Get out the broom...

So, this post has two purposes. The first is to tell a new Kaylee story, for those of you who need a Kaylee fix. The second is to let those who have been following the Facebook saga, know the final decision of Jen's Hockey moral dilemma. I'll start with the Kaylee story.

Ok, about a year ago Nana got Kaylee a little cleaning set. It actually looks like a janitor's set up. It's got a broom, mop, cart, bucket, vacuum, tiny trash bag, etc. Well, it has been stowed away in the garage since then, because of the overwhelming toy situation in the house. About two weeks ago, we got the chance to purge some of Kay's toys while she wasn't home, pulled it out and stuck it in the house. She was thrilled.

Since then, it's been all about cleaning. She's been sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, picking up... you name it, she's been doing it. This means that we've been doing cleaning too. She even mops the cat, much to Dru's chagrin. Tink won't even go near her for fear of being vacuumed, like the big fluffy hairball that she is!

The other thing she likes to do is try to stand on the little broom and say, "I play on my pogo stick!" I don't really know where she has even seen a pogo stick, or where she learned what a pogo stick does, but she actually holds onto it like a pogo stick and jumps with it. It's quite funny! She even falls over like a little kid on a pogo stick would.

I don't mind the cleaning and I certainly don't mind her cleaning up her messes, but if I have to tell her to stop mopping/sweeping the cat one more time, I'm going to scream! Also, if I have to take her to the hospital for a broken leg, because of this impromptu pogo stick/broom, I'm going to be one unhappy mama and it is so going to be a broken pogo stick, in several pieces.

So that's the new Kaylee/Broom story I have.

Now to the Hockey decision....
As most of my friends and family know, I am a hockey nut. This has been going on for years. I grew up watching hockey with my Dad and I grew up ice skating, but over the years, hockey has become a big part of my life. I've watched the games on TV, my Dad has taken us to Griffin's games and we even went to see the Red and White game for the Red Wings at the Van Andel Arena. At Ferris State, I would go to the hockey games when I could and would cheer and get rowdy with the rest of the students. It went on and on.

The only thing that hasn't changed through the years is that we (the family) has always rooted for the Detroit Red Wings. It's a sin to go against the Red Wings. We hated the Blackhawks in the '80s. We despised the Avalanche in the '90s. We always root for the boys in Red and White and we always cheer the throwing of the Octopus!

Last year as I watched the Stanley Cup playoffs in the little sin bin I call a sitting room upstairs, (I always watch hockey upstairs so I don't wake up Kaylee and I don't bother Tim while he works... he doesn't like hockey, go figure.) I realized that I have always rooted for the same team. I have always had specific players that I have liked on the team. Something changed though, as I watched the series last year, I began to look at the skaters in a different way, all the skaters, including the other team. That's when trouble started.

I noticed the opposing team's goalie. Wow! Fleury was good. Not as good as Osgood, but he was good. Crosby was great, and so was Malkin, and Hossa. They were as good and sometimes better than Lidstrom, Hudler, and Zetterberg. Some of my favorites on the Wing's team that year. Perhaps next season I would try to catch some Penguin's games, too.

Well, as it turned out, my dear husband and daughter got me an early Christmas present this season. NHL Center Ice for the Dish! I could watch hockey games to my hearts content. I could catch games from all over the league. This meant I could watch all of the Red Wing's games AND all of the other games I wanted too, including the Penguin's games. Well, it turned out that I started watching the Penguins more than the Red Wings.

I found the players more interesting and, let's face it, more attractive. (Hey I'm a girl here, I notice these things!) I also found the Penguin's games more interesting. Maybe because it was something "forbidden." I was watching a team other than the Red Wings and I was cheering for them... Anyway, I found myself looking at skill in the players more than anything, even in other teams. There were players like Eric Stal, Khabbulin, Backstrom, Ovechkin (whom I despise, but he's great to watch!), and so many others.

Well, as we got closer and closer to the final prize, Lord Stanley's Cup, I started thinking, "What am I going to do if it gets down to the Penguins and the Wings again this year? I'm going to have to choose. Who am I going to root for?" I could just do what I do for the regular season and root for both, well at least until the final round, but what would I do then? So as it got closer and closer people who are close to me started asking. Now would be go time.

I started weighing my options. Rooting for the Red Wings would be the way to go, because it makes everyone happy... but what about my entire season worth of happiness for the Penguins... It would be like watching a documentary.

You watch the little penguin hatch. It grows up and it's ready to waddle away as it's ready to leave on it's own. You don't cheer it on and then you watch it get eaten by a shark or whale! But what if you cheered it on and it could live. It might be able to swim fast enough to get away. It might actually win this time!

Yeah, I know it sounds stupid, but that's the way my mind thinks sometimes. Plus, I've been following the Penguins closer than the Red Wings. Sure I've watching the Wing's games when I can, but I definitely watch all of the Penguin games!

So I guess you can see where my decision is headed. I'm not actually rooting against the Red Wings, because I'll be happy with whatever the outcome of the Finals. Either team is deserving and either team is great, but deep down I have to say I want the Penguins to win, I want Malkin or Crosby to get MVP, and I want Crosby to be hoisting the Cup when all is said and done. So you can see I've decided.

I'm hopeful that there will not be any lasting affect from this short term "turn-coating", as my sister terms it. I am hoping that there won't be shunning by family at gatherings, Godmother status being taken away, or excommunication by either the Church or "the Joe" (where all Michiganders go to "worship" during hockey season...).

Our house, however, is a house divided. Kaylee will be cheering for the Red Wings. She likes the little Red and White cheering flag I made for them. I think because it's red. She loves watching Hockey. When she knows there's a hockey game on she says, "Watch hockey with Mama!" Daddy just shakes his head and goes into the other room. She'll have her little red and white flag and I'll have my black and yellow one. So I guess it's GO WINGS and GO PENGUINS!

Perhaps there will also be another broom involved for the Cup, you never know!

Where are we?

In case anyone is wondering why the number of posts dropped off, Jen and I are on Facebook more than here. Feel free to friend us there, and I'll try to do better at posting (at least) pictures every once in a while here.

Daddy/Daughter day at the park...or the swimming pool?

Kaylee and I got out yesterday...I had read that the high was going to be 60, so I figured we'd head to the play area at Centerpointe mall. But when I got outside, and it was already 59 around 10:30, I figured we could play outside. We went down to the park, only to find most of it underwater:


Thankfully, there was one play "complex" (what do they call those things, anyway) with all of the slides that was above water, and Kaylee was more than content to play there for about 45 minutes. We got to meet Christian and his dad, and played together quite well.

Here's some shots I grabbed with my phone.