Our New Ehome

Frankly Speaking has moved!  Not only do I rearrange furniture, I have now rearranged our blog.  Please check us out here.  All of our archives will remain here for your reading pleasure.  

SNC

That stands for Straight No Chaser, a vocal group that Anne's brother is in.  You might have seen their "12 days of Christmas" video on YouTube last year.  Check this out!  

They also have this myspace page.

We're excited for October 28!

Latest and Greatest Cinnamon Rolls

This is for Jen Pedersen...and anyone else who wants to try their hand at it!  

2 c. milk

2 pkg. yeast (1/4 oz. each)

1/2 c. warm water

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1/3 c. veg. oil

1 Tbsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

1 egg

7 cups all purpose flour

Warm milk and dissolve yeast into it.  Let sit until creamy, about 10 min.  Combine yeast mixture, water, sugar, oil, baking powder, salt, egg, and 3 cups of the flour and beat until smooth.  Add remaining flour 1/2 c. at a time.  You'll need to mix in the last few additions by hand with a wooden spoon probably.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until soft and smooth, about 10 minutes.  Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel.  Let rise about an hour or until doubled in size.  Punch dough down and roll out into a huge rectangle on your counter, about 1/4 in. thick.  Spread 1/2 c. melted butter all over the dough.   Mix 1 1/2 cups brown sugar and 3 Tbsp. cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle over the melted butter.  Roll up the dough beginning with the long edge of the rectangle and pinch the seam to seal it.  Cut into 24 rolls and place into 2 lightly greased 9x13 inch pans, 12 rolls in each.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. 

In the morning, pull rolls out, uncover them, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake rolls uncovered for 25 minutes or so, until golden brown.  Let cool a few minutes and then spread on the frosting.  I use 2 sticks butter, 1 box powdered sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla, and a tablespoon or so of milk and beat it with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Enjoy!  

California Love

We just returned from a fabulous week in California visiting Chris's family!  For a visual tour, check out our Flickr link.  

Play Dough

Today has been surprisingly a very fun day!  We leave for CA tomorrow to visit Chris's family, so I thought today would be a no nap frantic day in anticipation.  But, no!  We took a nice walk.  We visited the library and Cole did not run away from me.  Instead, he picked out several books and we read them all several times when we got home.  Then, after his rest time and Max's nap, we made this red play dough.  Thanks to my friend Mollie we have this amazing recipe.  It's so easy to make and easy to work with.  Cole chose red for our first batch, but I have a feeling we'll be making many more batches.  The photo of Max is from dinner last night...he's just so happy and oh, so cute!  I think it's because I gave him a few bites of cheese...yum! 

Fun at the Park

We had a playdate lunch today at Bryan Park with the moms and kids from our small group. We are so thankful to be getting to know them!  The boys had fun swinging the most.  Push me FASTER, Mommy!  Max ate his fair share of wood chips, too, I'm sure.  And...Cole peed twice while there, which in itself makes a successful morning!  

Potty Prison

One of our biggest potty training challenges has been containing Cole during nap time and bed time.  We decided to ditch diapers totally so he's been in cotton training pants all the time since last week, even at night after that first night that he came out needing to go.   So now he thinks that he can come out of his room to use the toilet several (and I mean A LOT) times when he's supposed to be resting or sleeping.  Tricky!  Often times it's a false alarm and he just wants to escape!  And obviously we want to make sure he goes often enough so his sheets and clothes are not consistently pee soaked.  AAAAHH!  We are not used to interrupted nap time like this!  

Our best solution so far has been to buy a small toilet chair for Cole's room. This way, he can go in his room during nap or bed time and not bother us.  It's been fabulous!  Except for the fact that Cole feels the need to have us empty the little pee tray after every use.    Normally he tells us by yelling through the door, we empty the tray, and then he falls asleep naked.  Today, though, I found the pee tray just waiting outside his door.  Like prison!  I imagine in prison when you're finished with your dinner bowl you just leave it outside to be picked up.  Cole must think he's in potty prison! It was convenient, though, because he communicated to me exactly what he needed done and I wasn't bothered at all!   After rest time was over I asked him why he put the pee tray outside the door and he said, (in a "duh Mom" kind of way) "For you to wash it." 

It's a process, and we're learning...

The Pee Is Still Coming!

Yes, the pee is still coming, but not without accident every now and then.  Cole is truly a champ, though!  The picture above is where we've been spending more time than ever before.   

One thing I've noticed about Cole throughout this process is that he loves cheering!  We ate dinner at Subway on Friday night.  I took Cole to the bathroom after we ate and took his potty seat along also.  He peed!  No problem!  When we walked out of the bathroom I gave a thumbs up to Chris and a few college students across the restaurant from us whooped and hollered for Cole!  It was hilarious.  So much for being discreet!  Then after dinner we went to Bryan Park and ran into some people we know.  We played on the playground and chatted with friends and as we were getting ready to leave Cole had to go again.  So I ran with him into a conveniently large bush nearby.  He dropped his pants and peed again!  Yay!  When he ran out of the bush he yelled, "I did it!"  and our friends whooped and hollered for him.  Two cheering episodes in one night!   

The Hilarity Continues

So for those of you who thought to yourselves after reading The Pee Is Coming post, "Whatever, she's crazy!"  Think again!  Folks, the hilarity of Cole's toilet saga continues.   Read on...

We celebrated Cole's great accident-free day by going out for ice cream tonight after dinner.  He stayed dry the whole trip!  We got home and he used the toilet like a champ a few times (including obnoxious dancing, M&Ms, and nakedness) and then I put a diaper and his pajamas on him for bedtime thinking that we definitely shoot for too much in one day.  Diapers overnight for a while still.   So Chris and I put the boys to bed and cleaned up the kitchen and the yard like we normally do.  I sat down to read in the cozy green chair in our living room, and did so for a while enjoying the quietness of our house.   Then, around 9:30 p.m., I heard the door open to the boys' room.  Cole pranced out naked and shouted, "Mommy, the pee is coming!"  So we dashed to the bathroom and he peed, just like he had been all day long.   I did the victory dance, and then put his hard earned M&Ms next to his chair at the table.   Then as I walked into his dark room, I said, "Cole, let's put your diaper and pajamas back on."  I walked toward his bed thinking that he had stripped there.  Oh no.  He clearly redirected me to the closet.  He had put his diaper in the trash can and his pajamas in the dirty clothes basket!   What a little organizer!  So we pulled out the goods and in a flash Cole was back in bed.  I hope it's for the night this time.  I mean, really.   I never imagined potty training to be like this.  Hilarious!  

The Pee Is Coming!

24 hours ago I never imagined I'd be writing a post such as this.   Yesterday afternoon I walked in to the boys' room after listening to Cole play and pound with toys for an hour and a half.  Cole was naked and happy!  Max woke up early, too, so you can imagine my joy.   I thought to myself, why not encourage Cole to use the toilet?  As usual, he screamed, "No, Mommy!  I don't want to!" and ran away into the living room.  So I changed Max, put him on the floor with some toys, and reached into the drawer for another diaper for Cole.  All of the sudden, I hear Cole running back my direction yelling, "The pee is coming!  The pee is coming!"  So what did I do?  I dropped the diaper, grabbed Cole, and dashed into the bathroom.  I whipped out the potty seat and the stool and gracefully (ha!) plopped Cole down on the toilet.  And you know what?  The pee came!   Cole knows the drill thanks to our nightmare potty training week in April, so he aimed and fired into the toilet.  I immediately did an obnoxious victory dance right there in the bathroom.  Cole's face lit up, he laughed at me, and he said  "Can I have an M&M, Mommy?"  Ug, we didn't have any M&Ms, so what did I do?  I whisked Max, Cole, and my purse away to Target to buy some M&Ms and other potty treats.   During our trip, Max rode in the cart and Cole walked alongside me.  He did fantastic!  We have been working on this for months!   Usually he runs away down random aisles, Max and I chase him down, and we leave sweaty and defeated.   Not yesterday.  The highlights of our potty prize loot included dark chocolate peanut M&Ms, a Spiderman light-up pen and yo-yo from the $1 section, and a shiny red Matchbox fire truck.   Upon returning home, Cole visited the toilet again willingly, in great expectation of a prize or a few M&Ms.  He waited, he waited, he waited.  The pee did not come!  Lesson number one.   Pee doesn't come all the time.   Disappointed, Cole stepped down and asked for a prize anyway.  I dropped an enforceable statement, "I love to give treats and M&Ms to boys who pee and poop in the toilet!"  He was okay with that.  Whew!  So the evening consisted of Cole playing naked and shouting every so often, "The pee is coming!  The pee is coming!" and us following as he bounced into the bathroom.  He has made it to the toilet (or the bushes outside) every time since then.  It's been 24 hours.   I don't know how many M&Ms he's eaten, but I don't care.   I haven't had to clean up any pee or poop.  And just a little while ago I was making lunch and Cole ran in to the kitchen yelling, "Mommy! Mommy!"  I ran to the bathroom with him to find that he had pooped in the toilet all by himself.   Our little guy has changed literally overnight.   

Coke ad

Have you seen the LeBron-Yao Coke ad?  It's cool.

Little (and BIG) Drummer Boys

Chris's New Ride

Chris drove home his new Honda Metropolitan today.  Thanks to this upgrade, no more riding the bus to work!  Yahoo! 

Diving & Snatching

Max is really in to snatching things away from us and diving after things this week!  It's really fun to watch.  We can't really hold him while we eat anything anymore because too many plates have already ended up on the floor!  Today Cole and I made up a game for Max called The Blow It Down Game.  We built block towers for Max to knock down.  He mastered it pretty quickly, so we started to move the towers farther and farther away from him.  He began to dive and then it got really funny!  One time he smothered the blocks with his belly.  Soon he'll be up and moving!  

The End

So tonight marks the end of the Michigan Experience 2008.  This year was a remarkable year up north for several reasons.  Number one, my dad and his three brothers joined forces and bought the cottage next door.   This happened in April, so the months leading up to this vacation have been filled with renovations and preparations.   It's a fixer upper!  So instead of jamming 22 Luginbills (including 4 Franks) into five bedrooms, there are now ten bedrooms between the two houses.    Hooray for personal space, two televisions, two refrigerators, two boat docks, and two porch swings!   Number two,  I've never spent almost three weeks up here.   Usually it's up for the week the whole family is here and then on to the next summer activity.  This year, though, we ventured out and visited places we usually don't go like Pond Hill Farm and Waterfront Park.  Number three,  all 22 Luginbills were here together for three whole days.   A few cousins have missed it over the last few years due to summer jobs, sports, etc.   So we took this opportunity to take a cousins picture similar to one we took a long time ago.  Mike, the longest, lounged out front and we all popped our heads out behind him.  Miles and Beckham, the newest cousins, sat in front.  As you can see, we all were thoroughly thrilled! 

So that's all until next year.  It's sad to leave such a familiar home-like place, but we're ready to head home.  It will only be a few months until we start talking about Michigan memories and Michigan plans for next summer.  I love that!  

Dreams

So this morning Cole says this in his cute, snuggly, raspy voice...

Anne: Good Morning, Cole.

Cole:  Morning, Mommy.  I loved my dream, Mommy.

Anne: What was your dream about?

Cole:  Nothing.

And he continued sucking his thumb and snuggling up in his green blanket.   

Buddies

Cole and Miles are good buddies and kind of cousins.  Their birthdays are three days apart, but Miles is actually my cousin.  So we're not sure what they are in relation to each other, but they're definitely buddies.  This afternoon the buddies got in a hugging accident.  Yes, they were hugging and they hugged right onto the dining room table.  Ouch!  A few minutes later, though, they shared a bowl of red peppers on the front porch steps.  Yum! 

Swimming with Daddy

Chris is finally here.  Yay!  It was a long 10 days without him.  He and the boys had fun swimming in the lake today.  In case you were wondering, Chris was making airplane like sound effects while spinning the boys around.  Hehe!  

Pond Hill Farm

I've always read about places like Pond Hill Farm but never visited.  Until today!  Pond Hill Farm is a working farm just outside of Harbor Springs, Michigan.  This morning my mom and I took the boys to check it out.   She and I are here alone with the boys this week until the rest of the family comes on Friday, so we're exploring the area more than usual.  So at the farm today we fed pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, and a pretty white goose.  The goose happened to be molting so Cole got to bring home one of it's feathers!  We visited the trout pond and the farm store, too.  I can't wait to go back when Chris gets here and try out the squash rocket!    

Little Boy Heaven

I think Northern Michigan should be officially named Little Boy Heaven.  Cole is having a blast up here so far!  The other day we made waffles for breakfast and put the leftovers in the crab trap in the lake.   We caught 2 crabs, but then we set them free after we watched them for a little while.   And today we took a short trip down Crooked River.  Cole is a brave boat rider.  He likes to sit in his own seat and watch whoever is water skiing or the scenery as we pass by.  On our trip today he shared his pretzels with Max (Max didn't eat them...) and they sat still long enough for a photo!  

The Thorn

As I type both of our little boys are napping soundly...ahhhh.  I'm so thankful for this time so far on vacation, because I've been able to take a nap in the sun a couple of times; something I have not done in I think years.  Yes, years.  

The thorn in my side, though, so far this vacation, is Max's night time sleeping habits.  He just won't sleep.  Folks, he's almost 7 months.  This is not February when frequent night time waking was expected.  I just don't know what to do!  This has been happening at home, too, for about 2 weeks, so it's not a "we're on vacation" funk and something he needs to get used to.   The last couple of nights Max has been up at least three times, not often hungry but more to be comforted.  Last night I finally brought him to bed with me at 3 a.m. and we slept until 7:30 a.m.  Ug. 

I welcome any ideas and tips from those of you who have some to spare!  I need some more sleep! 

Swinging

One of our favorite Michigan activities is swinging on the front porch.   It overlooks the lake and is a very peaceful spot.  I've noticed, too, that while Cole is super energetic and therefore swings for only a minute at a time, Max is definitely a more relaxed swinger!  We have a porch swing at home, too, and whenever he is fussy the swing calms him down every time!  This morning Max and I read some books on the swing while Cole and Grandbob went to The Crooked Lake Grill for pancakes.  It's a small local joint where you sit up on the swivel stools at the counter.  Cole had a Mickey Mouse pancake.  Lucky!  

The Lick

Michigan!

We are in Northern Michigan for the next couple of weeks.  Yay for vacation!  My family has been coming to this same cottage on Crooked Lake since 1945.  It's a wonderful place to relax and have a lot of fun.  

So, since we've been here, Cole's tee ball skills have improved!  We've taken boat rides and water skiied.  We're baking chocolate chip cookies right now, and Max has been thoroughly licked by my brother's dog, Yogi.  

Stay tuned for more adventures! 

Drip, Drip

We ventured out to Jiffy Treet after dinner tonight.  We all really enjoyed our ice cream, and Cole was definitely the drippiest!  

Campus Adventure

Today we took a running adventure to campus and visited the Arboretum and the Music Building fountains.   Cole climbed trees, stomped in the creek, and waded in the fountain while Max watched happily and chewed on various toys and cars.  I tried to get a shot of the boys together under the famous weeping willow tree but Cole's snack was much too entertaining and Max helped himself to some tasty dirt.  So my opportunity went awry.  Photo or no photo, though, we had a fun morning!  

Flying

Raspberries

Max has surprised us with raspberry sounds in the past day or two. It's hilarious!  I've noticed that he uses this sound to communicate a few different things.  One, he does it when he wants Cole's attention.  Two, when he's enjoying a meal.  Three, when he wakes up from the night or a nap happy.  I think he just loves to hear his voice!  

Scribble Cookies

Cole and I peeled all the papers off of our old crayon pieces today and baked them in the oven! Voila...scribble cookies.  Cole thought that the process was way more fun than the product, so he wasn't so interested in coloring in his Thomas the Tank Engine coloring book when we were finished.  He was way more in to breaking the scribble cookies with his hammer...ug.   Boys.  We'll try again tomorrow.  

Summertime

A few of my favorite things about this summer are Cole and Max playing together and our basil plant.   Strange, I know.   Since Max learned to sit up,  I have caught the boys playing together several times, often with Legos or cars.  I look forward to when they can chase each other...I think!   Also, since Max is so easily entertained while sitting up with a few toys and a cracker, I have more time to cook.  Goodbye, lame meals of the past.  Hello basil!  The basil plant is my newest favorite summer thing.  I bought it at our local farmer's market when it was tiny and now it's ready to use.  Last night I clipped off a few leaves and we ate it with our sun-dried tomato chicken off the grill.  YUM-O!  I loved it so much that tonight we put it on hamburgers, also off the grill, with cheese, avocado, and tomato.  MM MM GOOD.   Long live basil!   Did I mention that this is the first spring we've had our own yard to plant anything?  We love it! We're anxiously awaiting tomatoes, orange and green bell peppers, and yellow summer squash. Only a little while longer!   

Oh, and one more favorite thing about summertime...wagon rides with popsicles!  

Funny Boys

This is what we did tonight while Daddy studied for the GMAT.  Funny!  

Zwieback Toast

Max's bottom 2 middle teeth are halfway up!  He's showing us that EVERYTHING tastes good these days.  Toys, our fingers, spoons, his hands, blankets, and the list goes on.  So yesterday I bought some zwieback toast and gave Max one while I was making dinner.  He gobbled it up all by himself!  This definitely made making dinner a quieter process.  I think I'll stick these in my bag whenever I go out.  Instant Max entertainment! 

Perfect Summer Morning

This morning I took the boys in the stroller and ran to Chris's office to bring him some lunch.  The weather was breezy and sunny...perfect!   So perfect our air conditioning is off today.   The route to Chris's office takes us through the campus of Indiana University and downtown Bloomington, and both are beautiful this time of year.  Lots of flowers blooming, students walking to class, green trees and limestone buildings.  We saw several police cars, fire trucks, UPS trucks, diggers, and bulldozers, too, since summer on a college campus is prime time for construction projects.   Cole was enthralled!  On our way home we stopped at The Copper Cup for a raspberry smoothie.  Yum!  The ride lulled Max to sleep, so he missed out on the smoothie.  When we got home, we painted rocks in our driveway and ate some lunch.   Now it's nap time!  

GMAT

On July 12 Chris takes the GMAT.  It's the entrance exam for business school.  He's been studying for months, alone and with a Kaplan tutor, hoping to score well and be granted admission to an MBA program for Fall '09.  Where?  He's not sure yet.  I am so proud of his diligence and positive attitude in the face of algebra, geometry, critical reasoning, sets, and many more topics.  He has had to re-learn a lot!   He has spent countless hours in front of the computer in our basement and more countless hours with a GMAT preparation book on his lunch hours and after the boys are in bed.  And on the weekends he breaks to eat, sleep, mow the lawn, and go to church.  His practice test scores have been increasing, and I think he would tell you that his hard work is paying off.   Whew!  I'm ready to have my husband back in a couple weeks.   GMAT, release my husband from your grip with an awesome score, please!  

Pool Love

Max was definitely not feeling the pool love this morning.   Too cold?  Too unfamiliar?  Too much Cole splashing?  Is it a bath...outside...what?  Whatever stole his pool love wasn't so important as soon as I sat in the pool with him, though.  He had a great time after that chewing on every toy he could grab.  Once I saw him dive for a red cup!  Thankfully I was holding his arm so he didn't faceplant into the bottom of the pool.  Whew!   Hopefully we haven't turned Max off to swimming.  Before the summer is over, I'm confident Max's pool love will grow! 

One Big Day

We dropped Kelsey off at the airport this morning, so we decided to make a day of being in Indianapolis.  First, we visited GrandBob at work.  Cole loved sitting at my dad's big desk, and it was the first time Max had been to Lilly.  Fun! 

After visiting with my dad, we met my mom at the Indianapolis Children's Museum.   Cole loved exploring the Curious George exhibit, which was of course designed for curious kids!   Cole also fished with my mom in the Playscape while Max chewed on some toys, and we ended the day on the carousel.   Both boys took naps on our way back down to Bloomington and woke up right when we pulled in our driveway, which means I am a sleep deprived mommy today! Bedtime, come soon! 

Kelsey & Puff Balls

Our good friend Kelsey is a missionary in Marghita, Romania.   She works with orphans and is building an new life there with her foster son, Caleb.  We've known her for a few years and have been part of her support team.   Well, after four years in Romania, Kelsey came home to the USA to raise more support and share about Romania with family and friends.   Due to Romanian government restrictions, Caleb had to stay in Romania.  We are so bummed that he and Cole couldn't play together!   Anyway, Kelsey stayed with us for a couple days and we hosted a BBQ for her while she was here.  We also met Chris for lunch on Monday at the Irish Lion downtown, because Kelsey couldn't believe that we've never tried the Puff Balls there. They were yummy, and I think she had her Puff Ball fix until her next Bloomington visit!  

Boys in the Bath and My Addiction

Yes, folks.  I am definitely addicted to blogging.  Hence, multiple posts daily sometimes.  I am interested in all things blog.  Your blog, my blog, strangers' blogs.  Everywhere I go I take the camera and anticipate blog opportunities.  One of my love languages is gifts, and every time I take a picture and post it with a story, I feel like I gain something...a memory!  This may explain my habit.  I really do love photographing and documenting life's adventures with our wonderful boys.   Thanks for your patronage to Frankly Speaking!

So my latest victory is bathing both boys simultaneously without extreme splashing and a soaked mommy and bathroom at the end.  Now that Max is sitting up better, this is even more fun.   This video moment is something I've been hoping for!  

Here Come the Burnetts!

Lance, Mendy, and Ethan Burnett are friends of ours from Vienna.  They left Vienna the same time we did last summer after serving at VCS for four years.    They are working on their Master's Degrees in Columbus, OH, this summer, and stopped at our house last night along the way.  Ethan and Cole played together really well in the rocks and with a huge tub of water.  The last time we saw Ethan he was only 6 months old!   It was great, too, to exchange stories of post-Vienna life!   Too bad Ethan and Cole weren't so cooperative for the family picture!  Max was already in bed, so it was definitley around melt-down time.  Note to self:  No photos after dinner.  Oh well!  

Water Fun!

Cole enjoyed some water fun on our driveway today after we got home from camp.  Max looked on and had his lunch outside while Cole sprayed and washed everything in sight.   Both boys are taking great naps now after our morning adventures!  

This week and next are camp weeks for Cole, which means Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings he goes to Pathfinder 2's camp at the YMCA from 9-10:30 a.m.  He has had so much fun so far this week, and today on our way home he asked if we could turn around and go right back to camp again.   Friday is water day at camp.   Fun! 

A Wagon Ridin' We Will Go

Father's Day Cookout

Our small group had a Father's Day Cookout this afternoon, and it was so much fun!  We are so thankful to have found other families from our wonderful church, ECC, to get to know better.  The dads had a great time throwing the football around and grilling the meat, the moms chatted, and of course, the kids had the best time splashing in the pool.  Max decided to really start sitting up today, too. Woah!  Never saw that one coming!  Up until now, he's been really floppy.   Happy Father's Day!