Zach has started to read my blog more consistently (Hi Sweetie! Love you! Lol. Doing that just to tease him:))

I started a blog back in 2008 and wrote in it sporadically until May 2011 when I switched to this one. I decided to print the original blog out and made a cute little book of it. I started reading it over and was amazed at all the little things I had forgotten! Zach started reading it too and enjoyed asking me questions and reading the stories and memories. The other night, we read a “story” from it – it was a memory of an experience we had had together that I had documented (“The Pink Ball”). Just reading it together was a tender moment – and brought tears to both our eyes. It made me realize how important it is to me to document the little things so that the memories are solidified and I have a record to share; which later bonds us together as we share it.

I noted that many of the things that are fun to look back on are the small details and ho hum moments happening at the time. They may not be fun to read for some readers of this blog; but they are certainly fun for me and my family – which is who this blog is really for anyhow:)

Perhaps things like Gabe coming home with the permission forms for the school trip at the end of the year and courageously saying he was going and acting excited about it. I know it is very very stressful for him. But what a long way he has come to try to face his fear and do something really hard for him, and commit to going to this 3 day trip! Or the fact that last week I got a very organized email with his Christmas list ideas, dividing what he was asking for from us and then from his Mom. Loved the organization and loved the fact that he addressed the email to both me and his Mom, rather than sending it to us separately. Why should he always have to divide his life like that? He is one person, and should be able to blend his whole life without worrying about things like “is it ok to address an email to both of them”. Good for him!

Alexandra got a letter in the mail the other day from her best friend Insa who unfortunately moved to England in the summer. Rob said she literally squealed with delight when she got it. When I got home, she immediately asked me to read it, then she quickly finished her homework so she could write her a letter back! The next day, she proudly carried her letter to school to show all her friends. I also love that as she is growing, she is still somewhat a little girl:) On her Christmas list is another American Girl Doll (she is absolutely dying to go to New York to the American Girl Store) and an Easy Bake Oven. She still is my Friday night TV show buddy: Say Yes to the Dress is still a favorite of ours! But Gilmore Girls was supposed to replace that, however all the boys want to watch that too with us so we always need to wait for them!!

I don’t want to forget how excited Zach is to be on the school rugby team! He must have said a thousand times a day before the tournament that he was excited about the tournament! They won.

I wasn’t able to go – but Rob went for a bit and surprised Zach as he didn’t think anyone could go (and took the above picture on his iphone). He is trying to find things for his Christmas list: has some soccer stuff (soccer is still a real passion), but we are going window shopping next week on his PA day so he can get a few ideas! He is enjoying taking guitar lessons and it is great to hear him practicing and I’m amazed at how well he plays given the short time he has been taking lessons. He is also liking violin that he is taking at school -along with Zandra. Zach is heading over to his best bud Caz’s for a sleepover tomorrow night and is so excited about that.

Josh is passionate about soccer still. I’m not sure that will ever change. He was selected to play Rep next year and is looking forward to that. He finishes his homework as quick as possible so he can go outside to play soccer – often on his own as the other boys are still working. Now with the time change, he is playing outside still while it is pitch black. He argues that he can still see when we tell him to come in! On his Christmas list, it is no surprise that everything soccer is on it: soccer ball, soccer cards, soccer book and a couple of Jersey’s (which he spells “gerese”). The only one little “different” thing on his list is that he wants a “horsy – brone” (brown). He was in Home Depot with Rob a couple of weeks ago and saw a rocking horse he fell in love with and now wants it from Santa!! He erased the “golf clubes and golf balles” that were originally on it (???). I was able to snap a pic of it on my i-phone (MR= Mom and Rob; D – Dad):

I already shared Sam’s cuteness with his Christmas list on a blog post the other day. He still wants that Magic Wand!! Sam is getting into the groove of doing his homework too. Everybody does it at the dining room table right after school – so now he joins them! The other day he was doing a reading program on the computer that he had for homework where the book is read aloud to him and he has to repeat and answer questions. Everyone was working hard when all of a sudden we heard Sam repeating the voice from the reading program: “The police play with guns”. We all turned and said “What?? What are you reading?” Then he repeated it again and the voice said, “You are correct”! What kind of books is he reading!!

So, that is a small snippet of some daily, ho hum stuff. But even the ho-hum stuff is really cute and meaningful to me:) I don’t want to forget these daily moments. Afterall, it’s the moments that make our life worth living.