Lost Tooth

Abby lost a tooth this morning.
I mean she really lost it.
Down the drain (we think).
Either that or she swallowed it!
I didn't even know it was that loose.
But as she was brushing her teeth before school this morning, out it fell.
In the chaos of her running into my room with toothpaste & blood dripping out of her mouth and me telling her to go rinse her mouth out with cold water - we realized we couldn't actually find the tooth.
So after a thorough search of the bathroom & bedroom floors, with no luck, we think it went down the drain.
Oops!

"Will the tooth-fairy still come if I can't find my tooth?"
"Sure she will, we'll just leave her a note, she'll understand."

Here's the note she wrote before going to bed:

It is now tucked safely into her tooth pillow waiting for the tooth-fairy's arrival.

Wordless Wednesday

  

Mr. Smartypants

Christopher is a very smart 5 year-old preschooler.  Out of the blue he will spout out facts about sharks or dinosaurs that Jim & I just look at him and say "where did you learn that".

We call him our "thinker".

This can be a bad thing sometimes -- such as when I want him to get dressed quickly so I give him his clothes, tell him to get dressed, and then leave the room.  Only to come back fifteen minutes later to find him naked laying on his floor because he got 'distracted' by something that caught his interest.

But this can also be a good thing.

Like a few weeks ago when we were sitting waiting for Abby during dance class and Chris - out of nowhere - starts reading the information wall.  "J-AN-U-A-RY.  That says January!"  Me - "You're right!!  What's the next line say?"  Chris - "H-A-PP-Y N-E-W Y-EA-R!"  Me - "Wow!"

And that's when I realized that Chris could read.

So after watching & listening to him sound out everything for a few weeks, I decided to give him a book that I haven't read to him in ages.  So I gave him Moo, Baa, LaLaLa by Sandra Boynton and he read it cover to cover with VERY little help from me (I did have to help him with the word Rhinoceroses!)!!  Needless to say I was pretty surprised & very proud of my little man.

Since then, I've been trying new books with him and he is continuing to surprise us.  He is even helping Abby (much to her chagrin) when she can't figure out a word in her nightly reading from school!

Maybe he's right when he says he wants to be a Paleontologist.  My neighbor always jokes and says he's the next Albert Einstein or real-life Doogie Houser.

Who knows?  Only time will tell, but for now we'll just stick to Dr. Suess!!

Never a Dull Moment...

There are some days that go as I expect and then there are other days that just don't.

Today was one of 'those' days.  

Jill & Brian were supposed to bring the girls over so that I could take pictures of Logan & Ava could play with the kids.  Amy & Mark were supposed to come over around lunch so that the guys could all go out while the girls stayed home & the kids played together.  It was supposed to be a fairly normal, uneventful, Saturday.

That is what was SUPPOSED to happen.

This is what ACTUALLY happened...

Jill & I started getting Logan ready for the photo shoot and I sent the kids upstairs to play.  Then there was a loud crash & even louder crying.  I ran upstairs to see Alex holding his head in the hallway, crying and telling me that the bunk-bed ladder fell on his head.  I picked him up, held his head, saw blood all over my hand and started screaming & running for Jim.  Jim took him from me, surveyed the cut and left for the ER. Jill & Brian & I found Ava crying in Alex's bed & Chris hiding in the downstairs bathroom.  I frantically grabbed socks & a sweatshirt for Alex and left for the ER.  Jill & Brian stayed home with Abby, Chris, Logan, & Ava and tried to piece together what happened.

2 1/2 hours later, we are home from the ER, with a very tired little boy who now has 3 staples in his head!  Thankfully Alex's injury was a superficial cut that did not cause any of the horrible head injuries that I envisioned over and over again as I drove to the ER!

Thanks to Jill & Brian's investigating, we now know that not only did the ladder fall, but Ava fell too. Thankfully all she has are a few nasty bruises and a new-found fear of bunk-beds.  We also now know that Chris was the one who asked her to climb up into his top bunk to get his favorite stuffed dog, hence the hiding in the bathroom afterwards.

Whoa!  Not exactly what I expected when I woke up this morning!!  

I just hope that tomorrow is a tad less eventful!

In the waiting room at the ER

Waiting for the numbing medicine to kick in before they stapled his head back together!

Ice Ice Baby

The ice storm we woke up to yesterday morning was so beautiful I just had to get outside to get some photos.  So Abby and I took our cameras and went out for a walk around the neighborhood.  Here's a few of my favorites.

my partner in crime - my budding photographer 

Alex the Superhero Shopper

Alex has been Jim's shopping buddy recently.  Every weekend when Jim does the grocery shopping for the week, Alex is always the first one to ask to tag along with him.  Apparently he likes the social aspect of it, he loves to say hi to everyone, ask them "what your name is?", and taste the food samples they have at Wegman's on the weekends.  A few weekends ago, we were having a lazy Saturday morning - still lounging in our pjs, when Jim asked "who wants to go to Wegman's with me?"  Of course, Alex did!  So we told him he needed to hurry up and go get ready.  A minute later, he ran into the living room shouting, "I'm ready!" with his sneakers on, right over his footed pjs.  Hysterical!  And yes, I did get him dressed before going, but not before I got these pictures of him.

This is a conversation I overheard recently:

Abby:  I want to be a teacher when I grow up!

Chris:  I want to be a paleontologist!

Alex:  I want to be IRONMAN when I grow up!

Hip Hip Hooray!!

I'm so proud of my little Tiger Girl who scored her first goal yesterday (in her last game of the season!).  Yay Abby!  Way to patiently wait for the perfect pass & the perfect opportunity to shoot on the goal!

Milky Way Farm

Our new favorite spot to go as a family this summer was Milky Way Farm in Chester Springs.  We had been there a few years ago for a birthday party but never went back until Abby had a field trip there this spring.  It is a working farm, so her class went and met the owners/farmers and learned all about the cows and other animals they have there.  Since her field trip, we have made many visits to the farm as a family.  Our kids love to visit the pigs, cows, ducks, & sheep.  Best of all is the creamery where they make the most delicious homemade ice cream EVER.  Last week we visited the pumpkin patch at the farm and picked our own pumpkins, visited the animals, and then enjoyed a yummy ice-cream.  I love that Abby & Alex always gets their favorite, Molly's Mint Chocolate Chip - but Chris always tries something new - this time it was Polly's Pumpkin Pie.  Here's some pictures of our pumpkin picking adventure...

Sweet Abby

Abby: When I'm a mom, can I still call you Mommy?

Me: You sure can...

((Smile)) This girl makes my heart melt!

Virtual Bouquet

Straight from my garden to you! Hope this brightens your day! :)

School Days

Thursday was Chris & Alex's first day of pre-school. This is Alex's first experience with school so it was a bit hard for me to think of my baby being old enough for school! It went pretty smoothly - except for the part where the teachers had to pry both Chris & Alex away from me!! They both fussed a bit when I left, which in turn made me cry as I walked out to my big, empty car. Boohoo! But luckily that only lasted a few minutes for all three of us. The boys both were fine within minutes & I was able to go and enjoy a quiet breakfast with my good friend Shannon. Three hours later I was there to pick them up & find out how their morning was. They both loved it! During lunch I asked them both what their favorite part of the morning was. Their answer? Seeing each other on the playground. :) So cute. I just love my boys.

Alex was able to go to the library on his first day to pick out books. I asked him what books he got. "Green books - because they're my favorite!" No...he's not that environmentally conscious already...they were actually two books with green covers. He didn't even care what they were about as long as they were green!

Here's a picture of them on their first day - and also a picture of Abby from her first day.

Back By Popular Demand...

I'm baaack!

Ok ok - so I've read the commentary on my blog (& my sister's blog!) wondering where I've been and when I'm going to start updating my blog again.

Well...here I am. I have no good reason as to where I've been, no excuses this time. Hopefully you will show your love & let me know that you're back following along with me.

Now back to business...


Abby started 1st grade this week. This is her first experience with all-day school and she was very nervous about it for the week or so leading up to her first day. She cried herself to sleep most nights and would spontaneously burst into tears throughout each day. So I was really expecting a horrible first day for her! Much to my surprise on Monday morning, she woke up in a great mood & started getting very excited as she got dressed & ready to go. By the time we got to the bus stop she was fine and got on the bus with no tears or fears! She lasted the whole day without tears and ran off the bus in the afternoon shouting "I love first grade!". (Mommy - on the other hand has teared up at various points throughout each day missing my sweet Abby.)

I absolutely love her teacher so far and so does Abby. On her first day she was given a homework assignment to bring in her 'forever' book to share with the class. A Forever book is a book that may not mean or look like much to someone else, but it is a book that is special to you. A book that whenever you read it or are reminded of it, you will forever recall special memories about it. Abby had 2 Forever books - "Bear Snores On" by Karma Wilson and "Disney Bear's Magical Day at the Magic Kingdom" - (a book we got in Disney). She took "Bear Snores On" into school with her and tomorrow she has to present it to the class and explain why it is special to her.

I just love this concept!!

My forever book(s) are the Little House on the Prairie series. I remember my sisters and I squishing together on one of our little twin beds every night to listen to my mom or dad read us a chapter or two. I can still picture the blue flowered wallpaper and my Holly Hobbie sheets.

So my question for you is this....What is your Forever Book & why?

I can't wait to hear from you all!

Alex "Big Boy" Plousis

Well it's been a week with out the flower, (that's how Alex says pacifier)!

We've been halfheartedly trying to get rid of the flower for a while now. I would try to hide it from him, but he would throw fits that I wasn't in the mood to deal with, so I would cave in and give it back to him! :) But over the past few weeks, Alex would randomly hand me his pacifier and say "I'm a big boy, I don't need this", so I would take it away until he asked for it again, usually at bedtime.

So last Sunday I decided to hide the remaining 'flowers' for good. I was prepared for a fight, but it went a lot smoother than I expected! He only asked for it a few times at bedtime, "I want my flower!" Jim and I would just tell him that he doesn't need it anymore because he's a big boy. And - to my surprise - without any fighting or tears he would just lay down and go to bed! Yea Alex!

On Saturday, we were in the car driving to Jim's parent's house (in a torrential downpour!) Trying to keep the kids entertained, we were discussing their names. Jim asked Alex what his middle name was. Alex's response..."BIG BOY!"

Gotta love it!

Long Time No See...

I have no explanation as to where I have been over the last 4 months...except that I have 3 kids that have been non-stop lately, a husband who has been traveling for work, and a computer that would randomly shut-down on me. But the kids are in bed, Jim is done traveling for the year, and we have a new computer...so now I have no excuse!!!! I won't even begin to try and catch up, it has been a busy 4 months. I will try to fill in the gaps in some future posts...but don't hold me to it!

Tonight I just want to post a quick note about Veteran's Day today. I really only know a few veterans, but the most important and most influential to me was my grandfather, Spence Goldsborough. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps. during World War II, a member of the Greatest Generation in the truest sense. He passed away suddenly in August and I miss him dearly. I'm not sure if I ever thanked him for his service to our country and for preserving our freedoms. So don't let today pass you by, thank a veteran for giving us the freedom to live in this great country!

God Bless America!

Nothing beats spending July 4th at the shore. It is the epitome of small town America celebrating independence day, embracing our freedom and celbrating our amazing country.

We were blessed to spend an extended (4 day) holiday weekend in OCNJ. We started out the day by walking in the bike parade, well Abby rode her bike (decorated by Nana), and Jim & I walked while pushing Chris & Alex in the double stroller. It was a pretty long parade route, I was so proud of Abby who rode the entire way! It was so fun to walk down the streets lined with spectators cheering everyone on, especially when we passed Grandma & Pop-pop (my parents) & Uncle Michael & Aunt Kim. After the parade, we headed to the beach and spent a great day on the beach with my parents & Michael & Kim. Then we topped the day off with a BBQ at Jim's Aunt & Uncle's house and a walk to the beach to watch the fireworks. There's just something about sitting on the beach in the dark and watching the fireworks. The kids loved it, especially Alex who squealed with excitement at the ones that he liked.

Official Shoobies

shoobie

n. a short-term visitor to the beach and shore communities of New Jersey derived from a description of tourists, day-trippers, weekenders, and others who would bring a meal packed in a shoe box

It's that time of the year again...July 4th, the true heart of the summer.

Time to hit the beach, ride the waves, collect seashells, and build sandcastles. Time to stroll the boards, ride the rides, play miniature golf, eat Mack & Mancos pizza, and drink fresh squeezed lemonade. Time to smell the salt air, take outside showers, decorate our bikes for the parade, and watch the fireworks on the beach. And, since we are fortunate enough that my inlaws live at the shore, time for us to head to the shore each weekend and be official shoobies.

And we are OFFICIAL shoobies this summer...I say this because every year for the past 5 years we have bought the 'Down the Shore - Ocean City, NJ' calendar. Every month there is a great photo of Ocean City - either the beach or the boardwalk or the ocean. It's a great reminder in the cold winter months that summer is coming soon! So last month there was a night photo of people walking on the boardwalk. I thought, wouldn't it be funny if we were in any of these pictures. Sooo, I looked closely and in the bottom left corner, there's Abby & Chris walking & part of our stroller. Jim & I & Alex didn't make the cut, but it was so funny that there we were! (If I get the chance, I will scan the picture and post it later) So we are official shoobies now that we have made it into the Ocean City calendar....at least that's how I see it! :)

Well we are off to the shore tonight for a nice long 4th of July weekend.

I just love summer!!!

Nags Head '09

Once again this year, we headed down to Nags Head, NC to spend a week at the beach with my whole family...all 17 of us. We were blessed with great weather and had a blast relaxing on the beach just about every day. I think I can speak for us all when I say that I wish I was still there...I'm still experiencing a bit of the post-vacation blues - made worse by the fact that it seems like it has been raining since we got home 2 1/2 weeks ago!!!

Lilacs

Growing up, our neighbor had a lilac bush that was right outside of my bedroom window.  I used to love the spring when the lilacs would bloom & fill my room with their wonderful fragrance.  When Jim & I moved into our house we planted a lilac bush in our backyard - so now every spring we get to enjoy the beautiful lilac flowers along with their beautiful fragrant scent.  I cut some blooms today and put them in a vase in our living room and now our whole house smells so nice!  I just love it!  Here's a photo of them - although it doesn't do them justice without being able to smell them!  I'm waiting for the invention of smell-o-vision...

How deep the Father's love for us

I found myself crying again today during worship at church - seems I'm turning into my grandmother!! We were singing "How Deep the Father's Love For Us" by Stuart Townend - I've written the lyrics below and included a link to listen to it. As we sang, I was so overwhelmed by the love of God for me...what a powerful, beautiful hymn...I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV2zMZ-nZ7k

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Mother's Day Weekend

I know this is a little late...but you've come to expect that from me, haven't you?! We had a great Mother's Day weekend - celebrating my mom, my mother-in-law, my sisters, and me. Saturday we headed down to OC to see Jim's mom. It ended up being a beautiful day and we got to walk up to the playground...well most of us walked - Alex hitched a ride in the stroller & Abby rode her bike. The kids (& Jim - see my last entry) had a blast playing on all the playground equipment. Here they are having a race down the slide...




On Sunday, the kids & Jim pampered me by taking me out to breakfast, which was delicious! Then they gave me a beautiful hydrangea plant that I can't wait to plant! That afternoon, we had my whole family over for a BBQ to honor all of the favorite moms in my life, most importantly, my mom! I love you Mom! You are an amazing woman, Mom & Grandma!