The perfect golf swing

Katie's not even three, and check out that form (She is in the picture to the left, of course).

Her Daddy is so proud!

My cup runneth over

Since I shared my ride out of town with you on Wednesday, I only thought it balanced that I share my ride back home with you. So, as I drove home last night and called the house to report my arrival, I had the following conversation...

Katie: Hi, Mommy!

Mom: Hi, Kate.

Katie: I miss you, Mommy. You need to come home.

Mom: I am coming home, sweetie. Mommy is at the airport.

Katie: Why are you at the airport?

Mom: I came home on a big plane. I was at work.

Katie: Mommy, I miss you. You need to come home.

Mom: I love you, honey, and will be home soon.

Katie: I want to go to the airport to get Mom Mom and Pop Pop.

Mom: Soon, honey. Soon. I will be home soon.

Katie: You need to come home, Mommy. Richie said I need to clean up my toys.

Mom: He did? Well, maybe you should help clean up.

Katie: Well (thinking about my answer)....you need to come home, Mommy. I miss you.

Mom: I am coming home, dear. Mommy is driving her car now.

Katie: You need to sleep with Daddy tonight.

Mom: Okay, honey. Tell Daddy Mommy will sleep with him.

Katie (to Daddy): Mommy will sleep with you, Daddy.

Daddy (in background): Thanks, Kate.

Katie: Mommy, I sleep with you too. You need to come home. Where are you, Mommy?

Mom: I am driving my car, Kate. I will be home soon. I missed you, honey. I love you.

Kate: I missed you, too, Mommy. I love you. You worked on a big plane?

For ten minutes, the conversation continued...I learned about her day at Marci's, how she had an accident outside, that Conor was asleep, she went on a walk, and so on...

I am so lucky to have been blessed with this family and all its love. My cup runneth over.

You are the best thing

Dearest Joe-

As I left for Chicago this afternoon, and drove the eighty mile trek down to the Baltimore/Washington Airport, I admired the beauty of Spring on the Pennsylvania/Maryland border. The trees were all baring their new, green leaves, and the highway median flourished with petite, yellow flowers. The sun was slowly breaking through the clouds, which caused me to open the sunroof and enjoy the coolness of the Spring air.

I reached into the passenger seat and rummaged through the plethora of CDs scattered about. I will admit, this time, I was thankful for your lack of organization as it made getting to the good stuff a lot easier.

I am not sure if it was the immaturity of the flowers or the fresh smell of the air following the afternoon rain that left me feeling like a school girl in love. Perhaps, it was a combination of both. I miss you already.

Then, came this song bellowing from the speakers…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpJnBDzSXo0

Happy Birthday, Dear!

Before I draw the curtains on Chicago tonight and tuck myself in, I want you to know, “You are the best thing that ever happened to me!” I wish you a wonderful day and am looking forward to spending the day with you at Fanfest on Saturday. Enjoy your birthday. You deserve it! XOXO

Me.

Dare to dream

It was Sunday night, and we were watching the Miss USA pageant. Yes, America's Funniest Home Videos was on, and this is the show we typically gather for after filling our bellies with dinner. However, on this night, Katie got one glance of the crown and we were hooked.

Watching what happened next had me admiring the imagination of a child. Katie changes who she is and what she is to be called (name) almost daily. We kindly comply with her requests because they are simple, and the giggles of joy that follow are so contagious they will bring tears to your eyes. True feel good stuff.

Dearest Kate- I hope you always have such a deep imagination, and may you dare to dream...

The Miss USA Pageant - she is in the swimsuit competition

Princess "Katie" hiding from the spiders

"Ballerina" Clark

A "Booga" (I have no idea)

Katie "Snow White" Clark

A trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania...again

After a fun filled weekend of family, friends, and lots of Easter candy, Mom Mom and Pop Pop headed to Hershey, PA with the kids. As you can tell from the larger photo, another fun filled day left them out of gas on the way home.

Easter Sunday

We followed Conor's Big Birthday Bash with Easter Sunday. The day started early with kids mass, followed with a heartly breakfast at the local hot spot, and ended with Easter Dinner at Aunt Kathy's. Katie and Conor made out like bandits (almost better than the day before), and filled their bellies with an assortment of Peeps and chocolate. Mom Mom, Pop Pop, GrandMom, Pop, Uncle Mike, Aunt Sandy, Antonio, and The Patti Clan were all there to enjoy in the Easter fun.

We have been busy...

Let me first apologize to all who have been routinely keeping up with our family blog. Mom Mom and Pop Pop have been in from Texas since Good Friday, and we have been busy. I have been playing around and sampling some photo collages to capture all our fun, wonderful happenings. Here we go...Enjoy!

First, here are the highlights from the Big Birthday Bash!

Happy Birthday Conor!

Today, our little Conor-saurus celebrated his First birthday with his favorite group of friends at Ms Marci's. Below are some of the highlights...

My first birthday present.

The paper was my favorite!

Waiting for cupcakes with Richie...my buddy.

Who needs a plate?

Mmmm...Chocolate!

I love birthdays!

A letter to my son on his first birthday...

I loved the idea of writing a letter to the kids on their birthday so much (Thank you, OhMommy), that I decided to start a little tradition of my own...

Dearest Conor, Con-man, Conor-saurus, Brother, my little man...

Tomorrow is your birthday. You will be one year old. As I rocked you to sleep tonight, I found myself reflecting on all your wonderful "first moments".

I remember being pregnant with you wondering if I would ever be able to love another child as much as I love your sister. Then you were born...on that day, one year ago, my heart was full. The first time I held you, I was over the hills in love with you and still am.

You remind me so much of your Father. You have a wonderful, joyous disposition, smiling at everyone that crosses your path. I love how your smoky giggle pours out after a game of peek a boo or a quick tickle. Your laugh is infectious!

You constantly look for a ball or truck to play with, and love to drum on anything you can find. Boozer, the dog, fascinates you, and you would play all day in the bath tub if you could. Water is by far your favorite, whether it is running from the sink, the bath tub, or the flushing toilet. You are surely a water bug and are full of energy!

You and your sister are the best of friends. You want to be with her always, and share the biggest smile when she greets you good morning and kisses you before bed each night. I hope the two of you will share this loving bond always.

So as I sat there with you tonight, I absorbed the fresh smell of your skin, the rise and fall of your chest on mine, and how you seem to be the perfect size to hold. I know that just like the first year of your life, these moments, too, will pass quickly.

Before I know it, you will be too big to hold in my lap and too "cool" to kiss me good-bye. So, right now...tonight...I will hold you for just a few more minutes...

Happy First Birthday, Conor. Mommy is so proud of you!

And all this time I thought you were a good eater...

Since we started introducing solids to the Con-Man at six months, we have always been proud of what a good eater he was. Even these last few months, he has finished his meals and never been picky in what we gave him, be it fruits, veggies, or meat. When he was ten months old, we took him to the doctor and they said he was only in the 15 percentile for weight. At twenty pounds, we didn't worry because he eats so great!

On the other hand, the dog, Boozer, came back from his veterinary exam last week with the following on his record:

Musculoskeletal System: Overweight

The below video explains it all. And to think all this time I thought you were a good eater...

K-A-T-I-E...Katie is just like me!

For those of you who know me well, skip to the second paragraph below. For those of you who do not, let me explain something about myself...

I love music and always have! When I was younger, I prefered to dance to music or use a song to explain one adolescent feeling or another. As I grew older and moved out West, I found a love for the melody and lyrics of a song. So much so that I bought a guitar, and still have a dream to one day play it well. Today, I still love music. While I am not dancing anymore, I always have a song playing in the house or in the car, try to catch a live show here and there, and still love a good lyric. With kids though, I have found a new talent (according to Joe). I have combined my love of music with my ability to rhyme. After all, isn't that what songs are? Little stories...little rhymes...

My little jingles have entertained the kids over the last few years, whether Kate was peeing on the potty, playing on the slide, splashing in the bath, brushing her teeth, and so on. Recently, we have been teaching Katie how to spell and write her name. So, yes, I thought this too was appropriate to sing about. And with that came...

K-A-T-I-E...Katie is the name for me!

She loved it so much, she immediately requested I deliver one for Daddy, Mommy, and Conor (thankfully, she stopped there because I was running out of creativity). Last night, we were singing our latest release of jingles and when we got to Daddy, she sang the following...

D-A-D-D-Y...Daddy is a Super guy! (giggle, giggle, smile, giggle, giggle)

What is great about this jingle is that it was all her own. It was different than the one I came up with days before. Her Dad was so impressed with her creation, he responded with a proud, "Thanks, Kate".

Her Daddy is a "Super Guy", but I think she takes after her Momma (wink, wink).

Where are you Spring?

Since early in the month of March, we have been bracing ourselves for Spring's arrival. After all, March is officially the first month of Spring. It is the month when school's let out for "Spring Break", the trees start to bud, and daylight savings time occurs.

However, Spring doesn't always spring when we would like it to here in Pennsylvania. After being indoors all winter, the kiddos (as well as Mom and Dad) are ready to run wild outdoors. Katie wants desperatly to put on her "Princess" helmet and pedal her bike, while Conor waits to take his first ride in the "Big Red Car". Therefore, when the weather man projects high temperatures in the upper forties, we hope maybe (just maybe) the winds will be calm and we can make it outside for a quick run on the swings.

Yesterday, was just that day. For a small window before dinner, the kids were able to let loose on the swings and enjoy warmer weather...a balmy 54 degrees!

While I am not ready to call it Spring, I am hopeful that warmer weather lie ahead. On the other hand, today is the first day of April and with it comes rain outside my window... Where are you Spring?