Christmas 2011

Well... it's December 26th. Does anyone else out there think that December 26th is one of the strangest days of the year? I mean, for the past month, I've barely had time to go to the bathroom! We're all running around like crazy people trying to get the shopping done, decorating the house, planning the meals, wrapping the gifts, etc. etc. etc. And now... it's done! And I'm left wondering, where did the last month go?!

Nicholas had an extremely busy but wonderful Christmas. We spent a lot of time with family, and Santa was VERY good to him. He got a very cool ride-on fire truck complete with flashing lights, siren, and working CB radio. And, of course, the one thing he asked Santa for - walkie talkies. I think this year he was a little overwhelmed by the presents, so he had some trouble focusing on what he got. You know the scene in A Christmas Story when the kids get the socks and they literally toss them over their heads and dive under the tree for the next gift? That's pretty much what it looked like - no matter what the gift was. I guess this is just another charming aspect of three-year-old behavior. Yeeesh. Tomorrow is our first day with no plans, so it will be nice for him to have some time at home to play with all of his new goodies.

As usual, the holidays for me bring extreme emotion. (Although these days, I get emotional when the wind blows just right...) Every night, after we read a story, Nicholas and I sit in his rocking chair in his room, in the dark. It only lasts a few minutes, but it's one of my favorite times of the day. We usually review all of the things we did that day, and talk about our plans for the next day. On Christmas night, I sat in the dark with this beautiful boy on my lap and I just started crying. I found myself closing my eyes, burying my face in his fuzzy little head and whispering, "Thank you, thank you, thank you." He is the most wonderful gift, and I feel so lucky to have him. Sometimes I get so frazzled or frustrated or overwhelmed by life that I forget to say thank you to whoever was in charge of getting him here (and let's face it... it took a lot of people!)

I keep hearing Charlie Brown crying out, "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!" Well... I think I do. For me, it's about family. It's about believing in something bigger than myself. It's about believing in magic and miracles and all that "stuff" that seems so silly at any other time of year except Christmastime. So, here's to all of the miracles in life - the big and the small. And to all of my family - God-given or chosen. Merry Christmas, and may we all have a happy and prosperous 2012.

Oh Christmas Tree

So, we made our yearly pilgrimage to the tree farm to cut down our Christmas tree last weekend. This place is somethin' else. It is serious old school, complete with giant foam snowman circa 1952 and Christmas carols blasting from speakers mounted in the rows of trees. Todd and I were searching tirelessly for the perfect tree, but Nicholas was not interested. He was more fascinated with how his voice echoed in the field, so he spent most of the time making this ridiculous screeching noise - I'm sure the families looking for warm holiday memories found him very charming.

We did in fact find the perfect tree and Todd and Nicholas did their manly duty and cut the puppy down. Nicholas helped Todd wheel it down the hill, and played in the car while Todd tied it to the roof. My part in the day consisted of trying to get a few decent pictures. Very exciting stuff.

Nicholas is getting more excited about Santa every day. He keeps asking me, "Is it Christmastime yet?" His newest thing is, he wants to use my father-in-law's telescope to see if he can find Santa at the North Pole. And last week, he went up to the chimney at my parents' house and started yelling, "Santa! Are you in there?" I think because we don't have a fireplace, he's a little confused. We had to explain to him that Santa doesn't actually live inside the chimney. This kid just never stops making us laugh lately.

Hope all of you are enjoying the hustle and bustle of the season. I'm thinking of starting a campaign for Christmas vacation to be the week before Christmas, not after. There's just not enough hours in the day to get all the shopping done AND work full time AND take care of a 3-year-old. On that note - it's late. I'm off to bed.

Thanksgiving 2011

I know... it took me a long time to get these pictures posted, but to say the last few weeks have been chaotic is a major understatement. The Farmington Valley took a major hit during the storm and we are still dealing with the consequences at school. Everything that usually gets done before Thanksgiving... well... didn't. So, here I am sitting in front of the Christmas tree blogging about Thanksgiving. Good grief.

Thanksgiving was great -Nicholas looked adorable and we had a great day with our families. As usual, we stuffed ourselves silly, and a great day was had by all. Nicholas even made sure the donkeys got a special Thanksgiving treat! He's getting very brave about feeding them now. Gobble gobble!

Who knows - maybe I'll even get some Christmas pictures up this month. We have lots of fun activities planned to get ready for the big day! Nicholas is totally into the whole Santa scene this year. It will surely be a fun month!

A Halloween to Remember

Well... this was definitely a Halloween that we won't soon forget. We are SO lucky because by some miracle...we have electricity! This storm was ridiculous, and it left our yard looking like a bomb had gone off. We lost several large branches off the trees, and our phone line was hanging in the road. It's still connected though! And we have heat, we have the priviledge of taking a warm shower each morning, and we have a working stove for hot meals. These are things we typically take for granted... but not this week.

We've had lots of company over the past two days, which has actually been lots of fun for us. So tonight... we decided to go all out and throw an impromptu Halloween party. We had 26 people for dinner. Everyone brought their costumes and after dinner, all the kids hit the streets. This was Nicholas's first experience with trick-or-treating, so it was really special to share it with so many loved ones. Nicholas did a great job trick-or-treating. I have to say, it was a little emotional for me to see him so bravely walking up to the houses and yelling "Trick or Treat!" I was so proud of my little dude.

As you can see, he was The Cat in the Hat, and Todd and I were Thing 1 and Thing 2. Unfortunately, I think this will be the last year that Mommy and Daddy get to pick the costume theme. He was definitely interested in other kids' costumes this year. He liked the ones with the muscles built in! He said, "I think I'd like to have one of those!" He cracks me up.

He ate lots of junk and had the obligatory post-sugar crash tonight before bed. He's sleeping now... we shant be far behind! Happy Halloween everyone!

Three's A Charm

It's hard to believe that three years ago tonight, Todd and I were sitting in the NICU asking for a nurse's permission to hold our tiny little boy. And now, he is this adorable, healthy, TALL, intelligent, hilarious, stubborn, lovable little three-year-old. It's hard to even remember what life was like before he got here.

On Sunday, we had Nicholas's first little kids' party. It was so much fun watching him play with all of his friends. He was more than a little excited, and then there was the sugar... I'm pretty sure if there was a contest for how much candy a person could cram into their mouth at once, my kid would win the blue ribbon. Whoa.

Round two came Tuesday. I took the day off from work to spend with him on his birthday, and the three of us had the best day. Nicholas's big gift was a bouncy house. Yup, Todd and I are officially the best parents ever. He was so excited. As he was jumping, he said, "I wanna do this every day!!" It was great. We asked him if he wanted to go out to lunch, and he said, "I want to go to Friendly's." I know, just like the commercial.

That night, we had the family over for dinner and cake. It was such a great night. He was surrounded by people who love him, and what's a better gift than that? This is a very lucky kid. Happy 3rd Birthday, Monkey! We love you more and more every single day.

Apples and Pumpkins and Fairs, Oh My!

What a weekend! We have been super busy with some fine fall family fun. Every year we go apple and pumpkin picking with Todd's brother and his family, which is something I always look forward to. We chose the weekend months ago, not realizing that we'd hit the jackpot and choose the best possible weekend weatherwise. The only problem is, everyone else had the same idea - the place was absolutely mobbed! But we weren't about to let the long lines and crowded conditions dampen our spirits!

We're famous for walking 2 miles into the pumpkin patch and choosing the heaviest pumpkins, forgetting that we have to haul the things all the way back. This year was no exception. On top of our carving pumpkin, I bought 30 pounds worth of sugar pumpkins for Nicholas's birthday party - my hands were numb by the time I got to the checkout!

I think that Nicholas enjoys the apple picking even more than the pumpkin patch. I think it's because he likes to sample the merchandise. I'm not sure they made any money off of us this year. Everytime I turned around, that boy had another apple shoved in his mouth. Oh well, I suppose it could be worse - at least it's fruit!

Everyone came back to our house for lunch, and each of the kids made their own apple pie. It was so much fun to watch them all roll out the dough and make a total mess! Nicholas made his very own pie, using his play dough rolling pin to roll out the crust. (Yes, Mom, I washed it first.) He actually made a really good pie - I was letting the kids use cookie cutters to put a shape on top, and he decided to just jam the heart shaped cookie cutter right into the top of his pie, and it actually came out really nice! And he ate it with a smile.

We ended the day with a late nap and a trip to the Apple Harvest fireworks. We've attempted fireworks before, but he's never been able to make it, on account of it's usually WAY past his bedtime. So, these were officially Nicholas's first fireworks. We gave him his tubby, put him in his jammies, wrapped him in a blanket and loaded him into the "bump bump." (That's Nicholas's codename for the wagon.) I think I spent more time looking at him than I did the fireworks! It's so amazing watching him experience things for the first time. He was yelling at the top of his lungs "WHOA!!" and "WOW! RED!" and "POPCORN!" for the ones that make that crackling sound at the end. It was hilarious. He was so loud, we actually had to "shush" him. Yes, fireworks are a hit with the monkey. On the way home he asked, "Can I see them again?"

Today, we went to the fair with my friend Jill and her two kids to ride the rides. Todd and I took him on Friday night, and he couldn't wait to go again. This time, though, I had my camera! He especially loved the motorcycles and the choo choo train. Seeing that big smile coming around the corner, and the wave I got when he went by made me just melt. It's funny how sometimes the joys of parenthood sneak up on me at the craziest times. Who would've thought putting him on a silly fair ride would make me love him even more. I'm tellin' ya, parenthood his some ride! (pun intended.)

I wonder what we'll do tomorrow? :)

Run Nicholas Run!

We spent the morning downtown at the Apple Harvest Road Race. Todd and I ran the 5 mile race, which I have to say, could've been less hilly... Anyway, the best part of the morning was the Little Fritter Run! Nicholas ran the length of the town green in front of a cheering crowd. He ran his little heart out, and then proceeded to wipe out right before the finish line. But did my little dude sit in the road and cry? NO WAY!! He got his little buns up and finished the race - without a tear shed. What a trooper.

We went with my cousins Mike and Debbie and their daughter Jenna who is the same age as Nicholas. I had this vision of them running hand-in-hand down the street together, but no dice. There were so many kids, they split the race by boy/girl. Major bummer.

So...not the perfect Kodak moment I was picturing, but still a great time. The kids got really cool medals and tee shirts, and even got their own bibs - they were all number 1 - so darned cute. We finished off the morning with a bag of apple fritters, yummy! Another great fall day spent with people we love. It just doesn't get any better than that!

Remembering

It's hard to find just the right words to express what I'm feeling this weekend. As I sit in front of the television tonight, It's like I'm being transported back 10 years, and I'm remembering the feelings as if it was yesterday.

September 11th is surely my generation's "Where were you" moment. Todd has vivid memories of his grandmother telling him about where she was when Pearl Harbor was attacked. I remember my parents talking to my sister and I when we were kids about where they were when JFK was assassinated. Unfortunately, Todd and I will be having similar conversations with Nicholas one day when we share with him our memories of September 11, 2001. I don't even want my mind to wander to imagine what kind of conversations Nicholas might be having with his own children someday...

Everyone has a story to share when the topic arises. I was teaching in Southington and was handed a memo written by my principal. It made absolutely no sense to me, so I sent my para to find a television. The look on her face when she returned said it all. I remember walking over to the window. It was an absolutely beautiful day. I remember looking up into the sky and feeling afraid, in a way that I'd never felt before. I somehow expected to see something up there... I don't even know what. I remember Todd rushing to school in his uniform, headed toward the New York border on the ambulance to help with all the casualties... which eerily never came. And then, I remember the countless hours spent in front of the television over the following weeks, just trying to make sense of it all.

It's amazing to me to think about how much has changed since then. In 2001, Todd and I both had different jobs, Tigua was still a puppy, and Nicholas was just a twinkle in our eyes. As horrific as all of this was to experience, it did teach me some important lessons. It made me appreciate all of the wonderful gifts in my life. It helped me to prioritize my life, and to realize what is important, and what really matters - people, family and friends, and special moments- not things. I feel lucky to have been raised in a family that never felt funny about expressing our love for one another. Not a phone conversation has occurred that hasn't ended with "I love you." Not a visit has ended without a hug and a kiss. So, on this 10th anniversary, let me say, "I love you," so all of the special people in my life. You are the most important part of me, and I appreciate every single one of you. May the rest of our weekend, and all the time after, for that matter, be peaceful.

Busy Busy Busy

Whew! What a week! First of all, we survived the storm, and luckily we never lost power. We did, however, lose a large branch off the maple tree in the back yard which made quite a mess. We're also now left with a closet full of canned goods and preservative-filled foods in the basement, but compared to what a lot of other people went through, we were really very lucky.

We spent the night before the storm at the Balloon Festival. Nicholas has this thing for hot air balloons, I'm not sure where it came from. He calls them hot balloons. :) We see them flying over the house every now and again and he gets so excited, so you can imagine how excited he got when there were about 20 of them in one place! The night always ends with an amazing fireworks display, and we tried to make it through - they would have been Nicholas's first fireworks. But when 9:45 rolled around, and they hadn't started yet... we gave up. We did manage to see a couple from the car on the way home, but he was not impressed - it was just way too late for him. Maybe next year...

School started a couple of days later than expected because of the storm, but nevertheless, my class is looking very promising. The kids made a very good first impression, and I'm hoping for a great year ahead. Nicholas and Todd fell right back into their old routine, and the two of them are like two peas in a pod again. But this weekend was all mine! Todd worked days, so I got some nice alone time with the monkey. I took him on a hay ride at an apple orchard on Saturday, and we had a GREAT time! We visited with the farm animals, picked and ate lots of fruit, and even bought our mums. It's funny how in just one week, the shift from summer to fall can happen- just like that.

As tough as it is to get back into the school routine, I have to admit that Fall is my favorite season. I'm already thinking about Nicholas's birthday and planning our Halloween costumes. I can't help myself! For goodness sake - I took my kid on a hayride to pick apples on September 2nd on an 80 degree day! I draw the line on the pumpkin, though. We won't get that until October 1st. I have to have some standards...

Happy September everyone!

Already??????

I can't believe it's time to go back already. (Sigh.......) This year, I decided to write my end-of-summer blog post the night before "New Year's Eve" so I can actually see the screen when I'm typing. Last year, I was a complete blubbering idiot and nearly shorted out the laptop! I can't help it - this time of year forces me to look back at how much has changed over the past year, all the while looking ahead and wondering about how much more will change in the year ahead. It's hard not to become emotional.

Although there are no tears tonight, I can feel the emotions creeping into everything I'm doing. Everything Nicholas says seems just a little bit funnier, I find myself looking at him more often and marveling at how beautiful he is, and my hugs are lasting just a little bit longer now.

What a summer we've had. I cannot believe how much he has grown - physically and otherwise. Maybe it's the cute little undies he's sporting now, but those skinny little legs seem to go on forever! He is so tall, and so incredibly handsome. He is certainly not a baby anymore, although in my eyes... he'll always be that little 5 lb bundle I held in my arms.

And the things that are coming out of his mouth are priceless! I realize that I haven't been great about blogging this summer, but I have been keeping a list of hysterical things he's been saying lately. Some of them are obviously things he's heard from us (some we are proud to admit, others... not so much.) Other things he says are just classic 2-year-old hilarity. I made a list below of some of my favorites. To all of my fellow teachers out there...hold on tight. Here we go again!

Kids Say The Darndest Things... Summer 2011

• "I need to check my email."
• "I don't like clowns. They're really creepy."
• "I'm a construction man. I work in the dirt."
• "I'm into nuggets, y'all!"
• "Mom, I wanna rock out!"
• "I like this juice. It makes me healthy."
• Kristin: "Nicholas, don't let go of your balloon!" Nicholas: "It's OK. An airplane can get it and bring it back to me."
• "Let's jam!"
• "That wasn't a toot, Mom. I'm just making my butt talk."
• Kristin: "Nicholas, do you have to use the potty?" Nicholas: "No. I'm doing the salsa."
• "Mommy, I don't feel good. I think I have to go to the dentist."
• "Touch my boobs! Touch 'em!"

We are so proud... :)