Tuesday Catching up with Matthew's creativity

Today I was just going to post a few things because I have been trying to keep my neck and shoulder area happy. All week last week, my body was so sore and then on Friday morning, I woke up with the worst neck pain that really wouldn't let me do anything but sit on the recliner with pillows behind my head.

Usually neck pain or a crimp in your neck goes away in an hour or so....not me...try 4 days now and I still can't turn my head to the left.

Finally yesterday I forced my self to get out and pray I only drove in a straight line to get some shopping done.

I was able to make it back safely.

This is ridiculous! I can't be "grounded" at this time of year!!

Not to mention we now have two feet of snow on the ground due to two winter storms, so scraping the ice of your car and the snow is really hard when you can't move your neck and you are in pain...

Alright enough about me.

On a lighter and happier and funnier and lovelier note. Matthew has had a wonderful week of making memories with Papa Swan, using his creative side

and helping me bake cookies (before my neck pain)

and yesterday after letting it sit overnight we attempted to finish off a gingerbread house we had hanging around from last year. It was practice for today. It is my sister in law's annual gingerbread house day with her sons and nieces and nephews that she does every year. Eric will be driving us. There is no way I could attempt Boston driving until my neck feels better.

Last Tuesday, Eric was watching Chronicle and they mentioned there was Harvard Museum Of Natural History that he had never been to in Cambridge that between certain hours on Wednesday afternoons was free to the public. He took Matthew and they had a ball.

This was a creation that he made for us with his teachers for Christmas that he insisted we both open. It is the most beautiful handmade calender for the new year. It is absolutely precious and something I as a mom, treasure so much. To have him do this, and not tell us and to have the teachers do this with him, it really is a tearjerker. Pictures to come at a later date.

Some funny quotes and antidotes from him this week:

1. He is singing and humming Jingle Bells, and Gloria Estevan's Let It snow by dancing and putting his finger up in a John Travolta style on the emphasis of the music. He does this while making gingerbread houses, building Lego's or playing Mario.
2. Making the Gingerbread House, he told me he wanted to add A GARAGE!
3. Matthew: Mommy, what year was I born? I told him 2003. Matthew: It hasn't changed yet?
4. While playing with his Lego's under the Christmas tree before school in the morning, he says "Mommy, I want to be a professional FISHERMAN when I grow up!" I told him he can do anything he puts his mind to! He said "And I want to catch trout for us for dinner!!"
5. This morning, first words out of his mouth were: I had a nightmare that a Mexican bear was chasing me and my cousin C.
6. Last night he fell asleep before Daddy's promised kiss and a hug, so first thing today he ran into Daddy to hug him and tell him "YOU FORGOT TO GIVE ME A HUG AND A KISS LAST NIGHT!" We assured him, he didn't forget, but he was asleep when he got them.

What Do You Get When You Take One Housebound little boy who has been sick and AND add in a few toys around the house and some chocolate chips?

Answer:

ALA Chocolate Chip cookies crumbled with peanut butter and Candy Corn AND A HALLOWEEN PARTY

He was insistent on making cheese and milk with oil to make cookies but when he started pulling out my pans to bake the concoction....

I hurriedly picked other ingredients that were available RIGHT THEN AND NOW & didn't have to be baked.

They are now in a covered container awaiting Daddy's taste test when he gets home from work.

Today for one child, he has played with every toy he owns, a little baking and creating and all with Mommy running around trying to play with him and keep up after every mess. He's worth it...

Although, we could have done without the orange juice spilled on Daddy's rug and couch pillows, applesauce spilled on the floor and Mommy's second degree burns on my left toes as scolding hot pizza fell out of the toaster oven and on my foot instead of the plate.

That's ok...It's my fault for trying to make lunch while changing the channel on the remote and insisting he wash his hands and cleaning up the latest toy in the kitchen that wasn't there two seconds earlier.

I am looking forward to tomorrow night. I am going with some moms from the meet up group I belong to on a Coach Bus to Mohegan Sun...yeah!!! I don't gamble, but from 6PM until 2 am (if I'm not sleeping), I will be forgetting all about the spills on the floor and the pizza burn on my toes.

Mommy's letter to Matthew (week in review)

Dear Matthew,

This week you made Mommy so proud. You had a busy week at school and play dates with some new and old friends.

You are really doing great at keeping us both busy.

While you're building your own friendships, you unknowingly are making friends for Mommy (the moms of your new friends).

You are so outgoing, personable and caring that I know you are going far in life with these qualities alone.

In one week, we've gone to the playground with the triplets and her sister, to school, to have lunch and play with a new schoolmate and her twin brothers and today to a wonderful little zoo and playground that we love with R and N and their mom.

You had such a wonderful time and you and R are becoming such good buddies. You even thanked him for inviting you to his "Scooby Doo Party" next week. As usual, your loving ways with N, touched her heart and mine. I'm told you are number #2 on her birthday list in January.

You made a Red Sox Buddie at school while celebrating Red Sox week.

They are in the playoffs again and tonight Daisuke Matsuzaka will be pitching against the Angel's. Everyone in MA is cheering them on. Your Red Sox Buddie is so cute with the body of a baseball that you drew and cut out with your scissors. It is right up in the window next to our Halloween decorations for the world to see. Last week you made a really cute green wiggly worm because it was Apple Week.

You are loving the songs you learn everyday. Sometimes you remember the words, but sometimes you don't. That's ok, because you also have the uncanny ability to come up with your own words. The other day in the car you sang a song about Mickey Mouse.

When Mommy told you how much I loved that song, you mentioned "Every time I look at something, my brain makes me want to sing".

I taught you the word "INSPIRATION".

I explained that inspiration is what Mommy used to have, when she would write her own lyrics 20 years ago. I said that for Mommy though, I needed a moment on the riverbank with a notebook and pen and no distractions for my creativity to flow. I told you that you don't have that problem, you have the talent of immediate creativity to create that song.

Sometime before today is done, we are making that scarecrow that Mommy promised and decorate the front of the house with that little bale of hay I bought. You really are loving this season and having fun doing anything arts and crafts.

Over the weekend, you and Daddy made two black construction paper projects with Halloween velvet stickers on them and they came out awesome!

Last but not least. Yesterday I asked you again (for the millionth time) if you would marry Mommy? You mentioned (for the millionth time) no, that I'm married to Daddy. I said "But I want to be married to both of you".

You said "I CAN'T MOMMY...................................DADDY LOVED YOU FIRST.."

I LOVE YOU HONEY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING MY MIRACLE AND MY WORLD.
Love
Mommy

xoxoxox

Remember When Wednesday - Imagination into Creation

Today we thought we would take advantage of some time at home since we have been so busy lately.

I told Matthew that maybe after lunch we could bake something for dessert. I dug out all my cookbooks and unfortunately, I should have kept my mouth shut because I need some staple ingredients from the store first.

Matthew said "We don't have to go to the store Mommy".

He got his Spiderman chair, climbed up onto my kitchen counter area where all my baking stuff is and he found an Oreo cookie crust. I mentioned that Mommy didn't have the right ingredients to fill it.

He climbed down and pronounced I know!!!

We use Oreo cookies and peanut butter with lemon drops!!! I mentioned we didn't have lemon drops but got out a paper plate for him to take his imagination to the next level. To let him develop his dream, I got him sprinkles.

He said they are so delicious and maybe we can maybe make another one when Daddy comes home from work so he could have one too.

Fantasy Friday - I wish Life Would always be this simple

This morning my lovebug is in an ever lovin buggy mood. I love mornings like this where all he does is tell us how much he loves us, gives us unbelievable amount of kisses and hugs and is so silly (almost goofy silly). He gets a kick out of himself when he's being silly now. It is the most precious thing to watch. He has a belly laugh when he tries to laugh at himself being silly. You can't help but smile being around him when he is this way.

If you look at the picture he is cutting up paper into little pieces. The first time I gave him scissors he loved them. He could just cut paper into tiny pieces for hours. I'm tempted to spend a whole day that way, but I don't have it in me. As long as he is doing something craft related, he is happy.

The piece of paper he cut, he asked me for a piece of tape. He looked in our junk drawer and I heard him yell "DUCK TAPE". (Daddy's little boy) I said "No Honey, use regular scotch tape." He said "Mommy, help me wrap up this present." I said, "Present? Ok." (I thought it was just a little wad of scrunched up paper) After I helped put the tape around this little piece of paper, he said "Now OPEN YOUR PRESENT MOMMY!!" Princess N is coming tonight for the weekend, so I thought him being in the typical mood a man would be in when he hasn't seen the love of his life in a month, that he was making the present for her (because he would). I opened the little piece of paper and wrapped inside this little green piece was mysteriously hidden from me, a ORANGE CRAYON!!! I told him that I ALWAYS WANTED AN ORANGE CRAYON.

He hugged and kissed me and then made me a beautiful card with a whale on it, a submarine and some sea otters and other fish using a blue marker.

Now he is sitting next to me tapping his feet and singing and climbing on my kitchen counters and we have errands to run...so catch ya later.

Matthew's American Flag March 26 2007

Matthew's American Flag March 26 2007
Originally uploaded by Matthewsmom.

Matthew's American Flag March 26 2007

I am so impressed with this one. He was just going to put the star stickers on it and I said honey why don't I show you what the American Flag looks like. You can put the stickers in the box and then I happ-hazardly colored in a few red stripes.

He put the other stars in between the stripes all by himself with no help from me!!! All perfect lines and spread out so neatly!!

Matthew's Easter Egg March 26 2007

Matthew's Easter Egg March 26 2007
Originally uploaded by Matthewsmom.

Happy Easter from Matthew!!! Easter Egg with Easter Stickers! 2007

Matthew painting a pastel Easter Bunny March 2006

Matthew painting a pastel Easter Bunny March 2006
Originally uploaded by Matthewsmom.

Well, my little boy loves to do arts and crafts. Today was no exception, we spent the morning doing stickers;-)

This picture shows his talent last year of him doing a pastel Easter Bunny!

Maybe we will paint tomorrow so we can practice on his inborn talent again. He loves art as much as music. His Grandfather on Daddy's side is an artist along with his Aunt. His Dad isn't too shabby either.

And my mom always was a wonderful illustrator, before getting sick. My brother "P" (for now, til I think of an appropriate nick name) also is an awesome artist...and then music also on my side.

This Kid Is Going Places!!!!!

Matthew - only 5 days til 4 years old

What else is new? It's going to take me awhile to find the avenue I want to take with this blog. I thought I could set it up more like a webpage with catagories, pictures and journaling but I'm not sure yet.

If I wind up doing a webpage, you all will be the first to know:-)

Matthew today is putting up with Mommy. Earlier this week, in my panicked state preparing for his birthday party, cleaning the house, being on the computer..I told him Honey Mommy is so busy, I need to think and plan and I will be with you in a little while. He actually said "Mommy you use your brain to think, not the puter"....out of the mouth of a 4 year old who to this day in his stubborn way won't do his abc's with me except for when they come out on his own every once in awhile to show us, he does know them. This is the little boy that said a few weeks ago, "Mommy I use imagination!" And I can't get him to do the abc's willingly:-)lol

Today he made on his own a beautiful art project all by himself of an unopened foam halloween mask and used his glitter glu (that I thought was out of his reach). He made it better than the ones on the front of the package and did it all quietly while Mommy was on the computer . Yesterday he drew his own self portrait with duck tape on a ice cream stick as his mouth. It looked just like him except for the stick!

I know he has everything in him to come out...I just need to find out how to get him to give it to me when I need it!

He is so wonderful. He tells me on my ugliest days, that I'm pretty. Without me having to ask. I know all moms go through this. I just need to write it all down to remember it..because the last 3 years are a blur....even though we have millions of pics and videos to look at...and I was with him every single second. How could it be a blur?

Til later