Ten Months

Still playing catch up with these.  Gunnar has become harder to photograph because he rarely sits still these days and I don't have the same set up I had in Florida.  But it will be a complete picture set come hell or high water!

Cheers!

  

Here are the stats for 10 months:

-Eyes holding at blue/brown

-Three teeth came in at once!  Then two more for a total of 7!

-Says uh oh!

-Climbed all the way up the stairs without stopping

-Walking along the couch while holding on

-First baby cookies!

-Starting to eat more grown-up food

-Mimics sound

-Mastered his basketball hoop

-Learns really quickly by watching you

-A pro at the swings

-And I hear he has a girlfriend at his Tuesday swim lesson.  Which doesn't surprise me because this little guy is the biggest flirt with the ladies I have ever seen!

Grand Rapids, MI

We got married in Grand Rapids, MI.  When looking for a venue, I wanted a place that would show off MI to my friends that were coming from out of state.  Most of them had never been to MI before.  I also wanted a place that had everything we needed close to each other.  Grand Rapids fit the bill.  It was also nice that Kevin went to grad school there so we had some ties to the city.  Our wedding weekend turned out to be one of the craziest and funnest weekends I've ever had.

For our five year anniversary a couple weeks ago, we headed back to GR.  Kevin's grad program was having a 20 year reunion and he wanted to go to it.  He booked a room at the JW Marriot, where we stayed the night of our wedding, and we had our first overnight, grown-up evening away from Gunnar.  It was nice to relive all the memories and to meet his grad school friends.  

Maybe, this will be a new tradition for us...

Cheers!   

Got upgraded

Took a picture in the same spot as my bridal portrait 5 years ago to the day

Grand Rapids at night on the river

Habitat 4 Humanity

A couple weeks ago, my work did their annual community service day.  This year it was with Habitat 4 Humanity.  I've done Habitat before, but really didn't get much out of it because there were too many people working on the house.  This time it was much better.

It was just our group working on the house with a few Habitat people.  We had two houses to choose from.  One house was almost finished and needed some cosmetic work done.  The other was just getting started and needed demo.

Guess which house I picked.

It was awesome.  I totally gutted an entire kitchen.  Took it down to the studs.  I wish I would have taken a before picture, but we just went to work.  Now I've earned some what of a reputation at my new job.  I can't quite figure out if it's good or bad...

Cheers!

Kitchen Team

Swim Class!

It's been a few weeks since Gunnar started swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School.  We go twice a week, once with me in the pool and once with Kevin in the pool.  I got the honor of the very first lesson and it was so much fun.  Gunnar loves his bath time so I was sure he'd like the pool.  And he did.  He doesn't really like to follow instructions yet, but he knows a lot more than he'll let on.  He just likes to go at his own pace.  His favorite activity is collected the plastic balls from the pool and working on climbing out.  There is also a slide on some days.  I really hope he continues to like swimming, since I'm such a water person myself.  

Cheers!

A Good Teacher

I've managed to stay in touch with my sixth grade teacher all this time.  She was my favorite teacher. I've had really great teachers my whole education, but three stand out the most and Ms. Marks is the top spot.  And, yes, despite her asking me to call her Margie, I still call her Ms. Marks. Old habits die hard.  :)

I've reached out to her at every milestone in my life.  She was at my wedding and if I hadn't been living in Florida at the time, I'm sure she would have met my son right after he was born.  Good teachers stay with you.  Always.

She retired from teaching this year after 30 years.  The timing was perfect for us to go to her retirement party and for her to meet Gunnar.  After all this time, she still looks and sounds just like the lady I meet the first day of sixth grade.  I swear she hasn't aged a bit.

So, congratulations Ms. Marks!  I'm sure I'm not the only student you left a lasting impression with. Enjoy your very well deserved rest.

Cheers!

Memorial Day 2015

Gunnar's first Memorial Day and parade!  We had fun.  He was such a good boy during the parade. The fire trucks scared him a little but other than that, he held his flag and watched all the things going by.  And he looked SUPER cute in his little plaid shorts and flag tee.

Cheers!

Nine Months

Still trying to play catch up with the monthly stats.  This move back to MI really threw me off.  I'll have everything back on track this month.  In the mean time, here are the stats for nine!

-Eyes are a smokey blue with brown around the iris.  They are very pretty and I hope they don't change any more.

-Pulling himself up and standing

-Taking small steps when you hold his hands

-Eating "meals" (the puree baby food that has meat and veggies mixed).

-Very good at eating

-Mastered blowing raspberries

-Has climbed up four steps by himself!

-Really comfortable around the dogs now.  Goes up and pets them like he has been doing it forever.

-Has started sleeping on his tummy

-He crawls so fast now!

-Start expressing his opinion when he gets mad or wants something

-Challenges you (throwing things on the floor even though you tell him no.  Looks at you the whole time)

-Started swim class!

-First art fair

-Getting good at the swings

Happy Birthday, Busia!

I love playing with you and going on walks.  Hope you have a great day!

Love,
Gunnar Bear

Five Years

It's been five years since Kevin and I said I do.  Three states, numerous jobs, heartache, joy and one beautiful baby boy later and we're still taking on the world together.  There is a lifetime ahead of us and I can't wait to see what comes next. 

I love you, Honey.

xoxo,
Mandi 

Mom Problems #4

Shoe thief.

Cheers.

Easter 2015 (Baby's First Easter)

Gunnar's first Easter!  Easter is my holiday.  I feel that the Polish do Easter the best.  The food is amazing and the traditions really speak to the heart of the season.  Some how, we always end up living near a Polish market.  It was a bit of a drive this year, but I got my kielbasa, pierogis and butter lamb.  We were cooking for four people this year so I got extra kielbasa.  Turns out I got way too much.  If you have ever cooked kielbasa, you know that it smells up everything...in the most amazing way.  But, alas, I had to toss a lot of it because we couldn't finish it in time.

We went to the mall to get a picture with the Easter Bunny.  I found the perfect outfit at my favorite consignment store.  Gunnar smiled the whole time because he was looking at his mama.  I don't think he even knew he was sitting on a giant bunny. Lol.  And thank goodness it wasn't one of those creepy bunnies...

On Easter Sunday, we got all dressed up and tried to go to church.  The first church we tried (different from last year) was completely full.  I wanted to get the special children's blessing but we ended up leaving because I was so frustrated.  It was really disappointing.  We ended up at the church from last year later that day.  It wasn't crowded, which I guess was nice since we had Gunnar.  While he did really well, I don't think I'll be taking him to church until he is older.  

All in all, it was a nice day.  I think Gunnar enjoyed going through his Easter basket.  I know he especially loved the grass.  Next year I hope he is big enough for dying eggs.  And going to Easter egg hunts.  I totally want to be the house that hosts a giant Easter Egg hunt for the neighborhood kids each year.  I've already started collecting the plastic eggs for it...

Cheers!

My First Mother's Day

I was pregnant last year on Mother's Day.  Everyone told me it still counted but I didn't feel the same.  This year, my little Gunnar Bear was here and I really felt like a mom.  Kevin and Gunnar woke me up and Gunnar crawled all over me to make sure I was really awake. Gunnar "gave" me a frame with some of my favorite pictures of the two of us.  Kevin gave me a "mother's" necklace.  I put my new, Tory Burch-like, dress on and took my first Mother's Day picture outside with Gunnar.  He didn't feel like smiling, but I like the pic all the same.  

Cheers!

Things to know about Florida

If you are thinking of moving to Florida, or even thinking of visiting Florida, here are a few things we at the Kendi Haus have realized after a year and a half of living there.  We lived in the Treasure Coast.  Not sure if all of Florida is like this, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a state wide thing.

Cheers

1.  Florida hates left turns.  If you have the unfortunate luck to need to go left to your destination, FL will make you pay for it.  Your choices will be limited (if you even get a choice).  There are no such things as "Michigan lefts" down here so you pretty much have to drive out of your way just to bang a u-ey.  I don't know, but I almost get the feeling that FL might be afraid of left turns...

2. Traffic circle are wrong here.  They use them, they just don't know how.  For those of us that do know how to do a traffic circle, it is frustrating.

3.  There are no sidewalks.  Or there are very few.  And no streetlights in the neighborhood.  Kinda scary...

4. Wildlife is EVERYWHERE.  And the birds are pretty big.  The Sand Hill Cranes, suffer from an excessive amount of confidance.  My co-worker today told me they act more like people than birds.  Creepy.

5. Rednecks love fireworks.  They love to shoot them off for any occasion, including Sunday night.  Just Sunday night.  It is quite frustrating how many rednecks come out of the woodwork here in Florida.  Not that rednecks are bad, but fireworks at 10:30pm on a Sunday night are.

6. It might be the fact that it's hot most of the year here, and that means shorts and t-shirts more, but it seems like EVERYONE here has a tattoo.  And not just a tattoo, multiple tattoos.  It's not a bad thing.  Just an observation.

7.  If there is a body of water, people feel like they can fish in it.  Even if it says private property, no trespassing.  And is behind a hospital and two research facilities.  They bring their boat.  In my opinion, it's incredibly tacky.  Security!

8.  It's a pet peeve of mine to be nickel-and-dimed and the Orlando area has it down to a science.  I know it's a big tourist attraction with Disney and Universal Studios, but come on.   When I pay for a hotel and you list all the "amenities" I shouldn't be charged an extra fee for them.  Aren't amenities the things that are supposed to get you pick one hotel over the other?  Aren't they supposed to be included in the price?  Once again, tacky.

9.  I've realized, after some time here, that it's one thing to vacation in Florida.  It's another to work and live here.  I've always loved Florida.  To me, it means vacation.  Living and working here, on the other hand, is frustrating.  Half the population is retired and therefore not in a hurry.  The working half has to maneuver around them.  It's exhausting.

10.  If you want to own a car here, Florida really makes you pay for it.  It cost me around $400 to register my car here in Florida.  That's ridiculous to me.  

11.  Lets talk houses.  They aren't that great down here.  There is hardly ever a two story house, or a basement, or a functional garage.  Most people have turned their garages into another room.  Mostly storage, but I've seen flat screens and couches set up in some.  If you need more room, then build a bigger house.  I'd like to park my car in the garage, especially in the rainy/hurricane season.  And you won't find a lot of brick or wood.  It's mostly plaster or stucco.  It looks cheap, and quite frankly, is.  I might be bias on houses since my Dad taught me how to build a good one.  Good thing we have no intention of buying down here...

12.  Driving here is really bad.  I don't know if it's all the seniors or what, but in the course of one week, I had three different people tell me about accidents or almost accidents.  All involving left turns.  People here, and in the south in general, don't know how to do left turns.  Let me clarify it for you right now.  The ONLY time left turns have the right of way is on a green arrow.  If there is no green arrow, left ALWAYS yields to other traffic.  ALWAYS.

13.  Summer in Florida, or at least the Treasure Coast, sucks.  They don't put that on the brochure.  It is 90 degrees by 9 am, a storm moves in around noon and it's full on thunder storming from 4-7pm.  Everyday.  If you work, your day basically sucks.  So plan accordingly. 

14.  They don't know how to ride bikes down here.  You are suppose to ride with traffic.  You are supposed to act like a car. It makes me crazy.

15.  Neighbors only care about you when you become interesting.  And then they become crazy.