a free few hours...

we had a few hours last week with nothing planned...WHAT...nothing planned? YUP! So, we headed to Atlantis with our family membership cards in hand...when you have 4 kids...every trip is cheaper with some sort of membership! We went 4 times this year, sometimes only 3 of us, others all 6 of us. Either way... We basically only paid for the first trip!

We had a great time and enjoyed the aquaruim. A few days later, Sarah & I enjoyed a sleepover at the aquarium with the girl scouts! It was really a wonderful experience!!!

 

 

 

              

King of the Throne!

King of (on) the throne!

Whoo-hoo...after buying diapers for almost 10 years...after CHANGING DIRTY DIAPERS for almost 10 years... Andy~Pie is potty trained!!!!  2 & 1/2 years old & so excited!!!

Yet...kind of sad...not about the dirty diapers...but because this was the final baby stage for him...for us. He speaks like a kid, he acts like a kid, he pretends to read books, he clears his plate from the kitchen table, he drifts off to sleep on his own after story time. He feeds himself and can play by himself or with others and is already pretend playing. He is so animated, he has funny voices and funny faces. He is always asking us to "watch this"or telling us "I can do this", "I don't need help".

Our last little one.... growing into a big boy  :(

PS...even at 9, 7, 5 & 2 1/2...they are still our 4 Little Ones...they always will be!

Rachel turns 7!!! Ahhh!

 I can hardly believe it! Rachel is 7! I mean it makes sense...2 younger brother who are getting bigger, seeing her play and help care for them in such a mommy way, seeing her curled on the couch reading chapter books, showering herself no longer wanting to take bubble baths, having her no longer want to wear dresses but shorts or pants instead... she is growing up!!! (Picture me crying here!)

Rachel just 3 pounds when she was born almost 10 weeks premature. So little and fragile...now 7 years old and beautiful! I mean really beautiful, both inside and out! She is super sweet and kind, she is funny and makes us all smile each day & she is smart...she is so smart! Oh, we all just adore her so very much!

So this year...her birthday seem to last about a week...how awesome for any kid! :)

On her birthday, she asked for a bike to be her gift, and asked to go to Friendly's for dinner, and have her soon - to-be new cousin sleep over. Done!

A few days later, she invited a few of her closest "girlies" to the movies, then home for pizza and create your own ice cream sundaes (Then trampoline jump-giggle fest). She had a great time with great and adorable friends!

  

 

The next day, Rachel's very cool aunt took her to a trapeze center in NYC for their first Trapeze lessons! Yeah...Aunt Kerry...she's cool like that! Last year, she took Rachel rock climbing! I always tell people...never under-estimate Rachel's "little-ness"...she is super strong!  Here a few pics of them trapezing (is that spelled/written correctly?) Wish I had actually been there to see it in person...or try it!!! LOL

They were both naturals (as told by the instructors) toes pointed and strong legs! Go girls!!!

Lastly, we held a family bbq dinner for Rachel to celebrate with her loved ones. I, unfortunately was hosting...and only took 3 pics the entire night. Brittany took a bunch of photos (I saw when offloading pics) but she forgot to throw the camera into auto mode, and every image is so over-exposed that every picture looks like heaven and ghosts! :)  Everyone seemed to have a good time, pool was open, drinks were had and much food was eaten!                            

Rachel asked for a Justin Beiber Ice cream cake (with cupcakes on top) as her cake this year. Worst cake I have ever made since it is near impossible to make an ice cream cake in July...It was melting before I even put the candles on and we started singing!!! But, Justin Beiber was on an ice cream cake, and there were cupcakes on it, too! Hehe! 

Happy 7th Birthday sweet Rachel! XOXO

The tooth fairy...and all other magical tales we tell our little ones about...

Sarah is 9... (& a 1/2 as she would correct me!). She recently had her soon to be new cousin sleep over. She lost one of her molars and apparently when discussing this with her cousin, this cousin advised her that there is no such thing as a tooth fairy. That is all Sarah needed to hear.  She questioned me about it over and over...in front of her little brothers and sisters, so of course I told her it is real, although I was sure some people did not believe, maybe this cousin and her family did not. 


The next evening, she googled it, after carefully inspecting the note the tooth fairy had left to see if any of the handwriting matched Dave's or my mine. She went to ASK.com and there she found all sorts of question and answers, all basically saying that it is not real, and that the Easter Bunny, Leprechauns and Santa are also not real. 


Today, we sat down to have the conversation about all these magical characters. I was not prepared & completely afraid of saying something wrong. I am so super lucky that she is super smart & super mature to have completely understood the entire explanation. 


We ended the conversation with her realizing that Mommy & Daddy were the ones who really did give the big gift each year at Christmas and the ones who hide all the eggs, and stuff them...and that it's pretty awesome of us!!!  :)

hahahah....Chris!

Christopher said the funniest thing today ...

ready for a laugh?

"Daddy, I have peas and noodles in my feet."

Hehe..he cracks us up!!!

Weekend of Birthday celebrations!

This past weeked was an absolutely beautiful weekend spent with absolutely lovely family members!

Saturday we celebrated the first birthday of Little Miss Lily! Lily is super adoreable and is already super smart and an amazing "athlete" following in her parents footsteps! She started walking well before her first birthday and will soon be jogging the beach boardwalk with Mom and surfing the waves with Dad!

Her parents, our cousins, threw her a beautiful first birthday where the theme was Fun, Family & Friends!! The kids splashed on the slip'n'slide and jumped in a few kiddie pools! The BBQ was delicious...and then of course Mom...aka "Martha stewart" made the most beautiful deserts...only the best for her Lily-pie!

                                     

On Sunday, we celebrated my sister, Jessica's birthday! This was a special one! It was her first surprise birthday celebration, thrown by her amazing fiance, in their new home!!! It was also their first time hosting a pool party...(it was nice lying back nad not being the host of the pool party this time..hehe!)

The kids had a blast in teh pool and got to meet their soon to be new cousins! They all got along so well! 

                   


           

 I do beleive she had a great time with her friends and family who love her so very much:

    

And then there were gifts...

               

                                                            All grown up gifts....                       Still young at heart gifts!

Happy Birthday Lily & Jessica!!!

Monster Mini Golf Party....ooooohhhooohhh....

So the kids get to enjoy a kids birthday party when they turn 5! We don't do a big all out party each year for 4 kids...(yikes!), but when they turn 5 , they choose what type of party they want, and get to invite 10 friends. (of course, with siblings, we had 21 kids there! ) Chris chose Monster Mini Golf, an indoor -glow int he dark facility. It was a blast, the colors and art were fantastic. The kids were all smiling and seemed to all have fun!  Here 's a little look:

  

 

               

Chris Graduates Pre-K!

 

All about Chris these past few days (posts)! Birthday, Birthday party, Pre-K moving up ceremony...

He did it, he completed Pre-K, at the same school the girls attended pre-k, and the same school where he will attend elementary school. He made many friends, he loved his teachers and he LEARNED sooo very much! I can not believe how far he came this year! We are so very proud of him!

It was wonderful to hear from his teachers that he was a delightful, loving little boy in school and was always kind to his classmates. That he also always smiled...each and every day!

 The moving up ceremony was beyond adorable and of course, I got a little choked up

 Can't believe he will be on a bus and off to Kindergarten in September!