Ho! Ho! Ho!

We hope everyone had as nice a Christmas as we did. We got lots of nice gifts from everyone in our families, and we thank you all.

We put out gingerbread cookies we made for Santa and sprinkled oats outside for the reindeer. Santa even answered the kids' notes. (He does know the Tooth Fairy!) The kids must be growing up. I woke up at 7:30 listened for the whispers and chatter, but it was quiet. The kids got their stockings down and waited for us. Mackenzie was the last one up, and then we went at the presents. There were gameboys, american girl dolls, sunglasses, nerf guns, science kits and cool games. PJs and pants and sweatshirts, too. All kinds of fun stuff and we're still enjoying it all.

Holiday Shopping

Don't know what we were thinking when we took the kids to the mall on a sunday a week before Christmas. John and I wanted to get each other sunglasses, but the whining kicked in two minutes after we got there. While shopping for Granny Matt knocked over two racks of shirts at JC Penneys. We were done after that.

Uncle Donna & Aunt Allen

The kids think its so funny when I say it wrong, but they love their velcro aunt and uncle. At no time when they were in our house did they not have a kid physically attached to them.

Ears To You!

Daddy finally let Christina get her ears pierced! She didn't even say "ouch." In her honor I got another earring too. It was the start to our girly day with Aunt Donna. Matthew, John and Uncle Allen went to the Jet game today. Us girls went to lunch and the bookstore.

It's Pitch White!

We got some snow early in the week. When the kids first saw it in the morning, Mackenzie said "Whoa! It's pitch white outside!" They can never figure out why other people's yards are still full of snow in the afternoon, but ours is all gone. That because it's all been trampled and rolled and snow-angeled!

100 Foot Tall Question

The kids come up with their best ideas at bedtime. Tonight Mackenzie had a "huge, big, tremendous, 100 foot question." It was:
"Why are there people? And why is there Earth? And who made God?"
Then came..."Who made the guy who made God? And who made the guy who made the guy who made God?"

Safety Town

Christina's 3rd class went to Safety Town in Eisenhower Park. Everything was kid-sized, and they took turns as drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. It was so cute, and very cool. I didn't get to go on cool trips like this when I was a kid!

Honey R.I.P.

Honey the Hamster died. The funeral was yesterday. We're all very sad about it. She was the best hamster ever.

Too Cute

How could I forget to post a picture of these guys on Halloween? In case you can't tell, Christina is a dead bride, Matt is a Power Ranger, Courtney is the Tooth Fairy and Mackenzie is Minnie Mouse.

Fall Fell

Courtney's Pen Pal

Courtney lost her second tooth (and Mackenzie is really mad!) She left her another note:

Hi tooth Fairy.
I hav a candy under my pillow for you. you can eat it. and how did you Become the tooth Fairy. and what do you Look Like? Draw it in the blank space.
From Courtney.

Tooth Fairy wrote:
Yum! Thanks for the treat! I have been the Tooth Fairy for SO long I forgot how it started. (I think I got picked.) And I am too shy to draw myself.
Love, the Tooth Fairy

Super Saturday

Christina is 8! Her birthday was Wednesday, and her party was at the Hip Hop Sweet Shop on Saturday. Fifteen girls and 2 boys can make alot of noise. Especially when they're full of sugar! This place was cool. Everyone got a chocolate house to decorate with all kinds of candy and icing. Plus there was ice cream, a piñata and cotton candy too. They played hot potato, freeze dance and all the groovy dances: cha cha slide, macarena and cotton eyed joe.
After Christina opened all her presents the babysitter came and John and I were off to the Ball. Really. The Massapequa Community Fund Fall Ball was quite the formal affair and I wore a long black dress. All this after a day of soccer games, a football game and a piano lesson. Plus a birthday party.

How Does TV Work?

Matthew's take on how a TV works: the electric gets melted and goes in the wire and a robo-notebook turns the pages real fast and you see the picture.
(There was more, but that's all I could keep up with.)

Dear Santa

Mackenzie has already written her letter to Santa and sealed it in an envelope.
(I had to open it.) This is what she wrote:

XOXOX
DeAR SANtA
FoR CRiSMAS
i WANt A FURBY
A GAMe BOY
With A CARtRAGe
A BiG CARe BeAR
ANOtheR MY LitteL
PONY Set. im SORRy
i SteeLd CANDY
i CANt heLP it
LOVe MACKeNZie

Hut, Hut, Hike!

School has started and so have the sports. Matt's playing flag football, but they wear equipment. Not for protection, but cuz they look so darn cute in it! Everyone's playing soccer. The girl's are in Brownies and Christina wants to sign up for karate, swimming, cheerleading, basketball and lacrosse.

First Day of School

Everyone was ready to go at 8:00 a.m. this morning, but first bell doesn't ring until 9:15. Okay, we weren't the only ones there really early. We deposited Mackenzie at her classroom first with a 5-second goodbye (or else one of us was going to start crying), then got Matthew to his room and Courtney right across the hall to hers. Christina insisted we go back outside and enter again where the 3rd graders go in (even though it added another half mile to our trek to find her classroom.) On the way back John and I peeked in at the 1st grade classes to find Mackenzie happy and smiling, Courtney sitting next to her old pal Brandon and Matthew having a scissor fight with the boy next to him.

We went CaMPiNG!!!

Yes, we got John out in the woods and sleeping in a tent! The kids loved it, and the campground was close to Atlantis Marine World and right by the Big Duck.

Our Favorite Song - The Hamster Dance!

Jamie and her white coat class

Cousin Jamie's started school at Wingate in North Carolina to become a pharmacist.
(Don't worry Shawn, the guys don't look like they'll be distracting Jamie from her studies.)

How Birds Fly

By Mackenzie
"Birds can fly because thier wings are pushing down the gravity, except when they're going up, but they flap thier wings so fast gravity has no chance to pull them down. Our arms don't work because we're already on the ground."

Long Island Game Farm

More summer fun before it all ends. The Game Farm was small (we were done after 4 hours), but feeding the giraffe was great and the tiger show was cool. Plus we got to pet baby ducklings, baby goats and saw some cute monkeys.

Adventureland

Cramming in some end of summer fun! Adventureland is our local amusement park with some decent rides and lots of games to take our money. We went with Christina's buddy Justin, who we've known since her first day at preschool.
Check out Courtney clutching her shirt on the freefall - you can just feel it in your stomach just looking at her. She loved this ride. And she hates scary rides! Go figure.

It's All About Me

I finished my triathlon today - yay! And I placed! It could've been the magic of number 2. I came in 2nd for my age group in my 2nd triathlon wearing no. 222. And I'm 42. But I think it was really because of my lucky tie-dye shirt Christina made for me at camp that the kids drew all over. (Unfortunately they used washable markers, so by the end it was just colorful blobs.)
John and the kids drove up to see me get my award. (We live on the south shore, the race was on the north shore.) That meant alot to me, because I'm really proud of this one. For my brother who has to qualify things, there were over 1000 competitors, and almost 40 women in my age group alone. So Pete, I rock!
And I wore my Shawn bracelet too.

A Photo of John and Karen

Due to popular demand, here is a picture of me and John. If you want more, check out the link to our online photo album.

Geography Lesson

I bought a globe today and the first place I showed the kids (after the United States) was Iraq, "where they're fighting" Christina said. I reminded them that's where cousin Jamie's fiance is going and Matt said "Please don't die."
We're with you, Shawn.

Swimming, Fishing, Roasting Marshmallows

What could be more fun in the summer?

Summer's Simple Pleasures

When's the last time you ran through a sprinkler with your clothes on?

My name is Karen and I am a Geek

Hanging in the Hamptons

Honey the Hamster

This is my new hamster, Honey. I'm really excited about her. She's gonna sleep in my room tonight. I can't pick her up until tomorrow because she has to get used to her home. Hopefully she'll be happy at our house. She's really really CUTE!
YChristina

I Scream, You Scream

Gin and her Fabulous Four arrived for a layover on their way for a week in the Hamptons with Granny and Poppy. No one could resist when we heard the Mr. Softee truck music.

Everything's My Fault

After swim lessons we ran off to the Childrens Museum to see StarLab. Rushed back home to get to Matt and Christina's games. I didn't have his baseball pants and shirt washed and ready, I didn't keep track of Christina's purple bat, and I let the batteries go dead when Mackenzie wanted to play gameboy, and I should have known Courtney couldn't open the gate when she went in the backyard to get her beach chair. It's my fault! They're hungry and the game just started. My fault. And of course I'm to blame if anyone at any given time should be (gasp) bored!

Costume Day at Summer Rec

Christina the angel, Courtney the cowgirl,
Mackenzie the rapper and Matthew the hockey player.

Let's Go To The Fair!

Rode every ride there was to ride at the St. Rose Fair last night. Even the ZIPPER. I knew it was a bad idea, but John said okay while Courtney was climbing the rock wall. By the time she was done, Christina, Mackenzie and Matthew were on line. We almost made Mackenzie cry because John and I kept asking them “Are you sure you want to do this?” Good thing Courtney and I rode the carousel. When we got off, Christina and Mackenzie were hysterical. If I’d heard their cries I would have thrown myself on the controls to stop the ride. Afterwards Matt said “I didn’t cry,” and was instantly blasted by Christina. So we all went on the carousel for the last ride and headed home.
We didn’t even play any games. Don’t know how we got away with that, cuz they just love those junky prizes.

Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda...

...Just dropped the kids off for a week of Summer Rec at their school - Yahoo!
Whatever will I do with myself until 3 o'clock? Hmmmm, after cleaning bathrooms, getting a run in, making meatballs for dinner and sorting a schoolyears worth of artwork I may just break out the bon-bons and paint my toenails.

LAX

Finished a week of lacrosse clinic - and everyone loves it. That can only mean: more gear, more games, more grass stained uniforms to wash. yippee. It's just about the only sport John and I know nothing about, so I'm no help when the kids argue whether boys can rake but girls can't. Who knows? But it is a cool sport. I wonder if there's a league for forty-year-olds...

Hey Tooth Fairy!

Matt lost his first tooth! Courtney and Mackenzie didn't believe he had a loose tooth this morning, and no one could figure out why he didn't finish his breakfast. (Matt does not walk away from food.) By the time I got home from church with Mackenzie and Christina he was waiting on the front porch to show me the tooth.

Hope the Tooth Fairy isn't really busy tonight, because sometimes she forgets to get to all the kids in one night. Once in awhile she comes in the morning or the next night. Really. Ask Christina.

NeRds

One of our favorite places to go is the library. I call the kids nerds because they love to read so much. Christina says nerds are smart, have glasses, don't follow fashion and their mothers make them wear plaid. She figures being a nerd is good because then you won't grow up to be a waitress at a place called Hot Wings.

Who Me? Couldn't Be!

I was put on trial yesterday for eating all four of the giant chocolate chip cookies from the diner (they are awesome!). I thought they'd forget about them, since we went to the movies after the diner and ate popcorn and candy.
Christina was the judge, Mackenzie the prosecutor, and Matt defended me. Mackenzie was also an eye-witness. Says she saw me eating a cookie with my morning coffee. Matt explained that I drive them everywhere, make good dinners (mostly) and play games. When the judge declared me 'GUILTY!' Matt's advice was: RUN!

Fun Run

Hit the beach yesterday and jumped in the waves. Packed some snacks, but everyone has to bring, and carry, their own stuff. Matt lost a flip flop, but overall it was fun and not too much cleanup afterward. (usually bring home half the beach just in thier pants.)

Everyone ran in the Firecracker Fun Run. I ran the 5K race. (22:16 - not bad, but still disappointed about not matching my 21:35 a few weeks ago.) Christina got inspired to run the 5k next year and ran once around the block with me this morning.

YeeHa-let's Go

don't know why i'm starting this. gotta do my homework for dreamweaver course, update st. D's website, pickup race stuff for firecracker 5k tomorrow and probably go get the free book from B&N because the kids finished thier reading lists. we already had a kickball game with the giant soccer ball and played street hockey. even matt is skating now. just have to get john on skates.