Keeping Up With The Genovese's

School Countdown!

2010-08-24T21:39:00.002-04:00

When I stopped to think this morning (after my cup of coffee, of course), I realized that Tyler starts school in eleven days. In eleven days, I will have a kindergartner. I can't believe it. Not only is this summer over, but my oldest baby will be in school. I then realized that with all the chaos in our house over the last few weeks, he may be a little anxious and I wanted to spend some time preparing him for his big day. After all it will be here before we know it!

I saw in a magazine ideas for how to countdown the days. I adjusted one of the ideas and came up with a paper chain-- each link marking a day. The idea was to rip a link off as each day passed. As Tyler was working on the project, he said that he did not want to take it apart but instead leave it like it is, which was fine by me!

We cut the links, decorated them with stickers and markers, and then glued them together. Tyler was so excited to be working on something! Here is Tyler with the finished product (ignore the fact that he is still in his jammies!):
On each link I wrote the date. Here is the "last" day, aka., first day of school:

Our finished product on display:

A Big Brother's Perspective

2010-08-18T09:29:00.004-04:00

One of the things I packed in my bag was an old camera fro Tyler to use. As soon as he heard that he was going to be able to take his own pictures, he went to work-- to the tune of nearly 100 pictures! Unfortunately, shortly after bringing Colby home the camera stopped working :(. I am sure that the Birthday Fairy is listening for ideas right about now.

Here are some of the shots Tyler took:
Mom shortly after Colby's birth.

Some of the bracelets we had to wear.

Tyler's favorite part of our room-- the television. You can see by the picture that Tyler had assumed responsibility for what we watched.

Colby shortly after his birth.

Colby awake and alert, awaiting his first bath.

Colby getting ready for his bath.

Having his heart rate checked.

Being bathed and not liking it one bit!

All clean and swaddled once again.

Grandpa Perry watching television.

Baby's First Bath

2010-08-09T10:10:00.002-04:00

Colby had his first bath at home today. It was a family affair, as Tyler could not wait to see his little brother in the same tub that we once used to clean him!

After gathering all of the necessary supplies, it was time for the big scrub down:
Tyler was a huge help. Not only did he make sure that the water temperature was good, but he also helped wash and rinse. What an awesome big brother!

As you can see by the pictures, Colby loved his bath! The only time he fussed what when we undressed him. Otherwise, he was awake and alert the entire time. When Tyler was this age, he loved bath time as well. He used to sit in the tub, wide awake, and enter into full relax mode. Of course, with boys you have to watch out when they are in "relax" mode!

All done, dressed, and ready for the day!

Baby's First Outing

2010-08-08T09:54:00.001-04:00

Frank's hockey team had one of their fundraisers this past weekend. After being cooped up in the hospital for five days and then at home for the next few, we decided to all head out (Colby included) to enjoy lunch, visit with people and try and win some great prizes.

After lunch, Frank and I realized something. Our son's first outing was to a Sport's Bar. Seriously, what were we thinking? Oh well, a memory for the baby book!

Colby was excellent, slept the entire time, allowing all of us to eat and enjoy a nice meal. Tyler had a blast hanging out by the pool table with the players and placing his tickets into the raffle. What did he want to win? It was a toss-up between the Dunkin Donuts basket with the gift card that would buy "lots of doughnuts!" or the movie basket. What did he win? The Dunkin Donuts basket! Frank and I were excited because it included coffee-- a must in our lives right now!

Homecoming!

2010-08-05T20:57:00.002-04:00

After five long days in the hospital Thursday was the day that we most looked forward to. It meant that Colby was coming home!

We told everyone to stay at home in the morning, that we would see them when we arrived. It was a good thing, too. There were doctors, nurses, midwives, and other hospital staff coming to see us, check in, and do other discharge business. Colby was checked by the pediatrician and given a clean bill of health. I was given all the things I was going to need to be comfortable at home for the next few days. Frank was not left out, he was able to ask all the questions that were weighing on our minds now that we would be able to leave the building. After all, it has been almost six long years since we had a little guy at home!

In the 36 hours since his birth, Colby has already changed. Most noticeable is his head and face. His head no longer sports the "point" and he appears to be growing into his face, especially his cheeks. His right eye and face have some bruising/burst blood vessels. We were told that this was due to the rapid speed in which he was born and that it will clear up and go away. He has been more alert and showing us his eyes, especially this morning. Frank was holding him and when we spoke to him and called him by name, he would turn his head and seek us out.

I remember clearly when I was pregnant with Tyler and Frank and I went in for my first prenatal appointment. When I had told him that I had a midwife I saw, he kept asking why I didn't have a doctor. When we got to the appointment, he asked Tina what qualifications she had that made her better than a doctor. She said to him "Many years delivering babies." That was answer enough for Frank and he decided to give her a shot (which was good since I wasn't changing!) . After many months of prenatal appointments and then Tyler's delivery, he was sold. Despite the fact that she did not actually deliver Colby, she will still be the midwife who saw me through both pregnancies. On Tuesday, she attempted to come in on her day off for the delivery, but who knew I would go from 5 to 10 centimeters dilated and deliver within minutes! Tina also stopped in on Thursday morning before we left to say goodbye. I wanted to get a picture of her with both boys, but we managed at least one:

In the room there was a dry erase board where the nurses on duty wrote their names and hours. Tyler discovered the board during his first visit. He drew a monster and then signed his name. After Colby was born, he added his name as well:

Finally it was time to get Colby dressed and strap him into his car seat. Because we did not know if Tyler was going to be a boy or a girl, I did not have any "boy" outfits. This outfit was one of my favorites that I bought earlier in the summer.

Colby was great for the short ride home. And who could blame him? I would be well behaved if I knew this is what I had to greet me when I arrived!

Tyler could not wait to hold him. As soon as we walked in the door, Tyler was giving gentle kisses and very excited to have this big day finally here. I was also able to get a picture of all my men during the day:

How lucky our family is!

The Little One

2010-08-03T20:21:00.002-04:00

Little did I know that this past weekend would be the last of my pregnancy. After checking in with my midwife, Tina, on Friday, the decision to induce was placed on the back burner unless my blood pressure continued to rise over the weekend. So when Frank and I left her office on Friday morning with the anticipation that I would be back next week. After all, my due date is August 4th. However, things never go according to plan and after a check of my blood pressure on Sunday at Walgreens, it was elevated, and I called my midwife who directed me back to the triage unit at Mercy Hospital. This time, I knew I would not be coming home the same night.

And I was right.

By 5:30P.M., we were checking into the Morning Glory room at the Family Life Center at Mercy Hospital. Carolyn, my midwife Tina's sister (in spirit only), made the decision for us, and the plan was made to start inducing labor that night. I was not hopeful that our newest Genovese would be there by the morning. After all, Tyler took two rounds of inducing before he made his way into the world. After the Cervadil was given, Tyler came for a short visit with all four of his grandparents. By 9P.M., Frank and I were enjoying dinner for the night.
The next day, everyone came to hang out with us for the day. There was not much going on in the labor department, I remained 2 centimeters dilated and our newest addition proved that he was more comfortable in the safe confines of my belly than in the real world. We took the opportunity to take some last pictures of our family as we knew it. Little did we know that things would change in the next 24 hours!

After going through 2 rounds of Cervadil with little progress, my midwife, who was on duty, decided it was time to start a Pitocin drip. However, the doctor on duty was not in agreement with her. Too bad that was not discussed prior to the nurse starting the I.V.! But after being presented with my options and discussing them with Frank, we decided to remain on the Pitocin drip overnight and see where that would take us. Tina, in the meantime, pulled up a chair, said "Have the kid by 8A.M. ", otherwise he would be delivered by Carolyn. She then proceeded to watch the Bacherlorette finale with Frank and I.

Needless to say, Tina's shift came and went with little progress. I remained at 2 centimeters dilated but was having mild contractions every few minutes. When Carolyn came on in the morning, she instructed the nurses to raise the Pitocin every 30 minutes until it was at its maximum dose which would be at lunch time. Dawn, the nurse on duty, also came in and sprinkled her "magic baby powder" on me. It did the trick!

By lunch time, I was feeling the contractions, they were coming at regular intervals but were not so intense that I needed the epidural yet. Tyler came with all of his grandparents in the early afternoon and I was not feeling very hospitable. By 3P.M. I asked for the epidural only to be told that the anesthesiologist was down the hall administering someone elses and that he would be with me soon. Carolyn's suggestion while I wait for him? Sit on the birthing ball and have Frank hold a hot compress on my back. Being the good patient I am, I did as I was told and boy did that speed things up!

The anesthesiologist finally made his way into my room at 3:45P.M. As I was moving into position for him to start his magic, my water broke! Needless to say the pain was intense! When he finished hooking me up, it was time to wait for the epidural to make its way through my body before it could be adjusted. But there wasn't anytime! My right side went immediately numb which left my left side to feel every contraction. Dawn, the nurse, was able to get me into position and call for Carolyn just in time. After a handful of pushes our new family member was here!

Colby James Genovese was born at 4:22P.M. Despite Tina's prediction that he would be bigger than Tyler (who was 7lbs 4ozs and 20 inches at birth), Colby weighed in at 7lbs 13.4 ozs and was 20 inches long. He has light hair and a great set of lungs (seen hard at work below)!

After Frank cut the cord, Colby was wheeled into the entry way in our room, behind the curtain. I only wish that I could have been there to see Tyler because I heard how sweet he was. He kept referring to Colby as "the Little One" and was so sweet and loving. Tyler had been asking for weeks when his brother was going to come and the day was finally here! After Colby was checked out, he was passed around to everyone waiting. I can't help but think that when Tyler and each of his grandparents arrived earlier in the day it was to "hang out" and visit-- now they are able to visit with our new addition!

Colby with the Genovese's and the Perry's. Not to mention the big brother who could not have been more proud or have a bigger smile!

Our new family photo. The consensus is that Colby looks a lot like his older brother with the only difference being that Tyler was born with a head full of hair.

Proud mom with her little miracle and below, a shot of the little guys big feet!

After some family bonding time, Dawn, the nurse, came back to give Colby his first bath. When Tyler was born, baths were given in the nursery and Frank was the only one allowed to participate. Colby's bath was given right in the room and everyone was able to watch. Tyler pulled a chair up and was right there the entire time. Colby loved having his hair washed but cried through the rest of bath time.

The last one to hold him for the night? Tyler. I had not seen him smile so big in such a long time. When I think about the past few days, weeks, months, and what we have been through, it is all worth it when I look at this picture. Tyler was gentle, kind, and immediately took to being a big brother. All night he "oohed" and "ahhed" over "the Little One".

After all was said and done for the evening, we ordered dinner and had a mini party at the hospital. The grandparents enjoyed a glass of wine and I just enjoyed a good meal for the first time in days. All I could think of was how lucky I was to have everyone with me and despite the fact that things did not work as natural as we had hoped, it happened this way for a reason.

Now to remember how to do this baby thing!

Meanwhile....

2010-08-01T09:36:00.002-04:00

While Frank and I were settling into the hospital for the night, our phone rang. Immediately, we panicked, thinking Tyler was having a hard time and thus giving his grandparents a hard time for the night.

Boy were we wrong!

Tyler had been sent upstairs to brush his teeth for the night. In the middle of brushing his teeth, he complained that he had something hard in his mouth... After checking it out, a tooth was found! Tyler lost his first tooth!

Although Frank and I were a bit sad that we were not there to see it for ourselves or to play Tooth Fairy for the night, we were super excited for him! We also could not think of a more appropriate time for something like this to happen. After all, what better sign of growing up is there?

The Tooth Fairy did find her way to our house and left Tyler with TEN DOLLARS! He was so happy to show off his new gap to everyone at the hospital when he came for a visit the next day. I, of course, remember him as the little guy who just started getting teeth!

Baby Watch Update...

2010-07-27T19:24:00.001-04:00

For many weeks now, I have been going to the doctor for my weekly appointments. For the most part, they are pretty routine. I meet Frank and Tyler there, the nurse (Terry) calls us into the room, she weighs me (I try and hide the number), she takes my blood pressure (I try and relax), I pee into the cup (we try and quiet Tyler's laughter), and she shows me to the examination room.

Like clockwork, after a few minutes, Terry comes back to the examination room and tells me to lay on my left side because, like clockwork, my pressure is elevated. As someone who is very pregnant, this is not comfortable for many reasons. First, I am huge. Second, I am tall and the examination table is not very long. Third, it means having my back to Frank and Tyler. After a few minutes of this position, my pressure is back to a normal level and I am ready to see my midwife, Tina.

This week was not the usual clockwork like the previous few. Tina put the kibosh on work (UGH), hooked me the the non stress test machine, and then sent me to the triage unit at the hospital for tests, and threatened to induce me if any of the signs pointed to Preeclampsia. Of course, while all this is going on, Tyler is watching and listening. So what do I do? Freak out, because that will help calm his nerves.

A few things did go accordingly, though. We found someone to take Tyler, for the night if necessary (really, what were we thinking not having a real plan other than to wait for my parents to get to town tomorrow!), and Tina told us that her sister, Carolyn, was the midwife on duty at the hospital.

Shortly after leaving Tina's office, we made our way home, packed a bag for Tyler, waited for Elaine to pick him up along with her two and her nephew (Saint Mommy is her title for the day) and threw my bags into the car. I called my boss, Linda, and informed her that there was no fighting Tina anymore, I was done at work, and we made our way to Mercy Hospital.

The irony of the situation was that from day one after I found out I was pregnant, I told Tina I did not want to be induced. However, after hearing her say that it may be necessary and taking into consideration how uncomfortable I felt, I did not argue with her despite the fact that the previous 39 weeks I refused to consider another induction a possibility.

However, after all this craziness, we ended up leaving the triage unit after only a few hours of blood work, monitoring, more peeing in a cup (really, isn't there an easier way? I am not a contortionist!), and talking with the midwife, Carolyn. Tests are normal, baby is healthy, and we continue to wait. At least until the next appointment on Friday!

Block Party, 2010!

2010-07-11T19:39:00.004-04:00

We recently decided that this summer was flying by without too many road trips. Our summers are usually spent traveling from one place to the next each weekend. Our lack of traveling is not without good reason, of course. Some days, the thought of just driving to work is just too much!

This weekend the Fagan's Block Party was scheduled to take place. The plan was for Frank to drive Tyler to Long Island for the Block Party on Saturday, stay the night, and come back to me, or for Frank to drive Tyler to Long Island for Sunday and then come back. Tyler was going to stay the week with his cousins. In between all these decisions, Tyler also had a pool party to attend. What to do, what to do? Well.... it ended up being very easy to decide when it started pouring out around lunch time on Saturday and the pool party was cancelled. What did we all decide? (Notice I said we!) We decided to hop in the car and surprise everyone on Long Island!!!!

After grabbing some lunch and heading south, we had to stop for the first bathroom break. Ironically enough, it was not at the request of the pregnant lady! Frank pulled off the road in a business area (aka no McDonalds's/fast food/gas stations visible) and found an empty parking lot.

By the time we arrived to the Block Party, the rain had stopped on Long Island as well. Tyler made no waste of time joining his cousin and their friends on the amazing slide that was there. Of course there were a few adults that gave it a whirl too, but their pictures shall remain hidden ;)!

Everyone had a fantastic time and they were all definitely surprised that we all showed up and so early in the weekend. Frank and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful Sunday the next day and we stayed the day, swam, watched baseball, ate dinner, and then hit the road... the kids also took advantage of grandma's wallet and the ice cream man:

After dinner, Frank and I hit the road... without my first born! I know that he has a great time with his cousins, but the thought of coming home each night and not being greeted by him, well, that's hard! However, Frank and I have a long list of "to-do's" to complete, including finishing the nursery. Until next weekend, Tyler!

End of an Era

2010-07-09T19:42:00.004-04:00

Today was Tyler's last day at Katie and Ellie's.

In January, 2005, I dropped him off there for the first time and he has spent the better part of each week, month, and year there until today.

I still can recall the day that I went and interviewed them. I was pregnant and very worried about finding a home that I would feel comfortable leaving my son with. I knew they were the ones after visiting for a short period of time just by hearing them talk, watching them with the kids, and seeing all that they had to offer in such a small space. I knew that Tyler would be well taken care of, have lots of fun, and possibly learn something while he was there.

Of course, this ease that I found while I was pregnant was replaced with anxiety as my return to work became imminent. In the week before I returned to work, I visited to drop off Tyler's paperwork. I cried the whole way home. After all, was I making the right decision?

Needless to say, we were right on all accounts. Tyler went in each morning with a smile, left each day with a smile, and played his little heart out. I truly feel like Katie and Ellie loved having Tyler around, even when we were having one of "those mornings" and he was in one of "those moods". They took care of him, no questions asked!

I had no idea what gift to give someone who has done so much for your child. I really wanted to show them how much we appreciated the last five plus years. After some thought, I came up with a stepping stone and Tyler helped decorate:
The inside of the card read "Thank you for having a hand in making our son who he is today." I also gave them a gift card to spend on themselves. Tyler's request that morning was to take a picture with Katie and Ellie. I, of course, was happy to oblige and very surprised to learn that they, as well, had packed their cameras!

The only good part of Tyler's leaving Katie and Ellie's? It open a spot for his brother to start in the fall! Until then, much thanks to them!

Ten on Tuesday: Playing Catch-Up

2010-06-29T10:53:00.010-04:00

1. A shot of me at 34 weeks:

2. After being put to bed one night, Tyler made his way back downstairs. As he got closer to Frank and I, we realized he was holding his belly. I asked him what was wrong and he said that he had a stomach ache. I, of course, thought that we had a sick kid on our hands. But nooooo, Tyler announced that his stomach hurt because “He was preganant and he had a baby is his belly”. And yes, pregnant was pronounced just like that!

3. After weeks and months of Tyler rubbing and talking to my belly, he was finally rewarded on June 1 with a faint kick by his Baby Brother. He was ecstatic and now tries to feel the kicks all the time. I have told him that his brother loves to kick in the wee hours of the morning (thanks, little one!). I have not had the heart to tell him that I am sure this will be the first of many brotherly kicks shared between siblings!

4. As my dad has become a connoisseur of Belgian beer, I decided to make it my mission to try as many nonalcoholic varieties of beer as possible during this 40 week stint I have going on. To count, I have tried approximately 7 different types and I must say that beer makers have come a long way in this department!

One night I was enjoying my drink by the fire outside and Tyler said “I want to be pregnant when I grow up so I can drink fake beer!”

5. In May we had a multi-family tag sale with our friends. After it ended and while cleaning up, Tyler and Olivia had snuck off to play. Or so we thought! I guess five is not too early to have your first love, because they made sure to seal the deal with a kiss behind the minivan! When questioned about their encounter, the two love birds ran off. A few days later in the car, I asked Tyler about it and he said that he and Livie were married because they kissed! I am cool with that; we will love my son’s in-laws!

6. At preschool for Father’s Day, the teachers asked the kids what they like to do with their dad’s. They then wrote each answer on a poster board next to the child’s name and hung it in the entry way for everyone to read. The day of this project, Frank picked Tyler up from school and called me on the way home to share his son’s answer with me. Frank told me to guess what Tyler said and I figured it was playing hockey, watching some kind of sport on television, or playing the Wii.

I was wrong.

Tyler told his teacher’s that he liked it when he and his dad “Watched the horse races together.”

7. A few weeks back, I was thrown a “Baby Sprinkle”. Frank and I explained to Tyler that when I was pregnant with him, I had a Baby Shower. He thought for a minute and said “Is that when the mommies get in the shower with their bellies and get all wet?”

8. Tyler and I recently took a Sibling Class at the hospital where I will be giving birth. Tyler was able to take a tour of the maternity ward, learn how to hold a newborn, and heard the rules about how to care for a small baby. During the tour, the nurses showed the kids in the class a newborn. Tyler was ecstatic. The facilitator of the class showed the kids the card attached to her bed and told them that the girls get pink cards and the boys get blue cards. This particular child was a girl and Tyler said “I’m not having one of them.”!

9. Frank and I have been talking about what Tyler’s next move will be in the world of hockey. He has been in Learn to Skate for the past two years and he could continue with it, but he already is in the advanced group. We finally decided that he is ready to play on a Mini Mite team and emailed the director for sign up information. After we heard back from him, we knew that Ty would be a go next year for practices and games (!).

One night during quite time, I told Tyler the good news, figuring he would be very excited. I told him that he will play on team in the Fall. He hung his head and looked at me with a sheepish look on his face. His response? “Really? I think I am going to cry, I am so happy.”

10. Over the past few weeks, out house has turned into the money pit.

The basement flooded when the water heater broke. Thanks to our neighbor and a friend, it was all repaired in a weekend.

Then a heavy downpour of rain seeped water back into the basement the next weekend and even sent it dripping in from the ceiling in the front of the house (still a mystery to us!).

Our AC Unit also decided that it needed a turn to leave a mark on the basement and it flooded as well. In order to stop the leak, we had to turn off the unit. The irony of it was that we had spent the morning taking the window screens out in preparation for the house to be painted the next day. So now we really had no air!

I will leave out the part about the plumber coming to fix the faucets that refused to be fully shut off and continue to drip, or the lawn tractor guy who came to repair the blades, or the fact that the dishwasher did not drain properly for a few days, or the fact that our crib has been recalled.

I am happy to announce that after these rough few weeks we are putting out lives back together and the money is flowing back into our bank accounts and not out!

Life is a Beach

2010-06-26T21:29:00.002-04:00

There are so many things that I love about the summer. Barbecues, bonfires, spending time family and friends, traveling, and going to the beach or pool. I decided early on in the summer that a little pregnancy was not going to keep me from doing everything that I love during the summer.

After seeing the weather report for this past weekend, I decided that it was going to be a beach day. So exited! We packed lunch and snacks, plenty of water, toys, chairs, and off we went!

Despite the fact that it was a Saturday, we found a spot right off the water, and settled in. After looking around, there was one thing that we did not see-- clouds!
Tyler immediately took off for the water and Frank followed. After awhile, Tyler was on his own in the water and he did a great job, swimming, diving, and played.

Just to prove that I was on the beach, in a bathing suit.

We had a wonderful day. Came home with a bit of summer color, took time to eat ice cream from the snack shack on the beach, played in the sand, and swam in the ocean. The only problem? The hour plus drive to get there!

Spring Soccer

2010-06-19T21:20:00.002-04:00

This Spring, Tyler also played soccer with Our Lady of Sacred Heart, the same team he played with in the Fall. Coach Joe was there to coach again, and Tyler hit the field this Spring with a mission: to play goal!

Last Fall, second game of the season, Tyler was in the goal and doing a great job. Until, that is, one fateful moment. An opposing player dribbled the ball down the field, took the shot on goal, and hit Tyler square in the face with the ball. My trooper of a kid was stunned for a split second, did not cry, gathered himself together, and assumed his position once more. When the quarter was over? Tyler took the red goalie shirt off never to wear it again. Or so we thought.

See that kid in red? That's right, Tyler! All set to play goal!

After spending a quarter in goal, it was time to take the field.

This season, Tyler's friend Olivia played with him as well. Between the two of them, they had 3 goals on the season. Growing up, I played soccer and I still do. At five-years-old, Tyler has two more goals than I have ever scored (which is none!).

Unfortunately, I was not able to snap any pictures at the last game of the season because of the downpour! The kids played until the thunder rumbled, and then everyone ran for cover! Everyone left their cars long enough to collect trophies and say thank you to Coach Joe for another wonderful season.

T-Ball

2010-06-18T21:27:00.002-04:00

This Spring, Tyler was finally old enough to play T-Ball for the town of Wilbraham. After a few weeks of practice, it was time to play a game. Tyler was pumped to put on his hat, t-shirt, pants, and cleats. He even took some time to assume the fielding position for a quick pre-game shot to model his Friendly's Angels uniform:
After some quick warm-ups, it was time to start the game. Tyler's team was up at bat first, and the kids all lined up and waited their turns. Tyler, number 4, cheered on his teammates while he waited for his turn to bat.

My little slugger ready to "rip" the ball as he says.

And he's running! One thing about Tyler, he hustles at all times.

Waiting on second base:

After making it around the bases and waiting for his teammates to have their turn at bat, it was time to take the field. Tyler learned quickly that his favorite position was the pitchers mound. Why? Most of the balls that were hit went right through the area!

He had a great season and definitely has the making of an athlete. We had a great time watching him each weekend and at practice. I can't wait for next Spring!

The Making of A-Rod

2010-06-14T21:35:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, Grandma came to town for my baby shower. She asked if we could go out and do something special for our new addition. I, of course, said yes. I had arranged earlier the previous week to keep Tyler home for the day and I had the day off, so on Monday, we headed out to the mall. When I was pregnant with Tyler, my mom and I build a bear for Tyler, complete with hockey uniform.

Tyler was so excited to learn about his special project. After all, what child doesn't love Build-A-Bear! After looking at the nursery, it was decided that we needed to go there since Baby Geno does not have any stuffed animals (how did that happen?).

Upon arrival, Tyler picked out a very soft bear. He even chose a lullaby recording to be inserted into the bears hand. We then had to go and stuff the bear. Tyler wanted to make sure that the bear was still soft for his brother.
He rubbed the heart to warm it and made a wish. The it was time to place the heart in the bear.

When our bear was sewen closed, it was time to make the decision of decisions! What should the bear wear?

Tyler looked all over the store for that perfect outfit. He looked at the Star Wars outfits, the baby clothing, the pajamas, and everything in between. After a bit, he finally found the perfect outfit for his brothers bear....

Took him to get dressed....

And what was the final result? A Yankee bear! Last up, it was time to name and complete the birth certificate for the new bear. Tyler thought and thought and thought and finally came up with A-Rod, after Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees. He did a wonderful job with the whole project! A great big brother in the making!

On the way home, Tyler asked where we were going to put A-Rod. I told him he could put the bear in the nursery and I mentioned that he could put in on the rocking chair, changing table, or the crib. Tyler's response? "We aren't supposed to put anything in the crib, mommy." All I can say is wow-- his brother is very lucky to have him as a big brother!

The last test for A-Rod? Snugglability. The outcome? He passed!

Graduation (sniff, sniff)

2010-06-14T20:49:00.006-04:00

What can I say? An entire year has flown by since we walked Tyler through the doors of Green Valley Preschool, armed with Star Wars backpack and lunchbox. I knew at that time, at the other end of the year, kindergarten awaited, but time went on, and Frank and I recently found ourselves at Tyler's preschool graduation.

I have watched Tyler grow throughout the year. He has not only made great strides in the academic areas-- writing, spelling, and pre-reading, but also has grown socially, and matured into an awesome five-year-old. I find myself looking back over time and saying "WOW!". It is simply amazing at how kids grow.

Recently Tyler brought home his end of the year progress report. He excelled in every area and made improvement from his mid-year progress report. The areas needing improvement? Dramatic play and sharing in large groups. Frank and I decided like parents, like son.

This year, Tyler and Olivia were in the same school, Next year they will go their separate ways. They had great times together at school but were able to to do "boy things" and "girl things" when they wanted. They have grown up together and have really been great to watch together. The best stories that Tyler would come home with? He talked about how the girls (Olivia and her friends) would chase Tyler and his friends around the playground. Kind of scary that girls chasing boys starts in preschool!
After enjoying a potluck and barbecue, we all headed outside and waited for the ceremony to start. All the kids gathered into a circle and they sang songs they had worked on all year.

After they were done with songs, it was time to pass out diplomas. Here is Tyler accepting his:

Afterwards, Tyler posed for a picture with his friend, Cole.

AND, of course, one final one with another fellow graduate, Olivia:

We also had to take a picture with one of his teachers, Mrs. Fitzpatrick. She and Mrs. Torkington were his teachers in his class this year. He loved them both and they never had anything but good things to say about his behavior and progress.

Now it is time to enjoy the summer. I still remember our orientation at Green Valley. The teachers spoke about how their goal for the pre-kindergarten kids was to prepare them for kindergarten for the following year. The only thing they really forgot was to prepare the parents for what the next step would feel like!

Taking the Monkeys to the Zoo

2010-05-18T21:41:00.009-04:00

Throughout Tyler's year at Green Valley Preschool there have been field trips. The kids went to Pop's Pizza, the Pumpkin Patch, and had a visit from the Fire Department. When the permission slip for Lupa Zoo came home, I couldn't volunteer fast enough! I decided that although the field trip was scheduled for the morning, that I would make it a "Mommy and Tyler day" afterwards.

We all met at Green Valley, collected our name tags, got our buddy assignments, and loaded the school bus. I can only hope that next year when it's time to take the bus to school, Tyler is equally as excited! Tyler's assigned buddy for the trip was his friend Aiden. When they loaded the bus, they went right to the back. After all, isn't that where all the cool kids sit? ;)
Across the isle were Olivia and Emily. After all, on the bus, you need some girls to hang with!

When we arrived at the zoo, we listened to the rules and could not wait to go and explore! The boys headed to the bird area first. They explored the peacocks for awhile and then started to move on. However, the peacock decided to open it's magnificent tail and the boys requested a picture together!

We also saw buffalo, giraffes, baboons, and zebras-- the only thing we decided was missing were the elephants. The buffalo was even showing off a bit for us, ramming his head into the fence. It was really exciting!

All around the zoo, there were different spots for pictures. Both Tyler and Aiden stopped to model for each one:

Of course, the best shot of the day was this one of Olivia and Tyler. We decided that it will be a great shot to include in the wedding slide show some day!

After the field trip was over, Tyler and I headed across the street with Olivia and her mom. We enjoyed a great lunch at Mountain View, aka Joe's, Tyler's favorite restaurant. From there, Tyler and I headed to Kohls where we shopped for pajamas, and then to home where we waited for Frank to join our special day. I had a wonderful day with Tyler and look forward to many more in the future!

My Grandpy

2010-05-11T16:47:00.003-04:00

My Grandpy

by Tyler, age 5

1. I really love it when my Grandpy plays with me.

2. My Grandpy likes to wear dresses.

3. My Grandpy always tells me that he loves me.

4. The best thing he does is watches TV with me.

5. It makes him happy when he watches me play.

6. My Grandpy likes to relax by cuddling with me.

7. I like it when he takes me fishing.

8. The best thing he plays is football.

9. His favorite thing to do is watch baseball, hockey, and football with me.

10. My Grandpy's favorite TV show is football.

11. If he could go anywhere, he would go to Wilbraham.

12. I love my Grandpy because he plays with me.

Happy Birthday, Grandpy! We love you!

Silent Sunday: Tree Climbing Monkey

2010-05-09T21:45:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T08:06:00.002-04:00

As I sit here on my sixth Mother's Day, I had to reflect about why I love being a mother. Some days it is hard to remember, but even at this moment, as I listen to the kids bicker, I love every minute (okay, some more than others!).

In the middle of the chaos I call my week, I began thinking of what life it going to be like with a newborn and a kindergartner. I can only imagine that things will be even more crazy, but at the same time, there will be even more love in out family, with one more person to give it and to receive it.

So what do I love about being a mom? I love when I come home at night and Tyler runs and jumps into my arms. I love wet, sloppy kisses at night. I love being able to kiss boo boos and make them all better. I love having the best ideas in the world when he is "so bored". I love cuddles on the couch and in bed in the morning. I love being with friends and watching all the kids run around and play together. I love watching him be creative while doing arts and crafts and almost being able to see the wheels in his head turn.

You know what else I love? Trekking up all the stairs multiple times at night because someone is thirsty/hot/needs new music/has a stomach ache. I love being called stupid/baby/dummy. I love the listening to the whining when it is time to get dressed/clean up/leave the house. I love convincing a young child that dinner will not kill him if he tries just a small bite. I love having Tyler's friends over and later discovering that the playroom (which was neat and organized) is not a wreck with no toy left in any bin.

You know what I miss? Getting up every three hours to change. feed, and rock. I miss being peed and spit up on. I miss trying to get ready in the morning while I hold a squirmy little one on my lap. I miss staying up all hours to hang out with friends, knowing that I can make it up in the morning by sleeping late.

The truth though? I may miss all those things but not as much as I love the others. This is my life now and that was my life then. Back then, I was Jennifer, daughter, wife, etc, but now I am Jennifer, daughter, wife, and mommy. Appreciate every day, we all know they fly by and things change faster than we can keep up with.

Enjoy your Mother's Day, every minute.

Conor's First Communion

2010-05-08T21:15:00.002-04:00

This weekend, our nephew, Conor, made his First Communion. It seems like just yesterday he was just home from the hospital!
While we waited for Conor to get in his Communion attire, Tyler and Skylar were happy to pose for me. Once again, it seems like just yesterday that they were just brought home from the hospital!

The three cousins, all together. A good looking bunch, if I do say so, myself!

Like father, like son. When I bought Tyler his outfit, he was very surprised that it was for him. He thought that it was for Frank. When I told him that it was indeed his, he was ecstatic! Which made for quick dressing for the occasion. Of course, no opportunity goes by without a pregnant mommy shot:

After a wonderful ceremony in which 40 children received their First Communion, we celebrated at a great party that included family and friends. The kids all had a great time doing crafts, watching a magician and running around.

Congratulations, Conor!

My Papa

2010-05-03T18:16:00.003-04:00

My Papa,

by Tyler, age 5

1. I really love it when my Papa plays with me

2. My Papa likes to wear clothes

3. My Papa always tells me I love you

4. The best thing he does is play with me

5. It makes him happy when I hug him

6. My Papa likes to relax by sitting on the couch

7. I like it when he lets me, Conor, and Skylar come over to his house

8. The best thing he plays is hockey

9. His favorite thing to do is watch hockey on TV

10. My Papa's favorite TV show is NHL on the Fly

11. If he could go anywhere, he would go to my house

12. I love my Papa because he loves me

Happy 65th Birthday, Papa!

You know it's a good party when...

2010-05-02T21:47:00.002-04:00

....the clothes come off, the Slip 'n Slide comes out, and the adults and children are all entertained!

Now you may ask, "Where does one find such a party?" Well, that happens only at a birthday party for a five-year-old and a three-year-old! (Everyone knows that, right?)

Today we went to Olivia and Derek's birthday party and for a gift, they received a new Slip 'n Slide. After most of the guests left, the kids took it for a spin. After all, it was a hot day! However, bathing suits were not on the "please bring" list!

Ten on Tuesday

2010-04-20T05:00:00.001-04:00

A few of the finer moments in the Genovese home with a pregnant mommy!

1. Easter weekend, I went to a baby shower for the daughter of a good family friend (herself also a good friend). After a long time of trying to get pregnant, she finally did and sometime late this Spring, early this Summer, she will bring home not one, not two, but three bundles of joy-- two boys and one girl! We are so excited and ready to support the new mommy and daddy with whatever they need! This picture was taken at the shower-- it features the seven mommies-to-be in attendance!
2. Four months pregnant, over a month ago. Needless to say, I am bigger nowadays!

3. Early on in the pregnancy before we knew our new addition was a boy, people asked Tyler what he was going to name our baby. He always said Tigger for a boy and Piglet for a girl. His choice nowadays for a boy? Conor.

4. One night after dinner, Tyler wanted me to go downstairs to the playroom and help him find something. I was a little slow getting up (hey! It was a long day!) and Tyler said, "Come on Big Jenny, get your butt moving and bring Tigger!"

5. This past weekend Frank and I had date night. As a reward for my new position, I bought tickets to Straight No Chaser, who were performing 2 shows in Northampton, MA. During the show, baby Geno kicked away! Apparently he has good taste in music. After the show, we bought their new CD, had it autographed by all the guys and I plan on using it for nighttime listening in the nursery.

6. Over the past two weeks, I have spent a lot of time sorting out all the baby gear and clothes that I kept from when Tyler was small. Tyler had tons of questions about what everything was for, when did he wear it, and will his brother use it as well. He washed some of the bottles and sippys and even took a liking to an old winter hat and bib. It's been a week now and I can't get any of them back!

7. The other night, Tyler told me that he wanted to be pregnant. I was a bit shocked and asked him why. He said "Because you get to have a big belly and drink fake beer." Huh?

8. After I arrived home from work one night, I had some mail waiting for me. It was from Green Valley Preschool. What was inside? A letter, from my son. What happened? It made me cry. Why? See below:

What does it say? "Dear Mommy, I am so excited about having a baby brother. Love, Tyler"

9. Now that you have read the above, feed on this. Shortly after we found out that we were having another boy, Tyler came over to me, put his head down, and started crying. When I asked him what was wrong, he said he really wanted a sister. Break. My. Heart. Ouch. However, time has passed and he is so excited to have his brother watch him play hockey, show him all Star Wars stuff, and teach him everything he knows!

10. Last but not least, indecision is the name of the game. Shortly after I had Tyler, I decided that I really liked the name Brayden. Yeah, not so sure about it anymore. The other night, we went out to buy paint for the nursery. What color did we get? None. Now only if we could have that Baby fairy Godmother pay us a visit and take care of these things.... hmmmmm

Kitchen Hockey

2010-04-18T23:12:00.005-04:00

If I were to ever get rid of my white tiled kitchen floor, only one person in this house would be really upset. After all, white is the color of ice and makes for a great backdrop to an activity that occurs more often than cooking in my kitchen.

I wish I could accurately show the dents in the kitchen cabinets and the fact that the grate on the bottom of the fridge is taped on. But to see the happy grin on Tyler's face, whether it be as goalie, a player taking shots, or someone sitting in the "penalty box" (the lower cabinet), it is well worth all the tape and dents!

"The Trip"

2010-04-12T22:56:00.002-04:00

At Green Valley Preschool this month, the kids have been learning about Ezra Jack Keats, "The Trip" and each child took a night of homework home. The assignment? To draw a picture in the class book about a favorite trip that you have taken. After much discussion, Tyler chose our Florida trip in 2008. The great part? He was excited to get to work and did a fantastic job!

Beside the class book in the homework bag there were markers, stickers, the book, and a camera. We read the book together and I learned that it was about a little boy who moved away from all his friends, not an actual trip (you learn something new every day)! The camera was to take one picture of our project in process (Tyler made sure to remind me of the one picture rule!). After we established the rules, Tyler went right to work.
In his picture? The pool (with him swimming in it), the house with Conor, Skylar, Tyler, Frank and myself, and a sandcastle. He also included a picture of the airplane we took to get there.

He did a great job and was so proud while he was working and when he finished. I could not believe the concentration and can only hope that homework is this easy next year!

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T22:29:00.006-04:00

For Easter this year, we crammed everything in that would possibly fit! Easter eggs, art projects, and a visit with the Easter Bunny were all on tap.

The weekend before, we colored Easter eggs, and they turned out great! After many years of doing this, I have finally mastered the art of neat Easter egg coloring. The secret? Dark clothes, newspaper, and plenty of supervision!

The finished product:

For Easter weekend, we traveled to New York. After a quick trip (thank goodness!) and 18 "Are we there yets?" from the back seat, we arrived to our destination. Tyler had not seen his cousins since Christmas and they were all so excited to be together again!

On Easter morning, Tyler woke nice and early (ugh). He was the first one downstairs to see what the Easter Bunny left behind. Once again, the Easter Bunny was really nice to Tyler. He brought new Islander hockey guys, playdoh, lots of candy, and some workbooks. He was estatic!

Soon after Tyler went through his basket, Conor and Skylar made their way downstairs. For awhile, the kids were entertained by what was in their baskets. Soon they were asking where the eggs were hidden! The Easter Bunny was smart and left the eggs for all the mommies and daddies to hide when they were well caffinated! (Thank goodness for that since Tyler was up and 6:00A.M.!)

Soon the coffee was made and the eggs were hidden and the kids went to town! There were plenty for them to find and Grandma Genovese even brought the eggs the Easter Bunny hid at her house for the kids to find.

Tyler did really well and had a keen eye for the well hidden eggs, sometimes leaving the more onvious ones for his cousins to claim!

Tyler and Skylar:

Soon all the eggs were open and the sugar started setting in. But what comes up, must go down:

Skylar and Laurette:

The three amigos:

After breakfast (you keeping track? Baskets, eggs, then breakfast?) we all started to get ready for the day. Thankfully, it was a gorgoeus day out and the kids were able to run around while the adults cooked and prepped for lunch.

Not wanting to waste the opprotunity for photo ops, we all headed outside for some quick pictures after we dressed and showered. Someone in our family was not very happy, but he shall remain nameless ;).

After a late lunch and a long fun weekend, it was time to hit the road. We had a great weekend and can't wait for our next trip!

Hockey, 2010, Done

2010-03-28T22:49:00.002-04:00

This morning was Tyler's last Learn to Skate with Holy Name hockey. What can I say? The kid can skate. Next year, I have to hold my breath while I watch my son, on the ice, with other kids, playing games. Ugh. Thank goodness he is one tough cookie!

I loved this shot. The big and the little. It seems like just yesterday I was watching him on the ice with a walker. He used to skate, with the walker, to the far end of the ice and where the advanced group was. He would try and hold his own. Nowadays, he goes right there, warms up, grabs a puck and shoots on net. My little guy is getting big.
No one is prouder of what Tyler has achieved through this program than Frank. He is on the ice with him each week, rooting him on, there to receive high fives, and to push him when the attention is waning.

The smile under that face mask says enough. Let's face it, I can't fight this love!

The last class today consisted of each group, beginner, moderate, and advanced, showing off their skills to everyone in the audience. I did not get many shots, I was in charge of watching, taking still shots, and using the video camera! What a job. Below, Tyler is showing the crowd their warm-ups. His group also practiced passes, stick handling, and took shots on net. The after picture. It has always amazed me at how much this five-year-old sweats!After the on ice portion, the kids were treated to cupcakes and juice and were each called up to accept their certificate and medal. It is the little things in life that make this kid proud (okay, and his mom and dad!).

Who knows what next year really brings? The definite is that this kid loves hockey (I guess that erases all questions of who his dad is! ;) and that he will continue playing. Where though? We will see where that road takes us!

Banquet, Fire Station and V.I.P. Status

2010-03-21T08:36:00.002-04:00

When Spring starts to show signs outside that means one thing at our house. The end to another hockey season. After last years trip to the Final Four, this year was anti-climactic, but an exciting season nonetheless. Each year, the team has a banquet for the players, their families, and the coaches. This year the banquet was held at the North Thompsonville Fire Department. Not realizing that this was a real (as opposed to fake?), working fire department, Tyler and I were both excited when we walked in a were greeted with the huge, red, shiny fire trucks! It was great! However, we were not there to play (at least not yet), and we had to make our way to the banquet.

Not realizing how the banquet came to be in the firehouse, Tyler was soon told by the parent of a player that if he behaved, that he would be treated to a special tour of the garage! And special it was. The only other thing that could have put Tyler in line was an afternoon of hockey. He was extremely well behaved through lunch, speeches, and videos and earned his tour! Our guide, it turned out, is the Fire Chief! Talk about special!

The first stop on our way in? The front office to collect the mandatory hat. When we entered into the garage, it was simply amazing at how beautiful the trucks were. They were all clean, including the tires, the chrome sparkled, and the insides were pristine. Tyler went right over to the bell on the ladder truck. I am sure the fingerprints were gone by the time we got home! ;)
After that, Mr. Provencher, our guide, showed Tyler into the back of the pumper truck and

My two boys got to sit in the front of the truck as well!

Tyler even checked out the rows of lockers which had the jackets, boots, and helmets for each firefighter.

It was a great trip and even more special that we had the place to ourselves! Thanks to Mr. Provencher for being a great guide and giving Tyler the V.I.P. treatment!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2010-03-17T22:45:00.002-04:00

Mystic Aquarium

2010-03-13T22:40:00.003-05:00

Sometimes the best laid plans are just that. Last weekend, the forecast was for beautiful Spring days. We had all decided to take a trip to the Mystic Aquarium on Saturday to spend some family time together. However, when Tyler crawled into our bed that morning and announced that his stomach hurt and proceeded to vomit for the next 12 hours, well, those plans changed. On to plan B. Stay at home this beautiful weekend, and we will simply make the trip next weekend.

Fast forward a week to the following Saturday. In the forecast? Rain, rain, and more rain. Oh, and wind, and cold, and just plain yuck. But the show must go on! We packed ourselves up and made it to the shoreline in Connecticut through the driving rain. (The next morning we would wake up and discover that there was flooding in many of the towns in the area!) Part of the reason we were looking to take the trip the weekend before is because the aquarium is build so that you are outside seeing many of the exhibits. Not realizing really how cold it was or how much it was really going to rain, we were severely under dressed! However, we decided that a little rain would not hold us back and into the aquarium we went! We were glad we did, too. You know what rain + cold means? No crowds! It was wonderful. We made it to all the shows and exhibits despite the conditions outside!

First stop? The Ray Touch Pool. I hung back to shoot some pictures, and Tyler was a but freaked, but Frank was a trooper and was lucky enough to have some of the Rays swim by and graze his hand. They are so graceful in the water and were amazing to watch, we were simply mesmerized!
Many times when we travel to the Zoo's and Aquarium's , there are such huge crowds, we usually don't make an effort to watch the special shows. Today was the exception. We caught the whale and shark feeding sessions, and the seal show! Our seats were in the third row, middle. That meant one thing-- a great seat for the show. The seals were each featured right in front on us, it was fantastic!

One of Tyler's favorite exhibits? The sharks, of course! He stood, nose glued to the glass, each time we visited the tank (which was many). Camera in hand, I waited for the perfect shot. Needless to say, his expression is priceless!

A close runner up to the most visited exhibit on the day? The Beluga Whales. The whale exhibit, despite being outside, was very captivating. At first, when the whales swam by, Tyler would back up. After a few swim-bys, he realized that there was very thick glass and stayed glued to their activity. We were even treated to feeding time in the whale tank and watched as the trainers interacted with these huge animals.

Taking a break towards the end of the day, Frank caught a shot of Tyler and I. If you look closely, you can see how wet the bottoms and backs of out pants were. Despite being wet (we will dry, right?) we had a fantastic day, it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. We made it to all the shows we could and saw each exhibit. Even the penguins, way out on the edge of the park, which meant a walk through the rain (and the puddles if you are Tyler!). The irony? The penguins were all huddled in a cave together! we had a fantastic day!

Oh Boy!

2010-03-05T20:27:00.002-05:00

One of the things I remember when I was pregnant with Tyler were all the 'Old Wives Tales' about how to tell the sex of your unborn child. People never had a problem guessing what you were going to have and telling you why they were right. My favorite people were the ones who guessed boy one week and then guessed girl the next. These same people also had fun after Tyler was born saying "See! I knew I was right!"

Here were some of the things I frequently heard: If you have morning sickness, girl. If you sit on a fork over a spoon, boy. If your face loses beauty, girl. There is also the Chinese Gender Predictor which some people swear by. Well, here are the things I swore by this time around:

Morning sickness, afternoon sickness, middle of the night sickness. Not to mention nausea whenever and wherever. Including this week-- girl!

Skin like I am 14 again and eating greasy pizza everyday-- girl!

Emotions and mood swings that are OOC! (Out of Control!)-- girl!

A Chinese Gender Predictor result-- girl!

There is a reason why these things are 'Old Wives Tales'-- they do not ensure a 100% correct guess! So instead of keeping people guessing, we thought we would let the Big Brother in this house give the news!

The next 'Old Wives Tale" to defeat? Heartburn. They say if you have it, your baby has lots of hair! Well, I had it bad with Tyler and now I have no heartburn at all, so we'll wait and see!

The Baby Limbo

2010-03-01T21:01:00.003-05:00

On Friday, this "baby" I am having will become a son or daughter. No more will we be caught in the limbo of "baby", green, yellow, and what if....

I can't wait!

If you have not guessed, Friday I have an ultrasound, the second part of the Nuchal Translucency screening, to be exact. After weeks of going back and forth on the "do we" or "don't we" find out topic, Frank and I have settled on the you-better-cooperate-kid 'cuz we really want to know!

When we were pregnant with Tyler (okay, who am I kidding, when I was swollen and huge with Tyler), we did not find out. We wanted the suspense of waiting until the last possible minute to find out what we were having. After all, the only thing that mattered then is the same thing that matters now-- a happy and healthy child! But that being said, why prolong the suspense? I am feeling suspenseful enough to last me until Friday!

One thing is for sure. If this growing baby is a girl, I will fill her closet with pink, dresses, ruffles, and bows! It is about time that the Estrogen level in this house increases! However, if God brings us another boy, we will have enough for a Bobsled team! Watch out 2030 Olympics!

We will all continue to wait until Friday when we will know more. Say a prayer that little Geno Baby, or Tigger as Tyler refers to 'her' as(yes, he calls my bump a 'her') cooperates. In the meantime, vote and give us your opinion on what our next addition will be!

**********

I will share this gem of a story with you. When I was pregnant with Tyler and set to be induced, my parents flew in from Indiana and Frank's drove up from New York. Unfortunately, Tyler did not cooperate as planned and I was sent home after the induction failed. My dad was not able to stay and await "the big day". My mom did and the next weekend proved to be the successful induction. My mom and mother-in-law waited outside the room while I was giving birth to Tyler. My mom stayed on the phone with my dad (who was at an IU football game) to give him this play-by-play. I guess the nurses were providing everyone with updates and they were told that Tyler was crowning and had a head full of hair. My mom relayed this to my dad. His response?

"Well, is it a boy or a girl?"

One of THOSE Days

2010-02-20T20:51:00.003-05:00

To say the past few weeks have been trying in our house would be an understatement. We were never blessed with the Terrible Two's, the Three's were also pretty smooth, and the Four's? I would hesitate to say a cake walk, but still pretty easy.

But the Five's? Calgon, take me away!

It seems that almost overnight, our sweet, charming, polite, no-trouble-at-all, perfect specimen of a child has turned into a mouthy, can't-keep-his-hands-to-himself, rude child. All I have to say is that when he acts like that, he is not my son!

We have scratched our heads and wondered is it the upcoming changes? Kindergarten? New baby? Those are things that are all six plus months away! Regardless, this is the exchange that took place on Brookside Circle at 6:45A.M. on Friday morning.

Me: "Tyler, please come into the bathroom and brush your teeth."
Tyler (sitting on the floor, playing with his Legos): "NO! I want to finish this first!"
Me: "You know the rule. No playing with toys until you are all dressed in the morning."
Tyler: " I don't care."
Me: "I am going to count the three, and then I will take away your Legos if you are not in the bathroom."
Tyler: "Fine! But I am bringing my plane with me."

At this point I am not going to argue anymore and accept the compromise. He comes into the bathroom, carrying his Lego plane that he has been building. I now have to remind him that he needs to brush his teeth. He then half-heartedly swings at me, knowing that will be cause for more trouble on his end...

Tyler: "Stupid mommy." and "I hate you." and "Stupid dummy mommy." and "You are really a stupid dummy."

At this point, I wanted to wring his neck and bust out laughing. So what did I do? I took a page from the parent of the year book that I authored and said:

"It's really too bad that I am so stupid because you are my son and that must make you stupid too."

Guess what? He brushed his teeth and we made it to school without any more incidents! That is, until we got to school and I realized I forgot to bring in something for Show and Tell. I went over to where Tyler was hanging his jacket and apologized for forgetting. You know what he told me (the same kid who was a monster from an hour earlier)?

"That's okay mommy, we had a really rough morning."

And with that simple exchange, I knew that the cranky monster from earlier was gone, at least for a little while. I also knew I needed to give hugs and kisses and leave quickly so I could go cry at the sweetness of the moment.

P.S. I said for a little while.

Mayor's Cup, 2010

2010-02-14T18:23:00.006-05:00

Last year, despite the huge season the Fermi Falcon's had, there was one monkey on Frank's back for the past year. That was their loss to cross town rival, Enfield Raiders. Always a huge game for the kids, parents, and the town, Fermi came away losers last year.

What a difference a year makes.

After losing their game before playing Enfield, and winning their few before that by a score of 2-1, the Falcons found the puck on their sticks and then in the goal. Needless to say, they came away big, with a 7-2 final score. The only way the game could have been even better was to have scored more goals!
The Fermi-Enfield game always serves as senior day for the kids on the team. After presentation of flowers to the moms, it was time to move on with the game. Frank's parents even travelled to town for the weekend to watch a big victory. Stands packed, alumni present, and school officials were all ready to keep control of the crowd during the game. Tyler helped with picture duty and took this great one of starting lineup announcements.

Then it was time for the opening face-off.

Towards the end of the game, it became very apparent that Fermi was going to come away victorious. Tyler and I made out way towards the team bench. He enjoyed the game for the top of a spare net, his preferred seat!

The final score!

This game is also the 'Mayor's Cup" in Enfield. Not only are bragging rights at stake, but so is a beautiful trophy. The kids all gathered at center ice to accept their prize.

After the kids enjoyed their trophy, skated a lap with it, and showed it off to the crowd, they gathered in front of the net for the "Stanley Cup" picture. A must in any hockey celebration! Remember how Tyler and I moved closer to the stands? Well, Frank came and get him and if you look really closely, you can see his little hands around Frank's neck. So excited to be part of the celebration. Unfortunately, this was the best shot I could get without taking my pregnant belly onto the ice! :( (For a better shot, go here.)

I did manage to get this shot as Tyler and Frank were on their way off the ice. One of the captains skated over and handed the trophy to Tyler! Smart kid-- he will make a great dad someday!

Congrats Frank and the Fermi Falcons!

And baby makes four!

2010-02-04T19:10:00.002-05:00

That's right, folks! After five long years, Frank and I finally decided that it was time to add to our family! We could not be any more excited/happy/nervous! This decision has been in the works for awhile but because of moves, job changes, life, was always put on hold. Not any longer!

I found out I was pregnant on Monday, November 23rd, while Frank was out playing hockey. On a whim, I took a test and it was positive! I really thought that I was going to jump out of my skin! I was so excited, but I also knew that I knew and no one else did.

How could I break the news to Frank?

After collecting myself, I remembered that on Wednesday, my in-laws were going to take Tyler for the night so Frank and I could have dinner. Alone. Together. Knowing that Frank is not one for big spectacles and to-dos, I decided that dinner would be perfect!

The problem? That was 48 hours away. I couldn't say anything to anyone! UGH!

Anyways, I went out, had the following picture printed, bought a card, and stuck with my plan. The funnier part? I filled out the card in the car, while Frank was driving. I was in the backseat, but he still had no clue!

All throughout dinner I was jumping out of my skin! I just could not wait to tell him! I managed to wait until we were almost done with the meal and then presented him with the card. His response? "What's this?" Mine? "Just open it, I got you a card." Well, duh.

I did not even have to write anything in the card (but I did) and when he saw the pictures, he said "Really?" That response and the expression on his face (oh yeah, and the tears in his eyes) was well worth the 48 hour suspense!

Six weeks and twelve weeks, below.

Tyler posing with his new baby sister/brother. Will we find out this time? I am definitely ready for some pink, ruffles, and dolls to overtake the house next!

But wait, the story of Baby Geno's arrival is not over yet. For a few weeks after we found out, we told a select few people-- family, and close friends. One of the most common questions we were asked was "Does Tyler know?". We waited to tell him until we were ready for everyone to know! But the way in which he found out was pure accident.

One afternoon Frank picked up Tyler from daycare. When he arrived, Katie and Ellie said to Frank "Congratulations!". Frank, looking quizzical, must have needed a better explanation. Katie told Frank that Tyler had told her that I was going to have a baby boy and name him Ellie. Frank, assuming that I had told them, as well as Tyler the news, thanked them, said we were very happy, and that Tyler would indeed be a big brother. However, Frank could not understand why Tyler had a confused look on his face!

When they were on their way home that night, they called me and Frank told me what had happened. I explained to Frank that no, I did not tell Tyler, or Katie and Ellie! Whoops! That explained the strange look on Tyler's face when Frank announced he would be a big brother! Needless to say, I was disappointed the news was not given at home with both Frank and I, I quickly had to laugh (damn those pregnant mood swings!) about how things came about! That was the night it was time to break the news! Thankfully, Tyler is as excited as we are!

More irony about this pregnancy? Projected due date? August 4th! Importance of that date? Our 9th wedding anniversary!

All Aboard!

2010-02-01T19:02:00.002-05:00

How do you entertain a five-year-old during the middle of winter? You don't! you let him do his own entertaining!

As Frank and I were doing some cleaning and putting away laundry, Tyler found the basket, a very old hat from Disneyland, circa 1980's, and his Islander jacket. For thirty whole minutes, Tyler played in the basket and was as happy as a clam!

Pond Skating

2010-01-31T18:51:00.002-05:00

One cold Sunday afternoon in January, Frank and Tyler headed out while most people were sitting by their warm fires. Where did they go? To one of our local ponds to play hockey! It had been cold enough over the last week that everything was frozen solid.

When Tyler and Frank arrived to the pond (also known as a water hazard at a local golf course!), there were only a few other people there which made the prospect of skating for the afternoon look even better.
Tyler, of course, could not wait to try out his mad skating skills he has been perfecting this year. He even has his game face and game stance down pat!

Fortunately, as the mother of a hockey player, I am lucky that Tyler can hold his own and is very quick on his skates!

Of course, being quick also means falling harder! Thank goodness for padding and equipment!

Today in History

2010-01-06T10:34:00.005-05:00

Today in history (a short lesson):

In 1912, New Mexica became the 47th state
In 1930, The 1st diesel engine automobile trip (in a Packard sedan) completed
In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt outlined a goal of "Four Freedoms" for the world: freedom of speech and expression, the freedom of people to worship God in their own way, freedom from want and freedom from fear
In 1942, The 1st around world flight occurred (Pan Am "Pacific Clipper")
In 1958, Gibson patents the Flying V Guitar
In 1968, The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" album goes #1 & stays #1 for 8 weeks
In 1970, Frank Vincent Genovese, a son, is the first child born to Frank and Patricia Genovese in New York, making this day his 40th birthday
In 1973, "Schoolhouse Rock" premieres on ABC-TV with Multiplication Rock
1994 Ice skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked by Tonya Harding's bodyguard

People about ready to take the plunge (also known as people born in 1970):

Kelly Ripa

Andre Aggassi

Matt Damon

Beck

Claudia Schiffer

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Connelly

Vince Vaughn
Tina Fey

Lara Flynn Boyle

You know you are born in the 1970's if:

1. You know that another name for a keyboard is a "Synthesizer".
2. You know who Max Headroom is.
3. You could breakdance or at least wish you could.
4. You wanted to dress like the Hulk.
5. You believed that "By the Power of Greyskull," you HAD the POWER.
6. You thought that Transformers were more than meets the eye.
7. You remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off.
8. You knew what Willis was "talkin' 'bout".
9. You know where to go if you "wanna go where everybody knows your name."
10.Punks actually "shocked" people.
11.You remember when ATARI was a state of the art video game.
12. You own many cassettes.
13. You were led to believe that in the year 2000 we'd all be living on the moon. And you would be like the 'Jetsons'.
14. You had a Swatch Watch, or three.
15. You had a crush on Bo Derek or Heather Locklear or Cheetara.

Happy birthday, sweetie! Tyler and I both love you! Don't worry, you don't look (or act) a day over 39!

Love,

Jennifer and Tyler

New Years Eve 2009

2010-01-01T09:28:00.002-05:00

This year for New Years we took it easy. After a crazy month, we were ready to spend some quiet family time together and welcome in what we hope to be a calmer and more relaxed 2010. Also, Grammy and Grampy were still in town and we did not want to overwhelm them with our partying ways!

After much thought and consideration, we decided on a nice meal of Porterhouse steaks, baked potatoes, and broccoli—yummy! Tyler was not going to eat that yummy meal so we asked him what he would want for dinner. His choice? Chicken nuggets and tater tots (with Ketchup, of course!). We made dinner, ate, and headed down to the basement for the rest of the evening. I managed to shoot a few pictures just to document the fact that we really did stay awake and acknowledge the New Year’s coming!

The adults all played games and Tyler did, well, Tyler things. At one point, he even played bartender for us and made sure that all the poker chips were accounted for (!):
After that, he chose to start winding down a bit. After all, staying up to watch the ball drop is not so easy, is it? He opted to watch a movie a cuddle on the floor, joining us for the countdown to 2010.

As for adult game time? We played ‘Battle of the Sexes’, men versus women. Frank and I have played this game numerous times and I think the overall tally of wins and losses is Jennifer, 1,291 wins, Frank, 1 win. I thought it would be a good game to play since Grampy usually has the answers to everything. The woman definitely kicked some male butt the entire game until it got to the last question for the win—we just could not get the answer (or so I thought!). One question “What is a Biathlon?”, threw me for a loop—my answer? Shooting and cross country skiing. What the card said according to Grampy? Luge and Skiing. Because of that oversight on my part, the men won, and we would never hear the end of it—or would we? Thankfully, Grampy has a good conscious and he came clean the next morning about his cheating escapades (which Frank claimed to know nothing about, but guilt by association!) and the women were set for the rematch the next night—who won this time? You got it—the women! So now the tally stands at Jennifer 1,293 wins, and Frank, 1. Sorry sweetie! Better luck next time Grampy!

Christmas, Round 2

2009-12-28T09:32:00.002-05:00

Is it us, or does Christmas last forever nowadays? We welcome it-- the longer Christmas lasts, the more friends, family, and gifts there are!

After a whirlwind celebration with Frank's family, my family came to town. We were looking forward to the visit and rest and relaxation, but it also meant one thing to Tyler-- more Christmas! He was so surprised to find that Santa paid a visit to Grammy and Granpy's house in Indiana as well as his home in Massachusetts.
After we rounded up all the troops, it was time to sort the gifts and get to work! Tyler soon discovered that Santa is a very smart man and he knew just what Tyler wanted.

Fortunately, Santa knew that Tyler had asked for the Tag Reading System (no complaints from his mom and dad on that gift request, either!).

As for the rest of the gifts under the tree, there were surprises as well! Grammy got a wonderful Polish Pottery tray:

Frank was ecstatic over his new Wii hockey game:

Frank was ever more excited (as was Tyler) to open his new Islanders neon sign for Man Town in the basement:

The best gift of the night? Granpy's Green Bay Packers Snuggie. That's right, a Snuggie. Every time Grampy comes to our home he asks where we keep our Snuggies. Now he doesn't need to ask, he has his own!

Ever since I can remember, we always got full stockings on Christmas morning. Usually they were full of candy, little trinkets, soaps, you get the picture. As we got older, the gifts became more interesting. Shower caps, sewing kits, pens, all with hotel logos on them. Being newer in the family, Frank thought this was hilarious and throughout the year we would stock up on all the freebies we got at fairs and during Frank's college visits. Since there were no official stockings this year at Christmas, round 2, Granpy found a new way to "surprise" Frank:

By filling a freebie laptop case with all the goodies! Although I did say that there were no official stockings at this celebration, there was one reserved for Granpy-- filled with all the goodies he gave us last year and more goodies we picked up through the course of this year. Only the next 365 days will tell us what next years stockings will be filled with!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T09:42:00.012-05:00

This year we celebrated Christmas in Massachusetts with Frank's family. We were so excited to stay at home and host everyone for the holiday. It also meant a lot that they were willing to forgo their usual holiday traditions at home and bring their party to us! By lunchtime everyone had arrived and the kids were dying to start ripping into some gifts! First, I was determined to grab some family shots before things became too crazy.

After awhile, there was no holding them back any longer. We decided to let the kids open their gifts from Grandma and Papa and from the parents on Christmas Eve. This served a dual role: the kids had new toys to play with while we relaxed, cooked, and watched sports, and it meant that Christmas morning was saved for gifts from the big guy!

I thought this shot was kind of funny-- all the adults watching the kids rip into their gifts and documenting the occasion as good parents do!

Tyler's gift from us? Star Wars stuff, of course! We got him the Disturbance at Lars Homestead playset, something he saw at Toys R Us one day and just had to have!

After we were done with gifts, it was time to get ready for Santa's visit. We put out milk, cookies, and carrots inside for Santa and the reindeer, but we also wanted to make sure that the reindeer found their way to the house and the kids ventured outside to spread the reindeer food. Back inside, the kids put on their jammies and proceeded to play Star Wars.

After a bit, dinner had settled and it was time for dessert. This year, Tyler and I made a Christmas tree birthday cake for Jesus. The kids sang Happy Birthday and blew out the candles and then it was time to eat again! We had this cake, chocolate chip cheesecake, sugar cookies, and a delicious peanut butter pie that my sister-in-law whipped up during the day. Yummy!

Right before bed, Frank read all the kids "Twas the Night Before Christmas". I had to capture the shot:

After storytime, it was time for the kids to hit the sack. We waited until we knew they were all asleep and then we put our elf caps on and went to work.

For some people at 4 Brookside Circle, Christmas morning start very early-- like the 4 o'clock hour early. Cousin Conor woke very early and could not get back to sleep. luckily, Uncle Jim was able to distract Conor until after 6A.M. so the rest of us could be coherent for most of the morning! As soon as the kids saw what Santa had done, they could not wait to get work!

As soon as the presents opening started, it was over! The kids were anxious to start playing, but also obliged to take a quick Christmas morning shot:

Amongst all the Star Wars toys, Transformer figures, and hockey stuff, Santa managed to come through with something else on the list this year: Zhu Zhu Pets! Frank put it together (only took about an hour!) and the kids played with the playset for a bit. Later in the morning, I wandered into the living room only to find Papa, Frank, and Puck playing with it!

The day was very relaxing for all of us (thanks in part to the early rising that morning!). We rested and relaxed for most of the day and then cooked during the afternoon. The kids even dressed for the occasion and once again obliged me with another picture.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Seven on Sunday-- Holiday Edition!

2009-12-20T17:30:00.005-05:00

I am not really sure how to fit all the Genovese family craziness into the short amount of time I have, but here goes!

1. For the past 2 years I have "adopted" a child for Christmas from MSPCC, my former place of employment. Last year, I asked for a boy, close to Tyler's age, to purchase gifts for. I really wanted for Tyler to understand how lucky he is and to enjoy giving to someone in need. This year, I adopted to boys, brothers, ages 6 and 3. We went out a few weekends ago and bought Transformers and Toy Story stuff for them, along with other "must-haves"-- crayons, art supplies, balls, etc. We wrapped it all, labeled it and I dropped it off to the office this week. Here is Tyler helping to box it all up:
2. For weeks now I have been asking Tyler to write his letter to Santa. He finally decided that it needed to be done and sat down this week to write his own letter. We were so proud of him! What did he ask for? Transformers, hockey guys, and a television set with a remote control (?). We will have to wait and see what Santa decides to bring this year.

3. Last Friday we had a holiday get together with some friends. The plan was to load 5 kids and 3 adults into their mini van and drive through Forest Park and Bright Nights together. Lucky for us, it had snowed earlier in the week and having the snow on the ground was a wonderful backdrop to all the lights in the park. Unlucky for us? There were a lot of cars and we opted to go before dinner. Whoops! Lucky for us? We all packed snacks! Problem solved. The kids were wonderful troopers and hung in there for most of the trip, thanks to the snacks and Kids Bop, Christmas Edition!

4. After a lot of stress and worry over which teachers to buy gifts for and what to buy them, I finally settled on a plan for Tyler's preschool teachers: movie gift cards and baskets. It was so much fun to put together! I found "popcorn buckets" at the Dollar Tree, filled them with candy and a box of popcorn, included a Blockbuster gift card, and viola! Gift complete! Hopefully Tyler's Green Valley teachers will enjoy family movie time as much as we do during the Christmas vacation!

5. Grammy sent Tyler an early Christmas gift-- books! We decided a long time ago that you can never have enough books in a house. When I had more time, I loved to read and would polish off a book in a sitting. At night, during quiet time, we read 3 books. Lucky for us, Tyler has picked up on the love of reading and this was the scene in the hallway yesterday morning:

Tyler was reading to all of his animals and his son. His son, you ask? That would be Charlie Brown....

6. For the past month now, Tyler has been working on earning his latest bribe, ahem, reward, for good sleep behavior. Walking through the mall one day I saw that Build-A-Bear was featuring Star Wars outfits! Knowing that Christmas was coming and this was a much bigger prize that normal, we set out on 30 days of good sleep behavior. Friday was the last day of the reward and Tyler definitely had earned the prize! We decided to turn it into a fun holiday night and headed to diner at Uno's, visited with Santa and had pictures taken, and then made our way to Build-A-Bear. Tyler told me in the morning that he wanted to pick out a kitty, and he did just that. He dressed his kitty in a Captain Rex outfit and named him StarWii. You can see a picture of StarWii in the photo above.

By the way, what did he ask Santa for? A television-- with a remote control!

7. Saturday Tyler and I ventured into the world of Gingerbread House decorating. After hearing from people about how difficult it was to get the structure to stay together I was a little apprehensive about what the finished project would be. But I am happy to announce that we used ample frosting and allowed for lots of drying time and we were successful our first time around! Tyler had a blast once he got the hang of it and kept asking me "Can I eat this?" "Of course", I said-- that is half the fun!

Hockey with Santa!

2009-12-20T09:04:00.007-05:00

Tyler loves hockey. He loves playing it, watching it, talking about it, and anything that has to do with it. Scratch that, he hates mascots and refuses to go anywhere near them. Last winter while we were at a Springfield Falcon’s game, he was very nervous about going inside to out seat because “Screech would be there”. A friend of mine told him that night that she had called ahead to the rink and told them to keep Screech away from Tyler. Thank goodness—it worked like a charm and now we can all relax and watch games!
But I digress.

This week in hockey a “special guest” would be joining the kids. Knowing that last year Screech, the Falcon’s mascot joined them, we were prepared! Luckily Tyler’s fear of costumed anything does not carry over to the jolliest of them all—Santa Claus! The kids took the ice and Coach Steve told them they would play a scrimmage for practice this morning. The kids were all very excited—usually practice is all about the drills!

The catch? Santa would be goalie! What a treat! (I guess I assumed there would be lots of ice at the North Pole, but when did Santa learn to skate and be a goalie and protect his shins?)

The kids had a ton of fun and I had a great time watching them. Tyler did awesome considering the only hockey games he has ever played are those that take place in my kitchen or in the basement. There were a few older and bigger kids out on the ice and Tyler made sure to show them who was boss and took them out a few times. I also could not help but think that bedtime tonight would be a cinch (and it was!).

After they were all done with their scrimmage, it was picture time with Santa. They took a group shot:

And a shot with Daddy:

By the way, if you are keeping track, this has got to be visit number 4 with Santa this year. I am sure he is not going to forget who Tyler is, what he wants, or where he lives!

I couldn’t pass up these shots afterwards. Tyler loves playing hockey and Frank loves that he enjoys it. Frank is out there every weekend on the ice with him, helping the other kids, and encouraging them for the hour. It is great to watch and sometimes even makes me forget that I am in a freezing rink in the middle of winter!

Frank and kis "Mini-Me" (in more ways than one!):

All Aboard the Santa Train!

2009-12-12T22:05:00.003-05:00

After a lot of debate about taking Tyler to the Polar Express Train, I cam across another train-themed Santa activity. There is a restaurant in Palmer, Massachusetts, Steaming Tenders, that is housed in an old train depot. It is located right next to train tracks and while you eat, you watch the trains go by. They also have an engine and an old dining train car that are both stationary on the property. This year they advertised "Cookies with Santa". The best part? A fraction of the price and a third of the drive! Because Frank was busy with hockey, I asked my friend, Elaine, if she would want to join Tyler and I with the kids, she was a go!

We arrived at the restaurant and were a bit early. We took the opportunity to snap a few pictures of the kids by the steam engine. It was massive and really cool. As you can see, Derek had no interest in looking at us when there was a huge train right over his shoulder!
From there we went and waited in the reception area with Maggie the clown. Despite Maggie's friendliness, Tyler wanted no part in her or her juggling! After a bit he relaxed and loosened his grip on my hand. It also helped that a train went by right at that time and the kids glued themselves to the window! After the train left, Jingles, Santa's main elf, came and told us our cookies were just out of the oven and to come aboard!

Mrs. Claus and Jingles served us all hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies while we waited for Santa to arrive from the North Pole!

After a short wait, Santa finally arrived. He visited with each table and made his lap available to anyone who wanted to take a seat. Tyler was happy standing next to Santa and reporting that he wanted hockey guys and Transformers for Christmas.

When we were all done, we got this shot of the kids on the steps of the dining car. They all had a great time and even were able to take home some candy cane balloons Maggie the clown had left behind!

Green Valley Christmas Pageant

2009-12-07T22:35:00.001-05:00

Tonight was Tyler's first ever school Christmas show. To say Frank and I were excited would have been correct! We had no idea how he would react to being in front of so many people. We also had no idea what the show was going to be like-- he kept telling us "it's a secret"!

Elaine, Olivia's mom, and I went early to get seats. We were the second set of people there! We got great seats-- third row on the isle. We both manned still cameras, video cameras, and, oh yeah, 11 seats! The guys arrived and the kids were still in one piece! Tyler made his way to the stage and found his seat:

Tyler's group was one of the later ones to perform. Each child was assigned a song to sing in a smaller group. We were amazed that he sang along to the other songs as well. When it was his turn, he came to his spot and stage and was given his prop-- ice skates! The name of his song? 'A Slippery Song', all about ice skating and falling down! His teachers told me later that it was no accident he was assigned to this one!

After each group was finished and they sang their finale, a special guest showed up! Santa Claus! Each child got a chance to take a picture with him and receive a special gift! Tyler wanted no part in sitting on his lap, but did settle for taking a picture next to him:

Tyler and Olivia:

Each child was given a personalized smock as their special gift. I can only imagine the teachers making 30 of these!

Tyler and Olivia with Mrs. Fitzpatrick, their lead teacher:

Thanks for a wonderful night! It was wonderful to watch the kids perform and we are looking forward to many more shows in years to come!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T07:51:00.004-05:00

This year Thanksgiving was spent on Long Island with Frank's side of the family. After a long, but safe trip, on Wednesday, we were able to spend a wonderful long weekend with the family! When we arrived on Wednesday Grandma and Papa took all the kids for an overnight stay-- always a great gift! Frank and I were able to have a delicious dinner at Vincent's Clam Bar. The ironic part? We used a gift certificate we got last Christmas!

Thanksgiving day was beautiful and warm. After the kids arrived home, they showered dressed and headed outside to play. Thank goodness for fickle East coast weather! Here Tyler is taking a break from Hide-n-Seek. He insisted on wearing the sweater despite how warm it was outside!

After running around for a bit which allowed for the adults to dress themselves, set the table, and work on cooking, the kids came in for a snack. Aunt Laurette spent a lot of time this week making chocolate lollipops for the kids:

Then it was time to play some more. Skylar and Tyler made themselves at home at the top of the stairs where they busied themselves with their Nintendo DS's.

Soon, everyone else arrived for Thanksgiving dinner. Frank's Uncle PJ, Aunt Linda and Uncle Bill, Mom, and Dad, all joined us at Jim and Laurette's for a yummy dinner. Not that an on time arrival threw the schedule off! At 1P.M. Frank asked Laurette if the turkey needed to be cooking yet.... That was a yes! We threw it on the grill (where it was going to be cooked anyways) and it was ready by 5P.M.!

Skylar, Tyler, and Conor enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving dinner of... Pizza!?!

For the past few weeks, Laurette and the kids, even some of the people in the neighborhood had been taking care of a stray cat, nicknamed Mosey. Mosey is very sweet and definitely takes her time, moseying from one place to the next. She has an appointment at a veterinarian on Monday and may permanently reside with the Fagan's. She was invited inside on Thanksgiving night because remember that warm weather? It was windy and cold outside by evening!

No Thanksgiving is complete without Uncle Clark's, whoops, I mean Uncle Jim's house lighting! We all gathered outside and welcomed the start of the Christmas holiday season!

On Friday, we all took the kids ice skating at the beautiful new Bethpage Ice Rink. All the kids did wonderful and stayed on the ice for over an hour! Tyler zoomed around, Conor kept right up, and Skylar came away from the wall and skated unassisted!

Conor...

Frank, Conor, and Tyler....

And Skylar and Uncle Jim.

It was a wonderful weekend and we are praying for a quick drive home so we can light up our tree and decorations! Happy Thanksgiving!

Boston Bruins

2009-11-07T18:28:00.001-05:00

Tonight we were able to score some great seats to the Bruins game in Boston thanks to our friends. Our seats? Second row, center. Frank and I both realized that Tyler has never had to sit in the balcony section for any of these games....what a life! Here is the view from our seats before the start of the game-- there is something about seeing the ice so smooth and clear:
From our seats we could watch what was happening at the official's and the announcer's table. At times, the referee would skate over, say something to these gentlemen, and then skate off. After each period, they would leave this box and Tyler would wave to them when they came back. They really liked him!

Center ice face off:

Not only were we directly behind the official's table, but we also has great seats to see the penalty box! This player, Shawn Thorton, #22, was in the box a whole lot-- mostly for fighting! Here he is, still jawing away at his opponent across the way. Eventually Mr. Thorton made way to the locker room-- his penalty minutes were greater than the time left on the game clock!

Prior to the start of the game, they showed Darth Vader, Storm Troopers, and Chewbacca on the JumboTron. At the end of the first period, the Star Wars theme started playing and this caught the ears of a certain little guy we were with:

For good reason, too! Both Darth Vader .....

and Chewbacca were riding along on the Zamboni's! It really was cool-- Darth Vader was his evil, menacing self, and Chewy was totally in character. Each time they rode by, Tyler gave them big waves. It was awesome!

The whole lot of us, living the big life!

The best part of the game? The third period. Why you ask? Well, it wasn't the score (but the Bruins did win). It wasn't the seats (they were awesome!). What else was there? This:

Remember Tyler waving at the men at the official's table? It paid off (that and a little how-ya-doin' by Frank). They flipped Tyler this game used puck-- still frozen, cold, and wet! Fantastic! What a great ending to a fantastic night! We can only hope that things are always that great!

Fall Soccer

2009-11-01T18:10:00.010-05:00

Tyler had his last soccer game of the Fall season today. After numerous rain-outs, the sun finally decided to give these kids a chance to play! I was so excited to see how my little guy has progressed over the season.

The day started as another crazy Sunday morning with hockey at 10A.M., drive through at you-know-where for the super healthy lunch of nuggets and apple dippers, and then soccer at 12:30P.M.. In the meantime, being the soccer mom I am, I was off to my game in Connecticut at 9A.M.! Truth be told? Neither Frank or I will miss the craziness of our Sundays!
Tyler and his teammate, Emma, warming up with shots on goal. I love how the shorts are so long that you can't see his knees between his socks and his shin guards!
Somehow as the season went on Frank found himself on the field as the defense coach. I guess once a coach, always a coach, no matter the sport! His best defenceman? That little guy in blue ready for action!
I had a prime seat for a throw in. Unfortunately it was a prime seat from the rear view. You get the idea, right?
Here they come!
Leaving the field for the last time :(-- so proud of the way he played! He was a great teammate, helping his fellow players up when they fell, cheering them on as they took the ball, and celebrating with them when they succeed!

OLSH!

Our Lady of Sacred Heart under 6 Fall soccer, 2009.

Tyler accepting his trophy from Coach Joe.

Tyler with his trophy! How proud is he?

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T17:20:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Day started as rainy, gloomy, windy, and .... warm! By mid morning, the thermometer read 70 degrees! Welcome temps on any Halloween Day! Tyler and I woke nice and early and decided to get right to work turning our pumpkin into a Jack-O-Lantern.
While I cleaned this beauty of a pumpkin, Tyler worked on pictures of what the final project was to look like-- a face complete with ears, eyebrows, and arms and legs:

After I explained to him that it is better for everyone if I handle the knife as little as possible, he quickly resettled on a traditional carving with a scary smiley face (thank goodness)!

While Tyler prepared to get into his Captain Rex Clone Trooper costume, this masked man entered and took over the house:

Quickly put in his place, the masked man handed over the costume essentials and a new masked man was revealed:

Introducing Tyler "Captian Rex" Genovese, good guy and guardian of Anakin Skywalker, Jedi in training:

Captain Rex was quickly joined by Tinkerbell and The Wiggles, ready to search the neighborhood for yummy treats!

Thankfully the rain held off for the hour we were out and we were able to snag some goodies for the moms and dads, er.... kids to enjoy! But what goes up must come down and the kids quickly settled for jammies and Toy Story while the adults watched the Yankees.

Until next year.... Bring on Thanksgiving!

Halloween Crafts

2009-10-27T20:39:00.004-04:00

After many years of time flying by, I was finally able to embark on the world of Halloween crafts, which I thought I would share here. In my free time, I love to decorate and recreate ideas I have seen online or in magazines.

My first mission was to recreate these ghosts from a Lowe's magazine. A friend at work brought it in to share with my and thought that I would like to copy them. Needless to say, she was right:These ghosts were very easy to make. The most difficult part was locating the tomato wire cages in September! I also tracked down Christmas lights (not difficult, especially since the beginning of school is synonymous with Christmas!) and old sheets. I used a Sharpie for the eyes and mouth. I wrapped the lights around the cages and fastened them with twist-ties and draped the sheet over the top. As a precaution against the elements, I also sewed the sheet to the cages to prevent fly away sheets!

At night, they glow in the yard and I have gotten many compliments from neighbors! They will be a great asset on Halloween to brighten the house up!

My next project were my spider web pumpkins. I also saw these in a magazine, but unfortunately don't recall which one! The magazine featured these made using real white pumpkins, but wanting to have them again for next year, I opted for fake pumpkins that I painted white. The spiders are rings with the backs cut off and a Sharpie marker made the webs nicely:

Very easy 'BOO' pumpkins. I was able to track down small while pumpkins to use and pulled out the Sharpie once again:

I saw a picture of a really neat Halloween wreath online one night. During one of my many trips to Michael's, I came across some small Halloween decorations and put them to good use. I stretched spider web material across the wreath, glued centipedes, mice, and spiders to the wreath and completed the look with 3 skeletons glued to the bottom:

My final project was something I made for a friend. She saw a picture of this pumpkin in a magazine and I told her I would be happy to attempt it for her. Warning: it was not easy and there were minimal directions included in the magazine description. Always up for a challenge and never daunted by a task, I kept at it until it was complete:

With Halloween almost over, I am now on to Fall/Thanksgiving crafts! Stay tuned!

A night with the Isles

2009-10-24T21:35:00.004-04:00

We are a hockey family. There is no denying it. Frank grew up with it, his dad loves it, and now, gulp, my son is following in their footsteps. Right down to rooting for the New York Islanders. My only prayer for my son is that he does not become a goalie!

This year, I decided to crash "Boys Night Out". If your remember last year, Frank and his dad took Tyler to his first Islanders game. I decided that if I was going to be searching for and buying the tickets, I was buying four! I sure am glad I did. Granted I was kind of a third wheel, it was wonderful to watch the boys take in all the sights, sounds, and smells of Nassau Coliseum!

We headed to Champions in the Marriott to have dinner before the game. We were lucky enough to get seats on the "ice" and by the "boards". The middle part of the restaurant is set up like a rink, complete with the blue and red lines. Tyler was so excited after his dinner that he got up and played some quick pretend hockey. Everyone around us was amused by this creative kid!

We arrived to the game right before warm-ups. After some coaxing, we got Tyler down to the glass to claim his front row spot. Here are two generations of Genovese Islander hockey fans:

And three generations of Genovese Islander hockey fans:

I was welcomed at the game as long as I did not interrupt during any plays! For the Islanders on the ice was John Tavares, the top draft pick of the year and Tyler's favorite players, Kyle Okposo and Blake Comeau. For the Capitals, Kyle Ovechkin was the big draw and after seeing him up close, no wonder! He is a big guy!

The game ended in overtime and did not make my little guy happy. Seriously, didn't the Islanders know that Tyler was in the crowd? After the Capitals scored their winning goal in overtime, making the score 3-2, thus ending the game, Tyler burst into tears, only to be consoled by another guy who has seen more heart-wrenching losses than he cares to admit!

Let is be known though that less than a week later, the Islanders played the Capitals again, beating them 4-3 and Tyler was quick to ask us why they could not have done that the night he was there!

Floor Potatoes!

2009-10-18T20:32:00.001-04:00

Each weekend comes and we are off and running. Hockey, work, soccer, parties, trips out of town. You get the picture, right? This past Sunday we have hockey in the morning and then the remainder of the day at home. Because it was raining out, our choices were limited. Tyler decided he wanted to rent a movie to watch and Frank wanted a fire in the fire place.

While Tyler and I headed out to Blockbuster, Frank started a roaring fire. Unfortunately, Frank also wanted to watch football and since the fireplace can't be moved, the issue was raised: How do we watch football, a movie, and sit by the warm fire? Tyler decided that we should make a cozy bed on the floor and watch "Land of the Lost" using the computer! What a great idea! We all got to enjoy the fire, listen to the rain, eat yummy popcorn, and watch our shows.

Really, it doesn't get any better than that!

Fun at Collins Creamery

2009-10-10T21:27:00.004-04:00

This year we ventured to Collins Creamery in Enfield, Connecticut to "pick" our pumpkins and buy our mums. What a find! The mums were huge and colorful and the pumpkins were bright and orange. Collins Creamery is also opened during the summer and features the most delicious homemade ice cream! How do I know? We sampled some, of course!
Tyler was in Heaven, running in between the rows of pumpkins. Although Collins is not a true pumpkin patch, we still had fun "picking" our pumpkins.

Collins Creamery also featured a corn maze. Tyler had fun moving in and out of the corn stalks and commented on how tall they were. Being from Indiana, I never realized how tall they could get, either!

Under the Sea

2009-10-08T21:17:00.002-04:00

Sometimes great ideas are just that-- great ideas. Nothing more, not meant to be carried out, and when they are, you find yourself exhausted and none the better than when you began!

When my friend Elaine proposed that we take the kids to the Mystic Aquarium Open House Night for educators, I thought it sounded like a great idea. And it was. It would have been a better idea if we realized that when you leave the house at 5P.M. to go through Hartford, Connecticut, that you will hit traffic, and despite the fact that Connecticut is a fairly small state, it still takes over an hour to get to the shore! The Open House was scheduled to run from 6 to 8P.M., with the last half hour as their presentation and Sea Lion show. We arrived at 6:45P.M.!

Despite the fact that we only had 45 minutes to race the kids around, they were able to hit up some of the better exhibits such as the Beluga Whales, Sharks, and tide pools. They were well behaved and they did not mind that they only had 45 minutes to spend wandering around. Thank goodness!

Tyler and Olivia at the tide pool exhibit. One of my favorite things when we lived in California was to go to Dana Point and visit the tide pools. Always very cool and this is the closest Tyler will get to that-- for now!

The three good natured kids! They had a great time and are now asking to go back. Definitely. In the Spring, in the daytime, on a weekend, and when we have all planned better!

Blogging, Bears, and Babies!

2009-10-06T20:56:00.002-04:00

It's October!

After weeks and month of no blogging and living our crazy life, my goal for the week is to catch up on everything that I have missed-- the MONTH of August, the FIRST day of pre-school, my birthday, and Tyler's FIFTH birthday! I have given myself exactly one week to finish all the half started posts I started along the way.

Easy, right?

On another note...

Tonight at bedtime, Tyler called for us a few times. Being the super doting parents we are, we both responded to the demands of "I just have to tell you something"... The last time we were upstairs, Tyler got himself comfortable and I asked him which stuffed friend he wanted to cuddle with. Being the super decisive child he is, I suggested a few. He chose the third one, a Boyd's Bear, girl, pregnant. I said to him "Good choice, you are going to cuddle with the pregnant mommy bear, look at her belly, that's where the baby is!" To which Tyler responded "How did it get there, did she eat it?"

I love this kid!

Girls Gone Wild!

2009-10-04T21:07:00.002-04:00

I must admit. The guilt as a mom at times is overwhelming. However, there are certain events that allow you to cleanse yourself of that guilt and start anew, refreshed. That certain event is a nice girls weekend. The conflict this year? Girl's weekend was scheduled for the weekend of October 2nd. The problem with October 2nd? It's my only baby's 5th birthday.

After waffling in indecision for a while, I finally decided to make the trek to Eagle Lake and hang with the girls for the weekend. And by Sunday, I was glad I had. Not simply because I proved to myself I was still holding my own in the "hanging" department (we stayed up until the 4-ish hour doing goodness knows what!), but I also could not wait to get home and see my baby! After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder!

On Friday night, the weather was very wet and rainy and a bonfire was out of the question. We chose instead to stay inside, play games, eat food, and talk. It was much needed! On Saturday? We slept until we woke up-- not anyone waking us up, ate, and lounged around. In the afternoon, we ran and got some dinner and then made our fire outside. It really could not have been a better day/weekend!
After numerous shots with the self timer, we finally got an acceptable shot! Some people just did not know when to keep their eyes ope/stop talking/look at the camera. Not everyone has years of practice taking sorority girl pictures! From left to right: myself, Cortney, Laurette, Angela.

The aftermath of out voracious appetites one night. Just goes to show that if you put the right food out, we will eat it! You would never guess, but this was a cheesy bread bowl dip. The only thing you see left are the crumbs! We even devoured the bowl!

Until next year, girls!

A Birthday Letter to my Baby

2009-10-02T22:55:00.000-04:00

Dear Tyler,

Today you are five years old. In no way could I have imagined what five years would have been like. Sometimes, as a mommy, you wish you had enough time in the day to stop, record things with the camera, camcorder, or just by writing things on paper. However, you keep us going, and I have to enjoy every minute I am with you, good or bad!

This year was a big year for you. You played hockey, t-ball, and soccer. You started preschool at Green Valley. You travelled all over the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut and drove to Indiana for the third time in your short life. We watched daddy's hockey team make it to the Final Four in Division One hockey. You went to your first of many Islander hockey games. You are about ready to experience a World Series title by the Yankees and can point out Brett Favre in any uniform!

Your personality is what makes you who you are. You are smart, inquisitive, polite, independent, loving, happy, and a joy to have in my life every day. You say silly things and you say sweet things. Your teachers, Katie, Ellie, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, and Mrs. Torkington all love to have you with them. You are a good friend to everyone and you love to help with the babies.

I can hardly wait to see what the next five years will bring. I really do not want them to fly by as fast as these first five have, though! You daddy and I both love you more than you will ever know. From the minute we found out that you were in my tummy to now, we have never stopped loving you. Happy birthday, big boy! But remember, you will always be my baby!

Love,
Mommy

The Big 5!

2009-10-02T20:55:00.002-04:00

My baby is 5 today. Ye gads! Where in the world did the time go? I wish there was more time in the day just to soak up everything and make sure that I remember it all.... I guess that is why there are blogs, though!

After Tyler's big party the weekend before, his birthday was very mellow. Because I was scheduled to be out of town the night of his actual birthday, we decided to give him his gifts the night before.

I always remember being younger and taking my time when I opened my gifts-- you know, open them look at them, soak up each thing? Not Tyler! He ripped through each one, I caught a few shots, and this is what we were left with! I guess I should rest assure that he liked each one!

His "most favortist" gifts were the baseball set and the hockey set (big surprise!). He set them up on the living room floor and went right to each game-- Yankees versus Red Sox and the Islanders versus the Fermi's!

The next morning was his actual 5th birthday. I could not wait to get into his room and see how big he grew over night. After all, 5-year-olds are a lot bigger than four-year-olds, I was informed!

We greeted him with the best birthday breakfast Tyler could wish for! A birthday doughnut-- his favorite, double chocolate frosted from Dunkin Donuts!

Happy birthday, Handsome!

When we arrived at Green Valley that morning, the teach made a crown for him and he got to wear it all day long!

Holy Name Hockey, Round 2

2009-09-26T21:48:00.002-04:00

Today marked the first weekend of Holy Name Learn to Skate, the same program Tyler participated in last year. Anxious to get out on the ice, Tyler was quick to get dressed for class this weekend. Of course, it also helped that for his birthday he got hockey pants, stick, socks, and a garter belt! We've got a real player on our hands! (note the game face in the picture below)
Tyler started this year in the intermediate group-- no walkers in sight! He got right out on the ice and skated around in circles! I guess skating is like riding a bike-- you never forget how to skate!

One of Tyler's most favorite activities at the end of the class is to play "Catch Coach Steve". He gets right into it and skated his little heart out to reach out and grab the coach, even for a split second! The kids always end up tackling him in the end and bringing him down to the ice. Something you must know about Coach Steve? He wears shorts week in and week out on the ice. I can only imagine what it must be like on the ice in your bare skin!

A short video of Tyler's self imposed warm up! We can hardly wait to see what this season will bring!

The Big E

2009-09-25T20:33:00.005-04:00

If you live in New England, you know what the Big E is. Since it is held the last two weeks of September, right around Tyler's birthday, we always try and schedule his party for a weekend the Big E is running. Since it runs for approximately 17 days, it is not hard to find time to travel down the road to West Springfield and visit the biggest fair in the East!

Every year there is a new item to be introduced. A few years back, it was fried Twinkies. Although I never tried one, I did divulge in a fried Snickers (totally recommend it!). This years to be had item? A Craz-E Burger. What is a Craz-E Burger? Glad you asked! A bacon cheeseburger, flanked on either side by a Krispy Kreme buttered doughnut. Wow!

My dad and Frank had planned for weeks to track this diet marvel down and partake in one! Shortly after we arrived at the Big E, and found Tyler a suitable lunch (Nuggets and fries, of course), we headed down the rows of food to find the one booth that would cook a mean Craz-E Burger. The thing about the Big E? Most people go to eat-- there is no shortage of food and the booths that serve it! Luckily it did not take us long to spot this oasis:

My dad and Frank patiently waited in the line to order the $5.00 heart attack special (1500 calories if you are wondering).

The guinea pigs.

A close up of this delight. I must say delight because my curiosity got the best of me. I had to try a bite and you know what? It wasn't bad! A whole one though would be another story!

After the boys were all fed, it was time to feed the ladies. In our wandering around looking for this burger we saw many people eating very large corn dogs. Since it had been years since my last one, I figured it was safe to try one. In this picture I am eating the medium one. They were all out of the large size.... needless to say after a few bites the novelty had worn off!

Granpy did his part for Tyler and showed him a good time in the petting zoo. Tyler was a little skeptical of the friendliness of the animals and would not leave my side or feed the animals like Granpy was brave enough to do.

Two years ago, there was a shark exhibit featured. This year there were California Seals! If you look very carefully between Tyler and I you will see one-- kind of!

Each state in the East has a state building that features items found in that state. In Connecticut there is a dinosaur themed park and they provided a dinosaur exhibit to be displayed.

Frank and Grammy.

No fair is complete without the rides! Tyler was so excited to take some spins on the motorcycles.... the Jeeps...

spinning dragons....

and the flying helicopters.

After the rides, we had to stop and play a game. Tyler opted for the duck pond (my favorite as a youngster as well!). He had to chose three ducks/frogs from the pool, each marked small, medium, and large, and the one with the largest prize won. Well.....

Tyler won a large! The man who was running the game said to him "I had no idea there were any larges in there!"

My favorite part of any fair? The pigs!

You can take the man out of Indiana but you can't take the Indiana out of the man... I guess even professors can get milk from a plastic cow!

While Granpy was milking cows, Frank was dreaming of more food. At the top of his list? Another Craz-E Burger!

The events of the afternoon were quite trying on one little guy. Believe it or not? We left the Big E the go to Tyler's soccer game. When we arrived at the field he quickly woke up and was ready to play!

That night at home, Frank gave Tyler an early birthday present: a Sydney Crosby poster! Tyler immediately demanded that it be hung in his room so he can "look at it when I sleep". No problem Ty, you will be sleeping lots tonight! What a day!

Lunch, anyone?

2009-09-11T21:11:00.002-04:00

Every night when I am on my way home, I call Frank and Tyler to check in and see how things are going. Tonight when I called Frank told me that Tyler wrote me a note today at school and he needed to "discuss" something with me. Obviously my curiosity was peaked. Frank would not let me in on the issue no matter how hard I begged and pleaded!

When I walked in the door, I gave hugs and kisses and asked Tyler what was up. He told me to go look in his lunch box....
Sure enough, when I opened it, I found his sandwich and this note:

And it said this:

"Mom, I don't like this bread. Love, Tyler"

I guess my desire to change things up a bit did not go over well. I had bought mutligrain bread which had a few whole grains in it. It obviously did not go over well. The part that was also left out of the note was the bit about the yogurt I had packed that day... it had chunks of strawberries in it... also not a bit hit. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

Needless to say, peace was restored at dinner with a nice meal (approved by Tyler) of chicken nuggets and apples. All is well that ends well!

Just for Kicks!

2009-09-08T21:23:00.003-04:00

After years of anticipation, Tyler started soccer this week! Yay!

He is playing in the Springfield Church League for Our Lady of Sacred Heart Church, or OLSH as everyone refers to it. He is playing with the 4 and 5-year-old group, and I could not be happier! His coach is Coach Joe, a very patient man to take on 12 preschoolers with tons of energy! Tonight was out first practice and Friday is out first game.
Right off the bat, Coach Joe had the kids passing the ball, dribbling through cones, and running drills.

It didn't take Tyler very long to learn that he was supposed to run, with the ball, and as fast as you can! Bedtime, here we come!

Towards the end of practice, they got to take some shots on goal. Tyler did fantastic! It is always nice when your child does an activity and you can watch and not have to worry about them running over to you! I can not wait to see his skills out on the field! Hopefully he's got mad skills like his mom! ;)

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-07T20:09:00.002-04:00

For Labor Day weekend this year we headed straight to Eagle Lake to hang out with the Fagan's and enjoy the last blast of a great summer. We pulled in Friday night only to find that the end of summer celebrating had already started! While the parents hung out outside by the fire with family and friends, the kids entertained themselves (very nicely, I might add!) inside the loft area, happily building forts.
Kids, all hard at work, and more importantly, working together, to get those blankets to stay up!

Tyler...

Conor...

Skylar...

A cousinly hug!

On Saturday, the weather was beautiful and we decided to pack the kids up and we all headed over to the beach. The boys played games of football and Frisbee and Tyler quickly discovered that running in the sand is hard work when you are up really late the night before. Here he is taking a breather:

The whole bunch taking a breather!

On Sunday, Laurette and I decided that since it was the last big weekend of the summer, we were going to take it easy and have a relaxing mommy day. We awoke at a leisurely time, ate, rested some more and put the men in charge of the kids! They took them to the pool, to play horseshoes, and all around Eagle Lake. The little ones, Tyler and Skylar, didn't make it all afternoon, and came back for a late lunch. After lunch, we all decided to head out on the golf cart and we went to the park for some fun. I decided to take my camera and shoot a few pictures of the kids playing:

In the evening, Eagle Lake had a firework display that was quite tremendous for such a small community. We all gathered back on the beach to watch the sunset, hang out with friends, and let the kids run around with each other one last time. We all bought raffle tickets and needless to say, we all lost, but the kids got glow sticks to play with. Thank goodness, too, after awhile, it was hard to see where your child went-- now you could just look for the color of the stick!

Skylar was brave enough to climb to the top of the lifeguard tower and pose!

We had a great weekend and were sad to leave on Monday. It was the perfect end to a bust but wonderful summer and we can't wait to do it all again next year!

A Very Important Phone Call

2009-08-31T20:17:00.003-04:00

Tyler asked me tonight while I was making dinner if he could call Grammy in Indiana. Since I had just hung up with her, I knew she was still at the office. I helped him dial the number and turned the phone over to him.

My mom's assistant, Jenny, answered the phone. This threw Tyler for a loop and he demanded to know who he was talking to and where his Grammy was. We will have to work on phone etiquette! Eventually Jenny put Tyler on hold and went and got Grammy and told her there was a "very important gentleman on the phone wanting to speak with her."

As soon as Grammy picked up, he was all talk! He made himself at home on top of the dresser in the living room (awaiting the weekends Tag Sale!).

At one point, I heard Tyler say "Just a minute Grammy, I have to use the bathroom." He came into the kitchen where I was and asked me to put the phone on speaker so I could speak with her while he did his thing. Or so I thought. Instead, he brought the phone into the bathroom while he did his thing and then resumed his position when he was done. Once again, it's that phone etiquette thing!

The conversation last all of about 20 minutes and it was the cutest thing on my end to watch and listen to! Grammy called me later on to tell me that it was just as cute on her end as well!

Preschool, here we come!

2009-08-24T20:27:00.002-04:00

My baby is growing up.

Today he donned his Star Wars backpack, his Star Wars lunch box, and his favorite Yankee shirt, and I took him to Green Valley preschool.

This really should not have been such a big deal, after all it is just preschool! If I am having this hard of a time dropping him off at preschool, what is it going to be like when I have to let go for him to get on a bus? I guess I can't freak out too much about that right now!

The night before, I packed his lunch-- peanut butter and Fluff on bread, he asked for. I am sure that will not be the last time I make one of those... should consider stock in Jiff and Fluff... I'll look into that... We also packed some cuddly guys for nap time-- Dinosaur blanket and Kitty, the go-to stuffed animal since he was and infant (we keep another one at daycare!).

This morning was not as easy. I put on a brave face, as did Frank. Tyler posed for pictures, and then we were off to drop off. I tried to quell my anxiety by saying that he was going to need me, but the sad part is, he didn't. We went right in, found his cubby and his hook, put everything away and said our goodbyes. Mrs. Fitzpatrick came over and welcomed him, and whisked him off.

Just like that, my baby was gone.

I think I was looking for tears, for the tight grasp on my arm, for that longing look of "just one more hug and kiss". But there weren't any.

Okay, I lie, there were tears. In my car on the way to work. At least I held it together long enough to be brave in front of him!

Frank and I both did the pick up tonight as well. We walked through the door and you would have thought he was an old pro and had been there for years! He went and got all his art work and belongings that he had worked on that day, and told us all about what happened! As a special treat we told him we would go eat at Mountain View, his favorite place, and he declined. He opted instead to eat the remainder of his lunch from his lunch box!

I am so proud to be his mom. I am proud that I can walk away and know that he has the tools to survive a day at school with new friends. I am proud that I survived today!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-08-14T20:51:00.002-04:00

I had decided a few months ago that I really wanted to do something fun and 'adult-like' for my birthday this year. Initially the plan was to have a group of people travel into Hartford and attend a show at the comedy club. Frank, however, decided that was not enough and came up with a whole other plan. What did he come up with?

Saratoga, New York.

At first I was a bit skeptical. After all, the horse races? I am not a gambler. I am that person who enters the casino clutching my money and I leave clutching the same money! But it sounded like a fun time and the thought of spending the weekend with our friends sounded even better. On Friday night we jumped into the car with our friends, Elaine and Glen, and met Laurette and Jim, my sister and brother-in-law there. We owe both these couples-- Elaine for hooking us up with her sister's apartment to stay in for the weekend and Laurette for watching Tyler for us for the entire week! Thanks guys!

As we spoke to people about our weekend plans, we all learned that there are certain ways to do a day at the races. The main theme people suggested? Waking early the day of the race and placing blankets on picnic tables to claim them for the day. The catch? You need to get there when the gates open. What did we do? Not that! We took our chances and opted for extra sleep in the morning. After all, we were kidless for the weekend! When we arrived to the track we found a spot in the grass by the tables. Fine by us! We plunked our coolers down, spread out, and took in the sights.
Turns out that the spot we chose was better than we thought! We were situated right near the walkway where the trainers brought the horses from the track to the barn. As the guys poured over the odds on each race and horse, the girls looked over the horses as they walked by and picked the one we liked best!

The horses coming down the track for the final stretch.

In between every race we would gather at our "spot". We had packed coolers with food and drink to enjoy throughout the day. Good thing we did-- it was a beautiful August day, not a cloud in the sky, but very warm! The trees over our heads were a blessing! There were also televisions set up in this area to watch if you did not want to go by the track to watch a race.

No day at the horse races is complete without a fancy hat!

Frank and I....

Jim and Laurette...

Glen and Elaine.

On Friday night when we arrived we hung out at Maggie's, a sports bar. The guys were able to watch the Yankees, the girls talked, and there was Karaoke to entertain us all. On Saturday we were unsure of where to go, what to do, so we headed back there. The owners were very friendly on Friday and on Saturday shared their secret of how Maggie's came to be.... the owners won a Pick 6 at the track one day... the rest was history. Twenty-four hours earlier I would never have known what a Pick 6 was, much less a Trifecta, Box, or Show!

Needless to say? I left the track with more money than I came with, I bet every race, and I can not wait to go back again!

The Beach, take 2

2009-08-12T19:05:00.004-04:00

After our beautiful day at the beach the week before, my friend and I decided to take the kids mid-week to the shore. In the beginning of the week, the weather looked absolutely beautiful... on Wednesday, when we got there, not so much. It was a bit chilly and very overcast. The good part about a beach day with weather like that? Not many other people to compete with!

No matter the weather, the kids had a blast playing in the sand and enjoying their picnic lunch. After lunch, we headed over to the snack bar for a treat. What goes better with the beach in August? Ice cream!

We ended up calling it a day a little early and while Derek was getting dressed for the drive home, Tyler and Olivia gave me some classic four-year-old smiles:

Unfortunately the way home did not quite go as planned. We got a little (okay, a lot!) lost looking for a gas station. Isn't it ironic that when you need a gas station there is not one near by? We eventually found one and managed not to run out of gas (did I mention the gas light being on when we were on our way to the beach?). By the time we found a gas station the kids were getting really antsy and I was feeding them whatever food I could find in the bags within an arms length. I gave them mostly Oreos and this is what the end result was:

I guess they tasted real good!

Beach Bums!

2009-08-01T18:48:00.004-04:00

One thing I love about the summer? The beach!

Early in the week I saw that Saturday was going to be a beautiful day so I started putting the bug in Frank's ear to make the drive to the beach. Luckily, it didn't have to be a very big bug, and he was quickly planning right beside me! Friday night we packed lunches, snacks, drinks, and toys, and on Saturday morning we headed down to the Connecticut shore and Hammonasset State Park.

There was not a cloud in the sky when we arrived! It was great! We picked out a perfect spot, plunked our stuff down, dumped out the toys, and Tyler headed right for the water!

He was all work and little talk for awhile after we arrived.

Tyler managed to connect with some friends who were also there for the day. They had a great time playing in the sand and running in and out of the water. Tyler even dared to dunk his head under the water! We were so proud of him!

All the played eventually led to one thing: A big lunch!

After lunch Ty and I took a walk down to the stone breakwater/ jetty. We enjoyed watching people fish for crabs.

Later in the day we all ventured into the water. It was so warm! Tyler and Frank swam all the way out to the sand bar (much to my chagrin!). The great thing about Hammonasset Beach is that it is in the Long Island Sound and has no waves! So I didn't have to worry too much!

We had a great day and can only hope we have another beautiful weekend like this! Even when we were on our way home, the clouds were still absent from the beautiful blue skies!

Headbongers!

2009-07-29T22:20:00.005-04:00

All I can say is look what Tyler dug up in a box! My headbongers from college. Remember these? I would like to think that wearing these made me smarter when studying, but the jury is still out... But this kid?

This kid? He is a trooper. In the past few weeks we have slept in 4 different places: Becket, Eagle Lake, Long Island, and Indiana. He spent a total of 41 hours in our car and traveled approximately 2,740 miles. He complained very little, and asked on the return trip home from Indiana "When will we be there?" 7 times.

Enjoy reading about our trip to Indiana and all the posts and look for more updates about our crazy summer. Now that we are back home maybe we will stay there for awhile. Or will we?

Goodbyes

2009-07-25T21:57:00.002-04:00

Saturday meant one thing during vacation. D-Day, aka, Departure Day. Never an easy thing when you are having so much fun and know that by the next day you will be so far away from family. However, we had one more stop before hitting the road. Our last stop? Steak and Shake! On the way out after lunch, we stopped for more pictures with Grammy and Grampy:

As we were taking these shots, out waiter came out and offered to take a picture of all of us:

Shortly after this shot? We were back on the road home after a great 10 days in Indiana. I am not sure who took our leaving worse. Us or Gammy and Grampy. We certainly appreciated and did not waste a minute of time we all spent together and look forward to our next trip to the Midwest! Thanks again Grammy and Grampy, we will miss you! See you in September!

Indiana University

2009-07-24T22:03:00.004-04:00

One thing that I always want to do but never get around to doing is to visit the University. This trip we made a quick stop one morning to visit Sample Gates and Memorial Stadium. We woke early, stopped at Dunkin Donuts, and ate our food and drank our coffee on the benches right by Sample gates.

I have had the luxury of seeing a few university's through the years. None are as pretty as Indiana, however. Maybe I am a bit impartial since I am part of the "I ♥ School Gang"!
The bell/clock tower. My dad said it was the clock tower... then it got to be 10 o'clock and the bells rang!

The view from Sample Gates down Kirkwood. All towns should have a view as nice as this!

Tyler wanting to get the feel for campus life...

It's hard to believe, but eight years ago Frank and I had out picture taken in this very same spot on out wedding day. Time flies, and things change, but I am not sure there is anything we would change back!

Trying to get a shot of only Frank and I. How were we supposed to shoo the little guy away when he ran up?

Out next stop was Memorial Stadium. For a few years now they have been working on renovating the stadium and revamping the overall appearance. Tyler was so excited to go and visit, and took off once we were inside...

The view of the end zone now. Very different from when I was there years ago!

On the field there was a girl's field hockey camp. I am not sure if Tyler was watching the girls or the fact they were playing a form of hockey!

Tyler and Grampy. Numerous times since visiting the stadium Tyler has asked when we will get to go to a real game. Hopefully real soon! Frank and I would love to make a trip back in the Fall, tailgate, and root on the Cream and Crimson! Who knows? Maybe 2010 will be the year!

Just Grampy and Me

2009-07-23T22:14:00.001-04:00

Right before we left for our trip, we had talked to Grammy and Grampy on the phone. Grampy said that he was going to "kidnap Tyler for the week". I thought "yeah right". Boy was I wrong! From the minute we arrived in Bloomington, to the minute we left, Tyler spent all his time with Grammy and Grampy. Because Grammy was not as mobile this trip, Grampy was happy to take Tyler out and spend some time bonding.

One of their favorite activities? Walking along the golf course and stuffing their pockets with balls! Tyler loved their daily scavenger hunt and quickly caught on to the hot spots to look for the balls in! One day, I joined them. As we walked along the street, a set of golfers were looking by the trees for a ball. After awhile they left, without the ball. We continued on with our walk. Guess what Tyler found? That's right, their golf ball!

Grampy made the suggestion that we should take the ball back to the gentleman who lost it. Tyler waited ever so patiently for them to finish the hole, ran up, and handed the man his ball. Guess what he got in return? Fifty cents! He was ecstatic! I got to thinking... if Tyler stays out there all summer long and returns balls to all the golfers, maybe we can fund college in many years?

Another favorite activity of Tyler's is walking with Grampy and Duffy. He loves to help walk the dog and goes out in his jammies, without his teeth brushed, and even in the rain. He loves it!

The Greatest Bar in America!

2009-07-21T21:27:00.005-04:00

Wednesday night not only meant a trip to French Lick and the water park, but a night out for Frank and I! We arrived home, showered, dressed, gave Grammy and Grampy some instructions, and took off for a night on the town! Our first stop? Scotty's! I was determined to have another one of those yummy martini's. From there we were not sure where to go, but we quickly settled on a quiet, unknown place no one familiar with I.U. has ever hear of ;)! Nick's!

Despite the changes on Kirkwood, I was happy to find that the outside of the building looked as great as ever.

After we ordered dinner and drinks, we looked around at the decor. I fell in love with the stained glass above our table and the lights hanging from the ceiling (also red and white stained glass with the I.U. emblem). However, my Killian's was served in this really cute glass.... you know, canning jar, with the I.U. and Nick's emblem? The rest is history!

All I can say is that it will look really good with my "Sink the Bismark" bucket!

French Lick

2009-07-21T18:38:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday we decided to take a trip down south to French Lick, Indiana. When we woke that morning, we knew it was a goodd choice-- it was pouring outside and it did not let up until much later in the day! Our first stop? West Baden Springs and the renovated hotel.

My parents had driven my sister and I down to West Baden Springs when we first moved to Indiana in the mid 80's. As a kid, I thought of many other things that I wanted to be doing at the time than looking at some dilapidated building! However, seeing it now was tremendous. I took a few shots of the inside of the building but the grounds were just as tremendous. Maybe next time if it is not raining we will have to take another trip!
The inner part of the building is this awesome domed atrium. We took advantage of this great view and had lunch inside the atrium.

When we first arrived, we walked the circle around the inside of the building. Along the way, we came across a door which led to the porch access and Tyler and Grampy rested for a bit in the chairs. I forgot to take a shot of the view they were privy to, but it was great!

When we entered back into the building, Tyler was getting antsy. He kept running ahead of us and darting in and out of the doorways along our walk. Kind of reminded me of a Austin Powers meets Mission Impossible!

Frank and I in front of a fire place located within the atrium. All the artwork around it had been restored back to its original appearance.

The view up the walls in the atrium. Everything was so meticulous and ornate. The tiles on the floors were individual subway style tiles, restored to their former condition, as well. Hanging out on the chaise lounge in the atrium:

Tyler's reward for behaving so well at the resort? A trip to the Big Splash Adventure Indoor Water Park! Another reason to not be sad for all the rain on this day! When we first arrived Tyler was very unsure about what to do despite the great children's area. However once he got the hang of it, there was no getting him away from the slides!

Getting ready for another ride!

Waiting patiently for his turn on the children's play scape...

Thank goodness Grampy was along for the ride... Frank and I were able to take off and go down some of the adult slides while Tyler was entertaining himself. I am not even sure that Tyler knew we were gone! When we returned Grampy reported that Tyler had gone down the same slide at least 20 times! And that was just when he was counting. We were able to pull Tyler away from the slide and take a trip in the tube around the lazy river.

All full of water and all out of energy! What a fun day!

Crazy for the Horse

2009-07-20T21:19:00.003-04:00

One of the things that we always do when we are in town is have lunch at the Crazy Horse in downtown Bloomington. We sit outside, have a hometown brew, and watch the people go by. I am not sure how this tradition started, this was not a place I frequented in college... I guess the first time I went in and discovered their fried veggie basket I was hooked. Coincidentally, they no longer make that appetizer and it is not to be found on the menu! However, that does not stop us from our yearly meal off the square! Another reason to visit? Eight years ago on August 2nd, our rehearsal dinner took place in their back room!
More often than not lately, Tyler entertains himself at a restaurant by using the sugar packets on the table as "players" and staging a hockey game. Here he is ready to have the "Extras" take on the "Sugars"....

Tyler and Frank....

Tyler and mommy...

Towards the end of the meal, while we were finishing out drinks, paying the bill, and cleaning up, Tyler started to something and we were a bit surprised by what it was. Two things came to mind: When did he get to old enough to spell? And if the town of Wilbraham could see this, maybe they will let this brilliant kid into kindergarten this year! On the other hand, maybe not!

Indianapolis Children's Museum

2009-07-19T20:58:00.003-04:00

For many years our summer trip has included a trip to the Children's Museum in Bloomington, Wonderlab. This year, however, we strayed a bit and included a ride to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. I had taken a quick glance at the website saw they have a Star Wars and dinosaur display and knew right away that Ty would have a blast there! After spending the night with the girls in Indianapolis, I was able to meet Grampy, Frank, and Ty downtown for our afternoon of fun!
Before we were even in the building, we had to stop for a photo op. Ty was in awe of the huge dinos on display outside the building. As I was taking this shot, a very nice woman offered to take a picture of all of us. I took her up on the offer:

As we entered the building, Tyler kept looking up at the dinosaur heads peeking through the walls from the outside. He could not wait to enter into the display and see what else was there! First stop was the dinosaur room. Tyler compared his big feet to a big dino footprint. He quickly discovered that his feet are not as big as he thought! Wow!

The dinosaur exhibit also included an interactive area of plastic dinos and a landscaped play table. Tyler had a wonderful time playing here and was met by his friends, Jack and Luke, who came with their mommy, Heather! Grampy even joined in the play with a dino of his own and before we knew it, kids were all around him wanting to play as well!

Soon it was time to see what else to museum had to offer. As is often the story, the kids were feet ahead of us. We asked for them to stay together and they did:

In the Star Wars exhibit, Jack was quick to pose with a few of the characters, by Tyler was not able to sit still long enough to have a picture taken. Excitement called, you know?

Grampy took some time to show the boys a cool interactive dinosaur computer program in one room. Hard to believe that these 3 boys could sit still long enough ;)!

Baby Luke, just like the evening before with the girls, was a trooper! Always happy, never fussing, and we were so excited to spend more time with him!

Because they are members, Jack and Heather treated Tyler and I to a ride on the Merry-Go-Round. Jack chose the black stallion and Tyler chose a stripped tiger.

One thing about Tyler? He loves the babies (a career in politics, perhaps?). He took a minute out off his exploring to pose for a quick shot with Baby Luke:

Jack, Luke, and Heather left after the Merry-Go-Round ride for nap time. We had a great time with them and were happy they could join us for our trip to the museum! We, however, still had some more exhibits to take in...

Tyler drove Grampy around in a Tuk-Tuk. I am sure his driving was as good as some of those drivers overseas. I know firsthand... this was a mode of transport in Asia when we were there in the 80's!

Tyler and I on top of the giant alligator from the Nile exhibit. Hard to believe that somewhere in the world they are as large as this guy. I think I will keep to the shore if I ever make my way to that river.... Shortly after this shot, it was time to leave. I am not sure there was a stone we left unturned inside the Indianapolis Children's Museum! And because of this? Tyler was fast asleep for the entire trip back to Bloomington!

One is silver and the other is gold....

2009-07-18T20:50:00.008-04:00

On Saturday night, I headed to Indianapolis to spend time with my friends from college. Other than spending time with my family when we come to town, I look forward to this get together the most. As we have become older and life has gotten more busy, my trips home have become a yearly thing. Which means one thing... lots to catch up on! I am extremely blessed to have such a good group that I can call my friends. We have made it through happy and sad times and are always there for each other. I really don't know what I would do without them!We all met up at Fionn McCool's, and Irish place in Indianapolis. We had a great time enjoying our Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, dinner, and great conversations. (From left to right: Jennifer, Kelly, myself, Heather, and Amee.) The best part of dinner? Meeting my new friend, Luke (age 4 months)! Thanks, Heather, for bringing your newest addition!

After dinner Amee, Kelly, Jennifer, and I headed to Scotty's for some more time together over yummy martini's. Heather had to head home with the baby, but she was definitely in out thoughts! While at Scotty's we each ordered drinks, but the hit off the night? A Strawberry Cheesecake martini! Delicious!

Before we knew it, the night was coming to an end :(.... Kelly was kind enough to give us a ride back to Jennifer's house for the night. When we arrived home, Bailey was waiting for us:

Thanks, guys, for a great night with good friends, great laughs, and awesome drinks! My only regret? That it can't happen more often... What do you all think? The East coast is calling? I guess in the meantime I will have to work on a girl's weekend destination for 2010!

The son he never had....

2009-07-18T20:26:00.003-04:00

Every summer we are home, Frank and my dad venture out around town and stop by all the "townie" eateries in Bloomington. You know, the places you have heard of, drive by, but never stopped by? Hinkles, White Castle, Pammy's (which is no longer in existence due to a fire, but a new joint, called Dirty Dog moved in).... anyways, you get the idea! This year was no exception, and within the first few days of the trip, they had their tenderloins at Jiffy Treet, sliders at White Castle and plans to take in more Midwest cuisine by weeks end!

I was able to snap a few shots of the these two (in public mind you) together. I am very lucky that these two influential men in my life get together so well and have created this special bond. After all, my dad put in many years before he could say he had a son in the family! Frank is truly the son he never had (although he did teach me to appreciate all sports, mow the lawn, and appreciate a good cold beer!).

After a long ride.... Jiffy Treet!

2009-07-18T08:36:00.001-04:00

We started off on our annual Indiana summer vacation on Wednesday evening. Tyler and Frank picked me up from work and within minutes we were on our way to the Mass Turnpike headed West! On the way to get me, however, there was a mandatory stop at Dunkin Donuts - coffee for Frank and chocolate glazed doughtnut for Ty. The only thing left by the time they got me were the remnants around Ty's mouth... oh well, maybe next time there will be left -overs!
After driving for a few hours, we stopped in Hamburg, New York, right outside Buffalo. Tyler was ecstatic to be spending the night in a hotel. But even more so, he knew that the next bed he would sleep in would be the one at Grammy and Grampy's house!!!
We pulled into the driveway at Grammy and Grampy's house just before dinner time. As soon as we arrived, Grampy said to Ty "You want to hit the pool?". Within minutes, they were both in their suits and headed out! I joined them to sit and watch while Frank stayed behind with Grammy and to unpack the car. After a quick swim we arrived home to barbecue steaks and potatoes and to relax on the porch. It was nice to sit and see scenery not whiz by!
Our first day was spent catching up on rest, napping, and spending a lot more time at the pool. For the first time in many years, the July weather in Indiana was simply gorgeous! Low humidity, sunny skies, and perfect temps! Before Ty hit the pool, he and Grampy woke early to go into town and make a stop at Dunkin Donuts before stopping by Wonderlab for a bit of playtime. While they were gone I was able to pick seats at the pool and have some quiet time to myself before I was on pool duty. It was a perfect first day to our summer vacation and a much needed day of catch up in the rest department!
Saturday was a lot cooler and (dare I say this?) too cool to hit the pool. We all decided to have lunch at Jiffy Treet! Pork tenderloin sandwiches, fried mushrooms for the adults and a foot-long hot dog and fries for the little guy. Besides ice cream, they have the best tenderloin sandwiches in town!
While we waited for out food to make it to the table, I snapped a few shots.... Tyler was so excited to see Grammy and Granpy!

He even took some time to experiment with Grammy's cane.... I am not sure if that is a skill that I want him adept at. After all, when I used my Grandma's crutches as a kid, a few short months later I found myself needing my own after I broke my foot!

A well eaten meal deserves one thing-- dessert! And at Jiffy Treet that dessert equals Cookie Monster ice-cream! A few scoops of this delicious treat is well worth the long drive!

Bethpage Hockey Alumni Game

2009-07-11T19:12:00.003-04:00

For many years now, Frank has talked about how great it would bee to have a reunion game with his old hockey teams. Unfortunately, St. John's ended their program after Frank graduated, so the chance of a college reunion game is not a possibility. However, Frank was notified a few months ago about a Bethpage High School Reunion game. He was ecstatic! I was excited for him as well. Lucky for us, this fell on the same day as the block party and a weekend we were going to be on Long Island.

In all, there were 60 guys that turned out and many from the years when Frank played. Each team played 4 short game in a round-robin format. Frank was assigned to the gold team and walked away undefeated on the day. He had a great time and Tyler and I stopped by to cheer on our favorite player! We did not stay for the entire time, and missed the best part of the day. Someone, who should remain nameless (Frank) scored in the last seconds of some games to give his team the win! Read here for the write up.

Frank posing with one off his oldest friends, Frank Simone. In high school and college they were line mates and over the years have served as best man at each other's weddings, and remained in close touch.

At the after party. My In-laws were generous enough to give me a ride from the block party so I could hang out and meet these guys (Aunt Laurette was generous as well to offer to put Ty to bed for us). It was wonderful to be able to listen to the stories and connect with long lost friends.