Made my day

This is currently hanging up outside Gavin's classroom.I needed this today.

The Patch and Lucas

Many of you have asked why Gavin is wearing an eye patch in so many pictures. Gavin has amblyopia. A very basic explanation is he uses one eye more than the other and because of that he stopped using his slightly worse eye making it even worse. If intervention was not made, he could eventually go blind in that eye. The eye patch and glasses force him to use is bad eye, making it stronger. It is reversible up to 7-8. Gavin has been really good about wearing it and is confident when people ask him why he wears it. He gives a great response. I think he feels a little sensitive about it now, but still does ok.

I love this picture because Gavin's best friend often insists on wearing a patch when Gavin has his on and it makes me happy.

Gavin loves Lucas. Many of his school projects reflect this. Here is a picture from early on in the school year. He most recent project on the board is a poem that Gavin wrote about Lucas.

Gavin and Eli's winter photo dump

Well, I wish I had done a better job recording this past winter, but I didn't, so I am just going to do a little update post on Gavin and Eli and things that stand out from our winter.
GAVIN-

Piano-Gavin started piano and has loved it.  He has his dad's ear for music.  It comes naturally to him, which makes me glad because it didn't ever come naturally to me.  Within the first weeks he figured out how to play his favorite song "Dynamite" with a little help from daddy.

Speaking of Dynamite, Gavin is picking up on some pop music from school and comes home singing his new favorite songs.  His absolute favorite was Dynamite.  He has it completely memorized.  He has a little dance for it.  He also likes Taylor Swift.

Hula Hoop-  I ask him what he does at recess or gym every day and he says "hulu hoop"  He has gotten pretty good at it!

He continues to love school.  He has been on a few field trips. He had a Bollywood Dance performance!

He is so excited for this baby.  He will rub my belly and say "I can't wait for August (my due date)."

He loves to make books. He switches types all the time.  He was making cook books for a while.  He made this bird a while back.  He also came up with direction on how to make a push up flower.  I didn't prompt him. He just came to me with it.

Both Eli and Gavin took some fun classes to help us through the winter!

ELI-

Eli is also very excited for the baby.  He is surprisingly loving and gentle with babies.  Hopefully, he will be just as loving with his new baby brother.

He LOVES puzzles.  Sometimes with very little help he will put together 5-6 large puzzles mostly by himself all at once.  For our special time alone together he often requests that we do a "tricky puzzle."

He continues to adore Ms. Amy and Book Buddies (his preschool). I know he is learning a lot each week and that more importantly he is having fun.   Here is a picture of us on a "field trip" to the fire station. 

I love my time with him.  I am glad we will have some one on one time before the baby comes.  He melts my heart a lot of the time and he makes me want to pull my hair out the rest of the time.

BOOK BUDDIES!

book buddy field trip to firehouse

A warm Saturday spent with friends

Gav's field trip to Victory Theater

Gav's class on subway for fieldtrip

One of Gav's many projects he creates by himself

class at NY sports club

Valentines Day

Transit Museum

After Gav's Bollywood perfromance

Eli's and Brandon

Eli and Lillian

Gavin at piano

A Perfect Mother's Day Weekend

Mother's Day 2011

Mother's Day was absolutely fabulous.  I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.  The weather was around 70 and sunny both Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday we went to the NY Botanical Gardens with our friends, The Blaires.  The gardens were opening a new Azalea Garden and they were celebrating with an old fashioned garden party and picnic.   The Azeals were so beautiful.  I wish this picture could show you how beautiful they were. 

Our friend Lucas joined us at the gardens.  Gavin came with Boyd after baseball.

The kids and Boyd played crochet

They flew kites

We picnicked on the lawn and enjoyed great company. (why didn't I get a picture of our picnic)

On Sunday, Boyd stayed home and made breakfast and we even got to go to church together.

Our church meetings were uplifting and full of the spirit.  After church we enjoyed a picnic in Central Park.  Boyd finished off the evening by making crab legs, roasted vegetables, and mashed potatoes. 

I loved every minute of it and I am so grateful for my boys and my role as mother!

Sisters

My sister came for a visit this past weekend and it was so wonderful. She left her 4 kids with her husband in Texas (Thanks Jereme). We had some great sister time. We talked, ate, talked some more, had pedicures, talked, ate, shopped, and talked some more. We even saw The Importance of Being Earnest. I love you Anna Min. Thanks for visiting me.

Chess

The boys have been playing a lot of chess these days.  Gavin will wake up in the morning and ask Boyd to play first thing.  They have even played in the park on the chess tables.  It is fun to see him take and interest.  Eli usually plays for a little bit and then abandons the game.  Boyd will step in and attempt to get out of the "mess" Eli usually leaves for him.  It is Boyd's challenge. 

It's a....

BOY!  That's right, we are going to be having another BOY! 

Boyd, Gavin, and I went to my 20 week anatomy scan this week.  We decided to bring Gavin because he has been so excited about this baby. He has wanted to see pictures and asks every week if he can more pictures, so we decided we had better let him come. 

There has been no hiding the fact that I have really been wanting a girl to add to our little family.  I felt very strongly that it was going to be a girl.  I even had her name all picked out. (Louisa) (I am going to still use that   if we every have a 4th and she happens to be a girl, so don't steal it!  ahhah) 

The ultra sound technician announced within the first few minutes, "It's a GIRL!"  WHAT?  I teared up.  I was so happy.  I could hardly believe it.  Then about 4-5 minutes later, she said, "umm, I am going to try and get a better look, because I think I am seeing something down there."  Sure enough, she saw "something" down there.  There was no mistaking that "something" determined it was not a girl, but in fact a boy. 

I am not going to lie and say that I didn't break down and cry.  I tried to hide it from Gavin.  I didn't want him telling his future brother some day.  Of course, I am writing this post and someday, he will probably read it, but by then he shouldn't have any doubts that we love him and cherish him!

The night I found out, my friends organized a little gathering of friends to announce what I was having.  Everyone was supposed to wear pink if they thought I was having a girl and blue if they thought I was having a boy.  I was supposed to wear what it  really was.  I wore a blue shirt with a pink sweatshirt over it.  I figured I could trick them since that is what happened to me!  It was a fun night and it was fun to be around such great friends.

I am so grateful to be pregnant and to have this little spirit growing inside me. I can honestly say that I love him so much already.  I will be a mom to 3 boys!  The thought overwhelms me a little bit, but I think we can handle it.  The two little guys I have already are so special and adorable and I know the 3rd little boy is going to be just as special.