Winter Fun!!!

I told Michael he wouldn't have school because we were going to get a foot of snow. His reply, "I think I am in heaven!" Winter is here and Michael is in heaven...Mary-Ann is learning too enjoy the snow.

Movie Star, Really?

The big joke (or I assume it is a joke) is when my husband has facial hair he claims he looks like a movie star. I CAN'T stand facial hair. The month of November and December he grew a beard. A really ugly, unattractive, untrimmed beard. It did NOTHING for him, however, he claimed he was a movie star. I beg to differ. In order for him to shave it off, I had to take out my earring in my cartilage. I loved that earring, not sure why but I did. Needless to say I took it out to get him to shave, so I could see that handsome face of his!

Where have I been???

It has been forever since I have written. My life has gotten out of control. A few months ago, I said I may have to much on my plate and in fact I have come to the realization that I do. We are all healthy and well, besides minor colds. We had a great holiday season and the kids are loving school, there new sitter, and life. Michael is reading early readers. He came home last week with a book called Go, Go, Go and reads it to Mary-Ann almost nightly. His teacher as assured me taht he is more than ready for Kindergarten and it is very rare that she can actually start reading with her preschool children. Mary-Ann knows the alphabet, some of the sounds, can count backwards from 5 and up to 20 at least. She continues to amazing me with what comes out of her mouth but...apparently I was the same way!!! One incident that I didn't report here but put on facebook was when she wore her cherry leggings and cherry dress. When we got to school she was in the corner with a little boy and proceeded to lift up her dress and put her butt in the poor boys face to show him the cherry on it. She then turned to him and said, "it's not real, you can't eat it!" Of course my daughter would do that.
So here is what we have done: We had fun trick or treating.
We had a great holiday season:
Ahpee showing them the book "Night Before Christmas." He recorded his voice of him reading the story. It has been a yearly tradition since I was a baby, and now is read since Michael was born.
Christmas morning was so much fun waking up to lots of presents and Santa's arrival.
The biggest gift of the year was his/her ATV's.
The holiday was wonderful! It was so nice to spend every waking minute with the kids. They had a great time with there cousins, going to Rhode Island to see Nanny, Uncle Rick, Aunt Sandra, Lisa, and Jay "that guy". Now it is back to reality and crazy schedule.

Hooray for the Fair Party!!!

This year marks the first year of an actual Hooray for the Fair Party!!! Of course chain saws, "bomb fire", kids staying up way past there bed time, and alcohol consumption were involved. It was a great time to hang with great friends and kick off to the "Peanut butter and fluff fair (quote from Mary-Ann)"

Obstacles of Life!

Life always presents so many obstacles. Over the past year and a half I have been extremely stressed. I am trying to take on numerous roles. I am a student, pursuing my doctorate degree in physical therapy, a mother of two small children, a wife, and a per diem physical therapist assistant.
When I decided to go back to school I knew it would present some challenges but nothing like it has. If I am not physically entertaining my children I am studying. I drive with notecards, I sleep with notecards, I walk with notecards, and keep notecards in my purse. If I don't have my notecards on me, my son says, "mommy don't you need your notecards? When are you going to be done with them anyways." It is cute, but sad. Last year the most stressful part of school was studying! This year the most stressful part of going back to school is babysitting.

Recently, I was completely thrown of guard. It all started after I received a 3 1/2 page letter from my sitter stating that she had to "take a toy" out of my sons hands. Honestly, who hasn't taken a toy from a 4 year old. What 4 year old doesn't test you? Not to say my son is perfect because, by all means he is not. Yes, he should have listened when the sitter asked to put the toy down, but he didn't. Lesson learned (hopefully). From this point on, every time I mentioned my sitters name he would scrunch his little nose, and pout! If I told him he was going there he would hysterically cry...it was heart wrenching. I would constantly ask "why he was crying" and he would cry harder. I had the worst images going through my mind...he kept shutting down.
After a week of trying to talk with him and getting no were but him producing more tears, I decided to ask Mary-Ann. When I approached her the first thing she said to me was "Mikey was bad, and was locked in a room for a long time!" My heart sank to my toes, literally. My little boy was traumatized. Locked in a room-come on!!!

Needless to say, Michael and Mary-Ann are no longer going to that sitter. I approached her on it and she assured me that Michael wasn't "locked" in there but was placed in quiet time/time out for a half hour the day she took the toy away. It hurt me in many ways as a mother. Completely believe Michael should have been reprimanded for not listening, but a half hour in quiet time for a 4 year old, in a room he hadn't been in? I think that penalty doesn't fit the crime.

This week the kids will begin with a new sitter. I am praying for happy children to come home. I have never felt so stressed before. I can't calm down and continuously cry...I think, I have too much on my plate and need me time!

It is Almost Fair Time!!!

Mary-Ann has informed us that she is really excited for the "PEANUT BUTTER AND FLUFF FAIR!"

Moms compared to Dad's in the eyes of a 3 yr. old!

Mary-Ann informed me today that.....

"mom's are fat......and dad's are big!"

Is she trying to tell me something?