Capron Park

Today Julia's class at Little Blessings took a field trip to Capron Park. This park is literally minutes from our house but we've never been. I'm not sure why because it is really nice! They have a great park area with swings and slides and a zoo. The zoo was so clean and they had great animals. We got a behind the scene's tour this morning.

The zoo has a new white lion who is just two years old. Isn't he beautiful? I couldn't stop taking pictures of him.




This woman is preparing the food for all 100 plus animals in the zoo. It's a very stinky job!

I thought this was funny. She had cards next to each bowl and this one said "bats". Eeek!


Here's some video of the kids just before leaving the zoo. Notice Julia's mood (very typical for her). She was upset because she was hungry and wasn't happy with the snack she brought to school which was a banana. Luckily, she was able to trade with someone and her mood improved tremendously!

Hockey summer league

Nicholas had his first game last night for the summer league. Pictures are compliments of Nancy as I was a bad Mom and didn't go. Thanks CeCe!!! Look how cute he looks! I got all teary when I saw these. I just love my boy.

The Boys

Forgot to mention...Kimmy and I got tickets to see the Boys this summer! We are very excited! I heart Howie and she hearts A.J.

Ahhhhh...love, love them.

Updating my profile

I'm very happy to report that I can take "diaper changer" off my profile! Gonzo! Danny very patiently finished the potty training and Gianna is now using the potty for everything all day long! The only thing we need to work on is staying dry for naps and bedtime but I'm fine with that for now. The hard stuff is d-o-n-e! Yippee!!! Here's the big girl...


I spent the weekend in Ogunquit with two of my friends. We had a nice, leisurely girls weekend. Lots of eating, sleeping late, reading, watching movies, talking, laughing, shopping, drinking, etc. Well deserved I assure you! I'm so glad we all have wonderful husbands who also think we deserve it! I brought my camera but no pictures were taken. Just too busy relaxing I guess. Now it's back to reality once again. But that's OK because I've got a nice life...spending my days with my kids...working from home...a husband who loves us and takes good care of us. Yeah...a nice life.

Mother's Day at Little Blessings

Today Julia and her class celebrated Mother's Day. They hosted a special brunch for all the moms. The children waited on us. We weren't allowed to get up from the tables! It was very nice!

The teacher showed me a picture Julia made earlier in the morning. That's me in the red dress and Julia in blue. She always draws hearts over our heads.

They sang us a song to start things off...



And these are all the "Little Blessings" in her classroom. Did I ever mention how much I love this school? Oh yeah...like all the time!

Afraid of bees

I walked out back to check on the girls as they enjoyed their popsicles and saw this...

Julia protecting herself from the bees.

Happy Birthday Ricky

Rick (what Dad calls him)...Ricky (what Mom and his siblings call him)...Richard (what he calls himself at work)...Uncle Ricky (what my kiddos call him)...Ricky the Wrecker (what Grampy used to call him)...Daddy (of course what his kids call him)...Rickle Pickle (what our lovely next door neighbors used to call him when they were teasing the heck out of him). These are just some of the names he has earned over the years. But you know, he'll always be Ricky to me. My sweet, kind-hearted, loving, sensitive, caring, handsome, super talented, funny beyond words big brother whom I adore. Happy birthday Ricky!!!

LOUD

I'm loud. I'm loud. I'm really really loud. Maybe it's because I don't think people hear me. Or maybe because I'm the smallest? Or maybe because I like to be the center of attention? Or maybe it's just to drive my Mommy crazy. 'Cause she gets really embarrassed sometimes. Like today at the vet. I just couldn't sit still. I had to run all over the place to check everything out. I wanted to try to take care of Lucky 'cause I knew he was scared. So I thought banging on his cage might help him or making really loud meowing sounds. I also stood in the corner of the room and pretended I was being punished just to see if Mommy would turn red again. I had to announce to everyone who could hear me that I was IN the corner. Oh and all those dogs walking in and out the door? I had to yell and run around like crazy so they would jump and bark at me. I guess I just wanted to be sure they were feeling OK and not sick or anything. I really like making loud noises like I'm throwing up or something. And I love to tell everyone when I boof or when something smells like poop. And I just had to make conversation with everyone in the waiting room and everyone who worked at the clinic too. I had to tell that nice lady in the waiting room that her dog smelled...pee-u...he STUNK. And I don't just tell people things. I have to really, really show them what I mean by waving my hands and wiggling my hips and making weird faces. I wonder why people look at me funny sometimes? I wonder why the vet asked if I'm a "handful"? Whatever that means.

I like to be heard you know. I have to be heard. Sorry Mommy...

Southwick Zoo

We went to Southwick Zoo the other day. We love this zoo. It's very clean with so much do to. Like pony rides...

and a deer park where you can hang out with lots of deer and feed them right out of your hand. (We didn't know Gianna had crackers in her hand which is not the right kind of food for them.)

Nicholas and a deer in a stare down.


They have lots of very smelly animals like this pig...


Fun rides...


And best of all Nicholas and Julia got to ride on an elephant...

My new definition of happiness

Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect.

It means you decide to see beyond the imperfections.

Opening Day T-ball

The first T-ball game was yesterday. Julia is playing for the first time this year. This is Nicholas' second year. Nicholas marched in the parade in the morning while Julia missed it due to dance. But that was a very good call because she never, ever would have made it. We're talking not even ten steps.

Danny is sponsoring the team this year...see...R.J. Smith Agency. Pops was at the game and was very happy about that!

My smiling boy...

I told Julia there is no crying in baseball. But as usual she didn't listen to me and cried about a dozen times before, during and after the game. She gets very anxious about things just like her mom. Here I am with her before the game telling her she will be fine.

Here is Danny coaching and encouraging Julia during the game...

Here's some video. Julia's very first time at bat with Nicholas sliding home...

Nicholas' first big hit of the season....

Princess Gianna

Happy Birthday Mae!

Today we celebrated Gianna's 3rd birthday. Our princess turned three yesterday! She couldn't wait to have her Dora cake. She loved all her presents with her favorite being her Dora doll that she can take into the bathtub. Three words that best describe our little girl are...funny, animated and LOUD! She enjoys every minute of every day. Gianna is one happy girl! We love you little Mae! Happy birthday!

Happy Birthday Dad

Today Dad is 75 years young. We had a great birthday celebration over the weekend with the whole family including Ricky, Chieko and the kids from Florida.

I had so much fun coming up with fun facts for my sister Kim's birthday, I thought I would try it for Dad's 75th. I never thought I would be able to do it but we had so much fun putting this list together. I read this to him at the party.

1. He was born on March 18, 1933.
2. Without question he is the smartest man I know.
3. He is the third of five children.
4. He is the youngest of his brothers.
5. He is the peacemaker in his family.
6. He used to sleep outside on his porch as a kid.
7. He used to share a bedroom with his brothers and one day his brother Bill decided he didn’t like the wallpaper. So one morning he woke to a man in their room stripping the paper off the walls.
8. Some of his jobs as a boy were pumping gas, delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, and working at the downtown drug store soda counter.
9. As a child he served as an alter boy at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Walpole.
10. He and the other alter boys used to go to Nantasket Beach with his mother as a chaperone and his mom would ride the roller coaster.
11. He walked up hill both ways in the snow to and from school.
12. He was the quarterback of his football team his senior year of high school.
13. That same year he led his team to victory at the annual Thanksgiving football game.
14. His best friends today are the same best friends he’s had for many, many years.
15. When he was in high school he and his friends would sing and harmonize together when they were out riding around in the car.
16. For some reason he refers to his brother as “Brother Bill” as if he were a man of the cloth.
17. As we were told time and time again, did you know that he helped put the roof on the gazebo in Walpole Center?
18. He graduated from high school at 16 and did a post graduate course before he went to college.
19. He has his bachelor’s degree from Boston College.
20. He is one very proud BC alumnus.
21. He is a season ticket holder for BC football games.
22. In 1961, he started his own business and R.J. Smith Insurance Agency was born.
23. Dad always tucked us kids in at night so lovingly, tossing us around in the air like sardines, tucking those sheets in so tight that there was no way we could ever fall out of bed, let alone move a muscle.
24. As kids, he used to make us breakfast every Sunday morning with cinnamon toast as his specialty.
25. He was also in charge of giving me baths leaving me in there for hours in cold water as he “listened to the radio” in his bedroom or in other words fell sound asleep on his bed.
26. I’ve been told that when mom was in the hospital having me, the meals consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pancakes and cereal.
27. Still to this day if he is on his own for dinner he will eat cereal.
28. He was always the one that helped with the homework.
29. He taught all of us how to drive a car.
30. As kids, the TV show that really made him belly laugh was “All in the Family” which he would routinely watch after work each night.
31. He used to stay up late to watch Johnny Carson too.
32. One of my favorite memories of Dad as a child was him reading me Nancy Drew books while I snuggled up on his lap.
33. One of my least favorite memories of Dad was him teaching me how to sweep the kitchen floor.
34. When I was a child and stayed home sick from school, he would always bring me home lollipops from Clarks Pharmacy.
35. He enjoys listening to music with one of his favorite songs being “Time to Say Goodbye”.
36. His favorite movie is “Saving Private Ryan”.
37. He once told me he loved “Field of Dreams” too because he wished he could have the chance to play ball with his father again.
38. As an adult, he used to call his mom every night after dinner.
39. Nothing makes him happier than knowing his kids have spent time together.
40. He can give you directions to anywhere.
41. As you drive through some obscure town on some obscure road you will often hear him say, “I’ve been here before”.
42. I’ve learned there is a BIG difference between “cutting” and “mowing” the lawn and many lawn companies hired by Dad over the years were let go for that very reason.
43. He’s a dog lover.
44. He served in the army and was stationed in Germany.
45. His favorite time of the year is summer.
46. He has a green thumb and his house on Nicholas Street had to be one of THE most beautiful yards I have ever seen.
47. The day they came to dig the hole for the pool was probably one of the hardest days of his life.
48. He swears the word “mature” is pronounced “mator”.
49. He has a real thing about “who” and “whom”.
50. He was a real stickler at meals when we were kids but we all grew up with impeccable table manners.
51. He loves wearing loafers.
52. He is blind in one eye and for most it would be a disability but for him it is a nonissue.
53. And no, Laura, he doesn’t have a glass eye.
54. Never wear a baseball cap at the table with he’s around.
55. He used to teach 8th grade CCD.
56. He used to coach a women’s softball team.
57. One of his favorite things to do is sit outside and smoke a cigar at the end of the day.
58. He loves the Sunday paper.
59. He watches Raymond every night.
60. He thinks reality shows are for the birds.
61. He loves to read about the Civil War.
62. He is a history buff.
63. He loves to travel with Ireland and Paris as his favorites.
64. He would go back to Paris in a heartbeat.
65. He had the neatest workbench of anyone I know except when Ricky came over and did his “magic” to the bench.
66. I think Dad’s best birthday party to date was his 60th birthday with Russel on crutches, me stating “I’m so sick” every two seconds, Ricky commentating with the video camera, Bill as the best dressed man at the party, Rose Kennedy in attendance and the story about the house Pricilla bought “right on the water”.
67. Some of Dad’s nicknames are Smitty, Swartz, Uncle Dickie, Papa and Pops.
68. He loves his business.
69. He will never quit working.
70. Sometimes he can be a little forgetful like the times he was supposed to take the trash home with him from the office but rarely remembered to take it. Danny would hear Kathy say, “and there he goes” as he would drive by the office window with the trash still sitting by the door.
71. Lovingly, he has been asked to never do the bookkeeping at the office when he’s on steroids.
72. His body has not been kind to him in recent years but he is a trooper and hardly ever complains.
73. He is a great “Pops” to all his grandchildren.
74. We are all so blessed to have him in our lives.
75. He may be a man of few words but he truly is a man with a golden heart.

Lacking...

To kill some time early yesterday morning, I took Nicholas and Gianna to Dunkin' Donuts. As we were sitting there eating our muffins and drinking hot chocolate, in walked business men and women all gussied up. In walked these young ladies looking all put together and fresh ready to tackle another day at the office or wherever they were going. And there I sat...in my sweat pants, sneakers, hair in a loose pony, exhausted and a little bored. At that exact moment as I was thinking to myself, "I'm feeling very invisible right now" Nicholas turns to me and says, "Mom, you are so beautiful". Exactly what I needed to hear. He snapped me right out of my pity party.

Spelling bee

Last night Danny was helping Nicholas with his kindergarten sight words. Bragging moment here...he knows all the sight words and then some so now we are working on spelling them. When Danny came to the word "we" Nicholas spelled "W-i-i". How sad it that!?!

My sister Kim

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Kimmy
Why don’t you read my blog?

Just joking. I know why she doesn't read my blog because she is just too darn busy with her crazy schedule. But just maybe she will read this one. In honor of my fun-loving sister who is forty-seven today, here are forty-seven fun facts about her.

1. Without question she is by far the happiest person I know.
2. I don’t think she has ever met a person in her lifetime that hasn’t liked her.
3. She loves all four seasons but her favorite is the summer.
4. She is a great lover of sports and in fact was quite the athlete herself.
5. She is a devoted Red Sox fan.
6. She has learned to never say these words again..."I'm just going to have a nice relaxing night and sleep in in the morning...".
7. In her twenties, she decided she wanted to play ice hockey so she taught herself to skate and joined a men’s league.
8. She is ultra competitive.
9. She is working on her doctorate…yes I said doctorate…at Boston College.
10. She tells everyone she is getting her doctorate just so I will have to call her “Dr. Smith”.
11. She has her undergraduate degree in music.
12. She can play “Misty” on almost every instrument known to mankind.
13. Her weakness is ice cream…pretty much any kind of ice cream.
14. On Saturday mornings, we used to watch Pee Wee's Playhouse and this really strange show on sign language and can still sign a few things to each other. And sad to say we were in our twenties at the time.
15. She loathes clothes shopping.
16. She introduced her best friend from college to her best friend from high school and they were later married and now live in Hawaii.
17. She is my concert buddy.
18. When we were kids she used to give me twisty-turny noogies.
19. The town where she works dedicated a day to her. Yes…a whole day called “Kim Smith day”. I told you everyone likes her.
20. She once conducted the Boston Pops at the Wang Center in Boston.
21. She went from the Director of Music one year to Vice Principal of her high school the next.
22. She has had her share of “Mary Tyler Moore” days.
23. Years ago on the first night alone in her new studio apartment there was almost a shoot out with police on her front lawn.
24. She played the clarinet growing up but decided in high school that it would be “fun” to learn how to play the trumpet. So of course she taught herself and played in the award winning jazz band.
25. She was student conductor of her high school and college marching bands.
26. She married her best friend Paula last year.
27. Kimmy and Paula bought this old house in Maine and over the years have restored it into this amazingly beautiful vacation get-away.
28. They both love boggie boarding in Maine and do this well after the summer is over. Brrrr....
29. She is the second of four siblings.
30. She is the peace-maker of the bunch.
31. Her favorite holidays are Christmas and 4th of July.
32. One of my favorite expressions of hers is “what next!” when something exciting is happening.
33. She “hearts” AJ from the Backstreet Boys. (I “heart” Howie.)
34. She has never had a cavity.
35. She had a lot of boyfriends in high school and I had crushes on practically all of them.
36. She’s a great auntie.
37. She has learned to cook recently thanks to Real Simple magazine.
38. She has no idea who most celebrities are because she is simply not interested.
39. Hand her a microphone in front of a crowd and she feels right at home.
40. She loves a cold beer with some nachos after a long day at the beach.
41. When she’s tired, she’s tired and can fall asleep anywhere.
42. My nickname for her is Skimmy Kimmy.
43. Her dog, Brandy boots, is her child.
44. She has great love and affection for each and every one of her students, past and present, at her high school.
45. Her students, past and present, have great love and affection for her in return.
46. She has a heart of gold.
47. Now go back and read number one again because it is the truth.

Wintertime

I love living in New England. Here we get to enjoy all four seasons in all their glory. Although I must admit by the time February rolls around I am ready for spring.

What I love most about snow days now is that I don't have to drive in it anymore. I remember the days when I had to leave extra early in the morning for work when it was snowing or going back and forth in my mind whether or not I should venture out in it at all. Driving in the snow is NOT fun. But now all I have to do is roll out of bed and walk down the hall to my home office. Ahhh...the benefits of working from home. I can work in my PJ's and take as many breaks as I like. No worries. I'm very, very lucky. That I am.

Love...the shoes

Finally...finally...finally Gianna loves a pair of nice, clean, new shoes! She is very funny when it comes to her feet. She always has to have socks on. She hates bare feet. She cries when you cut her toenails. Maybe she just has very sensitive feet. You can't even touch them. She goes crazy. For the longest time she wore this old pair of dirty sneakers. Even when we had her all dressed up she would only wear the dirty sneakers. Then I finally got her to wear a pair of simple black shoes from Target. But today Julia, Gianna and I were at the mall and walked into Payless. She found these pretty, sparkly, pink shoes and that was it. She ran around the whole store showing everyone her shoes. She looked in every mirror she could find. I was so happy that she was so happy about shoes I would have bought them if they were $100! But after all that, they were too big. Try explaining that to a two-year-old. I had the store call another location that did have her size. So she did end up with her shoes. She wore them for the rest of the day. How cute are they and how cute is she?





She is one happy girl!

And now for a quick Nicholas story. He usually gives Julia such a hard time. Rarely is he nice to her. But today was different for it was Valentine's Day. Danny and I gave them each a $1 in their cards today. Then they each got $3 from their Auntie Diane. So right after getting his $3 he turned to Julia and handed her a dollar and said, "Happy Valentine's Day, Julia". Is he not the sweetest boy in the world? He is my boy with the golden heart.

Potty training begins

Here we go again. Potty training take 3. Nicholas, Gianna and I went to Target the other day to pick up some new underwear for Gianna. Most kids get excited but not her. She threw a huge fit in the underwear aisle yelling..."no poopy potty"..."no Dora underwear". The girl doesn't like change. Just like her Daddy.

Tonight we put her on the potty for the first time. She just sat and sat. She kept saying, "I don't hear anything". Too cute. When I asked her where her pee was she said, "In my diaper in garage". And so it goes.

Gianna gets hurt...again

I have to talk about how accident prone Little Mae is. Although I have to say, in her defense, most of her injuries have been sibling related.

Let's start with the most recent injury that happened today. My afternoons are crazy. I have to leave the house by 11:45 to pick up Julia at kindergarten by 12:00. So I send Nicholas across the street to Patty and Fran's to have them put him on the bus just in case I don't make it back in time. The bus comes at 12:10. Today I pulled in the driveway just as the bus was heading down the street. I asked Julia to get Gianna out of her car seat thinking she would help her out of the car or I would have a few seconds to get him on the bus and make it back to the car in time. Just as I was walking back to the car, I see Gianna fall out of the car (think Honda Pilot which is very high off the ground) flat on her face. Her teeth went into her lip, cut on her chin, blood all over her face.

Or how about a few weeks ago at the furniture store when she tripped on a rug and fell head first into a glass table? I never saw sales people react so quickly with accident reports and cameras taking pictures of the accident scene. As if I was going to sue the store. You think I have time for that? Here she is just before the accident sitting next to the glass table. Of course I continued to multi task, holding a cold pack to her head and asking lots of questions about furniture. We bought two of these chairs and the sofa. The new furniture will be here tomorrow! I'm so excited to have some new furniture!



OK...sidetracked a bit. How about when she was about four months old and Nicholas head butted her knocking her unconscious briefly? Key word...briefly.

Or how about the second time she was knocked unconscious when Julia pulled her off the stairs and she fell backwards onto the flagstone?

 
She's actually been very lucky so far with no broken bones or stitches. Let's just hope it stays that way.