Is this really the job I signed up for????

POSITION :
Mom (aka Mommy, Mama, Ma)
Dad (aka Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop)

JOB DESCRIPTION :
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :
None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :
None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

What I'm going to be when I grow up....

Brendan: Hey dad, you know when you're 40, I'm going to be 16. I'm going to need a car, so I will need some money.

Dad: You're going to need some money? (he says while laughing)

B: Yup

D: I guess that means you're going to need a job. What do you want to do???

B: I'm going to be a preacher

D: A Preacher??? When you're 16, you're going to be a preacher.

B: Yup!!!



So watch out Pastor Scott, I think you will have a little competition for your job in 10 years.

All the strategies for a winning part

In yesterday's press, here's what the local grocer had to offer for a super party plan for Super Bowl.

Red or Green Seedless Grapes $1.18/lb save $1.31/lb
Bread or Honey Hot Dog or Hamburg Buns BOGO or equal or lesser value Free!!!!
Smoked Sausage or Grillers Buy one Get TWO Free!!!! save $7.98 on 3
24 pack cans beer $14.76
Shredded Cheese 1/2 price
Frozen Pizzas 4 for $10 save at least $4 on 4
Spring Water 24/.5 liter bottles 3 for $10
Prilosec Acid Reducer Buy One Get One 50% off!!!!

Now that's the making of a great party.

Say "CHEESE"

Well, I finally got a different camera and of course I needed to try it out. Connor decided to sport a new smile. Every picture that I took that he was aware of, this is what he did. It's always a great smile, I just wish he would keep his eyes open.

Sanctity Of Life

This past sunday, we celebrated the sanctity of life at our church. Different persons, age 35 and younger, from our church brought white roses to the front of church to remember the 45 million plus babies who have lost their lives due to an abortion. There was a total of 35 roses one for each year since Roe. v. Wade decision.

Honestly I didn't think much about it again until I received an email from Focus on the Family today. And in the email there was a Roe IQ Quiz which had 12 questions quizzing you on the Roe v. Wade decision.

I admitt I didn't get all the answers right(8 out of 12), and I was surprised about how little I actually knew about what Roe v. Wade really does and doesn't do.

That being said, if you have an extra moment this week, take a moment and pray for all the unwanted babies that have already been aborted and for those who are thinking an abortion is their only choice. With God's power we can save the lives of these little ones.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matt 19:14

Weekend Creativity

The past weekend I finished a couple projects that I am to show off. I really like these personalized pillows I made for the boys. I think they are really cute and would be an adorable addition to any bed. And if you don't like the name thing, you could do prince, princess, diva...



Then I also made this "valance" for license plates for Brendan's room. I have his room decorated in vintage cars and trucks and that this would be something fun and different for a boy's room. (I must give credit to a program I show on HGTV, but I'm not sure which program.)

The Diagnosis Is In

So yesterday at lunch, I noticed that Austin just wasn't himself. He looked terrible and he wasn't eatting, so I had Mike take his temperature: 100.8. My first thought was "Oh, great another sick kid and I won't be able to go to Coffeebreak again this week." (I hadn't been there since the first of November.)

Well this morning, I checked his temperature again, this time 101.3. I decided to called the doc and Mike took Austin in.

Yes, it's strep throat. And to make matters worst. While Mike was informing me that if we thought either on the other two boys(Lucas or Connor) shows signs of strep, we can just call in to the peds office and they would give us a presciption over the phone - skipping the office visit (saving us $), Connor got a hold of Austin's sucker that of course Austin had already sucked on. I guess I will be calling the doc in about 5 days....What a Life !!!!!!

The End of Christmas

Christmas has finally come to an end at the VanDam's. I finally took down my 8 ft. Christmas Tree today with it's 17 ornaments and the other decorations. It felt good to put it away, but I already miss it, and now the house looks so empty and bare. I wish the Christmas Season was a bit longer. I feel guilty putting this up before Thanksgiving, because then it's seems like Christmas takes a priority over the season of thankfulness, so I wait until after and then it goes by way too fast.

Does anyone else feel that way????

Outside the Locked Doors

This morning Mike and I tried sleeping in and the only way to do that, without having four boys, (or should I say three, because so far Connor can't get out of his bed) in the room running circles, is to have the door locked.

That being said about 8:00am we started to hear little knocks on our door with an occassionally "MOM, I'm hungry". Well that woke me up but I still stayed in bed hoping they would fen for themselves as they usually did. BUT not this morning, the next thing we know we hear Brendan saying "1,2,3 go!!!!" and he comes charging down the hall and hits our door, which is locked. Then it was quiet, but before long he did it again.

At that point we knew we had no choice but to get up before the door came crashing down or someone got hurt. What a great start to the day.

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Christmas with the Geerlings

We gathered for Christmas with my family on Wednesday night. I can say that it was very nice not to have more than one party a day. That did mean that we have parties 5 night in a order.
Again we first had supper, then we had to get a family pictures with all 20 of us with a camera on a timer. That can be interesting getting all the kids to look in the right direction at the right time. Never of the ones on my mom's camera are good enough to show (I used my mom's camera for this party seeing how mine is now broken.) Finally the presents!!!!

Brendan got stuff for his Build-a-Bear Dog that Grama gave him on his birthday.

Dad got a new laptop

Connor got a PB Kids chair. I think he will love getting in and out of it. He's at that age.

Grama got a new shelf custom made for her cookbooks and some jewelry

Phil with his new shirt from AE

Allyson loving her new bag, coin purse, and books

Sarah also got a new bag.

Isaiah needed a new guitar seeing how he says he going to be playing the guitar in church someday.

Kerri with her new purse

Jodi with her new bag for school.

Austin trying to decide what present to open first, unfortunately two of those were Luc's

The last gift Connor got and finally showed a small of amount of interest but it didn't last long as you can see on the picture below. There sits the half wrapped gift.

Lucas posing for mom as he rips open his present

Brendan also got a new JD Sweatshirt and a new game.

Katelyn showing off her new purse. I'm going to sense a pattern- purses, purses and more purses. I wonder who made those???? LOL

Playing in the Snow.

Christmas Eve, Brendan was playing outside in the snow. I opened the window and had him making some snow angels so I could take some pictures of him.

Then I started having major problems. My camera stopped working the way it's suppose to work. Now half of the pictures is black. What a bad time for my camera to stop working, right in the middle of Christmas!!!!

I brought it in to get fixed but they said it will be 6 weeks before I know that cost of the damages. I don't know if I can go that long without a camera. Oh, camera why did you have to break!!!!!

Christmas with the Van Dams

Sunday afternoon we headed to Mom and Dad VD's house for lunch and presents. The boys were so excited to see Morgan and of course to open the gifts.

Morgan, Brendan and Austin opening their stockings; they got watercolor paints, candy, Village Dipper Gift Cert., McDonald's Gift Cards, stickers, any more.

Austin looking at his Go GO Go, as he says it, Color Wonder book and markers - you know that markers that only right on certain paper, they great for church.

Connor checking out his new School Bus and thinking 'what buttons can I push to make noise'.

Mike and his gift card to Lowes

Me and my new bowl for my mixer, now I can make more than one batch of cookies without cleaning out the bowl.

Brendan got a World Globe for Christmas. Now when everyone else goes on vacation he can figure where they are.

Brendan also got some toys to add to his tree house in the backyard.

Aunt Kelli got Luc and Austin M&M soccer balls from the M&M store in NYC. They thought the balls were pretty cool. If it were only spring right now....

I don't remember taking this picture of Connor , but I like it and wanted to post it.

I made Morgan this apron for one of her presents this year. I think it turned out pretty cute!!!!

Christmas at Home

The Saturday before Christmas we had the kids open their presents.

We started the night by going to the boys favorite restaurant; Pizza Hut. After dinner we went back home for presents. The boys were so excited, well as least the three oldest. Connor really didn't think too much of presents or the wrapping paper this year. I don't think he opened any of his own gifts. We would put a gift in front of him and he would turn and run away.

The annual pic of the boys by the Christmas Tree

Brendan with new games for his leapster he got last year

Lucas and Austin with their Lighting McQueen Puzzles

Connor got a Noah's Ark Boat with animals. I think Austin likes it more than Connor does.

Austin and Lucas also got floor puzzles, one it of the USA and the other of ocean and it's animals

Lucas is showing off his new game. Austin got one too. On this game they can freehand draw, connect the dots, color by number. I guess I can buy games for it if they get bored with them later...maybe for the car ride to Florida....

Mike and the boys got me a docking station for my ipod, it has come in handy with playing Christmas music as of late.

The boys and I got Mike tickets to the Detroit Red Wings and the GR Griffins. It was a packet bundle, so on Feb 29 watch the Red Wings maybe you will see us on TV. ;o)