Silly Logan

Logan just can't resist putting on a pair of shoes or a hat that he finds laying around.
This time it was Troy's (Celeste's friend) stuff he snagged.
So cute :)

Happy 37th Birthday!

Happy 37th Birthday Chris!!

Chris got the ottoman he has been wanting.

But I think Logan might enjoy it more!

It's a cold day in Michigan, so I took the kids to the movies.

We saw Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Squeakquel.

It was cute, not too painful to sit through as a grown-up...

like some kid movies are...

I picked up Kaitlyn and Owen and met my friend Erin, with her parents and kids Troy and Bree.

Here's a picture with all the kids and "Grandpa Endress" at the movies.

enjoying vacation

Our first Monday of Christmas vacation.

Celeste was invited to spend the afternoon at her friend Madelyn's house.

So Steven and I played a little Nintendo and then some Hotwheels.

Meanwhile, Logan napped on the couch.

These next few pictures are from Sunday evening. The kids and I were camped out on the basement floor playing the original Nintendo, Super Mario Bros. 3.

Silly faces picture!!

Playing Super Mario Bros. 3!!

First Day of Christmas Vacation

The first full day of Christmas Vacation.

At least they all slept in till 7:30...

that's good for this crew.

waffles and coco pebbles

Steven's School Christmas Party

Steven's class Christmas party was yesterday afternoon.

Logan and I got to go in to help out.

The students made gingerbread houses, listened to Christmas music and played Candyland.

Here's Logan, just chill'axin' in his stroller.

Steven and his buddy Kai show off their gingerbread houses.


I did most of the work to the gingerbread house on the left,
for a student who was absent yesterday.
Steven's gingerbread house is on the right.

Head wound

It's early, maybe 7:00am or so.

I am in the kitchen getting lunches together for Celeste and Steven.

I hear Steven call out "uh-oh" followed by Logan crying.

Steven then yells "Logan's nose is bleeding!"

I rush over to the stairs to find that Logan's nose is not bleeding...

he is, however,

gushing blood from a gaping wound right smack in the middle of his forehead!

He smashed his head into the molding around the railing on the stiars.

I grab him, head to the kitchen, grab a towel and wipe...

he has what looks like a hole in his head, a massive puncture, if you will.

I start panicking.

I yell to Celeste and Steven to get shoes on - "we're going to the ER".

I'm holding pressure on Logan's head and lift the towel to take another peak.

It is still pouring blood.

I realize then that there is no way I can keep pressure on his head

and get us to a hospital by myself.

I call 9-1-1.

Now, Logan is screaming because he doesn't like being pinned down with ice on his head.

Celeste is crying because, well she doesn't handle stress well, I guess.

Steven decides to take guard at the door and wait for the firetruck.

A mere minutes later, when the first responders arrive,

I peel back the towel I've been pressing on Logan's head to discover that it is no longer gushing.

He just has an open hole.

The firemen check him out - but since Logan isn't gushing blood anymore,

I make the decision to take him to the ER myself.

I call back my girlfriend, whose son I was supposed to babysit today,

and ask to drop Celeste and Steven with her for a ride to school so that I can take Logan in.

Logan and I make it to the urgent care around 8am and by 8:45 we were back home.

They were able to just glue the opening shut with dermabond.

So its just Logan and I now and he is right back to his normal ways...

brutalizing that cats, climbing on the kitchen table, running from room to room.

Meanwhile I am ready to go back to bed after such an overwhelming morning.

I am ready to call it a day and just try again tomorrow.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again,

this kid will be the death of me...

Here's my monkey, looking no worse for the wear.

Unbelievable.

Repaired Wii

Our Wii returned in the mail today after a journey to Syracuse, NY to be repaired.
When I saw the bonus item that was included in the package, I felt like my mother must have all those times she had to take our VCR to Network Video at Warren Village to be fixed. The technician would find a range of toys, magnets, even a PB&J sandwich once.

Our busted Wii was all due to a mini Barbie CD that Logan jammed into the disc opening.

Aye-yie-yie...

Christmas Tree Hunt

We headed out to Blake's Cider Mill Saturday morning in search of the 2009 North Family Christmas Tree. While there wasn't much snow on the ground to give that Christmastime feel - it certainly was cold enough. After bundling the kids up like that boy in Christmas Story we took the 1/2 hour drive to Blake's.
It didn't take long to find our tree. It was one of the first ones we spotted. But to be sure it was the right one for us we checked out a few more before starting to cut the tree down.




Steven has some fun trying to pull Maggie, Evan and Logan on the tree wagon.















A family photo in front of the tree we selected.













Chris and Celeste on the hay ride back to the Cider Mill. Time for a cup of hot cider and a hot fresh donut!

My Little Monkey

First I noticed the quiet.

Then I heard some banging on the washing machine.

I am not alarmed.

Logan often bangs his hands against the washer - he likes the noise, I guess.

But then it becomes quiet again.

I wander into my laundry room,

expecting to find Logan messing in the litter box,

again...

To my utter surprise (and why anything this kid does surprises me...)

Logan is standing ON THE WASHING MACHINE!

Oh dear heavens.

Missing cookie cooling racks...

My cookie cooling racks have been missing for a few weeeks now. I have literally looked everywhere for them. My youngest, Logan, likes to play in the cupboard where I keep them... so in looking for them I tried to get into the mind of an 18 month old...

I looked under the couches, under the stove and refrigerator...

behind my washing machine, in his crib, under his crib.

I am losing my mind trying to find my cooling racks!

Fast forward to this morning.

I am in the basement with my three kids as well as

my girlfriend's three kids (who I am watching today).

They ask me to put on some music so that they can dance.

I turn towards my stereo, up high on a shelf,

and guess what I find tucked between the speakers...

Now, I MUST have put them there myself, who else can reach there? But why? Why did I put my cooling racks in the basement, high on a shelf, between my stereo speakers? Why?

Busted Lip

The annual family picture was scheduled for 8:30 am Sunday morning...

So what happened Saturday night? Logan busts his lip open upon contact with the fireplace hearth. How unbelievably perfect, right?