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New Year, New Fun!

Sorry that it has been so long since I have posted an update - things have been crazy around here. Matt's Birthday, Christmas, snow storms, winter colds/fevers/ear infections - you name it, we had it or did it! So here is the rundown in brief...

Matt had a fabulous 4th birthday and it getting so big and acting like such a big boy. He is in love with dinosaurs and space. He is starting to read and can write his name all by himself! He loves school and is also doing well in swimming and ice skating lessons. Christmas was a dream for him and he will tell you that he got everything he asked for.

Happy Birthday Matt!

Playing his ukelele

Trying out the sledding hill

Kicking like crazy at swimming

Josh is starting to talk like crazy and he can count to 10! One of his favorite things is to call people (including himself) silly. He will do something he isn't supposed to and then walk around saying, "Sissy Josh!" He unfortunately has been sick for about 3 weeks now but is still a trooper and has been learning to swim with Mommy. He loves reading books and singing songs. He joins in with a resounding "1, 2, 3....Out!" when singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

Reading a book (and counting)

Josh takes a turn on the hill

Baking Christmas cookies

In other news, Andrew is celebrating his 33rd birthday tomorrow and we have had fun visiting with lots of family over the holidays and in the New Year. The next few months bring more school, more ice skating, more swimming, sports camp, and visits to the city. And then in May, the boys will get their first visit to Disney World! Check back for more updates and to see more pictures and videos!

Dancing with Mickey

Our first snowman of the season

Doggies and Dinos

Matt and Josh had a great time this Halloween! The festivities started with a party at the lake, followed by 2 celebrations at school and finally trick-or-treating. Matthew loved being a T-Rex and Josh loved running around saying "woof woof" in his dalmatian costume. As always, Matthew plowed his way from house to house gathering as much candy as he possibly could. Josh learned the ropes quickly, though cried at first when someone put a treat in his pumpkin.



In addition to Halloween fun, the kids have been collecting leaves, jumping in the leaf piles, and generally enjoying the fall changes. We even made a trip to Aunt Jill's and she took us to an awesome farm where the boys rode ponies, got to pet some animals, and pick pumpkins. There was even an enchanted forest with statues of fairy tales! November will be an exciting month as Matthew turns 4 and Josh hits the 1 1/2 year mark. We'll keep you posted!

School Days

Pre-K has started!! And Matthew is loving it. Not a single tear fell on Matthew's first day of school. (Even Mommy managed to keep her tears in check.) He skipped all the way to school chanting, "School! School! School!" and has not looked back since. The one person who seems a bit sad is Josh who for the first few days wandered around the house asking, "Is Matt?" He seems to be feeling better about it now but does get very, very excited to see his big brother when we pick him up.

Soccer Star!

We forgot to tell you about Matthew's awesome time at soccer camp in July. He went every morning for 1 week to Soccer Squirts camp here in town. He's not sure how much he liked going, but we saw him have a lot of fun while there. Each morning he got decked out in his soccer outfit including shin guards. G and Pop had provided him with an Argentina uniform which was one of his favorite teams during the World Cup (because that's where paleontologists found Argentinasaurus fossils). He kicked the ball into the goal and really liked hitting it with his head. Mostly he liked doing his own thing and was excited to get the special certificate at the end. Great job Matthew!

Whew!!

Where do I begin?? July has been a whirlwind - so many things have happened. We have probably spent more time away then we've been at home but it has been a ton of fun. So, here is the lowdown on where we've been, what we've done, and who we've seen.

1) North Carolina - At the end of June we drove (yes, drove) with my Mom to meet up with the Drake/Kopczuk/O'Brien clans for an awesome family reunion. Grammy Drake rented 2 houses and at one point there were over 40 of us eating, drinking, playing, and generally having a great time together. Matthew and Josh loved playing with their cousins and I was so happy to finally meet my cousins' spouses and children. The visit was much too short and I hope that we get the chance to all get together again very soon!







2) 4th of July at the NJ Shore - After NC, we headed to Long Branch to celebrate the 4th of July and my birthday. Matthew went to see the fireworks on the beach with Pop, G, and Daddy. Most of the weekend was spent playing at the beach, in the sprinkler, and on the rides at Pt. Pleasant boardwalk. We had a really fun time.





3) Lily's wedding - After a weekend at home we headed to Mattituck, LI for cousin Lily's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and the boys looked so handsome in their special wedding outfits. They had a great time playing with the kids and seeing Nana, Grandpa, Uncle Mark and all their other relatives.






4) Walking with Dinosaurs - This past weekend we took Matthew and Josh to see "Walking with Dinosaurs" at Madison Square Garden. It was really cool and Matthew loved it! (Josh mostly enjoyed the snacks that we brought with us :-) The robotic dinos were life size and had life size roars too. Neither kid was scared and we had a really nice day in the city together. (Despite Matthew's meltdown in the rain on the streets of NYC after the show.)

5) Mattituck again - We capped the month off with another trip to Mattituck but this time just for a few relaxing days with Aunt Beth and Uncle Bob. Cousin Julia and Aunt Ellen were there when we arrived and Matthew had a ton of fun swimming with Julia before they left. In addition to swimming, the boys got to ride the carousel in Greenport and ride the ferry boat back and forth to Shelter Island. Matthew also was treated to a trip to the toy store with Aunt Beth. Andrew and I also got a treat when Beth and Bob sent us out for a fantastic dinner on Tuesday night.

So, that's all folks! August is looking to be pretty bust as well. We will post our stories and photos soon.

Heading into Summer

School, swimming lessons, and music classes are finished and we are ready for summertime fun! We've visited Central Park and the zoo. At the zoo, Matthew had a great time checking out the lemurs and new baby sea lion. Josh loved the chickens in the children's zoo the best.

Climbing like a Lemur at the zoo.


Riding the Central Park Carousel

Father's Day was a lot of fun. The boys gave Daddy some very special BBQ/steak sauces and both grandfather's enjoyed days at the ballfield. Last Sunday we all went to the Blue Claws game with Pop and today, Matthew is at the Mets game with Grandpa, Daddy and Uncle Mark. Despite the heat on both occasions, everyone had a great time.




At the ballgame!

Now we are prepping for our drive to NC for the Drake family reunion in Ocean Isle and then back to spend 4th of July at the Jersey Shore. We will be sure to update everyone on our trip when we get back!