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« Previous EntriesWinter Break 2012
Saturday, February 25th, 2012Dear NHL,
This winter break seemed to go pretty quickly. Daddy was home on Monday and did something special with the two of you while I worked on laundry. Man are those bunk beds a pain to put clean sheets onto. Your bed on top was quite the workout in the scheme of things.
Early Tuesday evening, you mentioned that you had a letter for me. You had forgotten that there was a note in your bag from your friend’s mother. As I read the note, she asked me to get back to her about doing something over break. I wrote her back that night and had a reply the next morning. We eventually decided to meet up at the library for an afternoon.
It was so nice to see you smiling, happy, and playing with a friend. The two of you had a lot in common since you are both new to the school. It seems like this factor has made the two of you watch out for the other. Then, I found out what a small world it truly is. I had actually met your friend’s mother years ago when I was teaching. She recalled me being pregnant at the time and then looked and saw how big your little brother is.
I do hope that we will be able to get together with your friend, his sister, and mother again. They are such a nice family and watching you on Thursday made my heart so happy.
Love,
Mommy
Apple Picking Field Trip
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011Living in New York State, we are lucky that we have a lot of apple orchards around us. Not only can we get fresh apples during the right season, but in many instances we can go and pick our own. Last year, JSL’s school was supposed to go on a trip. Thanks to the weather, it was canceled. This year, we hoped that the weather would behave and the kids would be able to go apple picking at Indian Ladder Farms.
When we got up Wednesday morning, the fog was thick and it was pretty wet outside. A light drizzle was in the air, but nothing too bad. Thanks to this, the ground was not very nice, but it could have been a lot worse. JSL wore his boots and was all set to go.
I had worried that we may arrive late since we had to travel a bit after dropping NHL off to school, but we made it in time and were able to wait with the other kids and families there for the fun morning. While we were waiting for everyone else to arrive, we decided to buy a bag to pick some extra apples for home.
The main reason we opted to do this is thanks to the selection that would be picked today. The Jonagold are a favorite and we hoped to find some of these to share with TechyDad and NHL.
The little guy was very excited to get into the fields to pick some apples. We quickly realized that he was smart to keep his hood up. Thanks to the damp morning, you were rained on as you pulled the apples off the branches. Not to worry though, JSL thought this was pretty funny and got into the apple picking.
Some of the trees were not in the best of shape. I’m not sure if this is because they were already picked over, or if Hurricane Irene had something to do with it. JSL and I still managed to move a few rows into the trees and found lots of apples to take home.
Going alone with the little guy was special. He was so proud to pick apples on his own and put them into our big bag. At one point, I made sure to stop him for a photo with an apple that he had plucked off a tree.
Before too long, our bag was filled and it was time to head to our car.
Yes, we have a good amount of apples to hold us over until we are able to go apple picking with the entire family. The little guy was so upset that he could not lift the bag, but I told him it just meant that we did a really good job.
After moving the car, the classes took turns going on a hayride around the fields behind the big store/barn.
Even at about 10:15, it was still really foggy. The fog lifting off over the mountains was gorgeous. Here’s a quick shot I was able to snag:
Then, we had snacks under a tent – JSL enjoyed the donuts that the nursery school brought (I promised to buy cider donuts to take home).
The kids were given money to buy food to feed the animals. I wish I had gotten a shot of JSL – he was brave and tried it, but I was helping him with the machine. The goats ate it too quickly.
Of course, there were even more animals down a bit from the first group.
Then, it was time to say goodbye to everyone from nursery school and head into the Indian Ladder Farms store. Here, we picked up from cider donuts and a bread for home. Of course, JSL was able to have one of the donuts in the car since that is a tradition after going here.
Despite the rain that greeted us in the morning, we had a fantastic time at the apple picking location. I know that JSL and I will have fun thinking of ways to use all of the apples we picked and heading back with the rest of our family to get more apples soon.
Have you gone apple picking this year? If you have what are your plans for all of your apples?
Hello Four Year Old
Saturday, May 14th, 2011Dear JSL,
As much as I begged you not to turn four, you have gone ahead and continued to grow up before my eyes. My baby is not a baby anymore and it is hard to imagine. It seems like you were born just yesterday and looked like this curled up in your Boppy.
Now you are a four year old little boy determined to figure out everything before you. You want to know why, what, how, and everything in between. Of course, you always want to do things on your own. This year you have grown up and done so much. Here is a look at your third year.
To celebrate turning three, we took you to Build a Bear to make your first special friend. You picked out a puppy and HAD to have him be Buzz Lightyear. (May 2010)
June is the month for weddings. Thanks to Cousin R getting married, you went to your first ever wedding. You were quite the party animal and loved dancing until we pulled you away to go to sleep for the night. (June 2010)
On the 4th of July, we took you to see your first movie at the theater. As a huge Buzz Lightyear fan, it was only fitting that Toy Story 3 marked this huge milestone. After all of the excitement you took what would become a very rare nap. (July 2010)
Your first ever nights away from home came in August when Mommy and Daddy both went to NYC for BlogHer. This was when you learned the word swag and met your recent best friend Eggbert – not seen below. (August 2010)
Your first time to school was met with a little bit of fear. Looking back, it is amazing to see how far you have come and how excited you get going to school these days. I will admit that I love my alone time, but I miss you when at school. The house is just too quiet. (September 2010)
Thank goodness you stayed healthy for Halloween this year. You were so happy to bounce like a Tigger and let everyone know you could act the part. (October 2010)
Much to my surprise, you loved getting homework. Whether it was for speech, or a project you really got into it. For Thanksgiving, you made a poster to bring in to share with your friends at school. You were so excited to bring it in all by yourself. (November 2010)
When it was time for your Chanukah party at school, Mimi and I went to watch you sing and dance. Of course, the surprise was on us when you and the rest of the boys stood there during the festivities. There must have been a pact signed by all of you not to do anything. It was still really cute to watch. (December 2010)
There was a LOT of snow in January. We spent a lot of time digging out, but you also liked to play out in the cold. One of your favorite activities was the big brother sleigh ride. (January 2011)
Most of February was spent listening to you ask if we were going to Disney World. You knew that we were heading there for a conference, but you did not understand why we had to wait. I have to admit, I could not get that part either. To pass the time, we wore our Mickey ears and pretended to go to Disney to visit the characters and rides. (February 2011)
When we finally made it to Disney World, you were a different kiddo. You loved heading over to the characters and wanted to try any ride you could go on. So many happy memories from our family time together. (March 2011)
You were home a lot in April, thanks to Passover. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out what you would eat, after a hunger strike. I think your face below shows my feelings for much of the events of the month. (April 2011)
Please excuse me if I cry today. It is just hard to believe that my little Pookaloo is now four years old. I love watching you grow up before my eyes and become a true personality plus. 
No matter how old you get, you will always be my baby boy. I love you my Super JSL Buzz Lightyear. Happy 4th birthday sweetie and here is to many more happy and wonderful memories ahead.
Love,
Mommy
Past B-day posts to JSL:
- Goodbye to my last 2 year old
- My little guy is 2 today
- My baby is 1
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Mother’s Day 2011 Celebration At Nursery School
Saturday, May 7th, 2011Dear JSL,
Yesterday, I was invited to come to your Mother’s Day celebration at school. Before the celebration, there was another event. When that was over, there was time to play outside. I asked you to pose by the tree since it was so beautiful outside. You agreed, but did not really want to smile.
Then, it was time to head inside. Your classroom was decorated for us when we walked into the room. All of the special guests had seats behind the kids at the table. It was so cute and wonderful. I went up to get us something for a snack and you had fun sharing them with me.
Once all of the guests had arrived, your entire class sang us a Mom Song. I got it on video and will cherish it forever. Then, you got the presents that you made. You were so proud of your creation.
Of course, I have to laugh now. You have taken my gift and claimed what you want to keep in it. Thank you JSL for making yesterday such a fun and special day.
Love,
Mommy
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The Mom Song Mommy Moment
Monday, April 25th, 2011I recently made a big decision in my life. It was time to think about my family and put them first. The item is too fresh to really explain right now, but it was the right thing to do for my entire family.
Of course, this made me think about a song that Susan Egan and Georgia Stitt performed for us at the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. Here is my video of them performing it:
This song is perfect with Mother’s Day coming up and reminds me that even when the kids may make me want to rip my hair out, I know I am lucky to be home with them.
Thank you Susan and Georgia for helping me to smile and relive those magical memories from a month ago. I really needed this right now and hope it will make others laugh and smile this Monday morning.
Disclosure: Although we paid for our own trip to Disney World, we were given an incredible deal thanks to Disney. The sweet conference fee included 3 nights at the Grand Floridian, several meals for the entire family, 7 day park hoppers for everyone, conference/meals for me and some other items to take home. Also note that Disney never asked us to blog about this event. As a long time Disney fan, it is my pleasure to share my experiences from the event.
Date To See Rio With My Little Kiddo
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
The Balancing Act of Being a Mom
Friday, February 11th, 2011Thursday morning, I was sitting at my computer trying to figure out a game plan to get work done. Yes, I said work. You see, I am a blogger, freelance writer, and stay at home mother. My responsibilities never seem to end. I love what I do, but there are days that things do seem a bit overwhelming.
As I was making a list of items to tackle over the next few weeks, something happened. I saw a Tweet from Amy (@ResourcefulMom) that caught my eye. She wrote about something that really hit me to my core. The title of her post is: Moms, When Do You Get a Break?
Head on over to read the points that Amy makes, along with some very interesting comments. It really made me think. Could I afford to take a real break? I’m not sure about that. Yes, I make time every so often to listen to a book while knitting. Still, I am always thinking about what I should be doing and making lists in my mind.
It really is a tricky balancing act as a mother, or father for that matter. We all have to multi-task, put others ahead of us, learn to say no, be an advocate for our children . . . and the list goes on. Of course, I wish people would understand that many stay-at-home parents also work in our homes. We sneak in any possible moment to write, network, call a contact, or go on Skype for a virtual meeting. Times have changed and so have the roles of parents.
So my question to you this week:
If you were able to have a break, what would you do for you during that time?
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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #138
Winter Fun at the Library
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
Another Snow Day in PJs – January 2011
Wednesday, January 19th, 2011
The no dance or sing Chanukah party
Saturday, December 11th, 2010Dear JSL,
On Wednesday your school had their Chanukah party. Mimi came with me to watch the singing and dancing. I figured you would love to have her there, and she loves to watch you entertain. When we arrived, the room was all decorated for Chanukah. It was very festive and we sat down to wait for all of you to arrive.
When you came in, I noticed that you would not look up. Then as everyone began to dance and sing – it became even more funny. Here is what you were doing most of the time.
There are five girls and four boys in your class. It seems that the four of you must have talked with one another. Not one of the boys sang or danced the entire time. I took a video and can not wait to show it to you years from now.
When the group singing was over, it was time to grab a snack. They had potato latkes, mini donuts, and some fruit. I was so happy you actually ate some of the potato latkes when Mimi asked you to.
I am still left a bit confused. My little boy that loves to put on shows when we go near and far, refused to perform at this event. Where did this sudden shyness come from at nursery school? I can not wait to see what happens next time you have a show.
Love,
Mommy
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