A Little Whine and Cheese

Because everything is better with cheese. . .

Gold Stars November 7, 2009

Filed under: Gold Stars — Sars @ 5:18 pm

Whine: This morning I managed the impossible: I took a shower, styled my hair and applied makeup (not in the car!) and was running on time to a birthday party. Then I found the glob of pink toothpaste in my hair.

Cheese: At least I found the toothpaste before I left the house. . . .

I’m giving out a few Gold Stars today, complete with pictures!

1. To Grandma Pam. For making the cutest Halloween costumes EVER! For handbraiding every strand of Lil’ Sis’ horsey mane (and tail). For choosing the sweetest red yarn to sew into Big Sis’ cowgirl hat, so that Big Sis could think she was Jesse from Toy Story 2. And for overnighting the costumes here so we’d have them in time for our many, many parties!!

Click to play this Smilebox scrapbook: Soule Halloween 2009
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2. To my friend and former roomie, Heather. (This one is quite overdue!) For hosting me and my two wild, barfing, pants-peeing, trouble starters in her home for five days. Our trip to Wheaton wouldn’t have been the same without her unflagging hospitality (and her washer/dryer.) Her boys, the same age as my girls, were sweet and funny. Especially when Big Bro was kind enough to play with Big Sis’ princess dolls (don’t you know his dad loved that) and said to her during one of her melt downs “Don’t panic, just talk to me.” (He’s four.)  Big Sis kept calling him the “THAT Caleb” (in contrast with the one from school), but by the time we got home she was calling him “that NICE Caleb.” Awwwwww. (Sorry the picture is so small. I’m an idiot.)

heather and boys

My Roomie and Her Boys

 3. Mr. Dad. For giving me the night off last night for some looooonnnnggg overdue girl time. Dinner, shopping, AND a movie? I had so much fun that I felt a little guilty. For taking the girls to Chuck-E-Cheese while I was gone. For not being mad when I came home (pretty late) with a, ahem, souvenier from my shopping. For keeping his eyes open well after midnight to listen to me recount every detail of my evening, then recounting every detail of his trip to Chuck-E-Cheese. And then for getting up early with Big Sis this morning. He’s a keeper, folks.

David and Me

Look! A Picture with No Kids!

 

4. To my friends out there. For staying on the road, even when it’s bumpy. For being transparent, even when it would be easier to pretend. For walking through the sad places of life and still choosing to mix joy with the tears. For sharing with me your broken places and helping to heal mine. For hoping in the One who gives instead of in what you can get. I send out my love to and prayers for you today.  

 

P.S. Stay tuned. Look for another post on Tuesday morning!

 

Gold Stars June 8, 2009

Filed under: Family, Gold Stars — Sars @ 11:04 am
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Whine: Big Sis and I are currently in the middle of an intense round of Potty Survivor, trying to determine who will, in fact, Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast. She’s been sitting there for 45 minutes now, not going.

Cheese: I got my laptop fixed so I no longer have to keep the power cord twisted in a perfect sailors knot in order for it to charge. Which means that I can write this from the floor of the hallway next to the bathroom while I wait for my million dollar prize (or just a filled-up potty.)

 

In case you were wondering and thought I had been devoured by wild bears, I have not. I actually was on a trip to see my family in Michigan. The trip was fun and fabulous, but also exhausting and more exhausting. We had such a great time, I wanted to give out few Gold Stars from the trip.

 

1. To my littlest Sis, Laura, who is now Dr. Laura. Although I am not surprised that you graduated from medical school, I am still incredibly awed and proud. You amaze me and I love you.

2. To my other Sisters. For sharing your clothes with me (still), for going along with my hair-brained schemes (like cake decorating and flower wrapping) and for pacing the aisles of the grocery store with me for a really loooooooong time. And for being terrific Aunties to my kiddos.

3. To my Aunt Linnaea (and Uncle Chris,too). I shouldn’t have been surprised to discover our many common bonds, but it was fun to bond over itineraries and leftover cake anyway. Thank you for sleeping in your camper so that we could have your bedroom. Now that’s what I call love.

4. To Mom and Sir. Thanks for sponsoring the party and for enjoying it. Thanks for flying up here with me, Mom, even though it almost killed us both. Thanks for heading up this crazy family.

5. To G&G. For wonderful backseat driving, perfect apple pies and lots of baby snuggling. I love having you in my life and my kids’ lives.

6. To Dad and Pam. For a lovely 48 hours. For the fun zoo trip (albeit a cold and rainy one). For picking asparagus and rhubarb from the backyard and serving it for dinner. For letting us invade your house and lives, even for just a little while.

7. To my Cousins. For hanging out. For hugs on the rug. For making sure we had what we needed, including Diet Coke. For having cute kids. For donuts and coffee and a ride home.

8. To the Nieces and Nephews. You are really cute kids. And my really cute kids happen to think that you guys are terrific. Because you are. Thanks for being sweet and fun and kind and adorable. We miss you already.

9. To the Really Nice Lady working at the Citgo in Kalamazoo at 2 in the morning. For letting me use your cell phone because mine was dead and I was lost in the middle of the night with two kids in the back seat. You were certainly an answer to a desperate, freaked-out prayer.

10. To Mr. Dad. For making the trip up, even though you could only come for less than two days. For all you do to make my life easier (I sure notice it A LOT when you’re not around) like diaper changing, kid entertaining and (yuck!) pest control. For waiting patiently when I get lost in a book (or two, or three) until I am ready to re-enter the outside world again. You are a really nice guy. Except when you force me to eat or sleep or interact with people. Then you are a big jerk. But I suppose I love you anyway.

 

Of course I could give out Gold Stars all day long, and I know this is not an exhaustive list, but the Great Potty Standoff is over (for now) and Big Sis just used a Clorox wipe instead of a Baby wipe, so I’d better go before her skin falls off. . .

 

Gold Stars: Thanksgiving Edition November 27, 2008

Filed under: Gold Stars — Sars @ 3:44 pm
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Whine: No whine today. Gave my sommelier the day off.

Cheese: Sweet potatoes. Pie. Green bean casserole. Pie. Ham. Pie. Mashed potatoes. Pie. Turkey. Pie.

 

In honor of Thanksgivng, the gold stars today go to the things and people for which I am very thankful.

The gold stars today go to:

1. Clairol. For ten-dollar hair-highlighting kits. Because everyone thinks I’m a blonde. And an extra-special gold star to my sister-in-law, who punched 134 little holes in the cap and pulled my hair through each and every hole, all while two crabby babies gnawed at her ankles.

2. Toyota. For making a car that refuses to lock when the keys are in the ignition. Not that I would know anything about that.

3. My beloved family, friends, and readers. Without you there’d really be no point–to blogging or to living.  And aren’t they the same thing?

4. ABC. For bringing Scrubs back. I can’t hardly wait for January 6.

5. Campbell’s Soup. For inventing green bean casserole. Enough said.

6. Mr. Dad. For everything. For making chocolate milk for me when I could just as easily make it myself. For not being too mad when I wake him in the middle of the night because I can’t sleep. For giving me two little sweeties and loving them as much as I do.

7. Lil’ Sis. For giggles. For slobbery kisses. For “So Big!”

8. Big Sis. For being the wittiest person I know. For curiosity. For love. For teaching me how to pray.

9. Naps. For allowing me to deal with numbers 7 and 8 above.

10. God. For always giving me  his unfailing love–the only gold star I really need.

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

 

Gold Stars (Volume 1) October 29, 2008

Filed under: Gold Stars — Sars @ 12:08 am
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Whine: We had to go up to the local children’s hospital today to visit our niece Avery (heretofore referred to as “Ave the Brave”) who was undergoing a few exploratory procedures. Poor Aves.

Cheese: Two Words–Taco Tuesday 

 

This is my first installment of what I hope will become a fixture here at Whine and Cheese: Gold Stars. Being a teacher at heart, I find the gold star a perfect way to say “Way to Go!” or “Thanks!” This first edition is far from exhaustive, I’m just going with things that stood out today. So if you didn’t make the list today, be patient, there are plenty of Gold Stars to go around. 

And the gold stars go to. . . .

1) Aves the Brave. One tough seven-month-old cookie. She’s got tubes up her nose and down her throat, and little arm braces (picture the kid from A Christmas Story in his snowsuit) to keep her from ripping out important pieces of medical equipment. Yet she was still smiling, sweet and giving running commentary about most everything.

2) My pastor and my church. For praying for and caring about a little baby you’ve never met. For sending follow-up emails to see how she’s doing. Your prayers mattered a lot to God and to us. 

3) Friends who send grammatically-correct text messages. I love getting texts where you spell out words like earth-shattering or hyperventilate. Because nothing says you care like appropriate punctuation.

That’s all for tonight, folks, I’m one tired Mama.