Christmas Eve 2012

The holidays every year are a busy, busy time of year! There is so much to look forward too, but so much preparation with 4 little kids! This year we spent Christmas Eve with the O'Reilly's - a tradition we started back in 2004! This year we went to the 4:00 children's mass at St. Norbert's in Paoli. We sat right up front thanks to Mrs. O'Reilly (sean's mom) saving us seats. The kids were great.

The homily was about the birth of baby Jesus. At one point, the priest was talking about a special needs boy playing the role of the innkeeper in a christmas pageant and emphasizing that this part only had one speaking line in the play. He asked if any of the children knew what this line was? Loudly, Brayden shouted out, "No room!" Chuckles could be heard throughout the congregation. It was a funny mommy moment! But more importantly, it was a proud moment for me! Even while coloring, Brady at 4 years old was paying attention to the homily. Earlier in the mass, when the reader said, a reading according to Luke, Brady popped up and said, Luke Skywalker?". He is a very good listener and very attentive!

After mass, we went back to the O'Reilly's for dinner and presents. It was a fun night had by all! This is such a wonderful tradition for our family, a tradition we all treasure! We are blessed to have such a wonderful friendship with the O'Reilly's!

Isabel wins Peacemaker for Courage

Yesterday, I was up at St. Annie's for Chloe's Christmas Party. While there, Isabel came running up to me beaming from ear to ear. She proudly announced, "Mom, I am peacemaker!" Each month one student from each class is chosen to be peacemaker for various virtues. For the month of November, the virtue was courage. This has been a goal of Isabel's since 1st grade. Definitely, a proud mommy moment! Isabel, I see great things in your future. Keep believing in yourself and remember you can achieve whatever it is you set out to do!

Daddy's Birthday

Just one week before Christmas is Andy's birthday! Andy's parents came over to help us celebrate the day. Mary Ellen cooked a special dinner and brought cupcakes for Andy.

The kids and I wanted to make it extra special for daddy. An idea the kids liked was coming up with 38 things they love about their dad since he was turning 38 years old. Together with the kids we worked on the list and came up with some very special qualities and memories about dad.

After dinner, Andy opened his presents. The best gift was a "NO" button. Everytime you hit it a voice says "NO!" The funny part is how many different ways it says no. We all got some laughs out of this present. After gifts, Andy read the list the kids made for him.

Kellen is 15 months old now and gets into everything. At the moment, he was playing underneath the dining room table where we were all sitting. One of the qualities on the list mentioned Andy as the protector of the family always wanting to keep us safe. Seconds after he read this from the list, Kellen bumps his head under the dining room table and is hysterically crying. Chloe quips, "Dad, is that how you keep Kellen safe?! Nice job!"

We were all laughing. Often times, you just cannot help laughing at her sarcastic remarks!

All in all, it was a great birthday! I was most impressed with the fact that Andy was able to blow out all 38 candles in a single breath:-)

Just another day.....

Just had conferences for Isabel, Chloe, and Brayden. All three kids are doing great in school. Mrs. Lynch, Mrs. Hofmann, and Mrs. Fine could not say enough good things about the kids. Andy and I are very lucky. I am grateful, happy, blessed.....

Isabel is a very good reader with an excellent vocabulary, great comprehension, and a deep thinker. She is also progressing and making great improvements in math! Isabel we are so proud of your determination and the effort you put forth in learning. You also keep a neat and organized desk. Mrs. Lynch believes in you and knows you are a bright girl with great academic potential. Mom and dad think that too:-)

Chloe is doing fantastic in first grade. She is an exceptional reader and in the top reading group. She is also excelling in math and recently was the class winner when they played a math game called Around the World. One of her favorite things to do is draw. She absolutely loves ART and is one incredible artist! In fact, art is Chloe's favorite subject; her least favorite is gym because she hates doing push-ups and running laps! I have to admit those things were never my favorite;-) Chloe you are a Rockstar and make mommy and daddy very proud.

Brayden is very comfortable at school and loves his teacher Mrs. Fine. His teacher said that he is at the top of his class when it comes to understanding concepts and ideas, however, he still struggles with fine motor. He is definitely progressing and has finally learned to write his name with varying uppercase and lowercase letters. One of my more recent observations pertains to his remarkable attention span. He loves to sit and work on puzzles, play games, read books, and even complete math fact worksheets. Andy and I have the girls complete timed math worksheets to help them master their addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts. Well, Brady insisted on having his own math worksheets?!?! This is the same boy who struggles with fine motor! Well, at 4 1/2 he can add plus one's, plus two's, and is now working on plus 3's. He is a determined little bugger and does not want to be left out. Brady you love to hug, snuggle, and kiss your mommy and often tell me how much you miss me! You are such a sweet and loving little boy. You melt my heart!

Master Kellen is one happy, independent boy! He loves his parents and siblings and continues to surprise us with the new skills he masters each day! He is saying yeah, no, hi, and mama. You put your arms up "so big", wave hi and bye, clap your heads, bop your head to the beat of music, climb anything and everything, drink from a soppy cup, eat almost anything, and sleep in your crib from 7:30 to 7:30 with one or two naps a day. He knows a few baby signs....dog, more, all done, eat, and flower. He loves Gymboree and hanging with mom! Just started taking the little guy to story time at the library. Our days are filled with fun and excitement:-) Love you so much stinky face!

Frankenstorm vs. Halloween

This year, just days before Halloween, Hurricane Sandy rocked the East Coast slamming the Jersey Shore like a "90-mph freight train heading into the Philadelphia area, capping a day of unprecedented devastation and flooding the coastal barrier islands from ocean to bay ripping apart large chunks of the Atlantic City Boardwalk."

This storm took out many trees in our area and left us without power for 3 days. We were lucky, as many people, especially in New Jersey and on Long Island, fared far worse with extensive flooding and tree damage.

In many places, Halloween was cancelled or rescheduled due to the devastation. Luckily, Halloween in our area was not cancelled.

The kids were excited to see their friends, and of course, for trick-or-treating! Isabel wanted to bring a pillow case as she planned to get lots and lots of candy. Somehow, I managed to convince her to just bring a standard size reusable bag for candy.

Isabel struggled with costume ideas this year; she really wanted to be a baby! This was a very popular choice among her friends the previous year. I talked her into looking for a more unique costume. We went to the Halloween store and she decided on a blue morpho butterfly. She looked beautiful in the costume. However, some of the boys at school teased her apparently, telling her halloween costumes were supposed to be scary! Oh, boys!!

Her favorite part of the butterfly costume were the black, velour fingerless gloves. The first night she wore the costume was to the Girl Scout party at St. Annie's. Unfortunately, Isabel realized when we got home from this party that she left the gloves at the manicure station and instantly melted into tears. My heart broke for her and so we got back in the car to search for the lost gloves. By the time we got back to school the janitors were cleaning up and had already filled and lined up at least 15 contractor size bags outside the school.

Remembering my mom searching through trash for lost contact lenses and retainers (like searching for a needle in a haystack), I knew I had to look through the trash bags for these gloves. We searched and searched, but never did recover the gloves:( However, we did bond and I think she knows I would do anything to put a smile on her face!

Chloe decided to be a black cat for Halloween and a Gumball machine (compliments of the O'Reilly girls grand-dad!) This costume was a huge hit at the Girl Scout Party and in the school parade. Chloe, you just love to be different. You LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the attention!

Brayden was happy to be anything for Halloween (or so it seemed!) Originally, he asked to be a dinosaur, but we were unable to find a dinosaur costume that fit him. A friend gave me a bag of costumes for him....Iron Man, Spider Man, Mario (from Super Mario Bros.), and a pirate. He decided on the pirate. It had a hole in the knee, so we went to AC Moore and bought a skull and crossbones patch.
With my very limited sewing skills, I managed to fix the pants just hours before the Halloween Party.

Kellen would be a chicken, a hand-me-down from his sister, Isabel! He was happy to wear the fleece pants and puffy, feathered looking jacket. A solid choice given the cold night.

We would celebrate Halloween with the Stagnaro's, O'Reilly's, Parks, and some other friends. This year the Stagnaro's were hosting Halloween!

As soon as we walked in the door, Brayden saw his best friend, Jimmy, dressed as Mario. This was a game changer. Immediately, Brady asked to go home wanting to change into his Mario costume. He no longer wanted to be a pirate!!

This was just not a possibility. First of all, there was not enough time...he would miss a good part of the trick or treating. Second, the Mario costume was missing a button and needed to be fixed. He would not hear it and threw a major temper tantrum and I mean MAJOR! It was awful and broke my heart! I told him I could fix his costume later tonight and he could be Mario at his classroom party and in the Trinity school parade the very next day. He was ticked off and demanded we get his Mario costume. It got so bad, Andy had to put him in his car until he calmed down.

We finally got him to stop screaming and managed to get some trick-or-treating in that night, however, not without sulking which you can tell from many of our pictures...oh well!

That night, I rushed to AC Moore for large, yellow buttons, and by candlelight in our very cold house, managed to sew on two new buttons to the Mario costume. It was all worth it. He was very excited to be Mario for his Halloween party and at the school parade. A mother's work is never done!!

All in all, it was a fantastic Halloween, certainly, one to be remembered! Isabel, Chloe, Brady, and Kellen...just know, I always try my best and love you all to pieces! Happy Halloween, Love Bugs!

The Kids are Back to School

The summer is over and the kids are back to school. I was so happy to learn that Isabel would have Mrs. Lynch and Chloe would have Mrs. Hofmann this year at St. Annie's.

Isabel is such a beautiful girl. I am so proud of her for so many reasons. She is such a social creature who loves to spend time with both her friends and family. This year Isabel is dancing at From the Top and playing Flag Football (fall sport). She is playing on St. Joe's Prep for flag football with Nikki M., Lucy D., and 9 boys. I cannot believe she goes onto the field each week paying football with the boys, many of whom are very, very good. She has come along way with her goal being to make a tackle before the end of the season. She proudly accomplished her goal a few weeks ago, unfortunately, I missed that game:( Every week she shows up, tries her hardest, and always has fun! I could learn something from her!

She seems to really be enjoying third grade. Her teacher loves math, vocabulary, writing, and read alouds. Isabel continues to find some of the academics challenging, but works hard and continues to be successful both in and out of the classroom.

Isabel is growing up and beginning to have strong opinions. She is slowly transforming from a dependent little girl to a big girl with her own ideas, dare I say almost tween! Isabel is capable of so much now...she makes her lunch, gets herself dressed for school, makes breakfast for her siblings, helps with K.P., among other things. Life is a constant negotiation with Isabel...lol! From clothes, to playdates, to what she will buy for lunch. She is a persistent bugger:-) The latest with her is wanting to change her name to Eve. I will always support you in life Isabel, from the little things like name changes to the even bigger things that present themselves in the future. I hope you know that I love you and am always here for you sweetheart!

Chloe has grown up so much this year too. She has really acclimated to school and blossomed into a confident 1st grader. She is smart, funny, and confident. She is a terrific reader and enjoys reading the rainbow magic fairies and the magic treehouse books. She is playing soccer this year in Tredyffrin Easttown on the Dynamos. She is playing with many of her buds from Pre-K, Mags, Eva, Grace, Emerson, Annabelle, and Elianna. Chloe loves soccer and is learning a lot from Coach S! She is also really enjoying gymnastics with Mags!

Brayden is in his final year at Trinity Preschool. He has Mrs. Fine. She is super sweet and has nothing but great things to say about Brayden. He is in class with Bridget and Jimmy this year. He loves school:-) Brady is a smart, curious, loving, and very social child. He loves going to school and spending time with his buddies. He also really loves his mama, his little bro, Kellen (so much so he can't stop kissing him!!), and his big sis, Chloe. Finally, he loves playing sports like soccer, football, and tennis, reading books, doing puzzles, playing checkers, and of course, all electronics. Brady is obsessed with the Wii, mommy's iPad and phone, and even his Leappad!

Everyone is off to a great year! Andy and I are so very proud of our munchkins!!

My baby boy is one year old!

I cannot believe Kellen is a one year old! The time just goes so quickly:( It seems like just yesterday I was pregnant and we were all anticipating his birth! He is growing up so quickly, and being the youngest of 4 kids, he is doing things just as quickly. He started walking this summer at 10 months and is now off and running. He loves to explore, climb, and chase his siblings around the house. He snuggles and loves to be held by his mommy. He has white, blonde hair, and big, blue eyes with long eye lashes. A tow head!

It was fun celebrating his first birthday. We had dinner and a dinosaur cake with just our family unit. Nana and Pop Pop gave Kellen a class at Gymboree. I love taking him every Friday at 9:30. He loves to climb, play with the balls, go up the ramps and down the slides, parachute time, bubbles, and of course, dance/bop! It is nice to carve out time just for Kellen.

Kellen now has 12 teeth, 4 on top, 4 on the bottom, and his 4 one-year molars. He is sleeping great, going down about 7:30 and sleeping until 7:30. It is so nice not being exhausted from disrupted sleep due to nighttime feedings:-)

Mommy and Daddy gave Kellen a personalized book for his birthday, My Very Own Name. It is fun to read this story with the kids!

Happy First Birthday to my little man! I hope you always know how much I love you. Hugs and kisses K!

Nana and Pop Pop take Isabel, Chloe, and Brady camping

My kids have been anticipating this trip all year. It was Brady's first time on the annual camping trip. The kids had a blast! Some of their favorite memories included Dutch Wonderland, swimming at the pool, fishing, cooking s'mores, and searching for Moose Tracks ice cream.

One funny story my parents shared with me happened at the swimming pool. Apparently, the girls had made friends at the camp ground and would swim with them at the pool. Isabel played with a girl and Chloe a boy (surprise, surprise...). Anyway, after swimming, my mom asked Chloe what the boy's name was. Chloe shrugged and then replied, "right away". My mom puzzled, asked again, what is his name?? Chloe said, "I think it's "right away" as that is what his mom is always calling to him! My mom and Ron just laughed. Apparently, they must be calling and telling the boy it is time to go, right away! Funny girl:-)

Kellen Happenings

Kellen, these last few weeks have been brutal with the constant biting. You have bitten my right arm so often making impressions in my arm that I have actual bruises. Clearly, you are teething and using me as a chew toy. It looks like tooth number seven is coming in on the bottom right.

You are also clapping these days. The first time I saw you clap your hands was July 7th down in Bethany. You were listening to Raffi with your brother, sisters, and grandma Mary Ellen. Just this past week, you were watching Isabel dance in a show at Episcopal and you started clapping in unison with the crowd. This gave everyone in the audience a chuckle!

Finally, you are putting your arms up over your head for "so big!".

So proud of all the little, big things you do!

Kellen's First Footsteps

It is hard to believe my little guy is taking his first steps. At the beach a few weeks ago (weekend of July 7th) Andy and I saw Kellen take his first step. Isabel walked at 10 months and one day, would little K rival his big sister? Isabel was excited for her brother to walk, but her competitive spirit came through in a playful manner. Just in the last week has the little guy really started to walk, he is taking more and more steps each day! He crawls to a wall or piece of furniture that he can use to pull himself up. Then he slowly gets his balance and wobbles along. It is a sight to see, the "Frankenstein"....a moment for sure we will catch on camera!

Kellen, I think you will have to settle for 10 1/2 months as the age you started walking! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you!

Kellen's First Baby Sign is dog!

Kellen has learned his first baby sign. He will actually pant (haa....haa...haa) when he sees our dog, Lexy. He did this for the first time yesterday, July 16th! Way to go Kellen!

Funny things the kids say....

Kids: what's for dinner?

Mom: Zucchini Lasagna (lots of zuchs from our garden)

Brady: Mama, I want ra-bee-oli (ravioli)

Absolutely adorable!! There are actually very few things that Brady is unable to say correctly. He articulates quite well for a 4-year old.

Chloe has blossomed into a reader!

I can no longer check out enough books from the library to keep pace with Chloe's reading. Just the other night she read 7 I Can Read books before bed...staying up an extra hour and reading in a dim room. I promised her a book light! While Chloe has been reading since she is 4 years old she was never really passionate about books. Just the other day I asked her why all of a sudden she loves books and she replied "because in every book, mama, I realized there is a story!" This brought a smile to my face. Hope you continue to love books and make time for reading, Chloe!

Brady can dress himself

Brady you have finally started to dress yourself. I am so proud. Just this week, on several occasions, you have not only picked out your own clothes but successfully put them on all by yourself. Hooray!! I have taken a few pictures in attempt to mark this stage of your life. Usually one or more articles of clothing are on backwards! Super cute!

The Enforcer

Brayden, my dear sweet son you are growing so quickly. Of late, you have turned into a rule follower. You are always asking me the rules everywhere we go. I love this about you, although it always seems to go too far ending in a potentially embarrassing situation. For example, today we were at the Kriebel's annual summertime party and you were excited to play in the moon bounce. However, before heading over you asked me what were the rules. I deferred to Mr. Kriebel and he told you no shoes and only 3-4 people at a time. Excitedly, you ran over to the bounce house and began to jump. After a few minutes, you were quick to point out that there were now six kids in the moon bounce and those kids were breaking the rules. The expression on the parents faces...oh boy! Later you wanted to play soccer on the otherside of the yard. I told you to go ahead. You ran off, but then stopped in your tracks to ask, "Mama if I go play soccer am I wandering off?" You are a funny kid!

At the pool a few weeks ago you were jumping off the wall in the baby pool. I told you that this was against the pool rules at St. Alban's. I know a little fib. The things mother's will tell their children! After awhile a little girl was jumping off the side of the pool. You sauntered over to the girl and pointed out that she was not allowed to jump into the baby pool. Her grandmother looked wide-eyed at you not sure how to respond. I think I may have to start calling you "the enforcer"!

I will say I felt better after reading an article on the Baby Center website that stated how developmentally 4 year olds are rule followers by nature (sigh)!

Kellen is 10 months...will he walk?

Kellen was 10 months yesterday and is moving and shaking. Andy and I were wondering whether Kellen would walk earlier than Isabel who took her 1st steps at 10 months and one day. He is taking a step or two, but quickly loses his balance and spills like a puddle to his feet. I forgot how cute babies look with their outstretched Frankenstein arms and the beaming smile on their face. Little K is so proud of himself!

I have mixed emotions on my baby taking his first steps. Not sure I am ready to lose my baby.

On another note, with respect to Kellen's kidney reflux, diagnosed in Jan 2012, found out Kellen's kidneys are fully functioning and there is no evidence of scarring. I am relieved to hear this great news :-) Dr. Canning mentioned it is likely Kellen will outgrow the kidney reflux by age 2 or 3.

Raising Kellen!

I don't think I could be a prouder mama! Lots of new things happening with my baby boy.

Kellen is getting his sixth tooth (up top and to the right of the front tooth). He is constantly biting, even leaving marks/bruises on my upper arms....serious teether.

He is also enjoying his sibs being at bible camp this week and mama hanging around the house finally giving him a chance to take a morning nap enabling him to sleep from 9:30 to 11:30. This is huge given the hectic schedule we have had all year with nursery school and kindergarten pick-ups.

The biggest, proudest moment was seeing Kellen start to clap hands. I saw this for the first time at the beach house on Saturday, July 7th. He is so proud of himself, his quick smile gives it away. I guess it is time to tackle sign language, no more excuses!! I have started to introduce the basic signs for eat, milk, dog, etc...

Kellen is crawling everywhere and quickly. He can completely and confidently climb the stairs in the house. He has been doing this for at least a month. He is cruising around furniture and beginning to stand without holding on to anything. He is attempting to take steps, but without success.

Kellen loves to explore the world and make new discoveries each day. One of his favorite finds in our home is the bathroom. He loves to crawl into a wet shower or swish his hands around the toilet making a splash! What fun?! The constant worry is whether the little peeps living here have remembered to flush the toilet and/or put the lid down.

He is still using a pacifier and sleeping in his crib at night. He goes to bed around 9:00 pm and wakes at 5:00 am for a feeding. Then goes back to bed until 7:00.

Surprisingly, Kellen is not showing signs of separation anxiety yet, he will be 10 months tomorrow. Where does the time go??

Happy 4th!

Today was Kellen's first 4th of July. We started the day at the Newtown Square 4th of July parade. A hot day, but lots of fun. The kids love the hot dogs, soft pretzels, and water ice at the fire house. Brady thought it was funny seeing "Lou" his barber in the parade playing guitar. It is always nice seeing friends from the community :). In the afternoon, we took the kids to St. Alban's swim club for games. The kids always enjoy diving for coins and the tube races. For dinner, the Ciocca's and O'Reilly's came over. Finally, we watched the fireworks at Aronimink. Kellen was in awe... The sound and bright colors of the first firework surprised him. He opened his mouth wide and was looking all around. Daddy had brought ear plugs for Kellen, this seemed to help. He snuggled into my chest and watched the show without tears until the finale. The kids had an awesome day and looked cute in their red, white, and blue!

Chloe's Kindergarten Graduation

Congrats graduate! Chloe, you were the joy of my life before you were even born. Although, our days are busy, I hope you know I will always make time for you. Sending you off to full-day Kindergarten was difficult, I was not ready to let you go! You are an inquisitive little girl, a comedian, with a very big heart and even bigger imagination. The days pass so quickly, and so each day I struggled to soak it all in and be present to enjoy this sweet year! It was a challenge with the birth of your brother, Kellen, but I did manage to stay involved. There is nothing that brings me greater happiness than to be a part of your life. I loved coming for lunch duty, recess, the Thanksgiving Feast, the Christmas Pageant, Mystery Reader, the Elmwood Zoo field trip, and of course, the Kindergarten Closing.

It was with excitement and trepidation that you started Kindergarten at St. Annie's. While there was no doubt you were ready for Kindergarten, it would be a big change from your days in Nursery School. A year of firsts....first year in a big school, first year eating lunch in a cafeteria, first year going to school all day, first year of homework, etc... As a mom, of course, I worried about you! Will you make friends? Will you be able to stay focused and pay attention in class? Will your teacher recognize and appreciate your gifts and know what an amazing little girl you are?

Well, it has been an incredible year and I really didn't need to worry so much! You have flourished this year and there are many memories I hope to never forget! Danny Corsi, Briana Ferry, Annie Dougherty, Kylie Angelina, Tommy Tres, and of course, Casey DeFrancesco and Nora Brannon are just a few of the friends you made this year! Your favorite game to play during recess was football. Should I be surprised? Although, after being injured a few times, I finally convinced you to give jump rope a try! By the end of the year, you proudly told me you could jump 30 times in a row. And who could forget the chipped front tooth!! Surprisingly, this injury did not happen while playing football, rather it broke during rest time. Only you, Chloe!!

Sweetheart, you have really matured this year! I am so very proud of you for many reasons. Responsibility is one of the biggest changes I have witnessed. This year when you would get home from school, you would race into the house, and get started immediately on your homework. This always surprised me! Although, I realize now that you want to get all of your responsibilities out of the way so you could have the rest of the time to play! This year you also assumed ownership of our dog, Lexy, and willingly fed and gave her water each day. There are many other jobs around the house you have started to help with this year, such as making your bed, putting the silverware away, setting the table, weeding the flower beds, just to name a few. While chores are not your favorite thing, you do get them done.

This year your confidence has grown with respect to reading. It brings me great joy when I see you pick up a book and read. Mrs. Hopkins shared with me that you loved being student reader for your class.

Your favorite part of Kindergarten was art! You loved art class with Mrs. O'Connor on Thursdays. In fact, drawing is another thing you love to do whenever you have the chance. You brought home lots of drawings with patterns, for example, alternating black and red lines colored on a diagonal covering an entire piece of paper. One of my favorite pieces of art work this year was a drawing/coloring of a Pharoah. Your drawing ability is exceptional. I am amazed at your talent. You enjoy finding a picture, flipping the page over, and tracing it on the back of the paper. It is not unusual for me to find you lying on your rest mat with paper and markers drawing.

Mystery reader was another one of your favorite Kindergarten activities. Every Tuesday afternoon, a guest reader would visit room 26, to read a book, and of course, bring a special treat. Mommy came to read, Substitute Groundhog, to your class. I really enjoyed making groundhog puppets with your friends. Daddy also came to read in April. Of course, he chose a funny book.

You love to sing, dance, and make funny faces. I hope I have taken enough pictures and video to capture all of these great moments.

Chloe you have big dreams! You love animals and are always telling mommy and daddy you plan to be a veterinarian or a farmer. I am not sure what you will do when you grow up, but whatever it is, I am certain you will be good at it! Whatever it is, mommy and daddy will be proud of you! I saw a quote the other day that resonated with me, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land in the stars!" This I am certain of Chloe May!

Love you always and no matter what!

Mommy XOXOXOXO

Shake it Up!

Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, Andy and I watched Isabel's 6th dance recital today at Paxon Hollow Middle School. Isabel was fantastic! All of the girls did an awesome job and wowed the crowd with both their dancing and glittery (gorgeous, but almost blinding) costumes!! Isabel you were beaming up on stage and really seemed to be enjoying yourself. You loved dancing this year with your friends Katie H., Maggie A., Alexa H., and Julia D. Isabel you make me so proud!! Watching you dance today brought tears to my eyes. While you were dancing, Chloe was sitting on grandpa's lap singing Shake it Up, I don't think she missed a lyric. You girls bring so much joy to my life. You are both so beautiful and full of life. Watching the show today and seeing all of the young movers and shakers (2-4 year olds) on stage made me realize how quickly you are growing up. It seems like just yesterday you girls were the youngest dancers in the recital. Thanks for making life such a joy :)

A crazy week....

We celebrated 2 birthdays and a first holy communion all in one week! It was exciting, yet exhausting in the Smith house! Isabel turned 8 on 4/28. We celebrated with Fred and Mary Ellen on the day and had a party with friends on 4/29 at Bounce U! It was a Cosmic Bounce Party with loud music and lights out! Lots of fun. Then on 5/4 we had a Hot Wheels family party for Brayden. Brady was thrilled (as were the girls) to get new hot wheels cars and tracks from grandma and grandpa! He celebrated with his school friends at Jumpers a few weeks ago! Then on Cinco de Mayo we celebrated Isabel's first Holy Communion at St. Annie's. We were the 10:30 mass so it was an early start to the day! Isabel got her hair done at 8:30 at Nicholas Sebastian. She looked beautiful :) She wore a beautiful Lauren Marie dress with delicate pearls/crystals on the chest and a rosette on her waist! She looked sweet. After mass, we went to the Willows for pictures with family. It was a gray day, but at least dry! Things were a little wet as it had rained the night before. Cannot believe how quickly my children are growing up. We had a wonderful celebration back at the house with family! I feel blessed having so many things to celebrate!

Happy Birthday, Isabel! It is hard to believe my little girl is 8 years old today! Where does the time go? I wish I could freeze time and bottle it up. You are growing up too quickly. A very special little girl with a zest for life, a radiant personality, and an infectious smile. Things I want to remember about your 7th year: - trip to Niagara Falls - losing your two front teeth - big trip to Hawaii with Nana - win 1st place in a pie eating contest at Linvilla Orchards - love to shop at Justice - love wearing Jean shorts and tank tops (dresses and skirts are not your style) - love the tv shows Good Luck Charlie and iCarly - love being a big sister to baby Kellen - love riding roller coasters (LOVE almost all rides) - dance at From the Top (hip hop) and swim all year at Episcopal - favorite dinners are Taco night and Broccoli/Cheddar Quiche - you LOVE to jump rope Today, we all went to Episcopal to watch your swim practice. You are an amazing little breaststroker! It always amazes me how you love to try new things and are willing to work so hard at everything you do! There is no question you are a girl who will always persevere!! We celebrated at grandma and grandpa's house tonight! Memories from the day: ping pong with you and daddy, amazing breaststroke laps, playing cranium, Kellen eating lots of birthday cake (at 7 months old), and when you opened your presents... You opened a jewelry box with a ballerina. Grandpa said, "Brady, do you like the ballerina?". He quickly replied, "No, I don't like girl stuff!!". We all yours laugh! You got your picture taken with grandma under the magnolia tree! We love you and are looking forward to many more birthday celebrations! Love, Mommy

Please be careful Chloe!!

Just like any other day, I pick up Chloe, Casey, and Nora from school. The girls pile in the van and we talk about their day. The girls chatter about normal happenings like mystery reader, lunch, and friends. Then Chloe says, "oh and mom, I broke my front tooth at school today". Surprised, I ask, "You what.....when?" Nonchalantly, she replies, "At rest time". Ugh.... How I ask. While putting my head down on my rest mat. I ask this question over and over again as I am unable to make sense of her answer. From our conversation, I learn that she never did tell her teacher. Instead, she found the broken piece of tooth and put it in her desk which was eventually lost. This was upsetting, given this was a brand new, permanent tooth coming in! Off to the dentist we go! Luckily, the dentist was able to file the tooth. Chloe was very lucky! Two days later I get a call from the school nurse.... Chloe got hit in the mouth with a football and her tooth/gums are bleeding. Really?! No more football, Chloe, please!?

Brayden celebrates Number 4 at Jumper!

We just celebrated Brayden's 4th birthday party at Jumpers! This was his first real party with friends. He was so excited to celebrate with his classmates from Trinity! He shared his party with his buddy, William Gearhart,on April 16th, almost 3 weeks before his actual birthday. This was a tough concept for Brayden (and probably any 3 year old),he couldn't figure out why after his party he was still just 3 years old! He finally accepted the notion it was his "fake birthday"!

The kids had a blast running around and jumping on the moon bounces! We had pizza and cake. While the kids were eating cake, I was trying to take some pictures. Brayden looked at me and said, "Mommy, could you take a picture of just the birthday boys?". Such a Cutie Patootie!

After the party was over, the boys and I took the girls back to St. Annie's. In the hallway, we saw Mrs. Hofmann. Brady was beaming and told her all about his party and his "fake birthday!". She sweetly wished him a very happy "fake birthday!"

Then it was time to open presents! Brady was very excited. At Jumpers he got to pick a monkey...he chose green. BTW...he loves the monkey (and so does Chloe). She convinced him to let her keep the monkey...the little stinker! Anyway, the first present he opened was from his buddy,Jimmy Stagnaro. He was so happy to get the game Angry Birds Knock on Wood. Next, he opened a gift from Kerri O'Reilly, it was Cars for his leap pad. He then opened a puzzle and kite. Perplexed he looked at me and asked, "Who are all the other presents for
mommy?". I explained that his friends had brought him presents to celebrate his special day! He was genuinely surprised...so innocent as a child. He had so much fun opening presents that day.

It is hard to believe Brayden will be 4 years old on May 4th!! Happy Birthday Brady Boy! You melt my heart little boy. It is such a joy to be your mommy! Like I tell you each and everyday, "I love you very, very much!"