the birthday boy

Max's birthday party on Sunday was so much fun!

I am planning on doing a post with party pictures but I'm going to wait until Four Year Old Friday! Plus this week has been crazy!! (and it's only Tuesday!)

Here are just a few pics of the birthday boy:

four years old

It's so hard to believe that four years ago today...

I looked liked this in the morning right before we left for the hospital. I was so excited to meet my little boy. I was a little anxious because I remembered all too well labor and delivery and how much work(and pain) was involved. But I was also remembered the joy and how it is all so worth it! Also, this time I wasn't as worried about what to do when we brought him home. It all came back to us!

This was taken moments after meeting our son for the first time!
Maxwell James was born at 6:57 p.m. and was 8 lbs. 2 oz of pure cuteness! I can still remember telling Damian I coudn't believe his head full of blonde hair. (Emma's was really dark brown!) He was and still is just the sweetest thing!

Getting ready to go home as a family of four!!

I count my blessings every day for my two precious children! I love that they love each other so much and hope they will always be close!

Today we celebrated Max's 4th birthday with our family and friends at a local park. The kids had a blast! In Max's words:"My birthday is sooo awesome!" and "This is the BEST day evah!" We're looking forward to a fun-filled fourth year!

**looking back at these baby pictures has given me some major baby fever...it's a good thing my sister is having another one in January!!**

Mommy and Me Monday:back to school

It is back to school time for all of us this week! I am glad to get back into our routine. Although, I will miss being home and having fun with Emma and Max. Teaching first grade is exhausting at the beginning of the year! Setting up the classroom, preparing the lessons, teaching the procedures and routines and being on my feet nonstop the whole day. Whew!! I am beyond tired!! I will be glad in a few weeks after all my hard work pays off.

Max had so much fun at Pre-K 4. He was happy to see his friends and meet some new ones. He told me that he was a very good boy and was a good listener. I sure hope that's true!
Emma is so excited to be a first grader! She had a terrific day and can't wait for tomorrow. She is also starting back to ballet tomorrow and girl scouts(daisies) in a couple weeks. She will be going to religious ed too...so it will be a busy year.

take me out to the ballgame...

This week(and last) was crazy busy! I feel like I did nothing but think about my classroom and getting ready for a new school year with my first graders. I was beyond exhausted when I finally got home after "meet the teacher" last night. Damian brought the kids to Emma's classrooms and then took them to Chuck E. Cheese and Dairy Queen. They had a blast! Thankfully, I have everything ready for school and didn't bring anything home to work on over the weekend! So it will be full of family fun. Today we ran a few errands; grocery store, local thrift store(where I found some great things), played the Wii, and we're watching a movie now. Tomorrow we have church in the morning and we're planning on getting together with some friends in the afternoon for a bbq and swimming.

These pictures are from last Friday night. The kids loved their spaghetti dinner at Olive Garden and we had so much fun at the baseball game too!

Six Year Old Saturday: one year ago

It's hard to believe that only one year ago my little girl started kindergarten. Last night we had meet the teacher at our school and although Emma will have the same teachers this year she had so much fun visiting with her teachers and seeing her classrooms. She is so excited to be a first grader and has squealed and screeched so many times over the last week. She has looked over her new school supplies and clothes and backpack and can't wait to get it all organized! She also cannot wait to see her friends

I have taught first grade for so many years and now I finally have a first grader. It's a bittersweet feeling for sure!

When I look at these pictures from last year's first day she looks so little! On Monday you better believe there will be many more pics! We can hardly wait for first grade!

Mommy and Me Monday

On Friday I wanted to do something fun with the kids before our summer was officially over. I was hoping Damian could get off work early to take the kids to one of the Disney parks or Downtown Disney but no such luck.

We took the kids to Olive Garden for an early dinner and then decided to head to Lakeland to see the Lakeland Flying Tigers play baseball. They are a local minor league team and we had so much fun watching the game. We love going to Rays games but don't love the long drive to St. Pete. The games in Lakeland are so close and only cost $5! They also have a kid's club which we plan on joining next season. I wish we would have discovered them sooner but now we know and can't wait to take the kids to more games. Max LOVES baseball and Emma enjoys it too. We were there for the doubleheader but didn't stay for the entire second game. It was a good thing we left when we did because there was a pretty bad storm. Not to mention the lovely Florida heat and humidity!

It was a fun family night minus Max throwing up in the car on the way home. He enjoyed the popcorn at the baseball game a little too much. I could have done without having to do a major car seat cleaning at 9:00 p.m.

Today was my first day back at school for the first of five teacher work days. I got so many things accomplished! I should sleep well tonight because I am exhausted!! I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine and getting to know my new group of kiddos. Although waking up at 5 am again is not so much fun.

Tales of a Three Year Old

I don't know where this week has gone. It's slipped right by and it's that much closer to the end of summer. We've been pretty busy and I love when things get accomplished! I have gone to a workshop, worked in my classroom, deep cleaned the house, done some school shopping, gotten haircuts, went to our last kiddy movie of the summer, spent time with family and friends, and today we had Max's open house for VPK. (voluntary Pre-K) I cannot believe my little guy is going to be in school. He's been in daycare since he was 2 1/2 but this is "real school" every single day. He is so excited and loves to tell everyone that he is going to be in VPK. Tomorrow we are planning on doing something fun as a family before summer is officially over. This weekend we have a birthday party, spending some time with my brother and his family, and I think D and I might even have a date night thrown in somewhere!

Max will be FOUR in a little over two weeks and I have been trying to get some things together for his pirate party. It's always such a crazy time with the beginning of school and getting my classroom set up and organized but we are keeping it low key with a party at the park with our family and closest friends.

As we near his birthday, I love looking back over the last few years.

My newborn

August 2007

One Year Old

August 2008

John Deere/Farm Party

Two Years Old

August 2009

Finding Nemo Party

Three Years Old
August 2010
Buzz Lightyear party



almost Four Years Old
August 2011

Mommy and Me Monday

This past Thursday was my 34th birthday. It feels like just yesterday I was turning 24 and a newlywed! Wow...time sure does fly!

In the morning,we joined our friends Jessi and her boys Brody and Connor at the splash park and then had lunch at McDonald's. While we were at lunch, I mentioned that Damian and I were going to go to dinner that night and Jessi volunteered to watch Emma and Max while we enjoyed a date night! I have been really wanting a good steak so we headed to Grillsmith and they did not disappoint. Damian and I enjoyed chatting and eating a delicious meal. We walked around and did a little back to school shopping and ended the night with froyo!! It was a great birthday!

While we were at dinner Jessi had the kids help her make a chocolate cake for me. I thought that was so sweet!! The cake was yummy and the kids were so excited!

Here are the kids(plus Max's best buddy Brody) and I!!

We also got together with my twin brother Michael and the rest of my family on Saturday for a birthday party. I had a fantastic day and know that this year will be a great one!

Magic Kingdom Fun

My sister and I braved the Magic Kingdom with Emma, Max, and Allie a couple of weeks ago. We had a fantastic time and I cannot wait to go again...in the fall...when it's cooler and there are less people!!

I have been lucky enough to enjoy the Disney parks since I was 10 and I can honestly say I never get tired of going. I love the shows, the rides, the cleanliness, and friendliness! Basically, I LOVE it all and I love seeing it all again through the eyes of my children.

Way Back When-esday: Birthday edition

Tomorrow my brother and I will be 34 years old!! I have loved growing up as a twin!! It really is such a neat bond to share. In my childhood, I had a constant companion,playmate, and best friend. We have always been close and although now we are married and have families of our own, I know I can count on my brother no matter what. I have always enjoyed celebrating our special day together.

I still love hearing my parents tell us about the day we were born, we decided to arrive 6 weeks early. They had no idea they were having twins until my brother was born and the doctor said he was small at a little over 5 lbs and that he thought there was another baby. Well, two minutes later I arrived breach, weighing a whopping 4 lbs, 2 oz!! As a mother, who's had two children, I cannot even imagine the shock and surprise they experienced on that day!

Here are just a few pics of Michael and I through the years...

1 year old...matching rompers...love it!

Our 1st birthday party: Raggedy Ann & Andy theme

with our cousin Sheri
Love the seventies style!!

playing together

Christmas '81


middle school--early 90's

In case you were wondering braces and bangs were all the rage!!


Homecoming our senior year of high school: my brother the homecoming king!

a luau birthday celebration

2006

Our 30th birthday

2007

(I was a little bit pregnant with Max-ha!)

2010

We're looking forward to getting together this weekend for a family birthday celebration!

~I am linking up with Cheryl at Twinfatuation~