Laura's first Red Sox game

Off with Aunti Jo, Jimmy and Laura to the most wonderful place on earth...Fenway park. This was Laura's second trip to Fenway and her first Red Sox game. She was ultra excited for days leading up to this and it didnt wear off while we were there. Jimmy, on the other hand, had a sugar high (or some kind of high) and he was revved up the whole night. They were dancing, singing and of course eating the whole night. On the way to the game they were singing it up in the car to some Spongbob songs and the audience wasnt so much captive as being held captive.
The score ended up 12-0 with the bad guys winning but it really didnt matter, At Fenway, its all about just about just being there.
The Pavillion seats are awesome. It was so cold at first with the wind whipping around but either it got warmer or we just got numb.

Laura and Jimmy both like taking pictures. Wonder where they got that from. Here we were requested to make a silly face.

I love that wall.

This car is a bit funky. We got behind it heading into kenmore square. It looks like someone got stuck inside the Christmas Tree Shop and bought all the crap that they sell. And make no mistake about it, all they sell is crap.

Day out with Jackie

Its not often that we get a chance to go one on one with any of the little buggahs. Yesterday, all the other kids were in school and pre-school so Jackie and I went out exploring about town. We went out for some pancakes and then to the coffee shop. Of course we spent some time on Black Gordon and then took a trolley ride. There was some walking involved, then some more walking. At one point we were in a crosswalk looking to get across the street. Of course nobody was letting us go but we were waiting patiently. There was an elderly gent who pulled in right in front of us and then he started backing up. I yelled out to him to stop and he yelled back something too. THEN, he backed up again hitting me. Not that hard but enough for me to slam my palm down on his trunk and let him know he had to stop. Alongide me was minnie me yelling at the guy calling him BAD BOY. Oh the memories of my childhood with PopPop come crashing right back. Jackie talked about it the rest of the day telling everyone that Daddy got hit by a car by the bad boy.

Jack was pretending to be shy with one of the waitresses. The flirt---

And there was Big Bill again working his butt off. I took my eyes off of Jack for a minute and I thought I heard Bill asking him to pick up some of trash around the replica trolley. When Bill saw the camera came out everything changed. Note the empty bags and the phantom garbage he's picking up.
On the way back home we also ran into Doe working. Jack went and sat on his cement truck.

I'm babysitting Joey this morning. She doesnt stop, not for a second. I'm afraid to go pee.

Healthy smiles

The kids are recovering well from their week of misery. It really wasnt too much misery for them because they were waited on pathetically. Especially that Jimmy who knows how to play the female members of the clan(You know who you are). He really was pretty sick there for a while as he was burning up and magnetized to the sofa. Jimmy is the type of kid who plays constantly outside. He wants to ride his bike to Charlies or play basketball. Alot of times baseball by himself or with me on the front lawn. Lately there has been alot of football catch also. Its funny how we have a pretty good size back yard and we end up on the front lawn all the time. go figure. Jimmy showed me around his classroom tonight at school. Its so cute how he takes so much ownership in the classroom and feels so comfortable there. Thats a good thing. Laura also showed me around her classroom and was so proud to show me different artwork around the room that she had done. The teacher told me how she absolutely loves how she is always smiling and happy, just like Jimmy was. For the second year in a row Laura has the same teacher that James had. Both kids have the same signal light inside their classroom. If a kid is bad they go to red light. Everyone starts in green light, then to yellow light and so on. What a scandal. Jimmy and Laura gossip about the kids that have had to go to red. While Laura and I were talking to her teacher, James put Laura's name on the red light. Ah the scandal.
Then they had a bake sale in the gymnasium with the worst tasting cookies ever. It was sawdust with nuggets. Oh the charitable side of me.
When we got home Catherine was upset because we hadnt done her homework. Tonight she did such a good job of copying A,B and C right across the lines. Laura was having a hard time spelling the word 'many' so I wrote it on a piece of paper and made a sight word for her on her wall. Catherine thought we were talking about putting a penny (rhymes with many) on her wall so she wanted a penny on her wall too. I told her i'd give her an 'and' on her wall so i made an 'and' sight word on her wall. As usual, she just gives this satisfying smile and sat and stared at it. She's awesome!!!
My little terrorist was asleep tonight when we got home from the open house at school. He has to tire himself all day because that kids just dont stop. He has gotten into this habit recently where he takes his three wheel bike and drives it full throttle into the garage door. He must have gotten sick of doing that because today he drove right into me, toppling the old man over. Lyn's birthday on Monday. Wondering what kind of appliance I can get her this year.

Infirmed

Four of them, ALL four of them are in various stages of ill health. Last night was interesting as we had 3/4th of them in the bed at one time or another and Laura was having nightmares. Its amazing how quick they go from pathetic to lively when the official school time has lapsed. Jimmy was really pathetic yesterday though. While Jack and I were on the front lawn playing baseball Jimmy wouldnt come out and join us. With some prodding he finally did join us. Normally, he would be out there all day. So today we will in the house eating soup, watching spongebob and sucking down motrin.

Another tooth gonzo

Laura lost another one. She is just having these teeth fly out of her mouth. I remember Jimmy went through this stage also. The damn tooth fairy doesnt have such a good memory to keep remembering to switch the tooth for cash but its been so far, so good. My poor Catherine hasnt been feeling that great lately so we are keeping her out of pre-school for a day and let her recover. She is so pathetic when she's sick. Pathetic, but cute and cuddly.
Yesterday, I went to both Jimmy and Laura's classroom to meet the teacher. Both of the kids asked me if I saw something or other in their classrooms and that little skunk Jimmy even quizzed me about what he was talking about. With Jimmy it was something on the wall about a contest and Laura had her name on the chalkboard. Of course I told them that I saw the thing they were talking about. He's getting wise to the little fibs and requiring proof of things. I sat down on his desk and when I looked in, there was a goldfish lying on its side (the food goldfish). I glued it on a piece of paper and wrote him a note. He got a kick out of it.

In the newspaper

The kids were off with mommy playing in Barney park. The photographer from the newspaper noticed the most beautiful children on the planet and snapped photos. Included from the left are Catherine Quinn, Erin, of course our Catherine and Jack.

Another day in the life

Hello little Jack as he rides off in to the sunset of the street on his own. Today was a HUGE day for Catherine. We attempted once again to get her to ride her bike without the training wheels. The only difference was, she went along with it and didnt freak out...at first anyway. But she did it though. She rode off down the street to Rogers house and came back. She panicked a little and crashed a couple of times, but she was riding on her own. By the end of her riding time she wanted me to put the training wheels back on. We refused to give in.

She looks like Lauren in this picture.

Laura had a practice tonight for her soccer team. She keeps saying how she doesnt want to do this next year but she is all smiles when she's there. She wants to play basketball in the fall this year.

Irish step started Monday night too. Catherine walked in for her first practice like she owned the place.

Multicultural bi-lingual kids

The First grade teacher asks the students if anyone knows how to speak another language. Laura raises her hand and tells everyone she knows Japanese. Somewhere there is a Japanese princess cartoon with the word Kaneekeshah (or close). While she was imparting this experience on us she tells us how her best friend in school is Maya and she is half Chinese. Jimmy intelligently states that she must only know half of the chinese words then.

Adding to his legend

The other day while the other kids were at school, Jack, Catherine and I went for a walk along the water. Just being at the right place at the right time, we had a helicopter land directly across the street from us, about 100 feet. We sat on the curb and had a firetruck, ambulance, police car and helicopter right there. How cool is that.

The picture tells a tale of a minivan window and a small boy. Those things really do break into about 100 pieces when broken.

Losing a tooth

After lingering around for far too long, Laura's front tooth finally came flying out during her soccer practice tonight. The only problem was, she had no idea where it fell on the soccer field. Luckily for Laura after scouring the field on my hands and knees the tooth was located...go figure.

Tonight was the first night of soccer for Laura. She didnt want to go but when she got there she had a good time. She had two of her friends from baseball on the soccer team so things got much better.

Catherine didnt like being left out in the whole picture and tooth thing so that is why she was crying. Jimmy was very sympathetic so he jumped in on the picture.

Patriots game with JimJim

Thanks to Umple Eddie we went to see the Pats again. As soon as James got home from school we got in the car and headed on down the highway. We decided that we would get McDonalds and tailgate with McDonalds instead of grilling. Jimmy only wanted his french fries (and chicken nuggets of course).
Once in the parking lot we got the football out and started throwing it around. Same thing as last year, the cars started surrounding us and making the parking lot field smaller.
There were people around doing drinking games where there were a bunch of cups on a table and they were throwing ping pong balls from across the table. If the ball went into the cup, the opposing side would have to drink what was in the cup. Jimmy was cheering on the game and giving me play by play on it.
Last year after the game we had got lost finding our way back to our car. Apparently, that trip back to the car was a hit with him because he asked me the whole night if we could get lost like we did last year going back to the car, traveling by the tunnel. If I remember correctly, it wasnt as much fun for me to get lost looking for the car.

Umple Ed has great seats right off the field in the end zone. It didnt take long for us to be up and down a couple of times. Jimmy had a twenty dollar bill burning a hole in his pocket so he couldnt wait to spend it. When we went up in the concourse level there were seats in the first row of the chair level. I believe it is the wheelchair level and if there are no wheelchairs the seats are awesome. So from here we sat the whole game making it easy for the multiple trips up to the concessions and bathrooms.

We didnt get lost going back to the car either....welllll, we didnt get that lost. Jimmy had a great time the whole game. Every time the music came on he was dancing away. I think he was hoping he'd get on the jumbotron again. Either way he was grooving it up

Tired eyes

There is always a reason for the kids not to go to sleep. It can really drive you crazy. Tonight, Jack would NOT go to bed without Lyn or I going into his bed because Hanna Tanna (Hannah Montana) was in his room and she dont like Jack. I dont think he was using it as an excuse though, I really think he thought she was in the bedroom.
When we were in vacationland Kyle just professed his love for Hannah the whole time we were there...."I love her" he said a couple of times.....the little trollup.

First Day of school

Laura started first grade and Jim Jim went to the third. Umple Eddie called early this morning and told us that he was down the street getting his car fixed so he came over and joined in the fun. The good news is that they are the second stop going home this year so we dont have to wait an hour for the bus to get home. Jimmy and I are going to the patriots game this thursday. Time for some tailgating again!!

Laura has a loose tooth in the front and its just there dangling. Its been there for the last week and doesnt want to come out. We had some corn on the cob yesterday and again the drama of cutting the kernels off the corn. Its been a great corn year...but not for Laura as this is her second consecutive tooth.

I think Jack is on drugs. He just wont stop. He's lucky he's so damn cute!!!