Alexander Christopher

Photo Recap ...

2012-02-13T08:19:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, February 6th - Sunday, February 12th, 2012)

Photo Recap...

2012-02-13T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, February 6th - Sunday, February 12th, 2012)

Weekly Glance...

2012-02-13T08:17:00.000-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, February 6th - Sunday, February 12th, 2012)

Had a pretty good week at school
Received 8 of 10 stars for the week - overall behavior was good
Was the Mystery Box person on Monday - he brought in a Sock Monkey that sang 'dynamite'
He had to write three clues which he picked them and wrote them himself
Bedtime this week was pretty great - no major fighting or issues
Couple nights we set up a bed on his floor to have a camping trip with all of his stuffed animals but he wasn't has cozy so he ended up waking up during the night and coming in to cuddle with mommy
Had a date night with Mommy Thursday night
Saturday morning, he relaxed with Mommy before gymnastics
He did fantastic at gymnastics
After gymnastics, Alexander & Daddy went to Marina's birthday party
Alexander played with Marina & Ethan for the afternoon
Woke up at 4am on Sunday with stomach rumblings and a bit warm, so cuddled with Mommy
Sunday morning, hung out with Daddy (played Wii)
Wasn't feeling 100% Sunday, so Alexander & Mommy had a low-key day - cuddled, watched movies, and played some games

Marina's Birthday...

2012-02-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

Alexander went to Marina's birthday party today as Marina turns 3! He had an amazing time playing with Marina and his new buddy Ethan!

Valentines...

2012-02-09T20:17:00.000-05:00

For homework, Alexander had to fill out the Valentine's for his class - all 20 of them. And I can proudly say that he did just say - he wrote all 20 names and signed his name to each & every one!

What made me even prouder that as he was signing a card he said "look Mom, I can spell love"...and then he did just that he wrote "Love Alexander" all by himself. It's so exciting to watch him grow and I'm proud to be his mom!

Photo Recap...

2012-02-06T08:19:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, January 30th - Sunday, February 5th, 2012)

Photo Recap...

2012-02-06T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, January 30th - Sunday, February 5th, 2012)

SuperBowl Sunday...

2012-02-05T20:17:00.000-05:00

Alexander was more than ready for Superbowl Sunday to cheer on the Patriots as they take on the Giants!

Let's just say that he was DEVASTATED at the outcome of the game.

Let's Roll...

2012-02-04T15:22:00.000-05:00

A new trick he's learning at gymnastics

Reading is FUNdamental...

2012-01-31T20:17:00.000-05:00

Alexander showing off his reading skills

Boy got skills...

2012-01-30T22:28:00.001-05:00

Alexander showing off his gymnastics tricks and how well he does....

Photo Recap...

2012-01-30T08:19:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, January 23rd - Sunday, January 29th, 2012)

Photo Recap...

2012-01-30T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, January 23rd - Sunday, January 29th, 2012)

Weekly Glance...

2012-01-30T08:17:00.000-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, January 23rd - Sunday, January 29th, 2012)

After a sleep-over, spent the day, on Monday, with Papi
Spent a great "Guys Day" with Papi - out to breakfast, over to Papi's work, then a trip to the library
School update - either had great days (two stars) or lost a star for yelling at friends
Some of the yelling stems from space issues or having friends use toys he was playing with....he still has difficulty using words to express himself and instead will just lash out with screaming/yelling
Went to bed fairly late each night
Went to dinner to 5 Guys with Daddy on Thursday
Saturday - spent the morning with Mommy, got ready for gymnastics, did great at gymnastics, then headed into Boston with Mommy
While in Boston, we went to the Aquarium to check out the sharks & penguins. After lunch, he wanted to go on the train, so we walked over to the train and headed to Copley. Walking around was really nice and Alexander explained to me how much he loved Boston because the buildings were so tall enough to cover the sun. We took the train back to Fanueil hall where we got some ice cream & chocolate chip cookies! After a busy yet fun afternoon, we headed back home
One of the biggest adventures of the day was that while on the train, there was a guy & his dog (a pretty big dog). Alexander looked at me and asked if he could pet the dog. I told him he had to ask the owner but the guy heard him and said he could pet him and showed him where to pet him. I was pretty impressed at how his comfort level with dogs is getting.
Sunday was the day with Daddy - the boys made eggs & sausage for breakfast, then were going to head to the Patriots Send-Off Rally at Gillette Stadium
The Rally was too crowded (lots of traffic), so Alexander & Daddy headed to Kirk & Deanna's where Alexander played with Marina for a bit
After Kirk & Deanna's, the boys headed to Steve & Ann's house - Alexander got to play with Skyler & Sierra as well as the dogs! He's getting so much more comfortable around dogs.
Then the boys came home for dinner, tubby & bedtime

Day in Boston...

2012-01-28T20:17:00.000-05:00

Today, Alexander & Mommy spent the afternoon in Boston. We went to the Aquarium, took the T over to Copley, walked around Boylston, hung out in Fanueil Hall where we got cookies & ice cream. It was a fantastic day!

Gymnastics - Round Two...

2012-01-28T15:22:00.000-05:00

Alexander started gymnastics again for the winter/spring season. Although it was just the first class, it was amazing to see how much he's grown in a year - and not just physically. He appeared much more grown up emotionally as well. He listened, followed directions, and loved doing all of the routines.

He also had the quote of the day! During circle, he told the teachers:
"I'm not a girl right now, because I'm a boy. But when I grow up I'll be a girl because I'll be a mermaid"

Boys Day...

2012-01-23T20:17:00.000-05:00

Today, Alexander & Papi spent the day together - their very own boys day!

They woke up, watched a little tv before they helped the guys working on Mimi & Papi's basement. Then they headed out for a yummy breakfast where Alexander ate very well (eggs, sausage & toast). After breakfast, they went to Papi's work for a bit.

In the afternoon, they headed to the library where Alexander picked out a very cool book about baseball. And then in the baseball mood, they went back to Mimi & Papi's house where they played Wii baseball until Mommy came!

Photo Recap...

2012-01-23T11:53:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, January 16th - Sunday, January 22nd, 2012)

Photo Recap...

2012-01-23T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, January 16th - Sunday, January 22nd, 2012)

Weekly Glance...

2012-01-23T08:17:00.000-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, January 15th - Sunday, January 22nd, 2012)

Week at school was split - although he had a great week overall, he did have a moment each day where he got in trouble (lost a star 4 of the 5 days)
He lost his star for the same thing - yelling at a friend. And each day it was a different friend for a different reason
Slept in his bed all week and had to be woken most mornings
Had to be woken because he would go to bed late each night (in between 9:30-10:15p depending on the night) because of naps and being overly tired
Played some games with Daddy Tuesday night before bed
Thursday night, Alexander & Mommy had our date night - went to get Alexander's haircut and then out to dinner. That night we had a great night at home with minimal fighting
Saturday was a low-key snow day! Hung out with Daddy in the morning, played in the snow and then after lunch went over with Daddy to play at Michael's in the snow
Saturday night was a Alexander & Mommy night (Daddy went out to a friends house) - we had dinner, cuddled, played games and read lots of books at bedtime
Sunday, Alexander & Mommy went over Mimi & Papi's to watch the Patriots game (they won!)
He had a sleep over at Mimi & Papi's and went to bed relatively quick & without issues

Root for the home team...

2012-01-22T20:17:00.001-05:00

Root Root Root for the home team

Football Fun...

2012-01-22T20:17:00.000-05:00

Today Alexander & Mommy went to Mimi & Papi's to watch the Patriots game! And although it was a nailbiter of a game, the Patriots won by the luck of a missed field goal.

He even helped celebrate a field goal with the appropriate hand motion!

And now the Patriots will face off against the Giants in a Superbowl Rematch...

Snow fun...

2012-01-21T15:22:00.000-05:00

Today we got a little bit of snow, maybe 3-4". Compared to the amount & frequency of snow we got last year, this was a tiny little blip. Alexander was still able to go out and and play in it for a bit!

He ran around, shoveled the front yard and tried to throw snowballs but it was far too fluffy

Photo Recap...

2012-01-16T08:19:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, January 9th - Sunday, January 15th, 2012)

Photo Recap...

2012-01-16T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, January 9th - Sunday, January 15th, 2012)

Weekly Glance...

2012-01-16T08:17:00.000-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, January 9th - Sunday, January 15th, 2012)

Overall had a very good week at school
Tuesday was not a good day as he did some name calling (stupid) to a friend in class; and Thursday he didn't get two stars because he refused to clean up (something he usually does well)
He tried tacos for the first time (usually he refuses to eat them) and loved them
Thursday night, Alexander & Mommy had our date night - out to dinner then home for shower & books
Friday night, Alexander & Daddy went over uncle Matt's for dinner
Saturday, Alexander & Mommy went over Mimi & Papi's to watch the Patriots game & have a sleep-over.
We watched the Patriots, played Wii, tried to make Star Wars cookies (ended as Patriots cookies) - and he went to bed super late as he had a hard time calming down after the game
Sunday, we hung out at Mimi & Papi's - watched a movie, then home for dinner

Go Patriots!

2012-01-14T20:17:00.000-05:00

In order to cheer on the Patriots, Alexander & I got dressed in our Patriots garb! We even made cookies to help celebrate the game!

They were yummmy! And what made it better was that the Patriots defeated Denver and move on to the next round of the playoffs!

100...

2012-01-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

Alexander showed me a new trick - he can count to 100! The counting is impressive and the little distraction towards the end is entertaining

To be or not to be - Sick...

2012-01-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

Hopefully I haven't jinxed myself by typing this but it appears we have escaped through the traditional "sick" week. Every year since Alexander has been born, he has gotten sick the 2nd week in January. In the past, I've been able to watch it progress from a small cough to a full fledged flu/bug complete with fever.

This year, he had a slight cough in late December but nothing that stayed more than a few hours on a couple of mornings. The annual sick week has come and NOTHING. No coughing, no fever, no illness!

An interesting point to note is that after talking with his pediatrician in the fall, we decided against the flu shot for him this year. Coincidence?

Fingers crossed that he continues to stay as sick-free as possible this winter!

Photo Recap...

2012-01-09T08:19:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, January 2nd - Sunday, January 8th, 2012)

Photo Recap...

2012-01-09T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, January 2nd - Sunday, January 8th, 2012)

Weekly Glance...

2012-01-09T08:17:00.000-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, January 2nd - Sunday, January 8th, 2012)

Monday was a home day, great morning with Mommy
Alexander & Mommy went to Kirk & Deanna's for a playdate with Marina for the afternoon
Ran some errands that late afternoon, picked up dinner, saw Daddy as he was in NJ for weekend
Had a good week at school - got most of his stars
Did have two really long/late naps which didn't help at bedtime
This week, bedtime was a challenge due to long/late naps and Alexander expressing independence - there were lots of fighting/him losing toys & tv privileges
Because he had such a great day at school - Thursday night, Alexander got to spend some of his money at Toys R Us after Mommy & Alexander had our date night. (he picked out a Cars 2 remote control plane)
Friday, Alexander got two stars at school and filled out his chart which allowed him to pick out a prize. He picked out sticker earrings which he thought were very cool
Friday night was another challenging night at bedtime
Saturday morning (slept til 6:30a), had breakfast, played with Mommy as he was not able to watch TV until 9am
Had a nice morning with Mommy, then went with Daddy to watch Michael for a bit.
Daddy took both boys to indoor mini-golf & ice cream; then they came here to play (air hockey, cars)
Sunday was Daddy's morning (awake at 6:30a, downstairs at 7a) - another morning of no tv til 9a
They played games and relaxed
That afternoon, Mommy & Alexander went out - out to lunch, errands, grocery shopping
Came home - played with some new toys, then watch football with Daddy
Daddy & Alexander went to ride his bike for a bit (then it got too chilly)
Sunday night was calm & relaxing - dinner, shower time, and watched the end of the football game before a nice bedtime! (fingers crossed it goes like that all the time!)

Bike Rider...

2012-01-08T20:17:00.000-05:00

This afternoon Alexander & Daddy went for a little bike ride over at the high school! It's amazing that in January, we're still able to go outside even for a bit without freezing temperatures! I'll take it!

Alexander did a great job riding and was showing how fast he can go! I imagine that by spring those training wheels might be off!

Fun with Friends - Part II...

2012-01-02T20:17:00.000-05:00

Since today was a holiday and we had the day off, Alexander & Mommy had a playdate! We got to spend the afternoon with Marina!

The kids had a blast! They were running around playing chase, hide & seek, played in her new house, & enjoyed sharing their lunch. I think the highlight might have been the two of them sliding down the stairs on their bum!

Fun with Friends...

2012-01-02T15:22:00.000-05:00

Video of Alexander & Marina having fun on the stairs

Photo Recap...

2012-01-02T08:19:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, December 26th, 2011 - Sunday, January 1st, 2012)

Photo Recap...

2012-01-02T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, December 26th, 2011 - Sunday, January 1st, 2012)

Weekly Glance...

2012-01-02T08:17:00.000-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, December 26th, 2011 - Sunday, January 1st, 2012)

Home day on Monday and it was a low-key day where we hung out in our jammies all day'
We watched movies, played games, cuddled and relaxed on Monday
Had a short week at school - Majority of the week was good despite a few situations
Went out to dinner with Mommy Tuesday night after having a great day at school
Thursday night Alexander & Mommy had our date night then came home and played with some new toys from Christmas
Half day on Friday - Mommy picked Alexander up after lunch. We ran errands, went grocery shopping and then home to cuddle on the couch as we watched a movie
Saturday was a busy yet low-key day!
Mommy & Alexander did LOTS of cleaning - putting away Christmas decorations, vacuuming and even throwing the Christmas tree right out the front door
We played Trouble, Connect 4 & Candy Land - and surprisingly Alexander always wants to win but every now & then will surprise with good sportsmanship when he looses
To celebrate New Years Eve, Alexander & Mommy picked up some chinese food for dinner and then we made "special/celebratory" drinks (ginger ale with food coloring) in fancy glasses
Alexander was so excited for dinner with the special drinks and he said he felt like a grownup because I gave him a grownup glass plate for dinner
Happy New Year! We were both in bed/asleep by 10:30pm
Sunday was another Christmas gathering with Mommy's extended family
We went over Gary & Sharon's - Alexander was excited to see Chris, Claire & the other cousins; he's even getting more comfortable with both dogs (although he's more comfortable with Tessie)
After playing with the kids, dinner & watching the Pats game - it was time for presents
Alexander got a lot of great presents and was so excited to open each & every one
Sunday night was a quiet bedtime as it was a busy day

Watching Football...

2012-01-01T20:17:00.001-05:00

Alexander, a true Patriots fan, is watching the game cheering a touchdown!

Christmas Family Fun...

2012-01-01T20:17:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, we had our annual Family Christmas with Mommy's family. We watched the Patriots game which didn't start well but ended with a big win for the Pats!

We watched uncle Gary's shoot off some rockets into the sky (that went really far up!)

We opened some presents - the kids were so excited! Alexander loved opening presents and got so many cool/wonderful gifts. He truly is a lucky little boy!

New Years Eve Festivities...

2011-12-31T20:17:00.001-05:00

This years New Years Eve was quiet, mellow & perfect! Alexander & I were each other dates. We had chinese food, fancy drinks (sparkling cider or ginger ale with food coloring). We played some Wii and cuddled after books! Both of us were asleep before 10:30pm. It really was a perfect way to end the year!

Happy New Year...

2011-12-31T20:17:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

Love,

Alexander

Love for Reading...

2011-12-30T20:17:00.000-05:00

Alexander is so excited to be able to read multiple books & he does a great job!
With this book, he is doing a side-commentary about a little frog in the story as that was something he & I would do together, so if parts of what he's saying doesn't make sense, that's why

My Little Reader...

2011-12-29T20:17:00.000-05:00

Alexander was so excited to show me that he could read his book all by himself!

Christmas Festivities...

2011-12-26T22:19:00.002-05:00

It was quite the busy Christmas weekend for all! There was cookie baking, Christmas lights, train rides, presents, Mass, visits with family & friends, presents, cookies for Santa, oh and did we mention presents?

Weekend festivities started on Friday as we had the day off - Mommy & Alexander baked some cookies for Santa before we headed to Mimi & Papi's house. From there, we then went with them to Edaville Railroad for our annual visit to see the Christmas lights and ride the train. It wasn't raining like last year and because it was right before Christmas, it wasn't as busy either - so overall a great night to go.

Christmas Eve started with some traditional fried dough (which Alexander wasn't that interested in), followed by some presents. We then headed to Christmas Eve mass at St. Marks in which Alexander did extremely well. He loved watching the children tell the story of the birth of Christ and was very enthralled.

After mass, we headed to our annual stop at our restaurant before going to Dennis & Mary's. It was eerily quiet and we almost had the place to ourselves. We then headed over to Dennis & Mary's where Alexander was very excited to play with Kyle & Kaileen. After some goofing around, dinner & pictures, it was time to get into jammies and head home to ensure we were in bed for Santa!

This is what is looked like after Santa stopped by

Christmas morning was the BEST! Not only did Alexander surprise me by sleeping until 7:05am but he was so excited with everything he opened. He rushed downstairs (nearly beating me down), and hugged his presents! He was beyond delighted when he saw his "Green Hot Wheel" bike, even more so when he saw his name on the back! The quote of the day was "I've wanted this my whole life" - it made everything so special that he was so excited!

Santa brought him lots of goodies which he loved all of them, well except the pajamas. He even loved going thru his stocking to see how much candy was there.

After presents, we hung out for a bit relaxing. Alexander & Daddy played their new Wii baseball game. The boys then got ready to head over to uncle Matt's house for more presents. After presents at Matt's, they then headed to uncle Steven's for dinner & time with the boys. Alexander played some more Wii and had a great afternoon hanging out with all the cousins.

Monday was a perfect day! It was a very low-key, chill out kind of day. Alexander stayed in his pajamas all day, we played Wii, played games, cuddles, watched movies/tv. Perfect way to end a great yet busy weekend!

Weekly Glance...

2011-12-26T22:14:00.003-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, December 19th - Sunday, December 25th, 2011)

Monday hung out at Grandma & Pop-Pop's for the morning
Went to the park
Had a short week at school (three days) and each day was a bit different from great, ok, to not good
Did some pushing/rough-housing with friends which made him loose some stars
Did a bit of shopping with Daddy on Tuesday night
Went grocery shopping with Mommy on Wednesday
Alexander & Mommy had our date night on Thursday
We watched the Polar Express which made him very sad (he cried when the girl sang her song), then he was fairly emotional for the rest of the night
Friday was a 'home' day - Alexander & Mommy baked cookies
Friday afternoon, Alexander & Mommy went to Mimi & Papi's where we then went to Edaville Railroad to see the lights & ride the train
Alexander fell asleep at 11pm as he could not get comfortable or fall asleep (too excited - sleep over at Mimi & Papi's)
Alexander slept until 6:30am where he crawled in to cuddle with Mommy and then fell back to sleep again until 8am!
Christmas Eve we opened some presents at Mimi & Papi's
After lunch, we went to Christmas Eve mass at St Marks
Then went to our waiting spot before going to Dennis & Mary's for Christmas Eve
Christmas Morning! He slept until 7am!
Opened presents & checked out all the goodies from Santa!
Played with new toys, played Wii with Daddy
Alexander & Daddy went over to uncle Matt's for presents with Grandma & Pop-Pop
Then over to uncle Steven's for Christmas dinner & to visit with the boys
Merry Christmas!

Photo Recap...

2011-12-26T22:13:00.008-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, December 19th - Sunday, December 25th, 2011)

Photo Recap...

2011-12-26T22:13:00.004-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, December 19th - Sunday, December 25th, 2011)

Big Man...

2011-12-25T20:17:00.001-05:00

That's right - he's a big man now. He has his very own "Green Hot Wheels" bike. He's now officially "grownd up".

Christmas JOY...

2011-12-25T20:17:00.000-05:00

"OH! I wanted this my whole life!"

-Alexander (said throughout Christmas morning as he continued to unwrap presents)

That's when you know that the presents from Santa were perfect!

Christmas Love...

2011-12-25T15:22:00.000-05:00

Sharing Christmas Joy with Mommy and Daddy

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:17:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all & to all a good year!

Love,

Alexander

Baking Cookies...

2011-12-23T15:22:00.000-05:00

Alexander & Mommy baked cookies today - snowman, Santas, trees, stars & candy canes! Alexander did a great job rolling out the dough and using the cookie cutter.

And surprisingly he lasted cutting out 5 different cookies before he was all done with baking.

However once it was time for him to help decorate he came zooming in to help! We made some fancy trees, cheery Santas, and sparkly stars!

School Picture...

2011-12-19T20:17:00.000-05:00

Alexander got his school pictures back and I can't get over how A) adorable he is and B) how grown up he's looking. I was comparing this picture with his school picture from June and it's amazing how much he's grown. He's looking like a cute boy rather than a cute toddler boy.

Photo Recap...

2011-12-19T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, December 12th - Sunday, December 18th, 2011)

**Note: Due to a busy week there are barely any pictures this week. I kept thinking we'll take some tomorrow and we got busy. Hopefully there are pictures we can add from the weekend in NJ. If not, I imagine the upcoming week we'll be full of pictures.

Weekly Glance...

2011-12-19T08:17:00.000-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, December 12th - Sunday, December 18th, 2011)

Had a mixed week at School
Some days he had a really good (two stars) and then other days he would only get one star
One star days were for rough-housing after they were asked to stop, yelling at another friend, & pushing
Thursday he had a rough morning at school - they were playing on the playground and he and a couple other boys were playing a game and excluding other kids on purpose which then made those friends feel bad. Then they were pushing & hitting so they had to go to the office
He also had a couple rough nights at bedtime where he purposely wouldn't listen and after getting a warning he would push the button and loose either toys or his friends (stufffed animals)
There also seems to be one friend in particular that has a tendency to get Alexander in trouble - whether this friend is following him around all day, asking to play so Alexander gets annoyed or they rough-house in the playground. I've expressed my concern over this friend as Daddy & I feel it would be best to try to keep them separated as much as possible during the day
Monday night, as Dad was at volleyball, Alexander & Mommy went to dinner and then went shopping for Daddy's christmas present. Alexander was very excited about picking something out and told me exactly what he wanted to buy him
Thursday night, Alexander & Mommy dropped off toys at the State Police for Toys for Tots
Friday night, Alexander & Mommy went to get his haircut so he looks spiffy for the upcoming week
Saturday morning, Daddy & Alexander headed out to NJ for the christening for aunt Catherine's new baby and then the Christmas celebrations throughout the weekend
He played with his cousins all weekend, shared a room with cousin Emily
They went to mass Sunday morning and then back to Grandma & Pop-Pop's house for brunch and to hang out with everyone
Alexander & Daddy are heading back home Monday

Collage of Pictures...

2011-12-18T20:17:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to do this for a bit - I thought it might be cute to do a collage of Alexander's school pictures. He's so cute and it's so much fun to look at each picture and see how he's changed from one picture to the next! It's amazing how much he's changed in 3-4 years.

Can you tell the one picture that is "different"?

Weekend Activities...

2011-12-18T15:22:00.000-05:00

Alexander & Daddy had a busy weekend. They were traveling down to NJ for the christening of the newest member of the family! And to continue the celebrations, they had a big Christmas party.

Alexander got to play with all of his cousins and even got to see Santa - both Saturday & Sunday. Saturday he stopped by the Christmas celebration and Sunday he drove by on a fire truck.

Sunday, they all went to mass and then went back to Grandma & Pop-pop's house for brunch. The kids played games with each other all day!

Although the weekend was non-stop with all the kids and playing, which I'm sure makes him tired at the end of the day, he's had a great time.

Toys For Tots...

2011-12-15T20:17:00.000-05:00

This year, Alexander made a donation to Toys For Tots. I went thru his toys that he hasn't used/played with and we donated them to boys & girls who are less fortunate than he is. I was going to drop them off during lunch but I wanted him to be a part of it and know why we were donating the toys. I'm hoping it's an annual tradition we can do every year.

I explained to him what we were donating and why as we drove to the State Police barracks. For a second, I thought he was going to put up a fight/cry over losing his toys but he quickly stopped his whining as I was telling him about boys & girls who don't have toys. I'm not going to lie - I was impressed that he listened and seemed to understand.

We dropped off the two bags of unused toys and after we left, he asked me "Mom, do you really think we made some boy happy? Because I think so." And that made my heart grow!

Visit With Santa...

2011-12-13T20:17:00.000-05:00

Here is this year's picture with Santa...

Although I love this Santa and I think the two of them look cute, I'm not a fan of this year's picture. The picture is zoomed out too much to show the decoration and they added in a banner at the bottom which ends up cutting out Alexander & Santa a bit. I think I took a much better picture (yes, I'm biased). But I did want to post this year's picture so the memory is still there.

My Little Reader...

2011-12-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

Alexander showing off his reading abilities...and the best part is that he got most of the words/story spot-on!

Photo Recap...

2011-12-12T08:19:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, December 5th - Sunday, December 11th, 2011)

Photo Recap...

2011-12-12T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, December 5th - Sunday, December 11th, 2011)

Weekly Glance...

2011-12-12T08:17:00.000-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, December 5th - Sunday, December 11th, 2011)

Had a pretty great week at school
Got 'Two Stars' three days, and the other two days he got 'One Star' (lost a star for rough-housing, then the other for not listening)
Had an excellent week of sleeping in his bed ALL night (this is a huge win for both Alexander & Mommy)
Watched Charlie Brown Christmas with Mommy Monday night
After dinner on Tuesday, we decorated the Christmas Tree
Wednesday night, Alexander & Daddy went out to dinner
Thursday night, Alexander & Mommy had our date night and then had a photoshoot to find a potential picture
Saturday was a very busy day - went to soccer with Mommy, Mimi,and then Daddy, met us there as this is his last class this season
After soccer, Mommy & Alexander went out to lunch and then headed to Gillette Stadium to meet Chris & Bennett
We stood in a very chilly line to have our picture taken with Santa ON the field - such an amazing experience for both of us
Came home Saturday late afternoon and just relaxed as we warmed up and got ready for dinner
Sunday was a low key day - hung out with Daddy (Daddy got to sleep in til 7:30a) in the morning and then the boys headed over to Uncle Matt's for the afternoon so Alexander & Michael could play & watch the Patriots
The boys were back in time for dinner and then tubby/bedtime to close out a busy week

Merriment at Gillette...

2011-12-10T20:17:00.000-05:00

Today, I brought Alexander to see Santa (again), but this time it was at a much cooler venue - Gillette Stadium! It was such an amazing event. You got your photo taken with Santa while ON the field. You got the photos for free providing you donated a coat for kids. I already had several of Alexander's coats I was going to donate so this made it a more perfect event. Donation for needy children while we get to be on the same field as the Patriots - made it even more worthwhile.

We met up with my friend Chris & her son Bennett. While it was 'nice' out, it did get chilly which made poor Bennett a bit upset (understandably) as it was chilly! We finally got thru the line and made our way up to Santa!

Here is our picture with Santa on the 20yd line! Once on the field, Alexander asked if this was the spot where Tom Brady practiced, I told him this was where all of the Patriots played their games. His eyes were so wide & he was elated! I don't know who was more excited - he or I!?

Annual Christmas Card...

2011-12-08T20:17:00.000-05:00

Tonight, Alexander & I worked on some potential photos for the annual Christmas Card! Keep your eye on the mail (well unless otherwise noted that the card just didn't work out...)

Fingers crossed that it comes out as we planned!

Tree Decorating...

2011-12-06T20:17:00.000-05:00

Tonight we decorated our Christmas Tree - Alexander was really into getting all of the ornaments out of the box and making sure they had hooks on them.

And considering how excited he was and going at his own extreme fast pace, it was a pleasant surprise that only one ornament broke.

Alexander decorating

My cute little Santa

Mommy & Alexander working on putting ornaments on the tree

Daddy & Alexander take turns putting them on

The boys hang up Baby Santa

While Mommy & Alexander hang up his baby shoes

Santas!

Ho Ho Ho!

Photo Recap...

2011-12-05T08:19:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, November 28th - Sunday, December 4th, 2011)

Photo Recap...

2011-12-05T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, November 28th - Sunday, December 4th, 2011)

Weekly Glance...

2011-12-05T08:17:00.000-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, November 28th - Sunday, December 4th, 2011)

Had a pretty good week - started out a teeny bit rough but definitely improved as the week went on
Most times he would lose a star would be for rough-housing/pushing his friends after he was told to stop
Still doing great in his new bed
Filled another Behavior Star chart at school
Tuesday night, Alexander & Mommy watched Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
Wednesday night, Alexander & Mommy went to Target then home to cuddle but he was too wound up
Thursday night, Alexander, Mommy, Mimi & Papi went into the annual Boston Tree Lighting
Alexander was very excited about the tree lighting up and was surprised by the fireworks which he said were "thankfully not too loud" - he was very excited to see Frosty, Rudolph, the dancing bear from the Nutcracker and Santa all on stage
Saturday was a busy day with Mimi & Papi - out to breakfast with Mimi & Papi, then headed to soccer, then to the Christmas festivities in Plymouth with Mimi & Papi
Had a sleep-over at Mimi & Papi's (where he stayed in his room/bed all night!)
Sunday was another busy day - Played Wii with Papi (hit a grand slam), went with Mimi to the Mall to meet Mommy for our annual visit to Santa, went to Christina's birthday party, then went to pick out our Christmas tree

Visit with Santa...

2011-12-04T20:17:00.000-05:00

This morning, Alexander went to see Santa! He was so excited to go see him - he kept telling Mimi & Mommy that he already told Santa what he wanted, he was just there to get a picture with him. Alexander did such a great job - he hopped right on up next to Santa, posed for his pictures and even told him what he'd like Santa to bring him for Christmas.

There was a little line to pick up his pictures that Alexander went back to give Santa a high-five and ended up giving him a hug! Precious!

O Christmas Tree...

2011-12-04T15:22:00.000-05:00

Not only did we get to see Santa today but we also picked out our Christmas Tree! Alexander loved checking out all the trees and then wanted to go check out the animals again.

Here is Santa Alexander surveying the different trees to see which one he wanted:

I think he wanted to bring this one home

School Pictures...

2011-11-29T08:17:00.000-05:00

Alexander got the proofs back for his school pictures - just in time for Christmas! I can't believe how grown up he's starting to look. My little baby is now a handsome little man!

Photo Recap...

2011-11-28T10:02:00.003-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, November 21st - Sunday, November 27th, 2011)

Photo Recap...

2011-11-28T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, November 21st - Sunday, November 27th, 2011)

Weekly Glance...

2011-11-28T08:17:00.000-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, November 21st - Sunday, November 27th, 2011)

Short week at school - overall was a mixed few days (rough-housing, wrestling, great manners)
Played Wii with Daddy on Monday has he had been in NJ for the weekend
Had their Thanksgiving feast on Tuesday
Went grocery shopping with Mommy on Tuesday (after picking up the car)
Daddy got out of work early on Wednesday so the boys got home early for the day and went out to dinner
Thursday morning, Alexander & Mommy got ready to head to Mimi & Papi's for dinner while Daddy went to cousin Nick's football game
Had dinner at Mimi & Papi's - got to spend the day playing with Christopher
We all watched Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving before bedtime
Friday morning, played some Wii & watched his traditional movie with Papi
That afternoon, Alexander, Mommy, Mimi & Papi went to see the Mayflower II ship & Plymouth Rock for a little history lesson
Went on the ship but he quickly was ready to get off it once we got on then we went out to lunch
Papi & Alexander watched Cars 2 before bed and then had a quick bedtime has he was pooped!

Weekend Activities...

2011-11-27T20:17:00.000-05:00

Weekend Activities...It was a busy yet fun weekend!

Saturday morning, Alexander & Mommy hung out at Mimi & Papi's before heading home. We had breakfast, played Wii, and Alexander & Papi watched Cars 2. Once at home, Alexander hung out with Daddy. The boys had some good bonding time.

They worked on the leaves together outside (thankfully we've been very lucky with great weather). They also hung out with our neighbors across the street. That afternoon, Daddy took Alexander to the movies to see The Muppet Movie. Alexander has seen the commercials and thought it looked funny....as it turned out, at one point Kermit talked about how he missed his friends and that made Alexander incredibly sad. He started crying and didn't want to watch the rest of the movie. So the boys headed home and chilled out at home.

Sunday morning, they hung out & played some Wii. Then they went to play some indoor mini-golf and got some ice cream before coming home and watching football for the afternoon!

Mommy & Alexander did some cuddling in the afternoon during the Patriots game where he proceeded to root for a team on every game to win. He loves his football!

History of Thanksgiving...

2011-11-25T20:17:00.000-05:00

Seeing as how the annual tradition of Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was on Thanksgiving night - Alexander stayed up to watch it. Charlie Brown and his friends talked about the British coming over on the Mayflower, landing on Plymouth Rock and that first thanksgiving meal.

Because of that, Mimi & Papi thought it would be cool to bring him to the actual place where the Pilgrims landed. We went on a tour of the Mayflower II ship and we saw Plymouth Rock

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:17:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving - gobble gobble!

Love,

Alexander

Photo Recap...

2011-11-21T08:19:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, November 14th - Sunday, November 20th, 2011)

Photo Recap...

2011-11-21T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, November 14th - Sunday, November 20th, 2011)

Weekly Glance...

2011-11-20T21:31:00.003-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, November 14th - Sunday, November 20th, 2011)

Alexander had a very good week at school - much improved over the previous two weeks
Missed getting 2 stars each day by just 1 - Friday afternoon for pushing with Finn
Went with Mommy to get a haircut Monday night
Sleeping was mixed - he started out the week coming in with Mommy (one night having a nightmare about dragons)
Went out for a date night with Mommy on Thursday - went to dinner and then out to pick out his new bedding
Got his brand new big boy bed Friday!!
Sleeping towards the end of the week was MUCH improved
Slept in his bed both Friday & Saturday night - ALL night
On Saturday, went to soccer, lunch, shipyard, mall with Mom
Sunday was a more relaxed day with Mom - ran some errands, went to lunch, went for a walk along a bike trail

Weekend Activities...

2011-11-20T20:17:00.000-05:00

We finally had a fairly low key weekend without any major plans! Daddy went to NJ for Joan's birthday so it was just Mommy & Alexander.

Saturday we went to soccer (which he does very well with drills but once the coaches try to play a 'game' the boys have a tendency to run more than focus on drills). After soccer, the original thought was that we would go into Fanueil Hall for the tree lighting (although that just feels too early for me) but Alexander wasn't up for it so we went to the Hingham Shipyard for a good burger instead. We had some good food and then went over to the shipyard walk to check out the boats & took some fun photos. After lunch, we headed to the mall where Alexander got some chocolate ice cream and played in the play area for a while. Came home & cuddled a bit before it was time for bed!

The plan for Sunday was to get dressed and out of the house fairly early however Alexander really just wanted to lounge around in the morning. Instead of spending the whole day outside - we ran a few errands, went out to lunch and then Alexander started to get tired/cranky. We went to a nearby bike trail and took a really nice walk. After the walk, Alexander was still a bit cranky so after some quiet time, we watched a bit of football, had some dinner and got ready for bed. Thankfully someone still really enjoys his new bed...

Big Boy Bed...

2011-11-18T20:17:00.000-05:00

Alexander is finally getting himself a big boy bed - no more convertible bed, but a true big boy bed! Lately he's been coming in to cuddle with Mommy every night because he says it's much more comfier. And I have to agree with him, his old bed was just not that comfy.

But not anymore - he will have his very own comfy & cozy bed! With plenty of space too! I made sure to get him cozy & warm blankets to ensure he'll want to stay in each night. Then Alexander & Mommy went to pick out the fun bedding.

When Alexander left for school Friday morning, his room looked like this:

When Alexander got home, his room looked like this (he picked out the cool bedding):

Excitement...

2011-11-18T20:16:00.000-05:00

And this was Alexander checking out his brand new big boy bed...

Picture Day...

2011-11-17T20:17:00.000-05:00

Today was Picture Day at school!

Alexander was a dressed very sharply and looked quite dashing! He may or may not have kept the picture tradition going on!

Photo Recap...

2011-11-14T08:19:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, November 7th - Sunday, November 13th, 2011)

Photo Recap...

2011-11-14T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, November 7th - Sunday, November 13th, 2011)

Weekly Glance...

2011-11-14T08:17:00.000-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, November 7th - Sunday, November 13th, 2011)

Had a pretty good week at school
Got at least one star a day - And the reason why he missed out on the 2nd star were for silly reasons of rough-housing/playing with friends a bit rough. And two of those days he lost the 2nd star with MINUTES left in the day so overall had pretty good days
Sleeping was disrupted each night - came in to cuddle with Mommy. Hoping to make some changes to benefit both of us!
Worked on his homework this week
Started taking vitamins & Vitamin D this week - I thought he was going to put up a fight about it but he was so excited when I told him he has his own vitamins. It's also been helping to motivate him to brush his teeth
Thursday night, Mommy & Alexander had a date night at home where we made dinner, cuddled, did some puzzles
Friday night, Alexander & Mommy had another date night where we made pizzas and played cars
Saturday was a busy day - soccer, and afternoon with Marina & Deanna at the Aquarium
Sunday, Alexander & Daddy spent the afternoon at uncle Matt's, playing sports with Michael

Weekend Activities...

2011-11-13T20:17:00.000-05:00

Weekend Activities..yet another busy weekend!

Saturday
Saturday was a busy yet fun day! Alexander woke up at 6a (Mommy's morning), and wanted to go downstairs around 7:30a. After a good breakfast, Mommy & Alexander got ready for soccer. Soccer went very well! He listened to his coaches - did all the drills, wasn't too silly, and paid attention to what steps they were asking him to do. When he listens & pays attention, he does very well.

After soccer, we met Deanna & Marina at Mommy's work so we could head into the Aquarium for the afternoon. Alexander & Marina always have a great time when they are together - and the trip to the Aquarium was no exception. The kids loved checking out the fish in the big tank - especially the sharks. But then after lunch, we spent a great deal of time at the penguins watching them feed & the caretakers take care of a few in particular! It was a long afternoon but that the aquarium but both kids had a blast and it was such a great time!

Sunday
Sunday's morning was low-key but relaxing. Alexander slept til 7:20 (Daddy's morning) and then cuddled with Mommy watching cartoons til 8am. After breakfast, Daddy & Alexander played Wii before going over uncle Matt's for the afternoon. In the afternoon, Alexander & Michael played so many sports (baseball, soccer) and had a really good afternoon together. Then Daddy & Alexander stayed for dinner.

Overall a nice, yet busy weekend

Aquarium...

2011-11-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

Today Alexander & Mommy went to the Aquarium with Marina & Deanna. The kids had a great time and it was such a great way to hang out while the kids enjoy each other & all the fish.

We checked out the sharks, the penguins, the sea lions and the sting rays in the touch tank! Marina & Alexander had a blast checking it all out together!

Homework...

2011-11-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

Homework Time!

For this month's homework assignment, each kid had to write at least 3 sentences relating to any type of transportation they are familiar with. But the key is that they had to do it on their own! Here are Alexander's three sentences that he wrote all by himself - with MINIMAL help from Mommy. I gave him the different modes of transportation that he's been in and then he picked how he wanted to write about them.

Sentence #1: I like to go to the aquarium on the green line train

Sentence #2: I like to go on the bus

Sentence #3: We take the car to Cape Cod

Storytime...

2011-11-07T20:17:00.000-05:00

Conversation Alexander & I just had:

He spells out the name 'Sandy' by himself and I asked him who Sandy was and he said it was his friend who he used to live with two years ago. Then he said he couldn't live with her anymore because she died. She died a long time ago and now he has to live here at home with us. Then he says that Sandy was his girlfriend and she was really nice to him.
He said he came home to live and he went into the closet and Sandy helped him find the ghost but there was no ghost so he wasn't ascared anymore.

I told him that was a very interesting story and he asked if I wanted to hear more! I like that he's using his imagination a lot now...but let's hope that someone doesn't ask who Sandy is and that he tells them he used to live with this lady and they wonder why some strange lady name Sandy has died on him.

Photo Recap...

2011-11-07T08:19:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, October 31st - November 6th, 2011)

Photo Recap...

2011-11-07T08:18:00.000-05:00

Photo Recap (Monday, October 31st - November 6th, 2011)

Weekly Glance...

2011-11-07T08:17:00.000-05:00

Weekly Glance (Monday, October 31st - November 6th, 2011)

Didn't have the greatest weeks - lots of not paying attention or too much rough-housing at the playground
Alexander's teachers have implemented a new reward program where each kid has the potential to earn two stars each day (one for morning, one for afternoon) - they have to play nice, listen to their teachers, and follow the rules...basic good behavior
Out of 8 potential stars for the week - Alexander only earned 1. Most of the issues were rough-housing on the playground after his teachers asked him to stop. There was one incident at lunch where he decided to act up and throw stuff around
Sleeping was also not 100% - while he slept til a good time each morning, he woke up every night to cuddle with Mommy. He mentioned several times that my bed was more cozy than his....
Mommy & Alexander told Daddy that it was time for his very own big boy bed - so stay tuned!
Monday was Halloween - he had his school parade in the morning (which one of the Dad's pointed out to me this was my last TNN parade), then that night we went trick or treating with Daddy & Mimi around our neighbors
Thursday night, Alexander & Mommy had a date night at home - we made dinner, we read books, and got ready for bed...it was a nice relaxing night
Friday night, Mommy & Alexander went to Target to get Addison's birthday present (Daddy went to cousin Nick's football game)
Saturday was a busy day: soccer, lunch with Mommy, Addison's birthday party, then trick or treating with Mommy & Mimi
Daylight savings - this was the first year he wasn't all that effected and woke up at old 6:30am time
Sunday started off as a low-key morning but then progressed to a bad day with his behavior which resulted in timeout and staying home in the afternoon rather than going to play with Michael

Weekend Activities...

2011-11-06T20:17:00.000-05:00

Weekend Activities - yet another busy weekend!

Saturday
Saturday was a BUSY day! Alexander had soccer, a birthday party, then home for trick or treating in our neighborhood. We told Alexander that if there was any fighting/not listening/temper tantrums that he would be staying home as he didn't have a stellar week at school. Thankfully he did very well Saturday morning and was on his best behavior. He was able to go to all of his activities!

He was a bit silly at soccer but we're noticing that he definitely feeds off the energy of other kids - and there was another boy who was definitely into rough-housing this week. However when the coaches had them do just drills to reduce silliness he did well. He just has to focus and ignore kids around him who could get him into trouble.

After soccer, Mommy & Alexander went out to lunch as we had some time to kill before a birthday party that he was invited to. It was for a girl from his class who left his class in September to go to kindergarten...she likes him so much that he was the only one invited from his class. He had fun at the party - they played different games in the gym and then had some cake & ice cream and played some air hockey.

We headed home to meet up with Mimi and get ready for trick or treating! We got all bundled up and headed out! We let him choose which houses he wanted to go to...if the line was too long or seemed a bit creepy he wanted to pass. And because it was daylight, you were able to see everyone's costumes more and he definitely made it a point to stay way from creepy costumes. Yup, no denying this child is just like me when it comes to Halloween!

Sunday
Sunday was going to be a low-key day. Alexander & Daddy had plans to go hang with Michael for a bit at Uncle Matt's. However that changed when Alexander threw a very large temper tantrum when we told him it was time to shut off the Wii and get dressed. He had to have a timeout and as we told him that if he fought with us, he would not get to do fun things...so needless to say, Alexander got a timeout and his punishment was that he couldn't go to Michael's to play. Once he finally calmed down, he & I had some lunch and relaxed a bit. I also told him that if he remained calm & well behaved he could watch the Patriots game that afternoon. He was able to keep it together in order to watch the game...so Daddy & Alexander watched the game together and Alexander asked questions about the game, the plays, and the rules the entire game. It's great seeing him so interested in sports!

Trick or Treating....

2011-11-05T20:17:00.000-04:00

Due to the recent snow storm, our town rescheduled trick or treating to Saturday Nov 5th (weird, I know) but at least this way folks would have power and branches/power lines would be out of the streets.

Mimi & I headed out with our very own Superman to protect us from the villians of our streets. He leaped tall buildings and collected as much candy as one Superhero can hold!

Walking along with Mimi

After one stop on our journey...

Mr. Muscles himself...

BOO!

Soccer Fun...

2011-11-05T15:22:00.000-04:00

Here are some latest videos from soccer

Quotes...

2011-11-02T20:17:00.000-04:00

Here are some good quotes from Alexander recently

There are some dead trees. Oh I can't look, it's just too sad

Mom, did you see that? I stopped the ball with my penis.