Honor Flight

Happy Memorial Day

  

A proper heroes return, Papa being interviewed for
the news,Highlights from a once in a lifetime party!

Jim Haley circa 1952, Japan

I can not think of a more appropriate way to celebrate Memorial Day, then with a return blog covering the Northwest Ohio Honor Flight on Wednesday May 21, 2014. Of course each and every trip that is made through this amazing organization is very special. However, this one was particularly significant. Why? Well, there happened to be an extra special passenger, Jim Haley aboard the 757 Boeing, that made the flight to Washington D.C that day! Mr. Haley, who I will affectionately refer to as Papa from here on out, had been on a waiting list and finally received clearance that he would be on one of the last 3 Honor Flights from Toledo, OH. Needless to say since Papa is bound to a wheelchair and lives at the Genoa Care Center, vacations are out of the question these days. This literally was the opportunity of a lifetime and not just for him but for our family too!

Selfie with Papa, Colton and Papa showing their
special badges and a Korean War uniform!

When I was 18, I worked in the Congress building alongside Marcy Kaptur, to complete my Senior project. You see, I had high hopes of going into politics. I wanted to make a difference, change the world, be the voice of the people, yadda, yadda, yadda! Although I changed my mind during that trip, regarding a career in politics, I learned something even more important during my time in D.C. What I learned was simple, you CAN NOT teach history in a classroom or a book as well as you can show it to a child. I had years of history classes throughout school and nothing really set in, until I walked the paths of Arlington Cemetery and browsed through the Library of Congress. I think before you turn 18 it should be mandatory to take a pilgrimage to our nations capitol. Not just to see the sights and experience the rich history of our country but to be reminded of why we are lucky to live in America and have the right to vote.



A very proud Papa with his family!
The Maria R. getting ready to fly to D.C

 

Last Wednesday, I again got to SEE history instead of just hearing about it or reading a book on the subject. I saw elderly men who once in their prime fought bravely on the battlefield during war. I witnessed the unconditional love they have for their country. There were no political sides being taken between men that day, just the side of the United States of America. Something long forgotten in today's day and age, that we are

still first and foremost UNITED. I saw hundreds of people show up to welcome those 72 men back from the days journey, an ode to welcoming them home long ago. I watched my own children wave their flags and clap their little hands to the beat of, "God Bless America". But most importantly I realized that the man who sat across from me at the breakfast table, who yelled at me to get off the phone during dinner and told me I couldn't go to the basketball game because it was, "Too damn cold out", was a HERO. So while you are enjoying your hot dogs and hamburgers today, playing corn hole and drinking a Bud Light on your patio, remember to take time and thank a soldier for allowing you to live freely in the USA!!!




For more pictures click here! Thank you to the Genoa Care Center especially to Candace Camp for orchestrating everything, Steve Goodhand for being an amazing, selfless care taker and a veteran as well, Mike and Diane Haley for living in DC and meeting up with Jim so he could have family alongside and to NWO Honor Flight for making this all possible!


Did you thank a soldier today?



A very special THANK YOU to
Steve Goodhand, who went along as a
very helpful guardian... without you, this
opportunity would have never been
possible and Thank you for your
service to our country as well!  

Wicked, Weird and Wonderful

 

"RUN DOROTHY RUN!"

When I watch The Wizard of Oz, still to this day, I get a little nauseous.  You see one of my earliest memories is hiding behind a chair at my babysitter’s house while the other kids watched the movie.  I could not close my eyes tight enough.  She was coming for me in all her green glory and I couldn’t get the image out of my head.  No matter how tightly I closed my eyes and even with covering my ears, so as not to hear her voice, I still would go home at night and have nightmares.  It’s silly really, all the other kids could sit and laugh at the flying monkeys and sing along with the munchkins, while little Lisa sat cowardly in the corner.  Then it happened, I would get a burst of braveness and squint open one eye, look at the screen and cry.  I would go home and continue on like nothing had happened.  Playing with my Barbies and going about my business.  My Mom would put me to bed, tuck me in tight and I would snuggle up with my stuffed friends, finally fall asleep, only to be awakened by her again.  The green, ohhhhhhh the green and her pointy nose and her jagged teeth and that ball of fire.  I hated her.  She was ruining my life.  As soon as I fell asleep and started to dream about playing outside, sleepovers with my friends or getting a new doll, she would creep into my mind and “Poof” ruin everything. 

    

She's one bad a#$ witch!

It started the same way each night.  I was sitting in the living room of my Grandpa and Grandma  Someone would call me so I would run up those iconic 1960’s stairs, only to find myself inside a small restaurant with a few cozy, red leather booths.  There’s a bar but it’s unattended so I sit down in the booth. I can hear my family’s laughter and see rays of light streaming in from the living room below.  Suddenly that familiar puff of smoke and crimson flame appears in front of the bar and she would be peering her beady eyes out at me.  Her broom reaches out like it’s going to touch me and I scream!  My stomach starts churning, even in the dream, my legs cannot carry me back down those stairs fast enough.  When I would finally wake up out of the nightmare, I would be at the side of my Mother’s bed, sobbing. 
Lento’s house, only it wasn’t their house, it was The Brady Bunch House.

Just a dream... perhaps?  But then why did I continue to have that dream till I was a senior in high school? Not only would I have the exact same dream, over and over and over and over again for years, but I could almost feel her breathing on the back of my neck. For some kids it’s the boogie man or the monsters under the bed, but for me it was the fear of the Wicked Witch of the West, grabbing my arm and whisking me up into the sky by broom. 

 

Best musical EVER!!!

As I matured into adulthood, the nightmare faded away.  Even so, I had a hard time watching the movie. Even when the previews flashed across the screen showing that it would be played on a cable channel around Thanksgiving, I felt a little sick.  Knowing that I had this phobia, a friend told me to read the book “Wicked”, the evil witch’s version of what happened in Oz.  So I borrowed the book and quickly became obsessed.  Such a classic story told from the villains viewpoint was absolutely enchanting to me.  This modern day version was darker and much more poignant.  As I would flip through the pages and read about how the Wicked Witch had been born with emerald hued skin, razor sharp nails and jagged teeth, which led to her ostracism from birth, I began to feel less afraid of the character and instead felt for her.  I grew sympathetic to her cause as a misfit while I continued to read.

She's really not so scary!

     Yes, I know that the Wicked Witch or Elphaba, is a fictional character. I know she isn’t real and I  Margaret Hamilton, in the 1939 original. Margaret Hamilton who was actually a young Kindergarten teacher before portraying this role. In fact she later stated that she regretted taking the part because of how badly children were scared of her. How do I know all this? Well let's just say I have spent many nights researching The Wizard of Oz and specifically the actress herself.
know that she was portrayed by a regular woman,
 
It's beyond strange to be so affected by a movie for such a large portion of my life, or to be so scared of a woman who taught 5 year old children how to read and was a Mother herself. But hey I'm weird! Maybe somewhere in my nightmare there was a hidden meaning or some subconscious thought trying to get to the forefront of my mind. I guess I will never know. But here is what I do know, my kids love The Wizard Of Oz and all the spin offs and we even just bought the first five books in The Wizard Of Oz series written by L. Frank Baum. Despite my fears I do find the world of Oz wonderful and can't wait to read the books to Gabby and Colton. So I guess I have no choice but to get over my issues with the Queen of Green and soldier on. 

 A little light reading for the summer!

Buttcracks Are Awkward

Dude, no one wants to see this!

Today I ventured out with three children to pick a few thing up at Wal-Mart. It was extremely pleasant shopping on a Tuesday morning. No crowds, no lines, just me, the kids and a few elderly people in awe of my happy baby! We were in, we were out, groceries and subway in hand all ready to eat lunch. Then it happened. I walked out the big double doors at the front of the store, the sun streaming down on my face, a beautiful day ruined by the sight of a woman bent over with her entire crack exposed. It was like a train wreck. I didn't want to stare but I couldn't take my eyes off of it. As this incident was unfolding through my head ran the same thought over and over, "why can't people wear pants that cover their butts?" My appetite vanished quickly and as I loaded up the groceries hoping to avoid anymore rear

Even If You Are Blond
& Skinny, It's Still Gross!

end exposure, I pondered this awkward occurrence.




The "Mom" Crack...
Bending down to help
Your child is no excuse!

I mean lets face it, this isn't the first time I have been subjected to some random stranger's booty. You will never find me mooning the public. Dewey always makes fun of me for wearing my pants too high, although, I say... its at my natural waistline.!But I will take high waisted, grandma pants over low rise, crack showers any day. Maybe more people should take my pant wearing strategy and put it into practice because it is reallyyyyyyyyyyyy awkward when you are an adult and that much skin is showing on your tushy. It makes people uncomfortable. Seriously. So the next time you are getting dressed, pull up your pants, secure them with a belt, zip them tight, just do whatever you have to do to keep them up! Most importantly remember the age old saying from what I'm sure was a very wise man... "Crack Kills"! 

Now This Crack Is OK :)

You Can't Pick Your Family But You Can Pick Your Friends!!!

 

VACATION FUN!

So we have been in a slump at the Dunn house this week, lots and lots of vomiting. Nothing makes you feel less like blogging then being stuck in the house for a week with sick kids! I just have not had any motivation for a new story... then I looked out into the driveway and saw a little white Ford Ranger. That Ford Ranger does not belong to us, it belongs to the Reetz family. Being reminded of the fact that they always lend us their spare truck (with no questions asked) made me think that its about time for a blog about true friends.


One night after Dewey and I had first started dating, he took me to

Yes... we did this!

meet his best friend, Angie (Reetz) Baltzell. He had already told me the back story, they grew up as neighbors, went to school together, partied together, watch Saved By The Bell after school and ate pizza rolls side by side. He practically lived at her house. Not only was Dewey close with her and her brother Joe, throughout childhood, but as they got older he became friends with Angie's husband, Josh, as well. In fact he did actually live with Josh and Joe for a time and I believe was their built in dishwasher, something along the lines of "will wash dishes for cigarettes or pizza". Of course that was a long time ago, when everyone was young and single! Not to get off track though, I will go back to the first night I was introduced to them. I'm not exactly sure what we did that night or what was said but I remember leaving the house thinking that they were really nice and hoping they liked me. I don't know if they did at the time, or what they thought, I'm not sure I want to know. What I do know is that they were destined to be in my life.

BFF's

I'm a big believer in the saying "blood is thicker then water", mostly because its true. Family is family and there is a bond that is stronger then even the best friendship. However, your family doesn't always share your blood. Sometimes you're not born into a family, the family just finds you. This is what happened in this case. People who always loved my husband like family, welcomed me into their lives and became so much more then just my friends. They have always been there to support and love us through all of our struggles, joys, hard times and triumphs. They have let both Dewey and I crash on their couch, stood by us at our wedding, fed us more times then I can count (although that's usually Joe's forte), helped us clean our house for parties and never missed a chance to support us! There are few people in my life who I am OK with seeing my house in chaos or who I feel except me in my sweats or in my dress clothes just the same. There are even fewer that I could call to say, "I'm never going to be ready for this party, pleaseeeeeeeee come help!" they are among the elite! I'm pretty sure they are the only people to know that I have hidden a bin full of dirty dishes under the sink five minutes before 50 people showed up for a party and yes that was an all time low point in my life.


Me and Ang

When Gabby was born, I think they were just as excited as we were. Of course we made Josh and Angie her Godparents and could not have chosen wiser. Anytime Gabby has had an important moment in her life they have been there to support her. I know that as she grows older she will always have an extra set of "parents" in her corner. Our boys are best friends and Colton idolizes their son! There is hardly a day that goes by where he doesn't ask when he can play hockey with Jackson next. Then there is the fact that they bestowed the huge honor of making us Godparents for the first time. I could not have been more thrilled since he is my only Godchild and the most hilarious kid I know, we love you Grayson!

Mostly I love them because they have always loved my husband through the good and the bad. Believe it or not Dewey wasn't always a saint (wink, wink)!!! I know friends come and go but your family is with you through it all and they have proven that time and time again. My wish is that our families grow old together, we sit through our kids birthdays, graduations, weddings and more by each others sides and that everyone can be as lucky as we are to find forever friends who become your family!


The second generation of BFF's



Our Kids

Spring Break Survival Guide and Wrap Up (Part 3)

I will say this... what a beautiful view!

Since we returned from Florida, I haven't had the energy to sit down and write a vacation wrap up. Although I have run into many people or gotten texts asking what happened next. Apparently my last blog was a little bit of cliff hanger! How do I even follow that up though??? Literally it was like I was in the movie National Lampoon's Vacation, you know, the one where when they finally get to Wally World, Clark punches the moose in face and takes the security officer hostage. That was what our vacation felt like, it was one thing after another and I really just wanted to punch something or someone HARD! There is nothing worse then spending a lot of time and money to drive half way across the country and be miserable! Although, I will say things got better, our vacation motto was, "It is what it is, so let's make the best of it"! So if you are headed to the beach anytime soon or just find yourself taking a vacation from Hell, here are some tips to help you through it!

1. ALWAYS KEEP WINDEX OR VINEGAR (OR A FULL BLADDER) ON HAND AT THE 

"Mom... I can't feel my arms!"

BEACH - Trust me when your five year old gets stung by a jelly fish and you have to drag him through the sand while he is crying that his entire body hurts and he can't move. All while parting the red sea of drunken teenagers just to get back to the hotel, then have to wait while a rescue call is placed to the life guard station, you will have wished that you had a bottle of vinegar on hand from the get go because a drop of that and a push pop was the remedy of choice. Of course a full bladder works too when in a pinch. Maybe I should have just dropped my pants and peed on him, honestly I don't think anyone was sober enough to have noticed.

Alligator hunting at St. Andrews State Park

2. WHEN THINGS GET TOO ROWDY, FIND A STATE PARK - Amen for Panama City having an amazing state park, St. Andrews because for $8.00 we were able to take our whole family for the day to enjoy peace and quiet!!! No spring breakers there, just a private beach, lots of sea shells and an amazing escape from the crazy tourists.

3. EMBRACE THE SMELL OF CHLORINE - When the pool has chlorine so strong that it burns your eyes and your hair turns a little green by the end of the week, be thankful. Usually my fears of public pools are limited to finding a "Baby Ruth" floating to the surface or wading through a warm spot. After this vacation, I am now worried about other bodily fluids from the non diapered swimmers. After chatting with a security guard and hearing how he had to break up two college kids in the deep end getting their groove on, the week before, I thank the pool God's for an ample amount of chemicals.

4. DON'T BE AFRAID TO SPEAK YOUR MIND - God knows I do not suffer from this problem but many people would have just let their vacation be ruined and not say anything. Not this Mama... I made sure to let the management know, in a polite way, that they need to WARN families about the chaos going on in their establishment. Plus the warning needs to be made well in advance, not as you check in via a waiver form, stating that you know its spring break! Once you are there its too late!!! The hotel graciously comped us free brunch and drinks daily and did the best they could make us feel comfortable. Everytime I picked up the phone to call the front desk, Dewey would cringe a little, but I felt obligated to make sure that 1. we were getting the best vacation possible in the situation and 2. that this would not happen to families in the future!

These are two little beach bums that will NOT
be going on spring break until they are 21!

5. DO NOT LET YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GO ON SPRING BREAK ALONE AND DO NOT BE THE FOOLISH PARENTS THAT TAKE THEM AND PARTY WITH THEM - I do not give two hoots or a rats fat rump if they are 18 years old. No one who is in high school still should be allowed to;
A) Drive to Florida without a parent/guardian... especially with spring break traffic and other teens in the car. DANGEROUS!!!
B) Rent a hotel room in their own name.
C) Drink underage on the beach to the point where they just pass out and random guys drag them back to the hotel (yes, the security guards say that this happens often)... I am sorry and this may not be a popular post with some people but what we witnessed was disgusting. Keep Spring Break for the college kids and if your children are Seniors in HS then take them with you and enjoy one last family vacation before they are out of the house!



Luckily, Dewey treated me to a
lovely stay at the Crowne Plaza
in Atlanta on our way home..
complete with room service!

6. STAY AWAY FROM PANAMA CITY FROM MARCH 1st TO AT LEAST APRIL 15th - If you are looking for tranquility, peace, family time, enjoyment, relaxation, etc. but if you want to party like a rock star and are 21 or over, try it out... I will pray for you!

Vacation Part 2

Captains Log Day 2, March 29, 2014

Honestly, these kids would be happy with a hose in the
backyard... they just love life!

We should have went to Disney, I repeat we should have went to Disney! Normally at Spring Break, we would have taken the kids to Orlando. In fact we originally planned on going to Walt Disney World, but there is no beach! Gabby and Colton always complain that they want to go to the beach and play in the sand. So in prepping for our vacation, I logged on to Dewey's reward points account, to book a fabulous beach trip in Panama! Since he stays roughly 200 nights per year in a hotel, we had enough built up to stay in a beautiful Holiday Inn, beachfront! I didn't even have to tap into our timeshare, which was awesome, because after this trip we are going to need ANOTHER vacation!

Ron Jeremy would
feel right at home!

The first hint that I had towards something being fishy (pun intended), as Dewey was checking in, was the endless train of teenagers parading through the parking lot half naked. Though, I wasn't going to let that dampen my laissez fair attitude, I mean come on, I'm a liberal, free spirited, just on the forefront of my thirties kind of girl! Plus we aren't naïve, Dewey and I both realized it was Spring Break and have been to Florida during this time before. But college Spring Break is over and this was what appeared to be a very family friendly hotel. Yet as we approached the front desk to have wrist bands snapped on us and the girl working had to question if the nine month old needed one... they haven't had any babies? I admit, I started to get nervous! Yet up to our room we headed. As we filed onto the elevator with about 10 other people, I had to clench my kid's hands tightly and say a quick Hail Mary, I was questioning if we were going to go down. I wanted to scream, please don't jump in the elevator, pleaseeeeeee quit touching buttons and it didn't help that we were way up on the 15th floor. Let's just say it was the longest, alcohol drenched, chaotic elevator ride of my life. Ahhhhhhhh! Finally we entered our room, sanctuary, peace, our own private retreat in paradise or so the website said. What I walked into was what Ron Jeremy would have thought was paradise, not me.
A lovely suite decorated in cheetah print carpeting, gold accents and floor to ceiling mirrors around the bed. Ok, I know what you are thinking, YES, Dewey was excited! As a mother there with her three children, one of whom was asking why there was a mirror above the bed, I cringed.

Maybe something to eat and a good night's sleep would make everything better! Off to the Pita Pit for dinner, which was fantastic, they need to put one in Toledo ASAP. Then a quick stop at Target to replenish our pool gear and a lengthy, entertaining drive back to the hotel. I swear to you at every corner we turned there was a Panama City Police Officer arresting someone (with a silent cheer from me). Again, we expected it, we did not however, expect there to be a swat team in the lobby when we returned. "That's it, we are going home", my eyes were literally swelling with tears. So as I frantically tried calling to find another place to go in the area, I was sorely disappointed, everything was booked. Thirty-nine minutes later, I was on the phone trying to get some help from the IHG Priority Club while the kids cried in the backseat that they wanted to swim. Then just at the perfect time, sarcasm alert, Colton's nose started gushing blood. With the phone to my ear I ran him past the security to the bathroom in the lobby for some paper towels. Mind you I was still on hold, with an extremely helpful manager who was looking at every hotel within a two hour drive for us. Back to the van, bloody nose in check, when Dewey looks at me and asks, "Where is your wallet?" OMG, I left it in the cart at Target! So back to Target we flew to luckily find it at the front desk. I just looked at the girl working and sighed, "You will never believe our day"!

With no other hotels available in the area, we cranked up the fan for noise blockage and hunkered down for the night. Although, with every toss and turn all I could see was my reflection staring back at me and saying, "Never again Lisa, never again!"

Captains Log Day 3 March 30, 2014

The amazing view from our balcony!

As the sun began to rise over the beautiful ocean view from our balcony, I almost forgot where I was. Dewey and I had decided that we were here and going to make the most of it, so I showered off the negative feelings of yesterday and got dressed. With our little bathing suit cladded brood, we hit the hotel restaurant for a delicious buffet. Hey things were looking up. There were a few other families in the restaurant and the food was amazing! The view from our breakfast table revealed a white sandy beach that was empty and calling our names. The kids couldn't get their flip flops off and wiggle their bare feet into the sand quick enough. Shell after shell fell into their buckets as they were completely oblivious to what was unfolding on the hotel balconies. As a mother it was hard to ignore the young men screaming "flash your boobies" from their balconies at 10:00 am.


Nothing bothers this baby... so happy!

So with the pool being empty (because they were all too busy sleeping off the night or yelling random things off of the balconies) we pulled up some lawn chairs and enjoyed the sun. Then the DJ opened up his booth and as he played The Lion King's "Circle of Life", which apparently is the Spring Breaker's anthem because it drew them out of their rooms faster then a race car in the Indy 500. One of the hotel managers came over and was kind enough to offer us complimentary drinks. Probably because he figured if we had a few in us, it wouldn't be so bad (LOL)! The drinks were great and we did enjoy hearing lots of hilarious stories from a few of the security guards. The best story of all though was the legend of Spring Break Jared. The man who booked a room for a week by himself just to dance pool side all day long in his Crocs. Lucky for us, Jared was about to make his Sunday morning appearance. I don't know if Jared was on an acid trip or just socially awkward? Maybe he just really, really, really likes to dance... but Jared deserves his own reality show. Seriously, if he is not a YouTube sensation already then someone needs to post quick because it was unreal. Shirtless, lobster red from too much dancing in the sun and croc adorned Jared, broke it down all day long with his sweet moves. He may be the first person to use a towel as a stripper pole and if he wasn't the teenage girl with "Lick Me" across her stomach probably was the first.



Shrimp Boat Restaurant

We made it through though and cultured our children as well. Ending the day with a fabulous dinner at The Shrimp Boat located on the bay in St. Andrew's. It was quiet, had a breathtaking view of the sunset and most of all FAR AWAY FROM SPRING BREAK CENTRAL! With a good nights sleep and a ton of checkouts today I am hoping for a much better Tuesday!!!
To Be Continued...

Are We At The Beach Yet? Vacation Part 1

Captains Log Friday March 28, 2014

Day 1:

All packed!

Vacation, vacation, vacation! Yeah the beach, the sand, the sun on my face. One week of pure relaxation, right? I would say that “relaxation” is a questionable term when you are talking to a mother preparing to take a family of five out of town for a week. Though, I am a seasoned pro at traveling with kids, I still struggle to get out the door and I don’t think we have ever left the house on schedule. Take this morning for example, our time of departure was set loosely between 6-8:00 am. What time did we actually leave the Toledo area you ask? Well at exactly 1:19 pm we pulled out of the Perrysburg, OH, Panera Bread and onto the highway. Ultimate FAIL... six hours behind schedule and the start to a veryyyyyyy interesting vacation.

It might seem strange to some that we set a time to leave and COULD NOT stick to it. But here’s the thing… I did not want to leave the house a mess, because who wants to come home to a messy house after a nice getaway? So I ended up running around like a crazy person trying to finish packing, cleaning, running that homework assignment that Gabby should have taken in on Thursday out to the school and did I mention that I had to squeeze an appointment in at the vet for our cat, Sophie, to get her nails trimmed? Then as we were loading the car, I caught my breath, hooray we were ready to go!  I walked back in to grab one last bag and by God there was a tube of toothpaste in the middle of the floor with no lid, ooooozing out blue paste onto my dark hard wood floors. Are you freaking kidding me? So as I'm on my hands and knees scrubbing it off, Gabby walks in and says, "Are you ready to go yet?" What went through my head at that moment was a slur of bad words that I will not repeat. Bottom line, maybe if I had tidy children and eight arms, I would have gotten out the door on schedule, realistically those things are figments of my imagination.

Finally, we hit I-75 full force because we were long overdue for some fun in the sun. If you live anywhere in the Midwest, you feel me on this, LONGEST WINTER EVER! My children who are naturally olive skinned and maintain a tan all year long, looked sickly this winter. It's like the Polar Vortex took every single bit of color from our bodies along with all the color from every plant, tree, flower and lawn. Everything has just been WHITE, people included!!! Maybe the cold, snowy winter also froze my children's common sense, because I have never heard them ask the same questions so many times. What questions you may ask? "Are we there yet?" or "How much longer?" Usually these questions start midway through the trip, this time they started in the driveway. "We are just as eager as you guys, we will get there as soon as we can!" So with the peddle to the medal and a great song on the radio, we tuned out the kids and set our sights on a halfway point, Nashville, TN.

Did I have a little motivation for getting there? Definitely because it is home to one of my favorite people in the whole world, my bestie Jen! Trust me when I say that this stop was a impromptu (we decided that morning) and that she could not have been more surprised when I snuck up behind her in her living room... creeper alert! Although, I will say that I know she loved every moment of my sneak attack and the look on her face was priceless.

Our first day, although starting out a bit crazy, being filled with endless repetitive questions and leaving me exhausted from the start, ended out on a high note! A great visit and a huge start on our drive to the sunshine state. It's a good thing too because Day 2 was a N-I-G-H-T-M-A-R-E!

TO BE CONTINUED...

Gabby dreams of Broadway... Here is her debut as young Fiona in Shrek Th...

Letting Your Freak Flag Fly And How Teenagers Can Surprise You!

Young Shrek and Fiona, Some really cool cast members,
Me as Humpty Dumpty & A couple of adorable fans!

If you know me you know that I am a grade A nerd and if you don't, well, now you do. I like all things geeky and if it has a cult following then its probably on my top 10 list. While this is all true, I have never been a big Shrek fan and neither have my kids. Though it seems Shrek isn't just for the young at heart, it has a full blown adult fan base. Search it on Pinterest and you will see what I'm talking about. So even though we aren't huge fans of the series in our house and have watched it minimally, that didn't stop Gabby from trying out for the part of Young Fiona at our local high school. 
As we rehearsed the week prior to auditions, I realized quickly that this was her forte! She is definitely in her element when it comes to musical numbers. Could it be the years of cheerleading and countless individual competitions I have stuck her in since she was two? Possibly... Although, I will tell you that after she walked out of auditions she was less then confident. She thought she blew it and was bitterly disappointed. So when I received a call from a friend the next day telling me to check the school's website, to find Gabrielle Dunn displayed as a cast member, I may have shed a tear or two and she may have been just a teensy bit excited.

Gabby and her AWESOME music teacher, Colton and his "Fluffy" friend
& some wild and crazy second graders!

Now I don't have that much experience with participating in Musicals. I went to Stritch, which was an extremely small HS and we did not put on yearly Musicals like most high schools. OK, sure I may have played dirty laundry in the Oregon Children's Community theater when I was ten, but donning a sweat suit with socks safety pinned to it doesn't exactly scream "experience" on my acting resume. There was that middle school production of Oliver too, but it was all chorus for this girl. I don't exactly have a great voice, unless you count my one hit wonder "Teach You How To Potter". So having Gabby join in the local production of Shrek has been an introduction for the whole family to musical theater.

 

 

Little Kid Cast Party @ McDonalds

In Gabby's eyes she has become one of the high school students. I don't think it even fazes her that the seventy some students involved in the production realize she is only in second grade. She just hangs out backstage like she has known them her whole life and sits with them everyday. In fact last night was the cast party, which started after the show and went till 1:30 am and by God if she didn't think she was going to go and ride along with the high school kids. "But Mom, everyone is going, pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee." In the words of one Jaynann Huss (my mother), "I don't care if Jesus Christ himself is going, you're not"! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, I have been waiting for years to use that line on my own kids!  She has always been above her years, so connecting with the older kids comes as no surprise to me. Yet, through all of her networking and through watching the rest of the cast grow and come together over the last couple of months, I have seen so much more.

Hanging Out Backstage

Diva Alert!

OK, OK, OK... has it all been a smooth experience, maybe not! You can start with my laundry pile for starters. I haven't folded a single towel all weekend, Gabby and the musical has taken precedence over the last 4 days. So the pile just keeps growing on the couch. It was a sectional built for 6 and we are down to maybe enough room for 2 people. I'm choosing to look at it as a romantic loveseat instead of a pile of crap that I need to deal with on Monday. Then there was that moment of horror on Friday when I picked Colton up from daycare and took along his nice clothes to change into for the show. When we got to the school I pleaded with him for 45 minutes to please let me help him change. He refused... I got irrated. Finally, I dragged him to the locker room and made him take off his sweats to find that he had gone commando all day. Hey no parent is perfect and sometimes in our haste we forget to put underwear on our children. Luckily it wasn't a breezy day. Did I mention that he kicked a remote control car that was being used as a prop and broke it... yep, $20 down the toilet! Then there is the week that we missed half of Gabby's homework and I had to send an email to the teacher explaining that I am basically at fault because I trusted my 8 year old when she said she didn't have to do it. #parentingfail! Despite all the running back and forth and late nights leading to early morning chaos and a very crabby Gabby running to the bus just in the nick of time, with half brushed hair, here is what being involved in a high school musical has taught me...



Daddy!

1) TEENAGERS WILL SURPRISE YOU. In a world of Teen Mom and Buckwild type shows, its easy to forget that they are still just kids. As a society we tend to expect so much from high school students and they are often handed too many responsibilities too fast. It's nice to see them in a creative environment where they can just enjoy being young. Sure a pig may have forgotten her ears or someone missed a note, maybe the inflatable deer did get kicked in the gut one too many times and popped twenty minutes before showtime but through all the little mistakes here and there... those kids were resilient, nice, funny, witty, polite and entertaining!!!

2) THERE ARE NO CLICKS IN A MUSICAL, EVERYONE WORKS TOGETHER! Nothing blends clicks together like a Musical. Where else do you see jocks, cheerleaders, band members, emo kids, beauty queens, brainiacs and geeks dressed up in crazy costumes, doing each others makeup and dancing on a stage together? Hey who needs Anti-Bullying programs in school, just have more MUSICALS!!!


Gabby and Her Godparents!

Gabby and Grace

3) LET YOUR FREAK FLAG FLY!!! Now I'm not saying I was the coolest cat in high school but I was definitely a popular kid, I had a lot of friends, was a cheerleader, prom queen, student council, etc. but at the time I would not have considered myself nerdy. I neverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr would have put myself out in the public eye as a "Harry Potter loving, smut reading, vampire obsessed, Goodwill hunting, Bigfoot believin', I think Mermaids are real," kinda girl. As I have gotten older I have realized that I really just don't give a hoot about what others think of me. God made me ME for a reason and I have thouroughly embraced my inner nerd. I also try to pass that on to my children... just be yourself, no matter what that is! Shrek and the entire message behind it, to LET YOUR FREAK FLAG FLY, has really confirmed that belief. Not because the characters on stage are singing that line over and over, but because backstage the cast members are sitting around the gym (some in full blown animal costumes) laughing, singing, hopping around like rabbits with my 5 year old, asking each other to prom in donkey suits and really just showing their diversity.

4) FRIENDSHIP IS POWERFUL! I question how Gabby will feel on Monday when she has no rehearsal to go. She has made some wonderful friends and it will be hard to not see them everyday! I wonder how many friendships have been forged through musical theater in general? Not only did Gabby acquire new friends over the last 2 months, but so did I! Sure the other Mom who helped me ogre up Fiona, and I, have permanently stained our hands green but we had fun and bonded while doing it!!! 

5) EVERYONE DESERVES A HAPPILY EVER AFTER... no explanation needed!


Gabby & Grandmothers, THE Donkey & A Very Silly King!


A hugeeeeeee THANK YOU to the entire cast and crew for making Gabby's first musical at GHS such an amazing experience, Mr. Ed for helping to direct and nurture her very patiently through the last 2 months, the WONDERFUL orchestra who kindly put down their instruments when her mic went out... you rocked this weekend & all of our amazing friends and family for coming out to support Shrek The Musical!!!



There is a BOOGER on my wall... I repeat there is a BOOGER on my wall!!!

Now does that look like a
face of a booger swiper?

"WHYYYYYYYY IS THERE A BOOGER SMEARED ON MY WALL????" This is what I found myself yelling throughout the house yesterday. No seriously, why is there a big, green, glob of goo crusted on my nice white wall? Surprise, surprise, no answer. Really, no one wants to fess up? Come on, I know I didn't do it, chances are the 8 month old didn't scale the wall to wipe his snot across it and Dewey was out of town when I found it. Although, it could have been there for a day or two and I missed it, but I am going to give Dewey the benefit of the doubt here. Yes, he may contribute to other messes in the house but judging by the height of the smear mark, I am guessing the culprit is under 5 feet. Now we are down to two members of the Dunn family, Gabby or Colton. I would like to think that Gabby is mature enough to know better then that or at the very least, she's a young lady and has some manners. So here we are, one last family member left, Mr. Colton Dunn.     
I asked him, "Colton, did you wipe a booger on the wall?" He answered back, "No." Good answer, good answer! If I wiped a booger on my Mother's wall when I was five and she was less then thrilled, I would probably say no too. I guess he's innocent until proven guilty, right? Should I nanny cam it? Set him up to take the fall? No, I took the high road and gave him a very polite explanation of why people should not defile clean walls with mucus covered hands. Will my "keep it clean and be a germ buster" speech take hold in his little brain, or will the visions of karate and looking great in his t-ball uniform overcrowd his mind, so the useful information slips out through his ears? I don't know, I guess only time will tell! However, this Mother is putting her foot down on having to scrub the walls with a Magic Eraser every single time someone has a cold! YUCK!!!

Date Night... Wait Whats That???

Date Night 2014

   If you are like my husband and I, then you probably lack "alone" time. Prior to last night, the last time we went out on a date was over a year ago. Now that doesn't mean we always have our kids with us, its just usually if we are out kidless, its with other friends. Which is great, I love hanging out with other couples or going to parties where there are not 1,000 kids running around double dipping their carrot sticks into the veggie dip. However, there is something to be said for a one on one evening with your significant other. So on that note, Dewey and I decided to have a good old fashioned DATE NIGHT! In case you have never experienced this phenomenon...

Wouldn't Be A
Night Out W/Out
A Selfie!!!


Date Night (noun • informal)

• A prearranged occasion on which an established couple, especially one with children, go for a night out together.

   The night started out with a knock at the door from our neighbor girl Emily, the babysitter (Let me stop here for a second and say that the only hesitation I had on using her was that I never know what the going rate for a babysitter is? I decided on $7-$8.00/hour and I hope that is normal???). First let me say that we rarely use a babysitter, usually we can wrangle up some free childcare via the grandparents and although our kids love spending time with any grandparent that will sit and do a puzzle, they were exceptionally excited about a real babysitter coming over. They cleaned their rooms, ate their dinner and put away their folded laundry with a little extra pep in their step before she came. I knew they were in good hands, which is the first step to a successful date night, Make Sure The Kids Are Safe And Sound So You Can Relax!

 



Not On The Diet!!!

   We set off for a quick bite to eat because I was running late, which is typical and if you have three kids and a house then you will understand this. Before I could get ready I had to pick up, feed the kids, take care of the baby. I never want to leave my house and feel that things were chaotic because then I can not sit back and enjoy myself, nor will my return home be pleasant. I used my time saving trick, apply your makeup in the car and we ended up getting across town with about an hour to spare for dinner.

Greek Pitza

We picked a great little place called Aladdin's Eatery, which focuses on unique natural foods of the Middle East. Our appetizer was Baba, a puree of eggplant, tahini, garlic, and lemon topped with fresh herbs and extra virgin olive oil and of course amazing Pita! Then I had a cup of Chicken Vegetable Soup and Dewey had a Greek Pitza, feta cheese, zaatar, diced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, julienne green peppers and slivered calamata olives and garnished with flakes of sweet basil. Amazing food and a fantastic service from the owner Nick! We especially enjoyed our piece of cake that we split (hopefully my Herbalife coach doesn't read that part) at the end of the meal! Romantic I know, we might as well have been Lady & The Tramp slurping up a noodle in unison!!!

 



Lot's of Laughs @ Laffs Inc.



   We finished the night at Laff's Inc., Toledo's new comedy club. Dewey had heard that Costaki Economopoulos (say that three times fast), was the headliner and since he was a fan we had to go! The club was amazing and we enjoyed several glasses of wine, OK, OK, OK, Dewey enjoyed several glasses of wine, I had about a half glass. Hey, between the laughing and the half glass of wine, this Mama was feeling great! Costaki, was hilarious and since he is a parent, many of his jokes hit home. He also is apparently attempting the healthy lifestyle like we are so when he started telling jokes about rice cakes, I knew I had found my new favorite comedian! I mean that's brilliant stuff, why have I never noticed that rice and cakes are good things, just not good together? I will say the only thing that was distracting about his show was the idiot heckling him in front of us. The first time he yelled something, I was like, seriously? By the time Costaki got around to the favorite holiday portion of his act and Mr. Heckler himself decided to yell out "Hey what about 4th of July",  all I could think was shut the (beep) up. I will say the headliner is a seasoned pro with annoying audience members, because he handled it well. Funny enough, as Dewey and I looked at each other in sync with disgust we both made the same comment, "Of course he has a Michigan hat on". Offensive to the maze and blue fans out there, I'm sure. True story, 90% of the hoodrats I see in Wal-Mart have .. you guessed it Michigan jerseys on. It's just a trend I have noticed in this area and yes, I'm sure it doesn't help that we bleed Scarlet and Grey in this house!



Me and Costaki



 

After the audience cleared out, Costaki was nice enough to take a few pics and chat with us. I think Dewey would have loved to buy him a drink but unfortunately we had to get home to relieve the sitter. Not before we had a jam session in the mini van though. That's right, The Town and Country was a rockin' and not in the way you might be thinking. We were car dancing all the way back to Genoa to a little Nelly, "I Am Number One" and White Snake's "Here I Go Again". We may have called it a night before 11:00 pm but we took Date Night to a whole new level!!!