My Starbucks Knock-Off

I don't know if anyone has been in Starbucks this holiday season, but they have the coolest decorations.





I curse those merchandising people in Seattle, because they know their clientele, and know what will touch the heartstrings, and make everyone swoon in joy (and I am not just talking about the decorations - I can't forget the Cinnamon Dolce Latte)





But miss Kara, of Inspired by Kara, came up with a step by step process for making the lovely yarn wreath of 2008.





So I decided to make one of my own for my mom. She is a yarn nut (in case you haven't seen my socks or my hats, you will just have to trust me on this one.) So I thought I would help add to her Christmas Decor.





Here is my finished result...

I think it turned out okay.....

Happy New Year, everyone!

Happy New Year!

I completely skipped Christmas. For this, I apologize.

And it has been pretty exciting here. I mean, the big guy stopped by and all, so I should have plenty to share.

Over the past several weeks, however, I have learned some very important things....

• The Kansas City Cheifs are a HORRIBLE football team......


• I don't really like football (Scratch that, I already knew that)


• I am addicted to the internet


• My daughter is a fudgeaholic.

Yes, I am now able to admit, I am raising a daughter who is addicted to chocolate. All along, I knew she would have to pick her path.......would she follow her father, who is into all things salty? Or did she inherit her mother's insatiable sweet tooth?

Like mother, like daugther......

I think in the past two weeks, she has eaten an entire 8 x 8 pan of fudge herself. I, being the sweet, kind, mother I am, I enabled her. And told myself it was Christmas, and all part of the experience.

I finally determined we had a problem when we got home from the grocery store yesterday afternoon, and I had to inform her that the last of the fudge was gone....

She still tried.....

I couldn't wait

I got tagged by Sara, and although I thought I would wait to see what my computer held, I thought I would do a little digging and see what my mom's computer held for pictures.

This is fun :)

Instructions:

1. Open up the 4th folder in your "My Pictures" location.
2. Select the 4th picture
3. Post said picture
4. Explain
5. Notepad your account (oh wait, crap, I am not at work......)

Anyway, here is the picture..

.
Over the past few years, my mom has been perfecting the art of cake decorating. The best part of decorating cakes is the frosting (at least in the opinion of most. Myself, I like the cake.)

Jaina, however, falls into the norm, and LOVES frosting. I can't even explain to you how much she loves frosting.

In this picture, Grandma and I are working on decorating her cake for her 2nd birthday, and she is reaping the benefits of the frosting making.

The part you don't see, is that we have a picture of me doing the exact.same.thing when I was 2. That picture, of course, is not digital.... :)

Stone Soup

Yes, it has been a while.

It may be hard to believe, but life is not that exciting with a four year old........right?

Don't get me wrong, she says a lot of hysterical things. But usually too fast, and too many to be documented in one sitting.

Today, we had Stone Soup at pre-school. I wish I could tell you what stone soup is, but we never heard the story. Evidentially, it has to do with pilgrims, soup, and soldiers. I heard it is a complex story for four-year-olds. But the soup is pretty tasty.

So, we watched our "pilgrims" sing five songs, and then we got to have Stone soup? And let me tell you, all of the adults LOVED it, and all of the kids.....not so much. Must have had something to do with the vegetables.

Here we are at stone soup....

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Patch 2008

I LOVE fall.

There are so many great colors, and great weather, and it lasts a full week in our neck of the woods. :)

But every year, I love to take Jaina to a pumpkin patch. And I go crazy taking pictures.

This year, we went to a pumpkin patch about a half-hour outside of Des Moines (Cambridge, Iowa, to be exact). We were visiting my parents, and while we were there, decided to check out the local patches.

Wow, have pumpkin patches come a long way since I was a kid. Instead of tromping through the mud being a requirement, it is now a privilege. Along with corn pools, petting zoos, apple slingshots, and pumpkin catapults. These places have it all (and charge you to go see it).

And here are the pictures to prove it...

Disclaimer: In looking back at previous posts, I have noticed a recurring theme of a multi-colored striped shirt. Let me assure you that Jaina does indeed own other clothes, and even frequently wears them. Her mother has a fondness for this shirt, and without any thought, tends to put it on her daughter whenever pictures may be taken. Now that fall is coming, you are sure to see additional outfits, I promise.

Bombs Away! (at the apple slingshot)

On the jumping pillow (don't ask)

In the corn pool

And of course, the pumpkin patch.

Happy Autumn, everyone.

Future Profession

Sometimes, I like to imagine what Jaina will be when she grows up.......

A world class basketball player? (Hmmm, maybe, but she wasn't exactly blessed with height)

A world renowned doctor? (Hmm, a possibility, unless she faints at needles like her mother...)

An oscar winning actress (This is actually a real possibility, especially if you have met her :))

But, after this weekend, at the old school house in Cambridge, Iowa, I think we found her true future profession.......

Like so many Groens before her.....

"Please write what I have on the board."

"One more word out of you...."

And if that wasn't enough to seal the deal. She has already inherited........ the look.

Oh yeah, she is going to teach young minds. Mark my words.

Sincerely, 404 South Randall

Dear City of Rock Rapids,

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of the miraculous changes I have noticed in my neighborhood over the last several days.

I never really did enjoy the peace and quiet here on Randall Street. I was always looking for something, more, invigorating. And you answered.

I always thought that driveways were pretty useless, anyway. I mean, why park in the driveway when you can park in the backyard.

But I really want to thank you for the gift of grass. The new grass I will now have to place in my yard that was dug up. I realize that I don't actually own the land between the sidewalk and the street (I just have to mow it), but I didn't realize that I would also receive an extra present on my yard. Thanks for the extra trench. Maybe it will help with water drainage?

And my neighbors would like to thank you for the new lawn furniture.

But most of all, I would like to thank you for the bill. Only $4,000! Oh, you are too kind.

Sincerely,

Erica Groen

Does this end?

The lack of communication between myself and my daughter?



Me: Hi Honey, how was school today?



J: Fine



Me: What did you do today?



J: I don't know (followed by shrug)



Me: Did you sing?



J: Yes.



Me: Can you teach me a song?



J: N0, not without my teacher.



I hear this doesn't change as she gets older. Great.



On a lighter note, I think I found my new exercise video.



And you thought Sweatin to the Oldies was bad....



Happy Labor Day!

First Day of School

Yesterday was Jaina's first day of school.

The only one who was not excited was Mom. See... Dad's excited (Yes, this IS his excited face)...

Jaina was excited (Not her most convincing excited fact :).....

Mom was anxious, and not at all excited....

It seems too soon. It seems I was just cradling her, watching diving on the Olympics, and wondering if I would ever sleep again. Oh wait, that was four years ago....

And it started to show. On Sunday, for some strange reason, I could NOT stop tearing up. I would look at her, and cry. Mike would try to console me, and I'd cry. I came up with every reason in the book (because I just KNOW that she is going to get lost wandering around the school, and then some creepy person will come snag her,) to determine why she shouldn't go.

Jaina would hug me, and say "It's okay, Mom, I won't let you down." I cried harder.

But, once I tucked Jaina into bed, that is when I had to pull myself together. If for no other reason, I had started to scare her. Suddenly, she felt she was too little to go to pre-school, what if kids were mean to her? What if she got left when the daycare bus took off? And what about that dreaded red light?

I had to stop myself right there. Erica, you have got to pull yourself together.

So preshool, here we come...

After walking to school with one of her best buddies, we realized that Mrs. P had already decorated her locker to celebrate Jaina's birthday! What fun!

And to add to it, we brought treats!

How could pre-school be so bad?

And once I saw the lines (Mike had consoled me by indicating that pre-schoolers NEVER go anywhere alone, and always in a line), I took a deep breath, kissed Jaina good bye, glanced one more time down the hall. And left. And then I went shopping.

So, all in all, it was a good day. :)

My baby is four......

I have exited Toddlerhood.....

Which means I will have to change the description on my blog. Bummer.

Jaina turned the big 0-4 this weekend. And she won't hesitate to tell you about a moment of it.

For months, all we have been talking about is when she turns four, she will get to play on the computer at Kid's Club, she will be able to go to school, and in general, will be a big girl.

So, of course, she partied like a rockstar.

On Saturday, she had her birthday party with the family. Grandma & Grandpa Willer, Grandma & Grandpa Groen, Auntie Sara, Uncle Justin, Baby Leo (who is turning into a little boy more all the time) Auntie Mindy, and Auntie Jodi were all there to celebrate the big event. (Unfortunately, in the world of medicine, someone always has to be on call. This weekend, it happened to be Auntie Alayna, or else she & Uncle Chris would have been there too.)

First..... Grandma Judy & I made the cake.....

Then.... Mommy got creative with some cupcakes......

And then, it was party time!

We did the cake first. (because, in NW Iowa, when it doubt about what to do, you eat. Although I don't think that is limited to NW Iowa. :))

We sang..........

And she blew out the candles...... and blew....... and blew........ :)

And then the presents. Jaina made a HAUL. Good thing I went through some old toys last week, because we needed to make some room.

She got a truck from Auntie Sara (for more on this story, click here)

Barbies and game from Aunties Mindy & Jodi......

And a dolly and cradle from Grandma & Grandpa Willer......

A CD player from Grandma & Grandpa Groen....

And games from Mom & Dad!

Whew! We should be set for a while.

Happy Birthday Baby, I can't wait to see what this year will bring....

What's in a name?

Evidently, a lot. A lot of freaky science fiction.

So, back when I was pregnant (which, was four years ago), Mike and I would frequently go back and forth about what to name our unborn child.

Early on, he mentioned the name Jaina to me, and explained how to spell it. (Previously, I had only heard the name once, and it had been spelled with a y instead of an i.) So I asked him where he got it. Turns out, he got it from a book.

And now you all get to learn the Groen's deep dark secret? What is the name of said book where Jaina's name came from?

It is Star Wars.

If you follow the Star Wars story (after episodes 4, 5, and 6, that is), Han Solo and Leia Organa (Skywalker) fall in love and get married (that is not a surprise.) They proceed to have twins.

Any guess as to the names? That's right, Jaina & Jacen. And odd, Mike's other suggestion for a boys' name was none other than Jacen. Hmmm. (In case you care, they named their third child Anakin, after Leia's twisted, self-absorbed, diabolical father, aka Darth Vader)

So tonight, I decided, how many Jaina's are there? So I googled her name. Turns out, there aren't that many. But there is a LOT Of information on her namesake, who albeit fake, has quite a life story.

Jaina's first light saber?

So, for those of you who are fans of Star Wars, I can no longer call you geeks. I am one of you....


But hey, at least it looks like I have the force with me......always.

Nah, it's just a bracelet

4th of July

I know this is almost two weeks late....

But man, summer is exhausting.....

Our 4th of July was BUSY. We went to Pella to see Grandma and Grandpa Willer, and of course, play with the kitties.

When I was growing up in Pella, 4th of July was nothing special. My, how times have changed. They have a parade, a fishing derby, pony rides, bullfrog races, carnival games, and of course Chinese food (what could be more American?)

And, for the first time EVER, Jaina sat through the fireworks. For two out of the last three years, I have been dragging her kicking and screaming from a fireworks display. Not this year. This year, they were beautiful, each and every one.

Ready for her close-up?

Another momentous occasion in our household.....

Jaina went to Bible school for the first time. And survivied.


I know this is a trial run for this fall, when I send her to pre-school (Yikes!)





During the second week of June, Jaina attended "Power Lab: Discovering Jesus' miraculous power" at Hope Reformed Church in George. (G'ma & G'pa Groen's church) She only needed to be three to attend.


Needless to say, she loved it. She got her own set of goggles, a lab coat, and learned numerous songs. On Sunday morning, after the long week, she performed in the program to show us what she had been working on all week.

She enjoyed herself immensely.....

In fact, you may say she stole the show

At first, she was pretty reserved (for Jaina, that is). She sang the songs, did the actions, and participated, well, normally. Then she started to warm up.


Throughout the program, they had a lot of spotlight dramas, which were powerpoint presentations that showed pictures of the kids during the week performing different bible stories. After about the third drama, when it was dead quiet, our little performer suddenly blurted out..... "That was a GREAT spotlight drama!"


Of course, everyone thought this was hysterical. Which only egged our little ham on more. (Hee hee, I just used eggs and ham in the same sentence, and wasn't speaking about food. )


Anyway, where was I? Oh right, a little later, a "professor" in the play said, "Jesus makes you strong, he makes you brave, and by beleiving in Jesus, you can live forever!"


Again, dead silence. Then, "That is a WONDERFUL power to have!"


Again, laughter.


And finally, at the end of the last spotlight drama "That was a PERFECT spotlight drama!"


Yes, she will be here all week.......

Mama's retirement plan

Who needs 401K? (Which, by the way, is tanking, thank you very much.)

I have a future LPGA tour star in my midst.

Last week, while daddy was on his boys' only fishing trip, Jaina & I took little excursion to the golf course. The goal was to get pictures, not really to golf. However, people look at you funny if you just drive around in a golf course. So we hit some balls too.

I wanted to try to make Mike something really cool for Father's Day, but I couldn't pick just one.

What do you think?

Not quite the same.......

So, yesterday, we went to the hopping, never dull lively Tulip Festival in Orange City. I have to admit, every year, when it comes up, I secretly pray that no one asks us to go. I have a strong loyalty to Pella, and therefore, is it traitorous to go to another town's Tulip Festival?

The day was beautiful, and I had missed Pella's this year, so of course, I missed all of the food, so, with trepidation in my heart, we went. Better than sitting in our basement watching Mike play Wii all day, anyway.

It was a beautiful day, but it is not the same.....

The tulips were fabulous....

The parade was fine.......

(These are Mike's cousins, by the way, not some random people I took pictures of during the parade :))

And the food was pretty good.......

Slight tangent here. When I told Mike that I thought we should go, his first comment was "I am only going if I get to eat Poffertjes." Poffer - what? I will explain for those of you out there unaware of the this delectable treat.

Poffertjes are heavenly, sweet, fat filled pieces of goodness, that make any Dutch girl happy. And evidentially, the make German boys happy too. And little daughter of said Dutch girl andGerman boy. We managed to eat at least three platters in one afternoon. I am fully convinced that God will have Poffertjes in Heaven.

The heavenly treat....

Jaina enjoying herself with the "little pancakes"

However, I need to tell you, in Pella, you can get them with strawberries and whipped cream. This is something that I need to point out.

And, of course, Jaina had to stand in front of tulips, again. But this time, without the dress. Which, I guess is a good thing. Yesterday, I told her we were going to the Tulip Festival, but that, unfortunately, we would not be able to wear her dress, because it is with Grandma Judy in Pella. Her response, "That's okay, because if I did have to wear the dress, we would have a problem."

So, it was an enjoyable day. But at the end of the day, I would still pick Pella. Ask Mike's cousins, I am sure they would always pick the OC. :)

This one is my favorite....

Mother's Day, 2008

This year marks my fourth Mother's Day. It is hard to believe that it is possible that I have experienced four Mother's Day's already, but it is true.





But really, can you resist being a mother to this?




And, as of late, I have learned so many new words and phrasese from the princess above. Some examples:

• Mix Up: This is what we call it when a) we get to eat breakfast before getting dressed in the morning, OR b) we get to wear sandals without any socks. Either way, it sounds like any time that we do something out of "routine," it will officially be a mix up.
• Reg Out: When it is time to leave a store, and check out our belonging, we need to "Reg Out." We didn't get this one at first, but now, since it is in every store, we started to get the picture.
• Propala: I am not sure of the spelling of this one, and it just happened tonight. On the way to Sioux Falls, she took off her sandals (which yes, we did Mix up to put on), and took the straps out. When she was showing me how to put the straps back in, she said that this means to "propala." It also means to fasten two straps on your sandals at the same time. How versatile.

I will keep you posted on any new words added to the JG Dictionary of Toddlerhood.

Congratulations Aunt Jodi!

Yes, you heard it here....

The fourth and final Groen child is out of college. Flew the coop, as you may say.

Well, technically, she hasn't flown the coop, and still lives in the coop. But it is fun to use the expression.

On May 10, 2008, Aunt Jodi walked the hallowed halls of Northwestern for the final time. (That is sarcasm for any of you who have actually seen the hallowed halls of NWC. Graduation is in the student center, with many tarps hanging from the ceiling.)

I wanted to give Jodi a shout out....

CONGRATULATIONS!

May your future be merry and bright!

And, because I am in the know...... your student loans are due. :)

Obviously....

Sorry it has been a while, what can I say, everything and nothing happens at the same time.

Jaina and I are both finally feeling better after getting what seems like the nastiest cold on the planet. Mine started over the weekend, but I kept trying to convince myself that it was allergies. Finally, after speaking with my mother, she convinced me that just by the sound of my voice, she could tell it was a cold. Eerie.

So, yesterday, J and I spent the day at home, trying to rest. I say trying lightly, because although I would have been more than eager to rest, sleep, and watch movies all day, 3 -year olds are not so willing to be, how do you say it, lazy.

So, in the afternoon, we finally had to get out of the house. We went to the park, just to run off some energy. And then we went to the store. And then we went inside and played some more.

I was halfway tempted to take another day off today, just to relax from yesterday. But, we both went back to work, day care, and school today.

However, I have a slightly humerous story about last night. Jaina and I were playing Wii (which is a miracle in itself, but since Mike was at a golf meet, we actually got a turn :)) Jaina settled on playing golf, and she schooled me. For some reason (I am blaming the cold medicine instead of the sheer lack of talent), she beat me up. She must have some secret golf skills that this family has not heard of.

Anyway, back to the real story. On the second hole, I could not get the ball into the hole. It got to the point that the screen said "Give Up", and automatically added 5 points. I turned to Jaina and said, "Man, Jaina, Mommy can't get it in the hole!"

She looks at me with her big brown eyes and says, "Obviously, Mom."

Really?!? Sarcasm at 3? What do I get to look forward to next year?

The View......

From my room in sunny CANCUN!

That's right. Last week, Mike and I went to Cancun, Mexico, as part of a Wells Fargo Service Conference.

Every year, Wells Fargo rewards a small portion of their employees with an all-expenses paid trip to some exotic place. This year, it was in Cancun! And I won one of the trips! It was AWESOME!

We went down there a day earlier than the conference started, to get the lay of the land. And it is amazing.

The grass is green (which is desperately missed up here :)), and the water was wonderful.

For the first two days, Mike and I did NOTHING. It was long overdue. We laid on the beach, in beach loungers, and under a tiki hut. No interruptions, no schedule, just time to ourselves. We both read, and read something more complex than Green Eggs and Ham.

On Sunday, all of the other Wells Fargo team members showed up, and we continued to have a great time. We had a personal concert from the lead singer of Train, listen to inspirational speakers, and, who could forget the snorkeling.

The pictures tell it better than I....

Yes, we had a Jacuzzi tub in our room......

To add to it, we had a fully stocked fridge, our own Captain Morgan on tap, and it was all complementary. Mike thought it was WONDERFUL.

One night was a theme night, where we got "Lost in Paradise - on the Riviera Maya" They had live animals to take pictures with, so we took a pic with the birds. We skipped the snake.....

On the final night we were there, we had a "fancy" dinner of surf and turf. We got dressed up, and Mike got to wear his new sport coat, of which he was SO excited.

We DEFINITELY have to go back.....