June came really quick this year.

Remember the good times you spend with those you hold dear, because like they say, all good things must come to an end.

I was feeling overwhelmed with sadness as I concluded a phone call with Schmoogie's third grade teacher. She explained that he is sad to see the end of the school year is nearing. He is upset that he will not get to see her each day. He has really grown to love Mrs. B, and so have I.

For Schmoogie, it has been one of those years where your child falls into who he is, who he always wanted to be, who he was meant to be. With the selfless guidance of Mrs. B. and personal maturity, Schmoogie has been polished this year.

He has always been a shining star, always the love of my life, always an intelligent, athletic and charismatic child. But this year, he has become more. He has developed the skills that will make him the best kind of friend and just the gentleman any Mother could ask for.

More good things are to come, of that I am sure. New chapters in the life of a Scholar Athlete will soon be here. However, for now, Mrs. B, I do believe your goal has been met. Thank you so much for being the that teacher that students hold in their hearts for years to come. We have been blessed with the opportunity to have had you in our lives.

As for you, kiddo, your father and I are so proud of your accomplishments this year. We are thrilled that you have the natural ability to effortlessly excel. You never cease to amaze us. Here's to a terrific summer stock piled with camp and sports which will lead you into your next chapter, forth grade.

Can it get any better?
Peace.

Overscheduled?

Is it really fair to make him choose between two activities that he truly loves (and is really good at) next year when we delve into the LAX/Baseball overlap?

Big D and I have always said that we would NEVER overschedule our children with extracurricular activities. It isn't fair to them, and it really isn't fair to us either.


As you know, Schmoogie tried Lacrosse this year, and, as it turns out, he is pretty awesome at it. I was concerned because practices would overlap with the up and coming baseball season's practices and early season games. It was a bit of a juggle, but we made it through, while both coaches knew in advance that there may be an occasional conflict. With the final game of LAX, this Sunday, now we are able to solely focus on baseball.

Baseball season should be interesting this year, as Schmoogie has been selected for the All Star Team, and a newly formed traveling world series team. Lot's of baseball ahead!

Big D and I were chatting about what to do next year, when we are faced with the LAX/Baseball overlap, because, admittedly, it was a constant juggle. We have agreed that Schmoogie, who is not like all kids, NEEDS stuff to do. It just works for him. He has always been a very active child, has always needed constant attention, and has always needed to be moving. For him, it will work. We have decided to allow him to play both sports at the same time, so long as he wants to do that come next year.

This decision was not made lightly, we thought long and hard, went back and forth, but in the end, we feel it will work for our child. And, most importantly, he maintained his school work, without ever even a threat of falling behind.

Note: SCHOOL Work ALWAYS comes first in our house, and there was never a night when Schmoogie went to a practice or a game without homework done.

A totally different discussion may take place when faced with similar circumstances for Noodle. One never knows, and we may find that, he like many other children, may not be able to handle two sports at one time.

Peace.

Field Day 09

He awoke with a sparkle in his eyes and a smile on his face that you could see for a mile. It was afterall, the most wonderful day of the school year, FIELD DAY!

Decked out in his favorite silky shorts, the official Field Day t-shirt, fastest sneakers he owns, clean socks and his coolest undies, he enters my bathroom and applies deodorant. "Mom, I'm Ready" declares Schmoogie. He is all set for the big day!

The cooler is packed, we are armed with energy enhancing goods, including carrots, cucumber slices, water bottles and juice bags for the class.

The rain gives way and allows the sweet sun to shine through. It will be a great day. Dolce and Gabanna's on, we are off.

I explain to the Schmoog~Master in the car that I, as a child wasn't as enthused about field day. "See Schmoogie, they didn't have fourth and fifth place ribbons, the didn't have "participation" ribbons, so I, very rarely ever got a ribbon."

I go on to tell him "one time I remember receiving the first place blue ribbon for the tug of war." (You know tug of war is a class event, and the win was no thanks to me, that's for sure!)

Quick stop for breakfast sandwiches and we arrive the school.

We eat breakfast at one of the picnic tables.

Set up our sheet under his classes tent.

Carry over the cooler and into the classroom to help Mrs. B apply tattoo's on all of Schmoogie's classmates' arms.

Out to the field for the day to begin...

Second place in the 50 yard dash.

First place in the 400 meter race.

First place for the three legged race he so eloquently won with his pal from his class!

Now it's time for tug of war. I lead the class in chants to encourage their enthusiasm, have them flex their tiny muscles to arouse their adrenalin flow, chicken dance their finger tips to get them ready for an ultra tight grip on that rope. One of the Dads spell out some more strategy. First you dig your feet, then lean back and pull! And they are on. Mrs. B's Bolts are strong, the girls turn up the girl power and the anchors are secure.

PUUUUULLLLLL! The parents, janitors and other school staff cheer them on.

They were psyched. They did really well, blew away the first competitors, and were ready for the next. Only, the next team was big, they had been practicing, they looked ready, I was nervous, but our kids were ready too.

PUUUULLLLLLL!

They got us, but hey, we did well, 2nd place, not too shabby!

At the conclusion of the morning activities, I make my way to my office. Big D will stay and enjoy the afternoon's water events.

The most wonderful day of the school year was exciting, fun and a great time for the kids to let loose, and have some fun. It was great! Congrats Schmoogie, you rock!!

Peace.

Memorial Day Weekend Preview

So, it's officially summer? Not really, isn't June 21st the first day of summer? Either way, the warm weather has finally graced us here on the North Fork, and we are about to baste in it and drench ourselves with sunshine, outdoor activities, and warmth. I say, BRING IT ON!

Memorial Day Weekend, oh, yes, when we begin to relish all that summer has to offer. I cannot wait to get this weekend started. I can almost smell the hamburgers and hotdogs grilling on the open flame, hear the sweet sounds of childhood glee, and see the pollen covering my car. Well, two out of three isn't bad.

Should be a nice one, we have a birthday party, some lax practice, baseball practice, perhaps a dip in a friend's pool, and defiantly BBQ!

I'd like to get in a nice walk to see the cows and the llama around the way, a bike ride to the water just past the Meeting House Creek Inn would be lovely, and maybe a wiffle ball game with the neighborhood kids. That's my idea of a good summer weekend.

No matter what else the weekend brings, I will be perfectly happy as long as I get to spend lots of time outside, preferably without a jacket, sucking up the sun with my three favorite peeps in the world.

Love you guys,
Peace.

NYC Exploration

A fantastic day exploring NYC with two of the finest nine year olds on the planet, Schmoogie, my love, and Siege, my nephew, wow, what a day.

Here are a few highlights:

*Jump on the LIRR to Penn Station (first train ride for Schmoogie).
*Hit the city sidewalks for several blocks down to the Empire State Building.
*Elevator, Stairs, Observation Deck. Giggles. Lots and lots of photos.
*Browse souvenir shop and enjoy two nine year olds relish in what will make them remember their experience most.
*Experience a new attraction at the ESB, the Skyline. A virtual tour of New York City, narrated by Kevin Bacon, the seats move, feels like you are in a helicopter, it was really cool.
*Hop on the F train ~ “the orange subway” and head down, or is it up to Rockefeller Center (first subway ride for Schmoogie).
*Watch the break dancers perform in the subway station. How do they do that??
*Arrive in Rockefeller Center and admire the ice skaters, the flags and the flowers.

*Truly marvel in all Rockefeller Center has to offer.
*Lunch/Dinner ~ or as the boys said ~ either “Linner” or “Dunch” .
*Giggle at the others having “dunch”, or a snack, or a cup of coffee, or a NAP! They thought this was hysterical! ~ You know, Nine really is Divine.
*Incident with the bathroom attendant, I guess she missed the lecture on manners at Bathroom Attendant School.
*Up to the Top of the Rock ~ Spectacular. Magnificent. Breathtaking.
*Stairs, elevator, escalator, giggles, amazement.
*Search for change for the binoculars and get up close and personal with the Statue of Liberty.
*Lots more photos
*Start walking to the big Toys R Us to ride the indoor ferris wheel
*A Mister Softy Ice Cream truck on the corner of 36th and 5th hits the spot!
*Grab a ride on a modern day rickshaw towed by a bicycle driver with the world’s strongest legs, or so the boys said anyway!
*Here we are at the largest toy store we have ever seen. Three floors of childhood magic, Mingling with Spiderman and Geoffrey.
*A ride on the Mr. Potato Head cart of the indoor ferris wheel followed by a round of Wii Bowling on the biggest television screen on earth, rounds out the Toy Store extravaganza.
*Hit the pavement in search of Penn Station.
*Board the train back home.
*Train ride occupation includes, singing of the silliest of nine year old songs ever, giggling the entire time, reflecting on the best parts of the day, checking out our souvenirs, awe and delight, and of course, stretching out our tired, aching feet.

Both Schmoogie and Siege thanked me for one of the best days ever, and I, had to thank them back.

We had an awesome day.

Peace.

LAX!

Schmoogie's started lacrosse yesterday through the local PAL. This should be an interesting new journey in the P house, as none of us have a real understanding of the game.

We needed to invest in some new equipment for the new adventure, a helmet, which was generously given to us, and some upper body/arm/shoulder padding (above) that once in place made my Schmoogie resemble a superhero.

"He looks like a Power Ranger", my nephew adamantly announced Sunday morning after Schmoogie tried on his new gear! He was right.

Last night was the first practice. Big D took him, said he did well, and enjoyed himself. After practice, Schmoogie ate dinner and out to the front lawn to practice techniques, until I called him in to shower and settle in for the night. I imagine this will be the norm for the next several weeks until we need to add in some baseball practice, when he will be perfecting two games at once.

I will attend the next practice and try to begin to understand the fundamentals of the game, so I can assume the typical cheerleader role as Mom. I may try to catch an instructional clip on youtube, or re-read the wiki description, which I didn't really get the first time.

It's real important to support and cheer for your children, I'd just really like to know what's going on. But, hey, if I never get it, as long as I am there, that's all he's going to remember anyway.

Peace.

The City That Doesn't Sleep

Big D and I took the kids to see Shrek the Musical on Broadway last Sunday.

First official family trip to NYC. Kind of hard to believe when we live so close, we just don’t journey into the city that often. We took the tunnel in, and of course the boys were captivated by the thought of underwater travel. Oh my, who thought of that, anyway? It really is awesome, but while traveling through the tunnel, I always have this sudden urge to hold my breath. I guess I‘m awaiting the tunnel giving way and flushing us into the East River, never to be seen again. Crazy.

We passed and awed at the typical NYC skyline and its magnificent sites, and sighed as we remembered those that do not exist anymore.

We arrive in the city with plenty of time to spare, so we stroll down to Time Square, (Schmoogie is still spellbound that he stood in the actual location where the ball drops every year) and grab a bite at the ESPN Zone. Schmoogie just couldn’t get over how many televisions they have in that place, man, it really is insane. He was thrilled that just above his head, no matter which way he turned, there was a game on. He didn’t care what was on, he’ll watch any sport; well, I don’t think he cares much for cricket, but hey you never know. Noodle was just glad to have his butt planted in a chair, and not be walking on those tired, lil, three year old tootsies anymore!

After we had our share of pub food, laughs and plenty of sports-themed video games, we hit the bricks and headed back down Broadway to the Theater. On the way, we happened upon a man seated against a cement storefront, shaking a paper coffee cup with some coins in it. Schmoogie made inquiry as to why someone would do such a thing. I was careful to contemplate my answer for a moment, not spewing out my original cynical thoughts, which were, he’s probably addicted to something and needs a fix. Instead, I explain to him that he is most likely homeless, unemployed, and needs money for a warm meal.

Concerned for the poor soul, he says, “Hey Mom, Do you think he can collect enough money to get a house”?

“Na, Schmoog’s, he just needs to get enough for dinner tonight”.

He lets it go a while, until his inquisitively gets the best of him, and then he asks, “Where is he going to go tonight Mom, is he just going to walk around this big city all night”?

“Not sure Schmoogie, maybe he will find a warm place to sleep”.

“But Mom, if he doesn’t have anywhere to go…”

I swiftly cut him off and declare “Oh, here we are! Here it is, Shrek the Musical! Here’s the Broadway Theater”.

I have pondered why I was so happy to not have to continue that conversation. I have come up with the following:

We were having an amazing family day in the city, and I didn’t want anything negative to impact our day. However, experiencing a pan handler on a city street is a normal occurrence everyday in the city and perhaps I could have handled it differently. The city has so much to offer with its amazing sites, history, culture, theater, museums, excitement and splendor; however, in some places it is just drizzled with filth. In retrospect, I should have not feared the explanation, but rather relished it for its life lesson. Upon having this revelation, I remembered why we don’t visit the city too often. We live on the north fork of one of the most beautiful islands in the world, why would we want to leave?

The show was amazing. The kids had a blast, Big D and I loved it as well.
Peace.

Beaming with Pride

I am beaming today.

Nothing can bring me down.

My Schmoogie has always made me proud, but today I am the most proud of him that I have ever been.

In a meeting yesterday with his teacher, who I adore, respect and love, and his counselor, yes, he has a counselor, I was given some of the most amazing news ever.

Schmoogie scored the highest score of all the third graders in his school, on a standardized math pre-test. He too has been offered an art scholarship to attend an Art Camp at East End Arts Council over the winter break next week. His behaviour has improved, and in the last year has excelled in baseball, football and basketball.

He is not only athletically inclined, he also excels academically, and now he has unearthed an art talent. I am so proud of him.

A well rounded, happy child, what more could you ask for!

Peace

Football Dad

The weather has been frightful here on the NoFo, until this Saturday, when it really began to warm up.

Schmoogie had a basketball game and a subsequent playdate with one of his bball buddies later that afternoon. Much to my surprise, and as I am about to leave for a haircut appointment, I notice that Big D not only brought home one bball buddy, but two. Big undertaking for Big D, who also will have the well rested, soon to be up from a nap, Noodle to deal with.

I cannot help but smile as I get into the car, say whew to myself and high tail it out of the driveway. He'll be fine.

Approximately one hour and fifteen (all to myself) minutes later, I return home to the same place I high tailed out of to find the same smile on my face. As I look at the wanting to be green, water saturated grass, I see four children, one toddler, and the best Daddy on the block playing a football game. Big D recruited yet a third boy for the playdate, a neighborhood child that I adore, so Big D could become official quarterback and the boys could enjoy a well balanced, fair and even teamed game of football.

The toddler child, Noodle, ran aimlessly after another football that Schmoogie and his friends feverishly threw anywhere on the grass and yelled "run Noodle, run, yeah, touchdown"!

It started getting colder and one of the boys asked for a sweatshirt, then another, another and another, until they were all sweatshirt-ed up and I ran into to turn on the tea kettle. Hot cocoa all around. I quickly made six cups of cocoa and set up a plate of cookies.

They started filing in, hungry, cold and thirsty. After a well needed round of gatorade, I direct them to the dining room.

Big D sat in the dining room with the five boys and I stood in the doorway watching them sip cocoa and snack on cookies, listening to the days best plays, the worst plays, those that were executed perfectly and those not, smiling as they all giggle, sip and chew. I listened to Big D compliment the boys, encourage them to practice in areas of need and answer questions they had about plays.

As I stood there, I couldn't help but think how lucky my children are to have been blessed with one of the best fathers in the world. Then it occurred to me, hey, I'm darn lucky too!

Peace.