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And Just Like That…We Have a Teenager!
Today, we celebrate 13 years with this crazy kid! He is living proof that we are not failing as parents. He is kind and compassionate, sarcastic and silly, intelligent and well spoken. He is wise beyond his years and has a fantastic sense of humor. He is polite and well-mannered (most of the time) and he teaches me something new every day. I am proud to be his mama and honored to call him my son. Happy Birthday, sweet Archer James (a.k.a. Archman, Frogman, Butterscotch Pudding, Big, The Big One, The Elder, Archie)! Celebrating on the edge, Shelbee Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
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A Dozen Years & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up On the Edge #652
May 1 was my first born Archie’s dozenth birthday. This got me wondering why do we measure years in decades instead of dozens? If we measured years in dozens, I would be four dozen years old right now instead of five decades old. And four makes me feel younger than five! Either way we measure it, Archie just turned 12 and he wanted to celebrate at WonderWorks where we had Ralph’s “experience” birthday party in March. The kids and Jeff did the ropes course and we all enjoyed the bubble room very much. Check out some photos from the day. The Bubble Room Random Activities The Ropes Course Jeff and…
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Radical Ralphie Turns Ten & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up On the Edge #645
My second born child has reached that double digit milestone birthday of a decade and I feel like it has left my head spinning a little bit wondering how ten years could have zipped by so quickly. In just a few short months, he will complete his 4th grade year and move onto middle school. Middle school ages are so weird for everyone involved, aren’t they? It is the age when puberty begins its long slow torment on pre-teens and their parents. And I am unlucky enough to be right in the midst of menopausal chaos just as my children are entering the most hormonally volatile stage of their young…
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The Essential Back-to-School Checklist
Some people love when it’s time for back-to-school shopping because they get excited about the potential and opportunities that lie ahead with each new beginning. Others, however, may not be so thrilled about getting everything together all at once especially if you have waited until the final hour to start your back-to-school shopping. But with growing children and changing curricula, we can’t avoid the necessity of the school shopping experience. Our kids need all the things to start each new school year so they can stay abreast of their academic studies as well as their budding social lives. While back-to-school shopping can sometimes feel overwhelming with confusing supply lists and…
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As Old as a Decade and That’s a Big Deal & Link Up On the Edge #242
Tomorrow Archie turns 10. And that is a big deal, y’all! One decade ago in the evening hours of this day, I was sitting on my back patio in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with Jeff and my sister and her husband enjoying a steak dinner from the backyard grill. I was 35 weeks pregnant with a due date of June 1. I was hot. I was huge. I was uncomfortable. I was anxious. To ease my anxiety, my sister urged me to have a small glass of wine, reassuring me that baby Archie was all done cooking in there and a few sips of wine would do no harm. Well, apparently Archie…
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And in the Blink of an Eye…
…Eight years has flown by. Where does the time go? How can it move so slowly yet fly by so quickly? My baby is 8 today! We celebrated Radical Ralphie‘s 8th birthday yesterday with a few friends, some pizza, and an amazing strawberry flavored strawberry cake from my favorite baker ever, Monica of Europe Cakes. We started the day with a trip to the park while Archie and Jeff ran some last minute party errands. We ate and laughed and had an obstacle course in the backyard. Then we went to the playground with our friends for two hours in the evening. We finally have some beautiful spring weather here…
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Radical Ralphie: A Patriot in Red
Last Sunday when we ventured out to Sackets Harbor for ice cream and to photograph my Pink Tights & Denim Shorts outfit, Radical Ralphie got his groove back as The Boy Fashion Blogger. Plus he has not been too keen on Awesome Archie trying to steal his spotlight. The sibling rivalry gets stronger every day between these two little scamps of mine. Ralphie did not get dressed with photographs in mind, but it was the first warm day where he could appropriately don his favorite USA tank top. I was a bit cold wearing long sleeves, tights, and a jacket, but Ralphie is not so phased by this cold climate…
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Awesome Archie is Taking Over for Radical Ralphie
Radical Ralphie has refused to get dressed for a photoshoot since January. In fact, he even refused to be part of our Easter family photos yesterday. But his big brother, Awesome Archie, is turning into a willing participant. We had fun with hair dye last weekend. And yesterday, we were able to take some fun photos in the park showcasing Archie’s vibrant blue hair which contrasted perfectly against his light gray camouflage flannel hoodie. Hair Dye Day Archie does not have the same extensive wardrobe as Ralphie. He is definitely a sweatpants and hoodies kind of lad. As he is quickly outgrowing much of his wardrobe, perhaps I will be…
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Radical Ralphie and Big Brother Archie: The Karate Kids
Radical Ralphie and his big brother Archie earned their next level karate belts this weekend. They have been enrolled at Premier Martial Arts in Watertown, New York, for almost a year and it is the one sport/activity that finally captured the interest of both boys. This mom was very happy that they both enjoy the same sport as it saves me a whole lot of running around. However, I do sit at the dojo for 2 1/2 hours every Monday and Wednesday night as they have different practice times for their different age groups. But it is a welcoming place that feels sort of like visiting family. I generally take…
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When Radical Ralphie is Just Not Having It
The child is stubborn. More stubborn than I ever thought possible. I have been accused of being the same way. But this kid wins if it were an actual competition. You know those personality tests that give a brief description of who you are based on the first animal you see in a picture? We did this one the other day and I had to laugh at the description for the animal that Ralphie saw first. “You are a natural-born leader. You naturally know how to convince people to follow you to achieve a common goal, but sometimes you can have a tendency to be dominant and your power can get a bit overwhelming. You are not afraid of any…
