Winter Concert!

The kiddos had their winter concerts at school today, and they did fantastic! And they looked good doing it, too!

I recorded all their songs and have uploaded them into one convenient playlist, for anyone who feels like watching. It's important to note, though, that Niko had a speaking role in the Kwanzaa song (#6 on the list). He just found out on Monday that he'd been selected to speak, and he seemed fine with it until this morning... and then he was very, very nervous! You'll notice that Maya is happy as can be to be up on stage, but Niko looks Very Serious in his songs. Well, he was super nervous. He can be so shy, and he just doesn't like the limelight at ALL (unlike his sister, haha). But... HE DID IT! He was so massively relieved tonight, now that it's over and done. And Gus and I were relieved, too, since we feared he might flat out refuse to do it once he saw the hundreds of people in the audience. We will all sleep well tonight, haha!

A Weekend of Holiday Fun!

Brace yourself-- picture time!

We had a jam-packed weekend. TOO jam-packed... I will fully admit that I am tired and cranky! Everything was back-to-back-to-back. And I'm more of an introvert to begin with, so I just feel really drained. Is it weird that I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning for just a little bit of alone time??

Anyway... We kicked off our weekend with a Bingo Night and Holiday Shop event at the kids' school. That's always fun... NOT! Niko never wins, and he gets very bitter (and vocal) about it. It didn't help that Maya actually won once this time and got to choose a prize. She selected a Webkinz frog that she promptly named Hermit. Yes, Hermit the Frog. NOT Kermit. Hermit. haha! Niko was really upset, but Maya quickly pointed out that he was Hermit's uncle. She even let Niko sleep with Hermit in his bed last night. So he's gotten over it alright, it seems. The kids also shopped for me and Gus, and we actually opened our gifts this morning-- a "#1 Dad" back scratcher for Gus ("He's gonna think it's a little rake! But it's a BACK SCRATCHER!" -Maya) and a lovely bracelet Niko picked out for me.

So Friday was a later-than-usual night for the kids, and then Niko had basketball at 9am on Saturday. We made it. He did great, although he DID call a drinking fountain a "bubbler," causing me to crack up. He's becoming a Massachusetts kid!

Practice ended at 10am, which was also the time that the Christmas event at our local hardware store began. So we zipped home, changed, and drove over. Our neighbors (Gus' coworker and his family) were there, so we sat with them. The kids all made these sock snowmen that were really cute. And then SANTA CAME! Niko is convinced that THIS Santa is the real deal. He brought them presents, of course, and they got lots of opportunities to sit with and talk to him. :)

After that, it was time for lunch, and a long-overdue shower for me (sorry, world!). And then back out to the Cub Scout holiday pack meeting. They handed our awards, then we all sang Christmas carols together:

Then all the scouts got to decorate (and eat) cookies. Many, many cookies!

And then Santa came!! He delivered their Pinewood Derby kits!

When the meeting was over, most people chose to go Christmas caroling in a neighborhood nearby. There is a family there who used to be very involved in the pack, but the dad has cancer and is very, very sick. His wife, actually, is Maya's Daisy troop leader. But the plan was to carol at his house specifically, which we did. And the family seemed to like it, though it was heartbreaking to see someone so sick, and know that his youngest is the same age as Maya. :(

Anyway, after that, we went home and had dinner... then I left again! I went out with my friend Caryn and a few of her other close friends to celebrate her college graduation! She didn't make it through the first time, so she started taking classes again two years ago. With kids and everything. And she DID it! I am so proud of her (and me, too, for helping to edit all her papers, hehe!).

Fast forward to this morning... We were up and out of the house before lunchtime to make gingerbread houses at Caryn's house. When we first moved here, this was our very first playdate-- less than a week after we arrived! It's become an annual tradition. (Check out 2011, 2012, and 2013) The kids did awesome, though. They are all getting so big that very little direction is needed. So us moms mostly sat around talking and drinking mimosas. It wasn't bad!

At around 2, though, I had to gather the kids up and head home. Because I had a cookie swap at Miranda's house at 3, which ended up being a lot of fun (with some really great cookies!)! I got home just before dinner and was ready to collapse. Thank goodness Gus cooked dinner tonight, because I was just wiped out. And really cranky. I think I'm just partied out. And I am stressed, thinking about all the packing I need to do over the next week. Because California will be here before we know it, and we already have so many obligations when we are there--and so many things we need to remember to pack! But it will be done. I just need a good night's sleep first. :)

Introducing Cooper!!

Our family gained another member today! Grant and Melissa welcomed their third baby, little Cooper Kristophen, early this morning. His middle name is a combination of my mom's (Kristen) and Melissa's dad's (Stephen). Anyway, I am very excited to meet my newest nephew in just two weeks, and the kids are beside themselves to meet their new cousin (and play with the bigger ones, too). I have hardly any pictures, since I had to coerce my brother into sending me them, but I imagine that will change over the next few days.

Really, though, it was a perfect day for the exciting news. I woke up just before 7, as usual, and got an email on my phone saying that the schools were on a two hour delay because of treacherous road conditions. Just then, my mom called to say that Melissa had gone to the hospital late last night and that the baby was on his way. And it had already been a while, so I knew he'd arrive soon. And since Maya officially had NO school and Niko didn't have to get on the bus until almost 11, we were able to wait around together. It was such a nice morning, too! No rushing around like we usually do. Of course, the roads and driveways were covered in ice, and it continued to be gross all day, but we got to hear the news that little Cooper had arrived (and learn his name, which came later). Niko was so excited to go to school and tell his friends all about his new boy cousin! And later in the day, Maya made the mistake of referring to him as "New Baby" (which is what we'd been calling him). Niko was adamant about it-- "No, Maya, his name is COOPER. You need to use his name now!" haha!

Anyway, everyone is well and we are very excited to meet our new little nephew/cousin in just a few weeks. Hooray!!!

And, because I think it's fun to compare... here are the posts from when his siblings Riley and Colton were born!

Santa!

So, in an effort to not get as behind on my blogging, I am going to try and summarize the past week. December gets really crazy busy around here, and it's already flying by. Ack!

So, let's see... December 1st marked the three-year anniversary of the kids and I waking up in our new house for the first time! Really, we landed in Boston on November 30th, but it was very late and the kids were sound asleep when we got to the house. I remember that first morning-- we all (me, Gus, and my parents) woke up before the kids did, and I was so worried that they would flip out when they woke up in a completely new place. Or that they wouldn't be able to find us (remembering that this house is huge and they were only 4 and 2.5 at the time). Plus, this house has stairs, which they were not used to at ALL at the time. Now, of course, we don't even have any gates up and they fly up and down the stairs without a second thought! But back then, they were babies. It's amazing to think of how much of their lives they have now lived in Massachusetts. Maya has spent more than half of her life here! And Niko will be able to say the same shortly after he turns 8. So weird!

Anyway, that was December 1st. Two nights prior to that, on November 29th, Maya lost her second tooth! The Tooth Fairy has been busy around here! Unfortunately, it was hard to get a decent picture, especially since her adult tooth was almost completely grown in behind it already. I should say, though, that she was very brave and asked me to help her get it out. It was so loose that it was annoying her when she was eating. So I pulled it without issue. Both kids seem to prefer this method now, which is sort of funny to me. I hated having my teeth pulled when I was a kid!

In other news... our chickens starting laying eggs this week! Up until now, only Mary was laying. But then she started molting, which meant no eggs for a while. So I was actually having to buy them from the store (oh, the shame!). But suddenly, a brown egg appeared! Then a white one! And then Mary's blue-green eggs appeared again! So we went from zero to sixty! They are so pretty in the egg basket, too!

Also in there, somewhere, I took family photos for a friend of mine. We did the pictures in our yard, and I brought Maya out with me before they arrived to do a few test shots. This kid! Even in a test shot, she is so ridiculously beautiful. Inside and out! Love my baby girl!!

This Saturday (as in, yesterday) was a busy day for us. Niko had his first-ever day of basketball as part of the town rec program. It went great! He's never played before, but he had fun. And it's indoors, so it's perfect for our New England winters! I will try to take better pictures next week. I only had my small camera with me, and all the movement plus the poor gym lighting meant that 95% of the pictures were blurry. Which drove me crazy, of course!

After basketball, we spent much of the afternoon cleaning and preparing for a girls' night in I was hosting that evening. Then we had an early dinner and headed over to our town's annual Festival of Trees. We always enjoy seeing the different decorated trees and gingerbread houses, and the whole town comes out for the event. And Santa is there, too! Now, last year, Maya decided she wanted to sit with him-- the first time EITHER kid had sat with Santa since they were old enough to voice an opinion. A week or so later, Niko decided that he wanted to sit with the Santa who came to the special event at our local hardware store. And, ever since, he has maintained that the hardware store Santa is the One Real Santa, while the others are all just men in costumes. So of course, we are signed up to go to the hardware store next weekend. :) But Maya wanted to see this other Santa last night, and Niko had said he wasn't interested. BUT... he changed his mind at the last minute, and actually sat with him! I was shocked! But both kids got little gifts afterward, so I wouldn't be surprised if he does it again in the future.

Anyway... It was fun! Then we stood outside in the rain and waited for the town Christmas tree to be lit. It was very anticlimactic this year. No singing or anything... just a quick countdown and it was on! I didn't get any decent pictures because of the rain, but I did drive back over there tonight to snap a quick shot. It's only about two minutes down the road! We don't have the biggest tree, but I think it's just the cutest thing ever!

Anyway, we came home after the Festival of Trees, dried off, and then my friends started to arrive. One is a single mom, and she had nobody to watch her son, so he came and had a sleepover with Niko-- they've known each other since they were on the same t-ball team when we first moved here! So the kids had a great time with their friend, while I had fun with mine. Gus probably didn't have as much fun, but he did get to go out with friends the night before, so I think we're even. :) But really, the kids all played so nicely together, especially this morning. Here they were, making rubber band bracelets in their jammies. Because... why not? :)

After my friend came to pick him up, I helped Gus move the rest of our FOUR TONS of wood pellets into the garage. Hopefully, this will be enough to last us through the winter! But the bags are heavy (40 pounds each) and there were a lot of them. But now they are safe from the elements, so that is a good thing!

This week promises to be busy with playdates, scouts, and various holiday-related events and activities. It's the most wonderful time of the year! I am just glad to be done with my Christmas shopping. Now I just need to prepare for that big trip we have coming up... ack!

Our White Thanksgiving!

It has been nearly an ENTIRE MONTH since my last post, which is shocking! This is what happens when you're busy!

Anyway... We had our first snow of the season on November 13th. It was the most perfect snow-- just a few inches, nothing on the driveway, but it covered the grass and stuck all over the trees (that's the best part!). The kids had school that day, and it had melted by the time they got home. It was low-maintenance and very pretty!

Fast forward to this past Tuesday. It was the kids' last day of school before Thanksgiving, and they (pretty much ALL kids in town) were beside themselves because of a huge anticipated snowstorm on Wednesday. We made big plans... we were going to have cinnamon rolls for breakfast, decorate our Christmas tree, play in the snow, and drink hot cocoa. Gus was home, too, so he got to join in the fun! We started by getting the tree up:

Then, after lunch, we suited up and went out to play in the still-falling snow. It was pretty wet, but it wasn't that cold-- we had a great time!

And then there was cocoa...

In the midst of all this, we were busy with Thanksgiving dinner preparations for the next day. My friend Miranda came over with her family, and the eight of us celebrated together. It ended up being a lot of fun for everyone, especially the kids (who played in the snow with the dads while Miranda and I finished up with the food).

And that brings us to today... It snowed a little bit more overnight, but it wasn't enough to stop me from waking up at 5:30 and going Black Friday shopping with my friend Caryn! I am officially done with all of my shopping now, and I came in under budget. Woohoo! And despite it being dark and snowy, we had a lot of fun. And I was home by 10am, which left us with plenty of time for enjoying the snow and putting up the rest of the Christmas decorations!

And Maya dressed up as Rudolph. It was an excellent day!

And that is where we're at! So much more has happened, of course. Not the least of which was our shocking discovery that Cookie the chicken is, in fact, a rooster (ack!). But life in general continues to be good, and we are really getting into the Christmas spirit. Good times await us! :)

Happy Halloween!

We had a great day, despite me feeling less-than-great! We went trick-or-treating with our usual buddies, and the kids had a blast! Once we got home, they quickly got to work doing a complete inventory of their candy while we waited for pizza. And that was our day! The weekend ahead looks to be a lot colder than it's been, and we might even get snow on Sunday. Good time for me to just rest and recuperate, because being sick is no fun at all!

Birthday Weekend in Review

I'm still tired, but I don't know when I will ever NOT be tired, so I might as well just suck it up and post about Niko's epically awesome weekend!

Saturday morning, the boy was up bright and early, eager to open presents. He woke up to a balloon bouquet outside his room, and promptly went to wake up his sister (as always). And since the lady at Dollar Tree had accidentally given me eight balloons instead of seven, I had given one to Maya to give to her brother-- so she grabbed it out of her closet and gave it to him, much to his delight! Then the two of them went downstairs, where Niko discovered his gift from us: a new 20-inch Schwinn BMX-style bike. He sat on it and checked it out while he waited for us to come downstairs, and then he eagerly tore into his presents. And while he had previously lamented that he didn't have very many gifts this year, he quickly changed his tune... because he loved EVERY SINGLE GIFT he unwrapped! A number of Lego sets, a Razor scooter, a snowboard, and a photo album that Maya made especially for him (100% her idea... cutest thing ever!). He was seriously beside himself, and couldn't decide which gift to play with first. It was awesome!

After that, we got dressed and went to breakfast. Normally we go out to dinner to celebrate birthdays, but Niko (the stereotypical morning person) wanted to go to breakfast. So we did! He also asked for corn dogs for lunch and pizza for dinner. Done and done. The rest of the day consisted of getting ready for his party and taking him over to the local basketball court so he could really test out his scooter.

And of course, he had cake!

Sunday dawned cloudy and cooler than expected, but we went forward with the plan to have his party outdoors. And it went fine! I was out of my mind inviting so many little boys (who nearly ALL came), but Niko had a complete and total blast. I will let the pictures tell the story (it was a Lego/Halloween party):

The total headcount was seventeen little boys and two little sisters. And while the temperature outside ended up being fine, we did get rained on a little bit at one point (I am so thankful for my mom-friends who stayed and helped move everything inside while Gus and I rushed to get the pinata done-- which was indestructible, by the way. haha!). Of course, this meant that Niko received an obscene number of gifts, all of which he opened very graciously. And he's already gotten started on his thank you notes, so that's good! Because the kid has a lot to write!

Anyway, he really did have a great weekend. He was grinning from ear to ear the entire time. And now he has a crazy number of Lego sets to work on, which is HEAVEN for him! He is a happy camper! And I am a tired mom! :)

Niko's 7th Birthday Letter

Dear Niko,

Seven years ago today, right at lunchtime, you were born via emergency c-section. It was quite a dramatic entrance, and you continued to rock our world every day from that point on. Your seventh year of life has been no different. You have always challenged us as parents, but we love you SO fiercely, and are so proud of the person you are becoming!

This past year has been a huge one for you. Shortly after you turned six, you went from reading scattered words and phrases to really READING! And there was no looking back. You are not a huge bookworm, but reading comes to you with relative ease, and it's opened up a whole new world for you where you can read instructions, advertisements, menus, everything! This year you also decided that it was time to ride your bike. We've been working with you for YEARS but, in classic Niko fashion, you wouldn't learn until it was completely on your own terms. And then you mastered it in a few hours. Of course! From that point on, your independence has grown and grown. You asked me to teach you to tie your shoes one day, because you really wanted a new pair with laces-- and you learned in less than five minutes. When you are feeling motivated, nothing can stop you. It's really impressive!

You've grown in other ways, too, this year. You've stepped out of your comfort zone more and more, and have been willing to try things that you refused to consider before. You went on your first roller coasters! You decided that dogs were okay, and even went so far as to pet a few of them and declare that you wanted one (is this the same kid who used to scream in terror when a dog walked by on a leash??). One day, my jaw nearly hit the floor because you announced that you wanted to try a hamburger-- a food you had previously and repeatedly denounced as "disgusting." And, wouldn't you know... you LOVED it! You never cease to amaze us!

You continue to do well in school, and have adjusted to the full-day schedule surprisingly well. Despite the occasional fatigue-induced meltdown, you really love your teacher and enjoy being at school. Your teacher tells us that you are such a smart, well-mannered boy, and we love hearing that! You have a large group of boys who you enjoy playing with at recess, and you all get along great. You love playing sports, and soccer is your most recent passion. You amaze us with your speed and enthusiasm, and we anticipate many more fun soccer seasons ahead!

Physically, you've grown about four inches in the past year, and gained only a pound or two. You are stretching out! You've lost four teeth, including both of your top front ones. I won't lie-- I ADORE your gappy smile, and am almost sad that it will one day be gone. I ask you to smile at me several times a day, which I'm sure annoys you... But I just love it!

And while you are looking and acting like a big kid these days, you still sleep with your beloved Bear every night, and still love snuggles with both your mommy and daddy. And we'll take it while we can. You are an expert Lego builder, and can name every Pokemon, but you are still our baby boy. And we love you so, SO much.

Happy Birthday, Buddy!

All our love,

Mommy, Daddy, and Maya (Your #1 Fan!)

October Update

Yes, it has been more than THREE WEEKS since my last real post (not counting the quick picture last night). All I can say is that I'm glad I take so many pictures... because I can look back at them and easily piece together what we've been up to for the past few weeks. And really, there haven't been a lot of BIG things-- just lots and lots of little things!

Since last month, I've been volunteering at the kids' school two days a week. It's been fantastic, but it's also a lot of work! On Tuesdays, I work with kids in Maya's kindergarten class for their entire school day. The kids all know me, and we generally do math groups on the days I go in. I also read to them during their library time. I love it, and I am also so proud of how Maya is doing in school. Her teacher tells me that she is at the top of the class and is a real role model for others, but I actually get to see it in action! And it's true! She makes us so proud! On Wednesdays, I help out with Niko's class, but that mostly consists of doing tons and tons of copies and prep work. It's more tiring than actually working with students, BUT another mom friend of mine volunteers at exactly the same time-- so at least I have someone to talk to! Niko's teacher keeps saying that she is going to have me work with students, but she has a student teacher at the moment which I think complicates things a little. So, we will see what happens there! I've also continued to be super involved with the school PTO. I just counted and sorted over $1300 in teeny-tiny Box Tops and got those shipped to the office in Minnesota... And now I'm running the PTO website. And I somehow volunteered myself to put together the school directory. And then the principal (who, coincidentally, is from California-- small world!) asked me if I'd be the parent representative on the School Improvement Committee (= more meetings for me). So, throw another thing on my plate! The fact is that I spend hours and hours at the kids' school these days. And when I'm home, I am going room by room through the house, trying to finish all my projects. It will take years. But I never rest! And I know that all my time at the school will be helpful when I get on the substitute list for next year. I have a good relationship with the principal and am a familiar face around campus. AND I get to see my kids (who are still young enough that they are excited to see ME)! So it's all good!

But anyway... That's the long way of me saying that I don't have a ton of pictures from this month! We run from event to event. Kids get home, do homework, change into the appropriate uniform for the day (karate, dance, scouts, soccer) and we're off! One big family thing we DID do, though, was our annual trip to AppleFest at the local ski resort. For the second year in a row, Gus' company held their annual family event there. And while it was very cold, the turnout was good and everyone seemed to have a good time. Probably because they gave everyone a ridiculous number of alcohol vouchers, so the beer was flowing freely... but as I recall, it was fun! And I took pictures:

And, inside the company's tent at the event, they did a little birthday celebration for all the October birthdays-- which meant Niko got sung to and got to help blow out the candles 6 days early. A great way to kick off his birthday week! :)

Niko also had his first Cub Scout den meeting this month. Led, of course, by the den leader... also known as Gus! Gus sort of accidentally volunteered himself for the position (we're apparently good at that), but has discovered that he really likes it. They've now had two den meetings and a pack meeting, and both of them are really loving it. I'm so happy that it's becoming such a positive experience for them!

In other random news... Niko earned his first purple stripe at karate. He will likely be taking a break from karate at the end of November, when our one-year contract is up, simply because we are just way too overscheduled right now. We ALL need a break. So he probably won't earn his purple belt before then, but he can always pick up where he left off if we rejoin it down the line.

Finally, a story, because it is too funny not to share! Last night, I was making garlic bread in the oven, using the broiler. I had it on a piece of parchment paper, which was a poor choice-- it started smoking and set off the fire alarm. So I went to turn it off. But in the meantime, I heard this: "Maya!!! We need to feel the door first before we open it! Let me do it!" I walked around the corner to see both kids on all fours by the front door. For the record, October is Fire Safety month, and they've been talking about it at school a LOT. But I just about died laughing! I asked them what they were doing, and Niko told me that they were going to go out front to our meeting place. haha! I guess it's good that they were paying attention!

Anyway... the next few days promise to be very busy, and will merit their own posts in the not-too-distant future. Tomorrow is Niko's last soccer game, and the Fall Fest at the kids' school. I'm also reading to his class in the library (an assortment of fun Halloween-y books). And then Saturday is our baby boy's SEVENTH birthday (sniff!). And Sunday is party day, where I will have 15-18 little boys at my house. Lord help me.