School's Out!!!

This school year went so fast!

We are so proud of how well Maria and Michael adjusted to their new school and new friends.

Even though nobody was "graduating" we wanted them to know just how proud we were at the efforts and progress they made this year.

The sound all the kids on the bus made when everyone saw the balloons and streamers made it that much more special for Maria and Michael.

Kerplink, Kerplank, Kerplunk

We went back to the berry patch this morning to pick blueberries!

Blueberries grow on bushes (or short trees) so it was much more pleasant than all the stooping down we had to do when we went strawberry picking last month.

Lucy had a great time! She had us all in stitches everytime she grabbed a blueberry, usually a still green one, held it up to her Daddy and asked, "I eat dis?"

10.5 pounds of blueberries is nothing to sneeze at and that's just what the Massa family collected! Grandma and Papa collected almost as much as well. We each probably ate almost as much as we collected to bring home. Lucy may have even eaten her weight in blueberries!

In case you were wondering what Kerplink, Kerplank, Kerplunk is all about, it comes from this book. "Blueberries for Sal" is a favorite in our family and we all highly recommend it.

Strawberry Saturday

We all had a great time strawberry picking with Grandma and Papa. Everybody's fingers and shoes were red by the time we left. Lucy didn't do any picking but she certainly sampled a lot!

A Cautionary Tale

Improper use of your toothbrush and dental floss can make you look and sound like these poor children...

So sad...

So Far, So Good

Summer has started off with a BANG!

We celebrated Memorial Day in a big way.

Michael, Nick and the rest of the local Boy Scout Troops placed flags on the graves of veterans at all the many local cemetaries. Next we attended a Veteran's Memorial ceremony at the cemetary across the street (road). Emily and Lucy were not fans of the 21 gun salute but I'm a big crybaby and get all choked up at any display of patriotism.

After that, we raced over to Hyde Park to watch a parade. Parades up here are a big deal to the kids...they're frickin MARDI GRAS! Parade marchers throw beads and, more importantly, CANDY to the people lining their route.

From Hyde Park we drove back to our 'hood for the Native American Festival at Bowdoin Park. The kids got a kick out of the people in traditional dress and all the yelling, drumming and stomping they did. We closed the day with a BBQ because, as my husband says, "It's the LAW!"

Sadly, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are both finished for the year, but what a year it was!

Michael did great in the Pinewood Derby, the Space Derby and the Rain Gutter Regata. He hiked along the Appalachian Trail, visited the Museum of Natural History, marched in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and sold popcorn and more popcorn and more popcorn. At the year-end picnic he graduated from cub scout to wolf scout and he (and we) couldn't be prouder.

Monday night was the Girl Scouts bridging ceremony where Maria graduated from Brownie to Junior. Maria had an AWESOME first year of girl scouts. After the past couple years of dealing with nasty "friends" in Astoria, Maria was welcomed, with open arms, by the sweetest bunch of girls into an already established Brownie troop. Maria and the girls had a sleepover at the Children's Museum, toured our local Shop Rite, learned about different cultures, met other troops, had a Father/Daughter bowling night, sang Christmas carols at the mall, marched in the St. Pat's parade, and sold Girl Scout cookies. Best of all, Girl Scouts allowed me and Nick to relive our youth at Family Skate at the roller rink. At her overnight camping trip the only thing Maria wasn't a fan of was the bugs (she used an entire can of bug spray in only 24 hours).

The little ladies and I have been keeping ourselves busy too.

Hopefully, once school lets out on the 25th, our summer continues to be a blast.

LIVE from Wap Falls!

Since my last "official" post in February 2008, there have been many changes.

Lucy joined the clan and she fit right in. We were worried about Em being jealous, but she was in love with her new baby the minute she met her. It's been so much fun watching the two of them become friends and playmates. Michael likes to remind us that Lucy is Mexican "because she was born on cinco de mayo."

We moved up to the dreaded country that I once complained about in earlier posts. It seems a lifetime ago that I swore I'd never leave the city! We're only minutes away from my parents and I no longer drive white knuckled on dark country roads or at 10mph on the twisty back roads.

I have NEW fears since we're up here...TICKS! Dutchess County is the tick capital of the world and I'm convinced that our property is their starting point. I'm working on getting over my fear of my own backyard and don't freak out anymore if I do (heaven forbid) find one on a member of my family. Other than that I love it up here!

The kids are growing like weeds and continually offer me inspiration for the books I've written in my head and will one day actually put to paper.

Emily, no doubt, is my greatest inspiration, but, like I joke, there's not yet a market for a line of children's books aimed at foul mouthed three year olds.

Maria offers me glimpses, every now and again, of the kind of teenager she will one day become. While that day is still four and a half years away, I alternate between fear and weepy nostalgia when I remember how quickly these, almost, nine years have gone by.

Michael has an old soul and amazes us with his insights and observations on everything around him. It's easy to forget that he's only six and a half until you catch a glimpse of gap-toothed grin.

Lucy is all over the place these days. We don't know what she's saying, but she's certainly never at a loss for words. It's only a matter of time before she begins making sense.

Despite all my blessings, life certainly is not easy these days. My faith, a good sense of humor and my refusal to sink into the black hole of despair keeps me going. I've seen how much "fun" depression can be and it's definitely NOT for me.

The kids are home from school so there's homework to be done, dinner to be made and this, that and everything else in between!

Stay Tuned

It's been a looong time, and one child, since my last post.

Since one of my best friends is moving across the country this week and we ALL are way too busy LIVING to spend hours on the phone like we all used to BC (before children), it's probably a good idea to start up the blog as a way to keep up to date on what we're doing (cause EVERYONE wants to know what the Massa fam is up to...right?).

I won't lie and say I'll update on a regular basis, but I'll try to post a little more often than once every year and a half.

Stay tuned for my first update on this, that and everything else in between.