Uneventful two weeks... I think??

Nothing much new to report on the home front from the last two weeks. We went out on the boat for the first time this season on Father's day. The boys had a blast and I am happy to say that is was much easier this year... finally. No more screaming over wearing life vests or changing diapers on the boat. The little ones are finally big enough to enjoy themselves and Matty even took a nap on the boat.


Of course I brought the camera along and never took one darn picture.. such is life.

This weekend we mainly stuck around the house. Saturday we went to the little beach by the house for a bit and the kids played in the sand and swam in the water.

Sunday Joe took the little ones out on an adventure to a park... I should start with a mention that I went to a friends house on Sat night to a Jafra party and had two glasses of wine?? Which cause one heck of a head ache on Sunday morning... (since I am so not a drinker) which caused me to crawl my tired cranky butt back into bed when Joe got up and abandoned him with the kids... so I could have get another hour of sleep I so very desperately needed.

When I finally crawled out of my bed around 9ish he was getting the little ones dressed for an secret outing... they were so cute. Josh and Matt were so very excited to go out with dad. He took them to a local park and for a long walk on some trails and then to lunch. We didn't see them again until close to 2 in the afternoon.

In the meanwhile Joey and I had a little quiet time at home. We watched a movie then went out for a bit. All in all it was a great day. Very relaxing and all around lazy! Just what we all needed.


Hope you all had a good weekend too!

Hot Hot Hot

Summer has arrived... weather here in CT went from a nice breezy 60-70 degrees to hot and humid... high 90's. We chose to beat the heat by spending our free time in the water.

Saturday we went to our little beach by the house and then to a pool party in the late afternoon. The kids had a blast and I am happy to say that Josh slept until 9:30 on Sunday morning... something he has never ever done... now if we could just exhaust Matty to the point were he won't want to wake up at 5:30 everymorning we would have it made...

Mommy... Can I have

some more to eat please??

This is just so relaxing...

In all my worry to get sun block on every ear, nose and other exposed area of the kids.. I neglected to put any on my back... ummm OUCH ! Just a wee bit red and sore...

Welcome to summer!

The boys!

All three guys... enjoying the first corn of the year!

I am a big boy now!

Matty with a bare bum outside!

Today is a big day it the Pastore house... we have FINALLY gotten Matty to poop on the potty... actually I have to give the credit to Cindy my friend and babysitter. I have been struggling with potty training Matty since last Friday... and it looks like today we have finally turned the corner. Thank goodness. This is our third attempt at potty training... its resembles trying to house break a dog more than anything... the first two attempts were complete failures when after three days of him peeing on the floor or pooping in his undies... I gave up... This time we purchase some really yummy chocolate ice cream herseys kisses treats! BRIBBERY works every time!

It is also a big day for Josh as today he started summer camp at Tutor Time. He had a really great day and seemed to have played and played and played and wore himself right out... he didn't have a utter meltdown until we got outside in the car thankfully so they don't yet know the "other" side of Josh's bubbly personality... just wait!

This picture is from Friday... when he decided he needed to fix his roof on his swingset in the back yard... it was just to cute not to share!

They had a graduation ceremony at St. Theresa's on Tuesday and he was dressed as a penguin for his part of the show.. so very cute... the kids were just about as cute as can be!

And last but definately not least.. Joe... Lacrosse has come to a end and spring football has started. He is keeping busy with school. Next week is final exams and then he is done for the summer. So far the grades look to be pretty good... but we will be helping him study this weekend for the finals... then we can breathe easy and enjoy the summer.

Just a few pictures

I think these are from March... I guess I need to download the camera to get something new!

Pajama Day

Not winning any awards for mother of the year this week... I just can't seem to get it right.

Last week on Monday (the 5th) I dressed Josh in a clean pair of PJ's and sent him off to school for what I thought was "Pajama Day"... ummm it wasn't. Poor Josh was the ONLY one to show up in his PJ's... and I even forgot to send a change of clothes to the sitters so he was in his PJ's all day. Thankfully he didn't seem to mind.

YESTERDAY was "Pajama Day" and I totally forgot about it. (UGH) which made him the ONLY child to NOT show up in his PJ's.

I am so having one of THOSE kinds of weeks.

"You're the best Mommy ever"

Those five words can make all the difference. We all have our good days and our bad ones... but hearing those five little words from Matty's precious two year old little mouth make up for some of the bad ones. I usually hear those words after I have just provided a Popsicle or some other non healthy treat... OR have just turned on one of the favorite favorite TV shows... Backyardigans or Go Diego Go! Every once in a while I get those precious words just because they are happy! I may have agreed to let Josh get his bike out and ride in the driveway when we get home at the end of a long day or have agreed that he can help me plant the flowers. For whatever the reason I receive the praise... it always warms my heart and makes me smile.

Don't get me wrong...I also hear the dreaded words... "I don't want you to be my mommy anymore" or "I don't like you anymore" when I have said no or had to punish or send my two little warriors to their separate corners to cool off. Or I say the dreaded words.. It's bedtime NOW... (ugh)

This weekend was happily a really good one. Filled with lots of happiness and laughing and yes some arguing and fighting but for the most part very relaxing and lots of fun.

Friday night was all about mothers day for Josh... they must have been talking about it at school a lot cause he decided he needed to give me some presents. Every bottle of lotion, cream or deodorant from my dresser was presented to me as a present one at a time by both of the boys. "Here mommy I bought you this, Happy Mothers Day". It was very sweet and I loved it... but after a while we had to stop the gifts....

Joey went to a friends 16th birthday party and when I picked him up at 11 he had a sappy look on his face.. I asked him who he had been kissing and he pointed out a pretty girl standing outside waiting for her ride. Ahh young love... the hormones are raging in our house!

Saturday we spent the day hanging out at home as I did load after load of laundry...(rolling my eyes). We ate lunch out on the deck and the boys played in the yard. Molly was the "hunting dog" on their adventure in the back yard. Hunting wild animals/monsters is serious business and requires the help of a trusted hunting dog... even though she would have preferred a nap.

We had some friends over for a casual cookout and ended the day with two very tired boys being scrubbed down in the shower and snuggled into bed...

Sunday I awoke to the sounds of Joe and the boys playing upstairs in their room. I was able to lay in bed and be LAZY for as long as I wanted too. After I got up we all dressed and went for brunch at Marly's in Wilton which is the restaurant that Joe remodeled. It's beautiful and has really really good food... it was the first time the three boys had seen it completed so we all enjoyed ourselves.

After breakfast we decided to spend the day at the aquarium in Norwalk and we saw an IMAX movie about the Rainforest. It was fun to snuggle Matty during the movie and watch him fall asleep in my arms... Not something I get to do much anymore... my little baby is almost three now!

My present from my family is the tobi steamer! http://www.the-tobi.com/?source=adwords I can't wait for it to come this week in the mail so I can start steaming all my clothes. I will let you know how much I love it!

The rest of the day was relaxing and unfortunately the weekend was over before we knew it.

Happy Mothers day to all my friends!

Doing his business

Here is an example of “one day in my life” to make you laugh…

Sunday was fairly nice here... especially in the afternoon… so late in the afternoon I was sitting on the deck reading a book while the boys played in the back yard. I wasn’t really watching them... more like listening to them… you know... listening for the blood curdling scream should one of them hurt themselves or start to beat each other senseless with a plastic bat or golf club.. etc etc.

Next thing I know Josh is yelling to me from the house part of the swing set. “Mom I went poop on the hill like Molly does!” (Molly would be our dog). I drag my eyes out of my book and look up and say “What??” So Josh repeats himself... to stop myself from bursting out laughing I quickly poke my head in the screen door where Joe is in the kitchen getting a bite to eat and tell him what Josh just said… His reaction was something along the lines of “for the love of God aren’t you watching them??”

So I head out to the back yard…plastic bags in hand and Josh starts squirming... “Mom... I think I have poop on my undies...” No really??? I told him to go in the bathroom and wipe his butt good and put on new undies if they are dirty. Off I go to pick up my son’s poop from the hill cause I know if the dog comes out and smells it she will most likely eat it... (ugh.. puke puke .. soooo gross). And as long as I am picking up poop on the back hill… I might as well pick up the dogs too right? So I spent the next 10 minutes picking up dog and Josh poop with Matty’s help.. (he pointed out any that I may have missed). When I walked back by the house I heard Joe in the bathroom with Josh (window was open). Josh was in the shower and Joe was saying “How did you get poop all over your legs! Don’t poop on the hill again. You are a boy not a dog…” etc etc

I just smiled to myself and figured I got the better of the two jobs and went about watering the grass like I had not overheard the conversation!

Needless to say there was a pair of blue and white camouflage undies in the kitchen garbage when I went in the house that night… when I asked why they were there the reply from Joe was “I wasn’t gonna clean them and you wouldn’t want to either!”

That’s when I new I definitely go the better of the two jobs! Life is fair sometimes

Busy busy year

OK so its been a really long time since I posted to my own blog... life sort of got away from me... but recently I have become almost addicted to reading my friend's blog... and blogs of friends of that said friend ... they all usually make me laugh or at least feel better about my own hectic life. I feel like I have made many new girlfriends... even though they don't really know me. .. I feel like I know THEM. We have similar interests and experiences and boy does it feel good to relate to someone else go is going through a tough time... cause at the end of the day.. most of us are going through a tough time. Maybe not every day.. but boy do they sneak up on you.

So anyways I have decided to start new and try to post at least once a week. I recently read a post from another fellow mother where she stated that she was going to use her blog as a history of sort for her kids.. so that they could look back and read about their own childhood. I like that idea... often wonder what was going through my mothers mind when I think back to different things that happen when I was a child. So I guess my kids will know what I was thinking... yes mom was totally embarrassed when I said that.. or she really did love me to pieces even when I was SOOOOO naughty...

Here we go...

Halloween

Hello everyone,
Yes I know.. it has been ages.. I should really be working right now but heck.. I need a break and wanted to post some pictures.

Today is Halloween... Josh is more excited than he was for his own birthday.. want to know why... he has been informed by the "older" two kids at my sitters that he will get candy today.. lots and lots of CANDY! He does not remember going trick or treating when he was 1 and was sick when he was 2 so we stayed home and handed out candy but this year.. we are ready to go!

Josh is a friendly spider and Matthew is a fierce Lion (he has the growl down pat). I have been informed by Josh's preschool that he was literally bouncing off the walls today and had to sit on the "BENCH" twice.. oh boy.. tonight should be fun... maybe I should bring the "kid-leash" along so I don't loose him.. ha ha.

Happy Halloween to all by friends.. I will try to keep you up to date on the trials of the Pastore Family!

The ride of his life...

Life has taken its twists and turns over the last month or so.. I am totally swamped at home and work.. can't seem to get anything accomplished.. and yet.. here I am writing on my blog. I only have 101 things to do this week.. eventually I may get fired for being so easily distracted...

Anyways.. the kids are all doing well. Can't show you cause my camera broke.. my diet sucks.. stress has caused me to eat like a horse.. especially Chocolate... lack of sleep has made me start drinking coffee with lots of flavored creamer.. to try to keep my eyes open.. hence I probably gain 10 pounds instead of losing them.

Well all I can do is try to turn the page.. and try to start again.

Sunday Josh my two year old gave Matthew my 9 month old the ride of his life on the swing set.. it went something like this...

I was outside playing with the boys.. Joey (14) had just finished cutting the grass and weed whacking.. so I decided to water my patch of dirt in the back yard where I am trying to grow some grass... it is literally right next to the play area/swing set... So Josh was "helping" me water.. getting soaked in the process.. and Matthew was in the baby swing.. happily content... after a few minutes.. I convinced Josh to take a few more runs down the slide while I finished up watering... So there I was about 10 feet from Matthew watering the dirt.. and the boys were playing.. I heard Josh talking.. but was honestly sort of zoning out.. (mothers sometimes do that... even the best ones!) Suddenly Joey yells "OH MY GOD"... (never a good sign..) as I turn my head and look at the boys I see Josh has wound Matthew up tight in the swing.. you know twisted it in a circle.. I now realize what he has been jabbering about.. (what I was ignoring) was "twisting and twisting and twisting" and just as I look over.. he lets go of Matthew's swing and steps back and says "WEEEEEEEEE"... in the 2.5 seconds it took me to leap from my spot to the swing.. Matthew managed to spin around in a VERY FAST circle about 8 times.. the entire time with a death grip on the ropes of the swing and eyes as big as golf balls!

As amazing as it is to believe my little man did not utter a peep.. other than the look of shock and horror... he never cried or fussed about the wonderful ride his adoring older brother just gave him... Of course I had to immediately put Josh in "time out"... and make him understand that he could NOT DO THAT TO THE BABY... (lets just say our outside playtime came to an very quick end... much to his displeasure... ) Joey was concerned that Matthew might have SIDS... I said.. "do you mean shaken baby syndrome?" "Yes that.." "well no I said.. I think he is ok.. he is 9 months already.." and it wasn't THAT bad.. just not something one would normally let happen to the wee little one...

Anyways.. lesson learn.. NEVER NEVER NEVER leave a two year old within arms reach of the younger sibling without protection for the little one...

My mother reminds me of the time my brother Tim decided to brush my brother Jeff's teeth.. Tim was two and Jeff was a few months.. old... not a good sight.. I believe the end result involved some bleeding gums... I guess we all have to learn somehow..

A new adventure

Tomorrow I am taking the three boys into NYC to see the circus.. I am a bit nervous to go myself.. which is part of the reason why I am taking Joey out of school to help me with the boys. I am excited for Josh.. he just LOVES animals.. I got free tickets from work.. they are in a box.. so it should be very cool! I will let you all know how it goes!

It's Monday again.....


Why is it that the weekends go by so very fast and it takes FOREVER for the "work" week to end? I am happy to report that the only thing of consequence that I did all weekend (other than a few loads of laundry, dishes and vacuuming) was play with my boys. I didn't worry about paying any bills or finishing my taxes (yes I will probably regret that come Thursday night...) all I did was play.

Josh and I took Molly for a little walk.. (each of us with a separate leash) I am sure it was a sight to see. Matthew got another two teeth.. (ouch!) and is very close to mastering the whole sitting up alone thing.. (webble wobble). I took the boys for two short walks in the wagon... (very out of shape)...

I often wonder what I did when I came home from work before kids.. I remember I always seemed so tired.. but I didn't have three kids and a dog to care for. I didn't have 20 loads of laundry to do... I always got a full 8 hours of sleep each night.. even more on the weekends.. I really wonder how I survive now.. on 5 or 6 hours of interrupted sleep and still manage to dress myself in the morning much less not forget to drop anyone off at school or the sitters.

Last night I did manage to get Matthew to sleep in the crib in Josh's room until about 2am..(woooo weee) and Josh didn't come into my bed until after 4am (another wooo weeee) so I actually got to sleep by myself with my SNORING HUSBAND from 11-2am (and I only got up twice during that period to put the nuk back in Matthew's mouth)... ahhh how relaxing... let's see if I can do it again tonight.

sleep deprivation.. nope not me!

C.A.A.D.D

I got this in a email and I thought this pretty much describes my life... so I would share it!

Recently, I was diagnosed with C.A. A. D. D.- Child Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests: I decide to do the laundry. As I start toward the laundry room, I notice that there are Cheerios all over the floor and my house keys are in the cereal bowl.
I decide to pick up the cheerios before I do the laundry. I lay my keys down on the counter, put the cheerios in the trash can, and notice that the trash can is full.
So, I decide to take out the trash. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash I may as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left, my extra checks are in my desk in the office, so I go to my desk where I find a cup full of juice.
I'm going to look for my checks, but first I decide I should put the cup in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the cup, a plant on the counter catches my eye--it needs to be watered.
I set the sippy cup on the counter, and I discover babywipes that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back, but first I'm going to water the plants. I set the wipes back down, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote left on the kitchen table.
I realize that when I go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the plants. I splash some water on the plant, but most of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down, get some paper towels and wipe up the spill.
Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day: the laundry isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm cup of juice sitting on the counter, the plants aren't watered,there is still only one check in my check book, I can't find the remote, I can't find the wipes, and I don't remember what I did with my keys. Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled becauseI know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail. Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent. Don't laugh if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!

These are my two boys Josh (2.5) and Matt (8m)... the loves of my life and the best part of my day!

Ok.. big gulp here we go.. this is my first ever attempt at blogging.. encouraged by a very dear friend.. lets see how this works..