Today's Friday, yesterday wasn't Remember When Wednesday!! LOL

Okay, not only do I stay away for a long time, but when going to type my title today being Thankful Thursday, it hit me!! I am so off right now:-)

I am happy though this morning. Just got back from Shaws and nothing starts my day better than Matthew's voice, then Tastycake Butterscotch Krimpets at my local store. I know they have been up here in MA for awhile now, but to get my favorites so close, finally!! And to have it with my French Vanilla coffee, you know it's going to be a good day.

I had to run a few errands this morning, because today in school Matthew's first grade class will be singing to him Happy Birthday along with some Valentine partying at the same time.

It is also Pajama Day, little things make us so happy in this world. Matthew gets to wear his new pajamas from Aunt K with Anakin Skywalker, Yoda and Hans Solo on them. He is one happy little guy.

He is continuing to impress me every day and I could type til the end of the earth about all that he is amazing at, but trying to move forward and not so much catch up with the past year.

At this time though, he loves anything Lego's, and of course the Wii, he aces at every game he does and makes my playing of the old Nintendo or Atari, look really pathetic. I was good at them though at the time. When my father had his pizza place when I was 14, he would give out 6 free slices to anyone who could beat my score on the Donkey Kong game he had there.

Matthew though takes everything to a whole other level. He still looks at the world like a sponge!! Yesterday in school he came home with a paper with two faces made out of black construction paper, that were Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. I told him that when Mommy was a girl, our teacher put the projector on the wall, so we could trace out those faces. He said "Mommy they don't do that anymore, we just trace the face onto the paper"...that was back in the old days....

He loves math, and is getting better at reading, more so when he hasn't had a long day already. He was given a wonderful gift of Treasure Island and read it for his first official book (with my help) for a project we have with the town and the school. This week we read another wonderful book by our friend along with one from his library.

He has been acing his spelling tests every week, and it reminds me of how much I loved spelling and still love reading. The next book we will read next week while on school vacation, is close to my heart.

In the 4th grade, my teacher would read to us My Side Of The Mountain . I don't know if it is because I had the biggest crush on this teacher, as he read and would pop his bubblicious bubble gum over his mustache, but when he read this book, it has stayed with me my whole life.

In my early 20's, I got the paperback of this book and re-read it. A few years ago, I got the movie version so Matthew could get the love of this little boy, with his pet peregrine falcon, in this tree in the woods. He loved it. I have been so waiting for this moment when I can now, share with him my book and we will re-read it together.

Ironically due to us living on the lake, we have wonderful wildlife and birds all around us. About a month ago, Matthew came home from school. I have his desk set up right in what would be the dining room, against a window, for light and as I was leaning over him, I thought some kind of shadowy figures flew outside the window, huge ones and maybe was our blue heron. I inched my way, down my house which is all windows and peeked out and on one branch on my neighbors tree, there sat a little above us two Red Tailed Hawks . I motioned quietly for Matthew to come over, and called my neighbor hoping they had a camera. They eventually flew away, but the wing span was incredible.

Ironically, my love of My Side Of The Mountain, has this inner boy in me, this love of things that I feel when I see them especially with my son with me to witness them with me. It's like we are living, and experiencing the amazingness of this world together and it is one amazing journey.

I miss him huge now that he is in school all day. I am so looking forward to next week when he has winter vacation and we have chances to bond more, with more memories. We are so far going to this SEE science center we went to a few years ago, that we know now he will appreciate so much more with their incredible Lego display of the whole town of Manchester, NH.

Well, have to get off now, so I can get in that shower, and get to his school later.

We So Can't Wait For Spring to Officially Come Next WEEK!!- Matthew's LONGEST BASEBALL GAME EVER!

Matthew has had a cough since Monday. Over the weekend, the temperatures were warmer, so then typical New England weather the next day it will be freezing!

We are so ready for this long winter to be done, for more reasons than one.

It has been tough being housebound and the moment the sun comes out and the temperatures rise, the music gets turned up and you can just feel the change in the air, in the house...it's like we all breathe a sigh of relief...............aaahhhhhhhhh we made it! We survived again!

Then it gets cold again the next day, and Mama Swan can barely type and move her body due to her limbs being frozen all the time.

I am sick of wearing sweats and sweaters!! I wish the warm weather lasted a lot longer.

I know this sounds like a complaining blog..but really it's not. I'm just waiting for my fingers to warm up so I can blog more.

On a warmer note, one sign of spring is baseball season. The other day, I got an email from another mom, wanting me to register Matthew for the longest game ever. It is a 36 hour game that is being played in our town and to register him for free, it created the most awesome fundraising and proud mommy moment for me. It created a page with Matthew's picture, and his name was scattered throughout the page. I am copying some of it to protect our identity but still with sharing this awesome moment for my little T-Ball player:

TOP FUND-RAISING INCENTIVE PRIZE LUNCH WITH CURT SCHILLING Each player who raises $250 will be invited to a pizza lunch featuring Red Sox great, CURT SCHILLING. Curt will sign autographs, share stories and pose for pictures with the kids. The TOP 32 overall fund-raisers will get to sit at CURT'S table during lunch!


On the weekend of June 6 and 7 all 800 ____Massachusetts youth baseball and softball players including Matthew will attempt to set the WORLD RECORD for the longest baseball game ever played, 36 hours!

The event will take place in ____, Massachusetts at the __Complex.

Every player from each team will participate in the event.

The Longest Baseball Game will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday June 6 and end 36 hours later, at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 7.

The current world record for the Longest Baseball Game is 32 hours 29 minutes 25 seconds set October 13-14, 2007 in St. Louis, Mo.

In order for this event to be a success we need your help.

Please consider contributing towards Matthew's personal fund-raising goal. We're offering great incentive prizes for Matthew including a great top fund-raising prize to be announced soon!

Our goal is to raise $100,000 to distribute to charities that include the local DARE program, and March of Dimes. The entire game will be broadcast on the Internet at___.

The exact time of Matthew's game will be posted on the home page soon so you can listen to Matthew help set a WORLD RECORD!

Thank you for your support!

NOW, HOW COOL IS THAT!! AND SUCH AN AWESOME FUNDRAISING IDEA!!

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

Chilly Weather and my Michelin Tire Baby

This morning was a nippy 43 degrees at 6:30 when we got up. I am really NOT a cold weather person, how I got farther north from PA to MA, is something. When I am cold, I literally freeze, as in bones frozen, so I can't even type, or walk around the house.

I know I've mentioned in the past the weather differences of living on the lake, but now that Matthew is going to school somehow Mommy has to pull up my bootstraps and get tougher.

I don't know if my being hypothyroid makes it worse. I know it is one of the symptoms, but I'm on medication for it...so shouldn't I be scalding hot now?

Yesterday, a note came home from school saying today would be "National Red Sox Day" to show our support, to send Matthew to school in his team attire.

Luckily he has a new sweatshirt that I got him.

This morning, the poor kid is all bundled up in this nice bulky sweatshirt to keep him warm, and then I put a light jacket over him, because it was so cold out. I feel like I'm always sending him out in public looking like the Michelin Tire Baby.

I'm the mom, who will pick up the Michelin Tire Baby from school and watch every other child come out of school with weather appropriate attire on. My house, my area down in the nook by the lake with the trees and leaves blowing...is freezing..........................up the street................Paradise on a Sunny Island in the Caribbean!

Here is a picture of Matthew from his T-Ball parade day taken in March? I know it was freezing, but how come he was the only Michelin Tire baby in that parade????????????

Have a warm, toasty and cozy day!!

Friday Recap

Well, this week definitely was better than last.

Matthew made it to school and is over his cold, for the most part. With the Red Sox winning the World Series to start the week off, we knew we were going to have a good week.

Halloween in the middle of the week to add to the excitement was like icing on the cake.

Today we got to finish off the yummy week with some warm and wonderful friends to play at our house.

Matthew and R have more than one thing in common. They are both boys and only 4 months apart and both are used to being the only "boy" in their household other than Daddy, so at times they have to be reminded (mostly Matthew today) that they both have to share.

R's little sister is heaven. She is the most cutest, quietest, sweetest little angel of a little girl. She is so little girl. She also loves to play with her brother though and get into dirt and play with sticks and rocks, but she does it in a dainty way.

It was nice for me to drag out Matthew's kitchen set again. I thought for sure that was going to be sold by now, but as soon as he heard that N was coming over, he immediately pulled out the buffet and made her soup.

We had a nice lunch while picking out toys we would like from Santa and Matthew explained how he wants to sell his baby toys to go to Disneyworld.

We wound up playing outside today. It was a little nippy. 50 degrees in the sun. I don't know about the shade near the water.

They really played OK though overall.

For the brief moments when they used teamwork and looked like the best of buddies, I just sighed and took pictures to make the moment last longer.

Ugh.....MRSA bug and other Ugh! issues

That's all I can come up with for my title today.

Guess I'll have times like this when my mind is a blank to describe what I want to say.

Ugh! Says it all this morning.

It all started the other day when we witnessed that accident on the way home from school. The following day we learned that the 90 year old woman driving the car that smashed into the tree had passed away. The driver of the accident survived but was injured.

Passing through the area the following day, there was no sign, no marks left on that huge tree or even tire marks in the grass, that a life had passed away there. She later died at the hospital, but the fact that it seemed so calm, so serene again being the quaint little New England common that it is, was deceiving now to me.

She is now with my mom and the angels.

On Thursday afternoon, we had a call from the Superintendent of our school's mentioning that the horrific MRSA bug killing children throughout the country, had been found in our school and that they would clean the school that night and to await a letter they would put in the mail to parents.

Freaking out and frantic, I wasn't going to wait for that letter to come in the mail and eventually found it the next morning on the school's website.

The letter mentioned that it is important to realize that it is not an airborne virus. It is also important to know that in most cases, direct skin to skin contact or direct contact to skin drainage the wound of someone who is infected with the bacteria.

Not much help to me at the time, since I had no idea if this was someone in Matthew's classroom. Within 24 hours I found out that it was a little girl in second grade and after frantically reading up on this bug, I found that the playground equipment or the halls in the school, might be the only contact Matthew might make. Although who knows. She could have a sibling and he could be a playmate of Matthew's in school. I still don't know. I know she is now in a hospital in Boston and we are all praying for her and her family.

A four year old little girl in Concord NH, passed away due to this bug just last week and now with Matthew's school, there is four schools in MA where it has shown up in the last few weeks.

I've always been a nervous mom, this isn't helping me.

The symptoms they mention to look for are:

• If your child develops a sore or infection that seems to get worse rather than heal, contact your physician.
• They usually appear as pimples, boils or abscesses' and may be taken for spider bites. (again living on a lake, this isn't helping in the nervous dept for me)

The best and only defense for us as moms is to strongly encourage personal hygiene. Even more than we already do. Matthew I know has a habit of turning on the cold water and soap and out in 5 seconds, so I'm really getting on him now. I mentioned that a little girl got sick and that it is so important and hopefully when he gets back to school tomorrow the teachers will also be watching every move they make. My biggest problem with Matthew is - he is all boy. Hands are always going, from the nose, to other areas we won't discuss on my blog. He is always being a boy and when I tell him not to, he smiles and does it again because he is loving gross things right now at his age. And not to mention he developed a small fever on Friday and yesterday a pimple/spider bite thingy on his arm.......if it is not gone by tomorrow afternoon, I'm calling the pediatrician just to have her erase hopefully my fears of what could be a normal bite.

Ugh!

To distract me a little, I was re posting some items for sale on Craigslist. I really am trying to make a little Disney Fund Cash right now and we have some larger items that we are ready to get rid of.

One of them has been my beautiful hutch that Eric got me a few years ago when we moved back into our house, after the addition was done. Unfortunately, because the width of our dining area isn't as large with the hutch there and the table, we have it in the living room. It just doesn't work there and with all our other paraphernalia and Matthew's toys it is looking really cramped.

I had a girl call me on Friday and she was so excited. Because I posted not only a picture of the hutch, but also dimensions I thought I was good in providing everything necessary to make the sale.

I asked her if she was interested in it when she came would she be prepared to take it with her that same day. She said she would and she would bring cash and her boyfriend and his big F250 truck. I said then I would empty all of my stuff out of it then.

Last night I watched the Red Sox game, having an awesome time watching that 3rd inning and feeling that my staying awake had alot to do with it. I lasted until the 8th inning and decided because she was coming this morning, I would clean early in the morning.

She called this morning at 8 am all bright eyed and bushy tailed, my mother (I know) had to nudge me out of my sleep to faintly hear the phone downstairs in the distance. I got up and she was excited and would have a 45 minute drive and so we all got up and cleaned the house. Well Eric and I did, while Matthew lied on the couch. Eric did an awesome job cleaning the counters, the back deck while I cleaned the hutch and vacuumed, moved our trucks to the top of the street for this big F250 that would come down our drive.

I should have known by the way they parked up on the street, that something was amiss.

They came in smiling but so quiet. I didn't think it was the same bubbly anxious girl that I talked to on the phone. I felt awkward at there quietness. Eric did too and eventually went out to take pictures of the lake foliage to give them some room.

Then they smiled and she said Ok..we have a few more today to look at. I'm not sure it is going to fit in the space we need...Thanks though.

UGH!!!!

When they left, Matthew said "Mommy, Did They Give You The Money??" (He knows this is his Disney Fund).

Talk about UGH and disappointment. I just can't believe my luck sometimes.

Well, hopefully this week at school will be a safe one.

Anyone have any tips on keeping warm for the mama over here on the lake?

Alright I know I am a daily wimp but there has to be an answer out there somewhere, without keeping the heat on 24/7.

I'm not complaining. I'm not complaining. I'm not complaining. I love my house that my husband built. I'm not complaining. I'm not complaining. It's kind of like I think I can, I think I can...maybe if I say it often enough somehow I'll just make myself warm. I'm in Hawaii, I'm in Hawaii, I'm in Hawaii.

This is a picture of our little house, a million years ago before we did the addition:

As you can see the lake is 100 feet behind the house, and with old windows it was unbearable in the winter. We have a nice wood stove in the basement but unless we keep it always on it is still crazy down there. That is one of our next projects. Right up there with the garage. We would like to have like a family/game/hobby room down there with a nice big screen projector for movies for Mommy and Daddy to watch after Matthew goes to sleep, but not yet.

Now here are the pictures before the final painting was done. It is now all yellow and so beautiful, but for some reason with the lake being close and the amount of windows we put in, I am always cold. The temperature here is always 10 degrees colder than up the street and sometimes more shadier, so it is deceiving until you get off of our road and then it's like your in another world.

So like I said, due to how beautiful my house turned out, who am I to complain? I'm not complaining about the house. I'm complaining about my skinny body that has the incapacity to be warm. Eric will tell me to just put layers on or get under the covers. But then I don't get out of the covers and if I put anymore layers on, I'm going to start looking like an onion.

And it's only October 15Th:-) If you don't hear from me in a few months, send the people to peel the onion.

To get off of the subject, this morning Matthew was again so wonderful getting ready for school. He actually is reminding me now of stuff that I need to do for him, which is awesome. This morning, he was pointing to my kitchen window saying he needed the spiderman things!! I'm looking with a blank face at the window clueless as to what he was talking about because Spiderman isn't there and there is no Halloween spider webs. Finally he started pointing like a madman, claiming Mommy!!! My Spiderman things!!! I need them!!! And then the fog cleared and I saw that he had been pointing to his vitamins!! Yeah!!!! He asked me for his vitamins!!

Little things make me happy.

On the way to school he announced something funny. The other night when he wasn't around I mentioned to Eric that I wanted to go to PA for at least my mother's birthday to go to her grave. I haven't been there since August and I thought even if I just disappear and go myself for two days, it's OK. Matthew mentioned to me as were driving to school "Mommy, Maybe we can go see Grandpa and R in Pennsylvania sometime?" I told him how sweet that was but to remember that R lives in NJ and she would have to be visiting Grandpa and we would have to talk to her and plan it. I then mentioned that Mommy was thinking of going soon and that I was going to go by myself, but if he wanted to join me because he missed Pennsylvania that he could come too. He then said "I do miss Pennsylvania Mommy, I go with you."

So I guess that is planned.

Well my fingers have gotten a little warmer by typing, but now I have to go get him from school.

On The First Day Of October...

I gave to me.

An orange and black blog with cute little Casper the friendly ghost.

Alright, so I'm weird. I'm entitled. I have a four and a half year old little boy. I'm allowed now to do those things that I waited my whole life to do and people used to think I was weird then.

Now I have someone to show off my "child friendly" side.

Today October came in with a coldness that reminded me that I have to buy Matthew a winter coat, gloves and a hat soon.

Cold mornings, warm afternoons and cold evenings. I wish it would just make up it's mind. This morning I left for his school wearing a sweater and one of my new fall coats that I found on www.classiccloseouts.com. This site is incredible. I feel like I am in the old Eynon Drug store in PA or the old department store Eric used to work for. Great buys at really great prices.

Anyway now that I'm done advertising, I was the only mom all bundled up this morning. They all show up in short sleeves and shorts. I know living on a lake makes the weather at home completely unrealistic to the weather just up the street, but really. I think my being so skinny and having previous bouts of hypothyroidism, I am just always going to be cold.

Matthew wasn't helping me this morning. He was cold as well and so he didn't want me to stop cuddling to eat, to stop cuddling to get dressed. It really puts crooks in my morning when he wants to cuddle. I'm not complaining because I love those kind of crooks in my morning.

Over the weekend, we spent two days in a row visiting Grandma & Grandpa K for their anniversary so Matthew had a great weekend. Last night we had dinner to celebrate and he loved just being around his cousins and Aunts and Uncles, not to mention Grandma & Grandpa.

This week is going to be another busy week with new friends, play dates at the parks with new and old friends. Last year we made friends with a mom who had three year old triplets (one girl and two boys). Natural, no infertility and she was pregnant with another when we last saw her. The triplets went to school with Matthew at his brief stint of school and I just felt for that mom. And she amazingly made everything look so effortless. The kids were all well behaved, quiet, smiled and her 7 months pregnant at the time acting like everything was wonderful. I would and still look at her with pride.

Her triplets were so used to automatically having playmates from birth that they were already well advanced at socialization. They were content to just be quiet and listen to a story or sit and play next to each other. The little girl was the mother hen always pulling them behind her at the playground like a great little mom.

Today we are meeting them again a a local park with their new baby sister who will be one in December.

At least now the girls even out the boys. They are an automatic team wherever they go.

Later this week, we are having lunch with the mom from Brazil and her little girl and twin boys. Then also we are meeting some moms at a local playground.

The end of next week brings something exciting for all of us. One of our new friends little boy will be turning 5 and we are invited to his party. Matthew is so excited. He is excited to have Daddy meet the kids. He's met the mom when we went out one night for Smithwicks (beer I love from Ireland) but they had just sold out so we had our Irish dinner instead. For anyone who cares, Smithwicks is now available at the local supermarket in MA if it carries beer. I go to Ireland in my mind every time I drink it.

This mom and I have more than a few things in common and I really am glad that God put her in my life. She has made a small difference in what I have been praying for - for a long time. A friend who lives close, has a little boy that we can share ups and downs of life with, have similar backgrounds and goals in life and is extremely family oriented and friend oriented. She is one of the most outgoing people I have met in a long time. She never stops networking and never stops trying to find ways to climb this mountain of motherhood challenges. She is fun loving down on the ground playing and duck duck goosing kind of girl. The kind my son really admires. She is something to watch with her own children but also for me, with Matthew. She treats him like her own. She has this magic thing she does at the playground where she goes under the kids (because she is only 5'2") and runs out and they wind up going high. Matthew has now had it with me because he feels like why can't Mommy do what she does. Mommy is 5'11" and if I ran under the swings I would knock myself out, Matthew off the swing. It wouldn't be pretty.

She also has alot of similarities to my best friend K in PA. I've showed her pictures and told her so. She might have alot of similarities, but each one now has a different special place in my heart. My heart is big enough to hold more than one friend in it (that's why I am also always striving for more). I don't have my family here and this is my way of creating that family for myself. And if these two ever met, they would hit it off enormously. Maybe one day.

Squirrels on a Sunday!

OK....I don't know if I posted about our squirrel problem in the past...but today I'm going to!!

Up until today, my neighbors and my husband have been thinking that the squirrel population surrounding our lakefront properties have been "growing and becoming a nuisance". I have not agreed with them due to the fact that I thought they were cute. They mostly lived up in the 300 year old trees and we would occasionally see them playing in the mornings or would see them in there nests from our bedroom windows and I would show Matthew Mama Squirrel and Baby Squirrel.

Well, now all that is changed!!!

A month or so ago, Eric had a small cookout for himself, Matthew, Eric's friend and his girlfriend. I was on my neighbor's porch and came home an hour or so later with more neighbors now to congregate on our deck. We were walking through my house, when I looked out on my patio set to see A SQUIRREL EATING MY SON'S LEFTOVER HOT DOG IN IT'S BUN!!! with the Ketchup and Mustard on either side of it. Before I could run and get my camera, my neighbor scared him off and we laughed about it.

The next day, I got the picture below as one of the culprits was checking out one of Matthew's toy lions.

Over the past few weeks, we would smile at the cute little guys as they sometimes poke their heads in our glass doors. Just Yesterday, one poked his head in through the glass.

A few weeks ago, my father in law sent us the video here and we all laughed and thought oh...we could send them across the lake.

Today, Eric took Matthew down the cape to visit family while I stayed home to read a book. I was quietly reading upstairs when I heard something fall. I had brought my cordless phone upstairs with me and forgot to carry it down. I came downstairs and saw items that had been on my microwave on the floor and then heard a noise around the corner on my kitchen counter.

YOU GUESSED IT, A SQUIRREL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a heart attack!!!!!

I ran outside and of course, my neighbors that lived either side of me, were not home.

I started yelling a few houses up and finally got a hold of my wonderful neighbors who came to save me.

My neighbors calmly told me "Oh, Just a squirrel, Get A Broom, He might have gotten in through the chimney (as they had experienced in the past)" I thanked them for their help as they got him out the back patio door and then after they left I looked out at that door. The SCREEN IS EATEN OUT WITH THE THREADS FACING IN AS IF THE WHOLE WAS MADE FROM THE OUTSIDE IN...TO BREAK INTO THE HOUSE!

This is where I draw the line.

Now I'm looking at them all outside each one identical to the other and not knowing who the criminal was.

I don't trust them all now when they start to make themselves at home, in my home.

I think with them looking in the windows, with them on the patio recently and our smiles we have given them sense of belonging AND THEY GOT THE WRONG MESSAGE.

I liked it better when I felt comfortable among them outside like we all are God's creatures nestled in here along the water. Now I am looking at them like they have ulterior motives.

LAST FRIDAY IN JULY........................SIGH..........

I can not believe that today is the last Friday in July. That July will be over on Monday. I wait so long for this month every year and this has to be the fastest it has ever gone by. I know my being busy with Matthew this month has a lot to do with it, but still. He is going to be starting preschool in 5 weeks....sigh.....

I feel like I have to rush in everything I've ever wanted to do with him while he is still little enough and the nice weather is here...and we only have 5 weeks left!

I'm hyperventilating again.

I know that he is just growing up way too fast right before my eyes. He was swimming today on our beach with his twin friends and he had a blast. It seems like yesterday we were in diapers in there playroom and he was climbing on the changing table and I was always afraid he would tip it over on them all. Now he is in climbing on furniture and couches and I'm still afraid he is going to hurt them. It is amazing how well those little girls swim too. They are little mermaids and just after a few months worth of lessons at the YMCA.

That's why I can't get discouraged by his lack of wanting to learn or be taught anything by an instructor. He has his third lesson tomorrow with Daddy taking him and then I will start twice a week and I am hoping by the end of August my little merman will be keeping up with his mermaids.

Princess N is coming tonight for the weekend as well and she is another little fish. It's amazing how once they learn to hold their breath and go under they really love it. I don't know why Matthew is so against me or his father or anyone else teaching him. He has a stubborn Irish streak in him that he doesn't want to do something until he is ready.

Today he saw one of the twins swimming underwater right near him in the water and from a few feet away I saw him hold his breath and almost put his face in but his fear stopped him. I then said "Can Mommy help you?" NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He wants to try and learn but wants to show he is a big boy who can do it, so I know when he is ready, he'll just do it and Mommy or Daddy will be right by his side when that happens.

HOT ENOUGH FOR YOU!

84°FRealFeel®100°F

Just thought I would share my weather today. I got a kick out of the feel's like version being 16 degrees higher than the actual temp! It's hard to breathe weather.

Fantasy Friday - Another Fantasy Now A Reality

For years now I have dreaded Matthew playing in his own yard with little friends, because of how unsafe it is. Matthew is used to it being his own yard but Mommy is always a nervous wreck anyway due to us being on the lake and the yard not being fenced in or landscaped and safe to fall down on.

Today the twins came for a much missed out on play date. We were going to go to the beach across from us on the lake, but decided due to the weather we would have them come to play inside instead.

Well with a little hesitation at first by me, they went around back and played with Matthew's sand toys, next they were playing with his play set that Daddy is almost finished with. I brought out his kitchen set and table for his friends and with a little lunch in between, both kids and Mommy's had an awesome time!!!

I can't believe it has taken me this long to be able to sigh and sit down in my backyard on a chair and watch my son happily play with his friends. He was still my little wild Spiderman, but mostly he stayed within bounds and they all really played nice.

I can't wait to do it again.

Tomorrow Princess N is coming with her brother and we will be going to the zoo for a few hours, so Matthew is in his glory.

Three girls in 48 hours.

FANTASY FRIDAY - SUNNY WARM SUMMER DAYS FISHING ON THE LAKE

Well, I know I said this before, but THIS WILL BE A SHORT ONE!

Matthew, for the last few weeks, has been hanging on me. You know that I love him and that he can hang on me anytime, but sometimes...it does get to me. Like it is now 5 pm, he is sick of the rain, sick of having allergies for over a week now. He even said to me today "Hey Mom! Do you want to go take a nap?" He never asks me. He was up early so I knew he is beyond arts and crafts, playing with toys or watching any more shows. Earlier in the week we did our teddy bear picnic on the rug.

We need sun and warmth. We need it everyday and if not everyday then at least 28 out of 30 days a month.

I am going to start planning some vacation stuff for us as a family to at least keep us focused on the season at hand. (It feels like 40 degrees today and it is May 18th) We need a fun place to plan to go to within reason (not Disneyland-that's for February). Some place we can all have a good time at that caters to each member of the family. Any Suggestions? Somewhere close to MA?

I'm really leaning toward camping. I've only been once and as you can tell if you look at my sidebar...I really want to go again. Although I really would love to get a cheap pop up because I know this is something once we do it, that we are going to love. If we can't get a pop -up then, I want to rent a cabin in the woods or buy a good size tent for our first family ventures. I don't want another year to go by, without the memory being made.

In the meantime, the pic above is just a little something to keep us all focused that yes, summer is here...and some fishing on the lake (another thing Mommy misses) is in our reach. Daddy got to go fishing earlier this week and the only reason I'm letting you all know is because I never in my wildest dreams imagined he still had it in him, to pull out another whopper of a fishing story. I thought those days were done. In the past he would tell stories and I could nod and smile, because I was there with him...so the description of the fish THAT BIG was really the description of the fish...that big. He is that way in all of his stories. Anyway that is part of his fisherman essence. And all of his stories were true....I was there or maybe I would be on the shore with the camera or he would bring the camera. It is just his way of describing it is LARGER than life.

I hope he doesn't mind me sharing his story. He might want to start a fisherman's blog. He can always just link back to me.

Tuesday night Matthew fell asleep before 7:30. Extremely rare in this house and so I said looking at the beautiful weather and the calmness of the lake "Why don't you go out?" His birthday was the next day so I thought it was fitting for him to start enjoying it, since he has to work during the day. About 2 hours later, he comes home and tells me:

• You wouldn't believe it! I was on the other side of the islands and I casted and got my hook tangled on a log in the water. He had let the line out a lot more than usual for the narrow area of water between the islands that he was in. He got the line all tangled and wrapped under the boat and now hooked on this log in the water. He sat fidgeting and trying to at least get some of the knots now in his line...just untangling, unwrapping, la di da... once he got the line unhooked from the log, he started reeling when...HE HAD A MONSTER!!! Him sitting in the canoe, line wrapped under the canoe all tangled onto a log, and then zap!!!! HE SAID "IT WAS THE BIGGEST ONE I'VE EVER CAUGHT IN THE LAKE" HE WAS AT LEAST UP TO MY KNEE CAP".

I said "Did you keep him?" He said "No". He is a sports fisherman and is very active in catch and release. I said, if he was even bigger than the general you caught last year, maybe we should mount one, one of these days? He just looked at me like I had two heads. I mean in our basement, our sportsman lodge someday. hehe

Last night while eating his birthday cake, he was trying to tell Matthew about his catch. Matthew said, "I CAUGHT ONE TOO DADDY DOWN BY THE DOCK!!"

Eric, brought down a notch, said How Big was it? Matthew said, HOLDING HIS HANDS OUT ARM LENGTH'S ON EITHER SIDE REACHED HIS UPPER BODY UP IN THE AIR AND YELLED....THIS BIG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not making this up....apple doesn't fall far from the tree. And fisherman essence is in there too!

Beetles and Bugs and Insects....OH MY!!!

Well, it's officially 80 degrees and sunny today! The little things that make me happy. Although the yellow jackets in my garage are monstrous and they scare the heck out of me.

I wish there was a way to have warm weather without bees, wasps and other horned and nasty stinging insects.

We have lived on our lake for 12 years and for some reason the last few years the insects, bugs and beetle life have become so huge to me, that I think there is something in the lake water. I have run from some bugs that literally freeze me in my tracks. I'm not that much of a wimp. I will kill something if I have the advantage. I don't know what I'm dealing with and I have a son to protect from whatever bites by whichever bug feels like biting. (say that 3 times fast)

I have been getting library books for us on bugs so Matthew and Mommy can see what I need to know about, but it is impossible to know all of them. The bees are easy for me and I am so afraid of them. I was stung when I was younger, by many.

One year we were swimming in one of my best friend's from childhood (will call her CareBear) pool. I was lounging in the pool on a float and a bee landed right on my big toe. We always would scream and make loud noises so when I started screaming that this bee was on my toe, CareBear's mom, literally just blocked out the sound. Until I think I finally said, Hey!! This isn't playing around this time!! So, she came and put mud on it and that was that. I got a few more from running around the neighborhood barefoot because I liked to do that.

More recently I was stung, last fall when I ran home after dropping Matthew off at preschool. I came home and went into my garage and there was a hive right over the door, that literally attacked me and I almost had to rip off my long sleeve shirt right in my front yard, to get them all out of my shirt. I wound up having a couple of stings on my wrist and arms.

I don't want to be afraid of them, for Matthew's sake to not put that fear in him, but until we can figure out about all of the bugs/beetles etc on the lake, I have no choice. Not to mention the mosquitoes. Last year in MA, they had to stop all night time sports games and practice's due to a little boy who died from encephalitis or the West Nile Virus. It scares the life out of me, that we live on a lake and that in itself just adds to the danger with mosquitoes.

Well Daddy took the day off today so we can get some things done together around the house. Enjoy the weather!!

Untangling The Webs & Matthews discoveries - From Mommy To Matthew

OK....I've really been missing my blogging! It really is an avenue to clear the mind and unfortunately, my mind has been a cobbled web for years that needs alot of untangling.

Yesterday for the first day in over 20 days, we had seasonable temps and sunny skies!! Yeah!! It's something how being out in the warm sunshine and blogging for me, go hand in hand. We had the whole afternoon to play with Matthew and rake some leaves in the process. It was so cool watch him again discovering things.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of smiling while I watch his reaction and can probably post about just that subject for the rest of his life. And I might just do that, because this is something I want him to have from Mommy when he gets older. Due to my being "at risk" for my mom's illness (subject for another day), I want him to have these moments from me, these pictures with my thoughts, these loving wonderful times that only I as his mom, can share with him. To let him know how much I loved him and never have any doubt about his mom's love and good intentions for his life to be the best it can be and to know what I was all about inside and out. What made me - me. Stories only I can pass down about my childhood, our family musical trait or memories of his grandmother. I would have loved to have something like this from my mom, but she didn't know the disease she faced until I had already moved to MA and was 22 years old and by then her mental state and physical state wouldn't let her type out her thoughts even if she had a computer. So for my son, I am doing this on behalf of his grandmother and his mom. Only I can pass down my heritage to my son, tell him the stories of how he is a great-grandson of a coal miner and teach him to be just as proud of that fact as he is about his father's heritage. It's easier now for that to come natural because we live in that state, with his relatives in Boston and his everyday life is molding MA into him. I am the only one who can teach him to be just as proud of the other side of his roots.

I plan on praying to God every day for that strength, to keep doing just that and praying that he will turn out to be the most well rounded -well traveled, well loved and never ever have any question of why his mom and dad prayed for our miracle someday. That we wanted to give him the best life and the best of both of us.

Yesterday Matthew discovered the bark on the trees. He loves peeling and picking at things and he has discovered bark before, but yesterday he stood at this one tree for a half hour, peeling it and picking it. He screamed at finding the green underneath the bark and finding little bugs and yelling to Daddy to come here!!!! He loves looking under every rock and screaming at new bugs he finds.

Also, typical boy just like his Daddy he loves rocks. Although Eric doesn't love the amount we have in our yard. Eric started throwing little rocks into the lake and soon Matthew wanted to be doing that with his dad...and they had the best time. Matthew really has a good arm. I sat on the steps to my deck and watched him throw those rocks. In my mind I heard my Mom yelling to my brother J to stop throwing them. My brother used to love throwing them as well, but I actually remember my mom trying to keep him from hitting the cars in the road. At least Matthew has the lake and won't throw them at cars...for now anyway.

Well, today is going to be another first time day for him. We are taking him as a family to go fly a kite and enjoying day #2 of the nice warm sunshine this time with a little fun it it for us as a family.

Easter Plans, Landscaping dreams and Chicken Wings for dinner!

Well, it's official, we are having Easter Dinner at our house and I'm thrilled. I cleaned..ok...re-arranged my furniture today. I was going to take advantage of 5 minutes for mom Tackle It Tuesday's but didn't want to take a picture of my house before. I always have enough projects though, so maybe next week Tackle It Tuesday will be all mine.

Matthew was so cute today. He was again playing on Disney's site and when he finally moved away from the computer, he walked into our living room and was like "WOW MOM!!! THIS LOOKS GREAT!!! WHY DID YOU DO THIS!!!!?!?!?!?!?! AND THE TABLE IS SO BIG!!!!"

It made it all worth while. His appreciation for me cleaning up all of his toys and rearranging the furniture and that look of approval on his face was something to strive for everyday.

I told him that "Daddy's family is coming here on Sunday for dinner and there is alot of them that's why Mommy made the table bigger and I had to move your toys so your Uncles and Aunts and cousins don't fall on them right?" You would think he realized that Christmas is coming soon and it's all coming back to him.

I haven't officially spoken to my brother's or father now that we decided what we are doing, but I'm pretty sure they already had made plans.

Now I just have the rest of the week, to really deep clean the rest of the house. There are enough dust bunnies that the Easter Bunny will think he doesn't have to come here, that we have enough bunnies...ugh..LOL

I wanted to blog more about gardening plans today but it will have to wait. Last year I was on Better Homes & Gardens website and started to plan a landscaping plan for flowers and shrubs in our zone and started dreaming about my yard, but as I mentioned before until our garage is done, our yard is still going to be in rock garden mode. I was hoping to start dreaming again and getting ready for it all though when it would finally happen by keeping busy on my plan, but the site is blocked up and it's now dinner time, so another day.

I'm making Chicken Wings for Matthew for dinner. It is one of the only ways other than Nuggets that I can get a meat into him. He loves them these days with Barb-B-Que sauce. I was going to try something fancy but I am running out of time.

The swans are BACK from Disneyworld!!!

The swans are BACK from Disneyworld!!!
Originally uploaded by Matthewsmom.

We were going to walk around the lake, little cold and windy. So we decided to go into Boston to visit Grandma instead. We looked out our window and I said Matthew the Swan is back and usually where there is one, there is two swans...Mommy looked as Matthew said "I see 3 Swans!!"

OK...The lake is behind the house! These two waddlers are heading for the FRONT DOOR!!!

OK...The lake is behind the house! These two waddelers are heading to the FRONT DOOR!!!
Originally uploaded by Matthewsmom.

OK...The lake is behind the house! These two waddlers are heading for the FRONT DOOR!!!

I'm not the only one confused with the weather.

As soon as I was done with my last post, I looked out my kitchen window and couldn't believe my eyes!! Matthew loved it!! I tried to open the door to get better pics, but they flew off!!

Pros and Cons of living in New England on a lake with a little boy! LOL

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

67 degrees, then snow? Only in New England & Mom's night out

Well, I'm not going to be talking about that "d" word anymore:-)

Yesterday we got out for a little while and it was 67 degrees:-) Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We were so happy just to be outside and Matthew is really appreciating spring coming and living on the lake. He wanted to fish, but Daddy didn't have any rods hooked up so I told him next week.

So, he had fun anyway looking for worms under some logs we use as landscape edging down by the lake. He found a string and was so cute hooking it onto branches hanging over the water, telling me he was going to catch a fish. I didn't spoil his fun. He was just loving being out and enjoying nature. He even mentioned we had a sting ray and a jelly fish in the water. I tried to tell him it was algae and explain what it was. He kept asking if it was going to bite him.

I got a book the other day at the library on birds of the Northeast by James Audobon. Matthew loves this book and every time he heard a bird chirp, he'd yell" Mom, get my bird book".

Then last night, the weatherman said tomorrow rain and in the evening and Friday, possible nor'easter and snow/sleet! What!!! Listen, Mr. Weatherman, we are done with that season!! No more!! How am I going to explain to my son why there is snow again? And that it will be cold again!!

They say if you want to know when the weather will change in New England, just to wait two minutes. I know that this is happening outside of MA also, but I don't care. I'm sick of it. We just want sunny warm days at the park, zoo's, playgrounds and on the lake...is that too much to ask? LOL

I am looking forward to Saturday night. I am going with a mom/friend of mine who has been trying to get me to hear this girl in concert for over a year. We had tickets to see her in January and she cancelled due to Laryngitis and rescheduled for Saturday night. It has been a long wait, but we are going to have fun. The artist's name is Cheryl Wheeler. My friend burned me her CD, and she's pretty good. I love Jann Arden and she is similar in that she has a comedic performing intimate quality to her shows, so it will be nice to escape life in my mind for awhile.

Then on Sunday, we will go into Boston for their famous St. Patrick's Day Parade:-) Hopefully the weather will be decent that day.