Boys in Padanaram

2012-02-12T20:09:00.002-05:00

A busy weekend around here. We've been packing and getting ready for Florida. Can't wait to go since its been really cold here lately. Today the boys had hockey in the morning and we all went to watch. Ben was so excited to be with Jonah. He is a Dada's boy!!

Ben dumped out all the dog food for Stanley!

Mr. Benjamin.

He's a camera ham!

2012-02-08T21:57:00.002-05:00

We ventured to Honey's house today for a lunch at Friendly's in Hyannis. Jacob also got some new shoes since his have holes in them. Very exciting to get new shoes! We had a great time visiting with Honey. We went for a hike in the woods. Lots of fun!

Going for our hike.

And we're off!

Re-arranging Honey and Wiggley's wood pile.

2012-02-06T21:20:00.002-05:00

We ventured to the Rogers Williams Zoo today in Providence. Lots of fun and it turned into a great day around 55 or so. The excitement to the boys was probably watching the elephant poop and then peeping on its hay. Bathroom things are so exciting to boys :) I also figured that having them run outside for 3 hours or so would tire them out. I was WRONG!!! It actually had the opposite effect on them. These boys are wired lately for some reason. Maybe its the lack of hot sun. In the summer they are beat tired and fall right asleep. Hopefully the Florida sun will tire them out.

We are getting excited to be in the warm Florida sun. Jacob has informed me that he is swimming every day no matter what the temperature is. And Scooter built them bunkabeds. They are thrilled. They decided amongst themselves that Caleb will get the top because Jacob has the top in Nova Scotia.

Checking out the giraffes.

Trying to get the bird to peck at there fingers.

2012-02-05T22:09:00.002-05:00

Super Bowl Sunday! The Patriots played the New York Giants and lost. Jonah was upset but I could care less about football, its just fun to have parties for the games. We had our friends over and their kids Luke and Paige. They didn't really want to watch the game other than the halftime show.

Last night Jonah and I had a date night. We went to the Melting Pot in Providence. It was so much fun! We walked around the mall all by ourselves and I even got to buy some stuff. Jonah is such a better partner in the mall than the boys, he doesn't hide in the racks, run away from me or scream and cry :)

The crew watching the Madonna half time show.

This was the only time they sat still!

Ben being tossed in the air, he loves it!

Ben being thrown in the air. He couldn't get enough of it.

2012-02-04T22:01:00.002-05:00

Jonah had to work this am so I took the boys to the New Bedford Whaling Museum. It would of been more fun if Ben wasn't so tired. He was really not into it at all. They have some cool exhibits there. There is a big replica whaling boat that you can climb on, plus a room with bunk beds and some levers that you can raise the anchor with. They loved seeing all the whale skeletons. We'll have to go back when Ben is more rested.

Caleb.

Jacob.

Caleb was supposed to having quiet time after lunch but instead he and Jacob were going through my drawers!!! Boys!!

2012-02-03T21:57:00.002-05:00

I've been telling the boys for a while that we can make orange juice with all the extra oranges we have. So we bought a juicer at Target today. They were so excited to squeeze the oranges! Too bad no one wanted to drink it once we did all the hard work.

Squeezing oranges.

2012-02-02T21:42:00.003-05:00

Busy days at school today. Its Catholic school week so Jacob has had all sorts of fun stuff to do this week. Today was an ice cream party and they got to wear mismatched clothes to school. Jacob was excited to wear "home" clothes but wanted them to match. He does not like not matching!!

Ben has been learning new words every day. So far he says cookie, yes, thank you, mama, dada, good girl (we always say Molly is a good girl), cheese, ketchup and ball. There might be a few others in there but I can't think of them now.

Jacob is doing great with his letters. He can write everyone in the family's name all by himself and can identify almost all his letters. He has also been big into writing I love you notes to Jonah and I which is so sweet.

Caleb is learning his letters and trying to identify them. He can count by himself to about 20. After that he needs some prompting.

Caleb.

Jacob.

Ben still sleeps like a baby with his little bum in the air. So cute!

An escapee!!

2012-02-01T20:55:00.002-05:00

Today was another beautiful day. About 56 all day and sunny from about noon on!! Amazing for January in New England. No gym for us since Caleb has pink eye. Jacob, Caleb and I made oatmeal raisin cookies this am while Ben attempted to nap. I don't think there was much sleeping going on up there but at least he could lay down and have some quiet time.

After lunch we headed out to the zoo to run around and see the animals. The zoo is great for getting them all tired. I was going to take them to the Roger Williams zoo but the rain this am discouraged me so we stuck local. Then after the zoo we headed home for a bike ride. We delivered some cookies to our friends Luke and Paige and then ended up at the playground down the street. So much fun!! Some of our other friends were there so it was great to chat with the moms and the kids had a blast.

They were beat after playing all afternoon but still managed to stay up till around 8:15. At least thats better than 9 I guess. Apparently they need to run all day long and no breaks. We need a gerbil wheel in the basement that the boys can run in!

Hanging out with the bear.

Checking out the sheep.

2012-01-31T20:44:00.002-05:00

Jonah is getting a new phone soon so he's been uploading lots of games onto his old one so it can be the "game" phone once the service is shut off of it. Which will actually be good, that way they can't accidentally purchase things for the games. Hasn't happened yet but I'm sure they'll figure out my passwords some day! He is getting the iPhone 4S which I am excited about. We will be able to do FaceTime together!! The boys will love that!

We've had a few medical things here lately. First Caleb has pink eye. He woke up this am complaining that there was something in his eye but that he got it out. So I just figured it would clear up. But after I picked him up from school he still had the glassy, pink runny eye. So medicine for him!! I just hope the others don't get it.

Also Stanley had a vet apt this weekend. They found a tumor in his anal sac (I know so gross). It has grown considerably since last March when they first found it. So after doing the bloodwork and contemplating surgery we decided to let it be. The surgery is $2800 which is a TON of money. The doctor thinks its most likely cancer but there is no way of telling without doing a biopsy of it which we are not going to do. So we will just monitor him and figure things out as they happen. Hopefully Stanley has a few more years of trouble left in :)

Ben playing with the trash truck.

Checking out the new game phone.

2012-01-30T20:08:00.003-05:00

Busy around here lately! Sunday we had an open house for the new school we are thinking of transferring Jacob to next year and a birthday party for Jacob's best friend. Sunday also started off with Jacob throwing up on the jute (read non cleanable rug)rug. Not good way to start the day! Today we had the gym, then had to meet the heater guy here and then we brought him over to New Bedford. It was a long day! When we finally got home it was around 2 and Ben was so tired. Its so great when he naps because I don't have to chase after him the whole time. He is exhausting when he's up!

I remember other moms always commenting how lucky I was that everyone still napped. Well now that I only have 1 who naps I understand what they were talking about. There is no down time anymore and not much gets done around the house. Now I look forward to school days :)

Caleb was falling asleep at the table tonight. But he managed to rally a bit to eat his brownie.

And he's out :)

After all this sleeping at the table he was able to rally after getting changed and was up until 9 PM. Unreal!!! We can't seem to break this cycle.

2012-01-28T21:35:00.002-05:00

My little monkeys have such a hard time settling down and going to bed. They stay up until 8:30 or 9 and sleep into 7:30 or 8. If we had nothing to do all it would be fine but we have stuff to do and can't be sleeping all day. I've been waking them up around 7 and trying to break this horrible cycle. They are always deliriously tired at night but for whatever reason can't settle down. This is an awful cycle!! It doesn't seem to matter how much we run the kids they still can't settle down. Ben thankfully goes right to bed.

The little angels finally sleeping in our bed.

2012-01-25T20:47:00.003-05:00

Today after the gym the boys and I headed to the Providence Children's Museum. Its always a favorite spot especially the water room. Which we have to save for last because they get soaked playing in there. We packed some lunches and had 3 hours of playing. They were so tired when we left!!

All working hard.
Trying to get a group shot on the roller.

2012-01-23T20:38:00.000-05:00

Dinner time is always a hard time around here. The boys are crazy with lots of energy and I'm always trying to fix a home cooked meal. I really don't like to put the tv on but sometimes I do and its so much easier but then I still have Ben to deal with. He usually gets into the boys toys and then the screaming and yelling starts. The other day I came up with a good idea finally, they can make alphabet soup! They LOVE it!!!! They each get a pan and a spatula (I figure they can't break those) and some letter magnets. They sit there for like 20 minutes playing and its great!!!

My little chefs!!

2012-01-22T20:21:00.001-05:00

The boys can't get enough of the snow! Ben on the other hand is not a huge fan of it. So he likes to stay inside with me and watch his brothers play outside. They are constantly wanting to go out and play which is fine for me since they can play with each other out in the yard.

Watching Caleb from his chair.

Comfy seat, warm and dry inside!

They were making snow angels on the deck perfect viewing from Ben's spot.

2012-01-21T15:05:00.002-05:00

Today we got a lot of snow!!! Jonah had to work this morning so the boys and I headed to the gym in the snow. It felt good to finally get there! We've missed all week for various reasons. I jogged just over 2 miles which was really good for me.

We got back and got ready to go sledding since Jonah had called and was on his way home. We ended up going to a church just a few streets over from us instead of the big hill in Westport. The roads aren't real clean and the minivan doesn't have 4 wheel drive :( But that hill was just as much fun and we can walk there which is nice. Ben is not a fan of the snow. He screamed the whole way over and home. Too cold on his little face I think.

Some of the boys friends came while we were there which was fun for everyone.

I took these pictures with my phone. But with the iCloud services that I just downloaded they are automatically on my computer. So cool!!!

Jonah with Ben and Caleb on the bottom of the hill. Jacob is next to them with the orange sled. Ben did not like it at all!!

Ben getting pulled.

Sledding down the street to the church.

2012-01-20T20:57:00.000-05:00

This morning the boys beat me downstairs. I came down after changing Ben's diaper to find them cleaning the windows!!!! Caleb managed to yank open the child safety locks on the cleaning cabinet and got the spray out. I gave them the right spray and let them at those dirty windows!!! What great little boys!!

Today was the first "snow" of the season. It was only a dusting but they were thrilled. They've been asking for months when they could sled so instead of going to the gym like I had hoped we would we played outside. So much more fun for them. And who knows when we'll actually get snow again :) Jacob got to use his new snow pants which was very exciting for him.

Little helpers.

2012-01-17T22:02:00.002-05:00

I have the best mother in law around. Not only is she really nice, and fun to talk to and visit with, she is very talented and loves to share her talent! Nancy surprised Jonah and I with this great painting of our house. Its on an old cabinet door from the Nova Scotia house, circa 1880's. Its gorgeous!!! Jonah is having some issues hanging it but hopefully he gets that sorted out soon. Its going to look great hung up! She also cleaned up the lobster trap pieces that we found this summer on the beach in Nova Scotia and installed mirror in one of the pieces. It looks really neat. So thanks for everything Nancy I couldn't of asked for a better mother in law! We truly appreciate all the help and advice you give us decorating and with everything else.

Today we met Nancy for lunch and some shopping for winter boots in Wareham. Caleb got a new pair which is unusual since he usually gets hand me downs. He was thrilled!! We went to Red Robin for lunch which is always good. So much better than Friendly's which is where the boys usually ask to go :)

Our new wall decorations.

Close up 0f our house.

Look at how great the frame is.

Jacob loves to take pictures with my camera, he's getting better at getting an actual subject in the photo. Ben scraped his nose at the zoo the other day when he face planted- its hard to walk in a big snowsuit!

2012-01-16T21:20:00.002-05:00

It is freezing out today but I can't stay inside another day- we all might go crazy!! So we all got bundled up in our snow gear and headed to the zoo. Everyone's snow pants are short so it looks like its time for new ones. Funny how you realize these things when they aren't selling them in stores anymore!!

The boys had a great time running around outside. Ben walked the whole time. He looked so cute in his snowsuit. He kind of waddled back and forth when we walked. So funny!!

All decked out in the car.

Mr. Benjamin is a huge camera ham. He sees the camera come out and immediately smiles and says "cheese".

Riding the bear.

Checking out the real bears.

All set for the cold!

Checking out the bears. Look how cute Ben is when he runs in his little snow suit! His little mittens flap by his side. I couldn't help but smile/laugh watching him :)

2012-01-15T20:30:00.002-05:00

It was so cold today so we were all stuck inside ALL day. Makes for a very long day!! The boys had hockey this am but that was the only time they left the house other than the short time when I threw them out because they were being to loud and rambunctious.

We did manage to hang most of the pictures that needed to be put up. So nice to get them up and off the counter!

Ben somehow managed to climb and fall out of his crib during nap time. Thankfully he didn't get hurt. I hope he doesn't keep doing that because we will have to figure something else out. That was the one place I could keep him contained!! He's such an active little guy always into everything.

Jonah measuring for our new picture.

Jacob and Caleb cleaning their dirty handprints off the walls and doors.

We brought out the tent!

Storytime with dad.

Ben playing.

2012-01-14T20:35:00.002-05:00

Grammy came to visit us today. Jonah was working so the boys were thrilled to have a new face to play with. She got to join us on lots of errands. BJ's is always better with someone else especially when Jacob has to go to the bathroom! And then to top off an even better day she helped me clean out the newly vacant apartment in New Bedford. So much easier to clean when you only do half the work.

The boys were being silly today. They said it was bathing suit day. So they took all the swimsuits out and put them on. Bunch of crazies!!

Doing a puzzle with Grammy.

Bathing suit day!

2012-01-12T20:19:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Jacob had his 5 year checkup. He had to get 2 shots and he'll get the other 2 he needs before school starts. He is 41 1/4 tall ( 10-25%) and is 36 1/2 pounds (25%). We weighed Caleb and he's exactly 1 pound lighter than Jacob!! Jacob was so brave. He held Ben's hand while Ben got a shot and then he wanted me to hold him while he got his. Afterwards he told me he likes to be brave for me. Such a cutey!!

As a reward for being so brave he and I went out to dinner as a special treat. It was going to be everyone but Caleb had the mother of all meltdowns while we were leaving the doctors office. It started because he was upset that they didn't have any woody or Buzz stickers. Then he refused to leave the waiting room and just started screaming. I managed to somewhat drag/pull him out into the hallway so at least everyone wasn't staring at us any more. It took awhile to get him out to the car and he screamed the entire way. The full on bloody murder scream that makes everyone look at you. Getting him into his car seat was a challenge but I managed after a little bit of wrestling with him. So needless to say he did not get an invite to dinner. So Jacob and I went by ourselves and it was so much fun! We went to Friendly's. Jacob loved it!!

Jacob holding his artwork.

It says " I love you, Ben". Jacob has been working hard to learn all his letters and loves to spell out things.

Everyone coloring!

2012-01-09T20:17:00.002-05:00

The boys slept in late again today so we missed the gym. They must be in a growth spurt or something between sleeping in and all the food they've been eating. At breakfast they finished off about 7 eggs themselves. Caleb ate at least 3 himself! Thats a lot of eggs!! Ben must be trying out his new molars. They all poked through this weekend- very exciting for him! Now we just need to work on cutting his hair its getting a bit mullet-ish looking :)

All three piled in for a ride!

2012-01-08T07:21:00.000-05:00

Today was such a great day. The boys had hockey this am. Which Jacob is still loving. Caleb on the other hand is really not into it. Its getting harder to keep him on the ice the whole time. Then got home and I got to do some errands by myself which was so nice. This afternoon I vacuumed out my car which was sorely needed. It was so gross inside!! Now we'll see how long they can keep it that way.

We didn't hang our pictures up because those horrible football games were on and Jonah gets sucked in and very unproductive :) Can't wait until the season is over!

Jacob noticed that one of the wheels was loose on his car so he ran downstairs and got his allen wrenches. He tightened all of them all by himself!

Ben likes to go in the bathroom and pull up his shirt like he's trying to pee in the potty. Today he really got to try and go potty!!! He loves it!

Caleb fell asleep sitting in my car eating crackers while I was vacuuming it out. Tired kid!!

Jacob wanted to pull the trailer on his bike. He wants to be able to give Ben a ride in it.

Jacob pulling Caleb around.

2012-01-07T20:48:00.003-05:00

Dance party!! Today the boys and I had a little dance party while waiting for Honey and Wiggley to come over. A little dancing to Sexy and I Know It helped pass the time.

Then we headed outside since it was so nice out today, upper 50's!!! Lots of outside time today. We went on a bike ride with Honey and Wiggley and Sarah who is one of Chip's daughters. After visiting with them we had a birthday party at a horse farm in South Dartmouth. Talk about a beautiful setting!!! The kids all got to ride the horses around the indoor arena. Both Jacob and Caleb did it.

Fun day!!Dance party.

Dance party style :)

Waiting their turn with the birthday boy, Brennan and Peter.

Caleb on the brown horse. He was a little hesitant so I was shocked that he wanted to go!

Jacob wanted to ride the big one!

Caleb riding the horse.

2012-01-04T22:16:00.001-05:00

Jacob and Caleb no longer nap which leaves us with LOTS of time to hang out with each other. Today they were helping me put away laundry which then led them to play with my new bra! They think they are the funnest things. They keep asking me why Santa gave me ones with so much padding. Jacob said "Mom he must know you are going to fall so you need lots of pads". I didn't quite know how to respond so I just "You are right Jacob!". They are always thinking. I figure these pictures will be good later when they get girlfriends :)

Jacob and my "milk pads" as they call them.

They think they are the funniest boys!

2012-01-01T21:06:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!! Last night we spent with our friends Karen and Jay (kids Luke and Paige) and Julie (Alex's mom). So much fun!! I forgot my camera but the kids had a blast running around like crazy people.

The year started off with a great start. All the Christmas stuff is put away. The house feels so much bigger!!! Well as much as our house can feel big :) And we cleaned out the basement and organized it. It started as a big pile of stuff and now it looks so good and organized!!! It will be great if we can ever get shelving down there. I'll have to post some after pictures.

Lots of work to be done.

Lots of helpers!!

2011-12-30T20:35:00.002-05:00

Ben loves to be a helper around here. He wants to be included in anything. Like if I am feeding the dogs he loves to "help" me carry the bowl to the porch. He also likes to pull his chair over to the counter to help me cook or do dishes. Such a cutey pie! I did teach him the more sign language sign. He's been doing that a lot lately too at meal time.

Oh the other day at the Ben's doctors apt his doctor mentioned that compared to other 18 month olds he seemed to be a much better climber. So even though he is slow on his vocabulary (at about maybe 5 words) he excels at the physical things. I think he's just trying to keep up with his brothers :)

Ben has also turned into a huge Dada's boy. He really only wants Jonah when he's around and nuzzles right into his shoulder so I can't hold him. I guess its good all our kids think Jonah is like some god I guess :)

Ben helping out with dishes.

Shrub a dub!!

2011-12-29T20:20:00.002-05:00

First day on vacation with no one here to help!! The boys have been sleeping so late the past few days. I think all the excitement has caught up to them. They slept too late for us to make it to the gym on time so we did some errands and came back to play at the house. Not too much of an exciting day.

Very rarely do they all sit down and play or read quietly. But I love it when they do!

Playing Break the Ice. They are a huge hit of that game. Too bad they need someone else to help them load all the ice pieces otherwise it would be perfect!!

2011-12-27T20:07:00.000-05:00

Today Sarah and Jeb spent the day with us since we were driving them to the airport this afternoon. My Dad dropped them off early so I could take Ben to his 18 month checkup by myself. It was so weird being in the doctors office with only 1 kid!!

Ben is 32 1/2 inches tall (50%), 24 lbs 2 1/2 oz (25-50%) and his head is 48 1/4 cm (50%). He took a shot like a champ and didn't even cry. We are going back in a few weeks for Jacob's 5 year visit and Ben will be getting another shot. Its a pain to split them all up like this but it makes me feel better that he is not getting too many things in his little body at once.

After the doctors we came home and showed Jeb and Rara Alderbrook Farms. It was cold but we all bundled up and walked around there. They played on the swing set there for a while. Caleb was really nervous with the goose not in a cage again but we were sure to stay far away from him.

We had a great visit with Rara and Jeb! The boys and I will surely miss having them around during the day. Its so nice to have someone here to talk to and help with everything. Can't wait until summer when they will hopefully be back up! The boys think the bidet in the bathroom is a play toy. Good thing it never gets used for its original purpose.
The boys teaming up on Jeb who was trying to sneak away from playing with them.

2011-12-26T20:01:00.002-05:00

Today the boys all got to play with the train set. It hadn't been working so they figured it out. They love it!! Ben even got a turn with it. He was a huge fan.

Today Jacob and Caleb each got to go to their first movie in the theatre. It all started with the Tin Tin movie. Jonah and the boys have been reading those at night. Then they found out the movie was coming out and all wanted to go. After looking at it more Jonah thought it would only be good for Jacob. Caleb was heartbroken he wanted to go to a movie with Dada too. So after Jonah and Jacob went to Tin Tin I brought Caleb to the theatre and he and Jonah went to go and see the Alvin and the Chipmunks Shipwrecked. Caleb loved it!! Jacob was upset that he wasn't included but he seemed to forget that he and Jonah had just watched a movie.

Fun day for everyone!!!

Ben being the conductor. He loves it!

2011-12-25T21:56:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas!!! Caleb woke up first around 7:30 and came into our room and wanted to go downstairs to see if Santa came. So he went and woke up his brothers and down we went. It was so exciting to see them.

Santa left them each a little pile and a full stocking. Jacob got the bike he has been wanting. Caleb got a scooter and a reindeer which he really wanted. Ben was all excited with his snacks and new wipe container.

We had a full day. Honey and Wiggley came over for breakfast. Lots of presents from them for the boys. We had a few hours before my parents came over with Sarah and Jeb. Then my cousin and her family came with my Nana. Lots of people in our tiny house!!! But it was so much fun to see everyone. We had a fabulous Christmas with everyone.

Coming downstairs and checking out the piles.

Jacob helping Ben.
Ben checking out the phones.

Stockings!

Jacob riding his new bike. It has a handbrake and kickstand just like he wanted.

Presents with Honey and Wiggley. Honey is sitting in my present from them. Love it!!

Mom and Ben

The chaos.

Presents with Grammy, Scooter, Rara and Jeb.

Xbox games with Jonah and Jeb.

The boys questioning Jonah's new hockey shorts, pretty funny stuff.

2011-12-24T21:16:00.001-05:00

Christmas Eve!! We spent the evening with Biggy and his family. It was so much fun. Lots of traditional Lithuanian Christmas dishes. The boys got tons of presents. They had so much fun playing with everyone there. We got home around 7:30 and got to put out the reindeer food and candy and milk for Santa. The boys are SOOOO excited for Santa to come!!!

Scattering reindeer food.

The loot that Santa brought!!!

2011-12-22T20:51:00.002-05:00

Rara was all about making some crafts with the boys which I never do since I really don't like them. So she brought up all the makings for monsters made from pom poms and googley eyes. Jacob and Caleb loved them! They made these great caterpillars and monster men. Making monsters with Rara!

2011-12-21T22:56:00.001-05:00

Last night we went to Edaville Railroad. Jacob has been asking to go for 2 years now- basically since Grammy and Scooter took us last time. This time Caleb was big enough to go on the rides which he loved. Jacob is a big fan of all the rides. Caleb veers more to the easy slow ones. Which works better for me :) We got to ride the train and see all the lights. Ben was a huge fan of the train ride. He loved pointing out all the lights to us and blabbering on about them. We stayed in the ball room to warm up some after dinner. It was REALLY cold out!! Sarah didn't bring any warm clothes or even a winter coat so she was borrowing some of my things. Who comes to New England and brings a spring/fall coat?!?!? Unreal!!!

It was such a fun night. The ball pit was a huge hit! We actually stayed until they closed at 8:30 which made for a very late night for the boys. One of the last rides we went on was the Tilt a Whirl which was horrible. It spun us in circles. I thought I was going to vomit on it. Poor Caleb kept saying he wanted to get off. That ride pretty much did me in. I felt sick the entire way home and went to bed as soon as the boys were changed. Stinks to get old!!
All bundled up for the cold.

Airplane pilots.

Teacup ride.

Train ride with Grammy.

Jacob in the ball pit.

Ben loving the balls!

2011-12-20T22:41:00.001-05:00

n Jacob had his school play today. He was a king in the nativity scene. Then they did some Christmas carols and had some crafts afterwards. Even Caleb got to join in the crafts which he was thrilled at! Jonah was able to come which made it more special for Jacob. And Grammy and Sarah were there which was great because Ben had no special plans for participating in the activities. So he got to play outside with Grammy for most of the craft time.

Snack time!

Doing feet Christmas trees.

Jacob's class.

Jacob and his teacher Mrs. O.

Here comes the king (2nd from left).

the play

2011-12-19T22:05:00.003-05:00

Happy 5th birthday Jacob!!! You are the sweetest, most thoughtful boy around. You are so careful and precise in everything you do. You notice everything and are almost always right :) You are such a great caring older brother. You always notice if Ben or Caleb need something and are the first to help them. You love to help me around the house with chores such as laundry, cooking, cleaning and you are always first in line to help out Dad with work. You are a mini Jonah in your actions. We love you so much and are thankful you are in our life every day. You bring us so much joy and love!! You are so excited that you are a "whole handful" now when people ask how old you are- meaning all 5 fingers :)

Aunt Rara flew in today as a surprise. You were so excited when we picked her up at the airport. For lunch you requested olive pizza and Chinese food for dinner. Good eating day in your honor! Grammy and Scooter came over for dinner and cake. You asked Grammy to make you a chocolate cake for your birthday. Biggy came over for a visit today. You love it when he comes over for a visit!

A happy birthday with his new scooter from Grammy and Scooter!

Happy birthday to Jacob!

Jacob 2006 just born!

Jacob 2007 1 year

Jacob 2008 2 years

Jacob 2009 3 years old

Jacob 2010 4 years old

2011-12-18T21:49:00.000-05:00

Jacob's 5th birthday party was today! So much fun!! He decided to have a big playdate with his friends. We had a piñata and cupcake decorating. Thankfully it was nice out today even though it was cold. But thats okay they were all bundled up. They had a blast running around and playing with each other.

Jacob is so excited to be almost 5!!!
Caleb with sprinkles.

Happy birthday to Jacob!

The kids decorating cupcakes.

Piñata hitting.

2011-12-17T21:08:00.000-05:00

Talk about a busy day! The family Christmas party and then Jonah's work party!! Jonah and I planned the work party this year which was a first. First we went to the family party up in Boston. Its always a bunch of fun to see everyone. The boys got to play with their cousins and see Santa. Fun times!!

We left early and the boys stayed with Grammy and Scooter over night. So nice to have a night off. Sunday is just as crazy as we are having Jacob's friend party.

Ben.

Caleb playing with his new cars.

The fun tent that the boys got from their Great Aunts. Love it!

Jacob was the only one who wanted to see Santa.

Talking with Santa.

The cousins playing with their new toys.

Jacob with Grammy and Scooter.

2011-12-16T20:55:00.002-05:00

The boys have been crazy lately. I don't know what the problem is. Maybe its Christmas or Jacob's birthday but they have been off the wall lately. They finally settled down today long enough to do some play dough. At least they were quiet for some time!

Caleb showing his cutting skills.

Jacob being shy.

Ben trying the play dough.

All my boys!

2011-12-15T22:12:00.002-05:00

Today was Caleb's last day before winter break at school. He had his holidays songs for all the parents. It was cute. The girls do the sugar plum fairy song and the boys sing a few songs. Caleb didn't sing much but he was doing some dancing.

Caleb is wearing the yellow striped shirt.

In the star sunglasses.

Singing

2011-12-14T21:16:00.000-05:00

Happy early birthday to Jacob!! Honey came today to celebrate Jacob's birthday and to take us all out for his birthday lunch. We had a great time! He LOVED his presents. He got a pogo stick, bell for his bike and a digital camera!!! The camera was their old one that they recently upgraded. He is a huge fan. I showed him how to take the pictures and then to look at them in the view mode.

The pogo stick is also a huge hit. Its got a big base on the bottom for beginners. I can hold it and they stand on the foot pedals and jump. Ben also loves it. He loves to be included.

Opening gifts.

Yay a pogo stick!

A camera for Jacob!

2011-12-13T22:44:00.002-05:00

Caleb loves to read his Polar Express book he got at school last week. After lunch when Ben was napping I heard him in the living room rustling around with some things. I came in and here he was with the sticker on his forehead. He's a funny guy!!

Caleb has also been doing really well with the potty training. Although I say that, but he still had an accident today at school. But thats been the first in a while. He's even waking up at night to go which is huge!!! His preschool teacher said he went when the spanish teacher was there and they were doing circle time. I'm sure that went over well!! And on a side note he told me his spanish teachers name is "Hola". I tried to tell him that couldn't be her name but he is adamant!!

Mr. Caleb with a sticker on his forehead.

2011-12-11T21:57:00.002-05:00

Train time!! The boys have been anxiously awaiting setting up their train under the Christmas tree. So tonight when Jonah got in from his flight they put it together while I made some dinner. Ben had to be contained in his highchair so he wouldn't touch everything. Lots of old and fragile things in the train box!! They weren't able to get it to work but at least its set up.

So back to the flight. Jonah went to Oregon this weekend to look at some equipment for work. Far away for a 1 day trip! The boys really missed him since he left Friday right from work so they hadn't seen him since Thursday night. We had a good weekend otherwise with lots of visits to see all the grandparents. They love seeing everyone!

Stanley right in the middle of Jonah's lap.

Ben and Dad

Setting up the tracks.

2011-12-09T22:09:00.002-05:00

Jacob came downstairs today all set to go. He got himself all ready by himself. He loves to pick out his own clothes. His skinny jeans are his favorite right now. Which is funny because they are really baggy jeans on his skinny little legs!! He came down in this outfit and came over to me eating my breakfast and said "okay mom I'm ready to go". I just looked at him and said "why are you wearing your brothers sweater?" Well somehow Ben's 18 month sized sweater was in Jacob's drawer and he didn't seem to think it odd that it was so small!!!

I'm amazed he could squeeze himself into it!!!

2011-12-06T20:50:00.001-05:00

Poor Caleb is just getting over his fever! This was the first day that he didn't go to school for being sick. But he was able to rally for his Polar Express reading at the local fire station for his preschool. This year they didn't get to ride the firetruck though since it was raining. Still lots of fun and Jacob got to see some his friends from previous years at the school. Ben enjoying some cookies.

Caleb with his candy cane from Santa.

Santa!

2011-12-04T20:29:00.002-05:00

We got our christmas tree today! We got to ride in the tractor which is always a huge hit. But we did get bad news- the tree farm we go is not planting any more trees. So they figure they have about 5 more years with what they have there. So sad!!

Caleb is not feeling good at all today. He was up last night with a fever which means I didn't sleep either. Poor guy I hope he feels better soon. He just laid on the couch while Jacob and I decorated the tree. Ben was cute he pushed his chair over to the tree and climbed on up to put ornaments on. He loves to help!!
Me and my boys.

Dad and Caleb.

Getting the tree all situated.

2011-12-02T22:17:00.002-05:00

Today was a busy day. We started off by having the plaster guy come by at 8:30 to fix the holes in our ceiling from our new lights. Then we headed over to Alderbrook Farm. We were having a great time looking at all the animals until we were attacked by the goose there. He wasn't in his cage so when we walked by his donkey friend, who he is VERY protective of, he charged at us. So scary!!! Thankfully he didn't bite us but all the farm hands came running and put Rock back in his cage.

Then we headed over to a playground to kill some time before our music class demo class. Jacob and Caleb have been so excited to go to music class and see Rhonda, their old teacher. They love her and the class!! That was a blast.

Then tonight we went to the Padanaram Christmas Stroll in the village. It was so much fun! All the stores had treats for kids and parents. Some even had some crafts for them. We took a ride in the fire truck and they got to say hello to Santa! Huge fun night!!

Alderbrook Farm.

So cute. You can see the goose in the background just past the bridge if you zoom.

Ice sculptures downtown.

Making crafts and writing letters to santa.

Meeting Santa!

Fire truck ride with all of us!

2011-12-01T21:59:00.000-05:00

Getting into the holiday spirit here. We bought a gingerbread house this year since my last years house failed so miserably. Jacob has been asking for a gingerbread house for a year now. He loves them!! They had fun decorating it. Ben didn't help but got to observe. He ate a lot of the candy.

Final product

Ben directing me to what candy he wants.

Decorating.

2011-12-01T21:52:00.002-05:00

Things have been crazy around here lately. Must be a full moon coming up. Yesterday Caleb came into the kitchen and grabbed his butt and totally serious said "something just came out" and he ran into the bathroom. Well he apparently pooped his pants by accident. Then at dinner he was trying to eat the carrots I told him he had to in order to get chocolate cake. He started gagging and then proceeded to throw up at the dinner table. He got the chocolate cake after all :) He has a supersensitive gag reflex so anything squishy or chunky make him vomit.

Then today while picking up all the kids at school Ben manages to get a Jesus book with a doll attached to it out of the classroom and makes it over to the miniature toilets and proceeds to attempt to flush the jesus book/doll. Thankfully I was able to get it before it got sucked down. Really who's kids flush jesus books????

My house is chaos!!

Here are our new chairs. They look so much nicer and the best part is I don't worry about them breaking when I sit :)

2011-11-28T22:09:00.002-05:00

Caleb has been concerned about monsters lately at night hen he goes to bed. He says the monster wakes him up at night and that he doesn't like it. So he has us tie his door shut so the monsters can't get in. Not sure why he is worried about monsters now. Jonah scared them one night this past summer in Nova Scotia and told the boys he was a monster and it seems like that is possibly the root of this problem. I think Jonah needs to fix it!!

Ben has started saying hi to people. He is also super cute waving goodbye and saying "bye bye". He is such a cutey!

Benjamin Buttons.

He likes to push all the magazines off the coffee table so he can climb up to read.

2011-11-26T21:59:00.002-05:00

We went to Ikea and got some new chairs for our dining room table. Hopefully they last and stay looking nice! The boys loved all helping to put them together. Grammy and Scooter came over so Jonah and I could go out to eat. He got a free meal coupon from Not Your Average Joes for a dinner and dessert. Such a great deal!! It saved us like $35 which is so nice!! Thanks Colleen for telling us about their birthday program :)

Working with Dada.

Even Ben pulled his chair over to work! He loves to be included!

Making Christmas cookies with Grammy.

Little chefs.

2011-11-25T21:18:00.003-05:00

Happy birthday Jonah!! You are the best husband and father. We love you!

Today was a busy day for all of us. It started with me going shopping at 5:30 to see if any of the door busters left so late in the morning. There were so I got the few things I had been eyeing and was home with fresh bagels by 7 am. When I got home Caleb and Jacob were in the kitchen trying to get out the tray to bring Dada breakfast in bed. So cute!! So we whipped him up some food and up we went with it. They were so excited to bring him breakfast in bed :) Its seems to be becoming a birthday tradition around here.

Then we were off to pick out our christmas tree at the tree farm in Westport. This was the first year that it was beautiful out and none of us had to be bundled up. So nice! Then off to some stores and home in time to have Biggy and Sam come over for lunch and birthday celebrations. Then Nancy and Chip came over for dinner. Lots of entertaining.

Biggy!

Our tree.

All my boys.

Happy birthday Dada!

2011-11-24T21:11:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!! We went to my cousin Tara's house. We had a great time visiting and eating with everyone!

Not sure if I mentioned before but our computer crashed, hence my lack of posting for such a long time. We bought a new Mac yesterday but are waiting until tomorrow to see if there are any better deals on it. Its our first Mac so I hope I can figure out how to use it :)

Hanging out.

Pies were the boys favorite part of dinner :)

Ben and Tara.

Caleb.

Jacob and Jonah.

Play time with Katie, Mikey and Grammy.

2011-11-22T22:16:00.002-05:00

Today both Jacob and Caleb had a Thanksgiving feast at school. And then we went down to Honey and Wiggley's for an early Thanksgiving with them while Chip's daughter Jen and her husband Keshav were in town. Lots of turkey today!

Caleb's Thanksgiving feast was lots of fun as usual. He had a few songs that he sang with his class. All the parents bring some side dishes and we all get to have an early lunch. Then afterwards a lady has a bunch of animals that the kids can touch and hold. Unfortunately one of the parakeets flew from the keepers hands and landed on Caleb's shoulder. It then proceeded to try and climb up his face . It managed to give him a few scratches before she was able to grab it. He was okay just a little shaken up from having a bird on his face.

Then after Jacob got home from school we drove down to the Cape. We had a great time visiting with everyone. Its always fun to see Jen and Keshav.

Jen and Keshav

Caleb, Jonah and Ben at dinner

The animal lady.

Caleb and his buddy Brennan.

Playing the drums.

Mr.Benjamin

Drum song.

2011-11-21T22:02:00.002-05:00

Such a great weekend visiting Kelsey and her family! She has a super cute son Finn who was a blast to be around. Its so different to only play with 1 kid as opposed to 3 and there was a huge difference in the noise level in her house compared to ours :) We had a great time and even got to go to the Clemson vs NC State game. Which was fun despite Clemson getting clobbered. And randomly one of my college roommates was there so it was fun to catch up with Rachel too. And the main highlight of the weekend was Kelsey's big 3-0. Fun times!! Oh and it she's also about 8 1/2 months pregnant so it was fun to see her with the big baby belly!!

The boys were so excited to see me when I got back. I got big hugs and kisses from everyone :)

The 2 of us.

Finn in the leaves.

Finn not wanting to smile.

Kelsey and Finn in there backyard.

Go tigers!

2011-11-16T21:47:00.002-05:00

Busy over here trying to get everything ready for the boys since I am heading down to Raleigh NC this weekend to go visit my best friend Kelsey!!! I might be slightly excited to travel with no children :) Jonah is looking forward to the weekend and lots of boy time. He already has plans to take them up to the Boston Museum of Science. Daring!!

This is Ben's favorite pastime- climbing on anything. I am constantly taking him off the dining room table.

All my boys!

2011-11-13T21:04:00.002-05:00

Yay, Ben got a new bottom tooth today! That explains why he's had such a hard time napping lately. Just some pictures of us playing :)

Not sure if I mentioned but I am going away next weekend to go and celebrate with Kelsey for her big 3-0 birthday! So excited to see her, her family, new house and to get a break from around here. The boys have been wild lately! Jonah is looking forward to having everyone and doing boy stuff all weekend!

Jacob with his Lightning hat.

Ben climbed in the toy chest.

2011-11-12T22:17:00.002-05:00

The boys love to help vacuum. Sometimes Ben just takes out the dustbuster and points at it for me to turn it on. He loves to scream when its on. Maybe he thinks that helps it suck up dirt?

Caleb and Ben both screaming with the vacuum. Its ALWAYS loud here!!

2011-11-09T22:10:00.002-05:00

Caleb has been wanting to fix the loose knobs on the drawers in the dining room for a few days now. He is always looking to use his new tools! So tonight they fixed it and he was thrilled.

Tightening the knobs.

2011-11-05T18:57:00.003-05:00

Today was such a busy and fun day! We had our family picture taken in Lincoln Woods, RI at 9:30. That is a great state park. Too bad it was so cold out because I think the boys would of had some fun running around on the beach they have and playing in the fallen leaves. But it was really cold and they weren't wearing coats or hats- it would of taken away from their cute matching sweaters :) So it was a quick photo session. Can't wait to see them all!

Then we headed over to Roger Williams Zoo since we were so close. Jonah had never been there so we wanted to show him. Other than the fact that he kept saying that he hates zoos and that they are so inhumane it was fun. And he was wearing one of the boys extra hats so he looked pretty funny with his mohawk hat on. We brought a picnic lunch so we were well prepared.

Then since they were so well behaved this morning in the cold photo session we decided to take them out to dinner. So we went to Waterfront Grille in New Bedford. Its one of Jonah and my favorites. We were real hesitant to go but the boys were perfect!!! They were polite and quiet which is huge as you other parents know :) They really want to go out again so we will do it again in the future!!

Ben checking out the giraffe's being fed.

Checking out the flamingo's.

The boys on the dog with Jonah- notice his child sized mohawk hat :)

2011-11-04T18:51:00.002-05:00

Tonight Honey had her first art opening. We all went down to the Cape to see it. Lots of great paintings! We also got to see a bunch of people we haven't seen in a long time which is always nice. Congrats Honey for a great showing!

All the boys enjoying some cheese and crackers.

All of us at the opening.

2011-11-03T19:12:00.002-05:00

Tonight I went out and got a manicure for our family photos on Saturday. I got the new shellac polish which supposedly is indesturctable. Not sure its completely healthy to have something so strong on my nails but it will look great for 2 weeks- or so they say :) To get it off I have to go back to the salon and soak my finger tips in acetone and then if it doesn't come off they have some scrapping tool to get it off. I'll be a good test for indestructability since I using chip or smudge them within an hour of leaving the salon.

Here are some random photos from the past month.

Jacob stole my camera and took this one of Caleb.

Ben playing on the crane. He loves to sit on his toys.

Mr. Benjamin Buttons!

2011-10-31T20:08:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween!! Today Grammy came over for a quick visit and stroll around the neighborhood. The boys rode their bikes and even the mutts - in costume no less, came. Jonah got home from work early and we headed over to a neighbors for a quick dinner and then off we went. Jonah came to a few houses with Ben and then they handed out candy at our house. Hopefully next year we can wrangle the grandparents to hand it out at our house so we can go out :)

The boys got lots of candy!! They love trick or treating! We probably got about 100 kids or so. Which is good because we almost went through all our candy that I bought. I don't want that stuff hanging around here!

Three little munchins with their pumpkins that we carved yesterday.

And we are off!

Quick dinner with friends.

Ben's first year trick or treating. He was a fan!

Luke, Caleb and Jacob.

2011-10-30T21:01:00.002-05:00

Busy day today! Hockey this am for Jacob and Caleb. Jacob slept most of the morning after they got back. He doesn't seem to be feeling well at all. Poor guy! Then after lunch we went and looked at a great old house a few streets over from us. Unfortunately its out of our price range but it was such a great house! We are not looking to move this one just caught our eye so we went and checked it out. Someday I'd love to have a big old house with one of those historic plaques!!

After naps we carved our pumpkins. They came out great! Jonah got to wear his new hockey pads tonight to his game. Sounds like they work and he has no bruises!! Which is huge because he usually comes home with some sort of injury.

This afternoon Ben when I got Ben up from his nap I discovered that he had his pants and diaper off in his crib. And super disgusting was that he had a dirty diaper and had somehow gotten it on his face/mouth!!!! So gross. Thank goodness Jonah was home because he washed him down and I cleaned the crib. Gross.

Ben was really into my frappucino. He would get very angry when I took it away.

Watching Dada start in on the pumpkins. Jacob got up to watch but wasn't feeling great.

Scooping out seeds.

Ben checking out the pumpkin pieces.

Carving fun!

2011-10-29T20:50:00.002-05:00

Today we took everyone to Friendly's for ice cream. Kids in costume got a free cone so we dressed them all up and enjoyed it. They each pretty much finished off the entire bowl which is pretty impressive since they gave them a lot of ice cream!!

I forgot to write about Jacob's cute saying the other day. He told me the favorite part of his day was coming home from school to Ben, Caleb and me. Ahhh he definetely won the favorite son award that day!!

Jonah signed up for a crazy obstacle course race in May. Its called Tough Mudder and looks super miserable. He is looking forward to it! Mr. Monkey Ben

Jonah, Buzz Lightyear and Pirate Jacob.

2011-10-28T20:21:00.002-05:00

We tried to make it to Nov 1st to turn the heat on but it was so cold today we couldn't wait! The house was 60 when we got up and the forecast only called for a high of 48 so it was time. Ben got introduced to the hot air which he really liked.

Instead of going to the gym today we got passes to the New Bedford Ocean Explorium. Its a lot of fun there with all the touch tanks and play room. While we were there our friends Luke and Paige came with their babysitter. They were all thrilled to see eachother!

First hot air of the year.

Caleb trying on Jonah's hockey pads.

Jacob with the hockey pads on.

Caleb, Luke and Jacob holding starfish in one of the touchtank.

Trying to touch the sharks and sting rays. Ben was more interested in splashing.

2011-10-27T21:00:00.000-05:00

Today was Caleb and Jacob's Halloween parties at school. Caleb had a little parade and then they did 2 songs for the parents. So cute to see all the kids in their costumes.

Jacob also had a great time at his party. He is a pirate this year which is easy because its the same costume he wore last year! Caleb is going to be Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story. He wants to wear his costume constantly!!

Caleb and his friend Brennan.

Here come the kids!

Caleb in line to sing the songs.

All the kids!

Mr. Buzz Lightyear.

Halloween parade.

2011-10-26T20:36:00.000-05:00

Lots of playing outside today. I've been trying to not let Jacob and Caleb nap which isn't really hard since they don't want to. So instead we've been having lots of outside time when its nice. Its so hard for me to entertain them all day and not get a break. But it does help them go to bed earlier which in tern means they will get up at a reasonable time in the morning and not sleep until 8. Which is great on weekends but not good during the week when we have places to be.

Today we were playing bikes outside and they were trying to tow Ben on his 4 wheeler with the tricycles. Pretty neat to watch. Ben has also discovered how to drive the 4 wheeler. He can't steer but can make it go. He LOVES to be with the big kids!

These are not the best pictures since I took them with my phone but pretty good for a phone.

Trying to hook Ben on the tricycle.

Taking Ben for a spin.

Ben exploring his options.

Riding along.

2011-10-25T20:31:00.002-05:00

Jacob got to go to his schools book fair today. I gave him $5 and told him he could pick out any book he wanted and buy it with that money. It was the first time he got to "buy"something. He is so proud of his Grumpy Cat book that he bought! I don't normally buy books but figured this was a good learning experience for him on what money can buy :)

Showing off his new book.

2011-10-22T16:39:00.002-05:00

Ben has recently discovered brushing his teeth. He LOVES it!! He races into the bathroom and climbs up on the stool and frantically points and grunts at the medicine cabinet. Sometimes if he's really lucky he eve gets toothpaste like his brothers. He makes a brushing noise too when he brushes just like my electric toothbrush. So cute!! Its so cute to see them all squished up on the two stools all brushing their teeth.

In addition to calling me and Jonah "mama" Ben also roars like a lion when he sees animals, sometimes he says "bye bye" as he waves. Other than those three things he mainly points and shrieks/grunts. Hopefully his vocabulary takes off soon :)

All three brushing before bed.

Brush, brush!!

Ben brushing his teeth.

2011-10-20T19:47:00.002-05:00

Big day for Ben- he got his first tattoo, Piglet :) He wasn't sure what to make of it. He got a huge smile on his face and kept trying to peel it off. He's one of the big boys now!

He is also a huge fan of blowing his nose lately too. He went into the bathroom and got a bunch of toilet paper as a tissue. He brought it out to Jonah to help him.

Ben's first tattoo!!

Caleb's Monster trucks.

Tattoos! Jacob has Cinderella and some others.

More tattoos!

2011-10-17T16:12:00.000-05:00

I came to the realization a few weeks ago that this is my last year having everyone home during the week. Next year Jacob will be in kindergarten and that is full day no matter what school we decide to send him too (we are still undecided if we will keep him where he is). I'm very sad that this is the last year. I love having them home, even if some days I feel like I am going crazy. Its great that they are growing up but sad as well.

So I've decided to try and do all sorts of fun things that I've been wanting to do. Like go to Southwick Zoo, Ned's Point in Mattapoisett, etc. I hate being in crowds so mid week is perfect for us. We joined the Rogers Williams Zoo in Providence so thats another fun place we can now explore for "free".

Today the boys and I had McDonalds picnic at the New Bedford Airport. They always love going there!! Its great they have picnic tables set up and some green space for running and lots of fences to explore. They even have a great observation deck on top of the terminal that great for viewing as well. It was so windy today but we had a great time. Lots of planes coming and going. Perfect!!
Enjoying our picnic. Even Ben wanted to sit by himself at the table.

Checking out the planes.

2011-10-16T21:38:00.001-05:00

Happy 85th birthday Nana! We had a party last night. It was so much fun to see everyone. And the boys were happy because they got their own bowl of chips and dip- what could be better!
Happy birthday Nana!

2011-10-16T21:07:00.002-05:00

Today was the open house at our local fire station. The boys have been asking to go to this since we went last year so they were thrilled. We got to go up in the ladder truck and get a great view of Padanaram harbor and village. It was so nice!! They had an exhibit on how sprinkler systems work, they used the hoses to knock over targets and of course the fire truck, cruisers and ambulances were open. So much fun!! And to make it even more fun a bunch of our friends ended up coming the same time we were there. The boys had a blast playing with everyone.

Aerial view of Padanaram. We live a few blocks away from the water.

Ben is a windblown child taking in the view.

Ben loved the fire hose.

Caleb's turn, with his two friends Owen and Brennan looking on.

Jacob taking aim.

Everyone jumping on the survival rafts.

2011-10-14T21:23:00.001-05:00

Jonah has been asking for chocolate chip cookies for a long time now. I don't like them and don't really like to make things I don't like so its been awhile since he's had them. I was feeling particularly nice so the boys and I made them today. After an unsuccessful attempt at quiet time for Jacob and Caleb- they basically just play the whole time, I told them they could come downstairs and we would make cookies. They love to help in the kitchen!

Helping vacuum.

Enjoying the cookies.

2011-10-13T21:23:00.002-05:00

Today was my turn for pickup at Jacob's school. Poor Caleb was not happy to be woken up from his nap! Jacob got to bring home the writing kit from school. He is thrilled! Its a plastic tote full of all sorts of art supplies for projects, etc. He is really enjoying his new school. He is learning French and lots of things about religion. Coming from our house which we never go to church or talk about god, etc its interesting to hear him tell us about it. I'm glad he's learning about religion because he won't get it from Jonah and I!

Jacob with his art supplies.

Ben exploring the kitchen. He loves to move the entire kitchen away from the wall. Strong little guy!

2011-10-12T21:33:00.002-05:00

The boys helped me in the kitchen tonight for dinner. They were thrilled to help cut up all the pizza toppings. So much nicer having them help rather than them running around like crazy kids while I attempt to make dinner :)
Ben loves to climb chairs, tables, etc and see what is higher up.

Cutting up pizza toppings. Yum!

2011-10-09T19:57:00.002-05:00

Today we had a special visitor- Rachel my college roommate. She's been working up in New Hampshire for the past few weeks and flew up early so she could come and visit with us. She came for dinner and playing. The boys thought she was great. Caleb even asked for me to schedule a playdate after she left so they can play again :) I think she brought the southern heat with her because it was in the 80's today!!

Dinner outside since it was like summer today.

Rachel, me and Caleb. Fun visit!

2011-10-08T18:27:00.002-05:00

Today we went for a boat ride. We had wanted to head over to Cuttyhunk but it was a little bumpy to say the least so instead we turned into New Bedford harbor and looked at all the fishing boats. It was a great day!!

All the boys checking out the view.

Ben loves to climb up the sides and try to climb over.

Caleb having a juice box.

Snack time!

2011-10-02T21:01:00.003-05:00

Applepicking today! We've been talking about this for awhile so it was great to finally go. Well first the boys had hockey at 8 this am then we did a bunch of stuff around the house before we went so it was productive and fun! I also picked out 2 new roses for my birthday from my parents. So we picked those up on the way to the orchards. I love roses hopefully they do well.

Jacob was all about picking the apples. He wanted his own bag and jumped right in and found all sorts of apples right away! He was really good about the correct way to pick them and avoiding the bruised ones. He was so proud!! Caleb was a little tired still but was also excited to have his own bag. They both picked a bunch!! Ben was excited to eat his own apple. Such proud little guys!

We randomly saw our friends Will and Maura there with their 3 kids and then our neighbors from down the street. Small world!

Picking the perfect apples.

Ben and Dad.

Reaching for a good one!

Ben loved his apple!

Caleb.

Look at all those apples Jacob has!

The boys are off!

Family photo- too bad Ben drooled on the lens and I didn't realize until afterwards!

2011-10-01T20:32:00.001-05:00

Happy birthday to me! Instead of a present I asked Jonah to be my house slave for the weekend and I had a few other demands/requests :) 1. He had to be home the ENTIRE weekend (very unusual lately since he's been so busy at work) 2. We had to go apple picking. I had a list of a bunch of things I wanted him to do around the house. Nothing big just a bunch of little things. Its so nice to have them all done finally!!

We had a special dinner of chinese food and then some apple pie that my mom made. Delicious!! Afterwards my parents babysat for us so we could go out to a movie. We saw Moneyball. It was good but I guess I didn't realize how much baseball was in the movie.

The boys all day were asking "how many are you?" Meaning how old am I now which to answer is 31. Yikes!! Talk about old and now I have a minivan to complete the old agedness. It didn't help that Jonah told the boys I was over the hill. Boys!!

All the men working on the sides for the upper part of the swingset-they've been cut for a year now and just needed to be assembled.

Grammy playing with Caleb and Jacob.

Me and Jacob with the birthday pie- so good!!

Caleb fell asleep in the middle of dinner so Jonah held him for the pie cutting.

2011-09-30T20:24:00.000-05:00

Ben is so proud to have a whole piece of pizza to himself!!!

2011-09-28T20:19:00.000-05:00

Ben and Caleb have been hanging out more together since Jacob is in school full days on Tuesday and Thursday. Caleb is only in half day so they have some time together if the naps don't work out.

Ben and Caleb reading.

2011-09-27T21:15:00.002-05:00

Today Ben went in for his 15 month checkup. He is 30 1/2 inches (25%) and 22 lbs 14 oz (25%). Both Jacob and Caleb were at school so it was weird to just have him there by himself. Even the nurse commented on the lack of kids with me!!

Yesterday Caleb and Jacob had our little pool out. They were having a great time. I can't believe they are still using it in late September. We'll take the warm weather as long as its here!

Jacob school has sent home lots of art projects for the parents to do lately. Every week it seems that they need to do a new collage to share with the class. Its good in that its using up our picture collection but bad in that its a lot of painting and gluing for mom!! Anyway here are some pictures I took to share with his friends.
Molly.

Stanley is looking old!

Our house. The sidewalk looks great huh!!

2011-09-24T21:04:00.001-05:00

Caleb had his friend birthday party today. It turned out to be a nice day which was a relief from all the rain we've had lately. He had 8 friends over to celebrate with him. They had a pinata and lots of swingset and bike time. Basically a glorified play date with a cake. He loved it!! The pinata was a huge hit. We'll have to remember that for future parties.

Caleb taking a swing at it!

Collecting candy.

Caleb with his homemade Cars cake. He loved it!

2011-09-23T19:41:00.002-05:00

Lots of rain around here the past day. Rain makes us very grumpy because we can't go out and play. No fun!! Caleb is having a little friend birthday party tomorrow at out house. Hopefully it doesn't pour during the party. Otherwise it might be a little crowded in our house with 10 kids plus parents. He's looking forward to it.

Here is a picture of Jacob's preschool class. He is on the bottom left 2nd one in. Its fun to actually associate faces with the kids he tells me about.

Ben is an excellent climber. This is how I find him a lot in the kitchen!! He stands up there and bounces for fun. Scares me though b/c one of these days he will fall and it will hurt.

2011-09-19T13:09:00.001-05:00

Sunday was Caleb's family party. This kid is getting so many parties!! Next weekend we are having a few of his friends over for a little party with a pinata and some pizza for lunch. We had ice skating this am. They did great!!!

Caleb went for his 3 year old check up on Friday. He's 32.5 lbs (50%) and 37 1/2inches (50%). I think those are the biggest percentages for a check up we've ever had on any of the kids! Just a side note he is only 2.5 lbs smaller than Jacob. Jacob better start eating more if he wants to be bigger than Caleb!
Grammy's special chocolate cake.

Present time!

Hanging out.

Biggy and Olivia.

Sam, Grammy and Honey and Hannah watching.

2011-09-18T20:48:00.002-05:00

Happy 7th anniversary to me and Jonah!! I can't believe its been 7 years since we started our life together. Life has just gotten more and more exciting and interesting for us. I love our life!

Yesterday was also our train ride on the Cape Cod Railroad. We went with Honey and Wiggley for a birthday celebration for Caleb. Everyone had a great time! Then we went back to their house and had a mini birthday celebration before Jonah and I left. We had a dinner date and then a beach bonfire at a friends families house. It was so much fun! The bonfire was on this great beach in the middle of a gentlemans farm complete with cows in the dirt road!

Happy birthday Caleb!

Getting ready for the train.

Checking out the view.

Jacob and Dad.

Ben and Mom

Caleb and Honey

Honey and Wiggly with Ben. Ben's outfit says Caboose on his bum- very fitting for the train ride!

Seeing what Honey has in her bag.

2011-09-15T19:45:00.006-05:00

Happy 3rd birthday to Caleb!!! You are the sweetest and funniest boy around. You love to have fun all the time and love making people laugh. You have a special trait of making everyone feel included and special to you. You have the best personality, so easy going! We love you so much!

In addition to it being his birthday it was also Caleb's first day of preschool!! Lots of exciting things! Jonah drove with our carpool this morning to Rhode Island and then we came back and dropped Caleb off at school. He was a little disappointed to not ride his bike to school but that quickly faded once he got in there and saw his friends. I did bring his bike to pickup so he could ride home which he was thrilled about! He goes 9-noon on Tues and Thurs. He was not happy about not staying full day like Jacob. Everyone has to start somewhere he has his whole life for school/work and only a few years of just being a kid:) He'll thank us when he's older I'm sure.

Caleb 3 years old 2011!!

Caleb 2 years old 2010

Caleb 1 year old 2009.

Caleb 3 days old 2008

Getting ready with the backpacks for school.

All set for school! Jacob is showing off his new backpack.

Riding his bike home from school. Such a big boy!

Modeling the Buzz Lightyear costume with his birthday balloon.

Happy birthday to Caleb!

All the boys.

Presents! A very fun telescoping crane from mom and dad.

No child should pass their 3rd birthday without their own set of Craftsman tools well at least in Jonah's household :)

He LOVED the scuba diver from Joanna. On all the presents when he opened them when you asked him what it was he'd say a surprise.

Happy birthday to Caleb!

2011-09-14T21:35:00.002-05:00

Today both Jacob and Caleb went to the dentist after we were at the gym. It went well. My only complaint was that I had to sit with them in the chair. Jacob had the gall to tell me I was an uncomfortable seat! I told him he could sit by himself if it was that bad :)

All Caleb wants to do is ride his bike. He loves it!!! He is looking forward to riding his bike to school tomorrow. I have one who rides bike to school and the other who has to sit in the car for 30 min :) Bit of a difference!

Off they go!

Ben enjoying a brownie snack.

Caleb loves his bike!!

2011-09-12T21:17:00.002-05:00

Caleb learned to ride a bike today!!! He's been just sitting on bikes and or getting pushed around on it. But today he figured out the pedaling all by himself!! He was so proud. And we were just as proud of him!! I can't believe he's almost 3!!!

Such a big boy!

Look at him riding all by himself!!

2011-09-11T20:58:00.001-05:00

This morning the boys had their first hockey/learn to skate class. They have been looking forward to this for the past few weeks. Jacob loved it from the start. Caleb lasted about 5 minutes on the ice. Hopefully next week he will like it more next week!

Its amazing that this day 10 years ago things were so different around the world. I remember I was driving in the Australian outback with friends on our way to the Margaret River. We just sat in the tourist station there and watched the news for hours. Very different from today.
Sweaty players.

All geared up!

And they are off!!

Mr. Sweaty.

2011-09-10T20:16:00.003-05:00

Lots of time around here hanging out. Jonah was working today so the boys and I did some errands and then cleaned. Jacob and Caleb didn't want to have quiet time so they had to help me clean. They will do anything not to have quiet time!!!

Trying on Dada's rain gear.

Jacob loves to model.

Not sure where Caleb gets his fashion sense.

2011-09-09T20:30:00.002-05:00

Big day here. We had Ocean Splash for Caleb's preschool at Round Hill. They do it every year and its a great way for the kids and parents to all meet before classes start. Very casual the kids all play on the beach and run around. It actually turned into a nice day for it which is surprising since its been not great weather around here lately.

Then this afternoon we went to JB Hockey in Fall River for some gear since the boys are starting on Sunday for lessons. Its a great local store that specializes in hockey. The guy took about an hour or so getting both kids fitted for everything they needed and then sized everything just for them. Great personal service!! Its more a learn to skate program but hockey helmets, gloves and skates are required. That stuff is SOOOO expensive. They didn't have any used gear in their sizes so we had to buy all new. Total it was $265 for 1 helmet (we are borrowing one from someone else), 2 gloves and 2 skates. Now I know why people always say hockey is the most expensive sport. Yikes that a lot of money for little kids. But they do sell used stuff so once we are through with it we can recoup some of our money. They are thrilled to start. I'm hoping they love it.

Caleb at Ocean Splash.

Boxing with hockey gear.

Ben loves the helmet too!

Boxing with the hockey gloves. Always fun!

Smashing helmets with Ben.

2011-09-08T12:25:00.002-05:00

Its been non stop rain around here the past 3 days. No fun!! Lots of inside time to say the least. The basement flooding has been kept to a minimum which is unusual. Jonah has been working late this whole week since his Dad is on vacation. They flew Grandma's ashes back to Lithuania to be buried with her husband and her family. Its what she had wanted so I'm sure she's a happy person now. Pretty neat that you can do that. Hopefully some day we can get over there to see it for ourselves.
Ben and mom.

He LOVES the camera!!

Such a smiley guy.

2011-09-06T19:53:00.003-05:00

Today was our first day of the carpool and wearing uniforms at Jacob's new school. Jacob was thrilled to wear his uniform. He was so proud in it! He got picked up at our house at 8 by his friends dad and off he went. It was so weird having someone else drive my child to school when I'm home and around. I need to keep myself busy around here or Jonah is going to make me get one of those paying jobs!!!

I picked the kids up at school at 3. Having a minivan is so convenient especially today since it was pouring all day. The kids all climbed in by themselves and were out of the rain. I've never had so many kids in my car before. Ben loved having 2 people sit next to him!! Lots of attention for the little guy.

Mr. Handsome.

5 kids and carseats makes for a full car!!!

2011-09-04T20:23:00.002-05:00

Lots of hanging around today. Jonah worked today so me and the boys hung out. A friend of ours gave us one of their siblings extra patio table. Its so much nicer than what we had and it has 6 chairs which is great. The boys and I scrubbed it today so now its all clean and ready to be used.

We bought a new car on Friday. Its a 2011 Honda Odyssey EX-L. It has all the extras except rear entertainment and navigation. The bluetooth feature is really neat and it has a great backup camera. We had talked about trading in the Pilot after it got fixed from my collision with the guardrail while it was in the shop. We figured that would eventually need a minivan for the extra space it has and easier sitting configurations. So if we could get the price we wanted for the Pilot we would trade it in. I haggled the dealer to my number all by myself!! Then Jonah came from work afterwards and helped me pick out the color. We got gray with gray interior. I'm warming up to the idea of driving a minivan. Jonah loves it he keeps raving about the ride and how nice it is. I think it will grow on me.
Lounging around.

Ben wanted to lay on the pillows like the big boys!

Ben and Jacob resting together.

2011-09-01T20:42:00.003-05:00

Today was Jacob's first day at his new school. We had open house yesterday so that helped him get more comfortable with being there. They even have a classroom bunny!! Everyone we've talked to raves about his teacher so we are excited to see how the year turns out. He's going 2 full days a week. The school is about 30 minutes away so we are going to be doing a carpool with a few of our neighbors that are also going there. I can't wait to see them all in their little uniforms! He had a lot of fun and told me all about the songs they sang and the big highlight was they had a car wash with a pool of water and sponges. The teachers have them wash the cars in the play area when its hot out. Great idea and it keeps the toys clean!!

Jonah stayed home this am and had breakfast with us and then we all drove together to school. A special day to have dada home for breakfast!

On a side note we got our power back late monday night. So it was back on when we woke up on Tuesday. It was about 40 hours total. We missed electricity and we're very thankful to get it back on!!

I got my car back yesterday. It was so great to get it back. It looks brand new now!!

Jacob with his new backpack.

Getting ready to go in. Dress code calls for sneakers poor guy had hot feet all day!

2011-08-29T20:39:00.002-05:00

Becky came to visit us today. We did a quick yard cleanup before she came. We only lost a few branches but lots of sticks. We were lucky. We still do not have power!! Hopefully it comes on soon. The kids are big fans of candlelit dinners and having flashlights.

We had so much fun with Becky. She hasn't seen the boys in a while and they loved her!! And as a bonus she likes peanut butter and fluff so she was in the right house!

Becky reading with Jacob and Caleb.

2011-08-28T20:31:00.002-05:00

Hurricane Irene hit today. Jonah left first thing in the morning to and check on the gear at Fish Island. He was gone all day! We lost power aound 8:30 in the morning and its still out. Not fun. We have had a lot of peanut butter and jelly/fluff today. Never thought I'd get sick of that. The boys were stir crazy today since we couldn't go outside. They need there daily run!!

We did leave after lunch to go and see Jonah and the gear. It was so nice to get out of the house and see what was going on outside. There were a ton of trees down around us but the roads were fairly clear by the time we went out. New Bedford Harbor had tons of waves/whitecaps. A bunch of sailboats had broken free that they were helping to collect. I was amazed at all the whitecaps in the harbor especially since the hurricane gates were closed so I can only imagine what a nonprotected harbor looked like.

Lots of whitecaps in the harbor.

I missed the waves crashing over all the barges but they were huge!

More harbor pics.