Our Happily Ever Laughter

Cyber-Hibernation

2012-02-10T19:22:00.005-05:00

So bears hibernate all winter. I have been hibernating for 5 weeks. Seriously, I didn't mean to go into blog shutdown, it just sort of happened.

First there was a week in January where Wayne was away on business in Aruba...ahem...yes that meant I was home alone with the boys in the tundra while hubby was working (on his tan) and spending quality time with his clients(getting drunk at the swim up bar). After that, there was some much needed family time, and some exhausting days at work, which lead to early nights huddled on the couch. Then there was the fact that there really wasn't much I had to report on. I had cancelled Matt's andnoidectomy since his tube opened up, and the boys were doing the same old same old. I think there were a few weeks when I didn't pull out the camera even. I had unwittingly gone into cyber-hibernation.

I've spent the last month coming online maybe once or twice a week looking at some of my favorite blogs, but slacking on commenting, and just letting the posting pressure go. It has given me some much needed down time, but I realized I am just not ready to let blogging go altogether. I really love the outlet it provides and the fact that I can look back on our days and know just what I was thinking.

There were a few things I wanted to touch on, like our trip to the Lake House in January, and seeing Zach learning to skate(hysterical), planning Zach's 4th birthday, and some new recipes I've tried and enjoyed lately. So hopefully, my six blog followers, you will come back and share the journey(I suppose I should really start building my blog following) I guess I should start planning a giveaway....now what could I possibly start with? Hum....maybe just maybe, I'll think of something soon!

Still talking about Christmas...

2012-01-09T08:09:00.006-05:00

When we last left off discussing Christmas day. The boys had come home for a nap. Actually if I am honest Mom feel asleep too. When we got up we headed over to Grandma Alice's to hand with the crew. It is always so nice to see my nephews and in-laws, and the boys really love to play together. It seems Zach always needs to sit next to Jason at dinner, because I swear I have pictures of this same scene for the last three Christmases:

Matt was so excited about the presents that he may or may not have tried to unwrap them all, even other people's, but he was equally excited to look up to his big cousins Jay and Grant.

The boys spent most of the time playing with each other. Of course their was some wrestling, and a whole lot of laughing:And after everyone has stuffed themselves full, Matt went into the kitchen and asked Grandma if he could open presents. The boys were spoiled once again. Once they hadn't received from Santa or earlier in the day, they received from Grandma Alice, and their aunts,uncles and cousins. At this point we now officially own all the toys in ToysRUs. They had a great time opening their gifts:And discussing what they were going to play with first:

Zach ripped into the Scooby Doo toys Aunt Lisa spoiled the boys with and hasn't stopped playing with them since:Seriously, my sons are so lucky to have the grandparents they do, and the Aunts and Uncles they do, and their awesome cousins. It was a wonderful early evening, and we were all sad to leave, but we had one more stop that we had to make that day.

We headed to my parent's annual X-Mas party. This event has been going on Christmas day since 1989. It is always a huge event with both sides of my extended family coming together to celebrate. The kids love it because their are over 20 of them, and the parents love it because we all remember the Christmas' we spent as those kids running together.

Wayne was happy to get the party started right with a little Grey Goose punch:

Zach was thrilled to get back to wrestling with his cousins:I was really excited to try some of my sister's gorgeously decorated Christmas cookies she made:

The boys however were more interested in playing with the kids:

Matt did take a break to entertain some guests with his piano playing skills:

And we did try to take a family picture:

The evening ended with a near disaster as one guest accidentally broke the nearly 12 foot Christmas tree. But with some quick thinking and some rope the party went on, and from what I heard well into the morning.

We on the other hand we're tucked in bed by 11 p.m. that night. It had been a long, fun, and memorable Christmas!

Its 2012...Well then I better recap X-mas 2011!

2012-01-02T13:45:00.010-05:00

Of course I am a week overdue on my Christmas posts. It is typical me, but since this week is destined to be super crazy around here, with the return to work and school, I better post now about Christmas or it will be the end of January before anyone sees the pics. Since I took over 200 pictures in a day, I may have to simplify some of the day's events.

At around 7 am I heard the squeak of my bedroom door opening, and saw Zach coming towards us. I was totally expecting that he wanted to see what Santa brought, but he climbed up into bed with us and asked us to turn on the tv. This little routine, is a weekend treat. It keeps Z content and Mom and Dad get to snooze a bit longer. Both Wayne and I were super excited to see Z's and Matt's reaction, so we asked him what was special about today. He looked at us, and then the lightbulb went off in his head..."Santa came? " We told him we didn't know, so Dad went down to check(ok he really went to get the camcorder ready, turn on the tree, and get the Christmas music on), and Zach and I rushed in and woke Matt up. Zach couldn't get to the stairs fast enough...."He came!" Zach squealed. Matt was still in a semi-coma, but the moment his feet touched the ground he was off and disassembling his stocking...actually it was Z's stocking, but who cares. Here are some pictures of the boys that morning, Mom watching Zach with anticipation open his Hulk toy, the one gift he kept asking for, and Dad doing what Dad's do best on Christmas morning, put together all the new toys:

I know it seems like they are getting along fabulously in these pictures, but there were some wrestling matches over boxes, and fits of who was touching whose gift. All in all, though, once the toys were out, it didn't matter who got what, they both got to play with it all.

And since he kind of got left behind for all of the other festivities. Here are some pics of Lennie enjoying his new toys on Christmas morning, and playing with his boys:

Then we were off to my parents house for our annual Christmas morning brunch. Here the boys were snuggled by Papa:

Entertained by Mario Kart:

Had some pretty cute ladies around them:

Spent quality time with their aunts and uncles:

Ate some great food:

Were super spoiled by Grandma:

And were able to play with some of their favorite people:

And that was all before noon. Then it was home for a nap and off to the next round of parties. But that will have to wait till tomorrow, because nap time is over, and these Christmas gifts need to be played with!

Christmas Eve Pj's!

2011-12-29T21:08:00.011-05:00

I love Christmas Eve. It must be the traditions. There is something so comforting about traditions and carrying them on. Every Christmas Eve since I can remember my Mom and Dad always gave my siblings and I a new set of PJ's, and a special toy/stuffed animal. My special gift was almost always a stuffed animal, in fact I still have a few of my favorite that were given to me on Christmas Eve, tucked away in one of the boys toy bins. So when I had children I knew I wanted to carry on the tradition. A tradition I still enjoy because my Mom always spoils me with a new pair of PJ's even now that I am "all grown up". For some reason this one gift reminds me that no matter how big I am, or how many years have gone by, I still am their little girl, which is comforting on so many levels.

This Christmas Eve, my parents came over to our house, as they have since Zach was born, we enjoyed some Chinese food, and watching the boys excitement, and then my Mom gave me my Pj's

She of course couldn't come without a little something for the boys too:

Another unspoken tradition is that if you love your Christmas jammies, you put them on immediately. Seriously there is footage of me as a kid literally undressing the moment I received them...sort of embarassing, but serious shows my excitement over the Pjs! Unfortunately, my boys were not as thrilled about their Christmas Pj's. They were more interested in the new Geo Trax that Grandma and Papa brought. At first I thought I was the only one who was psyched about the new Scooby Pj's I'd gotten Z, and the footed reindeer Pj's Matt was going to rock that evening. (You'll note in the rest of the pictures, I am wearing my Pj's...traditions are traditions after all, even if I was the only one into it!):

Since neither of the boys seemed interested in their Ugly Dolls...I posed for a pic with Dave and Ket:

Then slowly...the boys warmed up to the idea of getting their jammies on. Zach reluctantly posed for this jammie picture, while Matt refused:

He was too busy trying to get Papa to play trains with him...or give him his coffee!:

Eventually Matt was willing to do a little posing in his jammies:

They both were so thrilled to put out the cookies and carrots and milk and water for Santa and the reindeers. Just look at them in their jammies, waiting for the magic of Christmas to arrive! I dare say it might be better to watch that gleam in your child's eyes more than it was to have it in yours!

And while these two slept, Santa did in fact arrive. What a beautiful sight this is to see it all come together.

(Thanks Mom for taking the pictures, I'm sorry you fell victim to the Mom curse of never being in a photo that night!) Stay tuned for more Christmas fun!

Twas the night before, the night before X-mas

2011-12-23T15:33:00.003-05:00

And all through the house, preparations were underway, and the stockings were out.

I am so excited for Christmas morning this year. Watching the boys react to Santa's visit is pretty much priceless. Now that most of the gifts have been wrapped and only minor matters need to be attended to, I am feeling much more calm about the coming days. I am so sad though that Wayne's Grandma fell yesterday and fractured her hip, needing surgery today. We go there every Christmas Eve, and this year she will most likely be spending her holiday in the hospital. Say a prayer for her. Also, my nephew Grant had his tonsils out a few days ago, and is feeling under the weather today, so hopefully with a little luck he will be on the mend by Christmas.

Matt got a bill of clean health yesterday at the Dr's so aside from a cold that I have, everyone in our home is feeling well. I just keep praying that the boys stay healthy so they can enjoy every moment of the next few days. Tomorrow we will get the chance to see some family, and then on Christmas day the non-stop fun begins. It really all goes so fast that if you blink you might miss it. Whatever you are doing, wherever you are, I hope that you are surrounded by the people you love, embrassing the beauty of this season, a miraculous morning, and a silent night!

Merry Christmas!

Words you never want to hear...

2011-12-20T21:20:00.003-05:00

I know I went missing again. There were two really good reasons for that. First I had a ton of grading to get done for the quarter, which I had been procrastinating on. Second there was a lot of illness in my household. First Zach had a bit of the flu, then Matt, than Wayne and then I did. I also had my yearly observation with my administrator the day after I had the flu. All that planning and prep couldn't go to waste so I headed to class, even though I was still not feeling 100% that day. Then came the biggest blow. After almost a month of no ear infections, Matt started grabbing his ear and saying, "It hurts me". I knew what that meant, and as luck would have it, we had a routine checkup with his pediatric ENT that day.

Off we went, just my little tough guy Mattie and me. I hate to think that pain is something he's gotten used to in some way, but the truth is, this boy has had over 13 ear infections since Feb 11, and he has had tubes since June...still 6 ear infections since then. The tubes have been a blessing in so many ways, even though they didn't help to lower his risk of ear infections, they did help him to hear in a normal range, which means he's verbally all caught up. I love his little voice and hearing him tell me, 'Sit down Momma" when he wants to snuggle on the couch. His "special ears" as I call them have changed him. He went from being the most easy going one year old, to a pretty needy toddler. He is used to getting his way, and since he's been ill, I've given it to him. Don't get me wrong he's a sweetheart too, but when he wants something, he can be relentless. Every time he starts to get into a normal routine, he's grabbing his ears, and I know we are headed for trouble.

So we went. And we did some tests. And it turns out that Matt had a plugged ear tube, and that an infection was trapped behind it. My smart little man, knows already that pain in the ear, means nothing good for him. The Dr. gave me some antibiotics, some special acidic ear drops to "try to open the tube" and told me it was time to think about our options. So here they are:

1. Hope that the drops open the tube, and they don't need to go in to replace the tubes

except

2. Obviously there is something going on in this situation because he is still getting chronic ear infections, so it may be time to take his adenoids as well

except

3. He will need yet another surgical procedure done which will require anesthesia, and should be done ASAP, as we do not want to risk permanent damage to his hearing.

except

4. We just had him go through an ordeal of getting blood work done, a shot to try to boost his antibodies, and now that seems useless

except

5. His Dr's office seems to think we should consider removing his tonsils too

except

6. Taking out a child's tonsils is a more extensive recovery time, and do I really want to put a 2 year old through this procedure when he has never had a problem with his tonsils?

Except

No....I don't want my baby to have to go through this, through any of these procedures. I don't want to think about him being scared, or hurt, or feeling pain. I don't want him to have "special ears", except, I didn't get to pick and I know I should be thankful that this is heath burden in our family instead of something more "serious"

except-

He's MY baby

and I think its unfair that he will have two surgeries, even if minor, in less than 7 months. I also think its unfair that there is no guarantee that this will solve anything if we go through with it.

So truth. I am frustrated. I am scared. I am trying to be the most educated advocate I can be for my son, who although he is "young and resilient" and "probably won't remember" is my one and only Matthew. I get freaked thinking about the what ifs. I want to do what is right by him always, and I can't ask him weigh in, I am the Mom, I am supposed to know what to do. And I do....its just I don't want to do it.

This week. I want to focus on the magic of childhood, on the smile on his face when he sees his presents, on the light in his eyes as he laughs, on the fact that every part of him is special, not just his ears, and I will try to look to the New Year hopeful instead of defeated, and find faith that someone little, but fierce, will not allow any ear pain to take away his spirit of joy. I mean seriously...this boy loves to be happy...so hopefully his ears get that memo!

Life is Messy...

2011-12-18T20:37:00.003-05:00

During this time of year, everything just gets a little messy:

And I think its WONDERFUL! Hope you all are enjoying this last week of crazy prep before the frenzy of Christmas morning!

Our Top Five Nighttime Books...

2011-12-08T19:41:00.007-05:00

These books are nearly nightly reads around here. One of the things they all have in common is that they are focused around bedtime, well almost all of them. Both of the boys enjoy these books, and I always feel like you can't have enough help in getting kids to settle in. So here they are, five of our must read before bedtime stories:

This book is a classic apparently even though it is NOT one that I remember from my childhood. Both Z and Matt have had this book read to them since they were infants...in fact I am pretty sure Zach can recite most of it by heart. I know its a story I've memorized after the millionth read. NOTE: I wish looking back I'd bought the Board book version, our is torn and falling apart from overuse. Maybe Santa will bring a fresh copy!

I read this book to both of the boys when they were in utero, and hundreds of times since! I can recite it at the drop of a dime, and it never gets old. There is something so charming about these little pajama animals. The only part of the book I still can't figure out is why they take a bath, and then go up to exercise!

This book is one of Matt's favorite. He has been saying Llama since he was about 1 1/2 which is just adorable! Speaking of adorable... I absolutely love this wide eyed little llama. We also have some other llama books, but this is one of our favorites. The illustrations are beautiful and it has the perfect ending of letting the main character settle in and drift off to sleep!

Marvin K is another family favorite. Both of the boys have always enjoyed this imaginative story where a little boy rides bumbleboats and on a lion's tail. When it comes to reading a children's book, Dr Seuss is a must!

And finally:

This probably wouldn't make everyone's top 5, but it makes Zach's! He absolutely loves anything Hulk and it is the one book he picks out of the masses at least 5 times a week. I guess it goes to show when they have a passion go with it!

I'm always looking for great bedtime stories, so please post a comment with your top choices, so I can add to our ever growing collection!

Visiting Santa!

2011-12-05T19:50:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we went to get the boys pictures taken for the X-mas cards. I am actually usually done ordering them by now, so the pressure was definitely on. Zach and Matt were told that if they took nice pictures they could go see Santa. Zach was thrilled by this prospect even though I can't say it improved his willingness to take pictures. Matt was a little less than thrilled by the whole concept. Not only was he terrified of the photographer, he was shrieking whenever we put him anywhere near the guy in red. After what seemed like a twenty minute struggle between Matt vs both me and Wayne, we relinquished the idea of getting any picture of Matt with Santa this year. So while Matt hid himself on our shoulders, Zach talked Santa's ear off.

Its funny because I remember that Zach has NEVER wanted to sit on Santa's lap before. For the last few years, he flat out refused. This year it was a whole different story. He seriously was so pumped to get his opportunity to chat up Santa, and ask him directly for his Hulk toy, that he probably would have sat there all day. Here he obliged the elves with a "cheese" smile, no bribery required! This is my big boy who is sooo smart and imaginative he makes this most wonderful time of the year truly magical.

Maybe next year we will finally be able to get a shot of BOTH boys sitting with Santa....a mother can only dream!

Toys for Boys- Our Top 20!

2011-12-04T09:08:00.001-05:00

I kid you not, my sons have a lot of toys. I mean they are everywhere in the house. They are in baskets, they are in bins, they are upstairs, downstairs, outside and in! It is sometime overwhelming especially when they tend to play with all the things that aren't "toys", or in ways that the toys were not designed to be played with. Creative, definitely! Frustrating, sometimes! There are hundreds and yes I DO MEAN HUNDREDS of toys in my home. (I am counting all of the Little People individually of course!) Its funny, but when I go to put something away, Zach and Matt decide that they really want to play with that toy. Funny...or they are both genius! With Santa and grandparent and auntie and uncle santas on the way, it is time for some major reshuffling. I know that we are about to get an influx of new toys, but all of the following are stables around our home. They are the toys that both boys flock to on a regular basis, and when you have hundreds of toys to choose from I'd say that makes them very special.

The Fisher Price IXL-

Both Zach at four, and Matt at two play with this toy. I like that it is educational, they like that they can "read" books and paint pictures. Sometimes I think they just like that it plays music too. The only downfall to this toy is that the batteries need to be replaced often from too much use!

Melissa and Doug Puzzles-

I have always been a fan of Melissa and Doug toys. I have a lot of the chunky wood puzzles, but Zach prefers these now. I think the images are beautiful and the boys really enjoy trying to put them together. This is not quite a toy that either boy can do completely by himself, but I look at that as a plus rather than a minus

The Fisher Price Town

I have had this toy since Z was one. He has played with it in many ways throughout the years. He and Matt both enjoy putting the "apples" into the tree which counts to them. I really like that they both can play with it at the same time. It seems simple in design, but there are songs, and games to play, and best of all it fold away for easy storage!

Angry Bird Plush-

I always loved stuffed animals as a kid, and my boys seem to be following suit. While Matt loves to walk around with his Elmo, both boys find it fun to throw these birds all around the house and at each other. They hide them everywhere, and Zach will even set up pillows and try to kill the pigs.

Geo Trax-

There is something fascinating about trains to little boys. While the boys have a great collection of Thomas the train toys, lately they have seemed more interested in trains that they can control rather than push. I know that they will be excited this Christmas when they add to their Geo trax collection

Imaginarium train table-

I love this train table. Ironically it sits in my living room/aka playroom almost like a coffee table. The set is gorgeous and so worth the money. I had to put the set away for awhile, because Matt was tearing apart the track everyday, but the boys still use the table for the trains, or trucks. I have caught them trying to use it as a dance floor too...see what I mean about toys being used in ways they are not intended.

Tonka trucks-

Trucks in general seem to be a big hit these days with the boys. The great thing about this truck is that is large enough for the boys to push around without by bending over instead of crawling on the floor. This truck is great too because the ladders some out, but be careful sometimes that leads to ladder fights. Honestly if you have two sons, I recommend getting two of these trucks. My boys seems to fight a lot these days over who had this toy first. I certainly hope that getting another big toy truck of somekind is on Santa's list!

Sport Balls/Bouncy balls-

There is a reason that sports are a billion dollar industry, and I have a pretty good understanding that it stems from a boys love of balls! Seriously some of the most played with things in our house are plastic balls we picked up for a dollar. The boys love playing catch, and they also like learning about how to play sports. If you have a little boy to buy for these season, trust me, they will love a ball. I don't know why, they just do!

Play-Doh-

Matt recently got this set for his birthday from his Aunt Penny and both of the boys really love it. They are Play doh fanatics, and while I hate cleaning it up, I love that they are amused and creative for 20 minute stretches of time. It is a great activity for dinner making time, because it keeps them in the kitchen with me, but also allows them the freedom to create. My one piece of advice though is be sure to buy plah-doh scissors...just be sure you have one pair for each kid. Oh and if you don't want all brown playdoh...only give them one color at a time!

Rock and Roll Elmo-

I have to say my boys love all animated toys. They have a Hulk, a Mickey Mouse, and two Elmo dolls and they really play with them all. My parents got Matt this beauty for his birthday, and it is super cool. He likes to sing the ABC's with him and also play one of the extra instruments. If your kids like to sing and dance like mine do, this is a great toy!

A play kitchen with grill -

I am so glad that I bought a play kitchen for Zach when he turned 1. It has been one of the greatest toy purchases I've made. My husband fought me a bit claiming that a boy didn't need a play kitchen, but compromised on getting one with a manly grill! HA! Seriously the boys really like playing with this toy, and often take the basket liners and put them on their heads as chef hats. They like to bring us lunch, or grill up everything in the fridge! Even if you have all sons, I would say, buy a kitchen...this thing gets used at least once a day!

Play food with velcro-

When you get a play kitchen don't forget to buy some food to stock the pantry. One of my favorite sets has velcro that attaches the food together, it makes a really cool sound when you cut the vegetables. Also I prefer the plastic food to the wood food, only because my boys have been known to have a few food fights!

Nerf guns-
Belive it or not, my boys love nerf guns! I know shocking right? I am surprised with how capable they both are at loading the guns and figuring out how to cock the gun- Matt needs some help. These toys have created a lot of wonderful Daddy/son moments. I think the boys like them so much because Wayne loves to pull them out when we are outside, or inside and things need a little bit of action!

Board Games/Action Games

This game is one of the boys favorites. They love to take the fish out and play with them. We don't necessarily follow the directions, but they both can play together, and they both seem to really like that the game is interactive. Lately Zach has been more and more interested in games, and Matt is always close behind. Another big favorite in our home is the Angry Bird Game. The boys just like to play with the birds for the most part, although Z likes setting up the blocks too!

Lego Duplo Sets-

Kids need blocks. We have a lot of cool kinds. We have Bristle Blocks and Mega blocks, but the boys seem to really enjoy the Lego Duplo blocks. They are big enough that both can manipulate them and they come in some really cool sets. One of the boys favorites is this fire station set. They like the little cars and people that come with them, and also the siren!

Play tent-

Every kid needs a fort/hideout! These cool little tents set up in seconds and they allow the boys to feel like they are hiding. Our current tent is too small for both the boys, so this Christmas one of the other Santas are getting them a bigger one! They will be so thrilled I'm sure, and I can only imagine they will spent hours playing together inside.

Superhero toys-
If you have sons, chances are you have superhero toys. Zach loves them all, especially the Hulk and Matt even knows them by name now. Playskool makes some really cute sets. The boys like to add these heros everywhere around the house. They often are found tucked away in vehicles I find in the kitchen or under the Christmas tree!

Imaginext Batcave-

We have a lot of great Imaginext toys, but the favorite by far seems to be this Batcave. Maybe its the fact that the Superheros have a home, or maybe its because there are cool nooks to hide guys in. Whatever the reason, this is one of Z's favorites!

Musical toys- The Bee Bop Band

This toy is the one that started it all. Both of the boys love musical instruments and now we have plenty. Not only do they still play with this set, but it inspired Z to get a drum set, and Grandma Alice to buy them a baby grand toy piano! We love our musical instruments, and if you are looking for a musical toy to give a child over 12 months this would be my recommendation!

The Ipad 2-

No this is not the boys toy technically, but if you do have one, download some apps and let the kids play. Both of the kids love reading books on the Ipad and playing word and matching games. It can be a great educational tool, and in this tech savvy world, its important to teach your kids how to use and gather information. We also love our itouch because its portable and it is our main source for our dance music.

So there you have it...20 of our most used toys. I should disclaim that both of my boys love to look at books too, but I think I will save those for a separate post!

The Holiday Hustle and Bustle!

2011-12-03T10:51:00.002-05:00

There is something so magical about the Holiday Season. Maybe its the lights that sparkle in and around the houses, or maybe its the excitement I see in Zach's eyes everytime Santa is mentioned. (Matt is still a little too young to get the full understanding) Actually, I am trying to convey the real meaning of Christmas to Zach this year- that this season is about more than presents under your tree. Its tricky stuff- religion and kids. Sometimes I feel I've waited too long to take them to church, other times I think that Zach's already creative mind might be overwhelmed by too much information. I mean the kid had me explaining where blood is in our bodies this morning.

Anyways, I just love this time of year. I love watching all of the classic Christmas cartoons I watched as a kid. I love curling up on the couch nestled under a blanket with my hubby, and a warm cup of hot cocoa in my hand. I love the way the first snow sparkles in the sunlight, and I love watching Zach and Matt trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues. I love the week long reprieve I get from my job as a teacher, and cherish waking up to morning after morning when my priority for the day can be completely focused on being Mom. I love that every day is filled with anticipation, and everyone is so much kinder. I love the way people find charity for others this month, even if they live all 11 other months in oblivion. I love the songs on the radio, and dancing in my kitchen with my boys. I love the promise of seeing family often, and the smells of Christmas cookies baking in the oven. I love the taste of those cookies a whole bunch too. I love the idea of taking a drive to look at Christmas lights with the boys, and the prospect of building our first real snowman together. I love it, I love it, I love it.

And yet this month is constant hustle and bustle. I know I have a million moments plotted in my head that probably will have to wait. I have tried to finish all my shopping before December struck, and for the most part I did. So I will not be out in holiday lines, I will not be panicked that a package will not arrive in time, I will not be spending my December evening online shopping instead of snuggling. I will not be involved in that hustle and bustle. Instead my hustle and bustle will be making sure Christmas cards get sent, gifts get wrapped, cookies get made, family traditions are carried out.

But the most important thing I will do this month is hustle and bustle to make sure my boys feel the magic of this season. I will take them to the Christmas parties, I will take them to see lights, I will tell them stories every night, and watch a million movies I'v seen a million times before. I will sing the same Christmas song 30 times a day, I will let them frost cookies, even though they will mostly frost themselves. I will take them to festivals, and out in the snow, even though I have always hated being cold. I will hide our elf Durley every night, even though most days I am so tired, that its the last thing I want to do before bed. I will talk about Jesus and hope that they learn it, and I will listen to their hopes for what Santa might bring them. I will try to capture all of these moments, and record them for them. I will take them to spend time with family and friends, and I will continue to encourage them to be kind. I will do the extra shopping for their teachers, and I will bring treats to their class. I will remember to listen to them, to stop the hustle and bustle of the world, and sit with them and be present. I will be their playmate, their teacher, their champion, their nurturer, and this month their Santa. Some people might not like the hustle and bustle of the season, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Happy 2nd Birthday Matthew!

2011-11-21T20:48:00.004-05:00

Sometimes it seems impossible that this little baby:

Is now this 2 year old little boy:

I swear some days its seems like yesterday I was in the hospital lamenting how I was going to mother two boys under the age of two and others moments its felt like every day was two years. Truthfully those looong days usually come with an ear infection attached, but they have been far too many in the last 10 months. I am so glad that Matt was feeling well on his birthday, and so excited to see him running and playing without a care in the world. I love it when he is happy, because when Matt is smiling, its damn near impossible not to smile too. This is a wonderful quality except when he's smiling as he's jumping off of the furniture! Although I was going to post the pictures from his party, I think I will save that and talk about my baby boy instead.

Matt is a hurricane of activity. He likes to go go go, and he likes to go where he wants to go. Stubborn through and through, and sweet as can be. Matthew is a daredevil at heart, a real rough and tumble kind of boy, and he is constantly surprising us with the new words he says. Matt's best friend is definitely "brother" and try as I might to get him to call Zach by name, he still prefers to refer to him as brother. It is actually so magical to watch the two of them together....well about 80% of the time. The other 20% looks like head locks, pushing, punching, and antagonizing each other, but I'll take those odds in a sibling relationship any day! This past year has been trying on my baby, he went into daycare, had a series of ear infections, surgery, and more ear infections, and yet he always seems to try to make the most out of his days. He is obsessed with Sesame Street, and only recently started watching television for any length of time.

At two Matt is taller than his brother was... and just now getting any sort of substantial hair. He is charming and cuddly, and he loves to be "uppie" I sometimes say he is my two year old three month old, because he wants to be held more now than he ever did as a baby. Matt is trying hard to learn all of the big boy ways. He drinks out of cups, can undress himself, tries to put his shoes on, demands to sit at the table, walk in the stores, and be independent whenever he can. He enjoys building a lot and play-doh immensely, and he is one to "colour" whenever he gets the chance. His favorite activities are dancing in the kitchen and singing in the car to Laurie Berkner songs, his favorite of which is "oh ah" as he calls it. If Matt can be outside he's happy, and if he can be swinging he's thrilled. He really loves slides, balloons and bubbles, and trying to play catch or his own game which involves throwing balls in the air, and having them bop him on the head.

For the most part Matt is easy-going when he's well. He's demanding, but worth it. I know he is head-strong, determined, and smart. I can't imagine what this next year holds as far as his development, except to say that as he start to talk more and more we all better watch out. He will definitely speak his mind, but I doubt he will talk constantly, only because he likes to listen, access, and then take charge. Matt is adorable, and shy at times. He doesn't love to be the center of attention like Zach, unless its in his own home or his comfort zones. He likes to explore, and he likes to push limits. Some of this is his age, other aspects are his personality. He constantly does silly things and asks "I funny Momma" which is super sweet even when what he is doing is trying to climb on the kitchen table. Matthew is my baby boy, and no matter how old he becomes, he will always have the most impressive dimples and breathtaking smile. He is impossible to stay angry at long, and he is sweet in all the best ways. He is loving and giving, and concerned about the people he loves. I am so proud of the little man he is, and while he can be challenging at times, there will never be a moment that I don't feel blessed by having had the honor of being his Momma! Happy 2nd birthday Matthew! I am so excited to watch you grow and learn, and so lucky to be able to relish in your charm! I love you!

Broken Arms and Chocking Hazards...

2011-11-20T18:42:00.008-05:00

See these two?

This week, one broke their arm and the other almost choked to death.

No, I am not being dramatic, I wish I was. See the cast??? This "lovely" little red thing is on Jack's left arm.

And see these Dots?

One of them was lodged in Z's airway on Friday night.

It's been a bizarre week. On Thursday Jack had the day off of school and stayed at Grandma's for the day. He loves going to my Mom and Dad's house because they pretty much do anything he asks them to. So when Jack suggested they "wrestle" my Mom oblidged him. Apparently they were pillow fighting as well, and as Jack ran towards my Mom, who had been catching him when he came near all the times before, he stumbled at a full run, outside of her reach. He must have landed just right, because he cracked his bone clear across his left forearm. My Mom says she knew immediately because it just "looked wrong", but it was her first experience with a kid breaking a bone "on her watch". She raised all three of us without incident, but Jack has a remarkable way of being the first! Jack is such a trooper, he seriously only cried when it happened, and then he just said it hurt. He was so calm in fact my sister didn't believe it was broken.(Ironically, the break happened about 5 minutes before she walked in the door from work) Like I said, Jack is remarkable and has always been soo tough on the few occassions he's gotten hurt. After a very long night, my nephew had his very own red cast. Most kids would be down about having a cast, or traumatized in some way, but not Jack...he always bounces right back. I admire that about him, even at age five, that he always takes things as they come and makes the most out of them. Its a quality I know he will keep whatever life throws his way. Accidents happen, and when you are an active boy, it seems accidents happen more often. So Jack, lets hope this is your last broken anything for a long while....and next time don't do it at Grandma's, her nerves can't take it :)

Speaking of nerves...one of the all time scariest moments of my life as a Mom, hell my life at all, happened on Friday night around 5:30 p.m. We had just finished eating dinner, and the boys were asking for some Halloween candy, as the habit has become after dinner for nearly a month now. I gave Matt some Lifesaver fruit chews and Zach wanted some. The only gumlike treats left were a box of Dots, so I gave them to Z, and went back to cleaning up from dinner. Wayne and the boys were in the family room, and all of a sudden I heard a commotion to my right. I turned to see Wayne dropping to his knees, saying "Are you choking?" Zach was running towards us, his face turning purple and no sound escaping his lips. Wayne tried to hit his back, but that didn't work, so he yelled "He's choking, he can't breathe." I ran over, as Wayne was turning Z around and he began performing the hymlic on Z, explaining that he wasn't trying to hurt him, but that Daddy needed to get the object out. All the while, Zach looked terrified and had saliva pouring from his mouth. It was frightening, horrific, absolutely panic inducing. I did the only thing I could think of. I put my finger in his throat, to scoop out the object, I'd had to do something similar a few times when they were babies, but never to this extent. I know this is the wrong thing to do, I know it, and yet it is what I did. I could feel the dot, whole in the back of his throat, and I moved it, ever so slightly, at the same time Wayne was pushing on his diaphram. Somehow...he started to gag, and I knew gagging was good. Gagging meant air could get through, Gagging meant... life. I think Zach got the gumdrop up on his own after that, but I can't be sure. I can't be sure because at that point all I was doing was thanking God. I literally knew that He'd been there to help on some level...every level. I owe Him, of course, but I'd owed Him before too. Zach was a bit freaked out for a minute, mostly because in my invasion of his throat, I'd scratched him, and he was bleeding a bit. I was not tender, I was not well trained in my search for that candy, I was just so determined that it was coming out. Wayne was shaken after the event too, worried that he'd hurt Z trying to save his life, but within minutes, Zach was up and running about, no worse for the wear as the expression goes. In fact the picture of him and Jack above is taken about an hour later, when we went to visit Jack and see his cast. If the story ended there it wouldn't be the whole story.

After a great visit with Jack and Emma we came home, and Zach went to bed. Around 10:30 Wayne and I were watching a DVR'd Law and Order SVU, and I heard Zach crying in his room. We went up, and Zach was doubled over, saying "it hurts reawly bad" We spent the next 20 minutes frustrated because Zach couldn't stop crying long enough to explain what was wrong. When he pointed to his stomach, we knew we had to take him in to be looked at. Zach and I headed to the emergency care center near our house, while Wayne called his sister Lisa. It was 11 o'clock at night, but Lisa didn't hesistate to come, she was already getting dressed while Wayne was telling her the story(she was kind enough to come so Matt didn't need to be woken up and dragged to the hospital in the middle of the night) Thank you Aunt Lisa, you have always been there for us and the boys, and I will never forget it! Meanwhile Zach and I were headed to the emergency center, and Zach was acting fine. He said "I want to go home, it only hurts a little bit Mommy", but by then we were committed. We needed to make sure that he didn't have a cracked rib, or any other sort of trauma from the near choking incident five hours before. After an hour and a half of Z chatting up the nurses, the doctors, and anyone else he could talk to, we finally got released. Turns out Zach was fine, just a little bruised. He even invited the doctor and nurses as we were leaving to his brother's birthday party which was Saturday. So if you've made it through this long post, please stop back to see pics from Matt's Sesame Street birthday bash, and celebrate his 2nd birthday with us tomorrow. I can definitely say, I am so thankful this week for my nephew's resilience, my first born son's safety and conversation, my husband's knowledge of CPR, and my baby boy's 2nd year with us!

As a side note: I am taking a CPR course ASAP...I hope I am never in that situation again, but if I am next time I want to be prepared instead of panicked!

Catching up...

2011-11-17T21:36:00.006-05:00

A week away from Thanksgiving you probably aren't expecting to see Halloween costumes, but since I slacked for three weeks the time was now or never:

Zach was pumped to wear his Red Power Ranger costume:

While Matt went into a full fledged meltdown in his Elmo costume:

After some snuggles from Grandma, and the promise of treats from his brother Matt reluctantly got into the wagon to head out trick or treating:Thanks to Grandma Alice we all were able to go trick or treating together while she passed out candy. Thank you Grandma! We were able to pause for a moment and snap a picture of the seven carved pumkins my husband prepared:Three of my favorites this year were

The Haunted House:

The Headless Horseman:

And the Owl I carved!

After we headed out, Dad took the boys up to the first house. Zach was so excited to get candy, and Matt was so excited to be out running around (He never did get back in that wagon the rest of the evening)

Here is Wayne and the boys:

And me and my little happier Elmo...our Power Ranger escort had run ahead to get candy:

It was a wonderful time. We ran into friends:

And ran wildly up the block.

The boys were done trick or treating after 45 minutes, and then we went home, took of our costumes and ate way too much candy. We've finally gotten rid of most of that stuff, just in time for our turkey feast, and of course Christmas cookies!

To my husband...

2011-11-05T14:34:00.003-04:00

Happy Anniversary!

I can't believe it was six years ago today that we said "I do". What surprises me the most is how much has changed since that day. In those years we may have gotten a few more wrinkles, some gray hairs, and put on an extra pound or two, but every time I see you I always see the same thing, the man I choose over every other to share my life with. I can tell you that I knew you were the one from the beginning, but that over the years you've showed me more and more why. In six years we've accomplished amazing feats, and most importantly we did them together. We've been blessed to add two human beings to the world, two examples of what our love can nurture and build. I always wanted to me a Mom, but watching you be a Dad has brought my life such joy. Our boys are lucky to have a father who loves them like you do, and I am fortunate to have you as a partner in this roller coaster ride of parenting! We've had two homes, both beautiful, and perfected by your hard work and dedication, but more important than any residence, you have been my heart's home. I can't tell you what its meant through these years to have your friendship, strength, and love in my corner. Through all the changes the last six years have thrown our way, one thing has remained constant, the knowledge that one of the smartest decisions I ever made was to say "yes" to being your wife, that 1st day, and all the ones that have followed. Happy 6th anniversary! I love my flowers, I love that we are having a date night, but most importantly I love you!

Pumpkin Posting

2011-10-30T22:02:00.008-04:00

It seems that every blog I've read this week, had a post similar, and since I already have fallen so far behind, I thought I better sneak in this pumpkin picking post today before Halloween. Otherwise, I will be so overwhelmed with pictures, I'll never get around to documenting our family outing.

For the past two years we have gone to a pumpkin festival of sorts with friends. This year our hectic month of October put a wrench in any sort of weekend outing to a Pumpkin Festival. We had two weddings, three birthday parties, and so our only chance would have been this weekend, except today we had a neighborhood Halloween party, ect. ect. It just didn't happen this year, but I will try my best to make sure we get to go again next year. Instead our weekend consisted of Dr visits, instead of exploring, and hunkering in, instead of venturing out. Matt has yet another ear infection, and so a new round of antibiotics are underway. Fortunately, he is back to a better version of himself today, even if my poor baby went through hell to get his blood taken. Who knows what awaits that little guy, I just pray they figure out what's wrong and fix it.

On a brighter note, one a shade of orange, we were able to take a family trip to a few pumpkin patches, so we could stock up for carving. Here is a picture of Matt checking out the pumpkins and wondering, why he isn't able to run around like Zach:

Zach loves Halloween, and he really loves looking for pumpkins. What he like more though, is looking for fish...I mean seriously, I thought he was going to climb in this pond at one point:

Unfortunately our first stop didn't have large enough pumpkins, so we headed off to another stop. I must say, I liked the atmosphere of our 2nd stop better, and since it was partly indoors, Matt was even able to get out and participate. (Translation:Matt is smart, quick, and stubborn- If he wants to go he goes. I am overprotective, nervous, and not a fast runner- I know the limits of where I can put him without losing my mind or having a panic attack)

Here we are at the 2nd pumpkin patch- I love the decor, and I also think it is kind of spooky that there is a cemetery behind us:

And just to prove that sometime Zach almost looks at the camera:Inside we loaded up the cart with pumpkins. Zach picked his:

Then Matt made a selection:

While Zach took his time making sure he had made the right choice:

Matt ran like a wild man through the rows:

I finally tried for the "money" shot of my two boys, But this was the best we could do:

While Matt lounged in his car seat drinking some apple juice, Zach helped Dad load the loot-He really wanted to smile for the camera, but he wasn't about to take his eyes off the pumpkin to do it:

It was a wonderful day, and I was so happy that Matt was smiley, Zach had fun, Wayne got his pumpkins, and I got some quality time with my three favorite guys. Stay tuned to see the Halloween posts...Oh and,Hulk says you have to come back soon, or he'll "Smash" you!

Have you ever been BOOed?

2011-10-25T20:01:00.003-04:00

This afternoon Wayne came home to find a little bag of goodies on our porch. We had noticed these signs up in some of our neighbors houses over the course of the last few days, but thought it must be something to do with the school. As it turns out it is some sort of Halloween tradition where neighbors leave treats for each other, ring the bell and run. I have never been part of this BOOing game, or the Halloween Phantom as my neighborhood is calling it. Here is the poem that came attached to our phantom image:

The Phantom Ghost has come to town,

To leave you some goodies, I see you've found.

If you do not wish a curse to fall,

Continue this greeting, this Phantom call.

Post this Phantom where it can be seen,

Leave it there until HALLOWEEN.

This will scare away other Phantoms that may want to visit.

Be sure to participate, don't be a "fis-bidget!"

Make two treats, two Phantoms and two notes like this.

Deliver them to two friends who may have been missed.

Don't let them see you, be sneaky no doubt.

Make sure they put their Phantom Ghost out.

You have only one day to act, so be quick.

Leave it at doors where the Phantom has not yet hit.

Deliver at dark when there is no light.

Ring the doorbell and run, stay out of sight!

Happy Halloween!

Aside from the fact that I had to make a last minute trip to Target, I think the whole thing is a little weird, but sweet...literally and figuratively. I think my first BOOing baskets turned out cute:

Well I'd love to stay and chat, but this Phantom has some baskets to deliver!

One weekend, Three Birthdays!

2011-10-23T20:17:00.015-04:00

This weekend was a birthday marathon. On Friday we celebrated my sister in law Olivia's 30th with a SURPRISE party. On Saturday we celebrated my Mother in law Alice's birthday with a family dinner out. Then today we rounded out the weekend with a Chuck E Cheese extravaganza for my oldest nephew, Jason, who turned 8! It was a busy weekend, but it was a lot of fun seeing everyone, and of couse all of the cake and icecream was an added bonus.

Friday night we got to Ryan and Olivia's house around 6, so as the boys waited they decided to have some chips and watch SpongeBob:

Shortly after came the big surprise:

And then came the dress up part...Olivia was a great sport as her sister "30'd" her up:

Matt was really fascinated by Aunt Olivia's get up, but Zach had his eye on his cousin Grant's new guinea pigs. Here Z is holding Toffee(I think), while Grant holds Caramel:

Matt was interested in the animals, but not interested enough to touch them:I hope you get your wish this year Olivia:

On Saturday night, we all met up at Friendly's to celebrate Alice. Here is part of the crew:

And at the other end, were myself, Lisa and this smiley little guy:

Alice opened up her presents, and then enjoyed being serenaded by three of her grandsons(the other one was strapped into his high chair)

The boys insisted they help blow out the candles too, just to make sure Grandma got her wish:

I think Jason was just getting in a little practice for his party today too. Everyone had a wonderful time. The boys were really into playing in the arcade this trip, even Matt. Well actually, Matt was interested in putting tokens in the slots and then leaving the game. The one game he did like to watch me play was a game where you tried to punch boxers in the head as they moved past you. Here he is getting ready to "play" the game:

And here are Z and Wayne playing together:

Jason had a great time shouting for Chuck E Cheese to come,

and he looked so happy when he got his birthday crown:

I still can't believe that it was eight years ago tomorrow that he entered our lives. Jason, so many wonderful things have happened since you've come, I can't wait to see what the future holds for you. I hope you enjoyed your party, we were so happy to be there!

I hope all of you enjoyed your weekend as much as we did!

Picture Relays...

2011-10-18T18:53:00.009-04:00

The other night I realized that I hadn't taken any photos of the boys in awhile, and I needed a recent one of Matt to go on his 2nd birthday invitation. I tried to get him to let me take his picture, but he was more interested in looking in the viewfinder with me than being in one. Zach also "wanted to see", but I decided to play "picture relay" instead of "cheese". The boys seemed to have a blast running back and forth up the hallway, and relaying. I was even able to capture a few photos of my moving targets that are pretty cute. After awhile, and about 100 deleted shots, they slowed down a little. You see the point of the game was that they run so fast that I couldn't take their picture. Here is one of them catching their breath before the next relay starts:

And here's one of the trade offs:

After about 20 minutes of running, I was finally able to get them to sit down near each other. Only after a really typical brotherly moment occurred. One minute a hug:

The next minute a headlock:

After all that, finally some side by side brother shots:

And perhaps the most precious picture of all, even if its blurry:

Its clear these boys are two peas in a pod. A crazy, not-stop, gonna-try-to-drive-me-crazy-sometimes pod, but hey, at least their in it together. I just love watching my boys be brothers, what a blessing that's been!

Hey September...Where'd you go?

2011-10-10T07:56:00.007-04:00

I cannot even believe that it is the 10th of October today! That means I went with nearly a month between posts, which is unheard of in the blogging world unless you've just decided to throw in the towel. I have no good excuse for my absence except to say that our fall has been extremely hectic with little chance of slowing down in the coming weeks. Time is flying, and months are passing quicker than I'd like. I am already starting to think I should be a lot further along in my holiday shopping than I am, and anticipating the first snow fall, even though it has been in the 70's and 80's this week.

Here are a few of my favorite things from the month of September:

My new Ipad2!

I was so excited when my parents and siblings went overboard for my birthday and got me an Ipad. I have been envying theirs for so long. This little electronic has consumed a lot of my after kids go to sleep hours, which might be why I haven't been blogging as regularly. I'd love to tell you my fascination is wearing off, but I swear each day I enjoy it more and more. Thanks Mom, Dad, Nick, Cheryl, Lisa, Mike, Jack and Emma for such a sweet surprise!

And speaking of awesome surprises, on my birthday I was totally not expecting this beautiful floral arrangement from my sweetie:

Especially since he had already bought me this lovely new set of matching patio furniture for the newly completed deck:

And while September was filled with wonderful gifts, none were so special to me as getting to spend time out with my hubby, thanks to Alice, and spending as much time as I can with my boys!

I will never forget...

2011-09-11T07:54:00.002-04:00

I will never forget:
My alarm going off to bizarre reports of fire being reported
Rushing to the tv to see a smoking tower in NY
Watching a plane crash into a building in front of my eyes
Seeing the impossible, two towers crumble like a deck of cards
Knowing thousands were gone in the blink of an eye
Seeing a side of the Pentagon collapse in
Looking at a fiery hole in the Earth put there not by terror, but by bravery
I still hear my Mom's voice on the phone, the fear because somewhere my father was flying that day
I know the panic of my sister coming from school to sit and wait and watch
I remember the need to connect to the people you love so deep and profound that it was the only thought you could sustain
I remember the relief of hearing my Mom say that my Dad's plane had been grounded in Atlanta
And the sadness of knowing that for many such relief would never come
I remember the shock
the disbelief
the sorrow
the sense of helplessness
the anger
the love I saw that day
and the patriotism I saw born from it
I remember that on this day a decade ago, I changed,my country changed, our world changed forever.

This week I have watched a lot of documentaries on September 11th, and while there have been so many moments that I felt touched and enlightened by these stories one statement stood out to me more than any other

One of the survivors of the attacks that day who went through what can only be described as hell to survive stated, "The world saw only the evil of the world that day, but for those of us who were inside the tower, we saw the good." I will carry those words always when I think of this day.

I know the attacks were meant to cripple our nation, send fear into our hearts, and destroy our sense of country, they did just the opposite. Those horrible actions and the sacrifice that the victims and their familes endured that day, did something those planes stated. On that day, we were American and we were United. Ten years later, I am proud of my country, and so grateful to my nation, that we rose from the ashes of that day without forgetting the thousands who didn't get that chance. So today, remember to tell the people you love what they mean to you, because when they were faced with death, that was what the victims wanted to do, so honor them, and remember that only love survives even in death.

The first day of school...

2011-09-05T12:23:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow is officially the first day of school! There truly is no other day like it. I've always hated the last night before school starts because its one filled with anxiety for me. When I was a student; I'd spend hours getting ready, stress myself out about what I was going to wear, worry about how my teachers would be, wonder if my friends were going to be in my classes, ect. Tonight that will still hold true, except I will be worry about how my students will act, and wondering if the coworkers I like will have the same free period as me.

On the flip side I am anxious to get into it. Excited by the possibility of what I will learn about the world and myself this year. Anxious to meet 120 new people who will become part of my daily life for the good and the bad. I am wondering what the year holds for me, and know that someone or something I encounter in my classroom will better me, test me, and push me to think...that why I do what I do. The possibilities are endless, and that makes me both anxious and excited.

This year I am not the only one walking the line of anxiety and excitement. Two of my nephews will be headed to kindergarten tomorrow morning. I can see that their parents are also feeling torn between the anxiety of what this new world will be like, and the excitement of watching their child grow and explore.

See these two playful guys:

They are headed off to school tomorrow. Even though I feel anxious a bit for them both, I know they are going to do great. Grant and Jack I can't wait to hear all about your first days, and to see what you both think of school. I am sure your teachers will adore you! I can't wait to see your 1st day of school pictures and hear your story. There really is no day quite like the first day of school...and this one is an extra special one for you both. Congratulations guys, I love you!

Back to school blues...

2011-08-31T16:46:00.002-04:00

I guess I should be excited to head back to school, especially since when I am there, I really am happy to be there most of the time. The thing is, I just feel like the end of summer came in a whirlwind, and I wasn't ready. I mean I still haven't finish posting events from this summer and we are already heading into a new school year? Seriously time, quite messing with me.

I know two of the reasons I struggle to head back are the cute little blond boy with a captivating imagination on the top of this page, and that sweet faced brunette whose smile is nothing shy of dazzling. I know that any working Mom struggles with guilt, and I know that I am doing what is best for my family given the choices we have made. I know that it has been my choices that have led me to this moment in time, and most days I wouldn't trade it for the world.

And yet, when I had to go back to school this week I felt sucker-punched. I wasn't ready to put my little guys back in "school". I wanted to be selfish...I wanted more than anything to be their every moment teacher more than the teacher to 130 students I haven't met yet. I felt torn in two one side to the passionate educator I was who started teaching 10 years ago, and the other to the all encompassing role of Mom I've become since. I started to feel sad...sad that I have such difficulty embracing them both, seeing that one impacts the other, and that together they have great power.

I am lucky. My kids are in daycare three days a week. Three days because I have help. They are never going to have to go to daycare in the summer, or a summer camp if they don't want to. They will have their Mom home all during their school vacations, and afterschool to get them off the bus...at least till high school. They are lucky...so why the guilt?

I guess I know that time is fleeting. I see it in Matt's every movement. In the fact that he is no longer a baby, but a boy who is learning to talk, assert himself in this world, and express who he is. I see it in the size of Zach, his features shifting from the chubby roundness of yesterdays to the more defined features of a little boy. His mind is racing, with questions, and dreams,memories and stories of his very own. "Play with me Momma" he will say, and I know too well that soon, it won't be me he turns to for entertainment. Their world is getting bigger every moment, and I worry that in a blink I will have missed it. You know the time when I was their world, their home was their playground, and their lives were simple. I think maybe Moms who stay at home might even feel this way sometimes...filling their days with all of the other responsibilities it takes to run a household, they probably go to bed sometimes wondering if they made the most out of their day with the kids. Add in being gone for 8 hrs, and coming home on 1/2 empty and things get a little dicey sometimes. Some nights I am ready for bedtime to come 30 minutes after I walk in the door, and then with that thought comes the guilt. How can I love them so much, and value time with them above all else, and still be so willing to give up the precious time I have with them on work days?

I guess as a working Mom you have to be "ON", all the time. Doing your most with the four hours you have in that day because there is no buffer time, which is why its hard to look forward to school this year. My students want the best of me, my sons want the best of me, and they both deserve it. Its just that today I am wondering...will my best be good enough? I sure hope so...but only time will tell.

One of the best days of summer...Part II

2011-08-28T14:32:00.010-04:00

After traveling to Sesame Street, the boys decided to do a little grocery shopping:

Here Zach tried his hand at his first job, a cashier:

This was seriously a lot of fun, except for the fact that Zach wanted to put everything in his cart, and the museum limited it to 5 items, and Matt though he was Mario Andriette and was practically running people over with his shopping cart!

Then we were off to explore Japan, where Matt and Z went to see if a friend was home:

And Zach headed off to school to have lunch: And while their father, who lived in Japan for awhile, tried to convince them this room was interesting, Zach had his sights set on something a bit more "comical".

Wasn't I proud to see him so excited about Reading Adventureland...but wait...he's pointing to:

SPIDERMAN!

This museum had a room that specialized in Marvel Superheros and well, around these parts, seeing life-sized replicas of your favorite pals, is the pretty close to being in Heaven!

Zach was so excited he almost didn't spot his ultimate hero....THE HULK! Of course once he say him he and Dad transformed into their Hulk persona's too:

Even though Zach loves to be a Superhero, he was a little apprehensive about scaling the side of a building:
I guess even the best of superheroes can get afraid of heights now and again!

Once we were able to pry Zach away from the Superhero room, we headed down the road to The Bernstein Bears neck of the woods. At first the boys didn't seem to be as entranced with this room, but Zach got to building,

and Matt discovered a slide.

They both took to running businesses:

And Zach served me up a HUGE lunch at his restaurant:

While Matt greeted all the guests:

We made sure to brush after the meal of course:

After that we were off to party with pirates:

Meet a giant:

Climb his Beanstalk:

Pick vegetables with Peter Rabbit:

Create our own cartoons:

Then, Matt tried to grab a quick nap:

But decided hangin' with a troll was a better way to spend the day:

When he was done, he took me to the ball in a giant pumpkin:

While Zach talked with a dragon

After a wonderful lunch together at a 50's diner, we spent some time riding the carousel, and going on a train ride. Then it was time to get going. Dad spoiled his boys with some friends to take home. Matt of course got an Elmo whom he often sleeps with now. And when he can't find him will call, "Helmo, whhere har you?" . Zach opted for Grover, because we all know he is the superhero of the show.

What you probably don't know about him though, is that he is one heck of a driver!

Can you see now why it was one of the best days of the summer? I can't wait to go back and neither can the boys!

One of the best days of summer...Part one

2011-08-27T20:17:00.006-04:00

This summer has been a ton of fun. Maybe its the fact that both of the boys are at an age where they love to play, don't need two naps in a day, and are both pretty steady on their feet. Whatever it is, it has been a wonderful adventure, and I'll miss it next week when we all return to school. I love the summer because it means staying home with my boys all day, being the one to hear all of their stories, the one whose there to witness all their antics, both good and bad. And while I am content to spend my days with my sons, summer usually means that my love is uber busy. It is ridiculous how long his days are, and how often he is buzzing around the house, juggling his phone, a computer, and piles of paperwork. It can sometimes make me overwhelmed just watching him work, so I am pretty sure it is exhausting on his end. Workaholic comes to mind, but then again I am pretty sure a large part of Wayne's drive revolves around the three of us that watch him bust his butt day after day. Weekends are coveted around here, especially in the summer, and a day of from work for Wayne is pratically impossible.

So when Wayne decided to take a vacation I was thrilled, even if it was only for a day or two. I knew exactly what I wanted to do for our family outing. I wanted to take the boys to a play musuem. When I really want something, I usually get it, I am just really lucky (ahem spoiled) that way. So off we headed.

When we got there I didn't really know what to expect, but if the 177 pictures I took don't tell how awesome the day was, maybe this post will. From the moment we got there Zach was revved up and really to explore. Matt was literally jumping out of his seat, and since its a musuem of play, I relinquished control and let him roam(under my close supervision of course).

Here are the boys upon our arrival

Once inside Zach really enjoyed looking at the big aquarium...he has been asking for a goldfish for months now!

So when we made it to Sesame Street:

Zach was happy to go and hang out with Dorothy:

Then the boys had a blast checking themselves out in Elmo's fun mirrors:
And we were even asked to be on the show by The Count:

After, Zach stopped by to visit Big Bird, but he was already out for the day:

So we all decided to play a little chess and wait:

Well, almost all of us...

Matt thought he should check out whether he has a career ahead of him as a taxi-driver,

but opted to run the Muppet Cab Company with his brother instead.

And that was all within the first half hour...

Stay tuned to see what happens when Zach meets his Hero, how we spent an hour with the Bernstein Bears, our visit to Japan, and some of the boys favorites, according to them, from the day!

Roughin' it?

2011-08-22T17:32:00.011-04:00

I am not a sleep-in-a-tent kind of girl. I am almost embarassed to say this now because I grew up loving roughin' it. I loved hikes and swimming in lakes, even when the seaweed could touched me. I loved; not bathing everyday, finding worms in the dirt to go fishing, campfires and of course Smores. OK..I still like two out of four of those things. Today, I won't go anywhere where I don't have access to a private shower, especially if I am going to stay there for days. My family mocks me because one of the reasons I never wanted to stay at the cottage for more than a day or two is because the old shower really scared me...like seriously, the one time I tried it the knobs fell off and I had to call my Mom in to save me!

My sister in law Lisa, her husband Skip, and my nephew Jason go every year to "camp" at a park in NY. I have not really thought much about camping since my parents sold their motor home 15 years ago, but the way Lisa talked about this place, I was intriqued. She showed me the website, and Jason told me all about the fun he's had there, so I thought maybe next year we would take the boys camping. A week before her annual trip Lisa called to get a dressing name, and she invited us up for a visit while she was there. I was pretty excited about the invite, so I convinced Wayne to take the day off (he really only took a 1/2 day)and find some time to drive up for the day. I am so glad that we did, because it was wonderful seeing all of the boys enjoying themselves.

When we arrived, Zach was super excited to get the chance to hang out with his big cousin Jason. Jason was in his element there, running and playing and showing Zach all the best things about the camp. They were so busy together, the best I could do was get this shot of them chatting by the swings:

The boys really enjoyed the hayride together, where the kids belted out a ton of camp songs:

Back at the wonderfully comfortable and not at all roughin-it-in-the-woods- cabin, Jason and a bunch of his friends welcomed the boys into their boys club. Seriously they were happy as clams up in that loft space:

When the kids got a little settled in, it was off to the fabulous waterpark, where both the big boys(Wayne and Skip) had just as much fun as the little ones:

Jason was an old pro at the waterpark, but Zach and Matt were a little (water)gun shy so they headed down to the beach. Here they were like little fish, swimming everywhere, and building something(I can't even call it a castle) in the sand:

And while Aunt Lisa and Jason were away getting Jason a really sweet temporary tatoo, the boys enjoyed"Frogging" in the marshes by the cabin with Dad:

While the boys had no success catching a tadpole. we did meet a little girl who was kind enough to show us the frog she had caught. (Don't worry she released it soon after):

Zach truly enjoyed when Uncle Skip gave him a fishing lesson(I enjoyed the fact that he used a lure, so no digging in the dirt for worms was necessary):
Being there reminded me of all of the wonderful camping trips I took as a kid, and since you don't really need to rough it there, it was right up my alley. It truly was a wonderful trip, and we all enjoyed it so much that we will be going back next year to spend more time learning songs from Jason, fishing and swimming with Uncle Skip, and being loved on by Aunt Lisa. Thank you for such a memorable day!

Happy 1st birthday Averie!

2011-08-21T19:50:00.005-04:00

Over twenty years ago I met the girl who lived next door. That girl has been my best friend ever since. When she finally found out that she was expecting, I knew she was going to have a daughter. I knew it because she is a fashionista of sorts and it just wouldn't have been fair if she didn't get a daughter to shop with! I just didn't know that she was going to get such a sweet and calm child, sometimes I look over at Averie and think, WOW...my boys were never that content to stay in one place playing with one toy! You have to love little girls for that! On top of it all, my niece Averie is such a cutie too. Here she is rockin' her bee outfit for her BEEautiful schemed 1st birthday party:

Jenn(aka Penny) was a little nervous to have such a massive party at her house(I think there were over 70 people there to celebrate the adorable birthday girl. My kids spent a ton of time bouncing in the bounce house, and spending quality time with family and friends:

Then it was cake time, and we all gathered around and sang our hearts out. Averie took the whole thing in, and really seemed to enjoy it, even though she looks a little overwhelmed in the picture:When it was time to taste her cake, she was hesitant at first:But after a few minutes of encouragement from her loving parents:She dove right in. Seriously she stayed this way for a few minutes, just sucking in her birthday cake. It seems Averie and I share something else in common,we both love us some birthday cake!It was really such a lovely party for one of the loveliest little girls I know. Happy first birthday Averie, we love you!

Birthdays:Part II

2011-08-18T19:14:00.004-04:00

My father celebrated his 60th birthday this year. I would love to tell you that he relaxed and enjoyed every moment of his day, but lately his time has been consumed by working to complete my parent's(and family's) dream lake house. Isn't it gorgeous? You should see it now...of course I forgot my camera the last time I went, but I promise to post a completed exterior pic soon!

My dad spends basically all the moments he isn't working at his "day" job on finishing off this house. To say that this place has been a labor of love on my Mom, Dad's and brother's part is an understatement. Even though he is busy we managed to make time for a pizza party at my folks home, including these delicious cupcakes that my sister whipped together that afternoon.

There was no fancy dinner out, or a big celebration. My dad spent his 60th in the company of all of his favorite people,or so I like to think :), and ate dinner surrounded by 4 very special members of our family:60 years ago...only two people existed...look at all they've accomplished:I wonder what he's wishing for in the next 6o yrs...

Some might think rest, or quiet, but they don't know my Dad. More than likely he's wishing for a lot more years of living life on his own terms, which is what he does best. I love you Dad, and I hope you enjoyed your 60th!

(I still have one more August birthday left...but I am waiting till she's officially one)

Up next...family fun days!

Birthdays: Part I

2011-08-15T20:13:00.006-04:00

Like I've said there have been quite a few birthdays around here. In fact just yesterday my niece Averie celebrated her 1st in spledid style(more on that in Part II)

Since Lisa's and Jack's birthday are just four days apart, it seems like we haven't celebrated just HER birthday in years. So this year I baked her some cupcakes of her very own. It was nothing spectacular, but Lisa, myself, my Mom and the kids had a luncheon and cupcake day.

And since I may have been lame last year and forgotten to get my sis a gift, I spoiled her with a really cute personalized necklace from The Vintage Pearl (http://www.thevintagepearl.com/)

These necklaces are gorgeous, so if you don't have one, head over and check out the website, but be warned I know I couldn't stop myself from buying one for me too!

A few days later...my nephew Jack turned 5! The party was awesome, mostly because the kids were in love with Jack's new birthday present from Grandma and Papa, an inflatable waterslide/pool! This thing was the hit of the party:

Zach was quick to go down the slide:

While Mattie took more off a laid-back approach...well for a few minutes(please don't mind his head gear...its all an attempt to keep water out of his ears, and one little boy healthy!)

The party was great, but busy, which might be why I don't have a ton of pictures of the party. I did manage to get some of the birthday boy blowing out his candles

And opening a few presents...ok there were a ton of presents:

Then on his "real" birthday we headed to a bounce house place for some fun...but my battery died on my camera, so this shot will have to suffice: It's actually very fitting...Jack is the leader, and these two boys will follow him anywhere...just hopefully Jack doesn't ask them to head off any bridges anytime soon! :)

Stay tuned to part II of Birthdays...my Dad's 60th and Averie's 1st!

No...I haven't given up

2011-08-13T12:36:00.004-04:00

I have been on a blogging hiatus. It wasn't so much intentional as it was serendipitious. The thing is summer is short, and the days are long, so its go go go most of the time. I've found the kids are up with the sun, at 7 and don't seem to want to go to bed till the sun goes down around 9. That said, very few hours are left in the day for me to recharge. On good days both the boys nap at the same time and I have an hour or two to get some things done. Those things have been read, finish craft projects, talk to friends without someone screaming in the background, read other people's blogs, get housework done; because its a lot easier to fold laundry without a toddler "helping" or put away the dishes without a 20 month old trying to crawl in. You see I haven't given up posting, I just haven't prioritized it.

My husband checked the blog the other night and said, "So you've given up blogging?" I was like, "No!" The thing is I'm blog material overloaded. Life has been so full in the last month that I'm not sure where to start. We've celebrated my nephew's 5th birthday, my sister's birthday,my Dad's 60th, been to countless outings with friends, ventured to a waterpark/resort for the day with family, had numerous outdoor adventures, had house projects underway, had a great run-in dinner, been to see the Lake house coming together and the list goes on and on.

You see I am not avoiding blogging. I have not given up on sharing our stories, I have merely been on summer break, but I will be getting back into it, right after I wade through my hundreds of pictures I've taken in the last few weeks!

Just some pics of my cuties...

2011-07-25T09:30:00.006-04:00

I have been horribly inconsistent about blogging which really isn't surprising since I've developed a bad habit of late. I have to blame the heat, and my laziness. It seems the weeks are just flying by and I haven't accomplished a list of goals I set for myself this summer. I'm going to get them done...I just need to stop goofing around. Busy...the weeks and weekends are busy. When your best friends are also teachers and you all have kids, it just seems like more fun to take them to the park, or swimming, or to music class, than to make them stay home while you clean the house. More fun, and lets be honest, busy kids are happy kids. The saying about how "Idle hands are the devil's tools." was obviously stated by a mother of young children!

Anyways, we have been to the zoo, a carnival, parties, and gatherings, and I have not posted about any of it. So I will just share some pics that are cute and capture some of our adventures:

I'd like to promise to write everyday...but I don't see these boys slowing down anytime soon. Oh well, your only young once...so I guess I just better get a better pair of running shoes!

Piercing Princesses

2011-07-17T19:25:00.009-04:00

As the mother of two boys I have not had to ask myself when or if I would get their ears pierced. For me, princes don't need earrings, especially if those princes live in my house. Nearly two years ago when I found out that my sister was having a little girl, and a few months later, that my BFF Jenn was also expecting a bundle of pink, I started thinking of all the girlie things I would do with them. You see the next best thing to having a daughter of your own is having your sisters have daughters, all of the frills, less of the drama :)

One of the things I really wanted to be a part of was getting the girls' ears pierced. My Aunt Micki did it for my sister, who is her goddaughter,(I also got my ears pierced that day because I hopped into the chair right after, and insisted that the lady do mine too) and I wanted to pass along the tradition to the girls. For some reason I thought 1st birthday. Why not, they won't remember the pain if they are little, and so many more years of cute accessories. I asked the Moms, who asked the Dads, and plans were made.

So today I set off with just my girls;

My niece Emma:

And my niece Averie:
Aren't they the sweetest? Seriously these girls are so great to be around, they just adore each other. At one point during our pre-piercing lunch Emma was feeding Averie...so sweet! (It was also really cute because they matched today, and that was totally accidental!)

We enjoyed a really delicious lunch, and I got a pic of two of my favorite Moms with their girls:

After a relaxing lunch with the girls, we headed over to pick out their earrings. The girls were very anxious to tell us which ones they likes best.
They posed for a pre-piercing pic with me. I wasn't sure they would want to talk to me after...

And then it was piercing time. Averie did really well while they marked her ears, although she was a bit nervous...biting her lip and all!
In five seconds the job was done, and Averie had some more sparkle...a few tears were shed Thanks to her binkie, some stashed snacks by Mom, and a lot of love and cuddles, Averie was fine in less than a minute: Can you see her cute new little studs?
Next up, Emma took the seat, and at first seemed in fine spirits:

But then the ladies tried to mark her ears for positioning, and she freaked. It was a short lived struggle, and after a quick moment of pain, and a few tears the whole ordeal was over:

I'm pretty sure my sister's face here, is like, "Great idea Amy, thank God that's over"

Within a minute, everyone seemed calmed and happy that the girls had a little more glitz in their lives.

My little princesses posed for a post- piercing photo

We even did a little show shopping, and then headed for home.

These girls both proved today, that they might be princesses, but that doesn't mean they can't be superheros too! I was so proud of you all, especially you Mommies! Thank you ladies for letting me spoil you with jewels...I plan on doing it a lot in your future. I am already plotting a kid spa outing when you are old enough. I just love my girls days out, and the two additions that I am lucky enough to call my nieces.

Bye Bye Curls...

2011-07-10T18:57:00.004-04:00

When Zach was 13 months old, I took him for his 1st haircut. Looking back, he didn't really need it, I was just so excited to celebrate that 1st with him. This time around I was dreading it. You see Mattie had(note the past tense) the sweetest little curls at the base of his neck. So I procrastinated on cutting them, because well...he's my baby. But this week after I saw my niece Averie wearing a ponytail I realized I could put one in Matt's hair too, and well...I knew it was time.

So off we went to Supercuts...who needs fancy when they are styling a 19 month old? Zach was overdue for a cut too, so he went first to show his little bro how it was done. Matt was pretty content to run around the salon and test out the chairs.

Then it was Matt's turn. After a pep talk from Dad:Matt was ready to sit in the chair(note the appreciation on his face)He was happy to pose with Zach and Daddy before the cut(I love how they are both smiling at the PYT(Prince reference) instead of their Mom...oh well at least my hubby gave me his smile!)Matt told his stylist what he wantedAnd the haircut got underway.

Matt did really well for the most part, largely due to Smartie's I bribed him with throughout the haircut.

In the end the only thing that really changed, is Matt no longer has those curls, or a mullet, depending how you look at it. (For some reason Matt looks like he's balding in the pic below, I think I have a smudge on my lens, his hair is thin, but not that thin in the back)

We decided to treat both of the boys, and ourselves, to some Cold Stone to celebrate the moment!

In the end, my boys look super cute, curls or no curls!

Oh, and speaking of big transitions, Matt is without his pacifier. Its gone for good, and I so pleased the transition has gone relatively smoothly. He really is becoming a big boy...now all we need to do is get him potty-trained!

Anyone been wondering where I've been?

2011-07-09T12:37:00.005-04:00

I know, I know, at this point most of you have given up on me altogether. That's what happens when you have 6 followers and don't blog for weeks. I choose to be an optimist and believe that a few of you will stop in to see what's up, and maybe leave me a comment so I know you were here.

Busy summer...that's how I'd explain the past few weeks. Schools finished and it me and the boys all day everyday. I am loving being home with them, and enjoying wearing the hat I cherish most, Mom. It is so nice getting to run outside, and enjoy all of the beautiful, but HOT weather we are having.

The fourth was great, we went to Ry and Liv's house, and the boys had a ball bouncing, swimming, and enjoying their first live fireworks. (I have never kept the kids up for fireworks, they just never make it to 10 or 10:30) I am hoping next year Zach will finally be able to hang till the show starts.

Zach and I went to Jack's preschool graduation, and Z was a big boy who sat in his own chair and was captivated by Jack singing on stage. We were all a bit surprised to hear that Jack want to be a football player when he grows up. I asked Z and he said he "wanted to be the Hulk!"

We also celebrated Emma's first birthday, and that party was great. My sis and I made her cake, as per tradition, and it turned out really cute.

I have so many more pics, but I will save them and some stories for another day soon.

Wayne has been really busy with work, but we try to savor as much family time as we can get.

That said, here are some pics from our last weeks:

Five of the luckiest kids I know...

2011-06-19T21:03:00.003-04:00

Here are three of them:

You see they grew up with the hardest working father. A man who dedicated himself 100% to every role he ever had; son, brother, friend,husband, father, and eventually Papa. My Dad sometimes thinks he yelled too much looking back, but what I remember most about him is that he always carried me when I was tired, played with us, kept us entertained with stories, made great shampoo hair-dos, did the best Halloween makeup, made great pizzas on Friday nights, was a comedian whose impression of Donald Duck was and is dead on, played a lot of road trip games with us, taught us everything, including how to swim, even though he doesn't know how, built us a family room, two houses after that, and is still building the lake castle(more on that in a later post). Not only was he a builder, but he was a great snuggler. I still remember curling up on the couch and resting my head on his belly instead of a pillow, or him carrying me through Disney or amusement parks when I was sooo tired. I remember all the little things that he did day by day, because I was lucky enough to have him there. Dad, I can't tell you what you mean to me, except to say if I had a Superman...you'd be mine. Thanks for always spinning the earth for us...we do appreciate it! Happy Father's Day Dad!

Two other little people fall among the list of those truly blessed with a Superhero Dad. Do these two look familiar?

I didn't know there could be a man as hard working and motivated as my own father, and yet it seems God lead me to one. These boys have a father who plays with them, chases them everywhere, stays home with them when they are ill, tucks them in everynight, gets them ready for school everyday and drops them off, spends his time being Hulk, or Batman, or whichever hero Z tells him he is. He is a Matt's go to guy in a crisis, and Z's best friend. He is my love, and one of only a few men I trust in the world. My husband grounds this entire family. He is the energy when everyone else is tapped out, he is the arm that holds you when you fall, he is the voice that sings(somewhat off key) to soothe, he is the listener to loads of babbles, and I don't just mean the boys. This man is a prankster who has a laugh that is contagious, and a giving heart and spirit. He is loved, so much by his sons, and his wife, and his puppy who sometimes drives him mad. Wayne, we love you. The boys couldn't ask for a more dedicated role model, and I couldn't ask for a better partner. Happy Father's Day!

Happy 1st birthday Emma...

2011-06-18T07:47:00.004-04:00

See this little peanut?

Well... today she is one!

I seriously can't believe my neice is one today! I feel like she was just born, and yet she is crawling, and talking, and waving and gearing up to walk. She is such a little ray of light, and she has the sweetest smile. She is sassy, a little, like her Aunt, and she is easy going and fun loving like her Mom. She is energetic like her brother and cousins and fits right in among the boys
You have to love a girl who isn't intimidated by three boys! Emma, we are all so blessed to have you in our lives. I can't wait to watch you grow throughout this next year! HAppy 1st birthday our sweet girl!

Surgery,one week later...

2011-06-10T21:31:00.003-04:00

I guess I was hoping sickness was past us. After watching Matt get tubes last week I truly believed that we were done with antibiotics and ear infections...at least till next flu season. No luck. On Thursday when I picked Matt up from daycare, the ladies told me that some fluid had been leaking out of his ears...seriously people...don't you think you should call? I got the boys and headed straight to the drs. They know me when I walk in...it doesn't matter which receptionist I see anymore...thank God for a zero copay!

Matt had an ear infection. The dr could see the disappointment on my face. She assured me the tubes were doing what they were supposed to be doing, but I felt defeated. Like I had put holes in my baby's ears for nothing. The last 24 hrs have been tough. Even though he has been on antibiotics for a day, Matt is still running a fever, although it is only 100-102. I still can't help but feel bad for him. He was miserable today, just wanting to be held, and just out of control. At one point he bite his brother in the face. I mean seriously, he is not a happy camper. By 6 p.m. he was in bed and in an hour I will be going up to give him more baby Tylenol and water. Sickness sucks...even when it is minor in comparison to some people's struggles.

I have been racking my brain for why this happened and the best I can come up with is that water must have gotten in his ear. On Monday they took the kids in to the water park and Matt was splashing water, I bet some got in to his ear and caused the infection. I will be getting him some sets of the molded ear plugs so that he can play in sprinklers, go swimming, and splash in his water table this summer. Considering the alternative, this is a lifestyle change we will have to make. On a bright note, even though he is sick, the fluid isn't trapped inside of his head...I'm sure its slightly more comfortable, even though he seems to be effected more this time.

Two weeks...two weeks and I will be a SAHSM...I am looking forward to spoiling my babies, and spending as much time as I can with them healthy and happy!

Before the battery dies...

2011-06-03T21:47:00.001-04:00

Happy birthday to my beautiful Mom! So glad I'm your daughter. I love you more than you'll ever know!

Update: Matt is doing perfectly and is better than ever. He is such a little man these days.

Twas the night before minor surgery...

2011-06-01T19:44:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow is a big day for us. It is the day that my baby gets tubes in his ears. I know I know, its not a major surgery and a million kids unfortunately have been through way worse, but did I mention this is MY baby? I mean it kind of made me sad that he will get anesthesia before he gets a hair cut. And while this little man's ears are not perfect internally, I'd say that he's pretty darn perfect I just love his little face, his imperfect ears, and of course his devilish smile:
Mattie-I hope you're up and running around again well before this time tomorrow. And from here on out I hope to see many more smiles, and a lot less clingy cries of pain. Please just say a prayer for my baby boy tonight if you can.

What makes a great Memorial Day weekend?

2011-05-31T19:24:00.004-04:00

This face:

And this face:

As they play together:

Not to mention great food, gathering with friends and family, and of course those servicemen and women who are there to protect us all. You know people like this guy, who really is just a kid at heart:
We hope you enjoy the holiday as much as we did!

Farewell to Oprah...

2011-05-25T19:21:00.002-04:00

I know it is a little pathetic that this post is a week and a half since my last one, and that my topic of choice is Oprah. Many of you may love the show and feel the same sense of loss that I am feeling, and others of you might be like, oh well...at least Ellen's still on. Wherever you lie in the Oprah spectrum of love or hate, you have to admit 25 year of doing anything that sucessfully is impressive. I always wanted to go to Chicago and see a show. I kept thinking one day, but I guess I didn't plan on the fact that the show would end before the one day came. I know that there is always the OWN network, but to be honest, I don't have time for a network. I just like the comfort of having an old friend in my family room everyday at 4. Ok...I have had to DVR the last 3 years, but you get my drift. There is something sad about the end of anything, even if they hype it up as a new beginning. Just some thoughts. I will miss the show, what about you?

On a completely separate note, what is with stupidity these days. On my way home from work I saw a restaurant's sign that read, "Busy tonight? Lettuce deliver to you!" I mean seriously, Lettuce? I might think they were trying to make a pun if the restaurant had been a salad bar, but it wasn't. It's a sad state of affairs in the literary world these days. Trust me, I know, I am surrounded with papers that could use some revision!

Speaking of papers...that's where I have been. Its the end of the year crunch time, and I still have 75 papers to grade, so time is a bit consumed at the moment. The boys are doing well, enjoying the few days of sun we've had...althought its hard to complain when so many families are suffering due to tornados and storms. We are gearing up for Matt's surgery next week, and a fun filled summer, hopefully free of ear infections and pain. I hope all of you are doing well.

Update- An accident, a recovery, and of course an ear infection!

2011-05-15T22:26:00.003-04:00

This past week was full of some major pitfalls. Lennie's accident at the groomer was a terrible start to a few upsetting events around these parts. On Thursday, Wayne was in a car accident. A woman just decided to turn left into a gas station and cut across four lanes of traffic. Unfortunately, Wayne was in the far right lane, and instead of turning into the gas station, she turned into my husband instead. Fortunately, everyone walked away from the accident, even though my darling husband has been in pretty bad pain ever since. A dr's visit, some steroids and muscle relaxers later, he is still a little out of sorts. Its terrible seeing him in pain, because my usually energetic husband is moving like a snail these days. I hope you keep feeling better and better honey!

Lennie has been recovering at home since Thursday afternoon. He looks a little ridiculous because 1/2 of his body is shaved, and the other half looks long. Most importantly, his tongue is healing, and aside from a soft food diet, and me keeping him from rigorous activity and chew bones, he is doing well. The groomer actually said she would take care of the vet bills which is good, but in my opinion also fair. I do have to say, neither Lennie or I will ever being going back there again though!

And finally, on Saturday, I took Matt to the Dr's just to be looked at. My Mom had said he was whiny and pulling at his ear on Wednesday. On Thursday, he was supposedly fine according to daycare , but a bit clingy Thursday night. By Friday I knew he was headed south, so an appt was made. Sure enough Matt has his 6th ear infection in just over 3 months. I was hoping to get my answer that I was doing the right thing getting him tubes, and now I have an answer...it just wasn't the one I wanted. Matt is now on an antibiotic till his surgery June 2nd. I am super anxious, but he is fortunately unaware!

So that is what is new in our lives. Hopefully my posts this week will be a little, ok a lot more, cheerful.

One for the record books...

2011-05-11T19:27:00.000-04:00

Today has not been a good day. It has been a scary and hectic one. If I hadn't just gone through it I probably wouldn't believe it myself.(If the sight of blood makes you queasy this is not the post for you)

See this:

and this:

That is nothing compared to what we saw today. You see this little guy:

That blood, is from his tongue! Yes I said tongue!

Today we took Lennie's to a different groomers since his current groomer was booked until June. He was really getting straggly and it was really get hot, so we made the appointment. Apparently, at one point they tried to shave his face...this is strange in and of itself, but when he freaked out, they decided to switch to scissors. Then the unthinkable happened, somehow Lennie's tongue got sliced by the scissors. So his tongue started to bleed...a lot. I am so ticked at this place because they didn't even call us to tell us. Wayne went to get Lennie and was told Lennie couldn't go home right then. They were trying to get the bleeding to stop. Wayne saw Lennie and the bleeding started right up again. For whatever reason, he followed the groomer's advice and said he would be back to get him in a few hours. When I found out I freaked. I mean seriously blood, scissors, tongue...my poor baby. My thought was I have to get him to the vet. So out of school I stormed, destination Lennie. I arrived at the groomer's only to find that no one was there. I was livid. Here was my dog injured and they'd just left him alone. I made an angry phone call, telling someone to come and let me get my dog, and the lady told me she was in a bind because she had just gotten out of the shower. Could I come back at 3! NO WAY...you live 25 feet from the place. Get dressed and get me my dog. I didn't say that, but I did say, get someone here to get me my dog, he has a vet apt, and I left work to get him. She did send some one, but it took her 20 minutes to get there. By the time I got to Lennie I was so worked up. He looked ok. He had blood on his face, and on his paws, and I could see the blood in the cage he had been in. I just wanted to get him out of there.

Unfortunately, they wanted their money and all I had was a debit card. They wouldn't give me my dog until I paid them for butchering his tongue. I rushed home(5 minutes away) got a check and returned for my pet. The lady there assured me that she had raised a bunch of dogs, that he was fine, that the bleeding had stopped, and that all was ok. I wanted to believe her, but more than anything I just wanted to get out of there. Lennie was so happy to get to the car, and seemed in such good spirits, I called the vet and said I was going to take a wait and see approach...BIG MISTAKE!

We were home for 40 minutes when I noticed the drops of blood across my kitchen floor, on my rugs, and all over Lennie's face. I started to panic, so the vet was called, a trip with all four of us was made. One of us needed to hold Lennie's bleeding mouth while the other drove. We arrived and that is when things went from bad to worse.

Lennie must have gotten excited or nervous to be there and that blood just started flowing. By the end of waiting in the waiting room for 5 minutes, there was basically a puddle of blood drops surrounding me. By the time we saw the Dr. Lennie's exam room look like something out of CSI. It was scary. I hate that I couldn't help him. I hated that he'd been hurt, and I hated that he was freaked out.

As soon as the Dr. walked through the door he looked at me, the blood covered floor and at Lennie's bloody face, and said,"Well this isn't right is it?" I was so relieved that Lennie was finally in the right hands that I started to relax. That was until the Dr said, "Well this is really difficult to get to close up, mostly because of a dog's activity. He needed to sedate Lennie, and then assess if he would have to stitch up his tongue. "Lennie" he explained "Will be staying the night with me." Break my heart, my dog has never been away overnight unless it was to a relatives house. I was devastated, but I knew he needed help.

I am happy to report that Lennie is doing better. Last I heard he'd come out of sedation and was up and active. The Dr. said that so far the cut has coagulated, but that it will need to be watch till at least tomorrow afternoon. Supposedly this 4 mm cut, which wasn't quite long enough to stitch bleed so much because it nicked a vein in his tongue. He will be alright, unfortunately, he may just lose a little piece of his tongue. My poor sweet natured Lennie. Please say a prayer for him tonight, that he is home tomorrow, safe and sound.

A Mother's Day Shout Out!

2011-05-08T14:28:00.002-04:00

Life is in fast forward these days, but I wanted to hop on and say Happy Mother's Day to all the fabulous ladies in my life! I have been fortunate enough to have two presents made for me this year, and a third given by my husband so I can finally display some photos of my adorable family on the wall. I can't wait to share all the news of today, but I just wanted to take a moment and say;

Mom you inspire me. Truly you do. You always have and always will. When I think of what it means to be a great mother I think of love. I have always known you loved me, more than yourself at times, and I have always known you were looking out for me. I can't tell you what it means to have someone love you the way you loved me, except to say, think of the way you loved Grandma and than add a little more :)

Lisa- Thanks for being my sister, but also the first one to enter into motherhood. You have been such a rock of support while I faced some really difficult choices about what to do. I know I always judge you and then say I'm sorry, but when it comes to you as a Mom, you are just as magical to them as you've always been to me.

Alice- I know we can't choose our mothers, but we do choose our mother in laws, and you have always been such a warm and loving friend to me. I hope you know how special you are to me and how happy I am to have you in my life.

My sister in laws. All of you are such remarkable woman. I think each of you show such great marks of motherhood. Lisa you are a tiger mom- always an advocate for your son, and always willing to put your all into everything. It has been a pleasure to watch you nurture. Olivia- you are so open-hearted and enduring. You put your faith into the world, and it brought you Grant. I am so happy this year you get to officially celebrate your role as Mom! Cheryl- you are a powerhouse of compassion. You will go above and beyond for the people(and animals) you love, and that is what will make you such a wonderful Mom. Leah and Bella are lucky little pups to have you to take care of them.

To Great Grandma Helen- Happy Mother's Day. We are so happy that you are feeling better and feel fortunate to have you in our lives.

To My Aunts and Cousins- WOW! You ladies have been such great guides throughout my life, and more so since I've become a mother. You always take the time to make me and my children feel so loved!

Penny- Happy 1st Mother's Day! It has been so great watching you with your daughter and seeing your dream realized!

To my Babycenter girls- You have all been such a comfort every time I've had questions or concerns, and you have all become such wonderful friends. I have cherished sharing in your stories and lives, and have loved watching and talking about how our families have grown. Thank you for being such wonderful people, who are all wonderful Moms.

I know I didn't touch on all of you, but to my readers who are Mom, or future Moms, enjoy this day.

One Final thank you to the two little boys whose birth gave me the title. I swear I will give my all everyday to make sure its a title I truly deserve. I love you Z and Mattie!

Happy Mother's Day!

Ears and Tubes...

2011-05-02T20:45:00.002-04:00

First I want to say that tomorrow my amazing nephew Jason is having his 6th surgery. This little boy has been through a lot with his ears, and so has his Mom and Dad. Jay is going to have a surgery to rebuild his eardrum which has a hole in it, and it will be a loooong four hour wait for his folks. I know he is a trooper, and I know he will be fine, but please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

On a less drastic note, but a bit overwhelming to me, it looks like Mattie will probably end up getting tubes this June. I am not shocked that the talented ENT recommended it-This Dr. also happens to be the one performing surgery on my nephew tomorrow-thanks again Lisa for pulling some strings :) I guess I just sort of hoped that it would all go away, but unfortunately Matt has had 5 ear infections in three months. I am extremely concerned that not taking steps to resolve the problem now could do more damage in the long run. Yet surgery is surgery, and it is so scary when its your 18 month old your talking about. For goodness sakes I'm 32 and I've never ever had surgery. Unless lasic at 25 counts!

I am sure Matt will be fine, and hopefully he exhibits some of that patience and courage that his big cousin has. I hope I can handle Matt's surgery with as much composure and acceptance as Lisa has all of Jays'.

Say a prayer for the boys in my family, and their precious ears!

A tale of two cakes...

2011-05-01T19:23:00.009-04:00

Today is Wayne's birthday. It was perfect because Wayne's day is Sunday(actually I say that because he loves football so much) and he turned 34 which has been his hockey number forever...or so it seems! It was actually a really rainy day here, but we did manage a few moments outside, some of which were quite literally moments.

I didn't get a present, because Wayne is tricky to buy for even though he'll say he isn't. I instead told him to pick something out and get it. So far he hasn't made up his mind, but I will guess it will either be golf related, hockey related, jersey related, or some new manly yard tool that will help clutter up the garage! Whatever it is honey, I hope you love it, I put a lot of thought into that gift ;)

There are so many reasons that its important to celebrate birthdays. One of them came over today bearing a very delicious white chocolate raspberry cake. Wayne's Mom came to celebrate with her baby, and all I was thinking was, in some way, maybe we should be giving her the cake...Remember I've been through labor and delivery twice! It was a lovely visit, and a delicious cake, but most importantly it reminded me of how far my husband has come from that little baby Alice held in her arms, to the man we are all blessed to still hold to today.

I mean look at my Three Amigos...and Lennie:

These boys adore their father, and so do I:

He laughs with us(and makes us laugh):

He snuggles with us(and lets us know we are loved):He provides for us, everything that he can (In this instance by serving up some cake!):He's there for important things, like words of advise, listening to stories, or teaching a three year old how to use chopsticks:

Today he listened to us sing to him:But the rest of the year...he does everything he can to make all of our wishes come true:So Honey:Happy 34th Birthday! I hope you enjoyed your two birthday cakes(I did hehe!), and I can't wait to celebrate each and every one of the next 34 with you! I love you!

A look back on Easter...

2011-04-25T19:16:00.010-04:00

The trouble with waiting days(almost a week) to post is two fold- One, I have way more images and stories than I can share in a single post, and two I am losing followers left and right I am sure! So I will get right to Easter morning. The Easter bunny did not disappoint, he definitely spoiled the boys again this year, and this doesn't include the Easter baskets from the Grandmas and Papa, not to mention the gifts from the aunts and uncles. These boys are definitely blessed, not for the gifts, but for all the people who think of them, and go out of their way to make their days so special.

The boys were up bright and early on Easter at 6:50 a.m. I would have loved to have slept in, but as we all now when kids want to see what the bunny has brought them their is no stopping them. Zach's basket was "hidden" among some of his other toys, but the bunny was kind enough to drop off Matt's basket by his chair. Fortunately I was able to sneak in a shot of the baskets on delivery, because Matt tore into his before I even had the camera out!

Zach's basket:

Matt's basket:

Matt's big boy basket didn't quite make it here this year, mostly because some Easter Bunny forgot to order it early!

The morning was spent, looking for eggs, tearing apart baskets, and running around playing. That last part it what makes taking pictures of the boys nearly impossible, but here are a few of my attempts:
Zach enjoyed a healthy breakfast of white chocolate and jelly beans:

While Matt ate chocolate donuts and continued to play with his eggs:

Zach was equally excited about his giant chocolate bunny, and his Angry Bird plush(that deserves a separate post). He even posed for a pic with his Dad:

After a laid back morning in our jammies we headed over to see Grandma Alice, who even though she claimed she cut back on the candy, ended up giving the boys a boatload of it :)

Zach only had one thing to say:

And even though this picture is super blurry. It is the ONLY one I have with me and either of my children.
A quick nap, slight detox from candy, and we were off to Aunt Lisa's house, or as Z calls it Jack's house. I would love to show you pictures of the boys playing, but sugar makes little boys super fast...like Flash Gordon fast!

Thankfully, Emma was too sow this year so I was able to get a picture of her on her 1st Easter with her Gigi:

I did get this one photo of everyone sitting down to dinner, and a picture of Matt with one of his all time favorite people, Grandma.

He also managed to pose for a pic with his go to guy...his Dad:

My Mom was kind enough to take a picture of me with the only boy in my family who would pose with me and smile. Thanks honey!

Hope you all enjoyed your Easter as much as we did!

Spring break...more like spring sucks!

2011-04-19T20:48:00.009-04:00

OK. I know I don't live in the South, or in the tropics, but just once it would be nice if the weather wasn't so sucky! I mean seriously people, do you remember that swing set I showed you a week ago? Well that was about the last time we were on it. Because between the rain and snow we've been getting, being outside just isn't really an option. Oh yes...you read that right, SNOW! See: Your totally thinking Spring right now aren't you?

The best part of this week is the fact that I am home with the boys. Aside from that good news, I started the week with a trip to the dr. On Monday both Matt and I went to the dr. Turns out I don't have an ear infection, but Matt has two! This wouldn't be such bad news if it wasn't his fouth double ear infection since February, and with the frequency of the infections, it looks like a trip to the ENT is in order. I don't want to get too upset, and I know if he needs tubes than thats what we will do, but I am just looking at the appt as a getting informed meeting, not a lets schedule surgery meeting. Surgery on your small child, even minor, is a scary thought!

Since we pretty much limited our outings in the last day we stayed home today, and enjoyed a visit with Grandma, who is also feeling a bit under the weather. I think we all have the same cold!

For our evening activity we decorated Easter eggs. Zach had a blast doing it. I found some really cool kit where he could roll on the dye. I also went with some PAAS dipping cups for variety. While Zach was prepping for the decorating, Matt was melting down:

Apparently, Matt was really curious to see what Zach was working on, and he wanted in. Dad brought Mattie over for awhile while Z started his egg masterpieces:

Matt and Mommie dropped some eggs into the cups for decorating, while Wayne and Zach worked on finer pieces:

Zach was sure to show off each of his finished pieces. He had a blast painting the eggs. His hands were a mess, but it was a ton of fun watching him.

Matt was equally excited to get his hand on his finished product. He was fascinated by the egg and keep holding it saying "ball".

He must have figured out it wasn't a ball though, because he tried tasting it.

He was so proud of his involvement this year. Both of the boys had fun...well until Matt really melted down and needed to head to bed(note the pjs!)

When all was said and done, we decorated some really "pretty" eggs. Don't you think?

I do look forward to the egg salad they will make in the coming days though! Hopefully I'll get a chance to Hop on again before Easter!

Our newest addition...

2011-04-13T20:11:00.003-04:00

Patience is not really a virtue around this house. We think of something, and usually within weeks my husband finds a way to make it happen. We have been talking about getting a play set since last fall. Since we had just moved into our house and Zach was two, and Matt 6 months, it didn't seem all that necessary. We thought we would wait till a good deal came along, and six months later...it did!

We were able to get a Rainbow play set on a major deal...which is the only way I think someone can justify buying one, and we are just thrilled with it. I was able to convince Wayne that neither he nor everyone we know had time to set aside for a battle to put together a play set, so he conceded and the set up crew delivered and installed our play set today!

The irony is, that it rained all day, so the best we could do was let the boys' stare at their new play set from the kitchen window. They were both really excited, I think Matt even uttered an "Ooh" of delight! It really is sort of pretty...and it makes our yard feel like a kids' yard. I am so excited to have something outdoors that the boys can play with that isn't near the street! I can't wait to get our deck this year(fingers crossed) and be able to feel like my yard is usable space, not just a field of grass. Now if only we could win the lottery and fence in our yard, it would be ideal! Oh well, as my parents always tell me, if you get things too fast you don't appreciate them. So for the moment I am savoring the play set, the possibilities, and the fact that, for this season anyhow, it won't need to be stained to look good!

Here is where I hope I will be spending quite a bit of my summer days on and around:

Looks fun doesn't it? I hope the boys have as much fun on their play set as I had on my. True, my dad built mine for us with a house on the top, and a balcony, but as the mother of two boys...I never underestimate the ability to see exactly what they are doing at ALL times. I am pretty sure Mattie is going to try to climb up the slide all day, and Z will be a rock climbing pro by week's end. I myself...well I am and always will be a swing girl. Now if only these April showers would pass, maybe we could get outside and enjoy it!

Religion and a chat with a three year old.

2011-04-07T21:22:00.008-04:00

Tonight while I was putting Zach to bed, I ended up talking to him about God. For a long time now, I've been wondering, when might he be ready to try to understand the incomprehensible. He gets a little afraid of the dark, so I wanted him to know that one way to deal with our fears is to talk to God. You know, say a prayer. When I said that he asked me all sorts of questions. Our conversation went a little something like this:

Me: We should say a prayer to God tonight before you go to bed.

Z: Who is God?

Me: Well...its hard to explain. God is a good guy. He is stronger than The Hulk, Smarter than anyone, and He is kind. He is always looking out for you.

Z: Where is He?

Me: Well you can't see Him.

Z: Why not? (looking around his room) Where does He live?

Me: He lives in our hearts and minds

Z: When is He going to come out? We can't see Him if He's in our mind.

Me: No we can't see Him, but we can imagine Him. Close your eyes. Think of all the people you love, think of the most beautiful things you've ever seen, and think of light and happiness. That is where God lives, and one day we will go live with Him in Heaven.

Z: But He doesn't live with us?

Me: Well He sort of does?

Z: I don't see Him. (eyes shifting around the room) Mom He doesn't live with us. (Insisting) He doesn't live with us.

Me: Ok Zach. Do you want to go to where God lives?

Z: Where?

Me: To church, you won't see Him, but that is where people go to listen to stories about Him and visit Him

Z: Ok, Mom (at this point he was sort of confused and a bit overtired)

So I left it at that. I caught myself saying, "God won't let anything bad happen to you" and then caught my breath. You see, I know that isn't true. Bad things happen all the time to great people and while I know there is a greater plan at work, I don't want to deceive Z. I want him to know that Faith and spirituality are important. That being good to others and to himself is essential to happiness. I want him to feel God's grace in his life, and I do want God to protect him, shield him, and nurture him with me, and in the times I can't. Religion is touchy for me. I believe in God. I believe in growth and spirituality, and I believe in the rightiousness of the world. Which faith I am is up in the air. I know I want to raise my sons to believe, to ground them with the power of faith, but I am not sure how to go about it. So I am asking when it comes to religion and children, how do you get them to see God as more than the ultimate Superhero? When do you start bringing them to church? What can I say so that Zach doesn't see God as a scary watcher, but a friend who has his back. More importantly to Zach, how do I explain why we can't see God? I'm 32 and there are still days I wish He'd pop in for a visit, and then I look in my sons' eyes, and He's right there.

Mr. Quiet?

2011-04-03T14:56:00.006-04:00

It's strange what consumes our minds. Lately it has really started to bother me that Mattie isn't speaking more. He'll say words, but he isn't a chatterbox, and would rather point or grunt at you than speak. I have heard him say Mama, dada, ball, Bubble, Cookie, Lennie, Doggie, Hi, Bye, and Night Night, among a few other words, and while that list might seem promising if you spent a day with him you might get all or none depending on his mood. I know we are not supposed to compare children to each other, but by his age Zach was talking a lot more, and with much more frequency.

Somedays I am concerned that Matt is always going to be:Quiet would be one thing...since we already have a in the house(Good luck guessing if that's Zach, Wayne or Lennie).

And of couse a:

But, you see it wouldn't bother me so much if at the root of it all I didn't just think Matt was being :Or even worse, he knows a lot and has decided just to be:Then again, it seems to run in the family. All of the men/boys here have a little bit of :in them! Heaven help me :)

I guess whatever the reason that Matt has chosen(and I do belive its his choice) not to talk a lot just yet, He'll always be

to me!

Why do people like to be scared?

2011-03-30T18:58:00.005-04:00

I am not a person who likes scary movies at all. I mean seriously, I hide behind pillows, plug my ears and cover my eyes on those few occassions when I am exposed to the horror/suspense genre. I endured The Sixth Sense(which I came to love), suffered through The Exorcist in high school because my girlfriends just thought it was so funny, watched I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream and was genuinely afraid...I am a wimp. Scary is scary to me, not really thrilling. I purposely avoid movies I know will scare the bejeebers out of me, and for good reason...I am sane(most of the time!)

Yet lately I have watched my three year old flirt with the idea of enjoying things that scare him. He is OBSESSED with Scooby Doo as of late. You remember the show right?

The cast looks harmless enough, but they are always trying to solve a mystery. Lately, Z can be found walking through the house looking for "cwhoos" after he say, "My (insert missing object)is missing, its a mystery right Momma?" Which he quickly follows up with, "Let's go find it!"

The funny thing about this show is that he loves it even though it scares the hell out of him. When a scary monster shows up, he is off that couch in a flash, running for cover behind the couch and peeking over the cushions. (Sounds familiar). You know a scene like this(probably not that intimidating for a grown adult, but through the eys of a child...I remember those monsters were scary)

And even though I tell him I am going to turn it off because it is scaring him, he insists, "I'm not scared Momma, I'll sit and watch it." and he'll head right back to his spot and sit there glued to the screen. I have tried to change his mind, suggest another show, engage him in a game, but he loves him some scary Scooby Doo!

Recently we bought him a Scooby Doo game for his Fisher Price IXL and he is obssessed with the book portion. He will have that book read to him three or four times before he'll move on to Toy Story or Batman even. Not to brag, but his reading comrehension(listening comprehension really) is amazing. He gets all of the questions right at the end, even though they mix them up. I mean when a kid is this engrossed in a book, even one on a screen, who am I to interrupt?

Needless to say apparently even at a young age people seem to like to be scared. I guess that's a mystery, that might never be solved?

Hiding out...

2011-03-28T21:08:00.003-04:00

I think it might be the fact that it is almost April, and there is still snow on the ground, but the boys have been hiding out a lot lately. Every evening it seems that the two of them are off, packing "food" and toys and heading to the "Cave". I must say, sometimes all I can do is laugh when I see four feet poking out under a mound of blue and yellow. It reminds me a bit of that weird scene in The Wizard of Oz where the house lands on the witch and all that is left is her feet. Actually, can you even tell in this photo that there are two boys inside?

If you head into the cave, you will find these two playing, in their own special way.

Usually it involves Mattie picking something up, Zach saying, "Hey, that's mine!" and taking if from his brother. A comment that always involves some Mom intervention, and a discussion on sharing and finding other toys to play with. Since he's gotten so used to wanting what his brother has, Zach has discovered that if he really wants something Matt has, he can usually trade him. He'll take the watermelon from his hand, and quickly leave an orange in it's place, with a quick, "Here you go Mattie!" and neither of them seem phased by the exchange.

To say that watching these two play together brings me joy is an understatement. It truly makes me down right giddy! I love that they have each other, and I also think that out of everyone in their lives, no one will ever take the place of their siblings.

Its their days of hiding out that remind me of the blanket forts my brother and sister and I used to build. I remember feeling like a team when we played together then, and in their own way, I think Matt and Z feel that way too. Maybe that's why I get kicked out for being too big! Whatever it is...I just love that they make the most of each day, and that they find time to relax and appreciate each other. It is so much easier when they are playing together instead of fighting over which one should play with what, and pushing and swatting at the others' head. Can you guess which one does what?

Siblings...you have to love them, even when they drive you crazy, because in the end, we are all truly blessed to have them!

A Leprechaun Story...A Little late

2011-03-20T20:08:00.009-04:00

Now that the the grading fog has lifted, I wanted to share a funny story from this past week.

On Thursday I went to pick the kids up at school and all Z could talk about was how the "lep- pre- chins" had made a big mess. He was pretty animated about the whole thing and I had no clue what he was talking about, but I thought his pronunciation of leprechaun was pretty funny. The whole ride home, he kept telling me how his room was all messed up yesterday and he had to clean it up, "Right Mommy?" It was all a little baffling, but I played along.

When we got home the kids got to doing what they do best, run through the house and and rip out as many toys in a matter of five minutes that they can get their hands on. It is actually amusing to see who takes more toys out these days, Matt or Zach. I did what I do best in those first few minutes home. I unpacked from the day, look at the boys' artwork, and read the notes of the day sent home from school.

According to Matt's teacher, Matt had had a wonderful day, and had seen his brother on the playground. He wanted to go over to him, but I guess he was too scared to go by the big kids. Aside from that, he had enjoyed circle time and playing with bubbles.

Zach's teacher had written: We had a great day today, making Shamrock collages in the am. Then we went out to play and the Leprechauns messed up our room. We had to spend time cleaning up all the Shamrocks they left behind. It was great fun!

Oh...light bulb!

There really had been Leprechauns that had made a mess of Zach's room...his school room, and he had helped clean up, not yesterday, but today. Apparently this is a popular "game" in schools for St. Patrick's day, but I was clueless. The best part of the story is that at some point in the day, they had colored in Leprechaun outfits made out of paper bags. I of course had to see Z dressed up as a Leprechaun:

Not to be outdone, I discovered that Matt also had some Leprechaun wear from school:

Actually I think Matt's hat looks more like a green pilgrim hat than a Leprechaun hat, but hey I'm no artist either!

While I was taking this picture of Matt however my other little leprechaun disappeared. I found him tearing everything out of the toy box in the play room. When I asked him what he was doing, he looked at me and innocently said, "I'm a leprechaun, I'm messing up the room, that's what Leprechauns do!" All I could do was laugh. I don't know about you, but I knew leprechauns were mischievous little creatures, I just didn't realize they could be so darn funny!

Just in case...

2011-03-14T21:00:00.004-04:00

Anyone is wondering where I am. No I have not been abducted. No there is no major illness that has come to my family. No I have not given up blogging. No major life changes, all is basically status quo.

All, that is, except for the fact that I am in a grading haze. An enjoyable, but time consuming one. Apparently there is a reason why most teachers do not assign 10 poems and a reflection to over a hundred and twenty kids. That reason is because they are smart enough to realize that in order to grade them they have to read and respond to over a thousand poems. Maybe it doesn't sound intimidating, but it is. I have to be very gentle about my critique and very high on praise or these students may never long to write poetry again, and what a shame that would be.

I am working my way through a very high stake of papers, all while trying to work during the day, spend time playing and nurturing my sons at night, and then in my "me" time I am in the midst of poems.

It won't last forever, I know that! But,hopefully you'll come back when I am done, and I'm ready to be creative with more than just my comments to my students!

Wonder and Happiness...

2011-03-06T09:50:00.004-05:00

And

Are what balloons bring!

(Which might be why I haven't been able to bring myself to POP them all week)

Because this smile:

And this smile:

Bring me JOY!

Birthday Part Part II...Celebrate!

2011-03-02T19:13:00.008-05:00

Zach was really excited for his third birthday, not only because he got cake and cupcakes, but because all of his favorite people were in one place to celebrate. It is awesome having 5 boys in the families ranging from 7-1 and they all really enjoy each other. Getting them together is always entertaining. They love to run and play with each other, which makes picture taking a bit tricky. Here are some photos from the day:

Zach and Grandma Alice looking at the awesome Hulk cake:
And while Zach and Grandma Alice shared a moment, Matt got to do what he loves best...monopolize Grandma's attention: (She doesn't look at all like she minds...and trust me, he was attached to her hip almost all night!)

At dinner I was finally able to get a picture of four out of five of the boys:

And I could never forget to post a picture of my adorable little nieces, who just happen to be the sweetest little girls ever: After dinner Aunt Lisa helped organize the party activity. Cape decorating. I was so thrilled to get all of the kids their own capes to decorate from a great shop on Etsy. The kids(and parents) had a blast, and even Emma and Averie were able to get in on the fun.

The boys were so intense as Lisa explained what they were going to do:

As you can see, an adult per child was needed though to help with creating the capes.

The older boys made their own, but I helped Z and Matt with theirs. Ok...I made Matt's and then just put it on him for a picture...in my Mom's arms of course:

I was able to get a picture of Grant, Jack and Zach showing off their capes...actually they were temporarily entranced by Peter Pan (Thanks for that addition to our Disney vault Grams):

Then I snapped a shot off all the boys in their superhero capes:

Just before they powered up:

Averie also wanted to show off her cape after making it with Mommy:

Then it was time to sing "Happy Birthday"! I love that Zach joined in and sang to himself...it was sweet:

I also can't help but smile that Wayne and I are both trying to help blow out Zach's candles...I guess it goes to show, we just both want to make sure all of his wishes come true:

After we sang, everyone dug in, and I'd love to share pictures of the cake eating, present opening and other fun we had, but my camera went dead. For all of my planning I forgot to charge my camera battery before the party...oh well! I am sure my family will be happy to share the hundreds of pictures they snapped during the evening.

Thank you again everyone for coming and celebrating Zach's day!

Birthday post Part I...decorations!

2011-02-28T19:37:00.007-05:00

Since I am sure if I tried to post all the pics I want to from Z's 3rd birthday party, I would be sitting here for hours, I am just going to break it up a bit. I spent a good deal of time and energy prepping for the party. I knew I wanted a small family party, but I didn't want it to feel like an afterthought so I headed over to Etsy for some extra special accessories.

The theme was Superheroes so I made an invitation of Zach in his Wolverine costume and used a creative cartoon like clip to spice up the picture. I would have ordered some off of Etsy, but I didn't have the time. Instead I ordered him a pennant banner, name banner, superhero cookies, and birthday shirt. I went slightly overboard on the balloons and streamers, and my sister in law Lisa definitely outdid herself by making not only adorable Spider-man themed cupcakes, but and incredible Hulk cake. Zach loved looking at the cake, almost as much as he liked eating it. I got some cute cupcake toppers and thank you tags made, and they added a nice touch too! Here are some of the pics from the party.

Look at how cute these cupcakes are. I almost didn't use the toppers I ordered because my Aunt Lisa had gone above and beyond once again! Thank you so much Lisa!

Isn't this cake so creative? All I asked for was a chocolate round, and she called to tell me she had this baby in mind. I was like, Hell yeah, that is awesome. This little man, couldn't keep his fingers out of it, and was all about staring at his Hulk cake and the matching candy that Aunt Lisa incorporated into it! Just some of the balloons and decorations

This pic shows off Zach's pennant banner and name banner. I loved the little flags I added to the M&M's too to bring more of a Superhero feel to the party.

Aren't these favor cookies adorable? They were delicious too! I got them from a store called Batches on Etsy!

And a picture of the birthday boy...one of few that aren't a blur from that day...literally!

I have a lot more to share, including one of my favorite party activities ever...and you guessed it, it was from Etsy!

Three years...

2011-02-26T09:12:00.003-05:00

Of loving these dimples

Of snuggles and kisses

Of countless priceless moments

Of cries

And Laughs

Of learning everything

About myself

And him

Of I love you's

And tantrums

Of bedtime stories

And baths

Of jokes

And life lessons

Of feeling completely blessed

That he is and always will be my son.

I love you Zachary for a million reasons. For your sweet soul, and contagious laugh. For your beautiful imagination, and your endless energy. For your sometime dramatic outbursts and your often humorous dialogue. For your big hugs at night and your cuddles throughout the day. For you being the best little helper, and the kindest big brother. For your outgoing personality and all of your knock knock jokes. I've loved you every moment I knew you existed, and I always will. Happy 3rd birthday to my baby,my big boy, one of my best companions, one of the greatest gifts in my life, my Zach!

Zach and Tucker...

2011-02-24T19:00:00.009-05:00

Today, for his 3rd birthday Uncle Nick and Aunt Cheryl took Zach to Build A Bear. I am not sure he really understood what was going to happen once he got there, but we looked online at all the choices and he was ready to get a "horsie" when we went.

My Mom came with the boys and I and we meet Uncle Nick and Aunt CC there. By the time they arrived Zach was on overload. He wanted one of every stuffed animal. Here is a photo of him moments after we arrived...see that little boy running madly through the store behind them....that was Zach about 1 minute later!
When Uncle Nick and Aunt CC arrived, Zach was so thrilled to get started:

He did take a minute to try to explain to Matt that while he was glad Mattie was there, this was his birthday present, so try not to get jealous...his day would come!
Then it was decision time...Zach was between a camo bear, a white owl, and a fluffy puppy. I was secretly rooting for the cute puppy, Aunt CC liked the monkey, but Zach made up his mind...camo bear! I think Uncle Nick thought it was a solid choice because when we tried to show him more, he insisted that Zach had made his selection.

Here Z is showing off his bear:Then Uncle Nick and Aunt CC helped Zach pick out just the right sound effect. Zach got a "giggle" sound for his bear, because he loves to laugh and tell jokes!

After that we headed off to the "fill" station, where Zach got to push a pedal to fill up his bear. He loved that part, and made sure to press the love, friendship, joy, and care buttons while he did it:He even took care in selecting the perfect heart for his bear:

After a series of instructions from jumping to spinning, to giving his bear muscles, Zach's bear was ready for his heart. Zach kissed the heart and made a wish:

After his bear was all laced up, we headed off to the washing station. Zach loved giving his new friend a bath, and Matt was also really entertained:

Aunt CC helped him finish up beautifying the bear:

Uncle Nick help him dress his bear in the outfit that took forever to pick...a karate outfit!

Here is the final product:

Then Uncle Nick and Zach were off to name the bear and my usually very decisive 3 yr old who makes up names for everything drew a blank. It was Aunt CC who suggested Tucker, and it seemed to fit. So Zach named his new camo bear Tucker, and the two friends lived happily ever after.

Oh and here they are...Zach and Tucker:

Well gotta run, Tucker and Zach are ready for bed!

Thanks Uncle Nick and Aunt CC for spoiling Zach with Tucker and accessories and for the great memory!

Have you missed...

2011-02-20T21:08:00.003-05:00

This face?

Or this face?

After nearly 20 days of antibiotics around here, things are starting to look up. I am hoping that Matt is only pulling at his ear this week because he is getting two top molars...we will see. I am also hoping that the cough both the boys have will be gone before weeks end. Fortunately, I am on a week break from school, so it is sort of like dabbling in my not so old routine. This week is filled with a lot of activity. Then on Saturday Zach will celebrate his 3rd birthday! I know every Mom says this, but seriously, how the heck did he get to be three already? I can't wait to show you all the cute stuff I got for his party. I am most excited about his party favors.

Hopefully, since I will not be splitting my time as much between home and work, I will be able to be better about posting. I definitely need to capture some new dimple pictures to share with you all!

I heart Etsy...

2011-02-15T08:40:00.005-05:00

Recently I discovered a new place to shop. If there is one thing I love to do, it's shop! In my travels through blogland, I've come across some great blogs with tons of ideas, stories, images, and information. One blog I read a few weeks ago showed a "Family Rules" sign from a shop in Etsy. The shop that designed the sign was Barn Owl Primitives, and I immediately fell in love with the concept. I wanted one of these signs to be a reminder to me and my family everyday about what was important. I ended up ordering one of the signs on the spot, and I am so glad I did. The sign arrived yesterday, and I just love it. I hung it in my laundry room so that anytime we exit or enter the house we will see it! Here is my new sign:

It is just perfect for my laundry room! In fact I was inspired to try to make that space more inviting after buying the sign so I ended up ordering a vinyl wall design to go in there as well from another Etsy store Openheart Creations. I just love the playfulness of the sign:

Most people might not use their washer and dryer as a starting point for design, but these machines I LOVE, LOVE LOVE! Even though we have been in our new house almost 7 months, it is just now starting to feel settled. Slowly but surely these spaces are starting to have the touches of home. Here is the final look:
So readers do you have a favorite Etsy site? If so share please. I have a lot of other great shops I found in my travels for Zach's 3rd birthday party, but that will have to wait for another post!

My sickly Valentines...

2011-02-14T18:21:00.003-05:00

Two of my favorite Valentines are sick again. Yes, after only two weeks in daycare, they have each been ill twice. Matt has had two double ear infections, both of them have been on antibiotics at least once, and for the last three days one or both of my sons have been running a fever anywhere from 102 degrees to 104! It has been a long weekend!

Today I had to go to work. I am right in the middle of a project with my students and I couldn't just opt out for the day. Literally I needed to be there, yet my heart was home all day. Fortunately my other Valentine stepped up to the plate and spoiled our boys all day. He managed to take care of two needy kids, and still put in hours of work. It was wonderful to know that if I wasn't able to be home, their Dad was there to comfort them. He did such a great job that when I did get home Matt only wanted Daddy to hold him. I think after a day of high fevers, diarrhea and some very looong naps, my hubby deserved his favorite dinner, meatloaf!

I was really proud of the fact that I got Wayne a card, some candy and made him some chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate covered Oreos. That was until he showed me my gift, and I felt a little guilty. I mean my gift was a bit luxurious. Wayne got me a new stand mixer!!! This beauty:

I have been wanting a new mixer for years! While I love my old Artisan mixer, I have lost a lot of the attachments over the decade I've had it. I've also beat the heck out of my beater, and the unit itself is starting to look haggard. I was so psyched, I love baking, and this beauty of a mixer just seems so perfect!

I can't mention Valentine's day gifts though without giving a shout out to my Mom for the Pandora necklace she surprised me with the other day. There is something so sweet about getting gifts from your folks for Valentine's day, even when you are all grown up! (grown up,Yeah right!) What's even sweeter is when that gift is sparkly...us girls love the sparkle! I wore it today and all of my student's gushed over it, even though I explained the necklace was from my Mom, and my husband had gotten me a mixer. Apparently at 16, the romance of the perfect mixer was lost on them. Too bad!

Even though they were sick I did give the boys their teddy bears with candy, and a crayola color wonder kit. I would have to say though that my gifts weren't on par with the thoughtfulness of my special Valentines. Oh well...maybe next year, I will be able to pay it forward a bit better. This year I will just sit back and enjoy the loot!

To my big brother...

2011-02-11T18:36:00.002-05:00

I can't believe my big brother is 36 today. I swear sometimes I look at him and can still see that blond mop of hair, with a smile that always came out even in the trickiest of situations. Looking back, I remember that my brother was always loving, always a lot of fun. He liked to organize games for us to play, and my sister and I used to drop everything if he wanted us to play Matchbox cars with him, or join in on a good game of Transformers. I remember how safe his presence always made me feel, and that I felt so lucky to have a big brother looking out for me.

Sure we had times that we drove each other nuts, or maybe even out onto the rooftop. But when I think of my childhood I think of my siblings most of all. I think about how we stuck together, and how we talked and laughed. I think about the fact that my brother was sweet, and sometimes devious, that he was funny, and often kind. I think about his energy for exploring, his imagination, his genuine zest for life. I think about his outbursts, his stunts, his accomplishments. Looking back I think a lot about how lucky I've been to see him evolve.

Relationships are tricky, especially between siblings. My brother and I don't always see eye to eye. We tend to get along, but sometimes I annoy him to no end, and sometimes he frustrates me beyond anyone else I've ever known. He is stubborn, I am stubborn. He is confident, I am confident. He is loyal, I am loyal. He is tender at heart. I am temder at heart. Sometimes I wonder just how much of who I am has been shaped by him. I know growing up I felt lucky to have him as my brother. I also know that today I feel even more lucky to have him as a friend.

Nick, I am so glad that I had a big brother to look up to. I am even more glad that that brother was you. I am also very blessed that my sons' have an Uncle that they adore, who always is willing to play Superheroes with them, and wrestle. I remember today how special your attention always made me feel, and I am so glad to know that they will feel it too. Happy birthday to my big brother, the only boy so far I've had the pleasure of watching grow up! I love you, enjoy your day!

The end of a very long week...

2011-02-06T18:25:00.004-05:00

Tonight I am so excited, after being gone for six days, Wayne is home! The past week has been hectic. Not only did I return to work after being out for 15 months, but I was also on my own every night with the kids, all night. Thanks to my parents I didn't have to drag the kids to daycare at the crack of dawn, and they ended up watching them four out of the five weekdays, so that I didn't need to add the emotional drama of that to the week. I will never forget what they did for me this week. I think one more straw might have broke this camel's back.

The idea that your partner is away on a luxury vacation while you are home manning the fort is one that most people would cringe at. The fact that technically it was called a work vacation didn't ease the bitterness I felt when he was at the pool bar and I was scrambling for sanity. I know that the week took its toll on both of us, but next time I'd rather be the one on Spring Break...ah I mean a work trip. Unfortunately I don't see an opportunity for travel in my career so I guess I will just have to hope that every once in awhile I will be able to go too, and pray that if I can't his bosses don't ask that he go. Too bad, when your boss asks you, I mean implies that you really should do something, your hands are kind of tied. I guess the fact that they are tied onto an alcoholic beverage, great food, and snokeling gear all week makes the demand a little more bearable.

I can honestly say after a week of going it on my own, with a ton of help from my family, and a lot of support from my friends, I would not want to be a single parent. This week has asked that I dig deep, and I did. I am proud of what I accomplished this week. I was not always at the top of my game, but I came out with a better understanding of who I am, even if the journey wasn't pretty sometimes. Revelations... I am capable of being on my own, but I'm thankful I'm not. I am a good teacher, and quite capable in the classroom, I love my kids, and will be thrilled once they are school aged and I don't have the mommy guilt, I am a work in progress but no matter how unpolished I am people love me through it.

I may need another week to get my head together, but I hope when I return, you will be here to share in my story.

Grateful...

2011-02-02T20:27:00.002-05:00

Today I am grateful for the snow storm that brought me a SNOW DAY! It was so great staying home all day with my boys and taking care of them. I am grateful that tomorrow is Thursday which means we are over the hump of the week. I am grateful that everyone I love is safe no matter their location. I am grateful that the power didn't go out in this freezing weather. I am grateful that for the most part Zach and Matt are healthy. But today I am most grateful for my Mom and Dad, and you both know why. Thank you for supporting me when I needed you most, as usual! I can't wait till Super Bowl Sunday, and it is definitely not for the football!

What are you grateful for today?

This side of sun-up

2011-01-31T06:05:00.002-05:00

As a SAHM, I've had the luxury or hell, of getting up when the kids do. Some mothers probably get up before their children so they can dress themselves and make themselve look presentable. I have to admit when I was at home, I didn't really see the need to apply make-up and put on a sassy outfit just to have someone wipe their hands, or nose, on it. I was not one of those fashion moms and looking back I'm glad I didn't waste the time.

Sleep. It is a word and action that all mother's crave. Sadly I will be functioning on about 2 hrs less of sleep until summer arrives, then its back to the toddler sleeping schedule. What I didn't realize when you get up at 5 in the morning is how quiet it is in the house. How you can watch DVR'd shows without interuption, and how quickly you can dress, feed yourself and be ready to be out the door. I know that as the weeks pass I will be hitting snooze more and more, getting just a little less put together one day at a time, but for today. I am marveling at this side of sun-up and thinking of a Robert Frost line, "Miles to go before I sleep..." Good luck everyone in getting through your miles today. I've got my "race" plan all set, now its just about digging in and getting it done.

Happy Monday!

We're seeing pink...

2011-01-29T08:46:00.002-05:00

And lots of it! The boys started back to daycare this week. They were there a total of nine hrs in two days, and BOTH of them not only have PINK eye, but Matt has a double ear infection, and Zach has a super red sore throat, terrible cough and super gross runny nose.

Isn't it funny how Matt has not been on antibiotics once in his 14 months of life, and after only two ventures into daycare, he is on a 10 day regiment. At least this explains his sour mood, and random outbursts. I thought he was just super upset about the changes in his life. Now at least I know it is a combination of at least two things. My poor baby.

Zach woke up this morning, coughing, and complaining about how he can't smell. I felt bad for my little man, who also hasn't been on antibiotics since his last forey into childcare. He looked at me and said, "I don't want to be sick, I want to be healthy!" Break my heart will you!

Aside from the round of antibiotics we are all on our way to a new normal. Once we get through the next week or two, we'll be adjusted into our new routines. I am still sad that my return to work means I won't be spending as much time with my sons, but I also know that change is part of life, and we'll get through it together.

Some of the funny things in my life...

2011-01-26T20:37:00.003-05:00

My boys crack me up. I sometimes wonder what I used to talk about/think about before they came into my life, but I have it on good authority that I had plenty to say about everything back then too!

Things that Matt does that make me smile:

I love that he is blowing kisses now. His little chubby hand reaching up and touching his lips and a smooching sound coming moments later. Usually well after his hand has left his mouth.

He makes me laugh when he picks up a ball, and looks for Lennie to come play with him. By play with him, I mean Matt holds the ball and spins in a circle while Lennie tries to take it away.

Matt throws the funniest temper tantrums. He actually tries to do a headstand in protest when he doesn't get his way. What causes Matt to have fits these days is also comical. He gets mad that he can't have Zach's cup. Even though his is a foot away, having been discarded since it is not Z's. I actually think he is just super smart and realizes that Zach's cup usually has juice, and his usually has water, and even when he gets juice, it is never as "strong" as his brothers.

Matt is such a little groover. All you have to do is turn on music and he will spin around and sway his little butt in the air. It is precious, and he is so into it, he'll actually run from another room to get to the music so he can shake his groove thing.

Even though he's one, Matt loves hide and seek. Zach isn't really original in his hideouts, so I always know he is in the playtent or under his play table. Matt lately crawls in behind him. Whereas Zach put his head down so I don't see him, Matt face always is looking out to see where I am. I can't tell you how many times I've pretended I don't see them so I can see the double dimple smile spread across Matt's face!

Which brings me to Z:

When playing hide and seek, Zach will tell you where he is hiding. He gets impatient, and if you pretend you are worried, he will call out, "I am hiding under the chairs Momma" but still remain with his head hidden. So funny.

Zach loves Superhero's and his Hulk hands. He does a special deep voice to go along with his Hulk persona.

The other day we all went to drop Wayne off to get his car from service. All of a sudden from the backseat I heard, "Mommy, we forgot Daddy." "No Zach Daddy went to get his car." "Mommy daddy doesn't have a car, we have to go back and get him."

Another really comical one was when Zach saw a picture from our wedding. He looked and me and said, "Wheres I at?" and then gasped..."Momma you forgot me" No Zach you weren't born yet. Him: "Yes I was born, in a hospital...right Mommy?"

After going to school for the 1st time the other day(I call Daycare school, it makes me feel less horrid, I also sometimes affectionately refer to it as crapcare) Zach said to me, "Mommy we left Lennie there." I said, "No Zach we left Lennie at home." Z: "We have to go get him." M: "Zach when Mommy goes to work, you and Matt will go to school and Lennie stays home." z: "But I want Lennie to come to school with me." m: "Zach Lennie can't go to your school he's a dog." z: "Well I want Lennie to go to school with his friends too. Mommy will you take Lennie to doggie school?"

However when I say, "Lennie's my boy." He says, "Lennie's not a boy, I'm a boy right Mommy!" I say, "Yes Zach, but Lennie is a boy dog." To which Zach just corrects..."No Mommy, Lennie is a dog."

I could seriously go on forever with comical conversations I have with my 3 yr old and the funny things my one year old does. So tell me readers what are some of the funny things in your life right now?

Randomness of nerves...

2011-01-24T21:45:00.003-05:00

Don't you hate being on the brink of change? It's scary. I hate it. And yet it is part of life. There is something remarkable in the human spirit that it adapts, adjusts. I am looking forward to being adapted, adjusted. Right now though, my mind races with scenarios. My world is going up in a tidal wave, and I can either ride it out, or I can be pulled under. I am intending on rising with the challenges I am facing. I am sure at times I will feel like I am drowning. Good thing God sent me such a strong support system. Sometimes I am awed by how people cope with true tragedy. I am so dramatic about minor events in the scheme of things. I think it is a curse and a blessing. A curse because my mind races and anxiety rises, a blessing because I am conscious in the moment, not blindsided by the massiveness of change.

Some changes are good. Right? Getting married. Having children. Moving into your dream home.

Some changes devastate. Losing a loved one. Losing a job. Getting ill.

Some changes, are just changes. They aren't good or bad per se, they are what you make of them. Moving to a new city. Taking a new job. Deciding where you are going to go to school.

Yet change is change, and right at the inception of that change, on the brink of the past colliding with the reality of the present there is a moment that, regardless, a sense of fear/sadness creeps in. Usually that's the moment right before you get ready to embrace the change if its for the good, or set up a game plan for the change if it isn't so great. It is a moment that take some serious soul searching, some introspection, and some bravery. It is from that brink that I write tonight, because tomorrow is a new day, a day that will have some tears, some reunions, some apprehension, and much sadness. But it is only one day. After that, when the transition starts to become routine this moment won't matter. But tonight. I have to sleep in this moment. Breathe in the moment. And stay strong in this moment. Tonight the reality of my tomorrow isn't weeks, months or years away, it is finally here.

Bambi on Ice...

2011-01-24T11:05:00.009-05:00

OK. Maybe not Bambi, but definitely Zach on ice. Just a month shy of his 3rd birthday, I finally convinced Wayne that it was a good idea to take Zach ice skating. You see, I might have tried to take him myself before, but I can't ice skate at all. I've tried three times in my life, and although I can somewhat stay up, I am not sure footed enough to teach anyone else how to skate. Wayne on the other hand has been ice skating since he was six, and actually knows how to handle himself on the ice. Neither of us knew if it was going to be a disaster, or a great experience, but we gave it a try.

The most trying part of the process was getting the skates, and then getting them on. Zach was excited to get out there the moment we walked in the door, so anxious he kept pulling his foot out of the skates, which almost led to Wayne pulling his own hair out. By the end of the process, which took at least 10 minutes, Zach was pretty moody. He couldn't understand all the waiting:

I would have loved to be more of a help in the putting on the skates process, but I had my hands full, either with literally holding Matt or chasing him. He thought the ice rink was the coolest place we've ever been...no pun intended: This picture is blurred because Matt is literally running!

Zach did pretty well balancing and walking on the skates on the ground, but when he got out on the actually ice. He looked like a deer in headlights:

I would love to tell you he glide out on the ice like it was the most natural thing in the world to him, but that didn't happen. He was stumbling all over the place, and had Wayne not been holding him up, he would have spent at least 13 of the 15 minutes he was out there on his butt in the ice. He was not a virtuoso at skating, but he was very brave, and he took the whole thing in stride. I am so glad he wasn't like a 6 yr old boy I saw, father clutching him to hold him up, forcing him to skate, tears streaming down the kids' eyes, because he didn't want to be there.

Instead the experience was priceless.

It was wonder,

Apprehension,

Frustration,

Laughter,

Falling,

Learning,

and most of all fun!

I am so proud of my new little skater:

And his first skating teacher, his Dad:

They both showed such patience and perseverance. Which is a good thing, because based on the twinkle in his eye, this little one isn't going to be happy to watch from the sidelines, much longer!

I can't wait to go back, and laugh at my boys, all three of them! Maybe, just maybe it might be as early as this coming weekend. We'll just let Zach decide.

The only thing worse...

2011-01-21T18:52:00.004-05:00

Than getting a bad haircut, is getting your child one!

Zach didn't have a lot of hair as a baby...or early toddler. In fact he was almost two before his hair finally came in. For that reason I have left it long. I didn't want to trim the sides much, or the back, or the front. Basically I wanted him to have a mop of hair. Well recently Zach's hair has been "crazy" to quote him, and we decided that it was time to try something new.What better time to get a haircut then right before you start school. I mean wasn't that always part of the checklist. New shoes, new backpack, new haircut! Here is a photo of Zach with his crazy hair:

Every day when he got up cowlicks would appear in random places. Try as we might to slick them down, new ones would pop up in their place.

So last night we set off with the intention of giving Z a cool big boy cut. One that we could style spiky with some hair gel. I even found a picture of what I thought would look good. As soon as the "stylist" pulled out the clippers Zach was panicking. He just wanted to get out of the chair...solid instincts on that kid. I of course held his head steady as the lady slowly shaved off much of his hair. I couldn't believe how much blonder it was under the longer layers she shaved off. Then she cut the top, and I knew we were in trouble. All of the images of Z as a nearly bald baby rushed in. When Z looked in the mirror, he was so upset. I tried not to look upset, and said, "You look so handsome". He just looked at his reflection and said, "I don't like it, I look like a baby!" I felt horrible. All the best intentions and even a 3 yr old knew that his new do was a dud!

Wayne and I tried to retain our composure, and I assured Zach that the great thing about hair is that is grows back. He was slightly bummed so Wayne offered to get him ice cream. That did the trick, the trauma was behind him and we went to Coldstone and got him some cotton candy ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. He was so anxious to eat it all the way home, and Wayne just looked at me and said, "Well now we know, we should just keep his hair long!" Real helpful!

Zach allowed me to take a few pics of him while he ate his ice cream. He wasn't thrilled at the thought of having his pic taken, but he did insist I take this pic of his ice cream:

Here Zach is reluctantly modeling his new cut:

And him enjoying his bribe, uh I mean treat!

Don't worry bub, you have such a beautiful face that you don't really need a lot of hair. But man oh man, how I wish I was combing down those cowlicks this morning instead of trying to gel up your relative buzz cut!

Sing me a song you're my piano men...

2011-01-20T19:55:00.013-05:00

My boys LOVE music. It is actually amazing, because they both just naturally love to dance, and sing, it was one of the first things they liked to do. When we go to my Mom's its my boys that love to run and play her piano and sway their little behinds to their melodies. My Mom has told me that if this keeps up one day they will inherit her piano. Grandma Alice also knew of Zach's love for piano's and this year she bought the boys the cutest little Baby Grand piano for Christmas. It was an instant hit with Matt, and he started playing and swaying day one.

His love has continued to grow for the piano, and often times he'll venture through the house and Wayne and I will hear Matt tickling the ivories. He laughs as he plays, and is so entertained. He's ever learn how to sit on the little stool and play. Just look at how sweet this little virtuso is:

Matt's favorite time to play the piano is when Zach is rocking out on his drums, or guitar. If Zach isn't at the drums...Matt wants to be, and when Matt is at the piano, Zach wants to be. Thank goodness we have instruments galore to keep these two entertained. Every once in awhile the two will confer and Zach will give Matt pointers:Then he'll take over to show how its done: He gets so into his music I've been prone to call him Elton when he plays the piano:
I love that they embrace music. I can say it is wonderful watching them play together, and they use all sorts of instruments:

Obviously they both adore the piano, but they also both love playing the recorder:

And the guitar brings out the rocker in the boys:

But, of all the instruments in our playroom , the one that gets things started is usually the drum set. Matt loves chewing on the sticks and tapping away when he can, and Zach loves going "animal" when he gets behind the set. He is a wildman behind those things, and Matt is his number one fan:

I am pretty sure that I see band practice someday in the future, and I wouldn't be surprised if both the boys end up playing the piano, and the drums. But hopefully not at the same time, right Zach?
You gotta love the creativity!

Vaseline...

2011-01-19T09:25:00.004-05:00

You know, this stuff:

Well when I was a kid I would always get nosebleeds in winter. The dry cold air of the Northwest resulted in some pretty nasty nosebleeds and embarrassing memories. I can remember one time waking up in the middle of the night and rushing to the bathroom, only to bleed into the sink and have it splatter on the cool puffy wallpaper we had in PA. It was pretty gross, so naturally my Mom asked the Dr what could be done. His answer lubricate the nostrils to keep the area moist, and help prevent bleeding. So since I was about eight years old, every night before I go to bed, I apply a slight amount of Vaseline to the edges of my nostrils. There is a personal tidbit I never thought I'd share!

Last week when we were staying at my parent's house, I brought my trusty Vaseline, and left it on a side table tucked behind some items in the room where Wayne and I were sleeping. I thought nothing of it. One afternoon I put Zach down in that room since his brother was just going to take his nap in the room they were sharing and I didn't want them to keep each other awake. I checked on the boys 20 minutes later, without entering their rooms, all was quiet therefore all was well. Or so I thought...

An hour later, I went up to check on the sleeping boys, and decided to open the door. I was expecting to see Zach's blond hair poking out from the blanket. Instead I found Zach sitting at the foot of the bed. At first I noticed his pants and socks were off. Then I realized that he was shiny, and a moment later I saw the Vaseline container, tucked into the sheets of the bed. I looked at my son, Vaseline was spread into his hair, It was all over his face, it was smeared across his shirt, it was a mess. I asked, "What did you do?" and was told "It was an accident." I then shrieked, "Why would you do this?" He calmly responded, "I wanted to put some on my nose." It was semi comical, and somewhat infuriating at the time. You see, I knew he had gotten that Vaseline on the sheets, the silk comforter that my mother had in the room, and I knew those things were ruined forever. And yet, I left them behind, because I could buy new ones, although my Mom wouldn't let me, I just knew I had to get him clean. Into the shower he went, and the whole event seemed to pass for him without inconvenience. I explained he shouldn't touch anything like lotions, or chemicals and how they could harm him, but it wasn't until later that night, when Wayne and I read the label of the Vaseline bottle that panic set it. I read about how if you got Vaseline in your eyes, you needed to flush it out, had I done a good enough job? I wasn't sure what had happened in that room, and Z wasn't talking. I read that if you ingested Vaseline you were to call poison control. Scary stuff. I couldn't help but hear my Mom in the back of my head saying, "It's not his fault, you shouldn't have left it there." And my lame excuse, "He knows better." and her response, "Amy he's two." Damn it she was right again...I guess being a Mom for 35 years trumps my 3 years every time.

So what am I taking away from the Vaseline incident of 2011. I am taking the hilarious memory of Zach covered in Vaseline, looking like I'd caught him with his hand in the cookie jar, my Mom's advise that I should be more cautious about where I leave some items, I am taking away a feeling of relief that nothing poisonous or devastating happened, I am still sorry about the bedding, even though my Mom already replaced it saying she never liked it anyways, and I am heeding the warning that some things need to be left OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN...even when you think they know better!

Home again, Home again, Jiggity Jig!

2011-01-17T21:44:00.004-05:00

Ok. Technically we have been home for 2 nights, but today was the last day of project drywall. I am thrilled to say that tomorrow I will be able to stay home with my family without random workers in our home. Its funny though, because as much as I missed my house, I did enjoy all of the extra time at my folks. I loved having nap time to talk to my Mom, and it was great to see the boys spoiled with some extra Grandma and Papa time!

Our stay was semi- uneventful...I will have to tell the Vaseline story another day, and I may have almost started a fire in the microwave, but aside from that we made it through unscathed.

Our house however, underwent some major changes, and I LOVE that I no longer have white flat paint surrounding me. Some people love white, and used in moderation it makes for great decor, but I am a color girl. Since I don't think I want to paint these rooms again for the next 20 years or so, I went neutral. Its always tricky to me to balance neutral so it doesn't seem blah!

One area that was vacant was my foyer. For Christmas my parents bought me this demilune table that I love. Unfortunately, as you remember, so did Matt and he pulled it down on himself the first day I had it up. After the walls were painted Wayne secured the table to the wall, so it won't be a hazard, and I quickly went to work trying to find the right pieces to make the space inviting and stylish. I just had to share a pic and get some feedback.

What do you all think of my new foyer?

I'm not sure about the floral arrangement just yet.

I love the vase, but I was wondering do the flowers look alright?

Also would you add something to the right of the table. Perhaps something that is cream to bring the white tones over to the other side? I have my eye on a cream terra cotta pear that would look neat, but I don't want to overcrowd the area.

As an interesting side note, Matt shows no interest in my new decor. Zach on the other hand has been trying to hide behind my vase. Believe it or not, nothing is breakable on that table, and those candles are LED ones. That way I can light them without panic setting in.

Hopefully you'll leave a comment...I've been feeling a little in need of some feedback.

I'm so thankful to be home, and so happy to be back with you!

Life under construction...

2011-01-09T10:49:00.003-05:00

I may post this coming week, I may not. It will all depend. Even though our house is "new" it is in need of some cosmetic surgery, largely drywall touch ups from a relatively careless crew. The builder has been kind enough to come back and fix what should have been done correctly the first time, and as a bonus is painting our vaulted places, foyer, family room, ect. That is a perk. What isn't a perk is having to keep the kids out of the house during the day, and possible at night depending on the extent of the reconstruction, clearing the rooms of everything we don't want covered in drywall dust, and prepping the house for a crew to come through. We don't know what our game plan is, we are playing it by ear.

Fortunately my parents have offered their home to us once again. How lucky that I have such generous parents that let my family invade their home at will. Seriously, it is awesome of them. I am looking forward to this being over. I really just want to be settled. Settled in my home. Settled in my job, settled in to the new routine on the horizon.

Either way I will be around...I will be back soon!

Snapshots of my sons...

2011-01-06T21:28:00.006-05:00

I think I want to remember every aspect of being a parent to these two precious boys. I know they teach me everyday, be it something about them, myself, or the world and what truly matters in it. I know I think they are two of the most extraordinary people I have every known, yes, I know I am biased. I am pretty sure though when they tower over me one day, and live the lives they choose for themselves, I will always look at them in awe. Awe that I was the one that was chosen to be their Mom.

Since Z comes first in age, I feel like Matt should come first in this post:

Matt is a boy of few words. I think that is because I let him off the hook most of the time, and respond to his whimpers or protests, reading them as though they are the English language. Matt is clever, thoughtful, happy go lucky, persistent, adventurous, and sweet. He loves to be loved, and often follows us around demanding to be held by wrapping his little arms around our legs. He is so entertained by Lennie at the moment, and loves picking up the dog's toys and getting him to chase him. His loves his brother, and the two of them are finding a groove of their own. They laugh with each other, hide with each other, chase each other, hug each other, and of course annoy each other...they are siblings after all. During a given day Matt is most happy when he is playing with blocks, carrying balls, chewing on the trains, or stealing toys from Z. He loves to dance, and play musical instruments, he might even like Z's drums more than Z, and he loves to eat and nap. Bath time is a favorite for Matt and he often entertains us all by trying to drink bath water from the drum(I think he likes our protests), blow into the water whistle, or squirt the fish. He is a charmer through and through, and he warms every one's heart who gets to share in his smiles. He is a beautiful baby, with two of the deepest dimples I've ever seen, and he is content to be with his family. Matt likes to toddle off to explore, but he is happiest when we are all together and he is in the mix. Recently Matt has taken to making vroom sounds when he plays with cars, and everyday he is starting to become more verbal. Today he said "doggie" in regards to Lennie, and I know it is only a matter of time, before this little inquisitive mind starts talking constantly like the rest of us:

I am pretty sure that as Matt grows he will always be just a little bit taller than his brother was at his age, which is why I call him "The bigger little brother." No matter how big Matt gets, he has such a tender heart, and he will look out for others. I know he will blur the lines sometimes in his life, because he tests limits even now, and I also know that when he is doing it, he'll flash me one of those smiles, and melt my resolve. He is so clever!

Zach is an entertainer. He loves attention, (I don't know where he gets this from LOL) and he loves to make people laugh. Zach is high energy all of the time, unless he is sleeping, or watching tv. He loves superheroes at the moment and he will tell you if you ask, "That Wolverine is my favorite, because he is yell woh and yell woh is my favorite" He also loves to pretend he is The Hulk, and will warn, "If you touch me, I will turn into the Hulk" or "If I eat this I will be The Hulk". He is a talker, and he is bossy. He does it in a way though that most of the time is endearing, but still he wants things his way. He is particular about almost everything, from what toys people should play with, to what he should do, He often says "That would not be a good idea" if he doesn't want to go somewhere or do something. He pretty much loves peanut butter and jelly, chocolate donettes, and potato chips. He is also the pepperoni and cheese champ! How a baby that would eat anything became such a picky toddler is beyond me, but he will say. "Um this is good"or "I like it" when he is pleased. Zach loves to build with his duplos, or play cars, paint,do puzzles, read books, wrestle with his Dad(his favorite by far), and tell jokes. Recently he made up his own Knock Knock joke, and I must say I was impressed. It goes: "Knock Knock Whose there? Banana Shaken. Banana Shaken who? Banana Shaken Milkshake(insert toddler laughter)". Zach is super outgoing these days always introducing himself to kids we run into in stores, or in the neighborhood. He is cautious though of strangers, always looking to me to see if it is ok asking "I want to say hi to that little girl". Zach is also very sensitive towards others and has been this way since toddlerhood. He always says, "it's o tay" and pets your hair if you are sad, or runs and gives hugs if Matt falls and cries. Zach is a cuddler, even though he is three he still loves to climb up on my lap to watch tv, and always runs to his Dad when he leaves for work demanding "I need my big hug and a kiss.", or "You forgot your big hug and a kiss." He loves to be a "fixer" and he is "a good little helper, right Mommy." He is a sweet little man, and I know he is a nurturer at heart. I always say he is going to be more sensitive and God help us when he goes through his first heart break. He loves to talk to girls, and he is a little flirt. Everyone who meets Z is charmed by him, because he also loves to flash his dimples. He is such a handsome little man, and I know exactly where he gets that from: Talk about a mini- me! I try to deny it, but Zach favors his Dad...ok a lot, at least in the looks and energy department! I sometimes still can't believe that this Italian looking girl, has such a light haired child. I think that is why I tell Z that he is my blond bombshell!

Amazing... my sons truly are amazing! And that is just a snapshot of who they are, at this very moment! Can you imagine what lies ahead in their lives? By God's grace, and some diligent parenting; good stuff, really good stuff for the two sweetest boys I've ever laid eyes on!

A New Year begins...

2011-01-03T22:12:00.005-05:00

I have been very reflective for the last few days. I got to thinking one night that in 2010, I didn't work one day out of my home. Therefore I am dubbing 2010, the year I was a SAHM- translation...Stay at home Mom.

Being able to be home for the last 14 months with my boys has meant more to me than I will every be able to express. I have been able to savor the mornings, playing in our pj's not having to worry about hustling out the door, bags being packed, breakfasts being rushed. I have been able to feed them lunch every day, tuck them in for nap time every afternoon, and relish the hours, I would have missed if I'd been working. I have been able to be their constant, and while I know when I head back to work in a few weeks, I will still be their constant, it will be in an entirely different way.

It has been a blessing seeing Matt through nearly every moment of his first year, and really being able to see his firsts as they were happening, it has also been remarkable to watch Z grow into a little boy from a toddling baby 14 months ago. His jokes and stories brighten my days, and I know I will look forward to hearing all about what he has been up to at "school". No one can tell a story quite like that little boy.

Their is a sadness in my heart as I write, mostly because I am on the brink of change. When I left my job last October, I knew it wasn't forever, and yet my return seemed an eternity away. Over the last year, if I am entirely honest there have been days when I have felt like I would run out the door back to my job, just to get away from the crying, the fits, the constant needs/wants, it is my responsibility to fill in a given day. Being a mother who stays home constantly with their children is a marvel. It makes you dig deep into your core. It changes you. There are days that you don't get to savor a single moment, not a cup of coffee, a good show, a song you love singing, nothing! Those days are tough, but if your smart and you stop, you'll see a hug shared between brothers, hear a joke that makes no sense, but truly entertains your two year old, watch a one year old learn to build blocks, or flash you a set of dimples that warms your heart. You will see a fall, and be able to have the honor of being the one to console your child, your children, your world. It is a remarkable role, one of honor, one that is not for the faint of heart, one that requires selfishness at all times, because to be honest in my experience, a little part of "you" gets lost in them, maybe in some cases, a lot of you gets lost. And while a part of me wishes daily I could walk the path of being a SAHM another month, year, decade, its not in the cards for me.

Why? I could tell you I need the money, and its sort of true. I need the money to live the lifestyle my husband and I committed to. I need to help pay for our new house, our bills, my school loans, etc. Then again, I could live without the new house, the nice car, the new gadgets we just have to have to stay home with my sons. I could, but I don't. I love my sons. I love my husband, I love my life, but I also love myself. I love the part of me that stands up in the front of a classroom and explores words, lives, and moments. I love the girl who existed before Wayne came into my life and made me a wife, before Zach and Matt came into my life and made me a mother, I love that girl who went out and educated herself and made HERSELF a teacher.

In 30 years, my sons will have grown into men. I know that will happen, as much as I want them to stay the boys they are. In 30 yrs, I won't feel the heartbreak I feel tonight even thinking of leaving my sons and returning to the "workforce". In 30 years, I will still be a wife, a mother, a teacher(most likely retired), and a woman who tries her best to give all she can to each of those roles.

I am sad. I am excited. I am nervous. I am scared. I am on the brink of change. 2011, is not the year of being a SAHM for me, but it was an honor to have the opportunity at least once in my life. A special thanks to my husband, who made it possible for me to have this cherished time with our sons. I will miss the role, I will miss being a stay at home mom year round, but rejoice in the fact that regardless of the title, working, stay at home, etc. I will always be Zach and Matt's full-time Mom. (Boy am I glad I get summer's off, so I can dabble in this role again!)

Just so I hit 115...

2010-12-31T15:36:00.002-05:00

In 2009 I blogged 114 times. In 2010 I blogged, 114 times. Just to keep it interesting and to meet one of last year's resolutions, here is my 115th post of 2010!

As a parent of small children New Year's isn't quite the party it used to be. The last three years we have kept it low key...very low key. I am not even sure I've seen the ball drop for the last two. In my younger days though there were some great parties attended, some super fond memories created and one fantastic night that resulted in pneumonia!

Here are some of my favorite New Years memories:

1. As a young kid, staying up with my cousins Mike and Jess, watching the ball drop and then banging pots and pans on the front porch at midnight(Grandma Mary would have been proud!)

2. Our bowling New Years. If you have never bowled in the New Year it is a ton of fun...I hope to try this one again in a few years when the boys are ready

3. The movies/dinner New Year. This is actually a classic from my early teen years. One of my all time favorite New Years was when my sis, my parents and I headed out to see "War of the Roses" in the theater, and then went to a fancy dinner afterwards. I can still remember my sister and I dressed up and brought our new purses from my Aunt Marge which we filled with makeup. We had such a great time...maybe thats why I celebrated my wedding reception in the same location many years later!

4. The dress to the nines hockey game/party Wayne and I attended one of the 1st years we were dating. It was so much fun, drinking and dancing the night away with friends.

There are so many more, but one of my favorite things is that no matter where we are, who we are with, or what we are doing, I call my family near New Year's and wish them a Happy one! I hope my boys always think to call me someday in this magical time when one year ends and another begins seemlessly. I also hope I am fortunate enough to kiss my husband Happy New Year for the next 50 years or so! I can't wait to see what awaits in 2011!