First Family Christmas party

Here it is, this time of year is officially beginning. The weather has been absolutely beautiful for this time of year. The only blip we had was halloween but otherwise its been great. Today was my family Christmas party. Jimmy had to go to baseball practice in the morning and we had to go pick him up then rush to the party. For the second year in a row, we had our debit card attacked and now again we are approaching the holiday season with no card to buy anything. Arggh! Last year, it was the Santa Claus at the mall who got our card grabbed. This year, i think it was the itunes thingamajig that sucked us in.

Umple Eddie and auntie Paula joined us at the party. I walked in and Paula was up boogying on the dance floor. Between Paula and Eddie they have lost about two hundred pounds this year. I think I might be the bad influence with all the bad food that I love.

I'm thinking that I miss the days where Jackie cried every time he saw Santa Claus. Now he is so cool with him and they get deep in conversation. He's such a womanizer. Last week we went to Friendly's with the ump and mommy and Jack wrote his name and phone number (my cell phone number) on the paper mat.

Kyle with Tommy. Of course Jack also spent alot of the time chasing Kyle around the place.

Auntie Paula went right over to Santa's lap and gave her wish list.

Jimmy is getting so

Black Friday at the Gahden...second year in a row

For the second year in a row, James and I took in the Bruins game at the Gahden. As is our custom with regards to Bruins games, we took the train in and had a blast, especially me just listening to his take on how the game was going to go. We've had some good times going to Bruin games over the years and have also seen some good games. Usually, we get into the North Station early and Jimmy wants 10 chicken mcnuggets, large french fries and a large drink. He must have been all snacked out because we walked to the counter and he decided not to have anything at all.......He snapped out of it once we got inside the garden. Not his usually empty stomach but he still put down a whole pizza by himself. We also took in the usual trips to the crowded bathroom. I'm always so aware of the people around us and its funny to see how much older Jimmy is getting. Where I used to make sure he wasn't two feet away from me, I can now say to him that I'll meet him at the sinks when we are done and trust him to be there.....well, i'm still watching his every move. We have a pre planned place to meet just about everywhere. If we get hopelessly lost he knows to either meet me at our seats (which now I know that he knows how to get to) or I just know he's getting old enough to wait for me without freaking out. He's probably happy that i'm giving him this little freedom. While we were waiting in the line, both of us bouncing because we really really had to go, I told him that in the old Boston Garden people would just get sick of waiting and would go into the stairwell and pee right there. He laughed and didnt believe me....but it was true. Several people near us in line overheard me and chuckled because it brought back memories to them too. Oh, those old days!

During the game, there was a lady (well, umph) two rows in back of us that everytime she opened her mouth she sounded like a pig squealing. The fans in back of us took note and started getting on her. She, of course, was a Red Wings fan. Every time she squealed Jimmy and I would just laugh and laugh. I started my improvised squealing. yes, two immature little boys we were but a great laugh just the same. Those guys behind us just kept doing thier imitations and telling her boyfriend what a lucky guy he must be. It was all in good fun as she seemed to not be bothered by it all and just kept on with her squealing. Good thing we werent in Vancouver.
When we got into the garden, there were a couple of bikini (uh huh) clad girls giving away t-shirts. I told Jimmy to stand next to a little hottie for a picture. He didnt want to but the bad influence that I am, i talked him into it along with the assistance of the little trollup girl.
Charlie was also headed to the game today with his brother Sam and his uncle and aunt. We are first row balcony when we go and believe it or not, charlie and company were right below us. Eventually, we were able to get his attention which made Jimmy very happy. Jimmy is learning how to text and is bothering us non stop about getting his own phone. He told me today that he is demanding that we get him one of those slide phones that make it easy for him to text. Yeah, thats all we need. He used mine all day and was texting with charlie before the game and after. what did we ever do before these inventions. After the game, we slid right into the train to head back home. It was pretty comfortable just chilling out listening to his take on the game. He's pretty fun to be with.

kids 005.AVI

Halloween 2011

Another year of ghosts and goblins wandering around the hood This year added some punch in terms of weather, power outages and displaced kids. They all had a great time dressing up, including Jimmy, who we thought wasnt going to dress up. But alas, he did. This was Jackies year of running around collecting all the candy. He even grabbed an extra bag and told people he was collecting double for his doggie...

Catherine Q joined the kids around white maple tree. Dermot walked with us.

Pumpkin carving. Why o why dont i take classes in this "art".

Nana handed out our candies again this year. Jackie looked great as an astronaut.

Catherine loved, loved, loved her witch outfit as did Laura with her devil...This came after about two months of planning where she would bring me a magazine with different costumes and i would put the kabosh to them. They need to make more outfits for KIDS, not little harlets. She would show me these costumes that were not very appropriate.......ooooooo, how i'll love the teenage years.








She's such a smiling happy one!!! Just like the rest of them

Jimmy saw this one and loved the gore and blood.

Laura Wax Museum

Good ole Laura, she's such a wonderful hippie. today was wax museum day at her school. She gets so into this stuff and was just awesome as Florence Nightingale. she spent the last couple of weeks researching her role and memorizing her lines. There were tons of kids all over the cafeteria, all dressed up as a different American Icon. You go up to them and tap them on their shoulder and they recite specific facts about their character. Laura took it so serious. She even told me this morning that I couldnt talk to her because she was a wax figure. Of course that didnt work.

Laura's Birthday week and Apple Picking

More Birthday pics-Laura and Jackie

Jackie's 5th Birthday

we walked right into a hippie fest. Hours earlier, well over a hundred people were arrested for occupying the area near the financial district. The place was alive with news reporters, hundreds of protesters and hippies everywhere you looked. they had set up tents to protest coorporate greed and then some. Jack called this place the hippie camp.

There were alot of games inside the Childrens museum and fortunately, we got to play all of them.

Jackies star studded fifth birthday weekend!! He was the star all weekend. We went over aunt jo's house on sunday for cake and gifts. on his real birthday he had another cake and singing. On tuesday he and I went to boston on a train for a final destination of the childrens museum. He had a great time all day. We ended up spending over four hours there. There was hardly anyone there so we could take as much time as we wanted on each floor.

For lunch we spent it outside playing catch with a tennis ball that he packed. he threw it in the street twice and a cab ran it over. the great day ended on a return trip on the train. Very fun day!

While at the childrens museum two students from harvard asked if they could include jack in a developemental study. so they whisked us off to another room. i didnt ask what their findings were. Some things are better left unknown.

Inside the Childrens museum they had a play that caught our eye and in we went. They asked the kids if anyone wanted to be a dancer and up went his arm. He went right on the stage and he was one of the dancers. Just so awesome he was. I was dying laughing at him. The play was about a plate of cookies that kept getting lost or taken. It was cute and he LOVED it. Maybe drama class next.

this guy here joined us for lunch