Project 365: Week 4

Day 22: This week started with Emma's 9th birthday celebration. This year for Emma's birthday gift we decided to go on a mother/daughter shopping spree. We shopped ALL DAY! She got to pick out a new outfit and boots from mom & dad. But we didn't stop there...we continued to shop... going to all of the different stores where Emma had gift cards to spend: Borders, Michael's, & Toys R Us (she has a lot of generous friends & family!) We topped off the day with manicures-Emma's first time to ever have one! All in all, it was a pretty special day. I can't believe my BABY is 9 years old! I'm so proud of the amazing young lady she is becoming!
Day 23: Sunday was GAME DAY! The Steelers took on the Jets for the AFC Championship! The Steelers were VICTORIOUS! Pittsburgh's going to the SUPER BOWL! Here we go....

Day 24: My new book has arrived! My book club chose to read "Lady of the Butterflies" for our selection this month. I couldn't get it through the library, and I took my time ordering it from Amazon, so now I have some catching up to do. I'm ready for a nice cozy night of reading!
Day 25: Check out this massive marble race! Claire was determined to use every last piece for her creation...it became so tall she needed a little help from daddy to put the marbles in.

Day 26: SNOW DAY! This time for real...snow actually fell from the sky- not ice, or freezing rain, or slush-but nice wet packing snow! We went right to work making this "snowman of STEEL" in anticipation of the big game next week! Bring on the winter fun...we LOVE snow!
Day 27: Look at this...even before he goes to work, daddy is out there playing in the snow with the kids. School was delayed, so everyone was out and ready to play bright and early. Tio had built the kids this mini-sled riding hill last night, so today he just put the finishing touches on it. This is the one drawback to having a perfectly flat back yard...you need to create your own sledding opportunities!
Day 28: Dance class! Every Friday morning Claire heads to the dance studio for her kinderdance class. It's a combination of tap, jazz, and ballet. I think we have a little performer in the family!

Project 365: Week 3

Day 15: HERE WE GO! This week started with a BANG! It was time to cheer the Steelers to victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday! We watched the game with our fellow Steeler fans, the Wrights, and what an exciting game it was! Next week...Steelers vs. Jets in the AFC Championship!

Day 16: We spent Sunday at Emma's horse show...although, you can see from the picture that the highlight of the day was spending time with the new pug puppies that were born at the horse farm! Emma LOVES these little guys, and spends time with them every time she has a riding lesson. The horse show was great. Emma took home a 1st and 2nd place ribbon in her walk/trot classes!

Day 17: Check out the new back-splash! Tio was very busy over the weekend and finished this phase of our kitchen remodel. I LOVE how it turned out...he did an amazing job figuring out his pattern with the tumbled stone & slate tiles. Next up...new appliances...then the kitchen will be complete!!!

Day 18: SNOW DAY! We got a bit of an ice storm Monday night, which meant no school on Tuesday. This is the BEST day to have a snow day because daddy is home on Tuesdays, too. We took a trip to the library and stocked up on good books. I captured this moment when we got home...Joey & Emma doing their two favorite things: LEGOS & READING. Notice that Joey is jamming to his tunes, too (that's a relatively new thing). Of course, Emma had finished her book before the day was done. Looks like we need to head back to the library ASAP!

Day 19: Another one bites the dust...Claire was the sick one today! No pre-school for her, instead she got a day on the couch...which isn't such a bad thing every now and then!

Day 20: Practicing the piano...love these daily routines...before the hair is even brushed she's practicing her lesson! Emma and Joey are both taking lessons right now & showing improvement each week!

Day 21: Friday was the BIG DAY...double-birthday-slumber-party at the Paci house! Emma and her friend Bella share the same birthday, and they decided to have a party together. We had 8 girls over Friday night. It was our first attempt at hosting a slumber party...and it went off without a hitch! I think the girls got about 6 hours of sleep, from 11:30pm-5:30am (yes...5:30AM!) which is probably about the best you can hope for in a slumber party situation. Now we have the rest of the weekend to recuperate! One more milestone crossed for the Paci's...

Project 365: Week 2

Day 8: Finally, SNOW! We got our first dusting of snow on Saturday. The kids couldn't wait to get outside...they even argued over who could shovel the walk! I hope this enthusiasm continues for shoveling, I think they'll get a lot more opportunities in the future!

Day 9: More Legos? Yep. Today we went to Toys R Us to spend some Christmas gift cards (because what we need in this house is MORE toys, right?) Joey knew exactly what he wanted, the Lunar Limo. He went straight to work when we got home building it, and had it done before he went to bed. He's a Lego Maniac!

Day 10: Fashion Plates! Do you remember these? I LOVED fashion plates when I was a kid, so I bought this Hello Kitty set for Emma long ago. It was hiding out on our game shelf when Claire spotted it...now she's a fashion plates fan, too! I think we have an artist in the family!

Day 11: Game Night! Tuesday evening called for snow, and that means that EVERYTHING was cancelled...no wrestling, no karate, no horseback riding...we got the night off! What better way to celebrate than ice cream sundaes and a game night! Our new favorite family game is called "Camp". We love it because the cards are divided into different categories for the different ages, so Claire can have easy questions, while Tio and I are challenged by harder ones. Emma was the winner for the evening...but we'll be able to challenge her again soon!
Day 12: SNOW DAY! Well, kind of...snow delay! The kids woke up Wednesday morning to about 3 1/2 inches, and were able to build this little guy before heading off to school at 10am. A nice surprise since this is the first "real" snow we've had all winter!
Day 13: It has finally happened! On Thursday, Joey lost his first tooth! It happened at the breakfast table...after hanging on by a thread for a loooooong time, the tooth finally gave in. A visit by the tooth fairy followed and resulted in a $5 payoff!

Day 14: Friday was date night! Tio surprised me and arranged for his cousins, Stephanie and Maria, to stay with the kids OVERNIGHT so we could have a little get-away! We went to Shepherdstown, WV for dinner at the Stone Soup Bistro. Delicious! Then we headed to The Woods Resort in Hedgesville for our overnight stay. Even though I was nervous about leaving the kids, we had a great time...and the kids loved spending time with their cousins. We might have to do this more often!

It's a NEW YEAR!!! Project 365: Week 1

Welcome 2011!!! For the new year, I have made it a goal to take more pictures of "ordinary" days. I have this feeling that someday I will want to look back and remember all of the things we did when the kids were young...the stuff that didn't seem like such a big deal at the time, but would bring me a lot of joy to remember once my babies are grown. I'm attempting a "365 Album" which is when you take one picture a day for the entire year. Ambitious, yes...can I do it...probably not, but I will TRY! I plan to post the results of my efforts here. So enjoy a peek into the lives of the Paci's....

Day 1: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Here is the 1st picture of 2011!
The New Year came in with a bang at our friends, the Winslow's, New Years Eve party. More than 65 of our friends gathered (over half of them kids!) to bring in the New Year. It was an awesome way to celebrate with the amazing bunch of friends we have made here in Greencastle! I know the kids will look back and remember those rockin' New Year's parties!

Day 2: January 2nd found us in Harrisburg at the "Susquehanna Novice" wrestling tournament. You can see Joey in action wrestling 1 of his 4 matches of the day. He finished the day 2-2, pinning 2 of his opponents!

Day 3: January 3rd was Emma and Joey's first day back to school. Claire declared it a "pj day", and we spent the day "de-Christmafying" the house (yes, I am making up words here). Claire was a BIG help, and oversaw all of the clean up efforts. I don't know WHAT I'll do without her next year! (sniff)
Day 4: January 4th was a day for planning...planning a birthday party for two special girls! Emma and her good friend Bella share the same birthday (January 23rd), and this year they want to have a double birthday party! The plan is to have a slumber party at our house for 6 of their friends. We spent the afternoon planning games, prizes, food, and ended with a photo shoot for the invitation. The makings of a GREAT party are underway!
Day 5: January 5th brought us a sick boy. Stomach bug. Yuck! Joey spent the day on the couch. Luckily, it was only a 24 hour thing, and he was back to himself before we knew it.
Day 6: January 6th was a BUSY day. Luckily, I found time to make dinner for a very special family! Our good friends recently welcomed their 5th child, Chloe Nicole, into their family (yes, I said 5th, that wasn't a typo!) Chloe was born on 12-30-10, and is SO adorable. I hope the family enjoyed dinner and Chloe liked her new Robeez (my favorite baby gift to give)!

Day 7: January 7th was a Friday, which means PLAYDATE! Joey and Dom always start out their playdates with some much loved Wii time. The game of choice right now is "Sonic All Star Racing" (a much welcomed switch from long time reigning favorite "Lego Batman"). These two boys are gamers...and if we didn't set time limits, I think they'd play ALL DAY!!! So that's what the start of 2011 looked like for us. We have so much to be thankful for! For me, this year will be one for reflection, gratitude, and making memories. Here's to a GREAT 2011!!!