Bucket List

I have no desire to ever go sky diving or bungee jumping. But there are many things I'd like to accomplish and experience in my life. This is my partial bucket list, in no particular order:

• Become a Foster Parent  I have long wanted to be a foster parent, and one day when my kids are a bit older, I hope to really do it. When I tell people I want to foster, they usually say it would be too hard to give the kids back. It would be hard, but I think I could do it. There are so many unfit foster parents out there, I'd like our home to be a safe haven for a few kids. Reading White Oleander definitely helped convince me that I really want to do this. 
• Participate in the Breast Cancer 3-Day  A few years ago, I signed up to walk in the Breast Cancer 3-Day. I wanted to walk in memory of my dad's sister Caroline, who died of breast cancer before I had the chance to meet her. But unfortunately I did not raise enough money to participate. I'm glad I helped generate many donations to a great cause, but I'd like to try again and actually go through with the walk. This will have to wait until at least next year, when Mathilda is a little older and I can dedicate a lot of time to training.
• Get Contact Lenses and Maybe even Lasik Surgery  I'm tired of wearing glasses. I've been tired of wearing glasses for a long time. I don't like how I look with glasses. One of these days I'm going to order some contact lenses. Of course, it would be nice to have vision insurance first, but that may never happen. Eventually I would also like to have Lasik surgery and never worry about needing glasses or contacts again. 
• Live Somewhere Outside of Michigan  My mother gave me the gift of wanderlust. She took me out west to live as a child. Now that I'm a grown up, I'd like to live someplace else again, at least for a little while.
• Scuba Dive  I don't know if I can conquer my fears for this one, but I would really like to explore under the sea at least once in my life. I may have to settle for snorkeling, but maybe sometime I will have the courage and opportunity to scuba dive.
• Take my Kids on a Major, Life Changing Trip  My real dream is to take my kids on a trip around the world. I know it is possible because I have read about many other families who have done it. Money and practicalities will be hard factors to overcome. I hope to at least take my kids to volunteer in a third world country.
• Master Sewing  My aunt gave me her old sewing machine a few years ago and I discovered that I really enjoy sewing. I really don't know how to do much of anything though, and I'd love to learn a lot more.
• Learn to Knit or Crochet  I have been wanting to do this for ages. 
• Donate my Hair  This one will be happening very soon, as soon as I grow my hair a little bit more and get myself a haircut.
• Go on a Zip Line  This one really scares me, but it looks like so much fun too! I hope if I ever have the opportunity, I'll be brave enough to give it a try.

I'll definitely be adding to this list! I hope to refer to it often and actually start checking things off.

Out of the Box

Some of the most rewarding events or accomplishments in my life have been prefaced with fear and discomfort. Here are a few that particularly stand out:

• White water rafting in West Virginia   A natural-born athlete I am not, and I admit I did not prove to be a natural rafter, but I went on some pretty scary rapids and survived. I was quite nervous about this endeavor, and had legitimate fears of drowning or perhaps having my body bashed mercilessly against huge rocks. Despite my fears, I enjoyed being on the river, swimming in the warm water, taking in the beautiful scenery that I would have never otherwise seen, and having a rustic picnic on the banks of the river (ie: no bathrooms). As much fun as I had on my white water rafting adventure, I don't particularly think I'd like to do it again, unless it was on lower grade rapids.
• Pregnancy Photos   When I was pregnant with Lucy, I was contacted by an acquaintance who was starting up a photography business and asked if I would be willing to have some belly shots taken. I consider myself to be fairly modest and this was way out of my comfort zone. But for some reason, I said yes. And as a result, I have some beautiful pictures that capture a really special time for me. Lucy was my third baby, and although I really wanted another baby, I don't think I ever thought it was actually going to happen. Although that pregnancy was marked with extreme sadness with the downhill turn in my Grandma's health and ultimately her death, I also remember being profoundly happy about our little bun in the oven.  I'm glad to have photos to commemerate that moment of my life.
• Finding my Father   In 2004, I found myself glued to the television, watching news updates about the Tsunami that hit Indonesia. People were sitting on the beach soaking up the sun one minute, and the next minute swept out to sea. The message that I was struck hard with was that life is short and you never know what is coming next. Not long before this catastrophic event, I had been blessed with some information that could potentially change my life. An online acquaintance put out an offer on a cyber world forum that I frequent - she said she would be willing to help locate people, having some inside information from her place of employment. I contacted her and enlisted her help in finding my father, someone I had never met and knew very little about. With only his name, approximate age, and the name of the university he had attended, she found him. I had dreamed of finding him my whole life, but my fear of rejection had held me back. Finally I had in my hands my father's address and phone number. And it sat in my inbox for a long time. My fear overwhelmed me, paralyzed me...until I watched the horrific events of the Tsunami, which I credit with giving me the courage to write a letter to my dad. Once I made the decision, everything happened very fast. Not long after sending that letter, I was shocked to receive a phone call from my father. Just after my 30th birthday, we met for the first time, and five years later we have a rewarding relationship for which I am so grateful.
• Visiting Family in a Foreign Land   When Chris and I were in college, we had the wonderful opportunity to go on a school sponsored trip to London, England. When my Grandpa learned of our trip, he insisted we visit his niece, who was living in England at the time with her Australian husband. I had never in my memory met this woman and felt uncomfortable contacting her. I am definitely not an extrovert, and I dislike calling people I don't know well. While in England, Chris and I ended up having a couple days with no scheduled excursions, and I really did not want to disappoint my Grandpa. So I made the phone call, and this stranger agreed to have us visit the pub she and her husband ran about an hour outside the city. Chris and I went to the train station where Paddington Bear famously got lost, bought our tickets and ended up having the best day of our trip. We were treated to a personal tour of an incredible town we otherwise would not have visited, and as an added bonus, we all drove to Stonehedge, a landmark we did not think we would have a chance to see. My long lost cousin had just lost her brother and only days before had returned from his funeral in the U.S. She was going through a bad time and had also been reluctant to meet up with us, but our visit ended up being a much needed diversion for her.
• Riding Every Ride  I am not a roller coaster lover. In fact I don't much like amusement park rides at all. I get motion sickness, not to mention my fears of ride dysfunction and freak accidents. However, in high school I went to Cedar Pointe with a few friends, and by golly I rode almost every ride in that park. I really don't know what was going through my head at the time, but I swallowed my fears and did it. And I had loads of fun. I'm glad I did it that one time, because I doubt I'll ever do anything like that again. Much like white water rafting, it was a one time experience I'm happy to have under my belt, but I have no desire to do it again.

• Driving  When I was 15, I struggled through Driver's Training. At 16, my mom took me to Secretary of State and I got my license. And then I never drove. My mom was a nervous wreck, which now that I'm a parent I completely understand. So it wasn't until I was about 20 or 21 that I really started to drive. A very patient and brave co-worker at my summer job started taking me driving on our lunch hour. She never yelled at me or acted like she feared for her life. I began to relax and soon bought my first car. I am forever grateful to that kind co-worker. Fifteen years later, I can't imagine my life without driving.

Baby Mine

I have a problem, in the form of an almost 20-pound, almost 9-month old baby girl who sleeps with me, or more accurately, on me every night. I love this sweet, beautiful child...

 

how could I not? But when she is ready to go to sleep, usually around 8 o'clock, my night is kaput. Things that really need to get done, such as laundry and dishes, are either put off until the next day or else I have to let my darling scream bloody murder while she watches me do my chores. Needless to say we usually wake up to dirty dishes, and the laundry, well...never mind. If I don't plan well, and I usually don't, things like peeing and brushing my teeth become difficult feats. Generally I wind up on the couch with my laptop, my activity choices having been narrowed down considerably. At the moment, I have no books to read, and I'm not too into watching the television. So I spend far too much time on the internet, quite often doing the hunt-and-peck typing technique since Mathilda likes me to cradle her while she sleeps, leaving me with the use of only one hand. If I'm lucky I can carefully remove my (numb) arm from under her (think pick-up sticks) after awhile. My goal is to use this time to blog more often, instead of aimlessly roaming the realms of cyberspace or indulging my crack habit, otherwise known as Facebook. A really good night is when I can transfer my not-so-little bundle to the couch or my bed to sleep on her own for awhile (forget the crib, not happening, especially because I live in fear of Waking the Big Kids). If this maneuver is successful, I generally have enough time to change into my jammies, brush my teeth, use the bathroom, and, if I go into hyper-speed mode, throw a load of laundry into the washer or dryer.

I know I need to do something about this problem. Some nights I want to scream, especially if I try repeatedly to put her down and she wakes up loudly every time. I like to get things done at night when the kids are sleeping, which is not possible as of late. Besides the basics household chores that need to be accomplished, I'd love to get out my sewing machine or my Cricut, or perhaps a Pilates dvd. When I'm ready to hit the hay, I don't so much mind sleeping with Mathilda (most of the time). The truth is, having a little person love you so much and want to be with you constantly is pretty much irresistible. And I know this is just a stage, it won't last forever. In the blink of an eye, my baby will be a big kid. I am going to figure out a way to break this habit, but in the meantime, I'm going to do my best to enjoy every second of it.

Imagination Station - Toledo, OH

When Bethany and Connor were younger, my mother-in-law and I used to take them to COSI in Toledo. When COSI closed due to budget problems at the end of 2007, we were hugely disappointed. But good news - this hands-on science museum has re-opened as Imagination Station. This place is seriously fun.

Last week we took all four kids to Toledo for the day to check out Imagination Station. We were pleased to find that it was just as much fun as the old COSI. This time around was a little different for us since Bethany and Connor are older now and able to do different things, but we still had the two little ones with us so we could fully enjoy the area reserved for small fry as well.

One of the greatest things about Imagination Station is, in fact, the large section of the museum dedicated to children five and younger. There are many cool things to explore, such as a tree house,

a mini hospital and ambulance,

a child size grocery store, giant blocks, a water play area, and a room especially for babies. It's like a really awesome preschool classroom, but 1000 times better. Although designed for younger kids, even Bethany and Connor loved playing in this area. There is a gate to keep little ones from running off, a nursing room with a super-comfy glider and changing table, and a restroom with a preschool sized toilet.

As much as I love Little Kidspace, I was really excited that Bethany and Connor could try some things they were too young for the last time we were there. Bethany is the adventurous and gutsy one, so she tried the Boyo (sort of a human yo-yo)

and the high wire cycle.

They both went on the simulator ride (free for members, $1 for everyone else). Lucy tagged along for lots of fun activities too, like dancing on the giant floor piano,

and experiencing the force of hurricane strength winds. In the Traveling Exhibit Gallery, there was a neat-o animation exhibit with lots of hands-on stations demonstrating how cartoons are made.

Imagination Station is located in downtown Toledo. The parking situation isn't fantastic, you have to hike a bit to a parking structure or shell out $7 for valet. The employees are friendly and helpful. There is a cafeteria style eating area with lots of choices for snacking or lunch. When the weather is nice, you can sit outside and eat, overlooking the Maumee River. There are lockers available, family restrooms (I love these!), an elevator, and fun to be had for kids of all ages. Admission prices are extremely reasonable, starting at $8.50 for ages 13 and up, $6.50 for children 3-12, $7.50 for seniors 60 and older, and free for ages two and under. This is cheaper than going to the movie theater, and so much more entertaining! I hope the word is spreading that Imagination Station is open and just as great as COSI, because I would really hate for them to close their doors again.

Bonne Anniversaire a Moi

I turned 35 last week. For some reason I can't quite put my finger on, I am always crabby on my birthday. Maybe it has something to do with my friend Cathy's reason for disliking New Year's...another year has passed...another year closer to the end of my life. I just count from birthday to birthday instead of by calendar year. Perhaps birthdays are just a depressing reminder of my own mortality, something which is never far from my thoughts. Instead, my birthday should be a time to celebrate my life. I am going to work on my attitude for next year.

For someone who is not into her birthday, I had a pretty good one. A couple days  before, some friends took me out to dinner. We had so much fun and laughed until we were given the evil eye by our waitress and thus felt compelled to leave the restaurant. I heart my friends. On the actual day of my birthday, my best friend Julie treated me to breakfast at Panera. Our big kids were in school, so we each had a baby with us...Mattie and Chloe - destined to be BFF's. Julie made me a plate of cookies and muffins to take home. She knows my weakness for sweets. My dad and step-mom came over for a visit. We ate carry-out Chinese for lunch and they brought me an absolutely decadent chocolate bump cake. It seems they also know of my weakness for sweets. Later on, my mom, mother-in-law and step-father-in-law came over too. This time we ate carry-out Culver's and my in-law's brought me another cake, an oh-so-delicious Casata cake. It was definitely a good day for eating. I had lots and lots of "Happy Birthday" messages on Facebook, a few phone calls and a couple cards in the real live mail. So really, I had no reason to be cranky on my birthday. I was spoiled and loved all day. But to be honest, I still was...a little bit.