Homework

Last month Junior started school. He is in pre kindergarten. The program is 5 days a week and each Friday the children are given a homework assignment. So far every week has had a color theme to it. The homework assignment pertains to what the following weeks' color will be. On Friday Junior was given a piece of paper that had the outline of a pumpkin on it. Junior was to use an orange peel to paint his pumpkin orange. He could add accessories to it as long as they were orange.

Most Fridays I encourage Junior to complete his assignments right away so that we can enjoy the weekend and not think about homework. But this Friday was different. Monday was a holiday so I enjoyed knowing that we had some extra time to work on things. We decided to order a pizza and watch, "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

On Saturday the weather was beautiful so we spent the day decorating the house for Halloween, raking leaves, jumping into the leaves, and going to the park.

Sunday was another beautiful day and we went to pumpkin patches, we went on hayrides, we went to the petting zoo, and we bought our Halloween costumes.

Suddenly it's Monday and we still have not started the homework assignment. But the dilemena is that it's another gorgeous fall day and we still have not gone apple picking. So we head off the orchards.

Monday evening rolls around when we discover that we need to make a quick trip to the grocery store to buy an orange to paint the pumpkin with. While at the store Junior describes to me how he is going to decorate his pumpkin. Immediately I was amazed at how much thought he put into this project. And I realized that he must have been thinking about this over the weekend.

So we set off home to start collecting orange leaves to make a wreath around the pumpkin with. And Junior practiced making circles so that he could draw an orange sun to shine down on his pumpkin. And on Tuesday morning I could not have been more proud of him. His pumpkin showed off just how creative he is (and just how good of a procrastinator I am.)

Junior refused to put his pumpkin into his backpack. He was very concerned about the leaves falling off or the pumpkin's face getting ruined. So he proudly carried it onto the playground. He was approached by one of his friends to play tag. Junior's face was beaming when he said to his friend, "C, do you like my pumpkin?" C took one look at the paper and said, "that sucks, my pumpkin is better."

I could see the disappointment in Junior's face. He handed me the paper and asked me to hold it while he chased his friends around the playground.

My heart broke for my son who put so much effort into making something wonderful. Something that he was so excited to show off to his friends and his teacher. I decided that I was going to kick C's ass! The nerve of this insensitive child telling my baby that his art project sucks! Who does this kid think he is anyway!?!

I continued fuming for the next 2 1/2 hours while I waited to go and pick Junior up from school. I had to tell him how awesome his pumpkin was. But more importantly I wanted to know exactly what C's pumpkin looked like so I could tell Junior how bad it sounded. I would tell Junior that it sounds like C's pumpkin sucked.

Junior enjoyed his afternoon at school. He told that he learned that red and yellow make orange. The kids all practiced mixing the paints together. Junior had the proof on his hands that red and yellow do indeed make orange.

I asked him if Ms. Eileen liked his pumpkin and he excitedly told me that she loved it. He told me that a lot of the other kids used leaves to decorate their pumpkins as well. I asked him what C's pumpkin looked like and I was ready to make a snide remark at how bad it probably was.

"It was orange."

So I poked a little more, "well did he put any leaves on it?"

"Nope, no leaves. It was just orange."

So I poked a little bit more, "well did he make a sun?"

"No Mommy. He just painted it orange."

So I continued poking. This child had to have done something remarkable to his pumpkin.

"No Mommy, C just painted his pumpkin orange. But he can paint very nice."

My eyes welled up with tears. Thank God for my sensitive son who continues to amaze me everyday! And as for me, well I definitely can stand to learn a lesson or two from my four year old!

First birthdays

I cannot believe that in less then a week Baby will turn 1. I can recall the days leading up to his birth. Baby was born on a Wednesday. The weekend before we took Junior to our favorite breakfast place. Knowing our typical routine I can confidentially say that Daddy ate Eggs Benedict without the bacon/ham, Junior ate pancakes, and Mommy had an egg and bacon sandwich with homefries. I know that we spent the weekend just relaxing and enjoying Junior as much as we could before his little brother was here. The night before Baby's arrival we made homemade pizzas. All three of us were covered in flour and pizza dough, as were the counters and kitchen floor. But it was well worth the mess as it's a memory that I'll never forget. A year later it still brings a smile to my face.

This year hasn't been easy for any of us. As much joy as Baby has brought to our lives, he's also brought a lot of sleepless nights and tears and frustration. As a newborn he hated sleeping in his bassinet. He preferred my bed and would only sleep if he was cuddled up next to me. This made nursing quite convenient, but it meant that poor Daddy spent a majority of those 6 months sleeping on the sofa. Once we moved into a house and no longer had to worry about downstairs neighbors hearing the cries of an infant, we allowed Baby to cry it out in his crib. We've definitely had our ups and downs with that. But overall we've made progress and *most nights* Baby will sleep from 8:00pm until 5:30am.

This year has brought me so many happy memories. Memories that can still bring tears to my eyes. One of the best mornings occurred about 2 weeks ago. Baby has been trying so hard to say his big brother's name. He says the first syllable of his name and we've all started to call him by that now. I was lying in bed with Baby. It was one of the nights when he decided to start his day at 3:00am. Junior woke up around 7:30am and came to join us for some snuggle time before we started our day. Baby's whole face lit up when he saw his big brother. He started calling for him, "A, A, A." And then he said "hug." He gave his brother a big hug and a big kiss. Junior was so happy and said to him, "you love me a lot don't ya buddy. Well I love you too. You're my best buddy."

Best. Memory. Ever!!!

back to school

I was at the mall window shopping today and all the "going back to college" stuff is in the stores. It always makes me a little sad to see that stuff. It gets me thinking of how much fun college was and how much easier life was (well except for all the stupid papers I had due at 9:30am on Friday for Drugs and Society! Really didn't the professor know how much drinking occurred on any given Thursday night!?!?!?!)

So then it dawned on me that I have to get "Junior" back to school clothes this year!

OH! MY!! GOD!!!

I have a child!

Nope wait.............I have two children!!!

I have a child that needs back to school clothes!!!!!!!!!!!

HOW ON EARTH DID THIS HAPPEN?!?!?!?!?! Shouldn't it be my mom be planning the annual back to school shopping trip to Sears?

Being Baptized

"Baby" was recently baptized. On the days leading up to the baptism his older brother had a lot of questions about what a baptism actually meant. I suppose I should have been prepared for those questions but instead I felt like a deer in headlights.

I explained to "Junior" that it meant that God was giving his love to "Baby" and "Baby" was giving his love God. Then the all important question was asked....

"Who is God?"

We've talked about God before in our house, but perhaps not enough. I did my best to explain the question that really doesn't have an answer. And "Juniors" response was "So God is my doctor?"

And I immediately felt like a failure. This was my one chance to shine as a parent. To explain something in such a profound way that he would completely understand. No longer would "Junior" long to be the neighborhood's garbage man, but instead he would become a religious icon. I explained this conversation to the Reverend that baptized "Baby." He seemed moved by "Juniors" interpretation of God and said, "I can definitely use that in a sermon."

Maybe I didn't fail after all?

Being a SAHM (stay at home mom)

Several years ago during a "girls night" someone brought magnets. They all had witty sayings about shoes, chocolate, sex, etc, etc... At the time I was either pregnant with Junior or had recently given birth to him. Being the only friend with a baby it made sense that I would get the magnet that portrayed a SAHM. She's in the yard watching her 2 children play in a sandbox. The caption read, "They're not looking- I could escape." At the time it was hilarious to me for 2 reasons- #1- she has an amazing body for someone that has birthed two kids. #2- Never will I be a SAHM and if I am escaping won't ever cross my mind. I'll cherish being able to spend time with my children.

Fast forward 4 years- They are ALWAYS looking- how will I ever escape!?!?!

Moving has made it possible for me to stay at home with the kids. This isn't a permanent deal. We still need 2 incomes but, for the time being, this is how it needs to be. Uprooting our family has been a big adjustment for everyone and they definitely need their mom right now. Especially Junior who has had to say goodbye to all his friends.

Unfortunately for Junior I'm not very good at "playing." There are only so many times I can pretend to take his McDonald's order or play tag. And I don't know how many more trips to the park I can take. But everyday I do my best to satisfy his creativity and to help him learn more about birds and butterflies and worms. We currently have caterpillars that we are anxiously awaiting to form cocoons and magically turn into butterflies.

We tried the whole playgroup thing once. Luckily Junior has not asked to go back. It was like re-entering high school and realizing all over again just how uncool you really are. I even spent time to blow dry my hair, apply makeup, and I wore my best pair of jeans (the only ones that actually fit me) and my prettiest shirt, AND I accessorized. I still wasn't cool. The cool moms, the ones that the play group leader approached first and spent the most time with, paid no attention to their children or me for that matter. They were very busy talking about upcoming vacations, cell phone plans, sales at various clothing stores. They stood around in a very tight circle. They let no one into this group. But I was fine interacting with my boys (and their kids as well.)

So this may not be how I imagined my life 4 years ago. I am desperate for a day when I can put on some dress clothes instead of jeans and a Red Sox t-shirt. But I do know that a caterpillar has 12 eyes and a butterfly has 6 legs. And the best way to cure a boo boo is to give lots of kisses and hugs and say something funny. No paycheck can amount to that knowledge.

Rice Cereal

"Baby" had his 4 month checkup last week. He weighed in at 13lbs 8ozs and measured 25 1/4 inches. Unfortunately he has bronchitis and an ear infection. Poor little guy! This postponed his next round of immunizations for 2 weeks. The doctor gave us the go ahead to start rice cereal. "Baby" loves it!!!




The same day "Junior" decided to take a stab at his artistic side. He has decided that sculpting is fun and wants to be just like his uncle! Now I'm worried that I'll be continuing to support him 23 years from now! Maybe they'll be a large need for eggplant/fork sculptures!

Pictures

"Junior" at 4 months





"Baby" at 4 months





"Junior" at 8 months (or so.)





"Baby" at 3.5 months.






My boys!

"Baby"

I promised myself that I would write the birth story of "baby" following the birth. Now it's 4 months later and I still haven't recorded anything. So I struggle to remember all the unimportant details that are so important to me.

When I opted for a repeat c-section the hospital sent me my itinerary. I was due to check into labor and delivery at 8am on Wednesday, October 17th. A couple days prior to "the day" I was contacted and told to check in at 10am. So much better since we were traveling into Boston! I could actually have one last morning to sleep in! What a joke that was! I didn't sleep at all the night before!

Daddy and I arrived at BI on the 17th. We were probably a little late, as that is customary for us! Now is when the confusion set in. I gave my name. My married name, which is different then when I first became pregnant. The nurses were waiting for Mommy So&So and had no clue who Mommy Mack was! Finally after waiting for 45 minutes Daddy straightened out the confusion and I was able to walk through the locked doors to have "baby."

Our nurse was absolutely fantastic! Her name is one of those things that I would love to remember, but I have no clue!! She was just the sweetest person! Very attentive to my every need and since Daddy is a bit of an attention hound, she was particularly attentive to his needs also!

I didn't have to wait long before the O.R. was ready for us. I was able to walk into the room and was shocked at how cold it was!! I definitely don't remember that from having "junior!" It made me really sad for how shocked poor "baby" would be when exiting the womb! There was also a radio playing. Now please know that I paid so much attention to this radio. I swore that I would remember what songs played- especially when they announced to me that the baby was here. I remember nothing of that except for it was on 106.7. I'm guessing that we listened to Christina Aguillara and Kelly Clarkson, but I can't be sure!

The epidural went really well. I was especially nervous about this because with "junior" it was horrible!!!! Lucky for me it was painless this time around! Daddy got to come into the room following the epidural. It was great to see him! Unfortunately (and true to his word) he didn't last very long! Daddy has a pretty weak stomach when it comes to this stuff. Just thinking about what they were doing behind the white sheet proved to be too much and Daddy had to leave the room. He tells me that he had some OJ and coaching from the nurses. I think he loved all the attention he got! Although I'm certain he would have preferred to be with me!

The fabulous nurse and fabulous anesthesiologist kept me well informed on what was going on behind that white sheet! They kept me calm and laughing. Finally it was time for "baby" to arrive. Daddy was sent for. There was probably about a 10 minute wait from that time that Daddy came back into the room before "baby" made his entrance into the world. Finally at 1:33pm "baby" was born. The look on Daddy's face was of complete joy! He was given permission from fabulous nurse to go over to the warming table and take pictures. He was so cute after trying to show me the pictures he had taken. But he couldn't stop shaking. I couldn't see anything, although I pretended that I had. Fabulous anesthesiologist told me that I had a 10 pound baby! I was amazed (and pretty excited at the immediate weight loss potential from a 10+ pound baby!!!) How on earth did someone so large fit inside of me?!?!? Then the true weight was revealed. 8 lbs. 9 ozs. The c-section before mine produced a 10 lb. baby!!!!

When Daddy and fabulous nurse brought you over to Mommy, I was amazed. Such a beautiful baby! It never fails to amaze me that Daddy and I can make something so wonderful, so amazing, so breath-taking! This was the 2nd time we perfected the baby making area of our life!

The doctor began to stitch me up while I admired my new baby! Daddy was holding baby and he and I were both so content and so in love!! It was taking a really long time to finish up the surgery. The doctor announced to us that they "only had one more layer to get through." Daddy turned a shade of pale that I had never seen before. He immediately beckoned for fabulous nurse and handed "Baby" over. He attempted to sit back down and stay with me for the remainder of things. However, things didn't work out in his favor. I graciously excused him from the O.R. to make the all important phone calls. Daddy did a good job at that!

I will never forget the doctor and fabulous nurse wheeling me from O.R. into recovery. They laid "Baby" along side of me. I was terrified at first. So worried that I would break him or that he would roll off the rolling bed and onto the linoleum floor. But we made it into the recovery cubicle and immediately called Grandma's cell phone. Poor Grandma was a nervous wreck! She expected "Baby" to be born close to the 10 o'clock hour. But I explained the last name mix-up. We had an amusing chuckle over that and she was so happy to hear that I was ok and that she had a beautiful, an amazingly beautiful, grandson!

I couldn't get enough of "Baby." I just wanted to stare at him and memorize every part of his face and head and neck and chest. But the time came when fabulous nurse had to take him to the nursery for his official evaluation. She confirmed all my thoughts when she took him though.

"What a beautiful, absolutely perfect, baby boy."

Babies, parties, and more

I cannot believe that "baby" is nearing the 4 month mark. He's meeting all his milestones just as we would hope he would. Holding his own head up, laughing at our lame jokes, and making us fall more in love with him everyday. Perhaps that isn't a milestone. But it's still an amazing feeling to have!

What I can't believe even more then "baby" being close to 4 months is that "junior" will soon be having his 4th birthday. It's more then just a birthday party though......it's a chance for "junior" to say good-bye to his friends from daycare.

We decided to move to give our children a better life. To be closer to grandparents. To be able to buy a home. A better school system. But when I think of how difficult this move will be on "junior" I wonder if we're making the right decision. Daddy seems to think that we are. He feels that kids are so resilient. I'm the worrier. The one that agonizes over every decision and stays awake at night wondering if we're doing this parenting thing the right way. I guess there is no way to measure if you're doing things the right way. Or even if there is a right way.

Tonight I told "junior" that we were moving to a new house. He was a little confused. A little worried. He wanted assurance that we were bringing our belongings with us.

"Will we bring my bed?" "Yes honey- and the sheets on your bed too."

"What about the lights?" "Yes honey- Daddy and I bought the lights."

"Well can we bring the rug?" "Possibly- maybe our new house will already have a rug."

"But if we don't live here then who will?" "I'm not sure."

I decided to wait to fill him in that he will no longer go to the same daycare.

"Junior" has always been such an amazing little guy. And when I say little..I really mean little! He's in the 3rd percentile for his weight and height. But he is smart. And inquisitive and funny. So funny! No one can make me laugh the way that he can. It sounds corny but he really is a ray of sunshine.

When he was born I was terrified to hold him. That is what I remember the most. I was absolutely terrified. Everyone at the hospital held him before I did. I never expected that Daddy and I would have created someone so wonderful. So perfect. And from the c-section I couldn't stop shaking. So I admired this creation at a distance. I just kept trying to get the feeling back in my legs while other people held him and kissed him. And I continued to admire him from a distance sure that I could never handle him the way his daddy did or his grandparents did. Finally daddy handed him to me. Daddy didn't really give me a choice as to whether or not I wanted to hold him. He just put "junior" in my arms. Immediately I fell in love. I looked into his eyes and fell in love unconditionally with this little guy. And the most amazing this is that he didn't break!!!

I've watched his personality grow everyday for the last 4 years. Everyone that meets "junior" falls in love with him. You can't help but not too. His laugh is infectious. His smile brightens up the room. He is truly loved by everyone.

Now he is turning 4. My heart is already breaking for the day when he goes off to school. He'll do great. It'll be mommy that has the adjusting to do.

I desperately want this birthday to be amazing. Perfect. I want him to remember it always since it'll be one of his last memories with his friends from daycare. I've spent so much time looking into places analyzing what is included to how much fun the kids will have. I never would have imagined how expensive birthday parties can be. I know that "junior" will have a wonderful time no matter what. No matter where his birthday is. I'm the one with the high expectations.















"Junior" 3/24/04















"Junior's" 1st birthday

















"Junior's" 2nd Birthday

A confession......

I was hestitant to tell my husband that I had created this blog. I knew that he may not approve of it. But it may have been a tad unfair to have pictures of him and his children all over cyber space and not fill him in. He reacted exactly as I suspected he would. "You know that I do not like the idea of anyone being able to track me on the internet." I gave him my motivation behind the blog and promised that I would not identify us by our actual names. However I should probably come up with code names for our family.........

My code name will be "Mamma Mack" (Very orginial....I know!)

My husband's code name will be "Daddy Mack" (See where I'm going with this?!?)

Our first born will be "Junior Mack"

Our second born will be "Baby Mack"

Now that you're filled in I thought that I would share some of my favorite pictures of "Junior". It's amazing how much "Baby" resembles him

Junior looking so sad at his parent's engagement photo shoot!

Junior's favorite hiding place as a baby. He constantly cleaned out the cupboard to hide in here!

The making of a blog......

Seeing how everyone nowadays has a blog- I decided to jump aboard the bandwagon and create one for my family. My real motivation behind doing this is so that our friends in the Boston area can keep tabs on our family and see pictures of the boys as they grow. I suppose I could constantly send emails with pictures attached but this way seems a little less intrusive!