Nothing new, just life

There are no major events to tell you about, just some everyday things I thought might make you smile.

To begin with, I have two little boys who can both read and ride two wheeler bikes now! It is so exciting. As Dominic says, I read in my head, not out loud. He just needed a little boost of confidence, and his PEP class has given him just that. He just read the word "different" with hardly a pause. We come home from getting Anthony and go straight to homework. I figure getting them in the habit of getting it done right away will be helpful in the future. So, we make a snack, pick out the books we want to read for reading time, and then head right into homework. Dom doesn't really have homework yet, aside from reading with us, but I give him little assignments and we have workbooks he can do so he feels like a big kid like Anthony. Luckily Nico is sleeping at this point so I don't have to deal with him getting into trouble, which he will do of course!

So that brings me to Nico. Oh, before I go there, let me share another Dominism with you. This weekend we were talking about the weekend, what it means, what we do, etc. Mostly, we decided, it is the time in the week when you don't have to go to school. What was Dom's response? "Oh, Sunday is the day you get to be dumb." You heard it here first, folks.

So Nico, precious Nico. He is getting more used to having his brothers gone most of the day. He no longer cries at the drop of a hat and actually thinks up games to play all by himself. Games like, put all the clean clothes in the sink, or pour all my goldfish into the couch cushions. The kid is creative, I will give him that. Today he decided to literally run in circles for about 3 minutes straight. He didn't fall or run into anything. It must be some sort of 2 year old record, right? He is definitely learning how to communicate better. In complete sentences like "I don't want that lunch", or "I don't want to get Dominic." Most of his sentiments are in the negative at the moment. We are working on that. Of course he is still a little spitfire, loves to tell jokes, and loves to laugh. I find that trying to "eat" any part of his face or tummy gets a good giggleout of him. His new favvorite is what we call a "grandpa kiss." Grandpa Bernie invented it and it just a kiss, but instead of giving a kiss, you blow raspberries. He laughs so hard!

Three boys. We are still trying to wrap our minds around what that will mean for a food budget in the coming years. Or how we will deal with the stinky socks and shoes. I vote for quaratining them in their own wing of the house. Don't ask don't tell will be instituted. It is so neat to have three boys, three boys who already love each other so much. Anthony is the consumate older brother, always looking out for his younger siblings, teaching them and guiding them, and sometimes getting super annoyed with them. Dom is your basic second kid. He does what he wants, bothers his older brother, gets annoyed with his younger, has mastered the art of "not listening". Nico, sweet Nico. I still haven't figured him out yet. He is hilarious and smart and curious and adorable. He wants to be just like his brothers but different, if that makes any sense. He loves Mickey Mouse and also loves Speed Racer. He is sturdy and tough and can handle anything you throw his way, except getting put to bed before everyone else, that still really bugs him! He calls kids he meets "buddy" and asks if you are ok after you cough or sneeze.

I just love how different they all are and yet how much you can tell they are brothers. The years ahead will be full, I know that, and I can't wait. I mean, I can, I am trying really hard to cherish these times with all of them home most of the time and playing together. I know it is only a few short years away when one will be at soccer, one at baseball, one on a date, etc. Hard to imagine them as anything but toddlers and gradeschoolers, but that is the truth of life. I am blessed with a houseful of wonderful men and I could no be happier.

I have a seven year old! (and I am not sure how I feel about that)

Today Anthony turns seven. I am not sure you heard me, I said, SEVEN!!! So, that makes me, well, older than I feel. Now, don't get me wrong, I love having older kids. They dress and feed themselves, occasionally they will clean up after themselves, they can entertain themselves for long periods of time, and they are so much fun to talk to. It is just that, well, I can't possibly be old enough to have a seven year old. But alas, here I am, celebrating my first born's seventh year of birth. I thought I would tell some of my favorite Anthony stories in honor of this momentous day.

To begin with, I was pretty sure Anthony wasn't going to arrive at all. I was all set for him to arrive on September 7th, or there abouts, but 3 days later, nope, 5 days later, nope, a week later, NOTHING! At that point the doctor asked if I wanted to induce. Um, YES! So, on September 16th, at about 4 am I woke up, showered, packed my bag and Joe and I went off to have our first baby. He arrived after only 14 hours of labor a delivery. I pushed twice, and then just like that, Joe and I were parents, we were a family instead of just a couple. It was magical and miraculous and ever so slightly terrifying.

Anthony was the perfect baby, on a schedule right away, only cried when he was hungry or tired, slept peacefully and ate quickly. We were in heaven! He was easy to take places, slept pretty much all the time, and at 9 months even went with us to Cancun and did amazing. Well, except for one incident that involved a very messy diaper, a highchair at a restaurant, and daddy cleaning him up in the restroom. But he smiled the entire time!

As he grew we were amazed at how thoughtful and observant he was. He never went through the terrible two's, although potty training had it's moments. But as is so like him, he fought and fought and fought, and then one day just decided to do it. Things have to happen on his time, whether it is apologizing to one of his brothers or coming to the dinner table. He has this uncanny ability to block out the sound of your voice if you are saying something he doesn't like.

Let's skip ahead a few years. One of the things Joe and I try really hard to do is keep track, and write down, the funny things our kids say. Anthony has had some great ones. One of my personal favorites was once, back when we had kitties, he said to me, "I am going to go ask the kitty where she is going." Then he walked over to her, got right in her face, and said "meow, meow, meow, Roxy." Of course he knew that speaking her language would make it easy for her to understand. Perhaps he will be a diplomat someday.

Anthony is such a blessing in our lives and as he grows and becomes older and more mature we are constantly amazed at how smart, thoughtful, and just awesome he is! He is the first to help Nicolas if he can't get something to work, and the first to reach him when he is getting into something naughty! He watches out for both of his brothers and is a friend to everyone he meets. Last year I heard numerous times from moms that Anthony was one of their child's "best friends" at school. He never excludes anyone and just wants to get to know you. It warmed my heart to know that he wasn't part of a clique but rather befriended everyone. His sensitive spirit is definitely one of his best qualities. While I am still in shock that he is seven I am also so excited for the future and the young man he will become. I know he will grow to be an amazing man because he is already an amazing kid! Of course, he has some of the best examples any boy could ask for. Thank you daddy and grandpas and uncles! I can't tell you much it means to this mother of three boys to know that her children have a wealth of wonderful, kind, strong, honest men to look up to in this world when men, real men, are become a rarity. I know my boys will grow up to have integrity, morals, self-esteem, and respect for themselves and others. Joe and I certainly could not do this alone, that is for sure!

Please know that as we rejoice with Anthony today for coming into our lives that we also rejoice in the fact that he came into the family that he did. Joe and I know just how lucky we are to have the families we do.

Day two...

So, I bet you thought all the excitement would be limited to the first day of school. Well, you clearly don't know my children very well! Let's see, it started last night with Dom coming into our room about 4 times claiming he had a bad dream. (This has been going on for a week or so and we are trying really hard to break him of the habit.) So, needless to say, he was exhausted even before he woke up! But, he did wake up ready to go to school, that is until he realized that daddy would not be taking him to school like he does Anthony. Now, this was our mistake, since last year we kept telling him that once he started school he could ride with Anthony in daddy's car. What we failed to take into consideration was that they would go to different schools for a year! So, there were many tears as daddy drove away with Anthony. To make up for my mistake I let Dom play Wii for a bit this morning before we left. Yet another mistake on my part. When I told him it was time to go he lost it!! But, he rebounds quickly and once we were on the way to school he got excited again and was ready for his day.

That leads me to Nicolas. I knew the transition to both brothers being at school would cause a little strain on him, but you would think he was having his toenails ripped out every 5 minutes! He will be playing fine or we will be doing something like building with blocks and then all of a sudden he throws himself on the ground face first and screams! He did this at Dom's school while we waited for the bell. So, I am trying to make it easier, playing games, giving him some extra snacks to take his mind off how lonely he is. I am watching a friend's daughter this morning, which is kind of helping, otherwise I would have taken him somewhere like the park, but I have a feeling it wouldn't be much different there either. He would just realize that his brothers aren't there and want to sit by me the entire time. So, I guess we have a few weeks of adjusting to go through before we are all on "school year" time. I am looking forward to me time with just Nicolas and I hope he gets used to being an only child for a few hours a day. But at the same time it warms my heart how much my boys love each other.

Hopefully day 3 will be quieter.

First day of school

Today is the first day of school for both Anthony and Dominic. It was a busy morning; up at 6:30, breakfast for everyone (don't forget the coffee for mom and dad), get everyone dressed, pack lunches, pack backpacks, load the car, off we go!! Anthony was first and he was so excited! He couldn't wait to see who was in his class this year from last year and to meet his new teacher. He is in a bungalow this year, for those of you unfamiliar, it is like a adjunct classroom. They use trailers, like on construction sites. He was super excited to be in a bungalow! So, we waited for the teacher, lined up, and said goodbye. Then it was off to Dom's school. There was a lot of waiting around since we got there super early, but that was fine. Joe had never been to the school before so he was able to look around and check things out. Dom was so excited he couldn't keep still! He waited in line so well, though, once he was asked. Then it was kisses and hugs for him and in he went, his first day of real school! I am so proud of them both and excited for the year ahead and the things they will learn and the friends they will make. So now Nico and I are sitting in the kitchen talking about what to do today. He apparently wants crackers, so, that is easy. I on the other hand need to find something to distract me from the immense quiet that now surrounds me! My little boys are growing up and I am so happy about that, but today I am feeling a little lonesome for my guys. Enjoy the pics.

Some thoughts on my life

33-that is how old I am. Well, 33 and a little more than half at this point. So, I am no spring chicken. But I am also not over the hill, at least I don't think so. Is 30 the new 20 or the new 40? I can't keep track. At any rate, us generation x-ers are kind of caught in a strange spot, at least a lot of the ones I know and talk to. Yes, of course there are plenty of us who are right where we wanted to be at this point; doctors, lawyers, pastors, teachers, etc. But there are plenty of us who either graduated and got our MRS degrees and then had children or who continued on with school and are now graduating with masters and PhDs with very few options for employment in the current climate. I am one of those MRS and children folks, and don't get me wrong, I would not change the path I took for anything, but I often wonder where I would be and what I would be doing had I not gotten married right out of college. And that gets me wondering what I would do if I could go back to work right now. I am not all that qualified for anything. I have a BA in English Lit. So, I can read and write and talk to you until I am blue in the face about themes and under currents in various classic novels or bring you up to speed on Dante's Inferno. Know anyone who is hiring with those criteria? I didn't think so. I have done clerical work and my last job was actually pretty cool, some technical writing and other things, but again, that was almost 7 years ago!! Ugh, who would hire me now? That gets me thinking about going back to school. But of course several questions come up; what would I study and how would I pay for it? It is one thing to be a stay at home mom with a wonderful husband who works so hard so I can be with the kids during these formative years, but it is quite another to be a stay at home mom who then has to take classes when she has time all the while asking more from her husband who already works like a dog! We could make it work, I know that, but is that a stress I want to add to our lives right now? Not really. Plus there is the whole issue of what would I study? My immediate inclination is to study something recession proof, like medical transcription or pharmacy tech, but those don't make me stand up and yell "woohoo!" when I talk about them. So then I think, what do I want to do? And that is where I get stumped. I don't know. I would love to be a photographer, but that is a slow and expensive career to pursue and it will cost me in the beginning and who knows if I will ever make enough money for it to be worthwhile! I love creating things and sewing and crocheting, but those don't pull in the big bucks either. Not that I want big bucks, it would just be nice to have regular bucks, even just a few.

So I get to this point in my thinking and realize that a small finger has been poking my leg for who knows how long and a small voice has been saying "mommy, guess what?" who knows how many times and I am reminded of where my priorities and my heart are at the moment. I look down to see my two year old with that gleem in his eye, he wants to tell me a knock knock joke. He usually makes them up, something like "knock, knock" (who's there) "I love you" (I love you who?) "I love you, get outta here!" Then he throws his head back and says "ohhhh" and laughs. Then I hear my older two upstairs playing with legos, building, taking apart, and rebuliding their new Lego Star Wars ships. They are laughing and pretending and I can't help but smile. Now don't get me wrong, my days are not all knock knock jokes and brotherly love. It is about 50/50 with the niceness and the constant bickering and whining. Like right now they are arguing about, I am not really even sure, but there is a lot of "what do you think you are doing" and " I'm telling mommy!" Luckily the two year old is napping, but that didn't come easy either. Some days I feel like I really have a handle on this parenting thing, and especially the stay at home mom thing. Some days, not so much. Some days I realize they have been watching TV for 47 hours and haven't eaten one fruit or vegetable and haven't been bathed for days. Other days we have been to the museum and the grocery store all before lunch and the two year old goes down for a nap with a new diaper! Those are good days, and they don't happen regularly. I feel like a terrible mom on the days when we don't do anything, just stay at home, but at the same time, what mom can do something or plan something every single day?! Well, I know they are out there, but I am not one of them. Things will change once school starts and there is less time for TV and video games and that will be a welcome change for all of us. But I have to keep reminding myself that I am not perfect. But I also think I am a pretty good mom. For instance, today was Dom's orientation for his pre-kindergarten. It was a lot sitting around in the heat listening to grown-ups talk about things that could have easily been printed on a sheet and handed out. Dom kept whispering to me "I'm bored." I would whisper back "me too, but we need to listen for just a few more minutes." He sat so nicely, albeit making some pretty hilarious bored faces. Then we went to the classroom and the teacher asked all the kids to sit on the rainbow rug while she pointed out the different areas in the room. Immediately a groups of mostly boys started kicking each other and taking things off shelves and making a lot of noise. I looked around, expecting one of them to be Dom, but instead he was sitting quietly, with his bored face on, waiting for the teacher to finish talking. I was so proud. I kept waiting for the parents of the loud boys to step in, but they didn't. The teacher finally asked them to settle down and they sort of listened. It occurred to me that if nothing else, I am raising children who know how to behave in a classroom and around other adults and children. At least I hope so. That's not to say they won't act up or get in trouble, that is part of being a kid, and especially being a boy, but for the most part I think even with PJ and TV days notwithstanding, they are turning out pretty great. I might be biased, but I might also be right. So, when I think about what I want to do, I have to admit, I am doing it. It isn't always easy and I don't always feel like doing it and of course I complain, but who doesn't about their job? Ok, maybe the Pope, but you never know. I have been blessed with an amazing family, the most wonderful husband, the coolest kids, and the knowledge that what I am doing now does mean something. I am preparing my children to one day be productive, responsible citizens. At least they will be able to sit still and listen in class, which is more than I can say for a lot of the kids out there. I just hope I can remember this at 4:30 pm today when all three are whining about being hungry, there are toys EVERYWHERE, and all I want is to lay down and rest. I will let you know.

More wedding pics

Just a few more pics from the wedding. Not sure if editing them or taking them is more fun!