While my mother was on the telephone at my house the other day, I was trying to listen to her conversation so that I would be able to help her if necessary. I had asked Brendan to stop talking several times. Here is how the conversation proceeded...
Me: "Can you stop talking? Do you ever stop talking?"
Him: "Sorry, I have a mouth."
Today all the kids were playing in the Kulik's yard across the street. All were rolling down their front lawn. Patrick stopped at one point and lied in the grass. While lying there I asked him to get up so he didn't get any ticks. I told him that if he didn't get up and got ticks who would remove them because I wasn't. His response:
"You have to, your my mother."
Showing posts with label Patrick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patrick. Show all posts
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
An Even Playing Field and Pretty Girls
I love the beach. For anyone who has read this blog you know I spend a lot of time at Humarock Beach. It is my favorite place to be. I grew up there. My parents bought a small cottage there 43 years ago~6 months before I was born. I have wonderful memories of summers spent there.
Now my kids enjoy it as well. They LOVE it really. They love the beach like I did, love the ocean and even can dive right in to the frigid cold Atlantic Ocean water like I did when I was their age. They spend hours in it like I did as well. It is their second home and from the first sign of warm weather in the spring they ask when we are going back.
For both the reasons I mention above, I love Humarock Beach. As a mom I have a new appreciation for it. It brings an even playing field and days together that are enjoyed with almost no fighting at all. The beach, with all it's beauty, brings an even playing field for all kids~but especially siblings! Another friend of mine made this observation while we were there earlier this summer. Last week Brian, the kids and I spent our vacation there. I noticed what she meant during our vacation. It's hard to fight with such a wide open space to play. Don't want to build a sand castle, then go into the water, don't want to ride waves anymore, then get your skimboard, float on the tube, read a book, or just sit and soak up the warm sun. The house is so close to the beach, and the older boys just old enough, that I can now send them back to the house for a snack or if they just need a break. There's so much room to split them up or let them play together. It makes for such a fun and relaxing day for them and, sometimes more importantly, me.
As with last year, we had another wonderful week at the beach. We are so fortunate to live near the water and have a summer home to go to and a place to go to when we all need to have some space from each other~which inevitably brings us all back together when we get there!
On another note~my oldest has a crush. He has had this crush for two years now. He is the sweetest, kindest boy. Today after lacrosse practice he asked if he could put the BTR cd in the car stereo. The other day I skipped over the boyfriend song because I find it annoying. Tonight he asked if he could listen to the cd and made it a point to let me know he wanted to listen to the "boyfriend" song as well. I asked him teasingly if it was because he liked someone. At first he wouldn't say, then he told me that I knew who it was. The same girl he has mentioned a handful of times. To back up a bit~I honestly can't believe they have crushes at this age. They seem too young. This girl would tie his shoes in second grade. I think the attention is what he liked. When he told me tonight that I already knew who it was I said to him that I thought she was a sweet girl and a "good catch". He asked me what I meant by "good catch" and I told him just what I said~that she is a sweet girl. His response was, "and she's pretty too." So flippin sweet!
Now my kids enjoy it as well. They LOVE it really. They love the beach like I did, love the ocean and even can dive right in to the frigid cold Atlantic Ocean water like I did when I was their age. They spend hours in it like I did as well. It is their second home and from the first sign of warm weather in the spring they ask when we are going back.
For both the reasons I mention above, I love Humarock Beach. As a mom I have a new appreciation for it. It brings an even playing field and days together that are enjoyed with almost no fighting at all. The beach, with all it's beauty, brings an even playing field for all kids~but especially siblings! Another friend of mine made this observation while we were there earlier this summer. Last week Brian, the kids and I spent our vacation there. I noticed what she meant during our vacation. It's hard to fight with such a wide open space to play. Don't want to build a sand castle, then go into the water, don't want to ride waves anymore, then get your skimboard, float on the tube, read a book, or just sit and soak up the warm sun. The house is so close to the beach, and the older boys just old enough, that I can now send them back to the house for a snack or if they just need a break. There's so much room to split them up or let them play together. It makes for such a fun and relaxing day for them and, sometimes more importantly, me.
As with last year, we had another wonderful week at the beach. We are so fortunate to live near the water and have a summer home to go to and a place to go to when we all need to have some space from each other~which inevitably brings us all back together when we get there!
On another note~my oldest has a crush. He has had this crush for two years now. He is the sweetest, kindest boy. Today after lacrosse practice he asked if he could put the BTR cd in the car stereo. The other day I skipped over the boyfriend song because I find it annoying. Tonight he asked if he could listen to the cd and made it a point to let me know he wanted to listen to the "boyfriend" song as well. I asked him teasingly if it was because he liked someone. At first he wouldn't say, then he told me that I knew who it was. The same girl he has mentioned a handful of times. To back up a bit~I honestly can't believe they have crushes at this age. They seem too young. This girl would tie his shoes in second grade. I think the attention is what he liked. When he told me tonight that I already knew who it was I said to him that I thought she was a sweet girl and a "good catch". He asked me what I meant by "good catch" and I told him just what I said~that she is a sweet girl. His response was, "and she's pretty too." So flippin sweet!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Happy Birthday, Patrick!
As his actual birthday was October 15th, this post is long overdue, in part due to the busy schedule of my now 10 year old, Patrick. He is a go getter, an achiever, athletic, social, kind and smart. An all around stereotypical 1st child. Even without all those qualities, we love him so much and can't believe he's 10!
He is also a kid who takes him time doing almost everything (his most frustrating quality to date), which is apropo since he took his sweet time to be born. My water broke on a Friday night at about 10 pm and he didn't come into this world until Sunday afternoon at 3:30~and even at that point it wasn't willingly. He is still this way today.
I remember that day as if it were yesterday, and I can't believe it was 10 years ago. In those 10 years he has already done so much. He excels academically...and amazes me that he doesn't accept anything lower than a 90. I think he's only received a grade lower than 90 once in his short elementary career. He reads voraciously...loves nearly everything he can get his hands on. Harry Potter, Lightning Thief, history (my favorite, which I am so excited about)...he'll read books in a day. He loves sports, especially soccer and baseball. I loved playing baseball with him in the front yard of our old house when he was three and then with he and Sean when Sean was about the same age. It's one of my best memories of them when they were younger.
Above all, he is such a good person. He is kind, loving, a good friend, brother and son. He talks with everyone and excludes no one. In his 10 years I have never heard him say anything bad about anyone until recently (and that was to comment that another student in school, who has been mean to him, was not nice). Even this he has handled with grace and composure.
We are so fortunate to have him in our lives and love him so much!
He is also a kid who takes him time doing almost everything (his most frustrating quality to date), which is apropo since he took his sweet time to be born. My water broke on a Friday night at about 10 pm and he didn't come into this world until Sunday afternoon at 3:30~and even at that point it wasn't willingly. He is still this way today.
I remember that day as if it were yesterday, and I can't believe it was 10 years ago. In those 10 years he has already done so much. He excels academically...and amazes me that he doesn't accept anything lower than a 90. I think he's only received a grade lower than 90 once in his short elementary career. He reads voraciously...loves nearly everything he can get his hands on. Harry Potter, Lightning Thief, history (my favorite, which I am so excited about)...he'll read books in a day. He loves sports, especially soccer and baseball. I loved playing baseball with him in the front yard of our old house when he was three and then with he and Sean when Sean was about the same age. It's one of my best memories of them when they were younger.
Above all, he is such a good person. He is kind, loving, a good friend, brother and son. He talks with everyone and excludes no one. In his 10 years I have never heard him say anything bad about anyone until recently (and that was to comment that another student in school, who has been mean to him, was not nice). Even this he has handled with grace and composure.
We are so fortunate to have him in our lives and love him so much!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
How to Explain Death to a Child
I feel like I'm being too serious with my posts (and this certainly is a serious one). I would like to be more witty and fun, but my main purpose of this blog is to keep track of my children's lives and the events in them. Tonight I had a doozie.
My oldest's mood deteriorated this afternoon after he got home from school. He and I had butt heads over his use of the computer (not like moms been on too much today) and lack of helping me with any chores. He was grumpy and downright mean to me. Finally, at bedtime, he asked if he could talk with me in his room. After some back and forth that made no sense to me, he finally admitted that he had been thinking of his grandfather who passed away four years ago. At the time my son was 5~who knew what an effect it would have on him. It has become obvious, especially tonight, that he is at the age where he is putting a lot of thought into life, love, loss and all that comes with the loss of a loved one.
Tonight he told me that he is bothered by his inability to change things in his life. After some questioning, I found that he is feeling guilty about decisions he has made (not serious decisions-but ones a 9 year old would be bothered by like not showing respect to his mother). He is obviously becoming concerned with the mortality of me, my husband and his other grandparents. And feeling guilty about times when maybe he hasn't behaved for us. I told him that, although he can't take back poor decisions he's made, he absolutely can change that behavior in the future and that we all need to work on that (including me). I told him that, although I wish Grampy were still with us, he lived a long, happy life with his family and he was fortunate with all he had. I told him that death is a part of life, but if you've lived a long, productive, happy life then that's all that matters. I told him that his father and I plan on being here for a long time and he is not to worry about us.
This boy is so sensitive and so much more in tune than I give him credit for. He told me that he is upset that his Grampy never got to meet the twins and hasn't been able to share any of the important accomplishments in his life. I tried to explain to him that his dad and I feel the same way, but that Grampy is watching over us and does see what he and his brothers and sisters are doing every day. The disappointing part for us is that we are unable to share these moments with Grampy and see for ourselves how proud he is of us.
My heart broke for him because I remember having these same feelings after my first granmother past away. Being a parent is so difficult at every stage and I can only hope that I did right by him with our conversation.
My oldest's mood deteriorated this afternoon after he got home from school. He and I had butt heads over his use of the computer (not like moms been on too much today) and lack of helping me with any chores. He was grumpy and downright mean to me. Finally, at bedtime, he asked if he could talk with me in his room. After some back and forth that made no sense to me, he finally admitted that he had been thinking of his grandfather who passed away four years ago. At the time my son was 5~who knew what an effect it would have on him. It has become obvious, especially tonight, that he is at the age where he is putting a lot of thought into life, love, loss and all that comes with the loss of a loved one.
Tonight he told me that he is bothered by his inability to change things in his life. After some questioning, I found that he is feeling guilty about decisions he has made (not serious decisions-but ones a 9 year old would be bothered by like not showing respect to his mother). He is obviously becoming concerned with the mortality of me, my husband and his other grandparents. And feeling guilty about times when maybe he hasn't behaved for us. I told him that, although he can't take back poor decisions he's made, he absolutely can change that behavior in the future and that we all need to work on that (including me). I told him that, although I wish Grampy were still with us, he lived a long, happy life with his family and he was fortunate with all he had. I told him that death is a part of life, but if you've lived a long, productive, happy life then that's all that matters. I told him that his father and I plan on being here for a long time and he is not to worry about us.
This boy is so sensitive and so much more in tune than I give him credit for. He told me that he is upset that his Grampy never got to meet the twins and hasn't been able to share any of the important accomplishments in his life. I tried to explain to him that his dad and I feel the same way, but that Grampy is watching over us and does see what he and his brothers and sisters are doing every day. The disappointing part for us is that we are unable to share these moments with Grampy and see for ourselves how proud he is of us.
My heart broke for him because I remember having these same feelings after my first granmother past away. Being a parent is so difficult at every stage and I can only hope that I did right by him with our conversation.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Altar Server
Patrick, my oldest, served his first mass as an altar server today. With the help of the other two altar servers, he did very well. I was so proud. So much so that I was grinning from ear to ear and was asked by Caroline why I was smiling so much. He is an amazing little boy with a great desire to do and experience all he can in life. He makes me realize how much I missed out on by being shy as a child.
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