Manic Monday - Pride

The word at Mo's Manic Monday is Pride.

This is going to be a piece of cake. I have been brimming with pride ever since Friday, June 20th when my son graduated Pre-K.

Walking into his class room with his father who has only been to school once I thought for sure he would bolt from his seat and give his teacher a hard time when she asked him to sit.

He was one of the 85% who were able to contain themselves. They sat looking at us (the families) while we stared at them for about 15 minutes before the festivities began. There was a time when he stood up to walk over 10 minutes in but his teacher asked him to sit and he did.

Last year he would not sit and I was unable to get any pictures of him and his class. This year, he stood with the class and posed for 100 pictures as all the families snapped away.

I was so proud that he went up for his diploma with a big smile on his face(last year his teacher had to ssssstretch and hand it to him). Proud that he posed with his therapist and his teacher for pictures and proud that he sang all the songs, the national anthem and counted in Spanish 1-10 and then backwards. Love it!

So cute to see all their little faces as they leave the school and high five each other.

Slice of Life - Nothing Cuter Than A 3 Year Old Apology

My Goddess cracks me up every day. She is funny, witty, lovable and just plain cute but when she apologizes I just want to cry. She always comes back and apologizes AFTER she has had time to think about it.

The other day, her father,

Such a grown up thing to do.. wait..., a lot of grown ups can't even do this.

Oh where was I? Oh yeah, I digress, cute apologies.

The other day her father, asked her to stop pulling on the Wii remote. She didn't. He asked her three times and then he took the remote from her.

The Goddess, Miss Dramatic, took off down the hall for the confides of her bedroom. She was in there about 10 minutes when I walked in and asked her if she wanted to go for a walk.

She said yes and we left for a casual 30 minute stroll around the block.

We got back to the house 40 minutes after the fiasco with Daddy and he opened the door when he saw us coming. The moment she saw him, she said, "I sowwy I was mad at you before."

He said, "oh you are sorry." He was probably unsure of what she was referring to since it really had been a while and it was not a big thing. There had been no yelling or tears.

They hugged and I tried not to laugh. It was so funny. Was she brooding about it the whole time? I have no idea because she was totally Miss Talkative the whole walk.

Today, at 5:30 she started a "I'm so tired tantrum" fight with her brother. He was sitting playing when she started crying and kicking him in the back. I went over and removed her. She went back and kicked at him. He came over and said, "Daddy, Goddess is pulling on the wire." The husband who was eating, said, "mommy will be right there." This was right after he told me to stop running over every time they fight.

Walking in, I removed her again. She ran into my room and closed the door.

5 minutes later, she knocked and said, "Mommy?"

Opening the door for her, she smiled at me. I said, "why did you shut the door?"

She put her arms up and I picked her up. "I sowwy I hurt your feelings mommy." Then she hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

Hugging her and walking down the hall, Daddy calls out, "I want an apology too."

I brought her over and she said, "I sowwy, Daddy." They hugged and kissed and then she giggled and asked for crayons and paper.

Another moment etched on my heart.

Friday Night Belly Ache

I hope tomorrow morning my little man is feeling better.

Today was the first time since he was 21 months old that he complained about his stomach. We have been fortunate with illness, or ailments in this house for the last 3 years.

He started complaining at about 1:30 right after lunch. He basically said, "mommy, my stomach hurts." He said it again about 5 more times within the hour. When he finally went to the bathroom I figured everything would be ok. He again, told me that his stomach hurt. He went to the bathroom again (odd). No diarrhea, no vomiting (thank God), just complaints about his stomach.

We were on a play date so I finally took him home at 3:00 figuring that he just needed to lie down.

When we got home I thought for sure he would perk up, ask for Wii and turn back into my rambunctious, spirited, 5 year old. This did not happen!

He asked me to lie down with him so I did. I got up after 10 minutes to assist the Goddess with some potty stuff.

When I got back to my bed, he had moved to his bed and was under the covers. I left him and started cleaning. I came back about 20 minutes later to see him still lying down. Strange.

He didn't want pizza (his favorite) and asked me to rock him.

I held him on my lap as he just made faces and closed his eyes. Sensing that the Goddess and her daddy wanted to play I took him with me into my room because really, who wants to have someone bouncing around when your stomach is sick?

We got into bed and he was out in less than 8 minutes. That was at 7:10 p.m. He is still sleeping soundly. I hope that whatever it is, settles and that basically he just has a sour stomach.

I hope that when he wakes in the morning, he once again asks, "can I play Wii" the moment he opens his eyes. I will say, "no, it's too early" and we will get on with our day.

I hope!

Photo Friday-Religion-Baptism

Look at that face! It looks like the heavens are shining down and he knows he was just baptized.

Friday Fill In

1. Birthdays are once a year.

2. Autumn is my favorite season because of the colors and the crisp air.

3. I feel my best when I am home with my kids and husband.

4. Food is my favorite food!

5. First impressions are sometimes unfair.

6. The best piece of advice I ever received was discipline with love in your heart.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching a movie with my husband tomorrow my plans include relaxing with the kids and husband and Sunday, I want to do some blogging.

Wordless Wednesday - Graduation

Manic Monday - Night

Night is the word for Mo's Manic Monday.

This is one of my favorite words. Just look at it; NIGHT, it's so sexy. Maybe the reason it appeals to me is because as a mom for the past 5 years I have lived on 3-6 hours of broken sleep. Night means for me, that I won't be called on every 5 minutes to break up a fight, get someone a drink, help someone in the bathroom or just answer the 5,000 random questions I get from both of my inquiring kids.

It is also the time of day that my kids are winding down and just want to be with me without all the hoopla. I get to hold them, kiss them, hug them, read to them, snuggle with them, and them with me. It is the only time of the day that we are totally regimented with a schedule. Because I host "tent nights" & "crash with mom nights" I need to be totally in control on the nights the kids will sleep in their OWN rooms. Not that they stay there because everyone in this house needs to sleep with Mommy but they MUST start out in their beds. We drink milk, brush teeth, read stories, get the piggy back ride to bed, 1, 2, 3, swing them in, prayers, "I love yous" and I am out of there.

Night time is my time but what's not to love when I get to see these adorable faces?

Photo Hunter - Water

Lens Day - Circle

Photo Friday - The Great Outdoors

Friday Fun - Life Edition

These questions are so good and would take me a week to write answers to but who has time to read that?

1. When you look back at your childhood dreams, has your life gone in the direction you expected? No but not that that is a bad thing. I couldn't have imagined this life. I, like most children had so many dreams; I wanted to be a jockey, a doctor, a nurse, an actress, an artist, the list goes on and on. I am none of those things.

2. What were the three most life changing events in your life? How did they shape who you are?
1- The death of my mother at 12. Watching the cancer take over her body and taking care of her taught me that I want to enjoy every day. It taught me how not to waste time stressing the small stuff and also to live each day with peace and love in your heart because in the long run that is all that matters.

2- The death of my grandmother in 1991. Losing her taught me that being afraid of life and what can possibly happen doesn't really prepare you for the worst. It was also another lesson in living every day as if it were your last. Saying everything you want to say because there isn't always time to tell people how much you love them. More importantly, it reinstated my faith in a high power. My grandmother (dad's mom) and my mom both have the same birth and death date which beside it being quite the coincidence when you think there was 25+ years between them it is also quite interesting. How and why would this happen? Was someone trying to prove something to us? Was it a way to make the second blow easier, knowing that in the long run we will all be together? I may never know but I do hope that when it is my time they are both waiting for me on the other side.

3- The birth of my son (my first baby). I get pregnant when I was 34, not because we had been trying for long and not because I wasn't sure if I wanted a baby but because I didn't think my husband was ready or interested. When we finally decided, we were lucky in the fact that it took 3 months. Having my son and meeting him for the first time was amazing. It felt like I finally knew my real purpose. Being a mom is what I wanted and I was finally getting my chance to hear the word Mommy and to have someone who made me feel closer to my husband, my mother and my grandmother for without any of them, my son would not be here.

3. Is there anything you would drastically change about your life or are you content with where your life has taken you? I wouldn't change anything. I like who I am, I love the country I live in, I adore my family and friends. I wish I saw a lot of them more. I chose not to dwell on things that don't matter in the long run and I love everyday that I am allowed to roam this beautiful planet.

Music Memoirs Top 5 Current Albums on my Player

Top 5 albums that you can't stop playing lately, and tell us why you love them!

Skid Row - Debut album. I recently found a cassette pack in storage and put it in my car (yup I have a cassette). I love it because beside it being great it reminds me of being young and carefree with no responsibilities.

Queensryce - Operation Mindcrime. Also found in the cassette case and I hadn't heard it in a while. I love this album and think everyone should have it in their collection.

American Angel - Local NJ band. This album is so good. My kids like it and it reminds me of some really awesome times hanging out with friends.

Pearl Jam - Ten. There is never been a time that this wasn't in my car to listen to. It is probably my favorite album. I gave it to my nephew a copy of it this Christmas because as he gets more into finding out what he likes in music I wanted to share with him one of the best albums.

Bruce Springsteen - Darkness of the Edge of Town - Bruce's best album in my eyes. I love all of his stuff but this rocks all the way through and is just raw with awesome songs and smart, memorable lyrics. You can't go wrong with Springsteen.

Friday Fill In

1. A smile is a can open doors and make someone's day.

2. Trivia Pursuit is my favorite board or card game.

3. I would love to have more money in my life and less outstanding bills.

4. When I think of the Summer Solstice, I think of days at the lake.

5. I just remembered I need to send a thank you to my friend Olga.

6. One of my favorite song lyrics goes like this: I know one day, you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star in someone else's sky, why can't it be me. And Round here she's always on my mind.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to hanging with my husband tomorrow my plans include hopefully seeing my nieces and sister-in-law and Sunday, I want to sleep past 6:30 a.m.!