The kit for Sean's bed finally arrived this weekend, so we made the much-awaited conversion to a full-size. Here's the new view we're enjoying upstairs.
Sean was ridiculously adorable picking out his sheets and organizing his room. It's become pretty apparent that he's the child that has inherited my anal-retentive tendencies.
Speaking of things that scare my kids...add clams to Grace's list. Here she is during low tide in Gloucester discovering her first clam, which she proudly carried all the way home. However, once she learned that there was actually something living in the shell, she forbid anyone to touch it and banished the clam to our back porch. She also insisted that the door be locked so that it couldn't get in the house. LOL! What's also funny is that even though Grace is now scared petrified of the clam, she's still very protective of it. Last night she woke up around 10pm and came downstairs to tell me that it was dark outside and her clam was going to get scared. She also waved goodbye on her way out this morning and told the clam that she was going to miss it "very much".
I forgot to mention that I have a HORRIBLE sunburn on my back from this past weekend. I somehow managed to get sunscreen on everyone else, but myself. When Sean saw my burn, his eyes got really wide and he exclaimed, "Mama, there's a letter X on your back!" LOL! After Grace saw my burn, she asked Steve if he had a burn. When he said no, Grace replied, "You're smart." And when asked if she had a burn, she replied, "No, I'm smart too."
We celebrated our holiday at the beach in Gloucester. The kids LOVED the ocean and didn't seem to mind that the water was freezing!
After we got home from Gloucester, Steve and I decided to take the kids over the high school football field to watch fireworks. They talked a big game, but once the fireworks started, both of them were wrapped around us screaming that they wanted to go home. This surprised me, especially considering the list of things that scare my kids is pretty short. I did manage to snap this adorable picture of the two of them, pre-fireworks, that I love!
My dad came for a visit this past weekend. Because he lives in Texas and we don't get to see him that often, it was a huge treat for us all. This kids loved having "Papa Tex" spend the night at their house, come to their first sports class, watch them play at the playground/amusement park/swimming pool, and spoil them rotten with many, many ice cream cones. I just enjoyed getting to watch him enjoying them. That meant the world to me. As well as hearing him say that he thought I was incredibly blessed to have such healthy, happy, smart, sweet children, not to mention a wonderful husband.* Of course I already know this, but it felt wonderful to hear nonetheless.
*My dad's praise might have something to do with the fact that Steve hacked into his golf course's website and wrote a program to help my dad secure better tee times. He'll now be the envy of his golf club. Well, that's assuming he doesn't get kicked out. LOL!
* * * * * * * * *
Today was Sean's last day at Farah's. Starting tomorrow, he will be full-time at Isabelle's. Even though we've waited 2 1/2 years to have the kids at the same daycare, and Sean fights us every morning that he has to go somewhere different than Grace, I cried like a baby when it came time to say goodbye. Farah has always been so sweet to Sean and given him a lot of attention. It also seems like just yesterday we were leaving him there for the first time, and I sat in that same driveway crying. Definitely a bittersweet day. And it made me realize that I'm going to be a WRECK when these kids start kindergarten.
Grace told me she wants take a "Hi-YAH class". So she can "learn how to kick people and knock them down." "But only little people." LOL! And she says that she wants a pink outfit, not a white one. Steve and I both agree that given Grace's quick tongue and bossy strong spunky personality, Karate is the last thing she needs in her bag of tricks. Although I suppose if she's still interested in the fall, we'll probably sign her up for a class.
We did happen across this Capoeria demonstration at our local YMCA, which I thought would have been right up Grace's alley since it's a martial art that combines both acrobatics and music, but she didn't have much interest. Apparently there wasn't enough actual kicking and yelling for her taste. However, she did think it was pretty cool that she was the only kid there that could do a cartwheel over the stick when the instructor asked.
This past week has been INSANELY busy. (In a good way.) Between work, the kids activities, all of the extra projects I've taken on, my dad's visit this weekend, and a few other miscellaneous errands, I haven't been able to find even two spare minutes to log on for an update. Life is good though. Just feeling like it's been moving in fast forward.
A highlight of the week, or at least Grace's, was buying new booster seats for my car. Grace was complaining that her old toddler seat was hurting her, so we decided it was time for an upgrade. Grace immediately fell in love with this pink and purple flowered seat. I had something a little more neutral in mind, but I decided that if she was happy, then I could live with having two car seats that don't match. Grace made Steve assemble her seat in the parking lot, and was beaming with pride the entire ride home. So cute! And when it was time to get out of the car, she turned around, gave her seat a big hug, and said, "I love you! You're my best friend!". LOL!
The second highlight of our week involved another purchase. We finally got Wii Fit! Steve has been looking for it for over a month now and just happened to be in the right place at the right time when our local game store got it's shipment. This one little board allows you to do all sorts of exercises through your TV, including Yoga, Hula Hoop, and Snowboarding. Soooooooo cool! Technology is amazing. Even just five years ago, to think that you could weigh yourself through your TV, would have been crazy. The games are a great workout, but also easy enough for the kids to play. Here's Sean doing yoga and demonstrating "The Tree" pose. (Sort of.)
If there’s one thing Grace and I share, it’s our love of all things pink. Looking back, I've decided that I must have looked like Elle Woods from Legally Blonde (save the blonde hair) walking through the airport last Friday with my pink shirt, pink handbag, and pink suitcase in tow. It was definitely pink overload!
Naturally, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw Grace heading out to the driving range last night sporting her new clubs and a WHOLE LOTTA pink. Steve calls this her Country Club Barbie Gracie look.
I wasn’t going to include this next picture, but it makes me laugh every time I see it. Sean was less than thrilled I was holding up his golf game for a picture.
I think I’m going to frame this next picture and give it to my dad as a late Father’s Day present. He lives on a golf course and will be tickled pink to think that in a few years he’ll be able to take the kids out for a round.
By the way, Steve gets all the credit for getting Grace and Sean interested in golf and teaching them how to play. He keeps trying to talk me into taking lessons. But I keep putting it off because golf is one of those things that requires hand/eye coordination, and I have none. However, if he were able to find me a set of pink clubs like Grace, I might actually reconsider. ;)
Grace is still loving her dance shirt. So much so that she slept in it again last night and begged us to let her wear it to Isabelle's for what would have been the second day in a row. Luckily she agreed to a compromise and ended up carrying her shirt with her in her backpack.
* * * * *
Grace informed me that she's going to "Kindergarten School" in September. I know it's probably because almost all of her friends, from both daycare and East Elite, are five years old and will indeed be starting school this fall. Poor kid. Little does she realize that because of the way her birthday falls, she still has two more years to wait.
Which reminds me of something I forgot to share. Last week at tumbling class, two of the older girls (both five years old, and both starting kindergarten this fall) were doing back handsprings on a mat by themselves. When the coach wasn't looking, Grace tried to do it by herself as well. No surprise, she fell on her head, and the coach told her that she wasn't allowed to try it again without a spot. Grace then requested that if she *had* to have a spot, could it be a "little spot"? Because she didn't want her friends to think that she couldn't do a back handspring by herself. Awwwh! That broke my heart. It must be hard for her to always be the littlest one, trying to keep up and fit in.
I was happy to see that a few days after the "little spot" incident, Grace was asked to demonstrate a back handspring (with a spot) to some of the newer girls on her team. Her face absolutely lit up. She was so confident and proud to be singled out for something she was good at. A side of her that I haven't really seen yet, but was glad to know she embraced. Grace even told me as we left the gym, "Mama, I'm the best one." Attagirl!
So Steve reminded me that I wasn’t entirely correct about this past weekend being the first dance event we’ve been to without the kids - there were the two New Year’s events. But this was the first one where we actually traveled out of town. I must admit, it felt really strange to be without the kids. Especially going through the airport and going to bed at night. I missed them like crazy. But it was a much, much, much needed weekend away for us. (Thank you Nana!) It felt great to be able to talk (uninterrupted) with old friends, dance until the wee hours of the morning, and sleep in as late as we wanted. Of course we called home every night to check in and see how everyone was doing. It sounded like the kids had a fabulous time with Nana - even though Grace threatened to “sit her on the potty, call her a poopie head, and make her eat sand” if she didn't bring her juice. (I need to remember that one the next time I don't get quick service in a restaurant.) On one of our calls home, we mentioned that we'd picked up presents for the kids. It was so cute to see how excited they were to find out what we got them. Little magnet boards that we found at the airport. Sean's had words (of course) and Grace's was a make-believe house. Both were so proud of their gifts that they slept with them last night and carried them to daycare this morning. I even heard Gracie telling her friend, "This is what my Daddy got me in California." (Not technically correct since we were in Cleveland. LOL!)
I also picked up this little dance shirt for Grace, which she loved.
And looked very cute wearing!
Steve and I are heading to Cleveland tomorrow morning for the All Balboa Weekend. Soooooo looking forward to getting away for a couple of days. Even if it is only Ohio. No offense to anyone from Ohio, but a tropical beach on a deserted island is really what I need right about now. This week has been a commuting NIGHTMARE. I think I've spent more hours crammed in a crowded subway train than I have actually working in the office. Monday there was a fire at one of the stations that required us to be bused across Cambridge during rush hour traffic. Tuesday there was the rather large, sweaty guy that sat on me for my entire commute. And Wednesday there was the breakdown that left us sitting in a tunnel somewhere under MIT, without cell phone reception, for almost two hours. With all of the extra time, I did manage to beat my high score in Yahtzee, so that was cool.
I think this weekend will be the first dance event we've been to without the kids. As much as I think they would enjoy all of the dancing, especially Grace, it's just too hard to keep an eye on them and work (I'm running the contests and Steve is doing the scoring). Not to mention, Steve and I are much overdo for a weekend away together. I don't think the kids will miss us too much. Nana is on her way to Boston as I type this and Grace & Sean are so excited they can hardly stand it. A very fun weekend planned for us all.
Sunday we all drove down to Rhode Island to celebrate Emily's Ariel-themed birthday. (Emily is Grace and Sean's cousin on Steve's side.) Another fabulous, fabulous time! This party was outdoors, so we got to enjoy watching the kids play, while hanging out in the shade and sipping cocktails. My kind of party! Likewise, the kids LOVED getting to swim in the pool. I think Grace actually thought she was Ariel, diving for her ball and swimming under the surface from one side to the other. I love this picture of Grace and Emily taking a break to pose for me. So sweet! And I've always thought you could tell these two are related. The Italian gene is strong with them.
The kids also spent a lot of time on the inflatable bouncer where Grace and Sean made a little boy (who was quite a bit older than them) cry because they wouldn't let him come up the slide and play. *Sigh* Steve always jokes that I could write a book called, "How to Raise a Bully". And sadly, I'm starting to think it's true. It's one thing to be confident and stick up for yourself, which I'm glad they both do, but one day they're going to come across someone bigger and stronger...whose Mom also happened to read my book. LOL!
Another big hit was this pinata. To my knowledge, the kids had never seen one before. They loved getting to take swings at it and squealed with excitement when all of the candy flew out. Grace raced frantically to collect as many pieces as she could, while Sean was content to find one large lollipop - which he immediately unwrapped and climbed up in the playhouse to enjoy by himself.
A picture of Sean that shows off his gorgeous baby blues. Love him!
Teagan is one of Gracie's best friends from East Elite. Saturday we went to Gym Street to celebrate her birthday. Very cool place and very fun party! I also picked up the most fabulous party idea. Rather than putting together goodie bags, Teagan’s mom filled a table full of candies and toys and let the kids fill their own. I couldn’t believe how much they loved it. And how much time and effort she saved with something so simple! Here’s Grace, with Teagan & Maria, showing off the candy jewelry and Blueberry Muffin doll she picked out.
At one point during the party, everyone went into one of the side rooms for a dance party. Each of the kids had to go out in front of the group and perform their best dance moves. While some of the others were a shy and reserved, Grace bopped right out and showed off all of her crowd favorites: high kicks, booty shakin’, booty slappin’, and then finished with her big split. I was laughing so hard I had tears running down my cheeks. She was awesome! And no surprise to us, ended up winning the contest!
The other half of the party was spent in a room filled with inflatables. I can’t even count how many times Sean went down this slide. By the time he was done, his cheeks were flushed and he was dripping wet. (Poor kid, I think he’s going to be one of those people that always has to bring a change of clothes.)
Technically Grace wasn’t big enough to go on this next slide (which is actually a lot taller and steeper than it looks in this picture), but she somehow managed to convince the teenage girl working the door to let her go on it. Three times.
Finally, just a cute picture of Grace. I love the little outfit she’s wearing. The brand is Flowers by Zoe, which is my new favorite, but it’s also ridiculously expensive if you buy it off the rack at Nordstrom’s. I lucked out and found this mismatched-size one for about 1/8 of the price on eBay. Also, you can barely see them in this picture, but Grace has recently begun wearing two different colors of polish on her nails. One blue, one pink. So funny. So Grace.
I've really been looking forward to this weekend. On top of the beautiful weather we're expecting, we have two (very fun) birthday parties to attend. Can't wait! Kung Fu Panda also opened in theaters today, so we decided to take the kids and make it a family date night. I loved the movie - great story, fast moving, very cute! I'm not sure that Grace & Sean got it, but they still seemed to have a good time. (However, you give those two a bucket of popcorn, Milk Duds, and a soda and they would watch paint dry.) Fun times!
Remember our 13 year old severely diabetic (yet "fit as as fiddle") cat that disappeared about a month ago? Well...IT'S ALIVE!
I would have bet the house at this point that the cat was a goner, but last week I pulled into the driveway with the kids, and there she sat in the front flowerbed partially hidden by a shrub. At first glance I thought she was dead and that maybe the lawn guy found her while he was cutting the grass. But the longer I stared (while frantically dialing Steve's number), I could tell she was definitely breathing. I was shocked!!!! And I know this probably sounds horrible, but I immediately threw the car in reverse, drove around the house, and sneaked the kids in the back door. Given that the cat's been missing for over a month, she hasn't been vaccinated for Rabies recently, and our yard is (surprisingly) filled with all sorts of wild animals, I wasn't about to run up and embrace a potentially rabid cat that was already senile to begin with. Not to mention probably hates our guts at this point. No thanks!
After I got the kids settled in the house, I looked out the front window where she had been sitting (maybe five minutes after I originally saw her) and she was gone. When Steve got home a little later, he found her sitting under my car in the back, but unwilling to come out. He turned away to move some trash barrels, and when he returned she was gone. Additional searching turned up nothing, and we haven't seen her since. The whole thing felt like something right out of Pet Sematary. And while I'm sure that one of our neighbors must have taken her in, God bless them, I still find the whole thing soooo bizarre.
*Grace's favorite show was the diving pirates. She couldn't wait to get home and tell Nana and Papa about the pirate who caught on fire and dove into the water. When Papa replied, "What did they call him? Mr. Hot Pants?", Grace thought that was hilarious. She laughed and then proceeded to tell the story over and over, just so she could hear Papa say "Mr. Hot Pants".
Besides peeing, Sean has also been working really hard on learning to write his name and spelling everything he can possibly think of. He loves words! Our conversations consist primarily of him asking me how to spell something or what a particular sign/label says. He can spell Sean, Gracie, Mom, Dad, Dora, Nana, Papa, Cat, Dog, Hat, Kite, Apple, Cow, Pig, and Zoo on his own, and two of his favorite activities include watching Leap Frog's Talking Words Factory (2-3 times in a row) and working the spelling puzzle we got him for Christmas.
The other thing that keeps him occupied for many minutes is writing letters. Here's the back of Sean's art project today. He wrote his name by himself, and made Isabelle hold his hand and help him write the rest. So, so proud!
P.S. After thinking for almost two years that Sean was going to be a lefty, I'm pretty sure he's a righty. He still swings a bat and golf club left-handed, and sucks his left thumb, but he writes and eats with his right.
I'm so proud of Gracie. She did her very first cartwheel (on her own) tonight at tumbling class. And it was AWESOME!!!! She's been working so hard, and tonight she finally did it! Seeing the joy on her face when she landed that first one brought tears to my eyes. Then when her friends Teagan and Maria ran over to give her a hug, I actually cried. It was just the cutest, sweetest moment EVER! As a reward, Grace's regular-season coach gave her a little stuffed cheerleader to take home, and I agreed to finally let her get the Bratz electric guitar she's been eyeing at Target for weeks. (See pictures below.)
Ever since they were babies, I've been sneaking into my kids' rooms at night to check on them. Even when I know they've been asleep for hours. Oddly, I still find myself putting a hand on their backs, or watching the movement of their chests, to make sure they're breathing. (A "new mom" fear that just never seemed to go away.) I then spend a minute or two watching them sleep, give them a kiss, tuck their blankets under their arms, and clean up any stray toys or stuffed animals that might have found their way out of place in the last minutes before bedtime. That's my nightly ritual. And I can't go to sleep peacefully without performing it. Sean's recent ritual is to completely redress himself before getting into bed. It doesn't matter how much input I give him in the pajama selection process, I've been finding him asleep wearing a completely different outfit than he started out with. And always on backwards.
Six Flags is running a special on season passes right now, and being a family that LOVES theme parks, we decided we'd have no problem getting our value out of them this summer. Two trips and it pays for itself. Our first visit was this past Sunday. Even though the weather ended up turning cold and rainy, we had a great time. Love Sean's mugshot-looking photo on his pass!
Like last year, the Wiggles rides were a big hit. Steve and I joked that the kids looked like they were literally ready to explode with excitement running in to ride them. It was a lot of fun to watch. Well, except for the airborne ride where Sean unfastened his seatbelt, a la Harry Houdini, and stood up before it was over to declare his independence. I could have killed him! I thought the poor teenage girl working the ride was going to have a heart attack.
Here's Grace and the gigantic stuffed sparkly snake she convinced some random guy at the carnival games to win for her. No idea how she does it, but the girl has an amazing way of getting what she wants.
While Grace was working the game scene, Sean sat on the side eating the popcorn that he peed really hard to get (more about that later). And if we asked him to share, he would give us exactly ONE kernel. Thanks Sean!
I have no idea how it came to be, but Grace is completely paranoid about people stealing things. And not just her things. I can hardly turn away from my purse without her yelling, "Mama, get your bag. Everybody's going to take it!" There was also the time we left Steve's car at the gym over Easter (while we drove mine to Vermont) and she was crying as we pulled out of the parking lot. Even this past Saturday, she could hardly enjoy herself at the party because she refused to put her goody bag down, for fear that "everybody" would take it.
She's also got this strange thing recently where she doesn't want other people watching her movies. Mostly her Brats movie. Sean is never allowed to watch it. And Steve, only on a rare occassion. She would rather turn it off and stare at a blank screen until they go away.
The weather on Sunday ended up being gorgeous, so we decided to make an impromptu trip to Kimball Farms in Westford, MA to check out the miniature golf course Steve stumbled across online. What a find! This place was INCREDIBLE, and so much fun!!!! The course had waterfalls, tunnels, and all sorts of beautiful landscaping throughout. Our favorite was the hole where you hit your ball into a stream, and the current carries it down and spits it out next to the hole. So, so cool! Second was the one with a big gap in the middle of the green. (Picture below.) We spent a lot of time at both of those holes. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, there ended up being bumper boats at this place! A total throw back to my childhood. Love them. Lunch was fried food and ice cream from the snack shack, followed by a nice walk across the property. It was a pretty fabulous day all the way around!
So my friend Kelly asked what Grace thought about me jumping on the trampoline. I replied that she was pretty unimpressed. All of the girls were actually. I think they're so used to seeing people flip and fly through the air at the gym that they just think it's normal. But no doubt, in a few years, they'll figure out that it's not and will be completely mortified. LOL!
I'm already experiencing the embarrassment thing a little with Grace. Today I was headed out the door, in what I thought was a rather cute sweater set, when she informed me that she didn't like it and I should change. Say what? It's not entirely surprising considering Grace's taste in fashion tends to lean less toward preppy and more toward high school hoochie, but since when did 3 year olds care what their moms wear? And so funny that Grace's taste in fashion is pretty much the complete opposite of Sean's - who would wear a Polo and khakis every day if it were up to him. Here's a picture I took on our way out the door Saturday that I think sums up their different styles pretty well. (Love Grace's pink & black hair piece - which she picked out herself at Claires.)
Fashion isn’t the only area where these two differ. A few others I can think of off the top of my head:
Grace sleeps with her door open. Lights on. Sean’s door is closed. Lights off. (Well, unless he decides to stay up and play.)
Sean is content to be alone. Grace prefers to be with others.
Grace has no fear of heights or speed. Sean is more hesitant.
Grace gets chicken nuggets at McDonalds. Sean orders hamburgers.
Sean is eager to learn new things. Grace gets embarrassed by things she doesn’t know and finds a way to change the subject.
Sean is independent. Grace is content to let people cater to her.
Sean feels no pain. Grace asks to go to the doctor at least once a week.
Grace loves to get her hair cut. Sean has to be bribed with a lollipop.
Grace is shy when meeting new people. Sean is not.
Sean likes to write. Grace likes to draw.
Grace picks at her food. Sean wears his.
I ended up going to Grace's cheerleading party on Saturday, where a few of the other (psycho) moms and I decided to relive our youth by showing off some of our old cheerleading moves on the trampoline. Soooooo much fun!!!!! But I quickly realized that I'm not nearly as young as I used to be. (Not even close.) Today my quads feel like they're going to explode, I can barely sit up without feeling like I've just done 10,000 crunches, and I've consumed almost an entire bottle of Ibuprofen. Totally, totally worth it though! I haven't had that much fun goofing around in a looooong time. Here's a clip that Steve captured on his cell phone. Click on the image below to view it.
Grace had a blast at the birthday party on Friday. She loved getting her hair and nails done, and was the first one out on the floor dancing when they turned on the radio. Seeing her in these pictures reminded me a lot of myself. Always the shortest in the group, and always best friends with the tallest.
