Christopher's school invention: The Clicker Caller
If we can page cordless phones when they are MIA, why can't we page the remote controls that are always MIA? Patent pending...!

Even the boy scouts voted. Did you?

I noticed this passing by the refrigerator the other day. I don't know who or why.

Future pro soccer player, learning some strategic foot work.



Little ants sitting on the sidelines. They're sponsor is a pest control company with a little ant in their logo.



Player number 0 in red is Joey.

Another great use of a box. Or several.

"Thanks for watching TV with me, Timber."

Raising the bar.

"It's a good thing that kid left his sneaker there, or else I wouldn't have been able to jump up here and make off with this pizza!"

"Yummy! Pizza! All for little ol' me!"

This is my class of first-graders to whom I taught religious education during the last two weeks. The 'big' kid was a high school aid and the kids just loved having him in the class!



It was happenstance that Sean wound up in the class I was teaching, which was Joey's 1st grade class. Sean's mom was teaching Christopher's 3rd grade class, where she also has a daughter his age.

Sean (on the left) and Joey were conceived around the same time back in October, 2001 and ironically, they were born on the same day in July of 2002 in different hospitals, only a couple of hours apart.


Want more irony? In the first picture, note the girl to the right of Sean in the front row. Sean's mom and I were at Olivia's mom's house back in October, and Olivia was born a few weeks later.

Who would have ever thought they'd all wind up in the same religious education class six years later? Not me!

Having a pool is nice, but nothing compares to the sand and shores of the beach. You could almost lose your head!

There's an elephant in the room yard.

Nothing to do but play and swim. And make memories.

This is what happens when lightning strikes a big ol' tree in your yard.






No, it's not our yard, but that of a friend, to whom I send this heartfelt message: I hope lightning doesn't strike twice!

This photo shows Joey getting on the bus for his first day of Kindergarten. This photo shows him getting off on his last day. Next year he'll be getting the bus with his brothers...




...who are seen below getting on the bus on their first day, and getting off, along with neighbor, Billy, on their last day of school, which was today.

Today I attended Joey's End of the Year Celebration at his school. He will be mingling with the big kids in the fall when he enters first grade. Hooray!


The PM Classes of the West Wing at Moose Hill School during the Pledge of Allegiance


Joey with his teachers


Joey with his best friend, Keith

"Peep, peep. Can I come in? Please?"

The first day of May found us enjoying a perfect day at the beach.

Cool rock design, no? And you should see all the rocks I got that will grace my stone walls!

"I can snowboard and skateboard and in case you didn't know, climb high trees."

An expectant crowd wait for the magician to start his show at Joey's Kindergarten spring event.



The kids loved all his plate tricks.



The contrasting colors were really fascinating.



His tricks with the red squishy balls were a real hit with the kids and his audience helper was superb!



The magician put three different flags in the cylinder, which he had the audience helper hold at both ends so they couldn't 'escape'.



He pulled two knots from other flags and had two audience members hold them. Here, he is preparing to give the knot to Jeffrey (of all kids -- mine is one who gets chosen to participate!) to hold until further instruction.



Back on stage, the magician instructed both knot holders to toss their knots to the boy holding the cylinder, who was to open one end and 'catch' the knots and trap them in the cylinder with the three separate flags already in there. Jeffrey is tossing his knot to them on the stage. When he eventually removes the flags from the cylinder, they are all knotted together. Remember, they were put initially put in separately.



Tommy (foreground) and Chris try to figure out how the tricks are done.



The magician balances several blocks on his chin.

Note: The name of the performer is purposely omitted since I don't have permission from him to post on this site. Although I suppose it would be a free plug for him for whenever his name is googled on the web!