HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

A friend sent me an e-mail filled with these little sayings about mothers - this one, for obvious reasons, was my favorite!

Finally Home!

I got home on the 8:30 train last night and am so happy to be home with the kids and Bob. The big kids came with Kk to pick me up and it felt amazing to have them back in my arms. The conference went well and my workshops were rate very high but I am glad that it is over.

It didn't take long for Papa to come over to help Bob out with the kids!
Auntie Ann made meals for Bob and the kids every night when I was gone - as you can see Annie loved the corn on the cob.

Bob took pictures at school yesterday because I, obviously, could not be at the assembly. The kids did great but Daddy had some major issues with the camera.

Molly got her 2nd Citizen of the Year award - I don't think Molly's substitute realized that Mols had already gotten it. The funny thing - and the best for a Mom - is that the substitute wrote almost the exact same thing about her as Mrs. Greenberg did in the beginning of the year. Molly is kind and caring, she works hard and pays attention in class. Molly is a great friend to her classmates and the first one to help out a friend or teacher who needs her.

When I got home I was talking to Molly and asking her about Citizen of the Month. She said the assembly always makes her sad and she doesn't want to talk about it. Once I delved a little deeper she confessed that she gets sad because when she sees Mrs. Nelson she realizes that next year she is going to be in 2nd grade and she will be very far away from Mrs. Nelson and then she will never get to see her. In 2nd grade they move to the other side of the building and Molly just LOVES Mrs. Nelson - it is a great comfort just to have her there.

BTW - Mrs. Nelson won Teacher of the Year for Noah Webster!

Peter got Emplyee of the Month for his microsociety venture. Mrs. Swarr chose him because he goes early in the morning to help her set everything up for their microsociety venture. He was very anxious about being on stage but very excited about being recognized for being a good employee. He really enjoys his microsociety.

My Big boy!

Peter got a treat when Uncle Colin came to get him after school on friday and take him to get a hair cut and some dinner. Pete loves being with Uncle Colin.

Annie getting a tubby!

Big sister giving Lizzie her bottle - too cute!

She is just too gorgeous!

She looks like a little angel!

My handsome boy!

Molly-girl!

My Mother's Day present a little early - Peter and Molly hugging and not fighting!

Sleepy girl!

My gorgeous girl!

The babies were both naked and smiley so I took a million pictures of them together. I love when they hold hands and play with each other!

Auntie Meg bonding with her goddaughter before Mother's Day.

To all the mothers out there - have a wonderful day! To My Mother - 5 children and 8 years of parenting and I am just starting to fully appreciate your sacrifices and unconditional love! You are the BEST mother and grandmother and I feel blessed today - as I do everyday - to have you in my life! Thank you for being YOU! I love you!

GNM - ILY!

My cousin, Kara, sent this to me and I love it!

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=hTgee6D2zkehhy4laAFF7DExOTIyOTMx&referred_by=15882328-ltjGDAx&p=moveon

I'm sitting in a large ballroom in Washington DC listening to a clincal case review of oral lesions of the mouth - Yuck, does not quite cover it! (Hairy Lukoplakia is a term that should be used with caution!)

Just a quick update on my Super Boy, Peter Westley. He went to the doctor for more x-rays and all is well with the arm. The joint is still stable and the fracture is healing. Still no gym or sports but we are making great process and the bone chip in his elbow will most likely not be an issue! He wears the brace at school or when he could be bumped but otherwise he is free to take it off and start using his arm. He and Bob sounded like they were having fun in the car on the way home - a little alone time with Daddy never hurts - even if it is to go to the doctor.

The kids are doing great without me - Annie slept with Bob from 3 a.m. on and it sounds like everyone was up fairly early but Bob sounded happy and ready for the day. He is such a great Dad!

I'm off to nod my head while others discuss soft palate sores and lesions and try to control my reflex to throw up when they show pictures of teeth that are so decayed that they crumple when you touch them!

GNM - ILY!

Bon Voyage

Hi Everyone!

I'm headed to Washington DC today until Friday and this picture of Annie describes my mood about it! Bob is a little bit excited, I think. I keep hearing little whispers about Molly & Peter sleeping with Daddy tonight and having picnics for dinner. Great - Mommy is away and the fun begins. I realized that I never did updates for the babies for their 5 month (Ellie Belly) and 6 month (Busy Lizzie) birthdays. I have no new pictures but I have oodles of baby details so here goes.

Ellie - weighing in at 13 pounds 15 ounces and 24 inches she is a big baby acording to the doctor. She is healthy with less tremors and more smiles. She rolls from front to back but not the other way yet, however, she does get up on her tummy and move across the floor - not quite a crawl but she gets where she wants to go. She does a half wave and a half high five thanks to her siblings and she is cranky much less now than over the last few months. She eats cereal once a day and hates every bite of it! She is receiving birth to three services for the muscle tone in her legs and to make sure she stays on track given her prenatal conditions. Right now Molly can make her smile at the drop of a hat by calling her "Sweetest Chocolate Brownie!" Molly loves to play with her and dances with her to make her smile all the time - she can also get her to calm down with a song almost instantly! Ellie loves to be held and would live in the baby Bjorn if she could. She just wants to be close to us at all times. Ever since Ellie came if she becomes inconsolable I stick her under my shirt, next to my skin and she quiets down immediately - no matter how hungry or upset she is she loves to be that close to me!

Elizabeth weighs in at 13 pounds 14 ounces - yes, you read that correctly. The littler twin has passed the bigger twin. Meg calls Lizzie her "Bag of Bones". She is tall and skinny but hopefully her cereal will start putting some meat on those bones! Lizzie rolls front to back and back to front, She scoots on her belly or rolls to where she wants to go. She can get anything to her mouth now - even smaller items and puts everything there. She waves HI and gives high fives - not to me or Bob but to the kids all the time. She kisses with her mouth wide open and occasionally sticks her tongue in your mouth but she does it so often and so happily that I think it is the best! She puts her arms out to anyone willing to pick her up and hold her and she snuggles - burrows that head into your neck like she is trying to crawl inside of your body. She laughs out loud at just about anything and wants Peter every second of the day - he holds her, dances with her and their favorite thing is for him to take her on his bed and play with her until she falls asleep.

Both babies are enthralled with each other and Annie. They spend their days interacting in little baby ways with each other - sucking each other's fingers and thumbs, passing toys back and forth, smiling and laughing at each other and loving on the big kids. At the end of the day we either spread a blanket on the floor and everyone piles on or we all go get in our big king size bed and hang out for a few minutes before bed. This is heaven for the babies and Annie who get all the attention they could ever want! Both of the babies are going to the pediatrician next week but they seem to be right on target and happy, loving, wonderful babies!

Peter is on the mend from his arm break and we go back to the doctor tomorrow to make sure the joint is stll stable - he is excited to get more pictures of his bones! We are hoping that he has to wear the cast less if the joint has remained stable! Pete is doing great in school - getting ready for third grade and trying to figure out what we are going to do for the summer!

Molly is wonderful - such a sweet girl. She is amazing with the babies - never flinching when we interrupt her show to ask her to help out. She is doing great in school and reading everything in sight - we have to make sure that she actually goes to sleep at night rather than reading all night! She loves chapter books but I have to be careful because the books she picks aren't always appropriate in terms of content for a 1st grader!

Annie is - happy, joyful and BUSY! She is so much fun to be with and is wonderful with the babies. She is so gentle now and I love watching her imitate our tone and inflection when we talk to the babies. She tries to change them, feed them and help them learn to roll over. She loves to do anything she sees the big kids doing!

So there are the updates - 5 beautiful - wonderful - amazing babies! I can't believe how much I am going to miss them! I left letters for them for everyday that I am gone and every night before bed. I have lots of people who are going to show support for the Citizen and Employee of the Month on friday and help with dance class and other activities. Uncle Colin is taking me to the train station and KK is picking me up so I think everything is under control - let's just hope that I utilize the 5 hours on the train to my advantage and come up with a good presentation to give tomorrow morning!

I'll post all of the wonderful pictures that Bob takes while I'm gone when i get back - ha ha ha!

GNM - ILY!

Random Pictures

Wow - I am so tired! Next week starts my crazy week of travel and chaos at work. Wednesday I leave for Washington Dc - by myself! Anxious does not begin to cover it. Not that Bob is not perfectly capable of caring for and loving the kids for both of us while I'm gone (probably more capable than I would be) but I miss them like crazy! Luckily Auntie Ann is cooking dinner so Bob has one thing less to worry about and I'm sure he will have lots of support from the auntie brigade if he needs it.

Auntie Ann, Sister Ancie and Sister Anne brought over a watermelon for Peter to help him heal his arm!
Annie Bananie wearing her hat and showing her belly!

Peter's new look.Daddy and three of his girls.

Annie and Lizzie look so much alike sometimes.

Naked Ellie!

Now Daddy has ALL of his girls.Look at those gorgeous girls.

The Biggest Sister!

Molly and Lizzie bonding!

Making faces at KK.

Bob and I went to the 25th Anniversary dance for Saint elizabeth Seton last night. AuntieMeg and Uncle Tim kept all of the kids and even made it so that we could sleep at the Marriott. It was GREAT! We had a blast and the kids were happy and well taken care of when we got home - they even had a gourmet breakfast while we were gone.

So it will be another fun week as both of the kids won awards at school. Molly got the Citizen of the Month Award for her class and Peter got the Employee of the Month award for his microsociety venture. We are so proud of them and even though I can't be at the assembly on Friday because I'm traveling Bob swears he will make them both feel unbelievably special! He also promises to take lots of pictures while I'm gone so I don't miss anything!

GNM - ILY!