You Are My Sunshine

This ADORABLE little guy is my Nephew Alex. He was born December 8, 2005 and he has been a Ray of Sunshine EVER SINCE.

He is soooooo sweet, loving and extremely funny and chatty!!! When people meet him they just can't believe how young he is. He talks like he a teenager - he has no "baby words", "slang" or unclear articulation in him. He has a full fledge conversation with you - and then all of a sudden you look up and realize - WOW I am having this big chat with a 2 year old!!!

He came to us for a sleep over last night - and as usual it was the highlight of my week!!! I came home to him standing in a T-Shirt and my son's boxer brief's with the Guitar Hero Guitar around him and him SINGING You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray, you'll never no dear how much I Love You, Please don't take my Sunshine away!!! Loud and clear and BEAUTIFULLY!!!

I really should be singing that to him - as since birth he has been providing me nothing but SUNSHINE and HAPPINESS.

Saving Gas

One of the benefits of coming to work early (and in the City) is that you can occasionally see something/someone that really either makes you think or makes you laugh.

I had a moment like that this morning. I am sitting in the car at a red light - just about 3 blocks from my parking deck - I look up and coming across the street I see Ole Boy riding a powder blue bike with big white wall tires and a BOOM BOX attached to the handle bars!!! Along with a few other decorations that people would hang from say a rear view mirror in their car.

I chuckled - then said - well he must be saving gas but wants to be able to hear some tunes on the road.....

Summer Fun

Thursday we spent the day at my sister Colleen's pool. Every one of my mother's grandchildren were there - it was a blast. And when I say the day - I mean we were there from about 12:30 - 5:30 and then we went up to her apartment for birthday cake for Miss Alexa Rae. Alexa is our friends Tom & Lisa's daughter. Me, Colleen and Tom grew up together - we have known each other for 28 years!!! So to see all of our kids playing together brings us great joy.

Colleen and Robert you hosted a fun day - we will be back for more........

Perfect Cards

Those who know me well know I love to send cards to my friends and family. I spend lots of time trying to find the perfect words or expressions in the cards to let the special person know how much they mean to me. So with that said - when I receive a special card it touches me in a way I can't explain. I save them in a keepsake box and those that really, really touch me come to my office and hang on my cork board. One card has survived 2 moves and still has a main spot on the board. It is from my very best friend Suzanne - and I received it from her on the one year anniversary of my dads passing. I am sure when she gave me that card on April 8, 1993 she never imagined I would still hold it so dear.

Recently I have received 2 totally fun and totally perfect cards - you know the musical kind!!! On Mother's Day my kids gave me one and when you open it, it plays "Simply The Best" - I cried - as I am doing now - I will never hear that song again without thinking of the card and how the simple gesture meant so much to me.

Yesterday my sister Colleen sent me an AWESOME fun musical card. No occasion - just a hey.... When I opened it, it played - RAPPERS DELIGHT by the Sugarhill Gang!!! And let me tell you it played a good part of the song!!! She knows I will rap that song in a heartbeat - it brings us back to our grandmother's apartment in Queen's and us singing along with our cousin Donna. This card I will have to bring to work just so I can hear the song - and maybe, just maybe I will rap it for my friend Tina.

Such an important message

This is one piece of the Homily from the Father at St. Mark's Church. It is such an important message for all of us. The full Homily was 10 Guidelines From God - this is probably my favorite one:

BE KIND:

Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love all of you. Please try to get along for My sake. I created each of you different in some way. It would be boring if you were all identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.

There you have it - some of the best advice ever. Use it as parents with multiple children, people with siblings, for your co-workers, friends etc..... We all are different in our own ways - and special as well - embrace the differences and the things that make us special - for as Father says - it would be so boring if we were all alike.

Priceless Moments

You could say that recently I have been having many "Mastercard" life moments - here are a few:

Paying extra for my son Joseph to have a private Tae Kwon Do test because testing night fell on the same night his class was meeting for dinner for the last time - Seeing him with all his classmates and teacher having so much fun AND getting to video tape his testing one on one - priceless......

Having 3 extra kids in the house for a week that we had to get to camp, feed, look after, wash clothes for, entertain etc...... - Having them to ourselves and spoiling them by doing things for them their parents would never do (their laundry being one of those things) - priceless......

Paying for dance lessons, recital fees, costumes etc...... - Seeing Danielle up on stage giving it all she has and doing it oh so well - priceless......

Not wanting to pay extra to get my hair colored in the salon I get a box of Loreal (because I am worth it) and bring it home to my mother. So my arm is stained, my face was tough to get clean, and while I waited for the dye to take I looked like Amy Whinehouse - Laughing so hard with my mother and husband as we all feared what I might look like in the end - priceless...... (PS - she did an AWESOME Job)

What a Show

The recital was wonderful - All of the kids from the babies to the Graduating High School Seniors did a GREAT JOB!!!

2 of the High School Seniors have taught our girls for a few years - I personally we be so sad to see them go - they are wonderful teenage girls who are great role models for all the younger girls at the studio - they truly love working with the kids - and our girls love being with them.

When Danielle went to give them an extra hug after the show they broke down, again. I know they will do great in College - and I wish them nothing but the best. Even though I shed a tear as well knowing how much Danielle will miss them.