S is for Supermom

2014 NSTAR Walk for Boston Children's Hospital

2014-05-21T09:12:00.001-04:00

For the 6th year in a row Michael and I are once again participating in the NSTAR Walk for Boston Children's Hospital. This cause is near and dear to my heart and the walk is something we look forward to each year.

In 2008 when I was sitting in the waiting room at Boston Children's Hospital while Michael was having a simple ear tube surgery that took maybe only 15 minutes, I was absolutely terrified. Those 15 minutes were the longest of my life. My poor sweet 9 month old baby boy was away from me and under anesthesia for the very fist time. It was nerve-wracking and emotional. Once Michael was out of surgery and back in my arms I started to think more and more about the other parents who were in the waiting room that day and every day. Parents who were worrying about their children who were in surgery for things far more serious and possibly life threatening. My heart broke for those parents and the more I thought about them the more I knew I needed to do something for them but I wasn't sure what to do. Then in 2009 I saw something about this walk and immediately I knew this is what I could do to help. I could walk and raise money for the hospital that is saving the lives of children.

When I started doing this walk in 2009 Michael had just turned 2 years old and was in his stroller. To him it was just another day of us taking a walk. Granted it was a 7 mile walk and we had to take a bus to get there but it was just a walk. Each year that followed he slowly began to realize what we were doing. I would tell him we are walking and raising money for sick children. That's all he needed to hear and he too was excited about what we were doing. Last year was the first year the stroller didn't come with us and Michael walked the entire time. Because he is still young, we participated in the 2 mile walk instead of the 7 mile walk. He was so proud of himself for walking the full 2 miles and helping sick kids again.

This year we are thinking about trying to go the full 7 miles. In order to do so we need to start training and walking every day to get our legs and bodies used to that distance. If he is willing to do it then we will walk the 7 miles. If he doesn't think he can make it then we will just do the 2 miles again. Either way we are doing something important and special.

Please consider sponsoring us as we walk to help the sick children and the wonderful hospital that helps them! Visit our fundraising page to learn more about the walk and to sponsor us. We have already raised a great deal of money thanks to the support of our friends and family but we are looking to raise even more.

In addition, we have been challenged to get 10 new sponsors by May 24th. If we accomplish this challenge then we can get a free 2 night stay at the Great Wolf Lodge New England and at the end of the challenge Great Wolf Lodge New England will donate $10,000 to the hospital. Please consider making a donation. I look at it this way.....10 donations of just $10 each equals $100 for the hospital!

Thank you in advance for your support!!

First Day of First Grade

2013-09-05T09:46:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I posted anything, mainly because there have been a lot of changes in our life/family and at some point I will collect my thoughts to share what's been going on but in the meantime I just couldn't wait to share pictures from my baby's first day of first grade.

I transferred him to a catholic school that is 2 blocks from my office and only 10 minutes from our new apartment. I was nervous about how he would do on his first day but he was amazing and has been loving school every day since. He bounds out of the car in the morning as if he's been going there for years. He's making new friends and loves his teacher. Such a relief!!

Without further ado....here are the pictures I snapped on his first day....my baby is so grown up!!

Supporting Other Moms

2013-03-21T12:18:00.001-04:00

Everywhere I turn moms are judging other moms about the way they are raising their children and it just needs to stop! What works for one family may not work for another family. Sometimes what works for one child in a family may not work for another child in that same family. As a mom, we love our kids and would do anything for them but just because they are doing something differently than you doesn't mean they are wrong or a bad mom.

In my experience the judging starts during pregnancy and continues from there.....I for one am sick and tired of it. Let's face it; there are NO perfect moms on this planet!! A perfect person just doesn't exist. Our job as moms is to keep our children safe, protect them, nurture them, help them grow and develop into productive members of our society. In my opinion if you are successful in doing that then you are a great mom! If everyone did things exactly the same this world would be a very boring place to live. Instead of judging someone, let's use our differences to educate others on a different, not better, way of doing things. I love learning from other mother's experiences and I love teaching other mothers what has worked for our family.

Over the past 5+ years I have felt judge because I didn’t breastfeed my son, because I sent my son to daycare full-time at just 8 weeks old, because I didn’t co-sleep with my son and instead had him in his own crib in his own room by 4 weeks old, because I don’t feed him only organic foods, because I let him have treats that contain sugar, because I didn’t use cloth diapers, because I let him watch tv occasionally, because I don’t let him watch certain shows on tv, because I work full-time, because I didn’t hold my son enough, because I held my son too much, because I expect too much from him, because I expect too little from him, because I kept my child rear-facing in the car until after his 3rdbirthday, because he is still in a 5 pt harness at almost 6 years old……the list is endless.

I am questioning myself on a daily basis about every decision I make concerning my son and I really don’t need the added stress of other people questioning my every move. It’s hard enough combining my parenting style with my husband’s parenting style since we don’t always see eye to eye, but then to add in the opinions of other people, it just down right impossible!

I truly feel that as moms we owe it to ourselves and to our fellow moms to encourage, support and appreciate each other rather than trying to bring someone else down for making different parenting choices. My philosophy is that unless someone is abusing their child, it’s none of my business. However, I am not perfect and therefore I have been known on occasion to get a little high and mighty about things I believe. But I am human and all humans make mistakes. I try to learn from my mistakes and try harder not to make the same mistake again.

So remember, the next time you see a mom doing something differently than you are doing things, instead of judging her try talking to her about what works for her family because you might learn a new way of doing something that may work for your family too!

2013 NSTAR Walk for Boston Children's Hospital

2013-03-12T16:34:00.000-04:00

Michael and I have just registered to participate in the NSTAR Walk for Boston Children's Hospital for the 5th year in a row. As I have said in previous years, I know how incredibly blessed I am to have a healthy child and I also know that not all parents can say that. Doing something like walking 7 miles or donating blood through the Pints for Half Pints program with Boston Children's Hospital are small things I can do to help parents and families struggling with a children's illness. These are also wonderful ways I can teach my son the importance of being grateful for the blessings in our life and about the joy in helping others.

Every year Michael enjoys the walk as much as I do and each year as he gets older he has a greater sense of pride from helping sick kids.

Please visit our page to see how you can help: http://howtohelp.childrenshospital.org/walk/page/SR0062.htm

Here are some pictures from previous the past 4 years.

2009

2010

2011

2012

Providence Bruins Game

2013-03-04T14:01:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we went to our very first Providence Bruins game and had a great time! It was an outing with Michael's school so the tickets were discounted and Michael got a free hat. The section we were sitting in was full of families from his school. Michael loved being at a real hockey game and loved even more that his friend was a few rows in front of us!!

I was able to snap a few pictures to commemorate our fun day.....

Proud Mama Brag

2013-03-01T20:50:00.001-05:00

We got Michael's first official report card a month or so ago and while his report card was positive, there were some areas of concern. He is a very social child and since he is one of the youngest kids in his class, he sometimes has a hard time settling down or focusing. Of course since I over-think things and panic over pretty much nothing, I was a little concerned that maybe these were indications of ADD. So naturally I searched the internet until my head hurt and after making myself crazy I decided that the smart thing to do would be to request a conference with his teacher to get her input.

Today we had the conference and I was once again reminded of how wonderful his teacher is and how blessed we are to have found a wonderful school to send him. His teacher more than eased my concerns. She said even in the short time since she prepared his report card she has seen improvement with his self-control. She told us we have nothing to be concerned about. She also told us he is excelling academically, is helpful, friendly, eager to learn and participate, happy every day to be at school and an all around great addition to the class.

His teacher also told us that she has been doing to academic screening and he is proficient in math and reading. She said he is most definitely ready for first grade next year and that he will be successful. I was so relieved to hear all of what she had to say. I think I knew deep down that everything was fine but the worrier in my came out and I just couldn't relax until we had this conversation.

Johnny and I are so extremely proud of our little boy. He is sensitive, creative, excited to do work, so curious about everything, helpful, polite, courteous, friendly and all around just perfect. I feel so much better after meeting with his teacher and now I can focus on encouraging him and guiding him to be the best Michael he can be.

On a side note, I just had to share something he created last weekend. He loves to do arts and crafts and last weekend he made me a cross with Jesus on it. He asked me to bring it to my work and hang it up at my desk. When I asked him what prompted him to make the cross he told me it was because he loves Jesus. That just about made my heart melt. He truly is such a sweet and wonderful boy. Take a look at the cross and notice the American flag sticker.....I guess he decided Jesus was patriotic!

Fun with the Easter Bunny

2013-03-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

That's right, it is once again time to take your kids to visit the Easter Bunny!

Your kids can have lunch with the Easter Bunny at Colony Place in Plymouth and the flyer says to bring your own camera for FREE pictures!! Can't beat a free picture rather than the high priced picture packages at the mall!!

Some other places to see the Easter Bunny this month........

Independence Mall in Kingston, MA from March 16th - March 30th

South Shore Plaza in Braintree, MA from March 2nd - March 30th

Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI - March 23rd-24th and 29th-30th from 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm. The cost is $10 for children (ages 3 - 12) and $5 for toddler (0-2). Prices for the Easter Bunny are in addition to regular admission price.

Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford, MA - Milk and Cookies with the Easter Bunny on March 23rd & 30th at 11am & 1pm. The cost is $10 for members and $15 for non-members; children under 1 are free. You must register and pay in advance. Price is in addition to regular admission price.

Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA - Bunny Bonanzoo on March 30th from 10am-3pm. Pictures with own camera and a suggested $5 donation. Big Joe the Storyteller will be there from 11:45am-12:30pm.

Patriots Place in Foxboro, MA - March 26th at 11am. Meet the Easter Bunny at Kids Storytime at the Showcase Cinema de Lux. Kids Storytime is a FREE weekly event which includes a story, a visit from a special character and then a short movie.

Some local Egg Hunts.........

Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI - March 24th from 11am-3pm. Free with regular admission to zoo.

Tihonet Village in Wareham, MA - March 31st at 10am for children ages 2-8. Register on the website.

If you hear of any other fun Easter activities let me know and I will add to the list. Happy Easter and Happy Spring!!

Blizzard of 2013

2013-03-01T10:50:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago here in the NE we had a little event called the Blizzard of 2013. In just 2 days more than 2 ft of snow fell along with howling winds. Many people were without power for a week and let me tell you, it was extremely cold during that time! We had quite the adventure during the blizzard that I thought I would share with you all. Johnny was in FL on a business trip and due to come home on Saturday (the second day of the storm) however due to the blizzard his flight was canceled and he was stuck in FL until Monday.....feel bad for him, don't you?!?

Before we knew a blizzard was approaching, my mom had invited Michael and I to have a sleepover at her house on the Friday. Michael loves sleepovers at Grammy's house and I was looking forward to another adult to chat with since it had just been me and Michael all week. When we heard about the blizzard we decided to keep our plans intact and in fact start our sleepover adventure on Thursday night because Michael's school was already canceled for Friday. My office was going to be open but only until noon. We decided that Grammy would come pick us up so my car wouldn't be in her driveway thus blocking the plow. Then I could just take her car to the office on Friday morning.

Our sleepover started out great. We had a nice Thursday evening, I got up and went to work on Friday morning while Grammy and Michael got to play and have fun then I came back to Grammy's at lunch time once the office was closed. By then it had started snowing but it was a light snow and looked pretty. Our afternoon/evening progressed nicely. We had dinner and were laughing and having a great time. The lights flickered a few times as it was just about time for Michael then as I was reading to Michael the lights officially went out. He was nervous but luckily Grammy has lots of battery operated candles so I put one by his head and that calmed him down. By the time Grammy and I decided to go to bed it was starting to get cooler and we knew by morning it would be freezing so I carried Michael up to Grammy's bed and we all slept there together with lots of blankets.

The next morning we woke up and indeed the house was freezing. As the day progressed it only got worse. With the ban on the roads we weren't able to go anywhere to get warm until after 4pm. We found out about the warming center at the school and decided to head over there to charge our phones and get warm once the ban was lifted but as we tried to leave we realized we were trapped. The driveway had been plowed but the snow near the garage doors was still there and packed tightly so the doors wouldn't open. The massive winds had blown a large snow drift in against the front door and there was no way we could push our way out. So we tried the third and last exit point, the back sliders only to discover ice was on the track outside and the door wouldn't open. We were trapped and we had one very nervous 5 year old on our hands. Luckily for us within an hour the plow company arrived to finish clearing the driveway and we were able to open the garage doors and head over to the school to get warm. The roads were a nightmare between the snow, ice and down trees. Because the roads were so bad and it was dark out we didn't want to attempt to venture to my place where I was pretty sure we had power. So we stuck it out another night and on Sunday we headed to my place.

It was an exhausting, stressful and cold weekend but we survived and in the end I was glad we were at my mom's house because I would have hated the thought of her alone during the power outage and driving ban. I was also glad we were able to convince her to stay with us until her power came back on which didn't happen until Tuesday!!

Email as a Learning Tool

2013-02-05T20:40:00.003-05:00

We decided to set a separate email account just for Michael so that family members can send him messages and he can reply. So far he loves the independence and I am loving how it is helping with his reading and spelling. Sure, he is only 5 years old and he isn't writing long messages but he is thinking of what to say himself and then typing the message himself. He even knows about using periods and capitalizing the first letter of a sentence or a name.

Johnny is away on a business trip and having this email has been a great way for them to connect. From typing "I miss you" and "I love you" multiple times a day to Daddy, he remembers how to spell the word "you" and most of "love". Seeing the pride in his eyes as he is typing a message warms my heart. I love that while he is doing something that makes him feel proud and independent he is also learning. It's just another example of how learning can be FUN!!

Sight Words

2013-02-05T20:34:00.001-05:00

Michael's teacher gave each student a bag of flashcards on a ring with the sight words they are working on. They are kept in each child's homework folder so parents can practice them periodically with their kids. When they learn new words his teacher adds new flashcards to the ring. Tonight I decided to test Michael and I was so impressed that he knew all 32 words; most of them immediately!

Here is the list of sight words he has learned in Kindergarten........

he
it
am
my
for
we
little
red
is
a
pink
like
look
gray
see
do
that
are
as
to
me
yellow
brown
white
the
have
I
she
in
purple
with
at

100th Day

2013-02-04T09:38:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is Michael's 100th day of school. Last week his teacher sent home a note to the parents asking that we help our child come up with a 100th day project that can be shared with the class. They gave a few ideas, one of which was 100 pennies in a bag. We decided to build off of that idea and glue 100 pennies to a poster board. Yesterday we worked on the project and I think it turned out great. Michael was so proud of his work and can't wait to show his teacher and friends tomorrow!!

To the ER again.....

2013-02-04T09:32:00.001-05:00

Yes, you read the title correctly....we had another middle of the night visit to the ER last week!! Thursday was like any other day and no indication of what was in store for us in the middle of the night. Michael went to bed just like normal then around 1:30am we heard him crying and coughing. The sound was a familiar one to us.....the barking seal cough......and we knew croup had reared it's ugly head yet again. After spending some time in a steamy bathroom with daddy the barking seal cough settled and Michael decided he wanted to climb in bed with me to snuggle. As he lay on top of me I could feel his breathing getting worse. While the cough was gone, the labored breathing was still there and not very good. I decided to bring him into his room where the humidifier was on high. We snuggled in his bed for a bit then Daddy too over the snuggles so I could attempt to get some rest since by this time it was 2:15am. Just a few short minutes later John came in to say his breathing isn't getting any better. I called the pediatrician's office and the nurse practitioner on call listened to his breathing over the phone then told us we needed to take him in for treatment. So off we went to the ER in the wee hours of the morning. By the time we got there his breathing was getting better and by the time we actually saw the doctor his breathing was almost back to normal. But the doctor did hear a little of the wheezing sound and treated him with oral steroids. Finally after 4am we were sent home.

Michael was wired as a side effect of the steroids and refused to go to bed. So we turned on Disney Junior and let him lie on the living room couch. I needed to try to get a few hours of sleep before work so I hit the sack. John was back and forth from our room to the living room checking on Michael then fell asleep too. While we were sleeping Michael was helping himself to some snacks. In the less than 2 hours I slept he ate a granola bar, an apple and a yogurt!

Needless to say it was a long day at the office for me. John and Michael relaxed at home all day and Michael eventually fell asleep for a short nap around 1pm. I don't know how he stayed awake so long....guess it was the steroids! Lucky for us he has been croup free since that night. Hopefully we are done with the ER visits for a long time!!

Life is too short......

2013-01-24T13:40:00.001-05:00

So far 2013 had been full of sickness and stress for our little family. I am hoping things will start looking up but for now, with every bump in the road I have to remind myself of this little message..............

What a weekend!

2013-01-24T11:45:00.002-05:00

Last weekend started off just like any other weekend however it did not end quite the same way. We had fun on Saturday going to see Daddy skate in his high school alumni hockey game and then enjoyed some family time in the evening. On Sunday Michael and I met up with friends at a new indoor play place near our house and we had a blast. The boys loved being together and playing in the bouncy house and on the bouncy slides. I too had fun catching up with my friends. At one point during their play time, Michael tripped on the mat leading up to the bouncy house. He fell face first into the inflatable step that is attached to the bouncy house. While he fell rather hard, he got right up and when right back to playing with his friends. He didn't appear hurt at all; if anything he just seemed embarrassed that he fell. All afternoon and evening after we got him he was his normal energetic and funny self. We were snuggled up watching the Patriots game when he tells me that his eyes hurt and he wanted to go to bed. I just figured it was due to watching television. So off we went to his room. While I was lying in bed with him he kept saying his eyes hurt and the light from the bathroom was hurting his eyes. Finally he fell asleep and I thought all was well however I was sorely mistaken!

Around 10:15ish he woke up crying. I sat on his bed and tried to get him to talk to me to tell me what was wrong but he just wouldn't stop crying. I asked if something hurt and he pointed to his eyes and head. A minute later the poor boy threw up all over himself and his bed. Johnny and I jumped into motion with one cleaning him up in the bathroom and the other changing the sheets. I grabbed a bucket and we decided Johnny would sleep in Michael's room in case he woke up again sick to his stomach. As I went back into our room I remembered about Michael's fall earlier in the day and decided to jump on Google to see if I should be concerned. Sure enough I found that headaches, eye pain and sensitivity to light and throwing up were all symptoms of a concussion. That's when I decided to call his pediatrician's office to see what they recommended. By the time they called me back Michael was back to sleep with Johnny lying next to him. The doctor told me I needed to wake Michael up and we needed to head to the ER so he could be examined since his symptoms were consistent with a head injury.

We were in the ER until after 1:30am and it was determined that Michael had a mild concussion. The doctor in the ER examined Michael and did some neurological testing which all we fine. He said that since it had been 12+ hours since the actual fall, Michael was out of the window of concern of a brain bleed and therefore a CT scan wasn't necessary. Apparently the first 4 hours after an injury to the head occurs are critical and since he didn't develop any symptoms until a good 8 hours after the fall the risk was minimal of a brain bleed. The doctor sent us home with a list of things to look out for and told us that Michael would be fine. Sure enough he was correct and Michael was back to his normal self the next day. Luckily there was no school on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day so Johnny was able to keep a close eye on him while I was at work. By Tuesday it was back to school and I was assured by his teacher that he had a perfectly normal day.

Lesson learned: Take every single fall or injury to the head seriously even if your child does not cry or appear to be in pain at the time of injury. Know the symptoms of a concussion and be sure to call the doctor at the first sign, particularly if the symptoms occur within 4 hours of the injury.

End of 2012 Pictures

2013-01-02T16:31:00.002-05:00

Christmas has come and gone and I realized I have posted very little in the final months of 2012 so I thought I would take this opportunity to post some pictures from the end of 2012.

Traditionally we have taken a picture of Michael in front of our tree for our Christmas card. This year, Grammy suggested we take some pictures at her beach in his Christmas sweater and include some of the pictures from our summer adventures at the beach. It was a great idea and it was nice to break away from what we typically do. Here are some of the pictures we took at the beach....a few made it onto the actual card!

We got together with friends to bake Christmas cookies and have some holiday fun the beginning of December. It was a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. Michael had lots of fun making cookies!

On Christmas Eve we did another round of baking. I think we went a little overboard making 4 different kinds of cookies but we had fun doing it. Michael took his job with the sugar cookies very seriously!

My handsome boy all ready for church on Christmas Eve!!

Michael decorated 2 cookies especially for Santa. He left them out with a glass of milk and a thank you note for Santa. He even sprinkled Reindeer Food on the lawn for Rudolph and the gang!

Christmas morning Michael discovered a very cool red bike that Santa left for him.

We had a little party to celebrate the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013. Michael even asked if we could make a cake for our party so we did!

Happy New Year!!

2013-01-02T16:07:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe it is officially 2013!! Time is moving too fast and my baby is growing up way too quickly. Life has changed so dramatically in the past 5 1/2 years. With every new year we say goodbye to the baby/little boy phase and embark on a new adventure with our growing boy. Every new milestone or achievement are bittersweet because we are moving further away from the baby phase I loved so much. Don't get me wrong, I love all the new phases and adventures and even the challenges but a part of me is sad because the baby/toddler phase is gone and we will never experience that again.

As Michael gets older I realize more and more just how sad I am that we will never have another baby. This was especially difficult for me on Christmas morning as I was watching Michael tear open packages. I was brought back to my own childhood when it was my brother and me tearing open presents and laughing together. We had such wonderful Christmas mornings and it made me sad that Michael won't ever have a sibling to enjoy Christmas morning with or to play with. I was so blessed to have an older brother who allowed me to tag along and invade his privacy and essentially worm my way into everything he was doing. He was patient and loving and a bit of a pushover when it came to his little sister! But what I treasure most are the memories of the fun we used to have together. Sure, we fought like any other siblings do but we also had a lot of fun together as kids and as adults we found a new respect and relationship. I am overwhelmed with sadness when I think I can't give that to Michael. Logically I know that my child is blessed in so many ways, as am I to be his mother, but that doesn't change the fact that my heart breaks every time I think of him growing up as an only child.

I don't typically make resolutions each year because whenever I do, I just can't seem to keep them! But this year I have decided that I need to find a way to heal my broken heart and move past this topic. It's been 3 years and I need to get a grip on reality and focus on the positives. So I guess my resolution for 2013 is to focus on the positive; to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. Knowing my personality this will most definitely be a challenge but one that I know I need to follow through on because it is for the good of my family. It is in Michael's best interest if I can focus on the positive instead of always dwelling on the negative.

What are your resolutions for 2013??

School Pictures 2012

2012-11-29T16:31:00.003-05:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted anything! One of these days I will post about our adventures but in the meantime I thought some pictures were overdue as well. So for your viewing pleasure I thought I would post my handsome boy's Kindergarten school pictures........

Vote for Mouse House Creations!!

2012-10-19T13:10:00.002-04:00

My insanely creative, sweet, talented and amazing friend is a finalist in the Project Run and Play online design contest. Each week she has created spectacular clothing for her adorable children. This is the final week of the contest and she is one of the final 3 contestants. For her final project she designed a simply perfect outfit for her little girl. All of her designs have me in awe but this week I am just completely blown away for the simple fact that she HAND EMBROIDERED the tunic top!!!

Voting ends Sunday at 8pm. Please take a minute to click on the link below to take a look at her latest design and then vote for her. Her design is the second one. If voting from a mobile device please scroll to the bottom of the page and click View Web Page. Then the voting box will be at the top left. You can vote once per IP address so if you have multiple devices and feel inclined to help my friend please vote from each device.

http://projectrunandplay.blogspot.com/2012/10/time-to-vote-final-week-signature-looks.html

Here's a peek at her design and gorgeous little girl.....doesn't that make you want to click the link to see more?!?!?!

Great First Day of Kindergarten!!

2012-08-27T17:48:00.001-04:00

Michael ended up having a great first day of Kindergarten!! Daddy managed to get out of work early so we both were able to pick him up from school. He was so happy to see us and told us he had a fun day at his new school!! He said his teacher was nice and the kids were nice. He is excited to go back on Wednesday which is a good sign.

Running to meet me after school!!

Special ice cream treat at the Dairy Twist to celebrate his first day of Kindergarten!!

Summer Pictures

2012-08-27T10:26:00.002-04:00

We had a fun and busy summer. I can't believe it is already the end of August. Michael had a fun last summer with his friends at his old school/daycare. He had a sleepover with Grammy and Aunt that lasted a few days. We took the week before school started off and spent the week at the beach. We are very fortunate that Grammy has a beach sticker and let us use her car while she was working and then later in the week came with us to the beach. We even managed to have dinner at the beach a few nights!!

Here are some fun pictures from our summer!!

Fun at the beach!!

Having fun playing air hockey at his friend's birthday party!!

New glow golf balls from Daddy's work!!

More fun at the beach!!

Dinner out with Grammy...Michael LOVED his fish and chips!!

Surprise, surprise....more fun at the beach!!

Birthday dinner for Uncle Jon at Marina Bay!!

First Day of Kindergarten!!!

2012-08-27T10:05:00.001-04:00

It's so hard to believe that my baby boy is officially in Kindergarten! The past five years have gone by way too fast and now that he is in school I have a feeling they will go by even faster.

Michael told me last night that he was scared to start a new school. He told me again this morning. I tried to reassure him that being scared is ok and normal. I told him that even Daddy gets scared sometimes. I think that helped a little. He managed to seem excited to get dressed in his uniform, get his new backpack and lunchbox and take pictures outside. He was even happy getting into the car however when we pulled into the school he told me again how scared he was and that he didn't need to make new friends. As we pulled in line and watched the kids in front of us getting out of the car I could tell he was getting more and more nervous but he was keeping it together. When it was his turn I reached back to unbuckle his carseat and as soon as he was free he jumped out, started crying and buried his head in my shoulder over the front seat. The teacher opened the door and gave him a few minutes to gather himself. Finally I managed to get his backpack on him and the teacher took his hand and his lunchbox and off he went. As I pulled away I looked back and he was walking with his head down in a sad little way. My heart broke and my tears started. I know he will be fine and will have fun but see my baby so scared and sad made me feel helpless. The mama bear in me wanted to jump out of the car and rescue him but I knew he needed to spread his wings and fly on his own.

I am counting down the hours until it is time to go pick him up. I promised him we could go get ice cream after school. I can't wait to hear all about his first day!

Pre-K Graduation!!

2012-06-18T10:52:00.002-04:00

Last Friday, Michael officially graduated from Pre-K!! His amazing school/daycare puts on a wonderful graduation/end of year show every year and this year was extra special to us because Michael was one of the graduates. Typically they have the graduation/show in the parking lot under a tent but the weather can be an issue so this year they negotiated with the local theater next door to have it inside. The kids were all super excited to be up on a stage. I got there nice and early to ensure a good seat where Michael could find us in the hopes that this year he would actually sing. We were literally front and center! In addition to John and myself, Grammy, Nana, Auntie Alicia, Nolan and baby Zach all came to cheer on our little graduate. Poor Papa had to miss it because he hurt his back.

When Michael first came out with his class he looked a little nervous but once he saw his cheering section in the front row he smiled and loosened up. The first song started and much to our surprise Michael began singing with his friends. He didn't do the hand motions they had practiced so hard but he did sing so in my book it was a success! It was progress from the previous years which is all I was looking for. The children first sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Then the Kindergarten class had the audience stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance before they sang their songs. Next up was Michael's Pre-K class. They sang a song about moving up to Kindergarten. Then the adorable pre-school class came out and sang a few silly songs. Finally it was time for the Pre-K and Kindergarten kids to receive their diplomas. Michael looked so proud as he crossed the stage to accept his diploma from the Miss Geri. I was moved to tears over something so simple. Once the diplomas were given out and the audience stopped cheering, all the children sang "You'll Be In My Heart" which did make me cry. I tried to hold it together but the lyrics were beautiful and the emotions of seeing my baby up there singing and graduation took over. After their emotionally song they closed the show with a silly song called "A Tooty Ta" which is one of the childrens' favorites.

All the children did a great job and should be very proud of themselves. And of course, none of it would have been possible without the AMAZING teachers!! These women work so hard and are so committed to the children. They love and care for these children as if they were family. Michael has just 9 weeks left before we have to say goodbye and move on to the next adventure.

Enjoy the following pictures even if they are a little fuzzy.

Waiting for his name to be called to get his diploma!!!

Proudly showing off his diploma!!

Michael and his two best friends who he will miss seeing every day!

We call them the three musketeers!!

And here are the links to some videos which are also a little fuzzy but adorable nonetheless!

Off to Kindergarten Song

Michael's Getting Diploma

You'll Be In My Heart

A Tooty Ta

Proud Mama Brag :-)

2012-06-14T16:01:00.002-04:00

I am so incredibly proud of my little boy. He works so hard doing his school work. He is inquisitive and eager to learn as much as he possibly can. His teacher has been working on many things that may traditionally be taught in Kindergarten and Michael has been loving every minute of it. Here are a few things in recent weeks that have stood out to me and I wanted to share............

Miss Ann has been teaching the children how to tell time on a very basic level. She has explained the meaning of the big hand, the little hand and the second hand. Due to her discussions and activities, Michael knows how to tell time when the big hand is on the 12. A dear friend of mine gave Michael some new books all about Kindergarten for his birthday. The other night we were reading one about a little boy who goes to visit his new Kindergarten classroom to see what it will be like when he starts going there. One of the pages has a big picture of the clock on the wall that tells the children when it's time to eat, go outside, have circle time, etc. Michael looks at the clock and without missing a beat tells me it says 10 o'clock because the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 10!!

Yesterday, Miss Ann had a fun and exciting way to expand the lessons she has been doing on money. She set up a little store in the classroom and gave each of the children pennies and nickels. Then one by one they were able to come to the store to buy candy. They were all super excited about the idea they were going to buy candy they could actually eat and take home! What child doesn't want to buy candy?!!? Each candy had a sign showing how much it cost and the child had to determine what to give Miss Ann to pay for each piece of candy. Michael couldn't wait to tell me all about the kinds of candy he bought and how much he paid for each one. For example, his little bag of m&ms cost $0.05 so he told me he gave Miss Ann a nickel but his lollipop was $0.03 so he gave Miss Ann 3 pennies for that!!

Lastly, Miss Ann has worked very hard with Michael's class on learning sight words for reading readiness. Periodically she gives them a one on one test and then sends the paper home with how many of the sight words the child knew and the ones he/she didn't know are circled in red. Every time Michael brought home a sight words test paper it would go on the fridge and we would randomly get the paper and practice. His last test of the school year was last Wednesday, the day after he turned five. He knew 29 out of 34 sight words!!! Due to his excitement over learning his sight words he is very eager to read books. We have a Curious George Learn to Read series and he is able to read a large portion of each book on his own with a combination of sight words and phonics. I am so incredibly proud of my little boy!!!

The child is barely 5 and can tell basic time, use pennies and nickels correctly and can read basic books!! I know I am his mother and naturally I am a little bias, but I think that's pretty impressive for a child his age!! I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Michael's daycare/school. It is because of the amazing teachers there that he is able to do all these things at his age. Tomorrow is Michael's Pre-K graduation ceremony/show which I will have lots to post about this weekend. After that he has just 9 more weeks there and then we have to say goodbye. It is going to be a bittersweet day when we leave there on a Friday afternoon knowing we won't be coming back. But I'm not going to dwell on that, instead I am just going to enjoy the next 9 weeks we have of seeing the wonderful women there every day!!

Here's a picture of his most recent Sight Words test paper..........

2012 NSTAR Walk for Children's Hospital Boston

2012-06-14T13:16:00.002-04:00

We successfully completed our 4th NSTAR Walk for Children's Hospital Boston last weekend and I am so incredibly proud of Michael for walking parts of the 7 miles including the full last mile without stopping!!! He was so happy to be walking to help sick kids and he loved being around all the other excited and happy walkers. At the various mile markers and/or snack stations there were local high school cheerleaders cheering the walkers on which helped motivate us to continue even when our feet and legs were tired. I have to say, walking 7 miles isn't horrible but doing it while pushing a good 50lbs between the stroller, Michael and our bags, was tough! However, I know it wasn't as tough as what some parents and families go through when their little one is sick and at Children's Hospital. I truly feel blessed to have a healthy child and walking 7 miles is the least I can do to help those who are struggling with a sick baby!

I have to say a big THANK YOU to all our family and friends who sponsored us this year and in the past. Each year we are fortunate to raise more money than the year before. This year, thanks for the extremely generous contribution from the Felician Sisters of Enfield CT and all the other generous donations from our loved ones, we were able to raise $580. And there is still time to donate if anyone reading this wants to help the #1 ranked pediatric hospital in the country!!

Please visit our walk page if you are interested in donating:

http://howtohelp.childrenshospital.org/walk/page/SR0062.htm

And now, on to pictures from our walk.................

Happy 5th Birthday Michael!!

2012-06-14T12:17:00.001-04:00

I still can't believe last week my baby turned FIVE!!! It's shocking to me that five years have already passed since God blessed us with the most amazing, sweet, kind, caring, smart, funny, witty, creative, talented, polite, inquisitive and simply wonderful little boy. John and I are so unbelievably blessed to have the pleasure and the stress of being his parents. Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for our little boy. Soon he will be venturing off to Kindergarten and in the blink of an eye he will be all grown up.

The birthday celebrations started with his wonderful party (see previous post), continued at school the day before his birthday and then on his birthday itself at home. Last year Michael chose baseball cupcakes for school since we had celebrated his birthday at the Red Sox game. This year I told him to pick two different themes for the cupcakes. One for his party and one for school. First he decided he wanted golf cupcakes for his party and pirate cupcakes for his school celebration. At the last minute as I was about to start baking for his party he switched them around. I posted a picture of the pirate cupcakes in the previous post but I will here are some more of those as well as the golf cupcakes for school and finally the extra special pirate cake complete with a treasure chest filled with m&ms. I surprised him with on his actual birthday!!!