Close to Perfect!

This is where we spent our Christmas afternoon:


And this is how the Girls spent their Christmas:


What a perfect day we had! We spent the morning opening gifts from Santa with Megan, Izzy and Gracie! The kids LOVED all their gifts, Santa did great! We had a wonderful breakfast prepared by Happy, showers and then off to the beach!

We met some family friends and had some great food, great conversation and great weather! The kids played in the ocean and at the playground for hours! And we did it...Our goal for Christmas was to enjoy the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful and today we did!

Christmas 2009!

After a few crappy months, we have been enjoying a good family week. We mad it to Disney for two days of Family Fun, and are now at my parents spending the holidays with them and my sister's family. While I wish my brother and his family were here, I will settle for the very good news they delivered today. In all, Christmas Eve was the first really good day I have had in too long!

I hope the monsters like everything that Santa brings and that we can mange another good day tomorrow!

Merry Christmas from Me, Ben and The Monsters!

Christmaska!

Tonight, on this first night of Hanukkah, we celebrated Christmas with the Fallons. Because we will not be with them on Christmas Day, they decided to come visit this weekend for Christmas. As luck would have it, they were here for our Hanukkah feast.

My kids LOVE Hanukkah. No, we are not Jewish, it has just become a tradition over the past 3 years to celebrate. When Declan was in kindergarten, he learned about Hanukkah and instantly wanted to celebrate it. I, having no religious affiliation, was happy to expose them to something new. Tonight we lit our first candle on the menorah, had brisket for dinner and played dreidel. The kids had a blast! They even got some Christmas gifts! I am not sure they could have had a better Hanukkah:)

My little Killi!

My Killi is the truly one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She is so kind and caring. It hurts her to see any person, animal or pretty much anything hurt, broken or sad. If I cry in front of her, she cries, when someone gets hurt at the park, she runs to make sure they will be okay.

Now, I am not trying to make her out as a saint, because she does feel the need to hit,kick,punch her sister, but she feels bad about it after she does it and Maggie most often deserves it;-)

Anyway, Killi is a very easy kid to make happy and we got reminded of that at Lunch this week. While at lunch, Killi was reading the menu, all of the sudden she jumps out of her chair yelling that her name is in on the menu! She was soooo excited. She brought the menu over to Ben and I and pointed out to us where her name was(which in and of itself was a huge deal for Killi). We praised her for finding her name and she spent the remainder of Lunch telling anyone that walked by that HER NAME was in the menu:)

As good parents, we let her enjoy the moment and never explained to her that she was NOT the Killian in question and that she shares her name with a beer:) It was too awesome to see her excitement! Even through her excitement, she told her brother that she would ask them to use his name next time;-)

I love all three of my monsters the same amount, but each brings something very different into my life and Killi's is the kind innocence that only a truly kind soul can bring.

Turkey Trot!

They did it! They competed in their first 1m race! And Declan and Killi Finished! Maggie and Angie only made it about 1/2 a mile:)



The Girls before the race started!


Killi crossing the finish line! 11min! We are so proud of her for going out and trying! She did awesome!


Declan getting ready to race! He finished his mile in 9min and then ran with Marg and Angela for their mile...after the girls bailed-out, he continued on to finish his second mile! So proud of him for giving it his all and then going back to help his sister and cousin!

All the kids got a medal for participation and they were very happy and proud of themselves! We are also proud of Maggie and Ang for trying, we were worried we would not make it that far:)

Declan and Killi say that they cannot wait to race again! Yeah for Mr. Baker and Ms. Barr, You Guys Rock!!!

Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow morning the monsters and Angela will run in the Turkey Trot 1 miler! Heats start at 7:30am, post time at 7:00! That is early! I am sure Declan and Killi will do great, they run in PE and Declan enjoys it. Marg and Angie on the other hand may not make it to the end of the course:)

I think this may be the first of many races with Declan, I just hope he can find some that start later!

I will post pictures when we get home and let you know how everyone did! We do have to rush home after the races to get our 19lb turkey in the oven otherwise we will never eat dinner!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

The Dentist

Today after taking Marg to the doctor for what appears to be croup again, Declan and Killi had dentist appointments. I am very sad to report that we have our first "kid" cavity. Declan is the culprit! Now he will have to have a filling! Otherwise, they have good teeth!

I also got Christmas stuff for the hall bathroom today! Best of all, it is Snowmen so it can really stay through February:) We also got almost all of the lights wired and on!

Decorations!!!!!

Today was the day!!! We got the Christmas decorations out of the shed and started decorating! Here is what the living/dining room looked like with ALL of the boxes form the shed!




We got a good deal up today. Almost everything outside is in place, a few things need to be staked-in in the morning:) I also have only one side of the porch done and have bows that needed to be added, but atleast things are rolling!

I was also able to get the mantle done(menorah front and center:), the nativity scene up for Killi and the lights in all the front windows. We are skipping a tree this year since we will be in FL for Christmas, but I could not go with all the other stuff! This is my favorite time of year! I LOVE Christmas decorations and I am so excited because Ben just told me that he thinks we need a few MORE items for the yard and lights for the house!!!! I am beyond happy!

Oh yeah,I did put my 19lb turkey for 4 adults and 4 children, in the frig for Thanksgiving! If anyone needs a place to go for dinner, stop-in, I will have plenty!!!

New Hair-Do's!

After school today the Girls went for haircuts! I let them pick out what they wanted and this is what they got:


Maggie:


Killi:


If I can get the pink color in Killi's hair tomorrow we will be all set! Yes, I did say pink hair! And yes she is just turning 7, but it is the one thing they can control. I am pretty easy when it comes to hair, my feeling is that it grows back, so have fun!

I will post more pics when the hair is pink:)

Taylor Swift!

While I was in Florida(on my vacation!lol!), Ben granted the request of our littlest monster. Her request, Taylor Swift for her birthday, which in not until March! She was in luck because Taylor Swift was going to be in here 2 days before her 5 birthday! So, as the wonderful dad he is, he scored 5 tickets to the show!!!

This I will say, I am so much happier with Taylor Swift that Hannah Montana! What I am not ready for is the YEARS of concerts and music to come:) I am crossing my fingers that "boy bands" will fizzle-out and I never find myself at a Jonas Brothers concert:)

For now though, I will look forward to Taylor Swift with my singing 5 yr old:)

Report Cards

I am going to make this post against my better judgment. See, my judgment is not nearly has strong a my NEED to express my self:)

Today I went for parent-teacher conferences for Declan and Killi and also got their report cards. My first meeting was with Declan's teacher. We talked a little and went over how Declan was doing in school and how he scored on some testing. Then came the report card. In our school, kids receive number grades from 1-4; 1=below level, 2= working towards level, 3=meets standards and 4=exceeds expectations. So, Declan's teacher explains to me that they are being graded on what they are expected to know by the end of the year.Interesting. I am told that at this point most kids receive 1 & 2's in the first quarter, 2 & 3's in the second and third and mostly 3's in the forth, 4's are VERY hard to get and getting a 3 means that they have met the grade level requirements for the year. This system seems insane to me and I am not really sure I understand how my kid is progressing. Declan got mostly 2+ and 3's, with a few 2's thrown in. I am assured that this is a report card to be proud of. Really? I am not so much happy. Because either my kid is not doing very well or it is November and my kid has met half the standards for the year and is well on his way in the rest. I am not sure I like or understand the 2nd grade system of grading.

Then onto Killi who was graded on the same number scale, but for the work she has been taught since school started. This I understood. She also got 2's and 3's. She is working her tail off and we could not be more proud of her! Her teacher ROCKS and goes so above and beyond for my child(I don't think it is just for mine though:). She is moving forward and that is what we are hoping for!

In all, I was happy with my conferences. My kids have the best teachers for them this year and it is so nice. It doesn't hurt that I personally like both teachers too:) I hope that the rest of the school year goes just as well!

Another Quiet Summer :-)

Our favorite family activity is traveling. In our 19 years together Ben and I have been to some wonderful places; Hawaii, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Mexico, California and having monsters to drag along with us has slowed us down alittle, but not stopped us. We have dragged them to St Thomas, California, Canada, North Carolina and many more places. We enjoy traveling, seeing new places and revisiting some favorites. At the end of every summer I declare, "We are staying home next summer" and by Christmas we always have something in the works.

Not this year. This year it is not even Christmas yet and we have 3 weeks of summer travel booked and partially paid for. A week at the end of June through July 4th is booked for New Jersey and Boston. Then in August, two weeks at two of our favorite beaches, Hilton Head,SC and OBX! Best part is our accommodations for all of these trips looks to be super comfy and very inexpensive! That is important when traveling with a family of 5!

In Boston we have been able to book a suite at a Hilton property for an excellent rate thanks to my sister! Hilton Head we scored the Disney Resort, with full kitchen, for FREE thanks to the in-laws! A whole week at a $300 a night resort for free! Washer/drier and full kitchen, for a mom that is heaven:) And for our week in OBX, we are sharing a house with the Kelley's and it is costing us about $600 for the week. A house with more than enough room for 2 large families to be comfy. A house with a kitchen(yes, I am hung-up on the kitchen thing. Going out to eat with tired monsters is expensive and not fun:)and a washer/drier and walking distance to the beach!

I am so excited that our plans are coming together. I hope we have good weather, at least most of the time:) I hope we make it to Fenway. I hope Hilton Head is as beautiful as we left it and I hope OBX clears the sand from Highway 12 by the time we get there:)

With our crazy and hectic lives, going on vacation gives us time to be together. Time to be together and just have fun. No worries of homework or commutes, routines or dry-cleaning, just time together having fun and reconnecting.

That is why we travel so much. There are plenty of people that think it is a waste of money. That maybe we should by a bigger house or save more for retirement, but for us this is what works. Work hard to play hard! Work together to play together! That's how we roll:)

So, with almost all my Christmas shopping done and birthday shopping for Killi(dec.18th, Nutcracker at the National Theater with Dad) and Maggie(mar.20th,Taylor Swift with the whole family), it seemed logical to get summer squared away too:)

What's left you ask? CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!!!! Yep, I will start unloading the shed this coming week so that Thanksgiving Night, it will be LIGHTS UP!!!! Yes, I am one of THOSE people. I love the lights! I even LOVE that all my friends tease me about them:)

What I Think!

I have an 8 year old son, Declan. Sometimes he is too nice for his own good. For years we have tried to teach him not to hit or hurt other people, the problem with this is that he is 8 and does not protect/defend himself. So now, I am wondering how to balance him but I am not sure how.

I Miss Them...

On Tuesday, I left my two older monster and my husband to fly down to Florida to be with my parents for what was supposed to be a six day trip(which was very long to begin without them) and now I have chosen to extend the trip to next Thursday. I know that the monsters are fine and in very good hands, but I still miss them. What makes it harder is that I am a control-freak at home, so turning it all over to Ben has really not been easy! What I can say it that my husband has been a CHAMP! He has not complained once about me being gone and was so incredibly supportive when I decided to stay a few extra days. I will admit that 8 years ago when Declan was born, I would have NEVER imagined ever leaving the monsters with him for any period of time longer than a quick errand:) Yet he sits there in VA with two monsters and a Newfie! Two monsters that he has gotten up and dressed for school all week, put to bed every night and organized for school everyday. All this and he has still gone to work everyday. He did have help from his parents after school and for dinner, but still he has shouldered the responsibility on his own!

I miss them though! I miss waking a happy Killi in the morning and a grouchy Declan:) I miss knowing what is happening at school(first-hand:) I just miss them. It has also been a good long time since Ben and I spent this much time apart and in the past it was always him leaving:)

On Thursday I will be home and order will be restored. Ben and the monsters will make sure I know how much they missed me and I will get more hugs and kisses than I will know what to do with:) I know they are fine without me and I am doing okay without them, but I still miss them!

Sleep...

I always promised myself that I would NOT play musical beds because of my children. For the most part, I have been able to stick to it, up until a few days/weeks ago(see it has been so long since I slept that I don't know how long she has been coming in:)Anyway, Maggie has decided now that she would like to start having nightmares. She falls asleep in her own bed, regular time(7pm), and then 4-6 hours later she is in my room crying and shaking! So, I pick her up and stick her in my bed. I make sure she is as close to me as possible, as to not disturb Ben and then she sleeps. I on the other hand, do not! I watch tv or look for another bed/couch to sleep on or I cough all night like I have been for the past 5 days!!!

Now what? On Tuesday Maggie and I head to FL for a week where we will share a bed. Then we have company for Thanksgiving, then we weekend in Pittsburgh, then FL for Christmas! My question is this, When do I have the fight about her sleeping alone? I think I need a break from this parenting thing, forget it the whole adult thing!

To Blog or Not to Blog?

To, won out. I am sure I will be sorry later or evasive now:)

Last week the girls and I had H1N1. It sucked, but we got through it. We still have a cough, but all-in-all we are well.

The in-laws came to visit this weekend. It was fine. They took the kids to get pumpkins on Saturday and I stayed home, that was nice.

Declan had two football games this weekend. They won the first, lost the second.

School sucked last week for me and the kids!

Killi is going to have some "testing" done through the school finally.

Maggie is enjoying school.

Ben had been a good husband(soon that will change;-)

Oh The Things I haven't Done...

-pictures are not being taken of the monsters

-after starting strong, lunches are not being made for school

-the budget has not been followed in a few weeks

-routines are not so strict

-never enough time for friends

-bathrooms are not cleaned enough

-not enough time spent on my marriage

-not patience enough with the monsters

-no walking on the treadmill


There are a few things I have done...

-hug and kiss my kids(too often if you ask them:)

-cut back on fast food

-work on not being crazy

-try to deal with less drama

-planned a trip to FL for Christmas

-worked out a budget(that I cannot:)


I know that my life is a struggle for me and that I try to do my best for myself and my family. I know that I can often do better, and I will. I am sure I will also do worse.

Flu Shots!

After much debate, and deciding NOT to get Flu Shots this year, Ben's doctor said we all HAD to have them:( So, with our day off yesterday, everyone got a Flu Shot except me:) Ben got his at the doctor in the morning and then I took the monsters after lunch to get shots! I had three very unhappy monsters, so what did I do? I blamed their father and took them to Target to pick a treat out of the dollar bin:) Killian went first and was awesome! No tears no fuss. They Declan. He was alright, no tears, just a little nervous. Now Margaret, that is another story! She started screaming before the nurse cleaned her arm and continued until I took her off the table...at which point she asked why she wasn't getting one. She screamed, but never felt ANYTHING! Good thing she ins't dramatic:)

Ben's doctor also said that everyone in the house needs a H1N1 shot. I hope we can get that done next week! So far the only way to get the H1N1 shot is through the Health Dept. They are holding clinics in at the local high schools next week...That should be fun:)

My Kids Will Never!

The only parenting advice my mother gave me, unsolicited, was never use the phrase "My Kids Will Never...". This is advice that I have followed pretty well for the past 8 years, but now I am wavering. Not so much in the behavior of my monsters, but in things I was never going to do as a parent! One of the things I swore I was not going to do was make my monsters conscious of their weight and now I have. Maggie, my littlest monster has chunked-up and I fear it is unhealthy. Understand that my other two come in different sizes as well, but neither is "unhealthy". The baby however, needs to eat more healthy and do more activity and as her mom and supplier of her food, this really falls on me and not her! I know that I need to lead by example and therefore need to exercise more myself and with her.

I feel that I have failed her as a mom and now am having to focus on what she is eating and how much. I am trying to do this without pushing it in her face. I have never told her that she needs to "diet" a word that is rarely used in our home. I have instead tried to focus on healthy eating and exercise.

I don't care what she looks like, that is not what this is about. It is about a healthy lifestyle and a good foundation for life. I hope I do it right and don't force her into a "weight" or "appearance" obsession for the rest of her life!

Any suggestions?

Bureaucracy...I am so over it!

As I have mentioned several times on my blog, Killi, my perfect middle monster, continues to struggle in school. On Friday, I met with her new "main teacher", she receives primary support and speech from other teachers. We met and like all the others before her, the new teacher has her own opinion of what Killi's needs are. And once again, her "take" is not like the others. It is so frustrating! We have been at this now for 4+ years, and all we can get people to agree on is that something is not quit right. What is "off" you ask? Can't tell you because about 30 different people have given us about 30 different opinions!

Where do we go now? Well, I am very lucky to have a friend that is a special education teacher and is willing to work with her alittle and see if she and see anything. We have been advised by yet another doctor, to request complete IEP testing. However, school officials keep suggesting that we not have the testing done. The doctors tell us that the school doesn't want to pay for the testing and therefore are dragging their feet...School tells us that the doctors are jumping the gun! Who's right?

I am very angry! I feel like we are being lied to, by whom I am not sure. What I am sure of is that what is best for Killi, is not what we are getting. We I sent my baby to kindergarten last fall, she was the happiest baby ever! By the end of November she was crying EVERYDAY about school. Three weeks in now, she cries daily and thinks she is stupid! Something is not working for her! What the hell is it!

Please tell me if you think you know!

Not Happening...

It has been about a month now since school started and we are still not finding a groove. Working school, activities and sleep into a routine is proving incredible difficult and school has not started for Maggie or me yet, that comes next Monday! I guess the positive of Maggie starting school at the same time I am is that I can have quiet time for school work. I can also clean, grocery shop, exercise and PTO...wait, she is only gone for 3 hours a day:)

Football is over in another month and I am not sure we are long for the cub scout world this year. Killi has lots of homework and there is no good time for us to do it. I am glad she is getting the added support she needs, but they are all handing her "extra" homework and that is tough.

I am hoping to get back to spending more time at home with the family. Less stops on the way home. I would like to spend the time after school playing outside with them in the yard and not at the park with other kids. I am finding that playing after school is making the adjustment to home too hard. It takes the kids that much longer to decompress. The cold weather will be coming soon and football will be over, so we will get some good family time soon!
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On another note, Ben and I have decided that we will give the kids what they asked for for Christmas, two days at Disney World! They have been asking for awhile and I told them when Declan was 10(2yrs from now:-)but as our Christmas plans are ever evolving, we posed the question to them, "Instead of a gift from mom and dad for Christmas, would you like to go to Disney"? They were excited and very willing to forgo other gifts...they were even willing to give up Santa's gifts! I was excited that they wanted to spend time together as a family instead of getting gifts! Santa will still bring a few very small gifts for under the tree, but Disney is our big gift!

Declan has a birthday Friday, 8 years old! We started celebrating today and will probably wrap up sometime Columbus Day Weekend:) We will drag things out here for cake:)

What a Day!

Sundays in the Fall are my favorite days. We stay in all day watching football and just vegging, it is a nice break from the hustle of our daily routines. The girls have been MUCH better the past two days, although they still have room for improvement:) Declan has been Declan which is okay and minus the loss by both the Steelers and the Yankees all weekend, Ben was in good spirits.
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Things have changed since I started writing this post. My husband decided that he was going to act like a two year old and broke one of the computers. The screen is all messed up! He then wonders why Declan is a sore-sport and not a gracious winner. I am certain that children learn from example and that was not a good one. It is difficult for children to understand that they should take care of their things when their father is scream and yelling about a Football game, that oh-by-the-way he does not actually play in!

He walked around the house yelling for an hour and scared the monsters and that annoys me! Fine if you are mad at them, but a football game...get over it.

I am annoyed! A decent day ruined by a grown man acting like a f***ing two year old!

Oh What a Night...

Instead of putting the monsters to bed last night we "hung-out" with them. Ben and Declan played the Wii and the girls and I watched a movie together. Maggie fell asleep on the couch and I left her and went into bed myself. Killi followed me into bed, but opted for her own once I fell asleep. Ben reported that Declan also fell asleep on a couch and he left him:) Maggie did not last long on the couch before she wandered into my room. At 3am the dog decided he needed to go out, barking and barking!!! I threw him out and decided I would replace Maggie on the couch. I am not really sure what time anyone went to bed, but I am guessing there will be some grouchy monsters today...starting with me;-)

I have a killer sinus headache which now is feeling migraine-ish! I have got to do some laundry and make some meals for the week. I also need to clean my room, the bathrooms and do some reading with Killi...how much is really going to get done today??? It is Football Day in America according to Declan:) Tomorrow is another day and I don't have much to do outside the house this week. Maybe I will get the house cleaned before the Family comes on Friday, hahahaha!!!!

An Evil Force!

I am very unhappy to report that my daughters have been taken and replaced by two very mean, out-of-control beings. Ben and I have spent the past few days trying to correct horrid behavior. Last night, they lost t.v. and I thought that was the punishment that was going to work...I was wrong! They topped it tonight! Tonight, after they were tucked into bed, they decided to sneak into our bedroom and steal the nail polish, which ended up on the floor in their bedroom and who knows where else. Because that was not enough "damage" they decided they would try using nail polish remover on the floor to get-it-out! The smell of the nail polish remover is what lead to their room to uncover the latest mayhem! Oh and they were NAKED!!! Both of them running around NAKED!!! WTF!!!

I am at a loss. What do I do to punish them? I am starting to think that they do not care about anyone of anything! I want to cry, wait...I have!

This is the point at which I wish there were a manual! I just don't know what to do!!! They are insane! and it is both of them!

HELP!!!!

Bugs, Football & The Fist Days of School...

What a week we had here! Maggie decided that she was going to wear the "bug" costume we've had lying around the house. She wore it EVERYWHERE this week. By Thursday, the principle at Declan and Killi's school asked her why she wasn't wearing it:)

I guess the positive of the "bug" is that she is cute and the costume only enhances that;-)

Declan played in his first football game today!!!(They had a game last weekend, but the other team fore fitted) Today he played awesome!!!! We were very proud of him; except for when Ben was getting up to help him get a drink and Declan yelled,"I thought you were gonna beat me!" WOW!!! Maybe we need to start beating him;-) Out of the mouths of babes:)



Here he is in his uniform!!! Go Titans!!! And no, that did not go over well in our Steeler house this week:)


To round out the mix this week, school started for the two oldest monsters! And me too I guess as they were crazy enough to elect me to the PTO Board this year:) I am the volunteer coordinator. This was my sign for Open House!


The monsters had a good week! They both seem happy with their teachers and I am too so far, but you know that you would have heard by now if I wasn't:) They did not buy into taking the bus past the first day and that is really okay. Our routine isn't great, but that is us! For now, school is going well all around! And we had a good week! I hope they keep up this way!

All Good Things...

It is not for lack of trying, but I just find it near impossible to stick to a schedule! I really hate them! Well, maybe not hate them but find it difficult to live by them. It's not just me anymore though, the Monsters too are not good with routine! I find that our family does best with a loose guideline. Very little is set in stone and the few things that are, still have some wiggle-room. For example school, getting out the door to school is projected to occur at 8:25am, however they do not HAVE to be there until 9am, so we always have a half-hour to play with. It is the same with school pick up, it can be done between 3:30-4:00pm. Bedtime, no routine there either. I try to get baths done at night, but it is no biggie to do in the morning if need be.

I am told regularly that this is not a good thing and that we need a schedule, a routine, but that makes me unhappy! Crazy even, trying to get everything done the same way ALL the time! My kids do not seem unhappy or un-nerved by are lack of routine, in fact they seem much less comfortable when I try to push routine on them. Maybe I am just seeing what I want to, who knows!

So our house lacks a schedule and has a loose routine, I think I am going to start living with that instead of forcing the unnatural on the fam! Hopefully I will not screw them all up too bad...or I will and they will blame me at the therapist that I will be paying BIG money for:)

Tomorrow's The Day!

Declan starts 2nd grade tomorrow! Where has the time gone? Seems like just yesterday we were looking for preschools, now 2nd grade! I think he is ready and excited to get back to school. His teacher is awesome(and I hope she is a good teacher too:)

Killi Monster on the other hand is either very nervous about 1st grade or quit a manipulator. She spent about 2 hours crying that she could not sleep because she was scared to go to school and would miss me. I suspect she didn't want to go to bed, but I will pretend that she is really going to miss me:) She also has an awesome teacher that I know she is going to LOVE! I am really hopeful that together they will have the breakthrough Killi needs to get it all to click. I know that her teacher will do her best to find what works.

The Monsters will also be trying the bus this year. Killi is excited about that while Declan would be happy for me to drive and pick him up everyday:)

I promised brownies and blondies for dessert tomorrow night so I guess Marg and I will be busy bakers after we get the kids off!

I hope everyone out there has a great school year!

This is it!

Summer is ending. School is starting in just a few days and the cool air the past week has kept the Monsters from the pool. Life has been crazy here the past few days, there doesn't seem to be anytime for anything! PTO and Open House, football and babysitting we had a busy week. I think the kids will enjoy getting back to school after the first week or so of waking up early. The routine should be good for them! And our routine should stay about the same from here on until about January, then Football ends and we wonder what to do on Sundays:)

I am hopeful that Declan and Killian have the best teachers for them this year and that they will each have to work hard and will learn a ton! Fitting homework in with football and scouts should be fun:)

I hope that I am able to continue making a few meals on the weekends to freeze and put away for the busy nights. And that I am also able to get a good chore schedule going for myself so that my house might be clean!

Margaret does not start pre-school until Oct.5 so until then I will have a helper for house work and PTO! That is always fun:)

I cannot wait to post how GREAT our first week is going:)

Lots to Share!

First, my mom, brother, almost SIL and two perfect nieces are coming for a weekend visit at the end of the month! I am very excited! I always LOVE to see my brother and crew and I haven't seen my other niece in about 9 months! This will be a good preview of Thanksgiving with only half the people:)

Next, tonight started my full-press attempt at getting back into a school routine. We had dinner, then showers, quiet playtime, teeth brushed and off to bed. No, it did not go very well, but that is why I started tonight and not next Sunday:) I have also set the alarm for 7:45 tomorrow morning so we can get up and moving! I wonder if that end will work better:)

I got a bunch of dinners made today in hopes of keeping our dining-out to a minimum and hopefully eating healthier meals. I made baked ziti, chili, and rice to use in fried rice. That should help this week!

Football scrimmage on Tuesday and Thursday is Open House for the kids at school. Ben is headed back to work after being out most of the month so he will have lots to do! I guess the best way to get back into the groove is to just jump in!

CHRISTMAS!

Yes, I am aware that September is not here yet, but Christmas is both my favorite and least favorite time of the year. This year I am making a change and this change is going to make Christmas my favorite time of the year with no exceptions!

My opposition to Christmas for many years has been the complete commercialization of the holiday. Despite my best efforts, the monsters see Christmas as a time to "get stuff". This is not what I want Christmas to be about in our home. I want it to be about family and fun and LOTS of decorations! For months now, I have been cutting-back on what I buy the monsters and Ben and I have been making them "earn" things. I have also been preparing them for the fact that Christmas will be VERY small as gifts are not what it is about! I hope they start understanding that.

Honestly, it is not just about Christmas, but life in general at our house. We are a very fortunate family. Are basic needs are met with many, many extras thrown in. I am feeling that it is time that we realize how good we have it and what is really important. To me, spending time together is important! Because soon enough the monsters will be out in the world and our time together will lessen. I want to enjoy NOW!

I hope my Christmas plans go well and I can get the family to enjoy the family side of the holiday!

Order in the Court!

The monster's sleep schedule has been so off all summer. With our trip to NJ so early this year, we never got into a good rhythm and the bad one is getting worse! The kids are up until between 10:30pm-midnight every night! Around here, that is a BIG deal seeing as Maggie was in bed by 7pm all school year, Killi by 8pm and Declan in bed about the same time, just not asleep. They don't get up in the morning until well after 9am and getting them(and me) motivate is near impossible!

As we speak, it is 7pm and Maggie is asleep! I am not sure how long she has been asleep, but I am pretty sure that it will not last through the night! There is craziness and chaos all the time! I don't like it. I like for the monsters to go to bed and then for me to have some quiet time before I go to bed! That has not been working! We need some order and I have decided that it will come in the form of melatonin! I have used it before(on recommendation of their doctor)and I think that is the only way to move them back to our normal schedule. Lucky for my I have found a place in town that carries the liquid, so when I ever leave the house and Harbour again, I will grab it! Maybe then some order can be restored around here!

Wish me luck!

Truth...

I know it is rare, but I feel I must share so truth here. First, I am truly looking forward to school starting, but only so that we have a schedule again. Second, I am truly hoping that this school year will be better for me than last year was. Third, I am a very disorganized person. Fourth, sometimes I wonder how I got the life I live. And fifth, I love my kids with all my heart!

I wish I could have been more organized this summer and that we could have done more as a family. I feel like the time is moving so quickly and that the kids will be off to college the next time I blink. I hate that! I wish time moved more slowly. I wish I could keep them little forever! Being a mom is getting harder and harder as they get older. There is more to do. More activities, more school work and more active parenting. When the kids were younger the days seemed "hard" with 100's of diapers and feeding and changing and playing, but now I see that that was the easy part. Now with the activities and homework and friendships and questions, it is really tough! I hate to see my kids be mistreated by other kids, but I know they need to learn to work that out and I know that the only way for them to learn is to ask questions, but some questions I am not ready to answers!

It is hard, this parenting thing! I am glad I have many friends to do it with!

Some Good...

Today I had a meeting and it was good! This was the second meeting in as many weeks that I have had and both have had awesome outcomes! The first was last week with Father Bob, where I looked for answers on religious education for the monsters! and today with the school principle about the best options for my Killi for next year!

In neither meeting did I get all I wanted, but what I did get in both was the chance to talk with people that really wanted to hear what I was saying! And it was about my kids so it was good!

Parenting

Growing up, there were a few "lines" my mother used often that I swore I would NEVER use as a mother. Two of my least favorites she used were "Because I said so" and "I don't care what so-and-so does I am not their mother". Upon hearing either of these "lines" my skin would crawl! I wanted to scream every time she used them! I could never understand why she could not just explain WHY instead of I said so or WHY she was always the mean mom and we could not do what so-and-so did. Well, as my children continue to grow, so do I! And I know that "because I said so" is an answer given out of necessity sometimes and not always convince. "Because I said so" sometimes just needs to be used until there is a better time/place for further explanation and not always to ignore the child:) So, I use it, alot and I have made peace with the hypocrite that I am for swearing at 14, I would NEVER use that on my kids:)

Moving onto my second least favorite "line" my mother used,"I don't care what so-and-so does I am not their mother". With this one I just never understood why I was unable to do all the fun things that EVERYBODY else could! This "line" has become one of the most used in my home! Only now I hear it in an entirely different way. When I say this to my children it is often because that behavior in question that so-and-so is partaking in is not behavior that I think is good for my children. Sometimes it is for moral and ethical reasons and others just because. The reason I bring this up is not to show what an incredible hypocrite I am, but to point out that almost NO ONE else I know uses these "lines". And that would be great if the reasons were that these parents always take the time to explain to their children why, so "because I said so" was never needed or that all the kids and parents we know had the same rules, but that is not the case either. Instead I find that I sit at the park or pool all day and discipline my children while most of the other children run wild with little to no oversight! This is driving me mad! And I know it does not matter how others raise their kids only how I raise mine, but sometimes I think it would be nice if some of the rules were the same...No hitting, back-talking, lying, small things is all I am asking for! Who knew I was going to be the only psycho mom that thinks sassy mouths should be punished!

Parenting is not as easy as the getting pregnant thing was;-) And I love it but I would like to say to Sec. Clinton, I do not want the village to raise my children because they are not doing a hot job on their own!

An Outing or Two...

This past weekend, my brother and his crew came to town and we found somethings to do other than sit around the house and talk:) Friday night we headed downtown to see the Nationals play. They lost, they do that a lot:) We enjoyed ourselves despite the terrible play by the Nationals! We did get a an extra treat at the game, Friday Night is Firework Night at the stadium and they were great and with BRUCE playing in the back round, they were near perfect! As a Jersey Girl, fireworks and Bruce on a summer night is good stuff!

Here we are with Teddy Roosevelt, he races in the Presidents Race during the game:)



Then on Saturday we headed out to Antietam Battlefield! At first my excitement was really not there for this adventure and the traffic did not help, but in the end I/we had lots of fun!

Hiding Out...

I have been hiding out from blogger lately:) Really, I am just having trouble making time! I find that my summer days are filled more than my "school days" are. I always wonder how this can be. In reality I know how; I am having to engage and entertain the monsters all day long! While I don't mind this and LOVE not having to be on much of a schedule, it makes for a some long days. I let the kids stay up late and sleep in, but then I have trouble getting errands done, but on the flip side of that, summer break is only 2+ months long and isn't nice for the kids to dictate their schedule some:)

We have been spending lots of time at the pool and all three monsters are really swimming and well at that:) Declan and Killi can swim strokes and dive in the 12 foot pool to retrieve diving sticks! Maggie can jump in and swim about half the length of the pool before getting tired! I am really happy for them, they are all so proud of themselves.

They have also gotten to enjoy playing with their friends with no rushing for homework or activities. We might even try some sleepovers before the end of the summer:) We have also had a few friends have babies in recent weeks and been lucky enough to visit with the new additions! The girls are happy to look, but move on quickly, Declan however keeps asking for a brother!lol! NEVER!

Tomorrow night we are headed to the Nat's game(where chances are they will loose:) but there are fireworks after the game and Billy, Kelly and Angie are here to enjoy it with us...no one else visits! Maybe I can get some pictures up of that!

Family Fun Day in NYC!!!!

Friday we had a Family Fun Day in NYC!!!

The girls and me being goofy!



Our first stop was the Statue of Liberty! Declan has been asking to go for 2 years now and this year we made it!



Ben and the monsters at Lady Lib! It really was a beautiful day there. Not too hot, a great breeze and best of all, the kids got their National Parks Passport stamped!




Then off to spend ALL Daddy's money at:

We had been promising Killi a new doll for sometime now. She had a tough year in school and worked very hard and for all her hard work she earned a doll, that she could spend the summer playing with! Time to be a kid!

And Maggie is lucky enough to be little and cute so her dad could not deny her one:)


And as you can see, Killi was having no trouble at all with spending Dad's money! And Dad having NEVER been to the store didn't really get how it worked and spent WAY more money than mom would have! It's nice to be daddy's little girls:)

Don't be sad for Declan. He did get to go to the Statue of Liberty and yes he was dragged to the AG Store, but Wednesday night he gets to go with is dad and PopPop to the New Yankee Stadium! That in his world is a very big and exciting thing! And when he goes with Pop, he NEVER comes come empty handed!

Better Days!

After a rocky start the first day, summer vacation has been much better the last two days! We have spent countless hours at the pool and what very few hours were left in the day we fit in packing, sleeping and an ice cream trip with friends!

This year at the pool is a bit different than the 4 previous summers. In years past I have sat mostly alone talking only in passing with people I knew only from the pool. I knew almost nobody's name and I was okay with that. I would sit and watch the kids play and the hours would pass. Not this year! Now that the kids are in the neighborhood school, we know EVERYONE and moreover, everyone knows us! I thought it would be good to join the PTO, which brought me lots more friends(?).

Don't get me wrong, it has been a good thing. It is just a bizarre experience to go from a Nobody to this:) Me with friends is such a novel concept:)

1st Day of Summer Vaca...

SUCKS!!! It is cold and rainy. The kids got up too early and the only game they seem to be able to play is "make each other cry". Thankfully, I have an awesome(and very crazy)friend that took all three monsters to her house for a few hours. I am not sure they'd have made it through the day without it.

Tomorrow the rain is supposed to tapper off to scattered T-storms, so maybe we can get to the pool. Same for Friday. Then we are off to NJ, where the rain never seems to stop! The forecast says 67 and rain for Saturday up there!!! Hope that changes or our beach trip is gonna suck!

I guess I should vacuum or pack-

An Interesting Meeting.

I've waited a few days to share this story because I have been considering whether or not I wanted to publicly discuss this, and I have decided that I do! I rarely hold back here and now is no time to start, especially since I'd love to hear your thoughts.

As anyone that reads this knows, My sweet Killi has not had an easy school year. Learning, in a traditional manner is very difficult for her. She went into kindergarten not knowing her letters or numbers. Her fall "test" scores while passing were very low(and by low I mean 60 points less than her brother's the year before). Anyway, Ben and I spent a good deal of time at the school working with her primary teacher and the support teachers hoping that Killi would "catch-up".

At our mid-year meeting in February, the teachers told us that she was not progressing and had been placed on the retention list and selected for summer school. Ben and I had decided that retention in Kindergarten was not an option for us as she is already one of the older kids in class, but we were open to summer school.

Finally, in April(the 20th, I believe)she received an IEP for speech. That's correct, after "failing" the speech assessment is November, she was finally tested and receiving services at the end of April! Which ended up being a joke because she went to speech a total of 7 times I think. I am not angry about the 7 times since the end of April, I am angry that it took until then to start!

Last Wednesday, I went to my end-of-year meeting for Killi. This is where they wrap everything up and let me know what next year is going to look like. At this meeting do you know what I heard? I heard that my baby is on grade level for everything! That perhaps she will not need or receive support from the PST(small group instruction)like she did this year. Sure, she is not the strongest academically, but she is also not the weakest.

While I was delighted for Killi when I hear this news, I was also angry! Angry that now after she has worked her ass off and we have fought our asses off, they want to drop her! Just leave her hanging. It is like hand-feeding a baby animal from birth and suddenly, with no warning placing them back in the wild!

I'm not sure where to go from here, but I need to go somewhere. Any thoughts/suggestions?

Declan

Let me tell you about my boy, he is smart,sweet,kind,responsible,friendly and gentle, sure he has some bad qualities like he runs-his-mouth, knows EVERYTHING, and is a bit too sensitive:) Lately, it has been difficult to balance the positives and the negatives and some of the positives have been negatives for him.

We have had a few instances where Declan's sweetness has deterred him from standing up for himself. Not that Ben and I advocate fighting, but we do want him to be strong and not be bossed around or hurt by others. Sometimes he just doesn't do that! He allows himself to be bullied or hurt when he should stand-up for himself! For some of this I take the blame as I often tell him not to tattle instead of hearing-him-out and offering solutions to deal with the problem.

I want to make him stronger and wiser! Understanding that it is not okay for people to treat you badly. And when they do, you have the right to defend yourself and not be in that situation any more! I wish I had the answers. I wish that parenting was easier! Thank goodness kids are forgiving and very hard to break:)

2 Left!

We have made it to the home stretch! Only two days left in the 2008-2009 school year! I am very ready for it to be over! You can imagine it has been bad if I am looking forward to two weeks at the in-laws!!!

I hope that next year is better!

Tricky...

This morning we had very bad Thunderstorms, again! We have had the a lot lately. Anyway, due to the storms and a very late night, with little sleep, the kids did not make it to school. Yes, I am an incredible slacker! There is only 5 days left and I am a slacker! I just felt so awful this morning that I could not bring myself to get showered and dressed to walk them into school, as we were late because the alarm didn't go off because of the storm. So, they were home and I was i pain. I went back to the doctor this afternoon and I am still in pain.

Moving on, tomorrow(really later today)Killian is receiving an award at school! She is so excited! She has been waiting all year! We do not know what it is for yet, but we are excited! She got her grandmother to buy her a new dress for award day! I will post pics of the dress and award later today!

CAUTION: This post has a PG-13 rating!!!!

Last night Ben and I tucked the kids in to bed, I took some heavy duty pain meds and off we went to the living room. What took place next was a bizarre sequence of events, so bizarre in fact, I had to ask Ben this morning if it actually happened or if it was the pain meds.

Back to the living room, Ben and I are sitting there and all of the sudden Maggie comes out crying that she is scared. So, the two of us(not sure why both) go to tuck her back in when she refuses to lie down and stats screaming and crying about...the TOOTH FAIRY!!! Yes, the very scary tooth fairy! Not just crying either, there was shaking and hyperventilating,too!!! This went on for no less than an hour. We could not calm her down. We tried all we could to calm her short of telling her that there was no such thing! Nothing worked! So, after an hour of this Declan comes out and says,"Look Maggie, this is crazy! The Tooth Fairy isn't even real! It is just daddy." Ben and I said nothing, just sat silent.

With that, Maggie went to bed!

What I am wondering now is, are we off the hook for the money?

Gone!

Last night was the first night in over 8 years that I spent ALONE! That's right, ALONE! No babies or husband to be found! It was amazing. Weird, but amazing! Ben was on Childcare duty tonight because I was having some friends over, but instead of having to entertain them alone he decided to make a fun up to NJ for the weekend! I wasn't sure if he was going to make it out the door with all three, but he did and they all seem to be having a great time!

My in-laws have a new pool that the kids have been dying to get into since Christmas and today they did! It has been awhile since they had seen Pop Pop and Grandma too, so this was a perfect plan! On top of the new pool, the kids got their first trip of the summer, to Pt. Pleasant Boardwalk in so they are in heaven!

I enjoyed my night last night and my day today, but I think by tomorrow I will be missing my monsters! And I will admit, I was a little happy to hear that at least one monster missed me tucking her in:)

8 Days Left!!!!

We are at 8 and counting, and the next 8 school days cannot go fast enough! I am just ready for it to be over! I am ready for some good relaxation! Days of relaxed bedtimes and no plans or schedules! Trips to the pool and the beach! Family dinners and fun.

Just some time for us to step outside the rat-race and enjoy life a little! Trips downtown, play dates that run late, a spur-of-the-moment camping trip, all the things we cannot do during the school year!

It does seem that the summers are getting shorter and shorter though:)

So Proud!!!!

I love days when my kids are proud of themselves!It makes me so happy for them!

Today Declan received a medal for running at least 25 miles during PE this year! He worked really hard to reach that goal! He was so proud of himself! I was so happy to tell him that I was proud of him too; proud because he worked that hard for something he wanted. I am not sure he fully understood that, but he was proud!

A Great Day!

This is my first year participating in this


and I am so happy to be doing so. Last year I had hoped to, but got busy and forgot! Not this year!

Over the past few years, Gay and Lesbian Family Rights have become a important to me. I have met many people over the past few years that have help me see the injustice that these families are facing and I want that to change! I want families to be treated equally and marriage to be open to all adults that want to marry! I want my children to grow up and barely remember that people were discriminated against for loving the someone.

I want to thank all the friends I have made throughout the years, mostly my blog friends, for answering all the questions I have had along the way. I hope that each one of these annual blog days brings more and more awareness to how much more "alike" than "different" all families are!

Failed Again:)

Took the kids to the pool and forgot to reapply sunscreen, and you guessed it, all three monsters have red cheeks! And of course, Ben was all to happy to point it out:) Sunburn aside, I think we had a pretty good weekend.

Happenings!

We are down to the wire here! Only 12 more days of school left!!! I am very ready for Summer Vacation to start! While the time seems to be flying, this school year has been a long one for us as a family. A new school for Declan, sorting through what is best for Killi and volunteering has all be new! We have learned alot and hopefully we can take that into next year and make it more productive! It is getting harder and next year with a 1st and 2nd grader, it will not be easier.

When the kids were younger, and I had 3 in 3 1/2 years, I thought things were tough, but they weren't really. Yes, there was the lack of sleep from having babies and the physically demanding aspects of carrying them and changing them and entertaining them, and all the was difficult at the time, but as the get older I see the challenges to not lessen but change. Helping them become good and honest people with their own beliefs and opinions, and good friends and hard workers. To believe in themselves and help others. These parenting moments are not as easy as I hoped:) I love it none-the-less. I just hope I don't mess up too much along the way:)

12 more school days left until summer vacation!!!!

Seriously, I Have Had Enough!

Today my Killi Monster went on a field trip to the Children's museum. She was looking so forward to going and spending the day with her friends. But, you guessed it, that didn't happen for her! No, of course her complete PITA of a teacher could not allow this field trip to be fun for her. Instead, Killi was placed with a group of kids that she NEVER interacts with! And she was forced to sit on the bus for well over an hour, with a boy she really is not crazy about!

I am so angry right now that I cannot finish this post! I will be back!

Summer!!!!

Growing up in at the beach, Memorial Day weekend was always the start of summer, as it is most places, however a shore town in NJ meant it was the beginning of 12 weeks of BENNIES!!! Our town got invaded by totally obnoxious, cheesy as hell people from North Jersey or NY! They drank too much, partied too loud, blocked our driveways and caused traffic problems! Now, in addition to all of the very awful things they did, they did stimulate our local economy nicely, and we all knew that(shhh, don't tell;)

Being in the DC metro area for the past 13 years, I have missed the ritual of welcoming the BENNIES! And oh how I have missed it,not! I now see the Memorial Day Weekend in a new light. I now use the time to thank all the men and women that have severed and those that continue to serve in the armed forces and their families! Not a day goes by that my family and I are not gratefully for all you do for us. Thank You!

For all my friends back home, in spirit I am there chanting "BENNIES GO HOME!" with you!

Have a Safe and Fun Weekend!

Sick Monsters!

After 4 days of complaining and ears and throats, I decided to take Maggie and Declan to the doctor! The results...3 infected ears between the two of them! Declan has already been on an antibiotic for 8 days for double infections that are no better, now we will try a new drug for another 10 days! And Maggie will start a course of antibiotics for her "raging" ear infection! I hope they are better by Friday as our big camping trip is to start on Saturday morning!

Finally!

This coming weekend we will FINALLY be making our first camping trip as a family. Ben and I have both camped before, but we have never been brave enough to "tent-camp" with the family:)

It is no secret that we like to travel and with 5 of us and a Newfie, it is expensive to find lodging when we travel. If camping goes well, the travel possibilities will be endless! Now, I don't want anyone to misunderstand what I mean by camping, I mean a campground where you pull your car up to your campsite with bathrooms and showers! I intend to bring DVD players for the kids and DS too! I am just looking for good times and family togetherness, not becoming one with nature!

I am very excited about this upcoming trip and HOPE that it goes well so that we can take lots of long weekend camping trips this summer!

A 4 year old MONSTER!!!

This is it, the monster that lives in our house!



Now, I have two older children and have lived through 4 before, but boy this one has been tough! It is probably not helping that she is incredible head-strong to begin with and add on that she is "the baby" and you have the recipe for Ferocious Four and thus life with a Monster!

This I know for sure, she is very lucky that she is cute and that I physically carried her for 9 months and gave birth to her, otherwise I am not sure she'd make 5;-)

Why I do it

Today, while at school volunteering, a.k.a. having the life sucked out of me, I made it into Killi's classroom and what I found was not good! Her teacher was out and the sub they had in there was AWFUL! This woman clearly had not been told anything about the class she was covering! She was yelling and turning cards and yelling more! It was really not good! It took all I had in me not to grab Killi and run from the room screaming!

What did I do instead? What has become my favorite past time, walked into the office and grabbed the principle! I explained to him, as nicely as possible, that the woman was awful and my child/ren would never be in a class with her again! He was very nice and listened to me bitch(again:) He also mentioned how much they all missed me last week;) And then he and the vice-principle picked on me for the rest of the morning!

I am enjoying the relationship I have with the staff at school. It is making it easier to help Killian get what she needs! Sometimes being nice to people really does pay off:)

Sam...

Killian has a friend, a very BEST friend and his name is Sam. Killian and Sam spent a few months a couple years ago at preschool together, but she never really talked about him until...September came and Killian walked into kindergarten and there was Sam!!! When I picked Killian up that first day of school, she was so excited to tell me that Sam from preschool was in her class!

In the months that passed Killian and Sam began spending more and more time together. Always asking about the other and checking on one another. And if one of them was absent, the other was begging to call and find out why.

I watch them play together and see that the connection they have is not about "playing together", it is about a comfort they find in each other. You see, Killian and Sam both have some "issues" that make socializing difficult/exhausting/boring, and while their "issues" are very different, they see none of them when they are together. They find comfort in being in a room together. One of them could be building blocks and the other playdough, but they are happy just being together.

It makes me happy that Killian and Sam have found each other. And I am glad that in that process I have also made a friend!

I Guana tell you...

This is a new "friend" we made in the islands:) Great part about him was that he did not overstay his welcome! Seriously, there are iguanas all over the island! At the hotel, they live with the rock walls and sun themselves on the pool deck with the the other sun-bathers:) The thing is, they are so comfortable with the people now, that they hardly move when you walk by them! I saw one lady(who didn't see the iguana until the last min) step right over its head and the lizard didn't move! There was another one at the hotel that sat at the edge of the water slide all day long, I think he was the lifeguard though:)

I forgot...

It has been two whole days since my adventure with Killi and the Sea Lions and I have not posted pictures, here they are:





We had so much fun! I am so happy to have shared that experience with Killian. He love of animals is truly great and her joy swimming with the Sea Lions was immeasurable! She has not stopped talking about it yet! It was absolutely priceless!

It's Raining...but it hasn't been all bad!

Today it is raining so there was no beach for us:( We did decide to take the ferry over to St John, but we could not due much over there due to the flooding! So, we shopped a bit and had lunch; the kids got the National Park's passport stamped and we ferried back to St Thomas.

We had a beautiful day yesterday! We got out to Magen's Bay. It is beautiful there. The water is so clear and full of fish:) The kids love to try and catch them. Below is a picture of Declan and Killi in the water at Magen's Bay!




On the way back from the beach we stopped at the Food Store for some food:) That was an awful experience! The store was yucky, empty and SLOW! We did get some food though, so I guess it was not all bad:) I was able to make the kids a home cooked meal last night and that made me happy!

After dinner my mom and I took the monsters down to the pool(Ben was tired from his two hour nap earlier that afternoon:) I was able to get this awesome picture of Maggie at sunset!


Hopefully the weather will improve some by Wednesday! Killi and I have a very exciting activity to experience! I cannot wait to post pictures:)

To The Coast of Somewhere Beautiful

Tomorrow morning we are off! I am not sure of the last time I was so excited about a vacation! An entire week with my family and my parents, in paradise. We are a vacation family and with the kids in school now(and having 3 of them:) our vacations seem not as frequent or elaborate:) That's okay though, we enjoy them more when get them.

This week we will not work or go to school. Will will not volunteer or run to activities. We will relax on the beach and enjoy each other. Smile and cuddle each other and rejuvenate ourselves for the last 7 weeks of school. By the time we get back, you will had seen enough pictures of us on the beach and in the sun, but I will continue to post them:) I am hoping to get at least on good family pic for this year's Christmas Card:)

Off I go to finish packing, then to bed early!

What A Busy Week

I was hoping for a some R&R this week, but alas it never happened. We did have fun though. We got lots of time with our friends, some sunshine, warm temps and family fun with Uncle Billy and his family!

What we did not get was much peace and quiet or family time, but that's ok because it is only 14 days until we leave for paradise! Then we will have a solid week of quality time together! I am so excited both for the trip and for that fact that all three kids and Ben are completely packed!!!

The next two weeks promise to be very busy with added children's activities and meetings at school, but a break is coming...I can make it:)

Oh Stop Already!

Yes, Yes, I know...April showers bring May flowers, but they also bring blah feelings to me! So, be gone showers, send the flowers early:)

On to other news. Ben is out of town so that meant that I didn't sleep great and stayed up to late. Which led to sleeping in and neglecting breakfast for the children. Lucky for me, Declan has been schooled on the ways of the toaster and can now make waffles for ALL the children:)Yes, I do believe in child labor:)

When finally out of bed, I managed to shower and dress everyone for lunch and ice cream with friends! Good ice cream too, Friendly's always brightens a rainy day! Lunch was great, but by the time we got home I was FREEZING! I could not shake the chill so I did what anyone would do...locked up the house and climbed under my covers in bed! I stayed there most of the afternoon. The kids cam in and out and Declan ordered pizza for dinner(with my help:) With Ben gone and Spring Break in full swing, living here is a little like living at "Villa Villekulla" with Pippi and Mr Nilsson:) Sometimes that's fun though and Ben will be back Thursday and my brother comes tomorrow so it will be back to "Villa Fallon".

Tomorrow promises more showers, but lunch and play with friends(and not at my house:)so that will be fun. And hopefully the weather will turn by Thursday and we will get to the city for some sight-seeing!

Killi's Hair

As Promised, here are the pictures of my Flash Dancing Queen, with her new Short, Pink Hair!





She absolutely loves it! It makes her happy and if all it took was a little cut and color to refresh her spirit, it is worth it:)

Tradition

Today was Easter. Ya know what that meant here? Um...NOTHING. Why you ask? The answer is because I am random a bizarre to say the least:) This one of the only Easters we have spent at home so we have no real traditions. And it is not just for Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving and birthdays also follow no rhyme or reason, it's whatever we are in the mood for at the time.

I sometimes wonder what issues this will cause long term for the monsters. Will they not attach to people or traditions because of it? Or(and this is the one I go with) will they be so easy going that every and any experience will be embraced and enjoyed? I am sure that with three of them, one will end up nutty and blame me and my lack of tradition, so I am doing them a favor:)

Anyway, Easter here consisted of the kids getting up and tearing through their baskets. Then the searched for eggs and ate some candy. They played outside, or so I think, I heard the door open and close 100 times as I slept all day on the couch:) Easter dinner was hamburgers that Ben cooked with chips and carrots! Now, if that's not Traditional Easter, what is? They are still waiting to color eggs! Maybe tomorrow and for sure sometime this week:)

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In other news, I forgot to mention that Killi decided that she needed her hair cut-off! So, as it is only hair, I obliged. On Friday night I took her and she had it cut. I have pictures of her SHORT, Pink hair, but they will have to wait until tomorrow. Yes, I did say pink. She decided it needed to be pink again and as her father explained to her,"Oh, mommy said you could color your hair pink? I am not surprised, she has issues with age-appropriateness." So now she has Short, Pink Hair and he is not excited, but she is:)

Our Weekend Away, That Wasn't

Ben and I had planned on taking the kids away over night to the Virginia Safari Park and to Appomattox Court House, but we decided that we just had too much going on and lots to do here. I was surprised though, the kids were not the least bit disappointed about staying home. Why would they, Ben took Declan and Killi to the movies and then we headed to Sakura for dinner, where Killi decided to "treat" herself to Lobster(she had $5 from her Grandparents:) We had fun!


Monday we are off to the Nationals Home Opener with President Obama! After the Game we get to throw Ben on a plan and have a fun visit with my brother and his gang! Spring Break is shaping-up to be fun! Then it is only 2 weeks until St. Thomas!!!

So, with all that ahead, you can see why none of us were to sad about missing our weekend trip! How spoiled are we?

Yet Another "Family Fun Day" On The Horizon!

As I've been saying(ALOT) lately, I am very excited for baseball season this year. I have baseball in my blood and have been attending MLB games since I was just a few months old and to keep with tradition, I have been taking my kids since then too:) I grew-up as a Mets and Braves fan, my grandfather was a National League Umpire so the Yankees were off the table, so we went with the METS(they were the home town team)! I added the Braves because Dale Murphy was hot! However, with marriage came Yankees fandom and that's okay, because baseball is baseball if you ask me(although I do think the DH is cheesy:)

Anyway, we(me, Ben and the monsters)are way overdue for a vacation and so over this school year, we decided why not cut out of school/work early and head to the Yankees vs. Orioles game on Wednesday Night! I am very excited and right now so are the kids, I am sure when they are trying to get up Thursday morning they won't be! But, oh well, if they need a few extra hours on Thursday morning so be it, Family Fun Time is worth it!

So, if you happen to be watching the game Wednesday Night, look for us!

Family, Friends and Fun...

Have we had a wonderful two days! Yesterday the monsters and I hosted a "friend party" for some well, friends of ours:) That was lots of fun and came at a good time since the house was still clean from my mom being here:) There were 5 adults in-and-out and 16 kids! It was quite a houseful, but it was fun. It was after 5 by the time everyone was gone and nearly 6 by the time we cleaned up. We decided to wait for Ben for dinner, but that took far longer than we anticipated and it was 8 before he got home and 9 before we ate! The monsters didn't mind since it pushed bedtime way beyond it's point:) When we got home they did go right to sleep!

This morning, Ben, Declan and Killi headed out early for soccer pictures and haircuts, while I hung with Maggie at home. I managed a shower while they were gone and when they got home it was off to lunch, or so I thought; Ben however had other ideas. He decided that we would head out to Skyline Drive for some fresh-air and animals! We found lots of fresh-air, but our animal sightings were limited to a dozen of white-tailed deer. That was okay and the kids enjoyed it! They also LOVED the tunnel we had to drive through, so the trip was well worth it.

To end a great day, we headed to the Tokyo Inn for dinner. The monsters are huge fans of hibachi and we had a 25% off coupon so it was very doable! All-in-all, it was a fun day. Ben and I have always been fans of just getting up and going, but the arrival of monsters had slowed that some; now though it seems easier to pack-and-go again. It is much easier with a 7,6 and 4 year old than with babies, but still not as easy as it was with just the two of us:) Having then makes it all worth it though, Killi told us today that she had the Best Day of Her Life! Ben and I were so happy, it ended a wonderful day for us!

What a Day!

Sometimes being a mom is not easy; and being a grown-up is worse. I have spent the past two days in the Principle's Office over the most ridiculous event, which in the end turned-out NOT to be the real reason for my visit there.

Let me tell you that I am proud of my Jersey Roots and today I needed them! And I am not sure these folks knew what hit them as I stood there crying and screaming(Jersey Folks, think crazy girlfriend screaming at cheating boyfriend on any summer evening on Seaside Boardwalk:) But, I felt like my family was under assault. It was so not good! And after an hour of defending myself and my family, I left the Principle's Office feeling that we good no further than we were the hour prior.

Let me tell ya, I sure hope tomorrow is a better day!

To My Sister

Today is my perfect,little sister's birthday. We have always had a close and wonderful relationship:) No fighting, pulling hair or kicking each other. We never resorted to tape down the middle of our shared bedroom and I certainly never left her at the mall:) The best thing about my sister is that she always knew her place growing up. She always let me achieve milestones first such as, riding a bike:)


HAHA!!! So maybe things weren't always perfect, but she is my best friend!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN!!!!

Alone...

Life as a mom with three little monsters is not always easy. There are some days where a 15 minute break is unheard of, where running from place to place seems endless, and when stopping to pee seems like a luxury:) But what makes those days a little easier, is when a monster says,"Thanks Mom! You are the best mom ever!" That makes it good!

Today was my first weekday alone since surgery. I was very spoiled having my mother here for an entire week to play the role of me while I recovered. The kids, not so spoiled by Grammy playing MOM for the week, she is MUCH more strict than I am:) But for me it was heaven! My house was cleaned everyday. Laundry done. Dinner made and cleaned up. Kids bathed and put to bed. I only had to do what I wanted to do for an entire week!

Back to reality! This morning I had to set my alarm, make the beds, get kids dressed, make breakfast all alone! I am happy to report that I am keeping up with all my mother started! The house is still clean and the laundry is all still done and put away, dishes too:) I am even being brave enough to invite friends over on Friday, thinking I can keep the house clean that long:) We'll see what happens-

Birthday Dinner!

Tonight was supposed-to-be my birthday dinner. We were going to go to the Japanese Steak House, mostly because the kids love it and I like it well enough. Well, the kids manged to be as awful as they could be this afternoon and after threatening them a few times that I was going to leave them home with a babysitter, I really did!!! I was very lucky that my AWESOME sitter was available at a moment's notice, she came over and off I went with my husband and mother.

I wonder if the kids will now BELIEVE me when I warn them NOT to do something!

Lots Happenin'

First, tomorrow starts a 10 day run of grandparents!!!! What could be better than that! They will be here to help take care of the kids, but also to celebrate the littlest monsters 4th birthday on Sunday!!!

Next week the madness continues with a trip to Richmond on Monday to see the last doctor we will see about Killi.

Soccer starts Monday too! And games next Saturday!

Then on the 25th, Declan makes his big acting debut!

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!