Wordless Wednesday

Daddy's B-day

Chick-fil-a and some cupcakes contaminated by the hands of his offspring!

That's how daddy wanted to celebrate with his family! :-)

Happy 35th Birthday Jason!

I've had the pleasure of knowing this man since 1991. What a cute little guy he was! What a blessing he is to myself and our family!

Can you freeze time?

This sweet little blue-eyed man is growing up way too fast...in fact when you ask how old he is, he insists he is four just like his older brother.

He prefers to do things by himself

"I do it mommy".

I can't believe he's riding a bike,

going to the bathroom on his own

"leave me alone mommy"

(he prefers his privacy), & sleeping in a big boy bed.

He has the most amazing manners. His "please's and thank you's" are ...unsolicited, not out of habit, but genuine.

He insists on taking his plate when finished with dinner to the sink himself.

He still insists I rock him (and I will take advantage until

the sad day arrives when he tells me not to).

He is our affectionate one...our cuddle bug. Several times a day he will randomly say,

"I love you mommy".

Our silly one, our dancer, our musician.

Kate's Girls Day Out

While the boys were camping, Kate enjoyed time with the ladies. We started our day by visiting Grandpa MacCarthy at his retirement community as they were having their Fall Festival. She got to see all sorts of animals (all of whom she called a puppies), ride down an inflatable slide, and enjoy her first taste of Kettle Corn. (Later followed with a chocolate shake from Winsteads). I think she rather enjoyed all the attention and treats! Then she was toted around to about 20 homes on the Fall Parade of Homes tour.

Boy's Fall Camping Trip

While the ladies of the family (Mom, sis Katie, myself and baby Kate) enjoyed the fall KC Parade of Homes, the boys took a trip to Smithville Lake with Grandpa Dan, Uncle Tommy, cousin Daniel and Daniel's grandpa, Vladimir to go fishing and camping. This was their first experience, and by all accounts, a great experience! I'm sure they will remember this inaugural trip for the rest of their lives and how special that they experienced it with grandpa!

Getaway

Jason and I haven't been on a vacation alone...well............since our honeymoon.

Ten years ago!

So we are in the process of planning our getaway with some friends of ours this coming spring/early summer. St. Lucia is my 1st pick so far! I love the photos of its crystal clear waters, it's mountainous geography, rainforests, & waterfalls. How could you not relax in an environment like this?

In 2nd place: Hawaii. We may have use of a free time share in Kona. I think the most applealing thing about that location is finding time to see the set of LOST. Does that tell you how big a fan I am!?! :) Doesn't look very romantic though, does it?

Wordless Wednesday

My two peas

Mondays & Fridays are my most entertaining days...as both Nick and Kate are home together. Boy do they know how to get in to trouble together. If I'm working and it's quiet, it's a safe bet they are off somewhere they shouldn't be, doing something they shouldn't be. They are a great source of comic relief!

The Circus!

Daddy took the boys to the

Ringling Brothers

Barnum & Bailey Circus

last night at the new Sprint Center

with Uncle Tommy and cousin Daniel!

They had a great seats and fabulous time!

(And mommy & Kate enjoyed a quiet girls night at home!)

Neglected no more...

Photography~I have been booked with sessions every weekend for three weeks straight and it will continue through October. I love this little hobby/money maker of mine and am grateful my dear sweet husband gives me time to pursue it. I'm often asked if I have ambitions to make a full time business of it...and the answer is no. I've learned throughout my life so far that to take something you that you consider a hobby or minor passion and turn it in to a "have to", it can quickly lose it's appeal. So...when not busy with teaching online, my computer time has been eaten up with editing...explaining my absence and neglect here. :-)




Kids~Busy, busy, busy...up and at 'em and out the door to school by 9 or 9:30 (I'm not complaining about that as last year it was out the door by 6:45), work online all day while juggling Kate (and two days a week, Nick). The boys are picked up by 3:00 or 3:30, and we spend the rest of our afternoon/early evening outside playing with the neighbors. Jason and I marvel at the picture-perfect American neighborhood we live in where the cul-de-sac is full of kids riding bikes & playing games until dusk. I'm really grateful for the older neighborhood girls who immediately grab up Kate and take her off to entertain her. She loves playing with the big girls...including Abby, our 13 year old babysitter who conveniently lives across the cul-de-sac.

Job~I still LOVE the new job! It's been far more flexible than I imagined and has been the best marriage of both career and family. I was approached this past week by the principal of Staley High School to teach a few classes every other day...and although flattered and tempted, I decided to decline the opportunity for now. I change my mind daily...and have been quite conflicted as I do miss regular interaction with students (non-virtual environment), but realize that clearing my full plate from last year has been one of the best things I have ever done for my family.

Grandparents~We've had lots of visits with grandparents this past week. We traveled down to Villa Ventura to visit with Grandpa Mac last Sunday afternoon. Gaga and Grandpa made a surprise visit after a doctor's appointment on Thursday and they came bearing gifts...and the kids cried when they left! And Meme and Papa came up yesterday afternoon for a nice long visit...and the kids cried when they left too. :-(

Jonathan BEGGED to have his training wheels removed from his HUGE bike...I conceded...and look at him go! :-) He can only stop by laying his bike in the grass or crashing since his legs can't touch the ground.

In such a hurry to grow up!

~OH, the tragedy of the neglected blog.~

I promise to update soon.....

Flashback Friday-9/11

Today marks the 8 year anniversary of one of the most tragic days in American history. Exactly 8 years ago on this day, the World Trade Center Towers were struck by planes hijacked by terrorist forces. Taking with them 2,752 victims of people trapped inside the building and rescue workers on the ground trying to save others, even if it meant their lives. This fateful day brought out the best of people all over the nation. People helping other people just because it was the right thing to do. Some rescue workers went so far as to die at ground zero to try and save just one more. Just one more dad, mother, brother, or sister they had to save. Driven by courage, these workers ran into the falling buildings foregoing the fact that some of them risked never stepping outside of them again.

Here's my flashback moment of that fateful day:

I was teaching the morning of September 11th at Commack High School in Commack, New York just 30 minutes from downtown Manhattan. I remember finishing up my morning block class and heading for the Social Studies department office. When I walked in, the TV was on and some of my colleagues were standing there watching in silence...not the typical idol chatter often seen. I asked about what I was seeing on the screen as smoke was billowing out of the first tower of the World Trade Center. I listened and heard that it was believed that a small commuter plane had crashed into the tower...and not a second later, I viewed a second plane, a commercial airliner, crash into the second tower. It was one of those split second moments in your life where your eyes suddenly widen and you can't find air to breath....a moment so impacting you know you can never erase from your memory. Knowing that lives were snuffed out at that very moment and knowing, even more frighteningly, that it was no accident but rather an evident act of terrorism against innocent American lives. We were told to return to our classes and not to divulge too much information to the students as many in our student population had parents working downtown...as Long Island in general is a commuting community. The philosophy was that we get these kids with their families before unleashing the reality of what had occurred (and unfortunately, many students did lose parents and family members). Jason drove home early that afternoon on the Long Island Expressway from Huntington and witnessed the smoke and ash filling the sky. We were unable to contact family as the phone lines were jammed for almost two days. I don't believe I have ever really experienced anything in my life that touched me and affected me in such an emotionally raw manner...I cried for days...and days...and even now, it brings tears to my eyes. So today is a day to reflect on the tragic day, remember those victims who lost their lives, the heroism of ordinary people, and to especially remember to attend to what matters most in our lives.

EACH DAY IS A BLESSING

Taken July, 2001 on the Circle Line Tour when my parents visited. We stayed at the Embassy Suites across from the World Trade Center and used the subway access under the Towers daily.

Photos taken at Ground Zero when Jason and I were able to get to lower Manhattan 6 weeks after in early December...a very sobering experience.

Montessori

We love

STEPPING STONE'S MONTESSORI

Jonathan's teacher says he could be academically "dangerous" if he could focus a little. HA! He's been now using the word "focus" before he does anything.

"Mom, I gotta go to the bathroom...I gotta (shouts) FOCUS! Focus, focus, focus!"

Jonathan's name:Nick's name (hehe...I LOVE it!):

Jonathan's recent work:

In one of his inset books with shapes he had drawn and labled had a quatrefoil. Jason and I didn't honestly know what a quadrefall was. It was the page between the ellipse and the curved triangle. What happened to a simple triangle, square, circle and rectangle? He informed us an ellipse was like an egg. Now if he could only explain the quatrefoil...

Wordless Wednesday

Bunkin' it!

Since the boys were falling asleep together anyway...we decided to bunk them. Although we often find them both asleep on the top together most nights

(melts my heart).

Kate(our climber) joins them in the mornings!

Now, if we could just keep them from jumping off...

Flashback Friday~Cross Country

On one of our trips to the park this week (Stocksdale), the kids and I were surprised to find a large group of Cross Country runners preparing for a small meet. What fun! What memories. This time of year will always remind me of the competition I loved so much. I always enjoyed beginning the season in the dead heat of summer, continuing in to fall (love the smell and crunch of leaves under foot), and usually ending the season with the bitter chill of wind and sometimes, snow. I'm so blessed that I had the opporunity to extend my love of running competitively another four years through college. It was great having an immediate group of friends who were as passionate about running as I and traveling all over the country with them.

I hope at least one of my kids develops a love and passion for running...it is one of the few sports you can carry with you the rest of your life.

They were so excited to cheer for the runners...

although Nick was more interested in watching the girls stretch.

Two down, one to go! Woot!

I *think* we can officially claim to have our little (ahem, big) boy potty trained! YEAH! Mr. Nickles made it seem so easy...even if only 2 1/2 years old! I won't take all the credit as his Montessori teacher, Miss Kelly, worked with him a lot this week and last week too. We put a pull-up on him tonight before bed, and wouldn't you know it, he took it off and put his underwear back on....only he had it on so twisted and bunched that he looked as though he was running around in an Elmo g-string. That boy has some cute, pinchable, baby butt cheeks...if I do say so myself!

~Photo Wall~

I thought I would share the photos I printed, had framed and hung in our dining room. :-) I love these three little faces more than anyone can imagine! I don't come in the front door often enough to be greeted by them directly, but every morning when I return from my run...there they are, all smiling and happy...which makes me smile and I start my day very happy too.