That it's all just a little bit of history repeating

... and I've seen it before
... and I'll see it again
... yes I've seen it before
... just little bits of history repeating

Shirley Bassey - History Repeating

Nevertheless, we occasionally want to take a bulldozer to it.  Every project is 10 times more complicated on a house that's 50+ years old and has had numerous layers of renovations already. On this latest remodel, we've found holes in the floor where shower drains used to be, and created our own holes in the floor where the wood has rotted out.  We didn't exactly budget for replacing the subfloor. 

So to minimize the work (and $$) involved, my dad keeps encouraging us to save what materials we can.  "Don't rip down sheetrock if you don't have to," he says.  "Just patch it where the mirror used to be, and you'll never know the difference."  Sometimes we ignore his advice.  Derek priced sheetrock at ~$6/sheet this morning, so we decided we'd replace the whole wall rather than try to patch those major holes. 

And in this case, I'm glad we didn't listen, because we found a really cool piece of history behind the wall...

That's "Michael J. McLean, Builder; Laura McLean, architect; Jenny age 3, helper; Matthew age 1, nuisance"  We told Jay that he can get on the wall, too.  Still determining whether he gets the job title of "Helper" or "Nuisance."

Posted at 09:50PM Jul 03, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[4]

From this moment...

...Life has begun
From this moment,
You are the one

Warning, sappy post coming up.  If you're reading for my witty humor (or, more likely, my uber-cheezy attempts at humor!) you'll be sadly disappointed.  I just saw this video that one of my Facebook friends posted, and it truly touched me.  Life is made of a million little moments, some happy, some sad.  It is so easy to lose sight of that in planning for the future and always looking for that greener pasture.  This video is by two parents who have redefined for me what it means to live fully in each moment and to cherish what you have.

Get your kleenex ready...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0

Posted at 08:20PM Jun 27, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[1]

If I had a hammer...

I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening

I can say this for sure - if I had a hammer (and I do) I'd most definitely hammer in the evening.  We may have lost our minds because we have undertaken a major home improvement project.  We're remodeling my craft room and a non-functional half bath into a pantry, laundry/utility room, and real half bath.  You know, the kind of bathroom where you don't have to sit on the toilet sideways.  Seriously, the front edge of the toilet was about 4 inches from the wall, so you literally had to sit sideways. Did people in the 50's not have knees?

We're still in the fun stage, aka demolition.  Walls come down way faster than they go up.  Carpet comes up way faster than new flooring goes down.  Check out our progress:

 Matt giving me a hand

 Derek punching through the wall with his head

Matt conquered Mt. Chunk-of-Sheetrock

Bye bye tiny bathroom!

But the best part of the whole thing was that all of the work we've done was completed AFTER Jay was asleep.  His room is righ next to the demolition zone; in fact, his crib is on the wall about 4 inches away from one of the walls we were ripping out.  And he didn't even make a peep.  When I said the kid loves his sleep, I wasn't kidding. 

Posted at 10:44PM Jun 21, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[3]

Good Night, Sweetheart...

...well, it's time to go (do, do, dee, oh doh)

Peek in on a little Foster family time...Earlier tonight, Jay was happily playing with his toys in the den, pushing his trucks down the ramp of his new gas station (Thanks, Jasper!!).  It was only 7:15, and he doesn't usually go to bed until close to 8:00.  Suddenly, he stood up and said "Nite Nite." 

"Do you want to go night nite?" I asked.

 He stands up and walks through the kitchen and into his bedroom.  I get up to follow him, and by the time I get there, he's standing at the crib on his tippy toes trying to pull himself up and INTO the crib.  Yes, our kid told us that he wanted to go to bed.  We kissed him goodnight, laid him down, and he never even squeaked.  How lucky am I?

When I was pregnant, I of course had many dreams for him.  I hope he gets his Grandpa's sense of humor.  I hope he gets his Dad's patience. I hope he gets compassion and kindness to others from his LaLa.  But most of all, (totally selfish desire here!) I hope he gets Uncle Matt's sleeping habits.  He is a champion sleeper ... he can sleep anywhere, anytime.  My brother could, and actually has, sleep through a hurricane.  So I guess I got my wish - Jay got Uncle Matt's love of sleep.  Somebody remind me about 14 years from now when I've spent an hour trying to forcefully drag him out of bed that you get what you ask for.

Posted at 10:57PM Jun 10, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[2]

That's what you get when you confuse...

your stomach with your heart!
-Barenaked Ladies

Man, I'm getting to the point where I need to start every entry with "Forgive me readers, for I have sinned.  It's been 3 weeks since my last blog post."  Seriously, I just realized I've only posted 3 times since Easter!  Geez, what has been keeping me so busy?  Oh yeah - job, husband, kids, travel.  Sigh.  I promise I'll do better.  My posts may be more brief, but I really will try to put up something at least once a week.  Really.

So, Bonjor from Montreal! Derek's here for a conference, and I'm tagging along for the opportunity to stay in a swanky hotel with fluffy towels.  For me, the ultimate in luxury is a fantastic hot shower, thick towels, and someone to clean your bathroom for you.  So I'm living it up!  While he's off preaching about the dangers of cryptosporidia in baby cows (did I spell that right, honey?) I'm napping and blogging and planning our adventures for tomorrow.

Like all our travels, we have pretty much planned our routes around where to eat.  Tonight, beer festival.  Tomorrow, smoked meat from Schwartz's.  After that, poutine, the Montreal comfort food of French Fries topped with cheese curds and gravy.  Sounds like a heart attack on a plate.  Can somebody forward this to Miss Betty?  She just didn't know that her fries & gravy at Two Guys were a French-Canadian delicacy!

But I am missing my baby boy something awful.  I got a phone call from his teacher yesterday while I was stuck in the Cincinnati airport waiting for our flight attendant to appear (a 2 hour delay!).  Jay was feverish and needed to go home.  I had to call LaLa to go pick him up early.  She says he's feeling better, but I still hate being away when he isn't feeling well.  When you're sick, you need your mama!  But I'm sure she's taking good care of him - she even called the nurse line at our pediatrician just to be sure.

I think when Derek imagined a romantic long weekend in Montreal (the O is a pair of smooching lips in all the tourism info!), he didn't really imagine me calling home every hour, on the hour.  So I'm trying to balance my mommy instinct to check on my baby with my opportunity for a few nice days with the hubby. And so far, we are having a great time!

Posted at 04:34PM Jun 05, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[1]

The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home...

Weep no more, my lady,
Oh weep no more today!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the old Kentucky home far away.

While I'm certainly no Kentucky girl, I've got enough roots to sing the song.  And certainly enough Kentucky roots to celebrate the running of the 135th Kentucky Derby in fine style!  On the first Saturday in May, you can bet I'll be enjoying one of my dad's famous Mint Juleps (aka the McLean Mojito) and watching the most exciting 2 minutes in sports.

This year we managed to fit in 2 events on Saturday - our Sunday School class retreat and the Derby Party (though we're paying the price with some serious exhaustion today!).  And the Derby party was great, as usual.  After 30+ years of throwing this event almost every year, my folks have got the party thing down to a science.  There's always a great crew of neighbors, friends, and co-workers and it was fun catching up with everyone.

Jay was in rare form, showing just how adorable he could be.  He met a new buddy, Alexander, and they bonded over having chosen almost the same outfit to wear to the party.  (That is cool when you're 1, although it may seem less cool when they are in high school.)  But Jay's favorite part of the whole party was when Mom & Dad finally gave in and let him play in LaLa and Grandpa's fountain.  Check it out:

 

 

 

Posted at 09:21PM May 04, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[1]

Mississippi Queen

If you know what I mean
Mississippi Queen
She taught me everything
This lady she asked me
If I would be her man
You know that I told her
I'd do what I can

"Hmmm, what could this blog be about?" you're asking.  Well, we're not going to Mississippi, that's for sure.  And we've never met the queen.  It's all about the music.

My latest goal is to get Jay to enjoy good music.  He's recently started to dance along as his Fridge DJ (thanks, Aunt Jill!) plays the hits.  Of course those "hits" are songs like "Ten Little Leapfrogs" and "The Days of the Week."  Not exactly your high culture tunes.  So, every day in the car, we sing along to the radio. 

Yesterday, we were singing to one of my current favorites - Jason Mraz' "I'm Yours."  Such a happy little tune and so easy to sing along with.  Jay didn't seem to care one way or the other.  So, when the song was over, I started surfing through the XM buttons.  He didn't seem to even notice I was changing stations, until we hit Classic Rewind which was playing Mississippi Queen.  Immediately, he began clapping and slapping his hand on the console in time to the song.  No lie!  Now, this song is not your happy little kid ditty.  It's the real deal - 1970's classic rock.  And he was clapping and slapping along like "Finally!  Some REAL music!" 

We've got a budding rock star on our hands, folks. 

Posted at 02:10PM Apr 29, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[2]

Christ the Lord is Risen Today

Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!

 Happy Easter!  Easter is always a very reflective time to me.  At church this morning, we stopped to remember those in our congregation who have died since last Easter.  Lately, I've been very much missing my "Appie" who died just before Easter.  Every Easter, we would dye eggs at her house, and she never seemed to mind that we left permanent splotches on her kitchen island.  But the sermon today was about living in the present and remembering the fact that this moment is part of eternity.  So I'm celebrating Easter with a sense of joy and real gratitude for the people I have in my live - and those who have been a part of my life and are now watching over from a distance.

We've had all kinds of fun ways to celebrate Easter this year.  Jay got to experience his first Easter Egg Hunt, which his daycare held on the Capitol grounds.  He wasn't too excited about hunting the eggs, but he did like putting eggs we found for him into his basket and opening them up to discover the treats inside.  If only his mom would have let him eat the candy...

And yesterday we took him to get his portrait made in his new Easter outfit that LaLa gave him for his birthday.   Cute as a button!

 Okay, if that picture of him "dancing" in the center doesn't make you laugh, I don't know what will.

Happy Easter!

Posted at 02:19PM Apr 12, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[6]

Sounds like life to me...

Sounds like life to me, ain't no destiny
Yeah, the only thing for certain is uncertainty
You gotta hold on tight, just enjoy the ride
Get used to all this unpredictability, sounds like life
Man, I know its tough but you gotta suck it up
To hear you talk you're caught up in some tragedy
Sounds like life to me (sounds like life to me)

Sometimes when I write in the blog, I have a topic in mind and find a song to go along with it.  Other times, I hear a song and it just such a perfect snapshot of my life at that moment that I just go with it.  This (Sounds Like Life by Daryl Worley) is one of those songs.

A few months after Jay was born, when both Derek and I were trying to get into the routine of work/school/daycare/fix dinner/pack bottles & lunches/repeat, he got a little overloaded.  In what we now both refer to as the "suck it up" speech, I apparently told him that this is your life now and you better come to grips with the fact that the time you used to spend lounging on the couch watching My Name is Earl is now taken up with time lounging on the floor and playing with Jay.  And if you do get any free time, those dishes aren't washing themselves, thank you very much.  I have no recollection of this conversation (remember, I was in a sleep-deprived coma for many months).

Then, a bit later, I had the same "I can't take it anymore!" kind of overwhelmed feeling.  We were driving back from a trip, and I had a mini-breakdown in the car.  I told Derek that we could never go out of town again because it's just too hard to pack the gazilion things that we have to bring JUST IN CASE and then come home to a house that's a wreck and not have had any time to prepare for the week ahead.  And he ever-so-gently reminded me of the suck it up speech I had given him.

We even had to give the "suck it up" speech to some friends of ours.  New Mom Friend was missing out on the fun of what she could do with her cutie pie in favor of what she "ought" to do.  She had that overwhelmed look, and we could tell it took everything she had to get it together enough to come to church that morning.  Derek (ever so gently!) told her about our suck it up speech ... and I think it helped.  She's mentioned since that she's thought back to that conversation and been grateful for the reality check.

When everyone said "Parenthood will change your life" I imagined all the cutesy, snuggly ways my life would change.  I even prepared for the sleepless nights and dirty diapers.  Spit-up stains on my shirt?  Bring 'em on.  I guess I just wasn't prepared for the not-so-good ways that parenting would change my life.  Namely, I wasn't ready for the fact that I will never again in my life feel like I'm organized and "together."  So, back to the song.  I heard it this morning in the shower, and I had to laugh.  Someone finally wrote the suck it up speech into song.

This is our life.  And we absolutely wouldn't trade the chaos for even one moment of peace and quiet.

Posted at 09:26PM Apr 02, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[3]

Sick and tired of being sick and tired...

Everything around you's growin' old.
The days drag on, the nights last forever,
Every day's tougher just to keep it together.

(Can you name the band?  Anyone?  Hint: It's one of Derek's faves!)

Seriously, how long can a kid have a cold?  Saying Jay has a "cold" is like saying Biltmore is a "house."  The poor kid is sick with one of those nose-running, eyes-swelling, cough-inducing, snot-smearing, awful colds.  He's been to the doctor twice, and twice we've gotten the reminder that there's nothing you can do about a virus or a cold except wait it out.  Uggh.  But the worst part is that he's just plain cranky!  I know he's felt like crud, and I can't say I blame him.  Unfortunately, when he feels like crud, his only way to make that known is to whine and cry.  Which makes me want to whine and cry right back at him.  Mature, I know. 

But he's spent 2 days with his LaLa, which have done wonders for his physical health (and my mental health!).  Being cooped up in the house with a cranky kid has given me a new respect for my SAHM friends.  It's hard enough when you can take the kid to the park and do fun things together ... it's maddening when the only grownup you see all day is the noon news anchor and nothing you can do makes the little one happy.  A million thanks to my mom for keeping Jay for the past few days (and spoiling him rotten as only a LaLa can!) and to my wonderful friend LJ for letting me escape for a little ice cream and gossip.  Y'all are the best!

Posted at 09:02PM Mar 27, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[2]

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand

Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Moments so dear
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure - Measure A Year?
In Daylights - In Sunsets
In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee
In Inches - In Miles
In Laughter - In Strife

In - Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure
A Year In The Life?

Wow - a whole year.  It seems like I was pregnant yesterday, and yet it seems like Jay has been part of my life forever.  How can that be?  What is it about motherhood that warps the space-time continuum?  (No, it's not just losing the hour for daylight savings time...)  I'd love to share some meaningful reflection on what it means to hit the magic one year mark, what it means to say goodbye to my "baby" and welcome a toddler into my life, and share thoughts on motherhood as I reflect on this year.  But it's seriously a little overwhelming to go there. I will say that it's been among the most challenging years of my life, and has given me a new appreciation for my extended family, my friends, and most of all my hubby.  I love you all, and I thank you for helping me get to this point!  It really does take a village. 

We had a really fun first birthday party for Jay today.  We turned our front yard into Foster Field and had a baseball celebration to remember.  We played wiffleball, ate hotdogs and pretzels and cracker jacks and peanuts and laughed with friends and family.  What more could you want in a birthday party?  We'll just ignore the minor incident where he grabbed the burning candle off his cake then hollered for 20 minutes...  He wasn't really interested in cake after that (well, who would want to eat something that burns your fingers?), but otherwise it was a great celebration of a wonderful year. 

Posted at 10:53PM Mar 07, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[5]

Stand in the place where you live...

Think about direction

wonder why you haven't before

Your feet are going to be on the ground

Your head is there to move you around

So Stand

Just a quickie post today - I'm really going to try and be better about putting up SOMETHING even if it isn't the world's most fascinating entry.  Jay's latest trick is that he's learned to stand up in the middle of the room without help.    Picture it:  he'll stick his adorable little backside out, hands and feet on the floor, like a bear.  Then he'll push his hands off the floor, and then stand up, wobbling all the way.  All grownups watching get excited and clap, clap, clap!  Then he gets excited and claps, but the clapping throws his precarious balance off, and he crashes down again. Hilarious!  Even more adorable!

He must have done it 25 times last night, over and over.  Then, after time #25, we remembered to pull out LaLa's new video camera, which happened to be at our house.  By the time we bring the camera into the room, he's moved on to exploring his toys.  Sigh.  Even after all the begging and pleading and helping we could do, we never really got him to do it again for the camera.  Performance anxiety, perhaps?  It's okay, kiddo.  Mom and Dad don't really like to be the center of attention, either.

Posted at 02:18PM Mar 06, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[1]

Ch-ch-ch-Changes...

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I cant change time

As much as I've loved looking at that little toothless grin, I was just starting to wonder if Jay was ever going to get any teeth.  My dear uncle referred to him as "dentally retarded" which is hilarious, though not exactly PC.  I was starting to look into baby dentures, but Derek told me that was probably unnecessary.  Well, folks, the worries were needless ... he's getting teeth!  And not just one tooth, either.  Why go through the misery of teething multiple times when you can just get them all at once?!  Okay, not all - just two.  The first one broke through on Saturday and he's getting another one today.  He's been a little more cranky than usual, but seems to be dealing fine as long as we keep that Orajel out of sight.  He hates that stuff.

 And speaking of things he hates, he's decided that he hates being anywhere that Mommy isn't.  He has gotten very clingy with me, to the point that he screams frantically when I try to leave him.  On Sunday after we dropped him off in his Sunday School class and headed up to our class, he was out of control wailing.  As we walked out of the nursery, we ran into a friend who said (and I quote) "Wow, that kid is really miserable."  Yeah, that was my kid.  I know, it's just a phase.  This too shall pass.  He'll grow out of it soon.  But I really, really hate that every time I leave him, the last thing I see is that miserable sad crying face and those little arms reaching out to say "Come back and get me!"  And I'll probably be equally sad someday to drop him at junior high school and realize that he'd rather not be seen with me.  But for now, I'm gonna have a hard time not running back to scoop him up, stick him in my purse, and take him to work with me.

Posted at 09:26PM Feb 25, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[0]

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear G-man

Happy Birthday to you!

Don't worry - you haven't missed the big one year mark.  We're getting close, but Jay's birthday isn't for a few weeks yet.  (and no, I haven't used up the only birthday song in my arsenal!)  This weekend we celebrated the birthday of Jay's buddy, G.  They've been friends for a long time - since before they were born, in fact.  They shared the same due date, and while they were mere buns in the oven, they used to try and kick at each other in church.  Imagine that, boys who can't sit still in church!!  But a few weeks before the due date, G had the good sense to come out and explore this big, wonderful world we've got.  Jay, on the other hand, decided to wait until AFTER the due date to make his big arrival.  So they ended up nearly a month apart in age, even though they had the same due date.

Anyway, we went to G's birthday party on Saturday.  This was Jay's first experience with the birthday party circuit, and what an event it was.  I haven't been in a confined space with that many kids hyped up on juice and cake in quite a while, and I had nearly forgotten the chaos that ensues!  We had a great time, but it made all 3 of us want to take an afternoon nap.  Only one of us actually got to enjoy that luxury ... I'll let you guess which one of us that was.

Then on Sunday, we got to watch the Wolfpack Women take on UVA in the annual Hoops for Hope game.  Ahhh, Reynolds Coliseum.  There is just something about the horrendous acoustics, the old-school score board, the complete lack of heat/AC control that makes watching a game there absolutely awesome.  No luxury suites, no padded chairs, and 50 years worth of grime on the floor somehow make for an environment that is far more fun to watch a game in.  The whole place was packed with pink-clad fans, cheering on the team and cheering on the many, many breast cancer survivors in the audience.  Go LaLa! And Jay appeared to be a good luck charm for the team, giving us a big win over a ranked opponent.  Here's hoping it's the first of many big Wolfpack wins that he gets to witness.

Posted at 12:08PM Feb 17, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[0]

Who let the dogs out?

(Cough, cough, cough, cough)

Hi everyone - mom's back to the writing game again.  Many thanks to Jay for serving as our guest blogger and calling me out for being so slack.  Thanks, kiddo.

So, the latest news is that Jay has croup.  He started with a cold last Monday night, but seemed to be pretty much back to his usual old self by the end of the week.  Then he woke up Saturday morning at 6 am barking like a dog.  To all you parents whose kids have had croup, you know what a horrible sound it is.  He was wheezing and sounded just awful. 

Then, just about the time the sun came up, he seemed to be fine again.  He was crawling around, laughing, and generally being the happy little monster that he is.  Derek took him to the doc anyway since he appeared to be on the brink of death mere hours before.  Just about the time the doctor was ready to send them on their way, he started hacking again.  (Thank you!)  Even doc agreed that it's croup and gave us some drugs.  It is a VERY mild case, but even a mild case can go from icky to horrible pretty quickly.  In the words of Barney Fife "Nip it!  Nip it in the bud!"

But the best part is the timing.  Remember, back in August, when Jay gave his Aunt Mimi the greatest wedding gift of all?  You know - the gift of the stomach flu on your wedding night?  Well, guess who came to visit this weekend!  Yup, Aunt Mimi.  She traveled all the way across the country to spend time with the little germ-spreader.  She's now nicknaming him Typhoid Mary.  But since croup is pretty much a kid ailment, we're hoping she escapes this time. 

Posted at 07:29PM Jan 25, 2009 by Jen Foster in General  |  Comments[1]