I always say that since I have become a grandma I seem to constantly be in trouble, or at least get blamed for some happening that the kids get me involved in.
I have a rather rambunctious, curious grandson who has always kept everyone on their toes. He is sweet, fun-loving, and as I said, curious and adventuresome. Continue reading
Being a little sister is not always easy. Whenever Sandy and her girlfriends were trying things out, I wanted to try them too.
As is often the case, when I was going through this experience, it wasn’t funny. With every telling, it gets funnier and funnier. And now, it is downright hysterical. Continue reading
I’ve never been known as an awesome driver. As a matter of fact, I’ve been teased relentlessly over the years for developing ADD tendencies while behind the wheel.
This propensity to ADD while driving has its drawbacks. But sometimes I get into trouble even when I’m clearly 100% focused. like. when…backing up.
Most recently, I had a day job driving a forklift. I loaded freight onto a pallet and moved said freight to a staging area. On one fateful day, I had a “big and bulky” load of only 2 items. I was “looking alertly in the direction of movement with my body appropriately having 4 points of contact with the lift and using a wide-legged supported stance” as I maneuvered my pallet into the lane. Unfortunately, the load of boxes was blocking my ability to see the barrier rod that prevented people from entering a conveyor area. Continue reading
I started my dance “career” at age 4 by taking tap classes. I believe Mom initially got me into classes to help me overcome my shyness. Hiding under Grandma Is’s skirt was where you’d find me if anyone tried talking to me during our errands.
Now when it came time to be in dance class, my shyness disappeared. I loved being the leader of our class and getting to be the first one onto the stage during the recital. I never recall having stage fright or freezing while on stage. That never occurred to me. Continue reading
The camp cook relaxing with Eli (2005).
We were camping. It was the summer of 2005. We hadn’t yet adopted our boys. I don’t remember any men during the week. Who WAS there? Michelle just had knee surgery and was on crutches and down for the count most of the time. Grandma Doris, but was struggling with COPD and was using a power scooter. Mom was in charge of Chelle’s three kids.
I was in charge of all the cooking and beggers can’t be choosers. So I got to decide what was on the menu for the week. I chose soup. (I have a philosophy about soup that you can check out here.) So I got to decide what was on the menu for the week! Plus, everyone loves my soup and knows that I am the best soup cooker out there…you see, I have a secret ingredient that I add to my chicken soup that few people know about… Continue reading
My family doesn’t have a “favorite meal” because we have too many different tastes to contend with. When the kids were younger, this contributed to my dislike of cooking. I already hated it, but it became amplified as a parent. Continue reading
My husband was a great cook. OK, I know I’ve said this multiple times. I bring this up because I don’t remember a bad meal that he ever prepared.
To identify a favorite family meal, I’ll tell you about a meal that Michael didn’t cook and all three of us enjoyed immensely.
It was a warm, comfortable evening in Louisville, Colorado. Michael, our son Matt and I came together after we were done with work. We had been given a gift for dinner at the Melting Pot Restaurant. Matt had never been to a Melting Pot and didn’t know what to expect. Continue reading
Reflecting on what my favorite family meal Is actually makes my mouth water. Well, since I don’t love or even like the preparation of any kind of meal I like to go out to eat. And when I go out to eat I love to consume lobster. Because of the cost, it certainly cannot be considered a family meal. Call me selfish, but even though I love lobster, not everyone in my family feels the same. It’s always better to dine with friends so as not to look to my family like I am overindulging!! Continue reading
I was 25 years old when I started working at ExecuTrain as a computer trainer. I was tasked with teaching adults about how to use Windows, Microsoft products, and other such things. After working there for about 3 months, our network administrator left and my boss said, “Hey Michelle. You said you like technical things, right? Well, here’s our network. Take care of it!” Continue reading
March 20006
It’s been over a month since I’ve talked to my oldest son. Texts, messages, and chats go unanswered. His dad’s birthday has come and gone. Crickets.
Life has rarely been easy parenting Luka. We adopted him from an orphanage in Russia when he was 32 months old. The only thing we knew about his birth mother was that she was a registered alcoholic. He was a loving and sweet boy.
One of his elementary teachers noted about him, that although school was hard for him, he was the most determined and hard-working kid in her class. She was sure that that tenacity would pay off for him in the future. Continue reading
