little gi

i'm still here!!!

my poor little guy is sick....

which means time will only tell when the other 2 come down w/ something...gotta love school, huh!   a big germ sharing learning environment....

which reminds me....we had meet the teacher night tonight at kelly's school...i got to sit in her little desk...saw how messy she keeps it....looked through her little papers & books & got to see the world they way she does every day for 6 hours.....

and i'm going to admit....i'm having a hard time with this whole thing.  i'm just so overprotective....and biased.....and completely not ready for all of this...i just want her to have the world, ya know?    i remember kellicrowe writing this whole post about sheltering your children...and sometimes i feel like this world just pushes on little kids so much...stifles their individuality...squashes their independent thinking...puts too much pressure on them....tries to box them into little labels so that can be identified for studies and pilot programs....but they don't try to encourage acting like a 5 year old....being a kid...PLAYING!!!  b/c there just isn't enough time between school, and homework, and the team activity, and the trip to target, and the chores, and their favorite TV program, and their coloring time, and their recommended 20 minutes of reading every night to just BE A KID!!!  i totally buck the whole system in every way & i still feel like i can't fit it all in....i just know i think kelly is something special....i think her kind of individuality is something special....i think the fact that she plays with her brother & sister all day is something special...i just need to shelter her from all the pressure.....i just need to not give into that pressure & start pressuring her myself....wish me luck b/c if my past experience w/ "bucking the system" has taught me anything...it's taught me that once you decide to go against the tide...you are in for a constant battle....you are asked to defend your actions at every turn....

but kelly is worth it

geez this parenting stuff is tougher than i thought....

which reminds me of something else....

this girl...

is sleeping in a big girl bed now....it is the absolutely cutest thing ever!!!  she climbs in...tucks her little chubby body under the covers & grabs her little penguin & her mets bear & goes "nigh...nigh mommy....wuv u"....i swear tears well up in my eyes every time

& now all i can think of is how incredibly blessed i am.....despite the germs....despite the never ending struggle to find "the right thing to do"....despite the two year old power struggles and temper tantrums....despite the squashed cheerios all over my floors....despite the empty bank accounts....it still is completely overwhelming to think that these three amazing little people have been entrusted to my care...i truly am a lucky woman :)

hope you have a happy day!!!

xoxoxoxoxo

gi

i was completely wrong when i thought....

that when the kids started school i'd have more time to do stuff...like scrap....and blog....and do stuff...

because life has been absolutely crazy and shows no signs of slowing down...now i know what the whole "mom taxi" thing is about!  lol!!  because i totally feel like i've driven the equivalent in the circumference of the earth these past couple of weeks from cheerleading and games...to speech therapy and then to lunch with friends...to target and to the farmers' market and then to the local grocery market....to a playdate at the park and to doctors' appointments...to the post office and then to the bank....to target again :) and to the outlet mall.....to meetings here and there...to bbqs and pool parties....a christening and a retirement party....to model's to find kate new crocs (she has grown out of her pink ones)...to the city a bunch of times for different parties....& oh yeah!  & we also went to the aquarium!!  whew!!! 

i definitely need to get the whole getting up before the kids thing down....lol!! 

so....needless to say i have some catching up to do....

yesterday was my father-in-law's birthday!!  so happy birthday!!!!!  & i was totally thinking of him when i made my layout this week for onelittleword....i have been looking through old pictures ever since kerry launched her favorite moments challenge and pulled this one out the other day...it was taken at my in laws vow renewal ceremony & celebration last august...and it happens to be one of my fave pics & the memories from that night are also some of my favorites....i was never so proud to be a kennedy than on that day...it totally fills my heart up just thinking about it...

 

& i've been tagged by my girl sarah....dude...she is like my inspirational maven....LOVE HER!!!  i've gotta take my pics tomorrow for that one...so super cool & then i'll be sure to pass it on :)  & just thinking that tag would be THE COOLEST layout or mini book come to think of it....hmmm.....told you that sarah is an inspiration!!

& i was so happy to be able to chat w/ my other main girlie, kerry, tonight...she is knee deep in preparing for her upcoming classes in norway that i got a little scoop on & let me tell you....those Norwegians are LUCKY!!!!!!  she's posted a few sneak peeks on her blog & the product alone is freakin' marvelous!    but the thing that is gonna make those classes THE BEST is getting to meet kerry & talk to her & listen to her...kerry is one of those people who has such a fresh outlook on stuff....i know my life is definitely richer for knowing her :)

ok...if i'm ever going to get to sleep i've gotta wrap this up!  lol!!

so...hope you have been having a happy week!!!

xoxoxoxoox

gi

today....

today we are remembering....

and we are especially remembering mario nardone, mark ellis and ray suarez.

peace...

gi

THIS is funny....

i just got back from a fun filled day at mystic aquarium & logged on for a quick sec...& i totally got tagged by the gorgeous & hilarious ker (aka k.yea)....& because her answers totally cracked me up...i had to give it a go

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)

misty explorer

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)

strawberry gingersnap

3. YOUR "FLY Guy/Girl" NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)

g ken

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)

turquoise giraffe

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)

rose philadelphia

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)

ken gi

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put "The")

apple green the focus vita water

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)

gilles joseph

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy)

mandarin lily tim tam

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother's & father's middle names )

mary lawrence

& all i've gotta say is thank GOODNESS i didn't choose the gangsta life....i don't think i'd get much street cred as "strawberry gingersnap"....do you?  LOL!!!!

too freakin' funny!!!  & now i tag patty, beth, nicole, sue and anna
can't WAIT to see your answers...i forsee some new nick names comin' on :)

oh!!  & anna by the way is running in a 5K next saturday to raise funds to find a cure for MS & in memory of her beloved dad...be sure to stop by & wish her luck & maybe even think about supporting her fund raising efforts!!  definitely a worthy cause and a wonderful woman :)

hope you are having a fantastic weekend!!

xoxoxoxoxo

gi

my little girl....

is off to first grade...

she was so excited...
got right up & dressed & did her "jobs"...
after being loved (read...licked & jumped on by ryatt) she came downstairs
ate her koala crisps (the special cereal she picked out for today, read....expensive organic cocoa krispies w/ a koala on the box)...
mike called her to say good luck & "i love you"
her backpack holds a little package of ice breaker sours (2 for the way TO school, 2 for the way HOME)
she has a special tag from mommy in her "surprise pocket"
her lunchbag holds a PBJ, teddy grahams, an apple, lemonade & another special love note from mommy.....
she also carries a little piece of my heart with her too :)

as you can see...i'm having a little trouble coming to grips that my little ones are getting bigger by the second....

here they all are...in the crazy glory...ryan could not contain himself...either could ryatt now that i think about it, both of the "ry boys" were out of their heads this morning :)

& here is tater running after the bus after she asked me "where Dell-eee doe?" 

& you know what is funniest about this morning?  i actually got up at 6:30...BEFORE the kids & i still am drinking cold coffee...LOL!!

also today is a new word up over at onelittleword (notice we've got a brand new gorgeous home!!)
funny how everything comes together...this week's word is PURE...and i kept going back to a picture i took of mike w/ kelly in the hospital when she was born...it has to be my favorite picture...it totally captured that look of pure love that mike had all over his face...he instantly fell in love & embraced his role as a father (i, on the other hand, needed a bit to get used to the idea of the whole "i am a mother" thing)...i remember my mom telling me that when he called to tell them @ kelly's arrival "he sounded like he grew 6 inches...you could hear the pride in his voice" & it makes me love him all the more to see what an amazing father he is...he loves his family so much astounds me sometimes...can't believe how lucky i am :)

awwww...look how little my little girl used to be!!!  now really...where the heck did the time go???

hope you have a happy wednesday!!!

xoxoxoxo

gi

a quickie w/ some recent pages

i did this one for ker's favorite moment challenge....geez i love a challenge :)
& i came across this pic the other day & knew i had to use it for this one...i remember when i took it...kate was only 2 months old & kelly loved to hold her....she would just sit with her all the time...mommy, can i hold kate?...on this morning it was just the girls (ryan was still asleep) & i'm so happy i snapped this picture and captured this...my girls....when i look at it i'm astounded how fast time has flown by....look at how little they were!!!

not to be left out...i did this one about my buddyhead...used lots of stuff from jenni bowlin
can't wait to get my hands on her new bingo cards....whoa nelly!  they will make a cool mini!!!

here is another one of ry-boy...totally love that my kids are tree huggers...just like their mom :)
i did win the highest grade award in environmental science in high school all those years ago

don't forget!!  a new word up tomorrow over at onelittleword

have a happy tuesday!!

xoxoxoxoxo

gi

i am beyond proud....

this little girl cheered in her first game

she was a little nervous
and a little overwhelmed when we got to the field & she saw all the hoopla that surrounds these games
(funniest thing ever when the little tiny boys came running out onto the field to the sounds of the opening theme to Monday Night Football da da da daaaaaa  ba dah ba dah....da da da daaaaaaaa)

but she got out there...picked up those pom poms & cheered her little heart out
she yawned a lot too...LOL!!  but she cheered her little kelly heart out.

it is clear, however, that her favorite part of cheerleading is the water breaks....& tater took that as her opportunity to go & fawn all over her big sister the cheerleader, give her high fives & go hey del-eee....hey!!!!

& in addition to cheering in her first game ever...kelly also learned to swim this weekend!!! 
YEP!!!  no swimmies...no floaties....just goggles :)

my little cheerleader mermaid.....

i'm still trying to come to grips that my precious little girl is headed off to first grade on wednesday....

how in the world did it happen so fast???

hope you all had a fabulous weekend!!!

happy monday!!

xoxoxox

gi