A little update from Gigi!

I'm now doing yoga every Sunday night and started "again" this morning on my
treadmill albeit..just for 10 minutes. My thought this morning went to how
I used to get up and get my coffee and sit down and have lots of smokes in
the morning. I will admit I do miss them. Next week on the 1st anniversary
of Sydney's death I am missing her as well. This does not mean I will smoke
or get another cat.

Other news: I took care of the "boys" so Sarah could go out for her
birthday Saturday. Sarah had to take Anthony to the emergency room Saturday
as he had a temperature of 101 and had croupe and possibly the start of an
ear infection. Kirsten was there doing her nannying and we both decided
that it "takes a village" to take care of these two considering all of
Anthony's problems. Anthony wasn't much fun Saturday but Sunday was much
better. Given all his setbacks in life he sure is laid back and happy most
of the time. It is also very fun to watch the two boys interact. Lucas on
the other hand is quite the character and it is a full time job just trying
to keep up with him. Before bed we had to go downstairs to visit the "tiger
in Joe's closet". The tiger bit my arm and broke it so he called the doctor
to fix it. At bed time he always picks an animal to protect him from the
shadows. I had to pick an animal for me, momma and poppa and Anthony and he
chose his cat "bear bear" (which is what we used to call Sydney). Since I
told him that Sydney was lost when he would inquire right after she died he
instructed me on Sat. that when I got home I was to go outside and yell,
"Bear, Bear, where are you? You come home right now!" Sunday Lucas made me
and the "Tiger" some breakfast from his new kitchen set. I had coffee and
the Tiger had french fries and chicken. I was informed that I could have no
"beserts" because Nucas was going to eat them all and the cakes were not
cakes but brownies. I was trying to figure out how I did all this when I
was raising children but then I remembered....I was very young! Enjoy your
week. Whatever joys and victories come your way, embrace them and smile!



Hello gupp!
Your Quit Date is:Tuesday, May 01, 2007 at 11:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free:635 days, 7 hours, 24 minutes and 44 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked:25412 Is this still your
Quit Date?
YesNo

Nanny Buys, Day 1

As I imagine all of you now know, Aunt Kirsten is now Nanny Kirsten. I started wearing many hats at the Baidas house on Tuesday. Look at these two punks I get to see every day now!

(yes, that's Batman riding a dinosaur)

As cute as they are, I'm sure you don't want to be overwhelmed with photos and stories of their antics. So you should send me stuff!

Whatever you want -- a great movie you saw, the latest photos and activities from your families and kids (ahem, or pets), memories, that new Vince Vaughn movie you're working on (seriously, Joe, a phone call wouldn't kill you), old photos -- whatever you want!

If you want to know how to post yourself, I'd be happy to give you the log-in info, etc.

Happy 2009 Balice family!

Birthday week!

We have several birthdays this week, starting today with LEIGH! Happy 17th Leigh-bird!

Also this week...

Jan. 25 -- John

Jan. 27 -- Sarah

Jan. 29 -- Jeff

Hope I didn't miss anyone -- happy birthdays!!!

JBiZzNys vs. Kanye

It's true! Not on the mic though, on the court. Joe had a pretty exciting encounter yesterday at the gym. He was invited into a separate gym to shoot hoops with... Kanye West!

Old people, this is Kanye.

Joe said he didn't go easy on Kanye at all (and kind of kicked his butt), and kept it real cool, didn't gush over him and acted totally normal (relative term, of course). He slipped him a CD on his way out.

The fact that Joe shoots hoops with David Arquette is old news, but this, THIS, was exciting.

Christmas 2008!

So, we changed things up a little this year, but I think we pulled it off without a hitch. Maybe next year we can try a Saturday so nobody has to work the next day. Or maybe they can put Christmas on a better day (I'm putting in my request now).

Here are some pics from Balice "Christmas Eve" 2008. Please feel free to send me pics of your individual family Christmases. I'd love to add them to the blog and certainly will be making one of my own!

Oh What Fun

By Karen Balice-Gregory





I am one of those “buy all year but finish up at the last minute” people. I love a good bargain so it's nice to shop after the holidays and then look for things during the year that are unique. Things get bagged up and piled in my laundry room and before I know it the holidays are upon us and I don't really know what I have. The last week before Christmas I begin to sort and try to figure out what gift is for whom, how much it cost (roughly), and whether or not I have spent about the same amount of money on everyone. I used to laugh at my mother because she would worry that she may have spent more on one person or the other and then begin to even things up...as if we could figure out the price or even care. The last several years of my father's life he would present us with a special gift of jewelry that he picked out for us girls and that was always (and still is) very special to us. Mom's gifts were usually more practical because she tried to take notice of the necessities lacking in our lives. In my case there was much more need than want so she had difficulty prioritizing the choices.

Of the three grandsons, Miles will be the only one that understands the gift routine and boy is he excited. His list is pretty short and scattered: swords (I unwittingly began playing swords with our flyswatters here and we had to quit after breaking a couple of them), a “spyscope” like the one that Diego uses on t.v. (naturally, no one sells little toy telescopes anymore or at least I haven't been able to find one yet), a tuba (no one knows why he wants one or even where he saw one except maybe on the football field during halftime and needless to say I haven't spotted one of those in miniature either), a screw driver (Lord knows he hasn't seen any of us use that tool very often but he thinks he needs one), and of course he wants anything that has to do with any sport involving a ball. Even though he has dozens of balls in every size, shape and color he wants more. We use wrapping paper cardboard tubes for swords right now and paper towel and toilet paper tubes for spyscopes but he still wants the real thing. I'm looking for a referee shirt also because he is very enamored with the refs at the ball games. Against my better judgment I have already given him a whistle for all of his “pretend” games with all of his “pretend” friends.

Jude (8 mos) and Kavaun (3 mos) are unaware of the Holiday. Of course that has not stopped me from trying to find them things that they just can't live without. I spend a lot of time with these kids and despite the fact that they have far more than they can ever use, there is always something else that they must have. Intellectually I know that they actually have more fun with common items that they find laying around the house, but emotionally I still want to find things that will make them laugh, jump, cuddle, and frankly, keep them occupied for long periods of time. It should be many years before they stop loving me unconditionally or are able to rack up prices in their little heads so I plan to take advantage of that for now.

As for all the other holiday stresses...cards, family and friends gifts, dishes to pass, wrapping, shopping,
and just getting everywhere in one piece and having money and time left over? I never do well with any of it because I procrastinate. If there is one thing that I plan to fix about myself (among so many) in the new year it will be that, but I'll save the ruminating until next week. Enjoy the Holidays.

Meet Abner Marion

Here's the newest addition to the Balice zoo, Abner Marion. Jeff named him after Gladys Kravitz's husband on the TV show Bewitched.

From Jeff:

I adopted 8-month-old Abner Dec. 17 at the Ionia Animal Shelter. He had just been surrendered the day before with his mom. He was so gentle and laid back, not to mention very cute, so I just had to have him. He's part Siamese, which is obvious from his markings and bright blue eyes. He's recovering in my basement from his surgery. In a few days, he'll get to come upstairs to spend time with Millie and me.

I hope all of you are doing well. If any of you are in the neighborhood feel free to stop by to see him and Millie.