So, it’s been a while…..a long time actually since I’ve last blogged here. I’ve been mostly blogging on Myspace……to keep up with my friends from high school, college, and some that I’ve met later in life. It’s hard keeping 2 blogs…..this one I try to write so the family can keep up with our whereabouts, as to which this summer has been everywhere, and all of the great new things Clare has been doing in life.
Let’s see…..so far since April she’s completed Preschool, which was a sad day. Now I no longer get 3 days a week of 2.5 hours quiet time! I know, I’m such a princess…..however I know it and have accepted it a long time ago. Clare was also accepted into Excel Charter Academy, and tested into Kindergarten. They were so excited to see she knew how to read….yes she can read. I was a little blaze` about it in the beginning…..but in fact she can read. She is very excited to go to school there, and come to find out she will actually know a few kids that go there….don’t know if they’ll be in the same class or not, but at least she’ll see them on the playground or at drop-off/pick-up. The Charter academy for those that don’t know is a publicly funded school that anyone can attend, however you have to fill out applications and be accepted as they only take in a certain # of kids per grade level to keep the class room numbers down. About a year and a half ago Brad had decided he’d finally listen to me and look into charter schools. GR Public isn’t that great, and I worry that she’d be bored and not challenged enough in school there. She’s a very bright kid…..and I don’t say that because she’s my kid and every parent thinks their kid is bright, but in fact I hear it over and over again daily by other parents & sometimes strangers even stop me and tell me how smart she is. The charter school is extremely diverse, the kids are their because their parents chose to put them there and are involved in their lives (not just looking for a place to drop them off 7 hours a day), and the teachers are there because the principal thinks they are good ( I have a friend that teaches in a charter school in Kzoo, and she has seen people loose their jobs because they have lost their edge in teaching). I have heard time & time again from people about GR Public’s gang problems (even Yale had supposed Gang problems and it was way the hell out in a corn field), how they are underfunded ( they are, and most do the best with what they have), and how kids fall through the cracks (kids fall through the cracks everywhere)…..the main difference with the charter school is that the parents WANT to be involved with their children and see them suceed in life and I don’t feel that every parent does that in public schools. I am greatful we are given this choice to send Clare to charter school, especially since it’s free and the only other privatesc schools we have here are of religious beliefs…..and we won’t send Clare to anything like that. I will step off my soap box now…..
In May Brad & I celebrated our 6th anniversary by heading down to K-zoo to relive the memories and eat at our favorite restaurant Food Dance. Their food, and the dessert Cat’s Meow (the chocolate is FABULOUS!) is to die for. I’d eat it as a last meal if I were in that spot. For most of the month of May and early June we traveled between my parents & Brad’s parent’s house for baby showers, bridal showers, & weekends without Clare so we could throw an awesome party for Memorial weekend. For those that don’t know Dan & Karyn are expecting their 1st baby due to arrive August 27th via C-section, and Frank & his girlfriend Cari are expecting their 1st baby due to arrive the end of this month (July). They are both girls (Frank’s baby is Olivia, and Dan’s baby is Danielle), and Clare is super excited…..as she somehow thinks she’s becoming a big sister. No matter how much we explain it…..she’s convinced, and the funny thing is she knows that they are her new baby cousins. I think she’s just excited to have 2 new baby girls to oogle over……however I don’t know how she’s going to feel about that when Christmas comes! She really got into helping me pick out shower gifts though, and every time we go shopping she finds new things for her new baby cousin’s Olivia & Danielle.
The first weekend we drove to my parent’s, dropped Clare off, had my dad take us to the air port….and we jet setted off to Phoenix for a 4 day weekend. We went with the intentions of Meghan, her sister, & I going dress shopping as her sister & I are brides maids in the wedding. Friday we flew out, Meghan picked us up, we waited for Larry to get home, and headed out for dinner. We were excited to hear they had a Thai Basil, however it’s not the same as the one we’ve been to in Denver. IT was good, but nothing to write home about. We then wen and checked out a Hookah Lounge. They had the BEST iced chai I’ve ever had. Maybe it was the flavorful fruity briquettes we were smoking (it’s all legal mom I swear!), but it was good. I’ve never smoked out of a hookah before, but it was nice. Nothing gross about it until we smoked all the flavor out of the briquettes. Larry even tried it, and that says a lot. We have a hookah lounge around the corner from us here in Eastown, I think we may try it out. On Saturday Meghan and I went to meet Jackie for dress shopping. We really didn’t find anything…..but we did find a direction to go it, and then we went to a spa for the afternoon! It was the BEST spa I’ve ever been to, it’s at http://http://www.wildhorsepassresort.com/spa-wild-horse-pass.html and called the Aji spa. We all had 1 hour massages……I wished it had lasted longer……sat in the steam room, sat in a hot tub with cold towels and cucumbers, and then had lunch by the pool….swimming before lunch of course. We then showered (using their fabulous products), and headed back to Larry & Meghan’s. Larry, Meghan, Brad, & I went out down in Tempe to a fabulous dinner at Much Gusto……it was the BEST fish burrito I’ve every had….namefully called The Big Ass Burrito. Check out this article if you ever go to AZ http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dining/articles/0223mucho23.html. Then we went down to cruise the strip and find a bar to have a bachelor/bachelorette fun time at. We didn’t find much, had some strong ass slurpies with liquor in them, and purused the shops on the strip. I think I may of successfully embarassed my little brother, as some of their shops were rather interesting…..we’ll leave it at that. Oh, earlier that night we also drove us South Mountain. It’s a mountain that looks down on Phoenix and the surrounding cities. We took some pics, they’ll be up eventually…..we have yet to get our picture gallery fixed, so I’m waiting on that. On Sunday we got up early and enjoyed the pool in the back yard. The water was warm and nice. I think we need a pool in our back yard! We had breakfast, got dressed, and then Larry drove us up to Sedona to look at the beautiful red rocks. We went up into this church that looks down out the side of a mountain…..I’m not one for churches, but this was beautiful. We also, in true Brad & Char style when gallery hopping. Their are some awesome galleries on your way into town. Downtown Sedona was a little touristy for us…..but the galleries were worth the trip. Larry even found some new places he hadn’t been to. On Monday it was back to Detroit for my dad to pick us up, back to my parents to load the car & get Clare and drive the trek home. It was a short trip, but I had fun anyway. Brad was a little bored, but we mainly went for me. I did find a dress at home, so those worried about the wedding in a few weeks have no worries!
Most of June was Cari’s baby shower, and weekends home trying to recoup from our month long weekends away from home. Clare & I spent most of our days at the parks, or doing other things around town. I also enrolled her in swim lessons, as to which she LOVES! She is such a dare devil now, as she has no fear if she can touch bottom. She even went down the slide last weekend into the pool at Brad’s aunt’s house. She’s becoming less and less afraid to try new things, which is good for me….as half the time I have to drag her into new situations a little as trying out a bouncy castle. We finally all got bikes, and a ride along for Clare to follow behind my bike…..so we’ve been on a few bike rides around town this summer.
July’s been pretty layed back so far. Last weekend we had Karyn’s babyshower, spent 6 hours in Brad’s aunt’s pool with 5-6 kids, watched fireworks, Clare had her first sleep over (we shared our sitter with our friends around the corner so 4 of us adults could go see G Love & Special Sauce…..it was an awesome show), and currently Clare is spending a week and a half with my parents. This year with all the family stuff going on we decided to not go out to CO, but my mom still wanted her for a week…..so away she went. They have a ton of stuff planned for her…..the zoo, the country fair, swimming at Uncle Frank & Aunt Cari’s, Chuck E Cheese, and God knows what else. She’ll be so tired when she gets home, but in the meantime I get to enjoy some peace. Brad is taking a few days off for his birthday, so maybe we’ll go do something. Last night we went out for dinner/drinks, and then to see Harry Potter. It was good, not great, but good. I’m a completest in just about every sense. I have to complete things I’ve started once I get into them. I can’t stop cleaning unless the entire room or floor of the house is done, I can’t stop writing a blog if I’m not done, I can’t stop doing bills if that’s what I’ve started. I think it’s part of my OCD that seems to take me over sometimes. I’ve become more laxed in the past few years, as I can’t CONTROL everything I want to. It sucks, but I have to let go.
Next month we have Larry & Meghan’s wedding. Clare is super excited as she gets to be a flower girl, and I will be a bridesmaid….so we get to get dressed up. I just can’t wait to be there to see them get married…..it’s about time! I’m also excited to have Meghan as my official sister-in-law. I wished we lived closer, as I know we’d hang out all the time. I wish we lived closer to Brad’s brother Dan and his wife Karyn too…..we used to hang out all the time, but as with the beginning of having kids…..having older kids involved in everything….and trying to take care of the houses we’ve started it doesn’t work so well. Anyway, I think I will finally bring this blog to a close. It’s long enough, and those that read it hopefully enjoy it. I think today Brad & I are off to see Pirates of the Carribean…..I know it’s been out for like a month, it’s hard to go out to the movies with all the family stuff going on and not being able to get a babysitter. In some ways I can’t wait for after Labor day…..maybe I’ll be able to stay home for a month!
