way more fun than being 20-something.

what are the odds?

2009-08-17T21:11:00.001-04:00

this morning, moving trucks for both neighbors arrived simultaneously.

so, what did you do on friday?

2009-08-17T19:24:00.004-04:00

My husband broke his hand.

Surgery is scheduled for 1pm Thursday. He is having a rod put inside along the bone. It will stick out about an inch for 8 weeks or so and then it can be removed through a second surgery. I would be grossed out, but it's actually pretty similar to Bina's surgery last fall. The doctor seems really great. He came highly recommended by a friend and was quite impressed with the break. Surgery seems pretty straight-forward, though prayers are certainly welcome.

wiggley adventures

2009-08-15T10:32:00.002-04:00

we had some awesome side-stage seats for friday's afternoon wiggles concert. the kids were completely starstruck! kylinn screamed whenever one of them waved to her (which happened a lot!)

it's the final countdown

2009-08-11T08:36:00.003-04:00

my neighbors are moving.

and every time i talk about it, someone seems to get defensive, like that it shouldn't bother me as much as it does. i'm glad that they have better opportunities, but i'm still sad. and the fact that both sides are moving simultaneously is devestating. in may, i found out that the kananens were moving to a farm about 25 minutes north. two weeks later, the paweleks got their confirmation that they were moving to north carolina. during that same period, we also found out that gm was devestatingly and definately closing the family chevrolet dealership. i also turned 30- an event that was completly burried with the crap going on. to say that i cried the entire month of june is an understatement. i feel like i aged 10 years during that period. i kept saying, "God, please not one more thing!" and the next day, something else would happen. prayers are still unanswered. i can't figure out why except that it's just not our time.

but i'm tired of hearing the defensive. i don't need to "make other friends" i have a playgroup of 150 moms. i'm not short on friends. i don't need to "remember that we weren't friends to begin with" we moved here with nothing in common except new opportunities in building a new community. we became friends. these are the people that helped watch over my kids, help with all of our home projects, and had keys to my house when i was on vacation. next month, my children who talk about their children all day long- will be alone. instead of playing "right next door" i'll have to walk them down the block. my sons two "best friends" (his words) that are his age are both gone simultaneously. my daughter loses four. all in one week. she can't stop crying. i'm dreading moving day for her.

next month i lose my security. both bill & jeremy were home during the day. i knew that anything that i ever needed, that they would be right there to help me with. bill helped me deal with the endless contractors in my house, he helped me break into my house once in the winter when baby ky & i were locked out. jeremy would watch my kids while i ran up to the mailbox. we went swimming & bike riding with the family many times. he even came over for margaritas with my playgroup. i went out and bought some new floor lamps, with lighting timers so it isn't dark when i come home anymore. we're concidering fencing in our yard since i don't know who will live in their houses. i've thought about getting a dog, and i don't even like dogs. i just don't want to be alone. my mom is bringing over a climber (something that i swore i'd never have in my yard) so that my kids have something to do during the transition. i've had to put my organic lawn on hold temporarily, though, since there have been a lot of weeds. i'll get back to that when the neighborhood becomes more stable. right now, it hasn't been so bad to "let go" because both sets of neighbors haven been so busy packing that i've seen very little of them this summer. i'm trying to step back.

so this is it. a dream deferred. it's certainly not our time to move, and the truth is, that i don't want to. despite the negativity i hear, i honestly feel that it's just them trying to justify their moves and make themselves feel better about leaving. i'm not taking it personally. i love my neighborhood. i love my neighbors (they're just a little further down the road now) and i love, love, love my house. so, when i heard they were moving, i decided to up my house pride. i put in a victory garden. i painted my kitchen cabinets. i had my carpets cleaned. i made a checklist of things to get done before our halloween party, and more than half of it is done. i can't wait to repaint the trim and the balcony. we're powerwashing the house. i love my house and i'm still very glad that we moved here. i don't regret that. and secretly, i can't wait to decorate for halloween since there will be two new families that will have no idea that it is coming.

and now i finally have to face the week that i've been dreading all summer. the kananens are out on friday (the night of our first block party) and the paweleks are leaving next week. and i think i'm finally okay with it. i'm not a farmer and vow to never live on a dirt road with well-water ever again, as much as i'm not a southener and probably could not survive without snow, chilly mornings and crisp autumn leaves. and the curtain closes on my first neighborhood friends. it's the end of a good five year stretch. i'm happy to have met them, and i hope to always stay in contact with them, because through the tears, i truly do with them all the best of luck. i just can't say it right now.

goodbye and goodluck.

aren't we swanky...

2009-08-10T08:22:00.003-04:00

ky: gramma, why did you sleep over?
gramma: because there were big storms.
me: did you sleep well?
gramma: yeah, because i didn't have to lay in bed and wonder if i should lay on the floor instead.
ky: why would you lay on the floor?
me: gramma has a "michigan basement" she would have to go outside to her basement when it storms.
ky: oh. we just go downstairs and watch tv.

This is the CHANGE that I voted for!

2009-08-04T09:12:00.004-04:00

We took a chance, five years ago, to build a home in a Village in the middle of a renassance. Our small community had an awful stigma- it was a poorer community, with a large minority population, a high rate of unemployment and pollution and no downtown after the foundry closed before we got here. That foundry, was what held the community together- everyone knew someone that worked there. At the same time, that dirty foundry is what our village such a nasty reputation.

In 2000, our builder took a chance to change all of that- he sought to build charming Victorian-styled homes and recreate those lost neighborhoods through Traditional Neighborhood Design. What we received were mediocre schools in trade for a great home value and an exciting "new" community to join.

For five years now, I have been anxiously awaiting our 2010 census levels because I think they will finally wash away what is left of our little stigma. The article below validates that and makes me so proud to still be a part of this village.

Kindergarten Enrollment Set For Record Level

Nearly 40 percent more local parents have committed to kindergarten enrollment in [OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT] for their children in the 2009-10 school year than in 2008-09. Director of Special Education and Curriculum, reported this information to the School Board following three spring Kindergarten Round-ups that provided parents with information about district programs for eligible students.

[Director] stated that parents of 94 students have already registered their students for the September 8 start of classes. The new enrollment compares to 68 last year, for a 38 percent overall increase so far.

"We have a great combination of full-day programs, bussing for all eligible students, and child care arrangements both before and after school," noted [Director]. "On behalf of our instructional staff, we are also proud that our elementary MEAP test scores are at or above average in [OUR] County," she added.

The district has also begun construction on a new middle school that is set to open in 2010. When that happens, there will be two elementary schools to service local students. One opened in 2005 and the other has been extensively renovated with new computers and other classroom and instructional technology. Normally, the district attains between 20 and 30 more kindergarten registrations each summer and shortly before the new school year begins, [Director] pointed out.

"If that trend holds, we would have a record kindergarten enrollment this school year," she predicted.

Big Family School Supply Donation Drive

2009-07-27T13:18:00.004-04:00

Macomb Moms Meetup is sponsoring an Annual School Supply Collection Drive August 1-15.

Supplies are donated to local children in foster care through Big Family of Michigan (BFM).

During the drive, Macomb Moms asks individuals, community groups, service clubs, civic leagues and faith-based organizations to donate supplies such as:

+ notebook paper
+ pencils
+ crayons
+ erasers
+ backpacks
+ pocket folders
+ composition books
+ notebooks

If you would like to participate in this event, please contact myself or another Macomb Mom.

Pictured above is what I bought at Meijer this week for under $10. Everything is on sale for under 99 cents.
This week, glue and crayons are 19 cents and notebooks are only 5 cents.

but they're cousins...

2009-07-26T17:17:00.001-04:00

shark bait!

2009-07-23T09:44:00.003-04:00

mike kerner caught a 5'6" 113 lb blacktip shark we (well, not me personally) ate it.

juror juror on the wall

2009-07-14T12:37:00.007-04:00

so after being on-call for jury duty for nearly two weeks, i finally had to report for duty. at precisely 6:30 am, i headed out nearly 40 miles to the us district courthouse- eastern district in downtown detroit.

aside from leaving my kids, i was the most concerned with what to wear. did i wear the artsy floral skirt with ballet flats, hoping to look young and i don't know, liberal? pinstripes with a fushia top, which would be very professional, but is it good to stand out? blue silk flowey blouse and black crops to look articulate and fashionable? i decided on the smart blue blouse, crops and peep-toe kitten heels. i figured i'd out-dress the lawyers, and perhaps fly under the radar. little did i know that others would not adhere to the "strictly enforced" dress code, and would show up in blue jeans. the lawyers were both in outdated colored suits (green... really???) oh well, at least i looked good.

i arrived early after my first solo trip on the lodge. i made it, paid for parking and went it. and waited and waited and waited. finally we were going into the court room to select the jury. they called up eight people, questioned them, and replaced two. then they replaced another. aside from a jewely saleswoman, they were replacing all of the teachers. i had this one in the bag, and was totally set to have my chance in the box. however, after 12 jurors, the rest of the panel was dismissed, myself included. free from reporting for the duration of the week.

so, i was back home by 11, and will receive my fat $90 check in a few weeks. and aside from being grateful that i do not have to find childcare for my babies while i sat on a trial, i'm also grateful that i do not have to make decisions about other peoples lives. in this case, it was simply insurance and contract law, but it still isn't right. i don't care if this is our historical system of judgement, i do not believe that other people have the right to judge others, take away their rights as humans, nor be truly free from our own personal agendas and biases.

even without your "experience" mrs k. i still have been jaded by the system. and i'll jump on a civil rights soapbox whenever i feel like it, just for the hell of it, just because i can. because, i suppose, that is american justice.

well that is just... superb.

2009-07-10T08:16:00.002-04:00

me: "kylinn, if you are good -all day- i will give you a surprise tonight"
ky: "what is it?"
me: "i can't tell you- it's a surprise"
ky: "well that's not fair! i don't even know if i'm going to be good yet!!!"

another year together.

2009-07-08T00:00:00.001-04:00

happy ninth anniversary, baby. i still love you like a rock.

a fabulous fourth of july

2009-07-06T11:43:00.003-04:00

we spent the long weekend up near caseville in a lakehouse with a huge private beach.
pure relaxation.
moon at dusk why can't we ever just all be ready at the same time?
for melissa: toes, campfire & sunset= priceless
the lakehouse on sand pointe

thoroughly enjoying summer

2009-07-06T11:28:00.001-04:00

thoroughly enjoying summer, originally uploaded by Meagan Vanover.

popsicles on the porch :)

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

2009-07-03T08:22:00.000-04:00

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers, originally uploaded by Meagan Vanover.

SERVES 4

Ingredients

* 1 cup quinoa
* 2 cups water
* 4 large green peppers (or 6 medium)
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 1 bunch of basil, chopped
* EVOO
* 1 large tomato, diced
* 2 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1 small can of tomato paste
* grated Parmesan and shredded Italian cheese

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cook quinoa as per packet.
3. In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in EVOO
4. Fold in quinoa and add tomato paste, tomatoes and basil.
5. Place peppers in baking dish and fill with quinoa mixture
6. Sprinkle cheese over peppers and bake in 325 degree oven for 30 minutes.

what a shock

2009-06-25T20:43:00.000-04:00

michael jackson is dead.

michael jackson was a hero to my childhood: a personal escape with endless hours spent rocking out to my records and dressing up like him with homemade sequined gloves. everyday after preschool, i would run to my friends house to watch "the making of thriller" on vhs, and every day it amazed me. in college, i made a tribute website with a friend. partly in jest, and partly because it was actually cool and terribly amusing at the time.

i made a special request at my wedding to ensure that my dj brought all of michael jacksons earlier albums. i replaced my own records with cassettes, and later cd's, but i still kept the vinyl. and the clothes. i still regularly sing 'human nature' in the shower. i even shamelessly performed (the entire) '"thriller dance" at my cousins wedding last year. as a married old mother-of-two. not an easy task in wedge heels. i am deeply saddened. regardless of what one thinks of his personal life, his talent was undeniable.

the king of pop is dead!

the king of pop is dead.

the problem with toile

2009-06-24T14:09:00.004-04:00

I just realized that I hate my office curtains, which is unfortunate, because I really liked them until I realized that the images remind me of a Civil War cemetery in Beaufort, SC. That's kind of morbid.

The problem, you see, lay not in the fabric as a whole, but in two particular scenes, which happen to be side-by-side. The fabric is full of Victorian-era families and couples gallivanting through various park-like areas. Two couples stop by some monuments- one with a great urn on the top, the other much akin to any other war memorial. That would be the part that bugs me. Several years ago, I was in South Carolina (a state that I've never held much of an interest in) which apparently affected my love of toile. Read on.Somehow, we ended up strolling through the old cemetary in Beaufort and while reading monuments of Civil War Veterans, we suddenly were under attack from vampire mosquitos the size of small children with a penchant for the blood of my scantily-clad back. (note to self: do not wear tank tops in SC) Contrary to popular belief, dead people, stinging insects and extreme heat are not my idea of fun. I still like most of the curtains. I think I'll just make them into roman shades and cover up the corpses with a pleat. It's very challenging to be a housewife.

Stay tuned.

happy 5th birthday, kylinn!

2009-06-20T07:13:00.000-04:00

you are my sunshine, my only sunshine
you make me happy when skies are gray
you'll never know dear, how much I love you
please don't take my sunshine away

my delicate little fleur...

2009-06-19T13:09:00.003-04:00

ky: mom, what kind of flowers are these?
me: peonies
ky: panties??? like my panties???
me: no, peony. pee-oh-nee. not panty.
ky: so are these peonies? (holding up her panties)
me: no, those are panties.
ky: are the flowers panties or peonies?
me: peonies. oh, never mind.

Stray Kitty urgently needs a home!

2009-06-17T14:19:00.004-04:00

All of the local shelters & rescues are FULL! She will have 96 hours to live at Animal Control, and even less than that at the humane society. No-one will accept her because she is pregnant.

-Female
-Around 2 years old
-Pregnant (late term)
-Housebroken
-Clean and very friendly
-SO SWEET!!!

True Blue Rescue will do a feline leukemia test for $25, if she is neg they will adopt her & kittens out from Petco when they are 8 weeks old, BUT if she is positive, a Creekside vet can put her down :( because all of her kittens will have it, too.

Also, a major deterrent will be that she is black! Black cats are notoriously hard to place due to superstitions. The woman at the shelter said that black cats actually tend to be the most friendly of all cats. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!!!

(PLEASE NOTE: This is a stray- not my Asha or Bina, but she looks a lot like Asha- small, with dark yellow eyes)

summer is ready when you are

2009-06-11T15:35:00.001-04:00

the "new" kitchen

2009-06-08T10:10:00.009-04:00

here is our kitchen in progress we still have to put the cabinet doors on, but we love it already.
our only regret is not doing it sooner.

Welcome to your 30s

2009-06-06T08:59:00.003-04:00

Happy 30th Birthday, Ratface!

To quote my neighbor...

2009-06-05T09:54:00.002-04:00

From Aimee:

Yesterday my lovely city issued an emergency water ban until further notice. This means no watering grass, flowers, gardens, washing cars, or swimming pools this summer. Are you serious? So my lawn we have worked so hard at to get in good shape is now going to burn??? Does New Haven really need help loosing home values with something like this? Houses are already going for HALF of what we paid 6 years ago. Do I understand that some people in the village are having water pressure issues? Yes. Has this been going on for 6 years and yet city council has failed to do ANYTHING about it? Yes. Mike Barnet, I understand you have a job to do and accept you have to make unpopular decisions. Who am I mad at? The Village. The Village of New Haven has let internal political turmoil dominate the landscape and only rarely addressing true issues of importance. We have pushed the water system to its breaking point and now we are forced to make quick decisions to rectify the situation. Guess what, I don't care. I'm sorry if the Village doens't want to feel pressured into making a decision, but guess what, you have brought it on yourself. Fix the system and allow watering again. This is now VERY personal. Click here to see the story.

2009-05-31T20:18:00.006-04:00

The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the bird for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden Than anywhere else on earth.
-Dorothy Frances Gurney

(see more of my garden pictures here)

my boys

2009-05-28T10:36:00.000-04:00

memorial day 2009