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FEBRUARY, 2002

(Hold your mouse over a picture for its caption)


February 2, 2002

What a night!  We went to the Monster Jam at the Citrus Bowl!  And if anybody knows my boys, they know that they had a BLAST!  (Okay, so Mommy and Daddy had a great time, too!)  We were thrilled when we learned that tonight is going to be televised on the Monster Jam series on TNN - the last Saturday in March and the first Saturday in April at 8:00 p.m. EST - so mark your calendars!  Actually, there isn't a chance you'd see us, since we were in the nosebleed section.  :-)  That turned out to be a good thing, because even there, Patrick thought it was too loud.

A big highlight of the evening was when three parachuters parachuted into the stadium.  I believe they were in one of the armed forces.  It was spectacular!  And incredibly impressive given that it was really windy.  One of the parachuters came down with Dennis Anderson's helmet.  Dennis Anderson drives Grave Digger, which is the end-all and be-all of monster trucks, so that was icing on the cake.

Cheering when Grave Digger came out Still cheering for Grave Digger

A bad picture of the first parachuter Parachuter landing on the wall.  Ouch!

Brrrrrrrrr!  It got cold tonight!  What better way to keep warm!

"Power Forward tipped over!" Gun Slinger got some BIG AIR!


February 3, 2002

We had another big day today - we went to the Magic game!  Since Becca is still in the hospital, John gave us their tickets.  The seats were phenomenal (as you hopefully can see from the pictures) and we had a blast!  We can't thank you enough, John!

The best seat in the house I just love cuddly little boys

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February 4, 2002

We finally had a relatively quiet day!  But we have paid a price for our fun weekend - both Mark and Alex have colds.  Nothing serious - they're both just whiny.  ;-)

Alex starts practice this Friday with his new tee ball team, so we went out and got him his very first cleats.  He broke them in this evening racing around the back yard and timing how fast he went.

He's growing up so fast!


February 5, 2002

Alex stayed home from school today since he still has a froggie in his throat.  I gave him a yard stick and a kitchen scale and he measured everything in the house. 

We had a rough spot this afternoon when Alex wanted to go outside and I wouldn't let him.  He was getting bratty and saying things like:  "I'm going to count to ten and you'd better say I can go outside before I get to ten!"  I was at the computer and the boys were in the play room, so we were pretty close, when suddenly Alex started crying and said that Patch had hit him with a toy (nothing unusual in our house).  The weird thing was I didn't hear any fight before the hit.  So I asked Patch what happened.  He finally managed to get across that he hit Alex because Alex said he was going to put me (Mommy) in my room!    My little hero coming to my rescue!

Mad scientist Patch ate more snow crab tonight than we did!


February 6, 2002

Alex was back at school today, although the way he felt tonight, I'm not optimistic he'll go tomorrow.  He was really dragging when I picked him up, and I felt a little guilty.  (Please, oh please, let him go to school tomorrow!)  Today was his teacher, Ms. Sheryl's, birthday so we had a little party.

Alex is also learning to read by leaps and bounds.  I had to drop something off at the cleaners today, and I pulled up to the curb and hopped out with the kids still in the car.  When I got back in the car, Alex pointed to the sign in front of the car and said, "Mommy, doesn't that sign say 'No Parking?'"  Busted!

Mark also sat down with him tonight and helped Alex read all of the words in a book for the first time.  Alex was so proud of himself!  (So are we!)

The kids all hid so they could jump out and yell "Surprise" for the teacher. Story time in class


February 8, 2002

Fortunately, Alex's cold seems to be fading fast.  Mark, on the other hand, is still pretty miserable. 

Patrick and I enjoyed some time alone at the Science Center while Alex was at school.  In the picture, he's peddling the machine that moves the "oranges" he picked through the machine.  He loves this part of the Science Center!

Alex had a right of passage today - his first tee ball practice!  I was a little skeptical at the heavy schedule of two practices per week, plus games, at their age, but Mark said, "Trust me, they need it!"  Hmmmmmmmmmm.  :-)

Ain't he cute! He's ready for the majors!


February 9, 2002

We got a new computer from my office yesterday, and were finally able to get Patrick's Tonka Monster Trucks up and running that he got for his birthday.  The boys spent most of the day in there, and they were actually working together on it!

Two peas in a pod?  (yeah, right!) Check out their hands.  Alex was helping Patrick push the right buttons.  I couldn't believe it!

We had a little milestone this afternoon.  Alex has been able to ride his bike without training wheels for some time now, but he hasn't been tall enough to touch the ground on his big bike, so he's been riding his little kid bike without the training wheels, and kept the training wheels on the big bike.  Today we tried the big bike again without the training wheels, and he did great!  He rode all over the place today!

But that opened the door to another milestone - Patrick finally got his own bike (Alex's hand-me-down, of course).  We put the training wheels back on the little bike, and Patrick and Alex were riding bikes together!  When Patrick first got on it, he had this nervous laugh, and started saying, "I'm going!  I'm going!"

Keeping up with the big boys! He's growing up WAY too fast!


February 10, 2002

We got some nice rain today, and the splushers took full advantage!

Everybody get Daddy!

We also went to the park for Andrew's first birthday party!

He knew just what to do! Andrew got lots of help with his presents

Posed, but still cute They were just laying in there talking!

"Double Swinging" is what Alex called this


February 13, 2002

We got ready for Valentines Day today.  Alex did so well on his Valentines for school!  He had a list of all of his classmates, and each name had a number next to it, I guess to make distribution easier at school.  He wrote each child's name and number, and signed his own name, to each and every card - absolutely 100% by himself!

He'll be writing novels soon!

We also made cookies for his class party tomorrow, and I guess Alex thought the spoon wasn't efficient enough.

Good to the last drop!

Alex helped Patrick learn how to write his name.  It was really cute!

A quick evolution from student to teacher


HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

February 14, 2002

I spent most of the day driving back and forth to the school to attend the kids' class Valentines Day parties.  The parties were wonderful! I didn't really get any good pictures from Alex's party, but I did get to sit in on his PE class before the party.

I loved playing with the parachute when I was in school!

Patch couldn't wait to check out his Valentines cards It's a party!


February 18, 2002

My apologies for waiting so long to post anything new.  The boys spent the weekend at the River with Nana and Papa while Mark and I did a massive housecleaning.  Our goal was to try to eliminate as much dust as possible to try to help Patrick's asthma.  I don't know if it's going to help Patch, but our house has never been cleaner!

We also managed to sneak in a little fun as well.  David and Kat gave us tickets to Cirque de Soleil.  The show was absolutely phenomenal!  We sat in awe the entire time!  Thanks David and Kat!

We didn't have many photo ops today, but I figured I'd better put something on here today.  Believe me, if it hadn't been so long, I certainly would not post this picture of me!  But it was really nice to cuddle up with my boys and read them their bedtime story after they'd been gone.

I sure did miss my boys!


February 19, 2002

We got out our dress-up box today.

He doesn't really need that nose to be a clown!


February 20, 2002

We went to our favorite park today with Becca and her boys.  They ran themselves ragged, and then we went to lunch.  Andrew almost fell asleep in his high chair, and then we went shopping afterwards, and Nathan fell asleep in the cart!

Best buddies! Nathan shopped til he dropped!


February 21, 2002

One of Patch's teachers, Ms. Carla, has been out this week, so at dinner tonight I asked him where she had been.  He said, several times, that her son was "six" and held up six fingers.  When we asked him if he meant "sick" he adamantly said, "No, SIX!"

The boys were destroying Alex's room today throwing his stuffed animals all over the place, so we turned it into a basketball game with his hamper.

2 points!


February 22, 2002

We had a very long, yucky, rainy, bored, stir-crazy day today.  The boys made their own monster truck ramp out of our blinds valance that I have yet to put back up.

Where there's a will, there's a monster truck track


February 23, 2002

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm He did it "ALL BY 'SELF!"
They boys got to make their own lunch today.

Bullseye!
Patch found a new way to play with the basketball hoop.


February 24, 2002

Today's pictures aren't really all that cute until you hear the story behind them.  I gave the boys Sprite with their lunch.  (You can see it coming, can't you.)  So towards the end of lunch, yep - you guessed it - Alex let out a whomping belch.  So of course, Patrick tried to follow suit.  These pictures are while Alex was "teaching" Patrick that he had to drink all of his Sprite before he could burp well.  Patrick kept taking big swigs, and then showing his cup to Alex and asking if he'd had enough.  I guess that's what big brothers are for!

On a down note, both of the kids are sick again!  Mark and I figured we went two whole days without a cough or a runny nose in the house! 

Alex:  "Keep going, more, more ..." Patch:  "Is that enough, Alex?"


February 25, 2002

A special art project for a special person Extra hearts because "I love her soooooooooooo much!"

Oreo faces!

Finger lickin (and arm and tummy and face) good! The bigger the mess, the better the Oreo


February 26, 2002

Happy Birthday, Nana!

We had a gaggle of children today!  And they were ALL boys!  We had Andrew this afternoon, and Becca came over with her kids, too.

Patrick, Carter, Andrew and Alex racing Alex loves entertaining Baby Andrew


February 27, 2002

This is how I found Patrick watching television today.

The boy knows how to relax!

Trouble and Mark got good and comfy and warm this evening.

Trouble sure does want to be a lap dog


February 28, 2002

The kids were so hyper today, I had a hard time getting them still long enough for a picture!

Aren't they cute!