Brady is 5! May the Fourth Be With You!

My little boy is 5 years old! This year Brayden was really excited to celebrate his birthday. He loves his friends from Trinity and was really excited to have a party. We decided to celebrate at Bounce U in Exton, PA. He was thrilled that his cousin Liam would be in town for his actual birthday and the party. The party was lots of fun. The kids bounced until their bodies were content. Kellen loved it. It was a little scary watching him climb up the steep bounces and then watch him flying down the slides.

Since B's birthday (May 4th) fell on a Saturday, I decided to have a Star Wars themed party for him. I ordered him a tshirt with a picture of Yoda on the front and the wording "May the Fourth Be With You!".

Brayden is a great big bro to Kellen, he is constantly watching over him, a protector.

Brayden is doing many new things this year....

-writing his name independently
-riding a bike with training wheels
-loves watching the Phillies and talking about the game to whoever will listen
-he loves playing the Wii, especially Super Mario Brothers
-playing and watching Pokemon

Isabel is 9 years old

Hard to believe my oldest child turned 9 years old this week. Isabel truly is a blessing in my life. A girl with a very big heart and full of life. She really wanted a sleepover party with just a few friends. It turned out to be a great night. The girls had burgers and hot dogs grilled by dad, played "spin the bottle" with nail polish, had a silly string fight, decorated flip flops with fabric and tulle, and watched a movie eating candy and popcorn. Only a few girls were able to spend the night, but it was a good time for all!

Just a few weekends ago we took the kids to Camelback Mountain for a weekend of skiing and snow tubing. The Ciocca's joined us for a weekend of fun!

Isabel was excited to ski and set her sights on a black diamond. Luckily, Andy skied with her the first day because I would've kept her on blues and greens. Andy really wanted to boost her confidence and felt it important for her to be able to tell her friends she skied "the Pharoah" a black Diamond. Andy said she was tentative, but she managed to make her way to the bottom in one piece! A big accomplishment. Think she still needs some practice and maybe a lesson or two, but for 8 years old she is a great little skier.

Unfortunately, Chloe got a headache shortly after getting to the mountain On the first day and ended up calling it quits after about an hour. She elected not to ski on Sunday. Definitely, don't want to force skiing on the kids as it should be an enjoyable experience and of course, fun!!

The snow tubing was a blast! I could not believe how fast those tubes flew down the mountain! I think everyone had a great time, although I will admit, the lack of control over the tube and the high speeds, made for a definite thrill ride.

The best part of the weekend for me was skiing with Isabel on Sunday. We had a great time together. It reminded me how important one on one time is, especially living in a full house with a family of 6. I loved our conversations riding the ski lift up the mountain and of course just having fun skiing down the mountain.

Good times!!

Girls night at Sweet and Sassy

On Friday night, the girls and I went to Sweet and Sassy in Exton. Isabel and Chloe got haircuts, make-up, up-dos, and mani/pedis! The girls were transformed and took the stage to walk the runway! They were glowing and enjoyed the attention:-)

Afterwards, we headed to Peace A Pizza for dinner. Finally, we ended the night at Old Navy!

Juggling 4 kids can be a challenge at times, especially trying to make each of them feel special. My children are a priority and I hope they will always know how much they are loved. It was a fun, enjoyable evening filled with conversation and laughs! Loving my girls!

Chloe Sports Review

Chloe is playing basketball and indoor soccer this winter. She loves the time with her friends and the excitement of the game.

She is playing in the Malvern League with 1st grade Saint Annie's girls. Just this past weekend, Chloe scored her first basket! It was really exciting to watch. She stole the ball, dribbled the length of the floor, and swished a five footer. Then, according to Andy, she performed an Ocho Cinco like celebration dance. She is a tenacious defender on the basketball court.

She is also playing soccer at the YSC with her T/E friends. Tory Stagnaro and Sean O'Reilly are coaching. Chloe loves to play soccer, but even more, she loves to win! Unfortunately, her soccer team seems to be losing every game:( Chloe continues to score goals for her team, but it doesn't seem to be enough for a win. On the way home from Saturday's game, Chloe told Andy she was getting tired of soccer, or more specifically losing! Andy pointed out to the girls that even professional teams can experience losing streaks during a season. Isabel said, "Like the Eagles?!" Andy said, "Yes!" Isabel quickly blurted out,"Dad, they fired their coach!". Andy asked do you think Coach S should be fired? Chloe quickly blurted "no!". It was great dialogue.

Chloe, I am glad you are having this experience, even though it is never fun to lose. I think it is important to experience the ups and downs in life and as part of a team. You are a star and get better and better with each practice and game!

Where is my toothbrush?

Okay, so for the last few weeks no one in our house has been able to find a toothbrush! The culprit: Kellen!! He has been wandering the second floor, opening up drawers in the bathroom, and grabbing toothbrushes. To do what you ask? Well, sometimes, just to brush his teeth. My guess is the bristles feel good on his gums. The boy has been teething for months!!

The problem is he also loves to play with these toothbrushes. If a toilet bowl is open he loves to swirl the toothbrush in the bowl....and then stick the toothbrush in his mouth and suck the water. I know, GROSS!

This habit has forced us all to get new toothbrushes and keep the bathroom doors shut. However, Kellen is determined to get his little hands on our toothbrushes one way or another. This morning, while drying my hair, he found an open package with two brand new toothbrushes under the sink in the bathroom. He managed with ease to pull both toothbrushes out of the package, turn on the water in the bathtub, hold them under the water, and then suck the water from my brand new toothbrushes. This kid is unbelievable!

I guess this is better than the alternative, using them to clean my toilet bowl...lol! Never a dull moment in our house.

New Years 2013

This year we celebrated New Years Eve in Ocean Pines, MD with my grandmother, mother, her sisters, my sister, and of course, spouses too! It was the first year Andy and I let the kids stay up until midnight. The girls were very excited to watch Rockin' Eve performances like Psy (Gagnam Style), Taylor Swift, and Justin Bieber and play Poker or "Pok-a" (as Isabel would say) with their big cousins using candy in place of chips.

Brady was thrilled to play with Liam. The two boys really get along very well together. They enjoyed working on puzzles and dressing up as superheroes - the Hulk and Iron Man.

The kids had fun wearing hats, leis, and blowing horns to ring in the New Year! We even had a piñata to add to the fun!

Kellen was dancing quite a bit that night....at least until his 8:00 bedtime! He loves to bop his head and bend his knees to the rhythm of the music. An incredibly happy boy! Just love him to pieces...

This particular night holds great memories for me and reminds me of the importance of family. Looking forward to a happy and healthy 2013!