Jack

Give Jack a camera and the freedom to take self-portraits...endless entertainment. Never a dull moment. 

Baby Genius

If someday in the near future - Josie completes her first SuDoku puzzle and is deemed a Baby Genius…please don't leak this picture to the media. Just let her enjoy her 15 minutes of fame and an interview with Matt Lauer.

I'll give you ONE guess as to who bought Josie this DePauw cheerleading t-shirt. If you guessed Grandma Nancy - you are correct.

We are sending positive thoughts and prayers to my Aunt Debbie this week. She is dealing with some health concerns and we hope she starts feeling better soon. We love you!! XOXO

Raptors

I lured Tyson and his cousin, Blake, to the Leslie Science & Nature Center (LSNC) on Saturday by telling them we would see some "raptors." They were expecting dinosaurs. (not really) I was as giddying as a kid on Christmas, because I knew the LSNC has a Peregrine Falcon…and you know how I love my falcons!

There she is - the falcon! She was cleaning her feathers. She's amazing. She was bred for the sport of falconry, but couldn't cut it as a hunter. Since she was considered "tame" she couldn't be released back into the wild. She now lives full-time at the LSCN and is used for educational purposes. She lives with a few different types of owls, hawks, vultures, and eagle. There was also a critter house - with bearded lizards (pictured above), turtles, frogs, snakes, an iguana, some rabbits, and a salamander.

It was a really fun morning! Glad we could spend some time with Blake and Nuala!

 Jack, Josie, and their 2nd cousin - Nuala.

Nuala kept Jack in line.

After seeing the animals and birds - we found a couple large hills to wear the kids out on. They ran up and down them…then the adults ran up and down them (not in the plan). By the time we were ready to leave, everyone was ready for a nap.

But - Josie gave me a few slaps on my face to help wake me up… Thanks, Jos!

Happy 1st Anniversary - Devin & Kristin!

Today is Devin & Kristin's ONE Year Anniversary! Remember our visit to Idaho last summer for their beautiful wedding? Well, we are sending them big hugs and a HUGE congrats for "surviving" their first married year! They say the first year is the hardest...but I think "they" are lying. Add a few kids and a few moves...that's when things get interesting. 

We sent them some Anniversary mail...but Idaho is far away and we hear the Pony Express runs slowly out there, so there is no telling when they will get it.

Mail has been a top priority for Jack and Josie lately! We have a mailbox at the end of our street and they have enjoyed taking walks to send some "love notes" to friends and family!

Look at that artwork! Wonder what special lady will be getting that card???

Phases

It's true that kids go through phases for just about everything.: eating, sleeping, talking, toys, etc. Jack is neck deep in Three Year Old phases that include: tantrums, the word "poopy", and blowing raspberries at people. He did that to an older lady at the grocery store the other day. She wasn't amused. And he's lucky we were in public. I was about to come unhinged.

People see Jack and think he's "very busy." No doubt - he is! But he's also a boy. And when I see him with other boys his age, I realize he is JUST like them. As a mom I have to find the humor in situations, find the patience to pick my battles, and find the best way to discipline. Being a mom is hard.

Josie is in this phase:

Let's hope she gets it out of her system before she's 13 or she won't be allowed out of the house.

Miss Prima Donna

This is how Josie walked down the street today.  She thinks she is pretty cool - wearing her mommy's sunglasses. Good News: It's Friday! And we have beer in the fridge. Cheers!

Oh Brother

 Josie learned a valuable lesson yesterday at the park: Riding a GIANT BEE is fun! But...

It's even BETTER with a brother!

Our adventure to the local Ann Arbor park was interesting. I knew I was back in Michigan when I walked into the park and saw a congregation of new moms breastfeeding together while their older children played. Sadly, I'm not breastfeeding at the moment, or I would have joined them. I give this state credit - above all else - OB's and pediatricians do an amazing job giving new moms the resources and courage and help needed to breastfeed successfully. Bravo, Michigan.

We were also at the park with a bunch of summer day campers. As a teacher, I can deal just fine with kids running around crazy, in all directions. However, one kid in the sandbox not only got my teacher LOOK, but my teacher VOICE! Unprovoked - he walked up to Josie and pushed her down in the sand. I immediately stepped in with my best evil eye and serious tone. He knew I meant business. And quite honestly - he's lucky I got to him before Josie could. The girl was on a mission for retaliation. Don't mess with the Jack's "little sister", kid. She knows how to defend herself.

{sidenote: I say "little sister" because she's not really little. She weighs almost as much as her big brother - which, again, is why she's so great at defending herself}

Roly Poly Bugs

Yesterday I showed Jack how to catch roly poly bugs and he's obsessed. He loved watching them crawl all over his arms. Josie wasn't a fan.

Laking It Lately

We have closed on the Fort Wayne house. A beer was necessary afterward - and I can tell you it wasn't for celebratory purposes. Strictly medicinal. Glad that is behind us.

After a dentist appointment on Thursday we waved goodbye to our La Petite (daycare) friends and headed north (again).  On Friday Tyson and I had the inspection on the home we are buying in Northville. Grandma Nancy was kind enough to schedule a couple days off work for the Ann Arbor Art Fair and babysitting. The inspection went great! We are excited to get our things moved in mid-August!

After the inspection - we were lake bound!

The kids were able to catch up on some reading at the Lake - always a good thing! We also played outside a lot and watched some movies! Favorites lately: Silver Lining's Playbook, Pitch Perfect, and Hotel Transylvania (for the kids).

This morning we were up early and headed over to Plymouth for the annual Clevenger Family Summer Get-Together. Jack had a BLAST with Ada (not pictured), Owen, and Elliott.

Jack was brave and tried out tubing! Not surprising: he LOVED it. He is such a thrill seeker.

Miss Josie had fun playing in the lake. She was a fish most of the afternoon. She did take a juice break with Grandma Shirlee…but then it was right back to the water.

We are back in Ann Arbor - until further notice. Looking forward to some stability, since I'm pretty sure my kids have NO IDEA where we are going when we tell them we are "going home."

Adios FW

 This was our last family photo at 1502 Sweet Flag. Kind of sad. Tyson and I did not plan to wear matching green shirts, by the way. The kids and I will head back to FW Wednesday for closing and a final dentist appt. Then we are officially non-homeowners for 30 days…until we embark on this craziness yet again.

And I had to share this picture of Jack from last night.  As you know we are "renting" from our DPU friends who live in Ann Arbor. Well, they have a "library" with tons of books. Last night Jack said he needed to get a book and went into the library to pick one out. He came back with President Obama's book: The Audacity of Hope. I had to chuckle…as I know this will be a picture his grandparents will want to display proudly. {not really} I told him I'd read it to him later and we opted for a Clifford book instead.

Home Sweet Home (again)

Well - it didn't take us long to be "homeless" and find new house. We found this house "For Sale By Owner". Our agent got Tyson a walk-thru on Thurs night. I walked through it with the kids on Friday morning and our offer was accepted this afternoon.

It's in Northville - in a VERY family friendly neighborhood. We were happy to see a lot of kiddos Jack & Josie's age! It's about 30 minutes from Tyson's work, 20 minutes from Ann Arbor, a hour and a half from the Lake House, 2hr 15min from Fort Wayne, 3 hours from Warsaw, and a LONG flight from Moscow, ID {no change there}.

The best part - it has a COMMUNITY pool & playground! No cleaning a pool or paying an insane amount of money for upkeep. (SCORE!) The pool is 7 houses down and we will be there often.

Pending inspection - we will close August 15th and move in on August 16th! So cheers to another home - where we plan to live for a while. A long while…

Details:
4 Bed
3 Full Baths
3 Half Baths
Finished Basement
3200 Sq Ft (upstairs)
1000 Sq Ft (basement)

Plenty of room for visitors!

Playing in Our Jammies

 Josie shops in style. 

These pictures were taken on Saturday morning - while we waited on Tyson to come home with coffee and breakfast. I'm still convinced someone needs to invent a jump-a-too device for toddlers. Jack would gladly test it out!

On the Move

I will not apologize for my lack of blogging. It is a miracle that I currently have my sanity, so let's all hope it lasts through the next few days.

Today was Day #1 of Operation Pack Da House. We have three very nice men here from the Metro Detroit area packing everything {and I do mean EVERYTHING}. Bless them - for I do not have the patience or mental stability to do their job. Honestly, I wouldn't last one day as a mover. It is my personal hell…which is shocking considering how many times we've moved.

Let's re-cap:

May 2004: Kady & Tyson graduate from DePauw. Kady MOVES home. Tyson MOVES to an apartment in Cleveland.

January 2005: Kady & Tyson get engaged. Live in Guatemala for 3 months.

April 2005: Kady MOVES to Cleveland to be with Tyson (in a shared apartment).

June 2005: Kady & Tyson MOVE to an apartment in a shady area of Cleveland Heights. Cooper is adopted.

April 2006: Kady & Tyson MOVE to Indianapolis and Bloomington to pursue Master degrees.

May 2007: Kady & Tyson live in Northville, MI for the summer while Tyson interns with OnStar.

August 2007: Kady MOVES to Bloomington to live with Tyson for his 2nd year of his MBA.

June 2008: Tyson graduates from IU - Kady & Tyson MOVE to Royal Oak, MI. Tucker is adopted in July. Jack arrives in January 2010, Josie in November 2011. (Woohoo! 3+ years in ONE place!!)

January 2012: The Beckers MOVE to Warsaw, IN for 2 months.

March 2012: The Beckers MOVE to Fort Wayne, IN.

July 2013: The Beckers MOVE to Metro Detroit {again} - currently homeless.

Lord help me if we move in again in the next 5 years. Actually, Lord help Tyson. He'll need it.

Fun minus Sun

On Friday I mentioned that we were heading to Lake George for some fun & sun. Turns out there was less SUN than we'd hoped. Our best weather was Friday night and I'm glad we took an evening boat ride!

The kids were SO happy to be back with their daddy.

Jack was our captain for the night. Only 11 more years until he can get his boating permit.

Luckily, the weather is always decent for baseball - which we played a lot of...A LOT.

And Tucker didn't care about the lack of sunshine. He is always willing to go swimming. Always. He lives for the lake.

And we aren't ever officially "home" until we've visited the local Urgent Care. So we left the lake a little early Sunday to take Josie to an Urgent Care in Ann Arbor. She has been wheezy and hoarse. Saturday night Tyson and I were SO close to taking her to the E.R. I'm glad we waited. After a chest X-Ray, she was diagnosed with croup and the early stages of pneumonia. She's on a steroid for her lungs and an antibiotic for the croup.

Even when she's sick - she's still happy.