The Julius Family

Winter Winter go away! Feb 2009

2009-02-08T23:47:00.008-05:00

We are sick of winter here at the Julius household. Greta and I feel trapped in the house and are always looking for new things to do. This past week her music class started up again so that's a plus. It has been bitter cold out (except for this weekend) and as easy as it sounds to stay in...we just had to get out. Here are a few places we escaped to...

The Mall Play Area... aka...Germ haven!

Chucky Cheese....just to play!!!

Toast to a New Year!

2009-01-26T23:56:00.015-05:00

Jason and I had a wonderful New Years this year. Our friends Chip and Tracy were married that night so we had the perfect chance for a night out! The wedding was in Grand Rapids at the Amway plus we stayed the night. My mom was able to stay at our home to watch Greta, which they both enjoyed. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was a huge New Years bash! We both needed that time to relax and unwind for a night and it was GREAT. Here are a few pictures of our night and Greta's night. :)

Merry Christmas!!

2009-01-08T00:04:00.006-05:00

This Christmas we had my some of my family over in the morning which worked out great! Greta loved the tree, mostly loved pulling the ornaments off and playing with the train set. We first ate some breakfast and then opened gifts - so fun! Greta was a little overwhelmed but did great. Around 2pm we headed over to Jason's parents for more gifts and dinner. Greta loved her table and chairs, school bus and loads of other gifts. Oh, her dollhouse was a hit and her new tricycle will be loved when she gets the hang of it. It's strange to look at photos from last Christmas and compare them to this year....it reminds me how fast time goes by and to cherish everyday!

Gobble Gobble Nov 2008

2008-12-08T21:13:00.008-05:00

We had Thanksgiving at our house this year. My mom, step-dad and Jason's mom and dad came over to share the day. I think everything went great! Food turned out, Greta wasn't too crabby and everyone got along. Jason was hoping Greta would eat some mashed potatoes this year but she refused (like always). She had chicken enchiladas instead - she goes through these weird food stages where she will eat the same thing for weeks at a time and won't touch anything else. Anyway, the day was wonderful and the company even better!

Up Up and AWAY!

2008-11-14T20:15:00.008-05:00

Greta and I took a trip to Denver to visit my friend Nicki. This was Greta's second airplane ride and for the most part she did great! We left on a Saturday and returned on Tuesday so this gave us a few days to adapt to a new house and the dreaded time change. The outbound flight Greta did fabulous...better then I'd ever dreamed. The return flight had it's challenges...for example she threw her "bink" and it landed 2 rows back in a man's lap....Nice! We got through it with unlimited amounts of m'n'ms and other treats.

Nicki has two kids...Sydney who's almost 3 and Owen who's 7months. As you can imagine we didn't venture out - the drive to Nicki's from the airport (3 car seats in the backseat) was enough to make the circus come calling.

We had a great time - the weather was high 70's so it was a nice change from Michigan. Greta and I hope to do this once a year...if the Robbin's family allows it!!!

ROAR of the Lion! Oct 31, 2008

2008-11-11T22:10:00.013-05:00

This Halloween was much different from last. Greta is now old enough to go trick-or-treating and enjoy some of the goodies! We first had Grandma Shosten and Great Granny over to see our little lion all dressed up. Greta held her little pumpkin basket out and was rewarded with a new slinky and a box of goldfish crackers.

Now it was off to Grandpa Schamper's house to see what he had in store. Greta cruised around like any other day - except this day she had drawn on whiskers and a big furry costume - this didn't seem to bother her.

Next on the agenda was Nonna and Poppy's to meet daddy and surprise them with her costume. We like to make people wait to see what she'll be - this is more fun! By the look on their faces they were more then pleased with the out-come. Greta hustled around - in and out of doorways and down hallways. She was surprised with Cookies and cute wind up cars which were a huge huge hit!

It was time to head home for dinner and then a wagon ride trick-or-treating. After dinner we re-applied whiskers and headed out in our neighborhood. When we returned Greta had just as much fun watching kids come to our door (and eat her treats) - she thought it was great that we had so many "visitors"!

I cook - I eat - I clean Oct 2008

2008-10-28T22:26:00.011-04:00

We made cupcakes awhile back and had fun frosting them. Greta was more into feeding me (and herself) the frosting then actually decorating them. She has this way about her with food. She wants to see us eat it first (which is her giving me a bite...bite after bite after bite) and then she MIGHT also take one. I sometimes think she thinks I'm tricking her into eating something horrible.....(she thinks horrible is fruits/veggies) and wants to see me swallow first - what a funny little lady!

On a later date she was gobbling up her yogurt during lunch and took some time in between to put a spoonful on her head. I first grabbed the mirror (i keep a locker mirror on the fridge - she loves loves loves to look at herself when she walks by) to show her what she did. She thought this was great and laughed at herself. I secondly grabbed the camera to capture it.

On yet a later date I was cleaning the floor and she was (as always) very interested in what I was doing. I gave her the "swiffer" and let her take part. Hey, anything she can do to help I'm game for. I was able to shorten the handle to make it perfect for her. She also "mopped" the sofa table and the carpet.....what a helper huh?!
We are having the best time with her - she makes us laugh everyday (over and over again!)

Park and Parade Oct 26, 2008

2008-10-26T23:26:00.012-04:00

A few weeks ago was the Zeeland Pumpkinfest parade. We went to the park first to play, then to the parade. All went well except the tunnel slide as you will see in the picture. She did great at the parade...was more interested then I thought she would be. I had visions of her the "bucking bronco" to get out of her stroller. We had so much fun

Beach Day in the Fall - Late Sept 2008

2008-10-11T23:32:00.009-04:00

Here we go again - Off to the beach after dinner! It was cool but not cold and we thought we would go down by the water this time. We usually just hit the playground but it was just so perfect out we had to go down. Through the Tunnel we go!!! Down the steps we go!!! We had fun pouring sand on our legs and Greta loved the sand on her feet. This was the perfect beach day in September - who could ask for anything more

Meijer Gardens Sept 2008

2008-10-11T23:13:00.008-04:00

Lovely day for a walk through the Gardens. We along with Nonna and Poppy took off for an afternoon of fun at the Meijer Gardens. Greta had a ball in the Children's Garden and that is basically where we stayed. That area alone was enormous and provided plenty of for all of us.

We All Scream for Ice Cream - Sept 2008

2008-09-19T21:16:00.008-04:00

Captain Sundae is a staple in Holland if you don't know this already or not from here. It's annoyingly busy and cars love to honk as they drive by on the way (or from) the beach. Greta has been there before but not when she was walking. Tonight was perfect! Jason laughed at her walking around with her bib on...but be serious....who's gonna be the one trying to get choc ice cream out of her shirt (hair and face) that night?! Things were a little hectic at first but once we sat down (I ordered Jason the wrong thing...oops) we all enjoyed our ice cream (some more then others). From the looks of things - Greta enjoyed hers the most!

Day at Grandma's House - Sept 11, 2008

2008-09-13T23:27:00.015-04:00

Today after lunch we hopped in the car and headed to Fennville to visit Grandma. After we took our short 25min ride Greta couldn't wait to get out of the car and start exploring. We don't get to Grandma's as much as we should, usually Grandma comes to us. First Neiko (the dog) greeted us outside...Greta loved this. We went inside and sat down to chat a bit. Grandma brought out some toys but Greta had more fun playing with some stones by the fireplace. After a few hours we sat on the front porch hoping Greta would nap. She did and it was a great nap - laying on my chest in a soft breeze while we rock on the glider. My mom and I were able to spend this time talking and catching up - the talking didn't bother Greta. After about an hour Greta woke and we decided to walk around outside. Greta found the log pile and had fun climbing and lifting small pieces of wood. She played on the swings and ran around in the grass and stones- we had fun watching her! It was getting to be that time but we needed to have dinner before we left for the day. While I prepared her food Greta peeked out the window to watch Neiko, wishing she could feed her treats and pet her (and pull on her tail and ears!). We relaxed we played and we ate - and now it was time to go home.

Allegan Fair - Sept 10, 2008

2008-09-13T23:05:00.033-04:00

Today was a perfect fair day! We met in Allegan around 11:30am to all ride in together - Rebecca, Liberty, Nadia, my mom and I. We had planned this day for sometime and were hoping the weather would be nice. Sun was out and no rain - what more could you ask for?! Liberty and Nadia had wristbands for the rides so if they wanted to go on the tilt'a'whirl 99 times, that's what they were going to do. Lets just say we where there for close to 9 hours - we ate everything we wanted and there was no stone unturned by the time we left. One highlight of the day or should I change that to episode of the day was the "screamer". I can't remember the actual name of the ride but that's what I'll call it for now. It reminded me of the "demon drop" from cedar point but on a smaller scale. We bribed the kids to go on it - the first time we asked they didn't want anything to do with it. Of course when there is money involved thoughts change. My mom was unamused by this but Rebecca and I wanted them to do this so badly. After a few hours of contemplating, they mustered up the courage to get in line. This ride brings you up slowwwwwly and drops you to what you think is a near death experience.

Liberty did fine but Nadia's life will forever be changed. As soon as they fell and we saw Nadia she could barley breath because the tears were coming and I mean coming FAST! The poor girl cried for probably 20 minuets. I don't regret talking her into it - she will never forget that day. Also, she'll have a great story for her friends but I'm sure she'll leave out the "terrified out of her mind" part. All in all we ate what we could, rode to your hearts content and left our mark in Allegan. I wonder what next year will bring?!

Last pool day before fall... Sept 2008

2008-09-13T22:58:00.008-04:00

Today we went to Christie's to play outside with her two girls Emma and Katelyn. We planned to eat lunch first - Emma and Katelyn had finished by the time we got there so it was Greta's turn. I put her in the highchair and that's when lunch went downhill. She's not a great eater and today was no better. She cried at her food and there was so much going on she wouldn't eat anything but some treats. So...we changed and headed outside. The kids all had a great time! Christie always has it set up cute...with the pool, toys, sand/water table and all our chairs out. Time flew by...it always does and now it was time to head home. Greta was tired from the sun so she snugged into her crib (sand, sunscreen and all) and we called it an afternoon.

Labor Day = Straight Jacket? Sept 1st 2008

2008-09-07T20:47:00.008-04:00

Another great summer day! It was early afternoon on Labor Day and Greta just finished eating lunch. We made a quick call over to Nonna and Poppy's to see if they were home - They were! We loaded in the car and headed a few miles to their house. It was time for Greta's FIRST boat ride! I wasn't as worried about her reaction to the boat as I was to the life jacket. She freaked out for a few moments and I don't blame her - it was hard for her to get around. Greta could barely move her head and body - this type of jacket has a head cushion in back so they can't flip, holds the head up, etc. She was snugged in that jacket with her head popping out the top. I carried her down to the boat to do the hand off to Poppy...then we all jumped in. Off we went - She seemed to enjoy the ride, she didn't cry - we were out on the lake for about an hour. I suggested we speed up a little - I had a feeling she would enjoy more wind in her face. Little Greta was such a trooper in her life jacket on this warm day. We may have one more chance to get out on the lake before the weather turns colder. I wonder what reaction she will have when she sees the "straight jacket" again?!

Dinner, Fun and Sand at Tunnel Park - Aug 28th 2008

2008-09-06T23:57:00.010-04:00

The weather was so nice out and we've been wanting to have dinner at the beach. First we packed plates, drinks, utensils, etc and headed to KFC for a bucket of chicken. Now we are set for dinner and fun! We found a perfect picnic table in the shade not far from the play area. Greta sat in her stroller and ate pretzels (she ate prior - she's not a good eater so chicken would have NEVER gone over with her). After dinner we set her free to wander - we were in a huge open area so she was at liberty to just let us follow her. Of course she spied the slide and headed right over. The play area is above her (age) but she managed just fine. She climbed the big steps and sat on the top waiting for us to help her down - this happened over and over and OVER. Jason went down with her and I went down with her - I actually took her down the BIG spiral slide...she loved that! After sliding she walked around and found other toys to play on - she went in the swings for about 2 minuets. She thinks she likes it at first but quickly decides there are better things to do.

It was warm out and she would take her sticky sand hands and wipe her face off - this kept me busy trying to keep the sand out of eyes. Greta entertained us for over and hour, she was just having a ball! Once we got home (leaving didn't go so well - she was having separation anxiety with the park) we poured the sand out of her shoes, scrubbed her down and off to dream land she went. We can't wait for more trips to the beach for dinner - maybe next time Greta will be more into FOOD - but that's a whole other story.

lions, tigers and bears oh WAIT...what lions?! Aug 24th 2008

2008-08-30T22:14:00.004-04:00

This was our second trip to the zoo this year, our first was in May. It was hot hot hot but Greta didn't mind. There is a new lion exhibit and we couldn't wait to see them. The picture in my head didn't match what we saw. The exhibit itself is nice, but where are all the lions? One measly lion, that's it - that's all we could see! Oh well, Greta didn't care one way or another - she was more entertained by the chipmunks running around the zoo anyway.

She seemed to like the reptiles a lot but her FAVORITE was the petting area. The goats were a hit, she couldn't get enough of them. We were the only family in the petting coral at the time so she got to wander around which she loved!
Another fun thing was the bird exhibit. We purchased a few bird food sticks and headed in to feed the buggers. I held the stick out - over and over and over - but no darn birds would eat our bird food. Greta liked to watch them and she also liked to hold the stick out. At this point we were so hot and sticky - it was time to go. We had such fun with Greta and plan to get a zoo membership next year.

Come on over and play with me! Aug 21st 2008

2008-08-25T23:22:00.000-04:00

It's Aunt Heather's last full day in town before she heads back to Portland. She came over with Nonna for some fun in the sun - Greta style. The pool is filled, the sandbox is stocked with buckets, scoops and trucks, bubbles for everyone - let the party begin.

Greta always thinks it's a good idea to keep us on our toes. She goes from the pool to the sandbox back and forth - then runs over to the neighbors playhouse. We chase her everywhere - she is getting so fast! Last time I had the sprinkler out she thought it was great fun - this time not so much. She is very opinionated on what she wants and doesn't want.

Aunt Heather falls into her trap and goes along with it all. Greta loves LOVES Aunt Heather and why wouldn't she. Heather taught her how to put on and take off the top of a water bottle....over and over and over again. This new talent makes it difficult to drink water in front of her, but of course we laugh and giggle. Greta enjoyed her day and so did we...

It was getting close to nap time -- we packed up and called it an afternoon. Then before we knew it Greta was hiding behind Heathers chair...she played peekaboo. This was the first time she really made it a game. She hid and would peek around the side and pop out. This was a great ending to a wonderful afternoon -- it was a real joy to have them over and we will miss Aunt Heather till we see her again for the Holidays.

Farmers Market = Ice Cream Aug 13th 2008

2008-08-24T23:56:00.000-04:00

Today we took advantage of the weather and headed off to Farmers Market. We met up with Jason, Heather and Nonna for lunch at the stands. After we ate we strolled around and picked up some fresh veggies. Jason headed back to work so Greta and I decided to wander downtown and peek in some stores. That didn't last long when I saw Cold Stone and we both needed something sweet. Greta and I shared a chocolate scoop of ice cream - which she ate most of. We enjoyed the sunny day and zoomed back home in time for naptime.

Crazy Crazy bounce time! Aug 13th 2008

2008-08-24T22:58:00.000-04:00

For the 2nd time we took Greta to Crazy Bounce. This time Heather was in town so we made it a family event - Jason, Poppy, Nonna and Heather all joined in the fun. Greta had a blast jumpin around and making us laugh. Her favorite was the little slide in the toddler area...she went up the steps by herself this time. She enjoyed sliding on her bum but also face first on her tummy! Once she did that several times it was off to the ball area. She crawled in and figured things out. She played in the balls and had a great time doing so. We eventually knew it was time to go, she always lets us know...the melt down was happening.