S-E-V-E-N...

WOW! I can't believe my first born is now 7!!!! Everyone says time will fly when you have kids, and I am starting to realize this more and more every day! Andrew decided he wanted to have a "Not-So-Sleepover" party. It would include all the "pre-sleepover" activities, but we would send the kids home to sleep :)

Everyone had fun and Andrew said it was the BEST birthday ever (do you think he'll say that every year?)!

freeze dance

movie time

I love watching Andrew grow up! His mind is always moving, and come to think of it, so is his body! He has always craved knowledge and that has not slowed down. Andrew is now reading chapter books on his own and loving it! He stays up late every night to read. As a reader myself, I just love it!!! He loves everything LEGO, just like his daddy and has gotten better at building his own creations and not just the "sets." I can't wait to see what S-E-V-E-N has in store for Andrew! Love you bud!

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that's what he said....take 4

so i've decided to start tracking the "that's what he said" posts, since there seem to be so many funny things i want to make sure to get on the blog....so this is #4.

if you want to take a look back (i did!), here are the previous entries...

5.23.11

6.11.11

10.5.11

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andrew was watching scooby doo and asked nanny to watch. it was a part where they tell shaggy to "get a hold of yourself." shaggy then proceeds to wrap his arms around himself. nanny tells him about amelia bedelia and how when she was told to dust the house, she sprinkled dust throughout the house. andrew said, "oh yeah! she took it LITERALLY!"

when my mom told me this, i couldn't believe my not-quite-seven-year-old used the word "literally"....and he used it correctly! i am constantly amazed by this boy!

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andrew: "mom, you know the best thing about sex"

me: "what did you say?!?!" (words going through my mind were, "holy shit! what did he just say?")

andrew: "you know the best thing about lego sets?"

me: "oh (deep sigh of relief!)! no, what?"

andrew: "you can use the box over again for something else."

OMG....what kind of a shock am i going to be in when he really DOES say the "S" word????

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jacob and samantha (one of his fave girlfriends) do not like leaving each other after school. robyn came up with a great idea! once both kids are in their carseats, we pull up next to each other in the parking lot, roll down their windows and they can say their special goodbyes to each other. i love this idea, because it also streamlines the process of actually getting them in the car! on wednesdays, sam goes to dance class after school. this particular wednesday, the following conversation occurred....

S: "bye jacob. i'm going to dance class today."

J: "bye. have fun at dance class babe!"

these two are just too cute!!!

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sometimes you just have to laugh...

believe it or not, my sweet little jacob has developed quite the not-s0-sweet little 3 year old attitude! don't get me wrong....he's throwing nothing at me that could even compare to andrew at age 3, but he's definitely trying his best!

the other day both boys were giving me a run for my money...ok, let's be honest....they were driving me absolutely NUTS-O and i was at the end of my rope. it was one of those days when i really felt i had spent the whole day playing referee and losing count of who was in time out more!

after one of jacob's time outs, he put together this ensemble...NO PANTS, HIS RAIN BOOTS AND A CUTE LITTE HAT! it was all i (and andrew!) could do not to laugh....and then i quickly showered both boys with hugs and kisses! they really ARE cute!!!

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lies i told my kids recently

yes...that's right...i lie to my kids....and i'm NOT afraid to admit it! sometimes lying to my kids makes life a little easier on all of us...ok, well maybe just on me...but hey, what they don't know won't might not hurt them!

***please note....no children were harmed in the telling of these lies***

1... i told andrew i didn't have any money with me, so we wouldn't have to go to the concession stand after his tball game today

2... i told jacob that the "bike room" at school was closed for cleaning, so i could get him home for a nap, rather than staying to play after school

3... i told jacob that we didn't have a particular movie anymore, just because i simply could not stand to watch it or even hear it in the background again

4... i told andrew the iphone was charging, because i didn't want to have to argue with him about not playing a game on it

so....there you have it....just a few i can remember as i'm sitting here. trust me....there are many more....i guess i fib so much i can't even remember them all!!!

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the wheels on the bus....

go round and round....round and round...

we had a milestone last friday....andrew rode a school bus for the VERY FIRST time! his class took a field trip to the reston petting zoo, which is about 40 minutes from here. i must say, i was a little nervous that THIS would be his first bus ride. talk about major highways and major construction along the way!

andrew had a great time at the zoo and seemed unfazed the bus ride. while andrew was on the field trip, i relaxed my mommy worries with a manicure and massage (belated bday gift to myself!)

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therapy through typing

today my child told me he hates me. he told me he doesn't love me. he told me I'm stupid. he told me these things not once, not twice. to be honest I don't know how many times he told me. I stopped counting a long time ago. guess it's my way of denying that these things are happening in my own family. between my own child and me. does he do it because he's an angry boy? is he a sad child? i don't think he really feels these things. there's something else he's trying to communicate. but what is it? things had gotten so much better the first half of the school year. I really thought we had turned a corner. things are now back to the way they were before he started kindergarten. why? I shake my head and ask myself this question all day. especially at night. that's when it's the worst. I'm typing this at night because my emotions are so fresh, so raw. the whole day bubbles and bubbles in my body until I can't take it anymore. so I write. I don't write because I want attention. i don't write because i want to hear a million suggestions of what we could be doing differently. I write because it's my therapy. I write because it helps me step out of that denial and face the truth. I am fed up and all I know to do is write.

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under the pillow???

on the eve of andrew's dentist appointment to have the first 2 of 6 cavities filled, i'm pondering what the "tooth monster" might leave under andrew's pillow tonight....

thoughts running through my mind are....

*a rotted tooth

*a penny (explaining that he'll only get the big bucks when visited by the "tooth fairy")

*a bag of rotted candy

*toothpaste, floss, mouthwash....any basic oral hygiene essentials

any thoughts????

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what's the opposite of the tooth fairy???

could it be the tooth monster???

i'm not sure what it's called, but it has struck the banocy household! a recent visit to the dentist brought us the news that andrew has not one, not two, but...S-I-X cavities!!! hey...one for each year of his life, i suppose! now...mind you, i have NEVER had a cavity, so i was SHOCKED to hear this. andrew doesn't sit around and eat sugary foods, drink a lot of juice, or anything like that. i will say that about a year ago, he started brushing his own teeth (as opposed to one of us helping him) and i think that was the culprit.

we visited the pediatric dentist who will be filling andrew's teeth, and he was great! we'll go back on the 25th to get the 1st two filled. that appointment will be followed up by 2 more, with 2 fillings each time. UGH!!!

since finding out about the cavities, we've been MUCH MORE diligent about brushing andrew's teeth (we're doing it, not him!), flossing and then using a fluoride rinse for kids.

anyone been through this with their kids? any advice???

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and the party continues....

as promised...more pics from andrew's bday party....

nanny joins in the fun!

2 of my boyz...

not too clear...but that's jacob & me

the gang...

andrew with one of his best buddies, dagan

weeeeee sarah!!!

spinnin' round....

the birthday king

makin' his wish...

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party on...

andrew's birthday was a blast! my niece, sarah, had spent the night here, and the kids greeted andrew's bday at 5:45am! we had planned to take andrew out for a bday breakfast, and by the time we headed out, the kids had already finished 2 rounds of breakfast (that's what happens when they're up that early!!!). so...andrew asked me if he could have ice cream instead...my answer...."SURE!" well....then of course jacob and sarah wanted ice cream for breakfast too. i agreed to let sarah join in the fun, but poor jacob and his dairy-free diet (future post on this), he was left out! so while derek, nanny, jacob and i enjoyed our breakfast, sarah & andrew each had chocolate ice cream. i had told the waiter it was andrew's bday, but that we just wanted a candle and to sing by ourselves...we know how embarrassed andrew can get. he seemed to enjoy this much better than an entourage of waiters belting out happy birthday to him!

sleepover - sarah, andrew, natalie (neighbor) and jacob watching a movie

nothin' better than ice cream for breakfast...

and sharing it with your cousin!

...and the party was a hit! i don't have too many pics, since my camera battery died about 30 mins into the party...but i was able to borrow my friend's camera and will post more pics as soon as i have them from her. this was the first birthday party i've held outside the house and i must say it was SO much easier!!! all we had to bring was a cake, candles, goody bags and the people! and it was super nice not to have to clean up after all 20 guests left the party!

nanny with andrew & sarah

sarah climbing the bounce wall

andrew & karley

(karley's mom and i decided this could be their engagement photo!)

andrew on one of the slides

derek and jacob sliding away

everyone's having fun!

yes...i do have a 3rd child!

andrew enjoyed opening his presents as soon as we got home....and even sharing them with jacob. well....some of them....the LEGOS were off limits!

i'll be sure to post the other pics when i have them...

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S-I-X...

yes...you read that right...andrew is 6 years old today! i can't believe it! for some reason, 6 seems SO much older than 5! birthdays are always a great time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. as i do that, i just can't believe how much andrew has grown in the past year. and i don't just mean his height :) andrew is smart, kind, creative, adorable, sweet, loving, caring, considerate and honest. he has such a big heart! he will sit and read a whole book by himself...instead of complaining of boredom, he will pull out art supplies and color me a picture...he will earn a prize at school and decide to give it to jacob, since he doesn't get prizes at school....he will run into my arms after school and give me hugs and kisses....he will squeeze my hand 3 times to tell me "I - LOVE - YOU"...after squeezing his hand back, he will return with 5 squeezes, meaning "I- LOVE - YOU - THE - MOST"...

andrew has a way of brightening everyone's day...his smile can light up the darkest room!

he is my baby...he will always be my baby...my first born...

as i look toward the future, i can't wait to see what is in store for andrew. i know his intelligence, creativity and amazing personality will bring great things to him.

andrew philip banocy....i love you! happy birthday my sweet boy!

love, mommy

about 38 weeks prego

december 2004 - just a few days old

halloween 2005

1st haircut

1st birthday - 2005

2nd birthday - 2006

halloween 2007

3rd birthday - 2007

4th birthday - 2008

halloween 2009

5th birthday - 2009

halloween 2010

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SUMthing to brag about...

BEWARE...ANOTHER MOMMY BRAG SESSION IS NOW IN PROGRESS...

while at a friend's house, andrew completed this math worksheet...without ANY help!!!

he has also earned 10 croc stocks (his school is the island creek crocs) for following the croc's creed of being respectful, responsible, safe, honest cooperative and kind. for earning the 10 croc stocks, he came home with this certificate!

we are so very proud of andrew and all of his accomplishments so far in kindergarten!

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BOO!

as you can see, the costume dilemma was solved! not with much time to spare, mind you! MAYBE two hours prior to trick-or-treating, andrew decided he would be a sheriff. not quite sure how i got away with this easy costume...we had all the materials in the house...

*jeans

*yellow shirt - recognize it? it's from last year's costume (man in the yellow hat)

*neck bandana - from his train conductor dress up gear

*hat - the one my mom and i bought at michaels - originally for the detective costume

*badge - made by my super awesome artistic husband :)

*gun - yes, the costume wouldn't be complete without it (says andrew!)...so he got to carry a watergun!

the boys had a great time trick-or-treating and made out with lots o' loot.....

good thing we don't visit the dentist until mid-november!!!

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BEWARE...BRAG SESSION IN PROGRESS....

I'M SUCH A PROUD MAMA (really...what's new???) !!!

DEREK AND I HAD OUR FIRST PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCE FOR ANDREW TODAY. THE TEACHER HAD ONLY WONDERFUL THINGS TO SAY ABOUT OUR BIG BOY! WHILE I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT WHAT A WONDERFUL YOUNG MAN ANDREW IS BECOMING, I'LL TOUCH ON SOME OF THE FINER POINTS MENTIONED BY HIS TEACHER...

* ANDREW CAN READ

* ANDREW CAN WRITE SENTENCES

* ANDREW CAN PERFORM ALL OF THE SORTING TASKS (by number, shape, color, etc)

* ANDREW CAN EXPLAIN LOGIC BEHIND HIS SORTING

* ANDREW CAN BOTH FOLLOW PATTERNS AND CREATE HIS OWN PATTERNS

* ANDREW LISTENS IN CLASS

* ANDREW IS KIND TO HIS CLASSMATES AND TEACHERS

* ANDREW FOLLOWS INSTRUCTIONS

* ANDREW IS A "SWEET BOY"

* ANDREW IS VERY SMART AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A GREAT LEADER

* ANDREW IS AMAZING....ok...maybe that came out MY mouth, not the teacher's...but you get the point!!!

THERE WERE 3 THINGS SHE POINTED OUT WE COULD WORK ON WITH ANDREW...

1 - HELPING HIM WRITE HIS NUMBERS - SOME ARE BACKWARDS

2 - HELPING HIM SPACE OUT HIS WORDS IN A SENTENCE

3 - ENCOURAGE HIM TO BE A LEADER IN CLASS (apparently the teacher has asked him to help other students and he has respectfully declined :) )

SO...ALL IN ALL, YOU CAN TELL WHY WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF ANDREW!!!

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INdecision

all my life i have struggled with making decisions. i tend to defer to someone else. usually on the smallest of things, such as what to have for dinner, what color should I polish my nails, what i should wear, etc. i married a man with the same decision making abilities. so...what did we expect from our offspring?!?! YES....andrew is EXTREMELY indecisive. he always has been. from what sippy cup he wanted to use at a younger age, to what book to read at night, to what clothes to wear, etc. it has always been a challenge for andrew to make decisions. we have even sought professional help in this area...although who are we kidding...WE are the ones who taught him this wonderful life skill ;)

now to the present day story of andrew's indecisiveness....about a month ago (because while i may not be able to make small decisions, i AM a planner of sorts!) we started talking about what andrew wanted to be for halloween. he said "a detective" just like "nate the great." easy enough i thought...i'll buy him a hat, coat and magnifying glass. mission halloween costume had begun. when my mom was in town a few weeks ago we found a hat i could easily make into the necessary style and a mag glass. all was looking good! well...there had to be problem, right...my search for a detective coat took me far and wide...online...in stores...friend's closets...etc...but no coat! we were scheduled to attend a halloween party this past sat night and in a last ditch effort to not let andrew down, i came up with a plan. i hit up the party store saturday morning for their overpriced, low quality spooky gear! i found a better detective hat and a lab coat...yes, i know, it's no trench coat, but i thought it would work. i brought it home and presented both to andrew as "the detective costume from the halloween store." he took one look at the coat and said "it's not a detective coat. it's white." ummmm.....gotcha mom! thanks for taking time to try and be creative while saving my halloween...NOT!!! without a detective costume and only hours to go before the party, andrew had to make a change...he decided to be a baseball player and wear his tball uniform. GENIUS i thought! party was attended...all was great!

one prob...could the stuff from the overpriced party store be returned....YES...until monday (TODAY!) so...first errand this morning was returning the hat and coat. DONE.CHECK.MONEY BACK.PHEW!

then came today's conversation...

andrew: "mom, i can't be a baseball player for halloween because it's just an outfit not a costume."

me: "well, it's also a costume. it's something you have to change into. just like carter and ben are going to be football players for halloween. you'll be a baseball player."

andrew: "better idea mom. i'll be luke skywalker. we already have the white coat."

SHIT SHIT SHIT........ANDREW DOES NOT KNOW I RETURNED THE WHITE COAT TODAY...QUICK AMY CHANGE THE TOPIC...END CONVERSATION...

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CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE...

NO...WE DID NOT JUST RETURN FROM A TRIP TO PHILLY....

THIS WAS JUST THE ONLY TITLE MY TIRED BRAIN COULD COME UP WITH TODAY ABOUT ANDREW & JACOB...

I JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME CUTE PICS OF MY SWEET BOYS...

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