Remember When Wednesday - Matthew's first Valentine's day, Planning his 6th Birthday Party

The last week, I have been consumed by planning my little guy's sixth birthday party.

How is it possible that he is turning six in just a few weeks...closer to the double digits for the rest of his life?

He is having a Star Wars birthday party this year. Mama Swan found an a inexpensive (compared to the other choices available) way to have his party at a movie theater nearby, with his friends from school and his family. We will have the movie and cake, popcorn and drinks and hopefully the little princess' we are inviting don't get scared.

I chose the original Star Wars from 1977, now called Star Wars IV A New Hope.

(it wouldn't let me copy my cute little clip art from the invitation, but here is an edited version)


A LONG TIME AGO

IN A GALAXY FAR AWAY, ON FEBRUARY 7, 2003,

A BOY OF DESTINY WAS BORN

THIS YOUNG JEDI, MATTHEW
WILL CELEBRATE HIS BIRTHDAY IN A GALAXY NEAR YOU.

PLEASE JOIN US ON FEBRUARY 7, 2009

TO JOIN JEDI MATTHEW AND HIS FRIENDS

AT THE THEATER

FOR STAR WARS IV MOVIE, A NEW HOPE

JOIN US FOR CAKE:
BEFORE THE MOVIE, AT 1:30
WITH THE MOVIE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING, STARTING NO LATER THAN 2:00.

PLEASE SUBMIT THIS INVITATION TO THE CONCESSION STAND,
AND EACH INVITED JEDI KNIGHT OR PRINCESS WILL RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY POPCORN AND DRINK.

PARENTS: THE CONCESSION STAND WILL BE OPEN DURING THE MOVIE – AT ONE DOLLAR AN ITEM.
DUE TO THE SIZE OF THE THEATER, SIBLINGS AND PARENTS ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO STAY AND ENJOY THE MOVIE.
Note: There is NO arcade at this location, other than the actual movie theater, so the Jedi’s and Princess’ will remain in the theater.
*** PLEASE RSVP, NO LATER THAN JANUARY 31, 2009 TO THE JEDI’S MOM AT

I figured with today's updated technology and violence and even cartoons on Cartoon Network, that this was the best choice. We saw Clone Wars which is the animated cartoon, but it really is more violent than the original movie, in my opinion.

There are a few touchy scenes like the compact garbage scene and the one where Obi wan cuts off a guys arm, but I'm hoping the girls anyway are distracted or something during this (brief few seconds) time. Other moms are assuring me that if the parents think it is scary, then they will take the kid home or out to the lobby for a moment before returning.

The rest of the movie is awesome with R2D2 and C-3P0 and Chewbacca.

Anyway, it's a cold one up here in New England today with only 10 degrees and wind chills below Zero.

We got to go sledding earlier in the week though, so we at least got in our fun outside before this Midwest artic freeze they are calling for the rest of the week, sets in.

I wanted to post pictures of our sledding trip, but my camera is acting up and my friend N, sent them to me in a format, where I can't use them until I order them.

It's hard to believe that Matthew's first Valentine's day in the NICU was six years ago.

Thankful Thursday - Mama Swan Almost Sliding Into Lake, Elmo

Alright....I'm bad when I'm blogging about this, but it was funny.

For the past few weeks, we have been having snow storms, icy conditions, cold temperatures and the usual New England wonderfulness that makes getting out of the house so enjoyable at this time of year. On the sunny days, it's freezing and Mama Swan is a warm weather bird.

Yesterday we had another, and they canceled Matthew's AM kindergarten classes due to the messy conditions.

This morning, was left behind solid ice.

I have a five minute window to get Matthew dressed in his coat and paraphernalia for this weather, putting on his backpack and heading the little penguin up my sidewalk and concrete stairs to the street level to meet the bus.

It isn't like I have to go far.

Today, it might as well have been across town.

As we were heading out the door, I put on my pair of Surell Boots, Papa Swan and I share. They were a gift to me, from him a million moons ago...but he gets more use out of them. I wore his coat, since it was handy and didn't put on gloves (only going up the sidewalk and stairs, why would I need them???)

I told Matthew as we were heading out, be careful...go slow and I'll hold you up and we will hold hands.

Yeah right. He was booking it no problem, saying "Mommy, we can skate!!!!"

I said, "Let's walk in the snow, it's easier to put your foot into it if you stomp hard enough and it will help your balance."

We did and it was easier....

BUT

Then we were at the steps that go up to the street.

Matthew had no problem, rushing ahead...while Mama Swan literally was balancing with one finger onto one little patch of rock that wasn't frozen. I couldn't move and I'm yelling to him "Don't go onto that street!!!! If I don't make it up there, you are not getting on the bus!! I need to be up there with you!!! Don't move...get away from the edge of the stairs..stop swaying back and forth!!!!"

All the while I'm trying to find some way to get myself to move up them.

I finally did, but knew if my neighbors are looking out their window right now...they had to be getting the laugh of the morning...seeing me trying to balance on a finger or and almost kill myself.

Fun, Fun Fun...

Earlier in the morning, Matthew got up even earlier with me and I wasn't ready. We put on the end of Sesame Street and I thought I love Elmo...and looked around from a play date earlier in the week, he was still in the living room.

I plopped our Huge Elmo, into the chair next to Matthew and said in a funny voice "Elmo loves Matthew, Can Elmo go to school with Matthew this morning??"

He looked at him and said "NO, ONLY IF HE GETS HIS OWN BUS!!"

Yet, I am not allowed to get rid of him or any other big stuffed animal taking up room in the house. hehe

Manic Monday, Thankful for Tuesday, Mr. Mac-A-Roni Oni, The ABC's & The Big, Big Hill

Today is definitely going alot better than yesterday. It's funny because Manic Monday used to be a song that I loved by the Bangles (I think?). Whenever I say the words Manic Monday, I always think of going to the movies listening to that song in the car with a boy I dated at the time that was 5 feet tall. I was 6 feet. He would hold my hand with his little stubby fingers and I would think, what am I doing here? He was so nice though that at the time, I didn't want to break his heart. But I eventually did and that song became locked in my brain as our song from that moment on. It's funny how things like that happen!

Now Manic Monday has a totally new meaning to me!! One with spinning my wheels and chasing my son in circles figuratively while my not seeming to get anywhere, like a hamster in it's cage going round and round on that wheel. That's how Mondays are to me now.

But now Tuesday's. I'm going to have to come up with a name for my Tuesday's. Definitely more relaxed, more caught up and by Friday, Look OUT!! I'm so ready by Fridays and then the weekend with Daddy home.

On Sunday, Daddy had taken Matthew in his snowsuit to a playground nearby that was covered in ice. They chipped the ice off and had a fun time anyway. That night Matthew told me all that they did. He mentioned that the see-saw was broke and that a man with tools would have to fix it. I asked "Daddy?". He looked at me and said "No Mom, another man with tools named "Mac-A-Roni-Oni" very seriously.

Yesterday Matthew told me that Mr. Mac-A-Roni Oni was going to fix the see saw and that he lived in our village. I said"Oh, I didn't know we had a village?" He just rolled his eyes and said, "You go up there and turn that way and that's the village"....(hehe) I wasn't going to correct him letting him know that in this town they call it "the center".

He also has been going on about "the big, big hill". Eric took him near our library on Sunday, where there happened to be a hill good for sledding. Matthew has been talking about it non-stop since. It's HUGE MOM!!!!

This morning I knew that I was going to get out with him. I had to buy him some much needed clothes so I told him maybe we could go look at it? Maybe this week we can go?

While I was getting him dressed today. I said "Let's sing our ABC's while getting dressed. And he did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". I only had to help with L and Q, and then he sang it again by himself!!! I have never been so happy in my life. It has only taken me til he is now over 4 years old. I said "OK, Now we are going to start writing your ABC's and your name." He said, NO!!!!

(one step at a time)

We were getting ready to leave the house with all of our winter gear on that takes 5 years to put on, just to get out of the house. I said "Honey, Mommy can't wait til warm weather when we don't have to think of coats, boots, socks, gloves etc? We just got to brush our teeth before going. Mommy can't seem to find my house keys?" All the while talking to him, looking everywhere for them. We have a key holder by our front door that we hang our keys on. Matthew figured out a few months ago, that if he stands on his Time Out chair just right, he can get a key down while we are going potty, and open the bathroom door.

I literally checked every coat, my purse everywhere and I said "I wonder if Daddy took them by mistake?" He said "No, Mommy, here they are!!!!!!!" as he opened these little drawers that are hidden in a nearby table we have.....I said "OH!!! How did they get there???" I said "Is there anymore keys I should know about hidden anywhere?" He said "Yep, right here!" opening another one of those little slide out thingamajigs we have.

Finally we are getting out of the house, and I told him we are going clothes shopping and then you can show me where you saw the "big, big hill" !!! He said "OK! Can we go down it?". I said "Maybe not today, but definitely tomorrow! Mommy has to buy you clothes and then we will have lunch, but definitely tomorrow. Let's shake on it!!!".

After him screaming at The SPIDERMAN AND BATMAN UNDERWEAR THAT HE NEEDS!!!!! in the store and they had to have toys within his view!!! Mommy! Look at all this stuff!!!! We left with just one toy, a few pairs of pants, some socks and some SUPERHERO underwear.

Driving home I said "OK, are you going to show me where this big, big hill is so we can come back tomorrow?". He said, "By The Library". (I knew where it was just letting him have his moment). I drive "By The Library" and up to this fence outside of a baseball area where in the distance is a big hill. I can see why to him it looks big, to me I remember hills in PA that would have made this one like a bump in the road. I said, "Wow HONEY, THIS IS HUGE!!!"....

HE SAID, "I KNOW MOMMY, THAT IS WHY IT IS CALLED "THE BIG, BIG HILL".......

When you can't go out to play. You take more Pictures:-)

Well, today I have been busy cleaning up after our last few weeks of not feeling well. Matthew spent some time playing his games on Nick Jr. or Noggin this morning so it gave me some time.

I just looked out my kitchen window and thought, I have to take a picture of this.The blackness of the lake against the snow falling, and behind me my son licking what's left of his Chocolate Chip Mint ice cream and getting it all over his face. The beauty of two worlds.

The awesome scenery outside and the awesome scenery inside.

That is why I have so many pics. I am addicted and can't stop...someone please help me??? LOL

HAPPY MARCH EVERONE!

Just thought I would take the time to catch up on my blogging again for the purpose of Matthew. I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since I typed about him:-) This year is going by fast now.

I am so happy though that March is here and that next week we will be setting our clocks ahead. So happy to have one more hour of daylight and that much closer to warm weather...YEAH!

When I was in PA last week, Matthew and Daddy built the snowman in the picture I uploaded today. As you can see it was a little more of the leaning tower of snowman by the time I took the pic, ironically 2 hours later it was history. He was so bummed out, because last year the snowman they built had more leaves than snow in it and that lasted only 2 hours total! This one at least lasted a few days longer:-)

We thought we would be getting snow though the following day and assured him, don't worry we'll rebuild him again. Guess what! No snow and yesterday 50 degrees....now he has spring fever like Mommy and I think he has temporarily forgotten about his friend. Yesterday we were driving back from a playground and in the sky the clouds were awesome with the sun shining through the back of them outling white with the middles more darker...not knowing he knew this he says...Wow Mom!!! Look Rain Clouds!!! LOL

I'm like...you are so smart! It's awesome to me to see that sponge in him taking everything in and also finally being able to share it back with what he is retaining. Still won't get over his stubborness though to share the abc's or count with me...Anyway, though the other night I was giving him dinner and I was in a decent mood singing out (for some reason?) uno, dos, thres, quatro (like beginning of Santana song) when I gave him his plate.....he then said "CINCO!".... You could have picked me up off of the floor.

I'm like what else do you know from Dora/Diego or Seseme Street that you aren't sharing????

Let's do the abc's....typical, NO! I don't know how to get it out of him! I think I've mentioned in the past that he knows them and sometimes sings them, or sometimes counts...but it's been so long now that I also know that by not practicing them is not helping the matter.

I've tried doing counting or books with him to write his letters and after just doing one word or a few letters, he literally said to me one day "Mom, I need a nap, this making me tired"!!!!!!

HE'S only 4!!!! Part of me feels like, he is only 4 give him time...the other part of me is HE'S ALMOST 5 AND OTHER 4 YEAR OLDS AND 3 YEAR OLDS ARE OUT THERE DOING IT NO PROBLEM, why can't I get him to co-operate with me? I'm getting off track from what I was posting about today though.

I just wanted to say that this morning, when he woke up he looked out our bedroom window at the lake and said, "It's spring!! but the lake has ice? but the grass a little green?" Like he was somehow grasping the two seasons coming together and how beautiful it all looked and to see that excitement in his eyes and in his voice, was enough to get me through the next few weeks. It's going to be so much fun sharing this year with him.

We are now signing him up for two six week sessions at a nearby town for Sundays and Friday's though that offer swimming lessons and a 123 pre-school program (one hour long). Just to get him used to the setting again, having friends in his life and also for the swimming because we live on a lake and it is one major safety issue my husband and I agree on.

Well, I better get off now or I'll never stop....keep your eyes open though because I just uploaded some more pics from today that will have everyone laughing:-) Will probably get to it later tonight:-) LOL

February's almost over

Well, with the month almost done I thought I should probably try to type in one more blog before month's end. I will be heading to my hometown this weekend for the mass for my mom, so I will be a little distracted.

I will be glad when March is here! Spring!!! Yeah!!! (hopefully) This winter even though the weather has been mild, has been unberably long to me. I think because Matthew didn't do well with preschool and our descision to keep him home til next fall, everyday is longer than normal. We are really missing the mom and baby connections of socializing in a school setting, of just having a routine everyday or even a few days a week keeps you going. When you don't have that every day becomes this long day of trying to keep him entertained. And that's hard. I think alot of moms in my neighborhood work, because I don't see anyone out there in the winter time, so if you don't make those connections when the weather is nice, you're in trouble in your immediate neighborhood.

We had all wonderful plans to get him involved in classes anyway to keep him active and socialized, but financially it isn't an option right now. I do have him signed up for a free preschool age craft time next week at the library, but it is only an hour. It is hard juggling staying at home for the benefit of being there for your child vs. working full time so you can afford for them to have advantages in life. We don't know how other parents do it with more than one child or even with both working. We give them credit because we know with just one child, how hard it is and he is only 4! And we know that before long, I will have to rejoin the "paying" workforce because it's a necessity. We just don't see how though before he starts full time in school in kindergarten or first grade that we could afford daycare to make that happen, we still don't even have a babysitter:-)

On a happier note, I really want to add something he said so funny last week to my blog. More so I don't forget someday. Last Thursday (day after valentine's day) I asked him for my usual kiss (one of many I ask for in a day) and he pointed his finger at me waving it and saying "no, no, no mommy it's not valentine's day no more"!!!!! I am still in shock over this absolute use of manpower to Mommy!! First of all, my husband denies saying anything to him to prompt it! Secondly he is with me every second of the day, how did this little "man" in him come out??? Up to that day for every day of his life, he never said anything to me and always gladly kissed Mommy when asked! I don't think I'll ever get over it:-)

Mommy Moments

There is something about be able to blog when your mind is free to type. I have always loved to write. My best friend has always joked that I should write a biography of my life, but I tease her and say hopefully it is only half way over now...so it might be too early:-)

Sunday was one of those days when you have to stop and just enjoy the moment and forget everything around you. It was one of those Mommy moments when you look from a distance and say, Hey I want to be apart of that moment with him.

We live on a lake and it was one of the few days in the last few years where it actually was frozen over enough to skate on. I was in the house cleaning my kitchen. I love my new addition but (and I swore I would never say but) I am so tired of cleaning it. My house is now three stories and we mostly use two of them and I could clean for the rest of my life and never be caught up. I clean everyday and it really does keep me from enjoying life more. I don't like clutter and can't live with things unorganized. I'm not nuts about germs or obsessive compulsive, but I like a clean house. And especially now that my house is newer, it is beautiful when it's clean.

Anyway, I was cleaning my kitchen from 9 to 12 and my husband decided to take Matthew out on the lake with his sled to pull him around. I was happy because I just had to vacuum left and needed them out of the way. As I was vacuuming my living room, I glanced out the window and saw a few houses up a couple people, a small child around Matthew's age, and then I saw Matthew and my husband. The one guy with his daughter was skating around. My son was just playing with the snow on the ground. We hadn't bought him skates yet because we haven't had the use for them yet. I am in my sweats, no shower, and I'm like the heck with this cleaning!

I almost ran out in my sweats, but got a quick glance in the mirror and thought if I wind up staying out there longer than 2 minutes, I'm going to be embarrassed. So I threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and boots (don't have gloves) and headed out. I didn't bring my skates at first, because a few years ago I broke my left ankle and have 2 steel plates and 12 screws and I thought my ice skating days were over. I got down by the lake and Matthew ran up to me throwing snowballs at me. (That my husband provided for him)

After a few minutes more neighbors came out and one of them put on her skates and started off and it reminded me how much I used to love skating so much before I broke my ankle. I told her and she said..go get them and take it easy, if it hurts, take them off...so I ran home and brought back my skates. I wasn't as good as I used to be but I didn't think I would even be able to wear them and hold my foot on that one blade, let alone keep them on for an hour. My husband had some work to do, so he left Matthew with me and he started getting tired and cold and hungry so Mommy's playing had to end, but I'm so happy that I had the chance again to just be me. The little girl in me, the woman in me.

I'm also happy that I gave up cleaning to enjoy that moment of my son's first weekend on our lake, and to see him out there having so much fun. Those are the moments I live for.

Well, that 's all I have in me now, I don't want to overdue it because I could type for hours:-) lol