fall sports

I've been doing a terrible job at keeping up with the ole' blog.  I'm realizing I have a ton of photos on my phone of the boys sports they played so far this fall, that have never made it onto my computer. So here are a few shots of the boys fall activities so far...

First, Logan played baseball.  He was at Rookie level, which  meant coach pitch.  No more hitting off the T.  I'm proud he did so well, and really enjoyed every second.  He really loves baseball and I love watching him play!  His face just lights up and he loves every single thing about the game.  I hope he plays it for years and years to come.  He is so passionate and has an arm like a cannon.

 

Dylan, for the first time ever, played lacrosse.  It was a clinic, where he learned the basics of how to play.  Such an interesting game.  He took the clinic with several of his "dudes" and I think he liked it well enough he'll try it for real in the spring.

 

 

Logan also became a Cub Scout.  As a second grader, he's a Wolf and is in a den with 9 other boys.  The leaders are so nice and the boys have a ton of fun indoor and outdoor activities planned for this year.  Logan and Dylan have already gotten to camp twice with Scouts and Andrew this fall.  And this week we are involved in helping them collect food for the local food pantry in time for the holidays.  Dylan is building a model rocket to launch, and both boys will start building their Pinewood Derby cars soon.  They are both in Dens with such nice boys and it keeps them involved in community outreach.  Its really a wonderful thing.

 

 

 

10

10.  My baby boy turned 10.  I am now the mom of a boy in double digits.  How, oh how did this happen?  He was just three feet tall, taking bubble baths and looking for earthworms in the backyard. 

Dylan, in some ways, is 10 going on 16.  Independent, social, kind and sometimes a little awkward. All about his video games, his friends, and his video games.  He's not a kid who comes home from school with drama, or has problems with other kids.  He's our laid back, easy peasy one.  Nothing is every really a big, huge deal with him.

I don't have much luck giving him a huge or kiss in public anymore.  But at home, in private, we'll share a special look and I can feel his love.

His birthday was this past Sunday, but we let him celebrate the weekend prior by inviting 8 of his "bro's" over for a slumber party, dude style.  When you get a group of 10 year old boys together, you only need a few things to make it a success - lots of cheeseballs and pizza, orange soda, Nerf guns, iPads and some fart jokes.

My baby is 10.  And yes, he will always be my baby.

 

 

catching up ..... again

I've been slacking on this blogging thing, that's for sure.  Lets go backwards.

It all went downhill last week when Logan came down with the flu.  Type B.  Six days of lethargy on the couch.  My boy didn't move, except when he had to go to the bathroom.  Today is Day 10 and he still isn't eating much.  He went back to school Monday, after missing all of last week. 

Then on Thursday, I started feeling the yuck come on, and I've been fighting an uphill battle for 8 days now.  Not quite the flu...more like massive head cold/respitory nastiness.  I had to miss a couple of days of work training, and returned today trying to soak in some more medical assistant knowledge as I get acclimated to my new job.

On Friday of last week, on top of all the plague in our house already, Dylan came down with strep throat and missed Friday and Monday at school. We got him on antibiotics right away so he was well enough (kind of) to attend his all day Odyssey of the Mind competition.  He's been working with his team (which Andrew has co-coached) since October, so this was a "can't miss event".  That day we also had to sandwich in a birthday party for Logan to attend, summer swim team registration (which has to be done in person for swim suit try ons), and a teacher vs. teacher basketball game.  Needless to say, we all collapsed Saturday night and slept for 10 straight hours thru the spring ahead time change.

Here are a couple of photos from Dylan's team, the "Flaming Fury":

Team Shirts representing our school...

 

Dylan the lion tamer (which is actually our leaf blower in disguise)

 

 

 

The whole team with Lucia (head coach) and Andrew (co-coach)

 

 

The big performance..

 

 

 

 

And here is Logan later that day at our school teacher vs. teacher basketball game -  halftime student free throw

 

 

 

 

So, before we all got sick last week what else has been happening in March?

 

Well, Dylan had his Webelos I Blue and Gold Banquet in late February. He's been having a lot of fun with the boys in his den, and this time next year will cross over to Cub Scout as long as he sticks with it.  This year there have been lots of focus on physical fitness, craftsmanship, and outdoors skills.  We have a family Scout camping trip coming up in mid-April, and a hike coming up this coming weekend.  Whew. See why my head spins around sometimes?

 

The week after that, it was time to send invitations out for Dylan's little birthday slumber party.  He wants the same party as he's had the past few years... inviting a few boys from school on a Saturday night in April for a pizza party sleepover at our house.  He wanted a 'cool' shot of himself to be part of the evite. 

Here he is, my big boy about to turn 10 on April 14th.  I can hardly believe it.

The first weekend in March, we had a nice treat.  Mom and Robby took the boys for the weekend, and three of my dear high school friends came out for the weekend.  Ronda, Liza, Angela, Andrew and I put in a full afternoon of wine sipping as we toured them through some of our area's vineyards.  They all live in Maryland, so they had never been to visit any of the Loudoun Vineyards. We had time to fit in five, and we had a blast.  We're hoping to do it again once the weather gets warm!

 

 

This is after visiting the first several vineyards.

 

 

In case once wasn't enough...

 

 

 

I think that one about sums up that day.  Pure joy with friends you've known forever and love, love, love.

And finally, somewhere in between all of this last week, we had a kind of, sort of snow day.  They scared us into thinking we'd be snowed in for days but fortunately it didn't out to be quite the storm they thought.  Just enough for two little boys to enjoy for a few hours.

 

 

My two monkeys. 

 

 

Oh goodness...

Where to even start?  I keep thinking I'll sit down and post and it just never seems to happen.  Lots and lots and lots going on at Casa de Lopresti over the last month...

1. Logan has moved to a new school with a smaller classroom setting.  He was really struggling with the transition to full day first grade this past fall.  His classroom size at our home elementary school was very large, and it was just proving to be too much for him to handle.  We and the school tried many accomodations to make it  more manageable for him, but he was starting to feel very overwhelmed.  He struggles with focus, and is very impulsive and easily angered.  These issues have been going on for years, and as the demands of school have increased its become difficult for him to navigate an entire day without running into challenges he isn't quite sure how to handle.

We had a ton of meetings with our elementary school and at the beginning of the year, we all decided the best setting for him would be a smaller class size.  The classroom environment he needed didn't exist at our home elementary school, so we worked with our school system and found a behaviorally focused smaller class setting for him about 20 minutes from home, at another elementary school in our county. 

We're into the fifth week now, and he's doing SO much better.  There are only 7 kids in his class, and the teachers (3 of them!) are in tune with what he needs to be successful at school.  He's still learning at the 1st grade level, but there is also a focus on behavioral strategies in this classroom.  The ultimate goal is to eventually transition him back to our home school in a year or two, once he has some good strategies under his belt.  This past five weeks, we've been getting him settled into his new routine. The bus picks him up and drops him off at our house, which is wonderful, and he has already made some new friends.  Its been a great transition and he's adapted wonderfully.  We're so grateful for wonderful teachers who take the time to care for kids with special learning needs, and find the good in every child.  His new lead teacher is incredible, and she updates us regularly so we're all on the same page and working with Logan in a consistent manner.  We're so proud of you Logan!

Last week, Logan got his first ever loose tooth.  In fact, it was so loose this past weekend he asked me to try and pull it, to no avail. His teacher emailed me today and said it fell out at school today, so tonight the Tooth Fairy will make her debut.  He's going to be over the moon. Another milestone!

2.  I had a little health scare, which I'm happy to say had a good ending.  A few weeks ago, I went in for my annual mammogram and got called back for a second exam once they found a suspcious small mass.  Last week, I had a biopsy performed, and although I have a hell of a bruise, the results came back completely benign.  Just turns out I had a fibrous mass, nothing to worry about.  Waiting for the results was the hard part (not to mention the giant thick needle but I'm trying to forget about that part).  So relieved that all is well!

3.  Dylan is plugging along with his extracurricular activities and is keeping busy with Webelos and Odyssey of the Mind.  His competition is in 3 weeks, and he and Andrew have been busy saving every toilet paper roll in the house and building circus animals out of orange juice cartons (don't ask!).  He also competed in the annual Pinewood Derby and had a lot of fun building his car.  Dylan brought home his best report card ever a couple of weeks ago (all A's and one B) and just makes us proud with his happy-go-lucky attitude. 

In 3 weeks, I'll also be signing the boys up for summer swim team season, which will be here before we know it!

4. We've booked our spring camping trip, which will make two trips if you also count his scouting weekend in April (which I think we'll all four attend).  To make it a little less 'painful' I invested in a queen size Aerobed because let's face it, I'm not getting any younger and sleeping on the ground just ain't happening!

5.  I have a new job!  I learned about a part time opportunity at my women's midwife practice, where I've gone for 15 years for my women's care.  I just love this group of midwives, and have always felt that someday it would be so awesome to work in the healthcare field, caring for people and doing something that makes a difference.  They offered me the position last week and I immediately accepted, and will start next week.  I'll work a very flexible 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 days a week and the hours fit nicely into my life.  I'll still have plenty of time to spend with the boys and at the same time, it will give me something I can enjoy and learn and do on my own.  I think it will be the perfect balance, and I'm so excited about this next chapter in my life.  The practice is called Loudoun Community Midwives, and the office is ten minutes from home.  I can't wait!  They are an amazing group of women who work there, and I can't wait to learn everything they are willing to teach me!

I think those are the highlights from the past few weeks.  We've been waiting for snow that never came this winter, and filling our time with lots of family movies nights, parties, and playdates.  Looking forward to warmer weather when we can get out and have some adventures!

Christmas Morning 2012

Christmas morning was pretty much perfect in my book. Slept in a little, watched the boys open their gifts with glee, enjoyed some delicious breakfast and settled in for a few hours of trying out new toys. 

The best part about Christmas is how the whole world seems to stand still for everyone to enjoy this magical time together with their family.  On one hand, you never want it to end. On the other, you know that in a week or two it will all seem so far away until another Christmas sends us into a frenzy of baking, shopping, wrapping and gluttony. 

This Christmas was precious, even more so than usual.  I couldn't help but think of all the families in Connecticut who didn't have their precious children with them to open gifts, hug them and nestle in their arms as they relished in the joy together.  This Christmas, we were all reminded to hold our kids more tightly than usual and treasure the moments.  I said a little prayer in my head as I held my two boys, and felt so lucky that we have each other.  Life is truly a blessing. No matter how hard it can be at times, every single second is a gift.  The best gift in the world.

 

 

 

The big gifts this year were a laptop for Dylan, and a Kinect for the XBox..

 

And bb guns for each boy, which was a total surprise for them.  They were overjoyed!

 

Look at that grin..

This was the BEST french toast casserole ever.  It will  not be a Christmas only recipe!

 



 

The sausage egg casserole was a winner too...

And of course, another wearing of the Madagascar 3 rainbow afro wig!

 



we all need the magic

December 12, 2012

Dear Dylan,

You asked me today if Santa is real.  You’ve asked a few times this month and I asked you in return “what do you think?”  You didn’t push it any further until today, and now it seems like you really want to know the truth.

The answer is no.  Santa is not real. There no single “one” Santa.

Dad and I are the people who fill your stockings with treats.  We choose the gifts we think you’ll love,  and wrap them and place them under the tree.  It’s the same way my mom did for me, and the same way her mom did for her.

I know someday you will do this for your children too, when you are an adult with a family of your own.  You will love the anticipation of seeing your children’s excitement and wonder as they open the gifts you’ve chosen for them.  You will keep this special secret from them as long as you can, and explain that  Santa is magic.

This won’t make you Santa, though.

Santa is bigger than any one person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived.  What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to believe in something they can’t see or touch.  He also keeps magic alive in all of our hearts as we grow into adults.

It’s a big job, and it’s important one. Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you can’t measure or even hold in your hand.  Here, I am talking about love, the great power that will light your life from the inside out.

Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student.  Now you know the secret of how he gets down all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people whose hearts he’s filled with joy.  With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible.

So no, I am not Santa.  Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness.  I’m on his team, and now you are too.

I love you and I always will.  Please don’t tell Logan or talk  about this with any other children.  Every kid deserves to ask their own parents and find out about Santa when the time is right for them.

Love,

Mom

AEW in 1st grade!

This week is American Education Week and most schools all over have lots and lots of stuff going on.  Our school is no different, they really whoop it up and everyday a different grade is featured, inviting parents to come in the fun. They also have a book fair all week long, for parents to do some early holiday shopping.  Every day the kids are supposed to wear a different school color as well, so today was 'red' day.

Today we got to go and enjoy seeing Logan in his class.  We spent an hour making Thanksgiving arts and crafts, then watched a slideshow and then we surprised him by bring Subway to eat with him in the cafeteria. We finished off the special day with a walk thru the book fair where he picked a couple new books out.

Dylan's big day for AEW is Thursday. The 4th grade has been preparing all year for the Virginia Fair where all the kids dress in Colonial costumes and give a performace.  His character is Thomas Jefferson, so we made a TJ collage in the shape of the state of VA, and he made a TJ movie on the iPad at school we'll get to see Thursday.  We'll also get to stay and have lunch with him that day, and he's requested we bring Thai food.

Finally on Friday, we're invited to school one more time to be in Logan's class since he is also Star of the Week.  We made a big poster this weekend about his life and all his favorites.  Friday we'll get to read a story to his class, and he'll get to present his poster and have his classmates guess what his "mystery item" is (which we still haven't chosen at home...gotta get on that).

Busy week, but so great to see how much the kids are learning at school and see them in action!  I truly love our school.  Its such a friendly, warm, inviting place to be.

 

 

 

 

brand new year

The boys went to our school open house today and met their teachers for 1st and 4th grade.  Amazing to me, we have kids this "old".  Having them both in school full day this year will be a whole new world... getting everyone on the bus by 7:25 am and having a full 7 hours with no kids.  I can't even imagine what that's going to feel like. 

I have big plans .... exercise, marketing work, housework, volunteering at school, various appointments, errands, meeting friends for lunch.  I'm sure the 7 hours will go by more quickly than I realize.

The first couple of weeks, as we all ease back into the daily grind will be an adjustment, but I think we're all ready for the structured routine fall brings. Did I mention 7 hours of peaceful, kid-free time?  Five days a week? 

Come 2:45 pm each day, I'll be switching back to 'mom' mode for homework (Dylan's teacher joked today and told him has 'only' has two hours of homework a night in 4th grade, ha!), and extracurricular activity mode.   Logan will continue to do taekwondo two evenings a week, and Dylan will continue with Scouts.  I think later in the fall we might add after school golf for Logan, and then basketball in the winter.    I may need an ice coffee everyday around 2:30 to get me thru the busy evenings.

Logan will be enjoying recess on the 'big kids' playground this year, and going to school all day means adding lots of specials like art, P.E. three times a week, music twice a week, library time and of course, eating lunch at school.  He will have most subjects in his 'homeroom' and then switch out for two hours each morning for Language Arts with another phenomenal teacher, Mrs. M.  I know he's going to be exhausted the first few weeks, which is why we didn't heavy up on new fall sports for him.  We need to ease into it all...

Dylan already knows at least half of the kids in his class, and its a very nice group of boys and girls.  I'm so excited he has these kids in his class, and in 4th grade they switch out for social studies and sometimes for reading.  His favorite subject is science. And one of his very best friends, Nathanial, is in his class this year and is such a nice boy.  I'm thrilled they're together.  He'll be joining a new Scout troop this year, along with his two best friends Nathanial and Jack.  And they all know several of the boys in the troop who are also in 4th grade at their school.  Lots of fun fall scouting activities to anticipate including a camping weekend in late September.

I'm so excited for all a new school year brings - all the boys will learn, friends, school events, the change of the seasons....  Its going to be a great year!

Logan, 1st grade, Mrs. D and Ms. H

 

Dylan, 4th grade, Ms. D

 

 

bff's

Yesterday Dylan was invited for a day on one of his best friends' parents boats.  Its so great to see him enjoy his friendships so  much, and be invited to do such fun things.  Later in the day, the mom sent me these photos, they're like two peas in a pod.  And then later, the boys came back to our house for a sleepover and videogame marathon-a-rama.  The boys have another birthday sleepover to attend on  Friday night.  His social life is busier than mine!

Yes, they are wearing the same shirt!

Aren't they quite the pair?

Summer catch up edition...

Wow, almost a month since my last post.  I do believe that's a new record.  It seems the older the boys get, the crazier our summers get and I'm lucky to sit down for 10 minutes.  I probably have 100 photos taken in the last month and not sure most of them will ever find their way to this blog (although they did make their way to Facebook, at least).  Its been pool days, playdates, movies, losing half a tree to major storm damage, bbq's, summer camp for Logan, parties and the usual daily grind of house stuff.

I've missed you, my little blog.

Let's review the past few weeks and get all caught up on the highlights, shall we?

• Swim team has continued for the boys, with meets twice a week and practice five days a week.  Its been a great experience again, and Logan has loved his first year.  He is slowly getting faster and faster, and learning the strokes. Dylan has been competing in Butterfly for the first time this season and while he still has some form to learn, he's improving a lot too.   We have only two more weeks before the season ends.

• Towards the end of June, we headed over to the eastern shore of Maryland where my dear friend Jay lives.  He invited some other friends and family, got a bushel of crabs and we let the kids run in the sprinkler while we feasted and toasted to old friendships.  I've known most of these guys since we were in middle school.  I love that we still get together, trying to stay young by remembering the good ole days and letting our kids romp.

• Once again, Logan's ferritin levels came back low (the same as the whole past year) despite all the iron supplements.  We know because of this, he still suffers from his sleep disorder and that in turn causes some of his behavioral challenges.  After going through this for the past year, with very little progress, our pediatrician thought it was time to take him to Children's National Medical Center to the Genetics department.  We've tried many other specialists to date and no one has been able to figure out what is preventing his body from absorbing iron.  The high dose of iron prescribed by his sleep doctor starting causing stomach issues, so our pediatrician told us to stop with the supplements for now.  No reason to aggravate his stomach until we go to CNMC and see if they can offer any insight to the situation.  Our appointment is August 1st and we've been busy emailing them all of his bloodwork history and medical information.  Crossing our fingers for some good clues that will help us understand.

• At the very end of June/beginning of July, I threw the kids in the car and we headed down to my Dad and Bobbie's for a few days of boating, fishing and swimming.  Always a good time, and so much time on the water is always fun and appreciated by my aqua boys.  Dad set up a shooting range in the backyard and the boys were in heaven shooting his pellet gun.  Dylan proved to be quite the shot.  And Bobbie make Logan an early birthday cake to celebrate #6.

• Next up was a spontaneous day spent at Watermelon Park campground, right on the Shenandoah River, for a July 4th celebration.  The water the cool, the beer was cold, and the burgers were juicy.   The day was almost dampered by Andrew's wedding ring slipping off his finger into the sandy bottom of the river.  But we all searched and searched, and the tenacity paid off when Arianna, our friends' daughter, found the ring buried in the bottom of the river.   Needless to say, we were hugely relieved when it was found.  I had it designed by an artist when we got married 12 years ago and it was very special.  It wouldn't have been the same to have to replace it.

• Our little Logan turned 6 on July 8th.  6!  I still can't believe it.  In some ways, it seems like time has flown by and in other ways, it seems a million years ago I held him my arms to inhale that sweet baby smell.  He is still willing to let me cuddle him and even falls asleep in my arm, from time and time.  I know this will be a big year for him, starting 1st grade and making new friends.  Lots to look forward to.  We had his birthday party at his taekwondo school over the weekend and it was a great time.  Mom, Robby, Chris, Jess and the twins came out too!

• Once swim season ends, we'll leave for vacation at the beach in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  We've been looking forward to this since the winter and I can't wait to get my toes in the sand!  That trip will surely deserve its own blog post, as we hope to go on many adventures and show the boys the huge sand dunes, the Wright Brothers Memorial, canoe in the Sound, visit the Aquarium, and enjoy some gnarly seafood.

• Once we're back, we'll have 27 more days of summer until school begins.  And its a good thing, cuz I still have lots left on my Summer Fun list of stuff to do!