Preschool Graduation......ready for Kindergarten??

Last year when I walked into your classroom for family fun day

you were sad and crying......

 This year you sat with anticipation.

Last year you wouldn't wear the shirt you made with your classmates

because you wanted to be "different"......

This year you wore your shirt and rocked a mohawk!!

 

 

You made Dad and I proud when you got out of line and gave Ava a big hug saying

"Ava you're really going to like this next song we sing!!"

Last year you met a really nice boy named Braedan...

This year you two became best buds......and full-time trouble makers!!

I can't get over how you have grown and what you have learned....

and you're not even 5 yet!!!

I love watching you make new friends and try new things.....

we made it through our first t-ball season with minimal tears.

I can't believe that by the end of this summer you will be 5 years old.....

and come September I will be putting you on a bus

for full day Kindergarten!!

I know it's only preschool, but I am so proud of you and the person you are

growing up to be........



Bright spots

So it's been a while since I have written one of these....

I would say I have been a little busy, and VERY pregnant!

I was shocked to look back at my last entry date: October 2012

So I thought I would catch you up on a few "bright spots"

in our lives over past 5 months or so.

I made it through another holiday season without
 the help of any alcoholic beverages.....I love my family, but

sometimes a glass of wine makes everything better!!

The kids had a great time with our ever growing family

and new friends and I think they have really

embraced the true meaning of Christmas....
"are there any more gifts to open?"

 

This was the longest winter I can remember.....mostly because I was tired, pregnant 

and had no maternity snowpants to wear outside with the kids.

(Although it also meant no shoveling....hahaha)

 

We tried to keep ourselves busy with indoor multi-sport classes,

and making really big cookies!!!

In January we found out we would be expecting a little baby girl

to turn our family of 4 into 5 and as Tyler would say
"now the boys are going to be out numbered"

After our ultrasound I recieved a phone call the next day from the
doctors office and I knew something was wrong......because they never call
to say "hey congrats on the baby girl news, see you next appointment"
they call with things like "we saw bright spots on the babies heart"
and "you will need to go have another ultrasound to determine what this means"
and "your fluid levels are also low but we won't know what that means until the next ultrasound"

I stopped listening and focused on "bright spots".....
how could something that sounds so good be potentially bad.
We made it through the next 10 days until the followup and I remained
surprisingly calm, unlike my husband. After the ultrasound tech left the room,
and Joe and I had been starring at the now obvious "bright spots" on the babies heart
for the past 20 minutes, he looked at me and said "I am going to hit somebody if they don't tell us what the fuck is going on."

Luckily, the doctor came in quickly after and assured us
that everything would be okay.....so we moved on with "bright spots" in our minds
and relief in our hearts.

Onward to Ava's 3rd birthday.....oh yeah, I said third......which she insisted on having
at Chuck E Cheese.....and who was I to say "no."

 

And just like that I have gone from finding out I was pregnant with our third
to celebrating the 3rd birthday of our second born
to being very pregnant, tired and uncomfortable and coming to the realization
that this baby is going to be here very soon!!!
While I wait for her arrival I will think of how lucky I am for "bright spots",

for my two kids who have grown so big,

 

 

and my loving, patient husband.

And I will depend on family to help me keep it all together as we prepare to become
"Strazzulla, Party of 5"
 

Almost there...

After getting hit in the back of the head today by a soccer ball

during my practice I was literally forced to exhale.....

and rather than giving one of my girls a few choice words

I decided to take a deep breath and said

"Okay, coach needs five minutes"

So I stood off to the side and watched the worst team I have ever coached
and couldn't help but think
"two more weeks....only two more weeks...

you can do this....." 

 When I got home I decided to lift my spirits

by focusing on all the fantastic things

that have happened in the past 2 months in this crazy household.

Let us start with the Woodstock Fair!!!

The food was fantastic as always.... 

 the kiddie rides seemed better than last year.....

 

 and I laughed at this picture as I remembered that just behind me and Tyler

was Grampy and Ava who got going so fast on this slide

they were airborne!!

 So quickly it seemed the summer had ended and everything started to move

at a fast pace......I feel like only now am I beginning to catch up

Tyler had his first day of school

with his new teacher Mrs. Melanson, whom he loves,

and we even made it through the day without any tears

He started playing on his first soccer team...

I wish I could say there were no tears to be had.  I mean look how stinkin'

cute he looks.....and soccer is in his blood right?? However, the thought of

having to take off his favorite fish shirt and put on a uniform

just pushed him right over the top!! Oh well......

 

As September slipped through our fingers

we all became very excited for the arrival of baby McNerney. 

We kept ourselves busy with cousins....

 and trips to Woodstock to watch Meme's field hockey team,

but mostly to roll down this amazing hill....

but my cell phone was always close by, waiting for the call.

Baby Kendall had other things in mind.....and as one day late, turned into two....

and Auntie Dawnie (along with the rest of us) started to get impatient,

it was time for a suprise birthday party for Logan (Oct 4th) at Playtown Express!

And the very next day, on October 5th, came my new red headed niece!!!

Kendall Ann McNerney

So we decided to celebrate Strazzulla style in the lobby

with some breakdancing!

That weekend, the arrival of Baby Kendall somehow helped slow things down

and gave me a wake up call.....and helped this Mom get back to doing

the things she is good at.....like loving this time of year!!

 Forgetting about coaching while we tried to conquer the corn maze......

which we gave up on after 5 minutes!

 

 Enjoying my kids enjoying each other......

and laughing hysterically when I go to upload pictures off my camera and find that

my kids have learned how to take pictures of each others

"tooshie"

And as the rumble of an earthquake shakes the ottoman my feet are resting on.....

Joe says "did you feel that?" and I respond,

"yeah, it's just the washing machine."

I can't help but relax and laugh.......

because if an earthquake can't even get me to stop writing this blog,

I think I can make it through two more weeks of soccer!