Birthday Breakfast

We've made it a tradition that on your birthday you get to choose your breakfast. It doesn't have to be healthy and in Matt's case it sure wasn't. His "6" candle was stuck into a powdered munchkin donut, one of three, and he had his favorite strawberry Pop Tart. Now that's what I call a major sugar rush.

I know it is hard to read but Emily made him a birthday sign to replace the birthday sign mommy tossed during her last "cleaning". She didn't want Matt to feel left out. The morning was pretty relaxed here at home, the place Matt likes to be most!!

They say Its Your Birthday!

It is hard to believe that 6 years ago today around this time I was at the hospital being checked and then admitted so I could deliver Matthew later in the day. I remember my biggest concern that morning was getting Emily taken care of so I could drive to Weehawken, pick up Dave from the ferry and head to the hospital. As soon as the nurse told me to meet the doctor at the hospital, I knew I wasn't coming home until Matthew joined our family. So much for having a scheduled C-section, Matt had his own plan as to when he was going to enter this world.

I know it is silly to say but so much has happened in those 6 short years with him. I am amazed that he just finished Kindergarten and is headed to 1st grade in the fall. He still is such a charmer. His "Matthewisms" still can make a bad day into a delight. Matthew is so into his Lego builds, the computer, trains and his DS.....okay he is a little "nerdy" but a cool nerd.

When I need a dose of little boy, I watch Matthew sleeping and it takes me back in time. He melts my heart when he says "I love you, Mimi".

My life just wouldn't be the same without Matthew in it and I am thankful for every day God gives us with him. We love you Matt. You are wonderful, sweet, sensitive boy......sometimes you take me to the brink but hey I wouldn't be a mom if that didn't happen. Enjoy your 6th birthday!!

The First & Last Day of School

I decided to take the written advice of a fellow scrapbooker and this year not only did I take a picture on the first day of school but on the last day of school. Looking at these pics, you can see how they have physically grown but it doesn't capture how they have changed and matured as little people. The changes are numerous, too many to list but I can assure you, if you spend some time with them you will see how much they have grown. With the end of school, always comes their birthday's and another year passing. Summer is only 2 months but I can guarantee when they head back to school in September there will be even more changes. We are very proud of all of their academic accomplishments this year but also cherish the loving and giving moments we have shared with them much more!!

Matthew Graduates Kindergarten

It seems like only yesterday that Matthew was heading to school for his first day of Kindergarten. On June 14th, Matthew participated in his Kindergarten Graduation program. We were so proud watching him as he sang the songs and said his part. He has grown up so much in the last year. He loves his teacher, Mrs. Borrometi and is very upset that he will not be with her next year. She has prepared him well as he heads on to First Grade. He has made some very good friends in his class and is sad to know that some may not be with him in the same class next year. Matt, we are so proud of how much you have learned, how you are reading and just the sweet boy you have become. We love you!!!

Matt's with his teacher, Mrs. Borrometi. He also had a student teacher for most of the year Miss Porter.

The Kids Take Over

On this particular morning, both kids ended up in our bed. Around 4 a.m. a thunderstorm rolled into our area. Emily was the first one up in our room. Matt joined us after a very loud thunder bolt hit close to the area. Needless to say from that point on I didn't get much sleep due to the invasion of space. What I find so cute is that both kids have certain "funny" sleeping quirks - Emily has her pink eye mask and Matt has his sleeping hat. Dave called me up at one point to see that both kids were positioned exactly the same way but on opposite sides of the bed. It looks like they may have started a new trend - synchronized sleeping. You have to love kids while they sleep, so quiet and innocent. Then they wake up!! :)

Stylish Sleeping

Matthew has become hilarious about his sleeping "requirements". First, it is summer and he still insists on wearing his snowman winter pajamas from two Christmas' ago. Oh, and he doesn't like the shirt being buttoned. He also insists on having all of his stuffed animals laid around him. The most recent and funny thing is that he has started to wear a sleeping hat. Dave recently introduced the kids to "The Three Stooges" and in one of the episodes it showed them going to sleep and one them wears a sleeping hat. So, Matt went into his closet and found his Wall-E Christmas Santa hat and declared it his sleeping hat. I love the kids imaginations, how they see things and incorporate them into their own lives.

Gotta Love Those Legos

A trip to NYC would not be complete without a trip to the Lego store for Matt. You have to love a store where their decor is their product. Every time we go there I find something new. This time is was the lights. Only the Lego store can have a Lego piece as a lighting system...too cool.

The dragon is suspended over a mini build of Rockefeller Center.

You have to love the Big Apple Lego style.

I Love Trains

One of the reasons Matt loves going into the city is that we always take a train. Here he is "patiently" waiting for the train at the Secaucus station. When he saw it coming, he made his "announcement" that the train was on the track and approaching the station (that is the reason his had is over his mouth). Finally as it got closer, he tried to get the engineer to sound his horn, but he didn't. No matter, Matt was in his glory that the train was there and we were ready to ride. He also got to go on two subway trains (the E train where he spotted his first NYC rat on the rails) and then on the way from Penn Station to NJ we rode a doubledecker. If all we did that day was ride trains, Matt would have been completely happy!

A Whole New World

On our visit to NYC, Dave introduced the kids to a new store - the Nintendo DS store. I believe Emily's exact words when seeing the store was "could someone slap my face". We chose not to oblige her request. They loved playing the different games they had on the DS units and got to play Mario Brothers on Wii. The kids loved the store and want to go back again on our next visit to the city.

A Day of American Girl in NYC

Emily was very excited to take Emily back to where she came from, the American Girl store in NYC. During this last month of school, Emily was learning about needs and wants and she told me that on BrainPop they learned to take a jar and put on it something that you want and to earn money to buy the item. So, she has been very "busy" doing chores that have been asked of her and ones that have not (she weeded the back flower bed without being asked). At the store, she spent a $25 gift card from her birthday and the $6 she made in chore money. We also bought a dress that Emily could wear and we are trying to purchase a matching one for her doll as a "reward" for doing well in the Accelerated Reading program at school (she was invited along with other students to an ice cream social for their accomplishment). We had a great time at the store and Emily found the next item for her "money/chore jar" - a wrought iron bed for her doll (she even has a picture of it).

Time to Contemplate

I took this picture of Matthew when we were in NYC on Saturday. I love how he looks like he is contemplating a "major" life issue and anyone who knows Matt, knows that serious contemplation requires him sucking his thumb. I wonder what he was thinking about....no matter, it made for a great picture.

So very Proud!!!

On Tuesday morning, we headed to Washington school for their annual awards program. Emily received an award for Academic Achievement. For the 1st & 2nd grade in order to received this award, you must have all A's and B's in your main subjects and received S's in all other categories for the 4 school marking periods. Well, Emily finished the year getting all A's.

She is pictured here with her teacher, Miss Guido. Emily's assigned teacher, Mrs. Manno, left on maternity leave 1/2 way through the year. Thankfully, Emily and Miss Guido got along very well. They share the love of Peeps!! So, happy to have had her as Emily's teacher.....we will miss her!

Emily we are so proud of how well you did this year at school. Next year, 3rd grade....I think I am more nervous about 3rd grade at this point than Emily!! Oh well, I have two months to adjust and get use to the idea! :)

The First Morning of Summer Vacation

Ahh, summer vacation. The biggest plus is not having to wake up to an alarm blaring. Instead, I was awakened by Emily at 7:45 telling me I need to "ask permission" to use her DS at night while she is sleeping. I told her I would have but she was already asleep, usually I use Matt's to play my favorite game "Book Worm". I decided that these 2 1/2 weeks of the kids being home and then going on a family vacation would not get me sidelined from my workout routine (which has already been on hold due to a few crazy months). So, last night I made sure all Matt's Lego "stuff " was out of the way so I had no excuses. At 8:30, I told Emily I was heading downstairs (Matt was still in bed but stirring). About 1/4 into the workout, Matt popped his head downstairs. Surprisingly both kids let me be until their Veggie Tales program ended and Matt pushed some button that has messed it up (have to wait for Dave on that one). Emily then decided she wanted to workout. So, I started the DVD. The pics are of them doing 4 point squats where you step forward and backward and then side squats where you touch the floor. There are 3 segments to the workout and Emily actually completed the 1st segment. She even did burpees correctly, wow! Matt, he got 2/3rds through the segment and was then "lured" by his Legos. Today is a yucky, rainy day so I'm glad the kids got a little exercise in seeing going outside doesn't look like it will be on the schedule.

Thinking Ahead

On Father's day, we were coming home from lunch when Matt told me , "Mom, I'm going to miss you?" I asked him, "When?" thinking he heard me tell Dave that I was going to go babysit for a neighbor for a few hours later that afternoon. He answered my question by saying, "When I grow up." Matt has been hearing about and experiencing "change" the last few weeks. It all started while practicing for his Kindergarten program and became a reality "graduating" Kindergarten. Matt has come to realizes that he is going on to a new grade and a new teacher and he seems apprehensive with the idea of change. His teacher told me that several times today he told her "I'm gonna miss you". Being the parent, I've tried to explain how he'll still see his teacher, she will just have a new class and so will he but this concept at his age is unfathomable. He's comfortable! He knows and loves his teacher and friends just where they are. So, I think with all this change he is thinking even more about the idea of how things will change in his future. Of course, when he said this to me, I told him that some day he'll meet a wonderful girl, get married and have a family but mommy will always be loving him. His realization brings my own that my kids are growing up and I can't stop it. I see how they are maturing each day and can only pray that they will listen to God leading their lives. I love you Matt and mommy will always have you in her heart!!