I remember Nana

When I was a little girl I used to spend my weekends with my great grandmother. I have so many memories of her. When I was in 4th grade my family went to live with her. I remember every Sunday after church we would have a big Sunday meal. While we had our dinner in the dining room, the pies that Nana made were being heated up on the kerosene stove in the living room.

I used to watch my Nana baking pies. My absolute favorite part was when she made cinnamon rolls with the leftover pie crusts. Not only did they smell wonderful, but they tasted like heaven!!!

Just this past week I took some pie crust out of the freezer (ok, I use the unroll and bake kind!) and made a batch of cinnamon rolls. They will forever remind me of my Nana. She had such an important and memorable roll in my young life. When I was 16 years old she died and I have held on to some of her things ever since. I still have and USE the old rolling pin and cutting board that she made those cinnamon rolls with!!

take care,
Dawn

ABC's and 123's

It must really be frustrating sometimes to be the child of a teacher! Timmy will come home every night and show me his work. Being a typical boy his fine motor skills could stand some improvement. I've been working with him for a long time to get those letters right! If he has had a particular sloppy day, when he gets home I have him practice writing his letter the correct way. Such was our day last Thursday :)

Friday morning as I was walking down the hall his teacher called me aside. She said, "Here's a conversation Timmy and I just had."

Mrs. B : Timmy you've been practicing your handwriting. It looks very nice.

Timmy: Yes, I had to. She made me!

Now, I certainly remember the summer I was in third grade and got a D in handwriting. My mother had me practice my handwriting all summer long! I was not happy! I do admit, however, it is much better now. I am trying to "nip it in the bud"( as Barney Fife would say) with Timmy now so that he doesn't struggle with it for too long.

This spelling test is now residing on the refrigerator HALL OF FAME! I'm proud of my boy!

take care,
Dawn

Looking Out My Back Door

Timmy spends a lot of time at the kitchen table creating with PlayDoh. The other day he came to get me to tell me to quietly go with him into the kitchen. We looked out the back door and saw this bird just sitting on the deck. All my years of calling Timmy to come take a peek at nature, while being as quiet as possible, has paid off. I grabbed my camera and took a picture of this bird through the kitchen door.

I'm not even going to pretend to even try to guess what kind it is. I'm no good at that. If you know, I'm happy to learn from you.

A few weeks back Timmy's first grade class was learning about winter birds. I sent Timmy to school with a picture of a blue jay I had taken. Timmy came home to tell me that Mr. B, the science teacher, informed him that my bird was not a blue jay. Hey, the bird was blue! What was I supposed to think :)

take care,
Dawn

My Girl!

We have a gentleman that comes to our school about every six weeks. He brings books and gifts from a company called Imagine Nation. I'm addicted to buying things from this man! Last week I bought a pig called "Percy the Singing Pig". Percy sings and dances to the song My Girl. Of course when I saw it I immediately thought of Mackenzie, no not because she is a pig but because she's My (new) Girl.

Take a peek at Percy!



If this doesn't work try this link. Percy The Singing Pig

take care,
Dawn

Halfway to 1!

Mackenzie is 6 months old today, halfway to one! Wow, where had the time gone? I don't want to be accused of playing favorites. Since we celebrated Timmy's half birthday two weeks ago I need to do the same for Mackenzie. I know Brittainy will be mad at me for starting this with Mackenzie already but can't a grandmother be indulgent? I gave Mackenzie a little stuffed bank (with stuffed coins and bills) for her gift. I had to try not to get carried away.

Britt gave me this picture today. She is so cute!! Don't let Brittainy know I said this, but I'm already looking forward to the next grandchild. She doesn't find humor in me saying that.
Now, watch her do what I did and wait 18 years between children .


take care,
Dawn

Lucky

Yesterday Timmy came home from school with grand plans of catching a leprechaun. We didn't have time with company coming to actually make a trap. If you catch a leprechaun he has to give you his pot of gold. However, Timmy decided on the next best thing. Instead of trapping a leprechaun he would simply "bribe him" and ask for gold. Last night after our company had left Timmy came up with a plan. He placed a yardstick up to the table so the wee little leprechaun could climb up and reach the treats he had left for him. He left him a note asking for some gold.
















Ok, so now I'm in a bit of a pickle!! Fortunately, the tooth fairy and I are close and there was a bit of gold in the house to begin with. That leprechaun must have been taken by the generosity of the crackers and gummy worm and left the gold for Tim.


This morning he came barging into our room full of the joy of discovery. That leprechaun had left him some gold. Not only the gold was left behind though. My kitchen floor was covered in gold glitter!!!!! I told Timmy I was not pleased because I had just cleaned the floor the night before. We have decided next year to leave out the broom and dust pan so any leprechaun that finds his way into our home can clean up after himself!

take care,
Dawn

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! I have always loved St. Patrick's Day. As a child we really never did anything special, but for some reason I get excited over it. I know that my great great grandmother, Mary Doyle came to Cape Cod from Ireland. I don't know much about her except for that. I guess I just love any reason to celebrate! I remember years ago I changed my answering machine message to say, " May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be at your back. May I be here next time you have the urge to call me back. And as I can't come to the phone, I'll state the same 'tis old. After the beep leave your message and name any may you find your pot of gold!" Ok, I'm no poet but I enjoyed it!

Today I am trying my hand at making my first corned beef and cabbage. I'm also cooking this in my crockpot since I will be in school all day. I like it but my husband, son and daughter do not! I will be enjoying it with my mother and son-in-law. The traitors will be eating pizza!

My kindergarten class will be enjoying snack of green eggs and ham today. I think some of the kids are just a bit nervous at the thought of green eggs.

take care,
Dawn

I've been tagged :)

Marianne tagged me today.

Four jobs you've had in your life:

1. Chambermaid
2. McDonald's
3. Weaving doormats
4. Kindergarten teacher


Four movies you could watch over and over:

1. It's a Wonderful Life
2. It
3. Imitation of Life
4. Wizard of Oz

Four places you have lived:

1. California MD
2. Lexington Park MD
3. Cape Cod
4. Different towns on Cape Cod

Four TV shows you love to watch:

1. I Love Lucy
2. CSI
3. Criminal Minds
4. Law and Order

Four places you've been on vacation:

1. Hamburg Germany
2. Nova Scotia
3. Portland, Maine
4. Hillsboro, New Hampshire

Four websites I visit daily:

1. ScrapJazz
2. Two Peas in a Bucket
3. Sudoku
4. Friends Blogs

Four favorite foods:

1. beef
2. pasta
3. mexican
4. salad (as long as someone else makes it )

Four places I'd rather be right now:

1. on my first day of summer vacation
2. holding my granddaughter
3. tucking all my report cards COMPLETED in the envelopes ready to go home
4. in a spotless home!

can you tell I'm not big on traveling LOL!

Four friends who I have tagged:

1. Ingrid
2. Beverly
3. I don't know anyone else to ask!
4. ?????


take care,
Dawn

Lights Out Tim.....Whatever you say Mom

Yah, right!!! Timmy has NEVER liked going to bed. I remember when he was just a little guy he would fight it with every ounce of energy he had. When he was old enough to sleep in a toddler bed he would get out of bed every night and turn the light on and get back into bed to play. I started putting duct tape over the switch. That didn't make him happy at all. It was just a matter of days before he realized if he stretched just enough he could pull the tape off! Oh, do I remember those battles.
Now he sleeps with his collection of flashlights. He has so many toys in his bed that there is barely enough room for him!!!!
Timmy latest way to spend his evenings (after the lights out warning!) is to get a book and read by flashlight. There is the mommy side of me that wants to say, "turn out the light and go to sleep", but the other side of me that is just so thrilled he is
reading just pretends I don't know it's happening. I sneak peeks into his room and I just swell with pride at how quickly he is learning. It seems like just yesterday he started kindergarten and now he is about to finish first grade. Graduation is right around the corner!


take care,
Dawn

Three years ago....

I remember so well. We were having a turkey dinner that Sunday night and I was running late so I gave Timmy his bath early. He complained about his neck hurting. During dinner he complained of his neck hurting. He went to bed complaining (and crying) about his neck hurting. He woke up at 10:00 complaining and crying that his neck was hurting. I called the Dr. who sent us to the ER. That night they sent us home with a prescription for a stiff neck. The next day he was still crying about his neck hurting. He had a fever and couldn't stop crying. We went back to the ER and 7 hours later (and many tests later) he was in an ambulance heading to Boston to Children's hospital. Rich and I joined him in Boston. We spent 8 long days in ICU with him. There were some very scary moments. I remember the most frightening day of my life was when Rich and I were taken into a small room with the doctors who told us that there was the possibility that Timmy could die. He was very sick. They had so many teams of doctors trying to figure out what was wrong with him. I stayed by his side in the ICU each day and night. I remember the day there were about 10 doctors over him trying everything they knew how to do to help. His blood pressure had dropped so low! The poor boy was on massive antibiotics and morphine. They finally decided that he had a retropharyngeal abscess with Mediastinitis.


After about six days he stared improving and they decided he didn't need to be as sedated as he was. I remember when they "woke" him up he turned to me with tears in his eyes and mouthed the word "momma" to me. I still get so emotional thinking of that. When he was taken out of the ICU the poor boy started going through morphine withdrawal. He was released from the hospital and sent home with IV antibiotics.

About a week after we got home he started getting very sick again so we went back to Children's Hospital and after many days they discovered that he had allergies to the antibiotics that he was on.

It was the most heart wrenching time of my life!! I know that all my friends and family (even people I didn't know) who were praying for Timmy played such an important part of his recovery.



It's been three years and he is such a healthy boy now and quite the funny boy at that. Today we were driving to school and I told him that he was handsome. A minute later he said, "so I got all the looks" and Brittainy got everything else!".

I can't imagine my life without him. He fills my heart with such joy!!

take care,
Dawn

Half Way to Eight

Halfway to eight. That's what Timmy is today! Ever since he was six months old we have celebrated his half birthday. I remember his first half birthday. We had Mickey Mouse hats, and gave him a rubber hand and foot toy! The stakes are a bit higher now .

This morning he woke up as excited as he does on his birthday. He jumped right in my bed to tell me today was THE day. The anticipation of reaching this new milestone is his life has been with him all week. I think every person he ran into this week heard the story of his half birthday.

He got a couple of things from Rich and me. This afternoon he helped me bake his half birthday cake. We will be enjoying a dinner out at our favorite restaurant, Clancy's and dessert later at home. Timmy asked to put on after shave for the big night. Ahhh, my little guy is growing up!






take care,
Dawn

March comes in like a lion

WOW did it snow. I was anticipating about 4" last night. By the time I went to bed there was already 8" and the snow was just beginning to wind down! I left school just a few minutes early yesterday because it was snowing pretty heavily. The drive home was a bit slippery. Our driveway is a HILL and I couldn't get my car up to my normal parking spot. I parked the car in the road (dead end street) and proceeded to shovel. It was so slippery I that I fell and landed on my backside, but I was able shovel enough snow to drive up and park!
I am sore today :)

It was actually very pretty yesterday afternoon and I took a few pictures. These were taken about 3" into the storm. What a beautiful gift from Mother Nature.









Take care,
Dawn

SNOW, SNOW and more SNOW!

I think after last year's record snowfall (well, maybe not quite record) we are do to get a snow storm today. I love when it snows. It is such a beautiful sight! As much as I love it, I also love the snow day from school. This year, however, I am really hoping to get out of school a little earlier than last year. I hope we don't get so much that school is closed tomorrow.

On of the hardest parts on anticipating a storm is that the news always focuses on Boston, and the Cape's weather is always different. I just found a wonderful website for the Cape's weather.



Earlier this week we got a tiny amount of snow. When
I got to school one of the teachers showed me our school garden.
There were animal tracks. It actually looked like they had a bit of a dance party! The odd thing about the tracks is that our school garden is located in a patch of land in the center of the buildings. There is no way in or out expect through the building. The tracks look like raccoon tracks. The only way they could have gotten in is to climb/jump (whatever it is raccoons do!) up and over the roof!

take care,
Dawn