My Real Life

November 5, 2010

Megamind – Our Review

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 3:15 pm
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Here in Jersey, it’s time for the annual New Jersey Education Association conference in Atlantic City.

The result is that we get Thursday and Friday off from school during the first week of November, every year.

I did not attend the conference this year, and Real Man took two vacation days so he could hang with the fam.

We decided to take the monkeys to see Megamind this afternoon.

It was packed and we wound up sitting in the second row, but it really wasn’t too bad.

Baby Monkey had M&M’s, Monkey in the Middle had Twizzlers, and Monkey Girl got the Kid’s Combo which is a little popcorn, a few gummy bears, and some fruit punch.

I always like to give the food report, because really, the food makes the movie so much better.

Just a personal observation.

It was a great movie.

There were jokes for everyone, and even the jokes for the adults were appropriate and okay for little ears.

There was only one part that I would have loved to have seen coming so I could have covered some ears.

One of the characters said, “There is no Easter Bunny and there is no Tooth Fairy!  You have to stop believing in that nonsense!”

Luckily, Baby Monkey was in the bathroom with Real Man during that line.

Monkey in the Middle looked over at me and shook his head, as if to say, “What a fool.  No Easter Bunny, no Tooth Fairy.  Puh-lease.”

Monkey Girl gave me a wink.

Other than that, it was a thoroughly enjoyable movie.

Highly recommend it to anyone.

Now we can’t wait for Thanksgiving so we can go see “Tangled.”

November 4, 2010

Being a Little Brother

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 11:39 am
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None of us have school today, and so Monkey in the Middle asked if he could invite his friend, Zach, over.

We said sure, and so Zach is here today from 10-3.

Monkey in the Middle and Zach are good boys and play really nicely together, so it’s always a nice day when he’s here.

Baby Monkey, however, I think is more excited than Monkey in the Middle.

It’s his chance to “hang with the big boys.”

Real Man and I try to distract him and engage him in other things so the big guys can have their fun, but he just wants to be with them.

Desperately.

Where they go, he follows.

What they play, he wants to play.

Luckily, Zach is the second of four children, so he understands both being the little brother and having a little sibling.

After some initial, “Baby Monkey has the cooties” stuff, they are now playing happily in Monkey in the Middle’s room, making the biggest train track that ever existed.

Baby Monkey keeps coming down and checking on the rest of us, because that’s his thing, but then he goes right back upstairs to be one of the guys.

November 2, 2010

Election Day

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 4:22 pm
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Did you?

October 29, 2010

‘Tis the Season

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 5:34 pm
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..for magic and make-believe!

 

We hit the Halloween parades today.

First was the parade for Baby Monkey.

We weren’t sure they were going to let him wear his mask, but for the parade, I guess it was okay.

He gave us big smiles and waves when he saw us.

He was so happy to be Batman.

I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to get the costume off.

Then, we raced over to Monkey Girl’s school for her parade.

Be still my heart with my little Hermione.

She’s read every Harry Potter book and wanted to be Hermione last year, but we could only find Kindergarten-sized costumes at that time.  This year, we ordered online and she was thrilled.

Just to watch her doing the dances and parading with her friends.

She’s the best medicine for anything that ails you.

The afternoon brought the parade for Monkey in the Middle.

Mr. Serious.

Mr. My Mom Came To Read To My Class During Her Prep Period On Monday And I Couldn’t Even Smile At Her, Nor Do I Smile When I Score A Touchdown In Football, A Goal In Soccer, A Basket In Basketball, You Get The Picture…

It’s hard to tell, but there is a smile lurking behind that mustache.

I think we actually got two smiles.

Public smiles are hard to come by with this one.

We felt honored.

The parades were a success, and now we have a day until the big town parade and the trick-or-treating.

We’ve been DVRing Halloween episodes of television shows and Halloween kids movies and are ready to spend our weekend snuggling and being scared.

You can have your Christmas and your Thanksgiving and your New Year’s.

THIS is the time of year that makes me smile.

October 25, 2010

Happy Birthday!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 7:36 am
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Just wanted to dedicate the blog, today, to my sweetie, Real Man.

Today is his birthday, and although he is STILL younger than his wife, I wanted to wish him a very happy birthday and let him know how very much I love and appreciate him!

October 24, 2010

Holding Children

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 10:38 am
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I’m very hands-on with my babies.

Hugs, kisses, lap-sitting, snuggling.

It’s 24-7 in our home.

I know not everyone is completely comfortable with all the touchy-feely stuff, and truth be told, with adults, I’m not either.

However, I can’t hold a baby, any baby, without planting a kiss on the top of their head.

I can’t see my neices and nephews without wanting to give them big squeezy hugs.

Sometimes I refrain, because I know they aren’t all comfortable with it, but with my monkeys, it’s squeezy time.

The reason is two-fold.

I think children should always know they are loved, and words aren’t enough when a kid is little.

Children need physical affection.

A hug can go a long way to soothe a bad day, a hurt knee, or a hurt feeling.

Kids are tactile by nature.

They touch everything.  It’s how they explore.

And so, holding them helps them know that they are important and special and loved.

Think about why they have volunteers in the NICU to rock the babies.

It helps them heal and grow.

But, the other side is that I find it very soothing, for myself, to snuggle with my monkeys.

If I’ve had a bad day, or a hurt knee, or a hurt feeling, a minute of snuggling up Baby Monkey does wonders.

A hug from Monkey in the Middle can soothe a raging headache.

A little squeeze from Monkey Girl can make the longest day worthwhile.

So, I’m going to go now, because there is a little monkey next to me just dying for a cuddle.

I suggest you do the same.

It’ll do wonders for you and them!

October 21, 2010

Math Night

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:23 pm
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So, Monkey Girl’s school held a “Math is Fun Night” the other night.

The flyer came home a few weeks ago and it’s all she could talk about.

So, I got a sub for my handbell choir for that night and sent in the RSVP.

We were going.

It was a really fun night.

I’m a bit of a math nerd, myself, so this was right up my alley.

There were a bunch of different activities and we rotated through, 15 minutes at a time, for 2 hours.

Math puzzles, math games, math physical activities, total math awesomeness.

She was in heaven, and I was so happy to be there with her.

October 19, 2010

The Ends

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 3:59 pm
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Now, if my father-in-law was the author of this blog, this title would suggest that this were my last post.

The end of the blog, as it were.

See, he has a habit of adding an “-s” to many commonplace words and store names.

Imagine a Jersey City accent saying, “Hey, I picked up a book at Barnes and Nobles.”

OR

“I got a great deal on those dishtowels at the Walmarts.”

It’s quite endearing and gives us much, much fodder for teasing.

However, I am the author of this blog, and I do NOT add an “-s” to anything where an “-s” does not belong.

So, to what does our title refer?

Bread.

Loaves of bread.

More specifically, the ends of a loaf of bread.

Do you have a “ends of the loaf” battle in your house?

As you can imagine, we do.

I tend to avoid the battle by making lunches at night, when the kids go to bed.

I rotate who gets the end pieces every day.

There are four of us who have sandwiches each day, which makes 8 pieces of bread a day which means that every day, someone gets an end.

I get it.

I do.

I hate the ends of bread loaves.

It’s just so…dry.

However, I take my turn, right along with the rest of them.

Baby Monkey doesn’t eat sandwiches.

I think it’s because he doesn’t want to risk an end.

I have had lunch boxes come home from school with half a sandwich left inside.

Can you guess which half?

Thought so.

Anyway, today I was just wondering if anyone else had “end of the loaf” issues, or if it was particular to our household.

My guess is that this is definitely one area where we are NOT alone.

October 17, 2010

Giggles

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 10:36 am
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So, I was busy folding some laundry in my room and I heard some giggling coming from the living room.

Giggles could mean so many things.

Could mean, “Tee-hee!  Hope Mommy doesn’t find out what we’re doing!”

Could mean, “Tee-hee!  Hope Daddy doesn’t find out what we’re doing!”

Could mean, “Tee-hee!”  Hope my brother/sister doesn’t find out what I’m doing!”

Or, in this case, it could mean, “Tee-hee!  I love hanging with my sister/brother and just having fun!”

The two of them.

Up there giggling away for about 15 minutes.

Playing “Got Your Nose,” “Got Your Finger,” “Got Your Ear,” etc.

Just enjoying each other.

It’s a good day.

A Look Back

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 8:01 am
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As I wake up early on this beautiful (chilly) fall morning and fight the urge to turn on the heat, because I just will NOT turn on the heat until November, I’m curled under a blanket looking at photos with my boy monkeys.

As we near Halloween, we love looking at photos of Halloween past.

Here is last year’s photo.

Superman.  A Witch.  A Storm Trooper.

So fitting for all of their personalities.

The little guy who wants to always save the day.

The girl who believes in the possibilities of magic, despite what she already knows to be true.

A serious, serious boy…ready to defend.

Can’t wait for this year!

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