An interview with kids about thier parents!

So I read somewhere online about interviewing your kids as they grow. What a great idea! I made up a few questions (21), got out the video recorder and gave it a go. As I cannot get my camcorder to connect to my computer I transcribed it for your reading pleasure. Please know that I will from now on be doing this once a year, it was hilarious and fun. I also found it to be a great form of milestones for me :)

So as I started this interview they were both sitting in chairs right next to each other. I had to ask Jenni the question first or she would just say whatever Grace says.

January 16, 2012

Grace how old are you?: 4

Jennifer how old are you?: 2

1. What is something Mommy always says to you? Grace:Silent Night Jenni: IDK

2. What is something Daddy always says to you? Grace: When I say Daddy, he always says “yes, love." Jenni: IDK

3. What makes Mommy happy: Grace: Doing things she asks us. Jenni: IDK

4. What makes Daddy happy? Grace: Giving hugs and kisses. Jenni: IDK

5. What makes Mommy sad? Grace: If we hit, that makes you sad. Jenni: IDK

6. What makes Daddy sad? Grace: If someone broke his heart. Jenni: IDK

7. How does Mommy make you laugh? Grace: Tickling me Jenni: IDK

8. How does Daddy make you laugh? Grace: Tickling me. Jenni: IDK

9. What was Mommy like as a kid? Grace: A mom (I think this was over her head) Jenni: ME!

10. What was Daddy like as a kid? Grace: A brother. Jenni: NA

11. How old is Mommy? Grace: 13 (I love this answer) Jenni: 13

12. How old is Daddy? Grace: 19-20 Jenni: 19-20

13. How tall is Mommy? Grace: Really tall (showing how tall with hands stretched out.) Jenni: NA

14. How tall is Daddy? Grace: He’s tall. Jenni: NA

15. What is Mommy’s favorite thing to do? Grace: Take pictures at photo shoots (love this answer also!) Jenni: NA

16. What is Daddy’s favorite thing to do? Grace: Work at McDonald’s Jenni: He is there right now!

17. What does Mommy do when you are not here? Grace: Umm, watch TV, computer, take pictures, a lot of stuff. (This goes to show they do NOT care if I clean the house, YAY ME!) Jenni: NA

18. What does Daddy do when you are not here? Grace: Watches TV and goes on the computer, I think that is about it. Jenni: NA

19. If Mommy becomes famous, what would it be for? Grace: I don’t even know what that means. Jenni: NA

20. If Daddy becomes famous, what would it be for? Grace:Since she didn’t know what it meant, I didn’t even ask. Jenni: NA

21. What is Mommy really good at? Grace: Taking pictures at photo shoots. ( I am starting to see a theme here) Jenni: NA

22. What is Daddy really good at? Grace: Working at McDonalds. Jenni: And giving us applesauce. ( A completely random answer here.)

23. What is Mommy not very good at? Grace: Building. Jenni: NA

24. What is Daddy not very good at? Grace: Making people. Jenni:NA

25. What does Mommy do for a job? Grace: Pictures Jenni:NA

26. What does Daddy do for a job? Grace: Work. At McDonalds. Jenni:NA

27. What is Mommy’s favorite food? Grace: Mac n cheese (This is totally not my favorite food by the way) Jenni:NA

28. What is Daddy’s favorite food? Grace: White Chicken Chili. (I have no idea where this came from, we have only had this one time.) Jenni:NA

29. What makes you proud of Mommy? Grace: For making these picture frames. (I have a giant wall of pictures that I made of our family) Jenni:NA

30. What makes you proud of Daddy? Grace: For making us food and giving us food. Jenni:NA

31. If Mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be? Grace: A princess. Jenni:NA

32. If Daddy were a cartoon character, who would he be? Grace: A prince. No wait, I would be the princess and you would be the castle. Cause he is going to marry me. Not really. Jenni:NA

33. What do you and Mommy do together? Grace: Games. Jenni:NA

34. What do you and Daddy do together? Grace:Puppets. Jenni:NA

35. How are you and Mommy the same? Grace: Cause we are both girls Jenni:NA

36. How are you and Daddy the same? Grace: We both have blue eyes. Jenni:NA

37. How are you and Mommy different? Grace: You have green eyes and I have blue. Our ears are different too. Jenni:NA

38. How are you and Daddy different? Grace: He is a boy, silly. Jenni:NA

39. How do you know Mommy loves you? Grace: Cause you have a heart and I have a heart. Jenni:NA

40. How do you know Daddy loves you? Grace: He said so. Jenni:NA

41. Where is Mommy’s favorite place to go? Grace: Take pictures at a photoshoot. Jenni: Big Boy. (Yet, another random answer.)

42. Where is Daddy’s favorite place to go? Grace:Lowe's Jenni:NA

Welcome to 2012!

The ornaments we made.

Grace's school Christmas party.

Our tree with what Santa brought.

Jennifer's big gift. Baby doll stroller and play pen.

Grace and her big gift, Justin "Beaver"

Yep, she did that on her own. I told you she is a goof ball.

Daddy had a very hard time letting me take her and put her to bed.

Damn! That was a rough holiday season, but I wouldn't have it any other way either. We had tons of plans and things to do. We made crafts, presents for people, cookies, and all the fun things that make memories. It was stressful and chaotic. I enjoyed every moment, every meltdown, every cup of spilled paint, I even enjoyed the mess of making cookies. Why? Because next year is never guaranteed to me. The girls are growing, and it's quickly, Grace is four and a half and already talking with hand gestures and eyebrow movements. Both of my girls will be in school in 2012. I can't believe it! BUT school leads to friends and friends will start to take over the family time and I will no longer be cool enough to hang out with, so I don't mind the mess!

Our Christmas was simple and quiet and the girls got what they asked Santa for. They don't ask for anything crazy, or expensive. I like to keep Christmas simple and low key. Their will be a day that they will ask for crazy things like ipad's and cell phone's, but for now they are kids and I am happy to keep them that way for a long as possible. Grace got her Justin 'Beaver' doll that she asked for, while Jenni didn't ask for anything so she got baby doll accessories (she loves playing 'Mom').

As for 2012, well, we will see what happens. I can't wait! I am so proud of Ryan and I for doing what we have to do so I am able to stay home and watch my girls grow and become these beautiful people. To see their face when they get excited because something just clicked, or that they got to help make dinner with me. They are amazing and it will forever be my greatest job and biggest joy to be their Mom and kiss, read to them and sing them to sleep.

May 2012 bring you big and wonderful moments!!

A week of Thanks and Fun.

A combine in the parade of lights

Our Christmas Tree is up and Grace requested a picture of the lights all blurry.

Cole, just hanging out.

I was trying to get a cute picture here, but Jenni was having none of it :)

The Wizard of Oz's Munchkin land at Henry Ford.

It's Dorothy's house that landed on the Wicked Witch of the east.

In Greenfield Village, Grandma in Grandma heaven!!!!

"Hey, we can climb that!"

"Hey, we can fly on that!"

My Brother made a new friend!

Cousin's in front of the Christmas tree! (Sorry bad picture, I didn't have my flash on! :( )

My favorite picture of them!! -Sitting in a train engine, watching out the window to all the people down below!!

**First, I would like to apologize for my horrible grammar!! English was always my worst subject and I hope I never have to help my kids with English homework! My head works a lot faster then my fingers, so sorry:)**

Monday we started off bright and early with Grace's conferences. She is doing wonderfully well, she is growing that brain of hers exponentially! So, I did what I should do, I gave myself a pat on the back and high fived Ryan.

Tuesday and Wednesday we cleaned the house and prepped for Turkey day. We were having the Henry family over for the second year in a row. Yes, it took two days to clean. Have you seen the two tornado's that live in my house?

Thursday we ate, watched football, and took naps. Everyone took a nap! :) We even did a little bit of shopping after our second dinner ;)

Friday we headed to The Henry Ford museum to meet up with Dave and Cole. Ryan stayed home as it was his last day of vacation for the week, so we let him have some quiet time :) So my Mom, myself and the girls went and had some girl car time.

When we got to the museum we had a blast, the cousins got to run and play and they had so much fun together! We then were eating lunch and noticed people outside in the Village with no coats on. We made an impromptu visit to Greenfield Village and walked around in the unusually warm November sun. I was a spectacularly beautiful day!

Saturday we put up the house decorations. The tree with lights and the girls wanted to put on all the ornaments, so as you can imagine, the tree is only half decorated; the bottom half of course! I have no desire to change it either, they are way to proud of themselves. Then we went out and they picked out their ornaments for the year! Grace has a gingerbread man or girl collection going while Jenni, is of course collecting bear ornaments.
Then in the evening the girls and I headed down to Blissfield for the parade of lights. They drive tractors and cars and such down the road all decked out in Christmas lights and decorations. The girls loved it, Grace's loved Miss Michigan the best because she was a real princess. Jenni and I liked the marching band.

We had a RAD week and a FANTABULOUS weekend.

But she is still my Mom.

Oh Yeah, Grandma sneaking the good stuff!!!!

She is in Grandma heaven!!

Grace likes when Grandma does her hair!

She hates airplanes, but she went to the airshow and hung out in the hanger with Jenni!

My favorite picture of her ever!!!!!!!

She is cute, even with a bug on her glasses. We were camping in June!

Grandma and Jenni in April watching Grace play soccer.

Grandma with the girls at the science museum.

Grandma with Jenni when she was little!!!!

The camping Grandma!

I don’t even know where to begin to tell you about my Mom. She is my (enter any word here!)

My mom is of a rare breed, she is wonderful and I wish everyone knew her. I hope someday I am as much like her as I can be without having to like the color baby blue :)

She was a single Mom for 9 years, I have no idea how she did it, but she persevered and did it! She sacrificed so much for my brother and I, I remember her working two jobs just to get it done. She sent me to private school so I could get the best education I could. I didn’t apply myself, something I regret now, but she afforded me the best opportunities and for that I am forever great full. She was always my biggest and often my only cheerleader at my sporting events. She is still cheering me on when I play softball in the summers, she sits in the bleachers with my kids cheering “Go, Mommy go!”

Our lives together have always been up and down, I am sure she would say I was a great kid. We would fight because I wanted to do something like go to Cancun for spring break, she said no, I got mad. We would laugh together over stupid jokes. She shared in every heart break over a boy with me. She hugged me when I was yelling at her, because she just knew it would calm me down and get me back to my sane again. She never gave me a curfew, because all my friends had one, what was I going to do after they went home? I never got grounded, we always just had a “talk”, deep talks!

The best is that my Mom has turned into a Grandma who is bonding with my girls the same way she bonded with my brother and I. My girls are NUTS about her. She has a special table for them to sit at when they come over. She uses a teapot to pour them warmed up chocolate milk into their fancy glasses. They eat ice cream out of an actual ice cream dish, now that is fancy! They watch movies and play puzzles. Grandma sings bedtime songs, way better than I do. She can’t beat my story telling though :) She calls my house and asks to talk to them, like I am not even here. She takes Jenni to lunch once a week, yes I go to, but I am just a chauffeur.

This weekend I came down with strep and tonsillitis. I was SICK!!! My mom offered to take the girls so I could rest. I took that offer! She kept them all day for me while I stayed in bed. My Mom never had that option when we were little, a lot of girls I know don’t have that option now. I feel guilty sometimes for having this option. This glorious, wonderful option that it is.

I became a Mom, because I knew that is what I wanted to be. I wanted to take care and raise babies into good people just like my Mom did for me. What I have come to realize is that when I became a Mom, my Mom became a Grandma and she is relishing in her new role and taking full advantage of it. She is reliving my brother and I through my two girls (sorry Dave, you are a girl LOL) She gets to have fun with my girls while I get a break to be me. She is doing this more for me then for herself, because it is something she never had. Most of what she does for me is something she may have never had and wants to give that chance to me, this is why she is an extraordinary Mom!! I know she LOVES being a grandma, but she is still my Mom.

She is my Mom, and I hope I grow up to be just like her. I held her hand in the mall till I realized boys might see it. I stopped holding her hand, I know I broke her heart that day. Now though I will always hold her hand and never let go, I am proud of her and what she has done and continues to do for me and my family. I hope I am half of the Mom to my kids as she was to us!

Traffic Lights

At Grandma's house helping with leaves, after having played in them first of course!

Taking the leaves to the burn pile.

One morning waiting to go to school.

This is what daddy does on his days off!

Helping like a big girl!

My life is a lot like a traffic light.

Sometimes it is just full on green, go go go! Drop Grace off at school, go grocery shopping, get home unload all the food, make lunch or a snack for Jenni, take a nap. Wake up from nap, get Grace from school, get home, make another snack. Start cooking dinner, eat dinner, play with the girls, bath time, get ready for bed, read a book or 12 then sleep.

During nap time is where the yellow light comes in. I do a lot of my photo business work on the computer. It is my work/me time so I have to divide it out and get housework done also.

The only time the red like comes in is when I am actually at a red light, while driving in the car. I don't know any Mom with kids that gets to stop. We are constantly thinking about our kids, even if they are not with us. I hope Grace is making the right choices at school, saying her please and thank yous. It's a never ending cycle that will just start all over the following day. Being a Mom is no joke.

Sometimes I need a little motivation to get the green light going, and sometimes I have to force myself to turn the yellow light on. BUT, the girls will always be going and growing, so there is never any time to stop. Unless I stop myself to give a kiss, take a hug or even sit down and watch Toy Story for the 1056th time, those are my yellow light moments that I love the most and will always carry in my heart!