Niko's First Day of Karate

Niko and his buddy Evan started karate today! The place is literally right across the street from our house, and we'd been thinking about enrolling Niko for a while. Then Gus' parents gave him the classes as a gift. THEN my friend Caryn was saying she was looking for a place for Evan to do karate... and it all fell into place! The best part is that one of us adults can stay and watch the class, while the other one stays at my house and watches the girls (so they don't have to sit there for an hour, bored to tears like they were today). It is a pretty awesome arrangement-- and a perk of living on Main Street! Of course, we all went today-- the boys had a trial class, and they loved it! They will most likely get their uniforms next week. The owner of the place needs to look through what he has and find a few of the smaller ones. But really, it was great. The instructor is firm but not mean, and he does a great job handling a group full of wiggly 6- and 7-year-old boys. Niko already learned a lot! He can't wait to go again!

And the boys' favorite part: when they got to spar with each other. This was all Niko could talk about! They were both laughing fools!

I apologize for poor photo quality... I was trying to be stealthy. :)

Two Busy Weeks!

Prepare for picture overload as I attempt to play catch-up!

When I last posted, it was Niko's 6th birthday. My parents were visiting for the weekend. That morning, we went for a very short walk on the rail trail with the boy, while the girl was at preschool. It was cut short because the sky was gunmetal gray and it was freezing! We thought it was going to rain. But then it started SNOWING! The first flurries of the season! Niko was very excited that it happened on his birthday. I was more excited that it quickly changed into freezing rain, then regular rain, and then the sun came out. Whew!

The highlight of MY day was getting to read to Niko's class during their library time-- it was so fun, and he was so excited to see me! I'm actually doing it again tomorrow. But I snapped this quick picture of the birthday boy wearing his crown (we called it his birthday fez):

The fun continued when he got home from school that day, and he got to open his presents. This is such a great age-- he opened all the cards, read who they were from, and then opened his gifts. And he loved EVERYTHING that he got-- he said so repeatedly! It's nice that he's older and has gotten more specific about what he likes. He's becoming easier to shop for! Anyway, he was over the moon, and immediately had to open everything up and play with it.

That evening, it was the Fall Fest at Niko's school-- a great event where kids get to wear their costumes, do crafts, and play carnival games. They had a blast!

We left a little early, though, so that the birthday boy could blow out the dinosaur candles on his Darth Maul cake (his very specific request).

The next day, after lunch, we went to a huge corn maze. This was the activity Niko chose to do instead of having a birthday party. And it was no joke! We spent about two hours in there trying to find our way out. When we finally asked for help, we were pretty much right at the exit. Of course! The kids were a little cranky towards the end, but they recovered quickly when they saw all the fun things that awaited them when we got out (sand box filled with corn, giant inflatable slide, etc.). It was an adventure for us all-- that maze was over 3 miles long!

The next day, Sunday, was freezing! It was windy, which made everything feel 10 degrees colder. But there was a Spooky Run happening in town, and there was a quarter-mile kids' run for $5. Both kids wanted to do it, so we did! They had some activities for the kids to do beforehand, too. But it was so cold that everyone took turns going back and sitting in the car. In the end, though, Niko WON the race! We were so proud! And Maya did fantastically, running the entire way without stopping (this was her first race). :)

On Monday, my dad and I carved our three pumpkins (we had a fourth, but it was rotten and gross inside!). I think they turned out well! Niko wanted his to look like his beloved Bear. Maya wanted a witch. And I made an executive decision about the ghost.

My parents stayed until Tuesday, when they helped get Niko onto the bus and then headed to the airport. It was a nice visit! Wednesday was Halloween dress-up day at dance class:

My focus at this point turned to Halloween, which was on Thursday. All day Thursday, it poured. It was not looking good for trick-or-treating. I even had to take the kids' picture outside with them holding umbrellas, because it was still coming down...

But, miracle of miracles, it slowed down to a light mist JUST IN TIME for trick-or-treating! The kids had a great time. We went around for just over an hour, then got in the car, ordered a pizza, came home and bathed everyone, and ate dinner. Success! Niko insisted on taking inventory of all his candy before bed, though. He literally made me write the names of every kind of candy and we made tally marks for how many he got. Silly kid!

The next morning, the kids woke up to a fun surprise: Gus had woken up very early to go get his mom and sister from the airport. They got home and we were all still asleep! The kids were the first ones downstairs, though, and were very excited for more visitors! And they brought Dunkin Donuts. Come to think of it, everyone always shows up here with donuts, haha! Whatever, the kids love them!

Anyway, their trip was a short one. They spent most of their time just doing whatever with the kiddos. Maya painted Theia's nails (and didn't do a bad job!). We went late-season apple picking and they got some yummy Fuji apples. We just hung out and had a nice time together! On Sunday morning, it snowed some pretty good-sized flakes for a few hours (it was too warm for anything to stick, though). This was the morning after the most beautiful day we'd had in a while-- 60-something degrees and sunny. Gotta love New England!

Theia left on Sunday morning, and Yiayia left on Monday afternoon. When Niko came home from school, he wanted to know who would be visiting us next! It does seem like we've had a parade of visitors recently. And Gus' cousin is planning to stop by for a brief visit in a few weeks, so I guess it continues! We are so lucky to have families who love us and make an effort to come see us 3,000 miles away. We love you guys!

Next up: Thanksgiving. I have officially de-Halloweened the house and have made a huge dent in my Christmas shopping. The holidays are upon us! Commence cleaning frenzy...

Niko's 6-Year Letter

Dear Niko,

Nope. I refuse to believe that you are six! It's just not possible. No way, no how. The calendar, however, says differently (it lies!). sigh.

So you, little buddy, are a Big Kid. I've tried to deny it, but you keep rubbing it in our faces. This past year has seen some HUGE growth for you. Of course, there's the usual stuff-- you've officially outgrown all of your 5T pants, and are now rocking your 6 Slims. And I have a feeling you'll be in the size 7's before too long! How did you get so tall? Your t-shirts appear to be shrinking, too, and we've had a few good laughs over some former favorites that seemed to transform into revealing "belly shirts" overnight. As I type this, I am actually thinking to myself that I need to pick you up a few more pairs of jeans to make it through the winter. You have also been eating us out of house and home lately. This growing business is expensive!

In other news... You have your very first loose tooth! It's been loose for a few weeks now, and is officially a "dangler." Momentarily, you'll be getting your first visit from the Tooth Fairy. And it is a bittersweet reminder that you're getting bigger each and every day. Knock it off already!

One huge accomplishment this year was that you finally overcame your fear and learned to swim. You've had all the requisite skills for a while, but you were so convinced that you would sink if you took your floatie off-- it took a complete stranger (your swim teacher) to convince you to just let go and do it. And you haven't looked back! We're hoping that this newfound bravery translates to bike riding, as well, where (again) you are fully capable-- the only thing that holds you back is your fear! You tend to over-think things a bit, much like your mommy. I think we both need to adopt a more "zen approach" like Nate the Swim Instructor has! You can do it!

Oh and then there was this other little change this year... going to kindergarten. And, just as we expected, you are ROCKING it! We are so proud of the great behavior reports we get about you, and you've been amazing us with your reading and writing abilities. You love school so much that you set up the stuffed animals and play "animal school" with Maya when you get home. You've made friends quickly and easily, and look forward to learning new things every day. You soak up knowledge like a sponge. Just recently, you told me all about warm and cool colors, which you had learned about from your art teacher. You are constantly noticing new words in the world around you, and are amazed that you can read them. It's like you're solving a puzzle-- you're so proud of yourself, and we can't help but be amazed by how quickly you are learning! You continue to manipulate numbers with ease, counting by twos, fives, and tens up into the hundreds-- just for kicks! It's like YOU are a little puzzle, and all the pieces are starting to click into place. You're a confident kid, always comfortable in your own skin, and a kid who is kind to others and well-liked in return.

Really, you are awesome, Niko. We had no real idea what we were getting into when you were first born. You cried all the time! We didn't know what you'd become. But you are a pretty exceptional little guy. And, at the same time, you still love to snuggle and express your love for your family. And we love you, little booger, more than you will ever know! Happy Birthday to the best little six-year-old boy we could have ever hoped to know. You rock, kiddo!

All our love, always,
Mommy, Daddy, and Maya

Super Quick Check-in!

Last weekend, we went to the AppleFest at our local ski resort. It's only a 10-15 minute drive from our house, which seems so crazy! But Gus' company decided to make the AppleFest its annual company family event, so they paid for admission, food, everything! It was awesome! We were there all day! Here are a few quick pics...

Also, a little boy we know (who will be SIX tomorrow!!!!) is very, very excited that his favorite baseball team in the whole wide world is in the World Series! Massachusetts is VERY serious about its sports teams, and Niko has become obsessed. When in Rome, right? Go Sox!

And, a little girl we know was Star of the Week at preschool last week. She was so happy!

Life here has just been busy-busy-busy, and will only get more so over the coming weeks, with houseguests galore! As I type, my parents are en route to our house from New Jersey. Niko is super excited! And it's a gorgeous day... it's really too bad it's the coldest day we've had since last winter, ha!! (we just broke 40 degrees at 10:30am... It was 34 when we got up. brr!)

Fabulous Fall!!

Yes, I have been derelict in updating the blog. But it's because I've been outside so much, enjoying this glorious fall weather! If I thought last fall was gorgeous, I was in for a surprise... this year is even more beautiful! The colors are so vibrant, and the weather has been so nice (not too cold, very few rainy days). Because we haven't had many storms, the trees are holding onto their leaves longer. It's just amazing. It blows my mind that I lived for 33 years without seeing a New England fall. It's like living in a postcard or a travel magazine. I LOVE IT!!!

Anyway... Prepare yourself for photo overload. I've taken a LOT in the past two weeks, because it's FALL! And it's fantastic!!

First up, a pic of the boy from October 2nd. We went for a bike ride on the rail trail, and I made him take a few pics. I LOVE this one of my almost-6(!!)-year-old!

Then, last weekend, I dragged everyone out to do some family photos. I love what I got, though I will probably drag us out again tomorrow. I found a spot that I love, which is actually where this photo was taken. It's back behind the middle school here in town, which is also behind Niko's elementary school, haha! Such a nice, private spot! I took some others at the state park here in town, but the lighting wasn't as good (it was overcast, and so it was dark in the woods!). I plan to get as many family photos as possible with all this color around us!

I also captured this one. Niko was in kind of a bad mood all day, and we had promised to take him to a basketball court to play if he was good during family pictures. But then he got upset that Gus was helping Maya "cheat" (picking her up and letting her throw the ball through the hoop). He was ready to take his ball and go home. He recovered, though. :P

This past week, on Tuesday, Maya had her first-ever preschool field trip. It was her first time riding the bus! I couldn't go, since the timing conflicted with getting Niko to school, but her parent chaperone was my mom-friend (who happens to be Greek, married to a non-Greek... sound familiar?). Maya and Zoe had a blast together! We were actually supposed to go to little Zoe's birthday party today, but the party has been postponed due to illness. But I digress! The field trip was awesome! They made these shirts that said "I'm a Good Apple!" and printed on them with cut-up apples. They each got an "Expert Picker" sticker at the farm, where someone showed them the proper way to pick apples. Then each kiddo got to pick a quarter-peck to take home. They also got to pick out one small pumpkin. They had a hay ride, and had farm-fresh apple cider and cider doughnuts. And then they had a picnic lunch outside once they got back to the school. The weather was PERFECT for it. I took a picture of my sweet girl once we got home. She loved it and talked about it for the rest of the day! The MOST exciting part? They had HAM SANDWICHES for lunch! The girl loves ham, hehe!!

And then a gratuitous picture of my baby girl. Niko was at school, and the weather was so nice! And because the plants are all dying back in the woods, we can actually get out there and explore a bit. This was actually taken in our front yard, off to the side. Maya was collecting leaves, as always. But seriously? We live in a beautiful, beautiful place. My eyes hurt, it's so pretty! This is our YARD! That blows my mind!

Fast forward to yesterday... we went to the public safety open house here in town, at the fire station. We made it there before the big crowds did, though the foggy/misty weather might have kept some people away. We still had fun! Niko especially liked being locked up in the back of the squad car. Let's hope this is the only time he ever sits there!!

Then, after lunch, it was off to the pumpkin patch! I had actually planned to take us to a farm a few towns over, but then I learned that a farm here in town was offering hayrides out to their patch. It's the same farm we sometimes buy milk or cheese at. It's run by an older couple that is really nice, and we've been going there since shortly after we moved here-- it's right by the kids' preschool! However, we'd never gone beyond the little store that they have there. The place is HUGE!! I had no idea! And there were so many pumpkins-- the tractor driver had gigantic clippers that he used to cut our chosen pumpkins right off the vines. These are FRESH pumpkins, people! I loved it. And the fog/mist kept people away-- we had the entire hayride to ourselves!!

After that, we came home, kicked off our muddy shoes, and settled in to watch movies on the couch. We even turned on the pellet stove for a little while. It's crazy how much colder all the mist made it feel-- it was still in the 50s, but it felt so much colder!

And finally, today! Niko went to a birthday party for his friend Brayden. Brayden was his first preschool buddy when we moved here. And then they were on the same t-ball team for two years in a row. And now they are in the same kindergarten class! It wasn't a class party-- just a few of Brayden's friends. Niko has been excited about this for weeks! The party was at a movie theater, and then they got to see "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2." He had a great time! Gus took him to that party, while Maya and I had girl time. I raked up a pile of leaves and let her have at it. Even Nugget got in on the fun! Maya was miserable, as you can tell...

And that's it! Gus and the kids have tomorrow off (Columbus Day), so who knows what our day will hold! But now I am all caught up... Whew!!! Sorry for so many pictures in one post! :)