Day 36: It's our second day with little Ariston (and Aunt Heather) visiting, and I think we've decided to keep him!!! He is so sweet! So laid back and happy, this little man just goes with the flow. One thing we learned about him, though, is that it is incredibly difficult to get this little guy to smile for a picture...he turns into stone face when he sees the camera :) So the above shot is the result of a lot of silly faces and crazy sounds! We missed our friends the minute they pulled out of the driveway...but I promise we'll see them again soon!
Day 37: SUPERBOWL!!!!! This was the day...the Steelers vs. the Packers! We decked the whole house out in black and gold. The kids had Steeler tattoos and black & gold beads. We made signs and special "Steeler" food. Six other families came to watch the game with us...the stage was set for an awesome game...and an awesome game it was...too bad the outcome wasn't in our favor :( But we still love our Steelers! Bring on next season :)
Day 38: Here we are in Emma's school gym. It is dress rehearsal night for the Talent Show. Emma is playing a piano piece, and she is the first act of the whole show! Can't wait for her big performance!
Day 39: I had to do it, I blew off the dust and brought the sewing machine up from the basement. It's been a long time since this thing has seen the light of day! I am making "Ninja" headbands for Joey's birthday party. There are 23 kids coming to the party, so I was in for a long day of sewing and "puffy painting". They turned out cute, though, and I had several moms tell me that their kid wouldn't take it off once they got home! These little ninjas sure do have style :)
Day 40: Look who made the paper! It was the 100th day of school, and Joey's class donated dimes to the library. Joey was chosen to bring the bag of dimes up on the stage, and was captured for the local paper!
Day 41: Talent Show! Here is our little musician getting ready to play "Etude in Sixths" for the school talent show. She was the very first act, and she played beautifully! Way to go Emma!
Day 42: Joey's birthday party is tomorrow, so I spent today baking and decorating his cake. I had seen this cake design on-line, and thought it looked simple enough....HA! When I first started, it looked very much like a baseball jersey and not a karate gi...but after adding the belt and the brown piping, I think it came out all right. Funny thing is, we've been watching the Cake Boss a lot lately, so I was feeling inspired, but I don't think a career in cake decorating is in my future...
Day 43: Ninja Birthday Party! Joey celebrated his 7th birthday with a party at his Karate Dojo! 23 kids had fun on the "ninja" obstacle course (don't fall in the lava!), defending the castle, playing extreme dragon tail, and of course ultimate karate dodge ball! It was a FUN party...perfect way for little boys to burn off energy on a cold winter day!
Day 44: Skiing at Whitetail! This was our first time out this year on skis, and what a beautiful day on the slopes!!! It's amazing that the kids don't forget anything from year to year...they just get better! Hopefully we can get out there again before the end of the season.
Day 45: Happy Valentine's Day! We had a day full of "sweet" surprises...topping it off with heart shaped hamburgers with pink mashed potatoes for dinner! 
Day 46: Wrestling Banquet! We've spent a lot of time this year re-building the Jr. Wrestling team. It has been a lot of work, but a lot of fun, too. We were lucky enough to have the help of some really great families, so it was great to celebrate with them at our end of the season banquet. The kids all got trophies to commemorate their hard work. Way to go, Blue Devils, we can't wait for another great season next year!!!
Day 47: Pump it up!!! I love it when the kids have a day off of school...and it's even better when we plan to get together with friends. About 25 of our friends met us at Pump it up for a great day of jumping!!!
Day 48: Happy 7th Birthday, Joey!!! What better way to start your day than french toast with a candle in it?!? Check out the lung power this boy has...powdered sugar everywhere!!! 
Day 49: 3-2-1 BLASTOFF!!! Joey got a rocket for his birthday (this was definitely his Dad's idea). Although the launch was a success...the landing was not! The rocket didn't survive it's maiden voyage, but the rocket scientists in the Paci house are not discouraged...they plan to rebuild and relaunch!!! I'm sure this is not the last you'll see of the rocket...
