Happy 9th Birthday, Jackson!

My sweet Jackson,

And now you are 9! Somehow that happened.

You are still the sweetest, most conscientious, careful and sensitive kid I know. But then, just when I think you are so shy and tentative, I hear you screaming with your friends during swim class, or tearing around the playground like a banshee.

You've plowed through most of the Harry Potter series this year, you've just completed Book 5. Which is still a surprise to me since you still turn away if Kermit the Frog graces a television screen in your presence, as you're still scared of the Muppets. I think it must have been a pivotal moment in your brain-synapsis-building when you saw some Muppet you did not like, and that was that for you.

You've moved on from pizza - although it's still your hands-down favorite - I now think soup dumplings are a close second. No bagels, pancakes, or waffles for you though, thank you very much. And you would eat 6 Granny Smith apples a day if I let you.

Legos are still going strong. You've amassed quite a collection, and once you start building one, your focus is total and complete until you are done.

You participated voluntarily in the Science Fair this year - The Invisible Ink Project. You didn't want to go the extra mile, but in the end, you did. I'm so proud of you for that.

Your best buddy is your brother. Since you are together constantly, it's like you are each other's shadow. I'm so lucky that you are able to play, laugh, crack each other up (For one week straight you chanted Undies, Undies Solomon Grundy Rat-a-tat-tat to each other and would dissolve in laughter).

You have a lot of friends at school and everyone likes you. You cause no problems and you're continually at the top of your class, getting points, awards, and commendations. Right now we're waiting to hear if your handmade book (one of the top three in your class) will earn you a spot as Class Representative next year).

For your birthday this year, we got together in Prospect Park near Vanderbilt Playground (your request) and celebrated with 16 of your buddies, and donuts. Paper airplanes, a piñata, and free play was it!

I love you more than words can ever say. Thank you for the best 9 years, and I know this year is going to be a good one!

Love,
Mama

PS Letters on your first birthday, your second birthday, and your third birthday, fourth birthday, and fifth birthday and sixth birthday and seventh birthday, and eighth birthday.  

Happy 8th Birthday, Jackson!

My dear, sweet Jackson,

And now you are 8! The sweetest, smartest, best little 8 year old I know. Continually making us smile. I'm so proud of who you are becoming as you get older. You're a hard worker, a great student - coming home and immediately doing your homework before I even ask you. Your notes from your teachers consistently say things like, "Good job, Jackson! We love how hard you are working!" You are an avid reader, going on to the Brooklyn Public Library website and placing holds on books you want to read. Dragon Slayers series, 39-Story Treehouse, Mighty Robots series, and of course, anything with penguins in it. Your love of penguins has reached a whole new level. You just completed an amazing science fair project on penguins. You did just a good job, including 17 watercolor paintings of the 17 different types of penguins. You are so talented, buddy.

You swim like a fish and are one of the top 3 swimmers in your PS10 class. You're in the Fish class at the Y, and even though you hate it, you get in there and do your laps without complaining.  You started karate this year and I love watching you - so loud and precise - with your kicks and arm chops. You love it.

Your favorite toys are Legos. You can put together legos like a machine. You just got some GREAT sets from Bebe and I'm sure you are going to put them together in no time at all. Once you start something, you get it done.

Your favorite food - still pizza. In fact, you ate half a pizza on Sunday. Later you came up to me and whispered, "I don't think we should do my birthday brownies today. I ate too much pizza." But then you rallied and made room for the brownies, because no cake or cupcakes for you, thank you very much. You do not like them. You are the only kid who will go to a birthday party and politely say, "No thank you. I do not like cake." Green juice. You could live on green juice. Your top favorite restaurants: Ikea, Hancos, Dino-saur BBQ, and Mike Daddy's pizza. You've started eating a lot more foods though. Even though you're still a skinny little kid. It's awesome to see you try things more and more.

You're becoming more and more independent - and are starting to roll your eyes at Mama and Dada when we say certain things. Sometimes I ask you a question and you answer "Of course!!!!" like a 16-year old teenager. Please hold off on that a little more.

I love you so much my heart could burst. You make me so happy, Jackson. I am so lucky I get to be your mama. Happy happy birthday.

Love,
Mama

PS Letters on your first birthday, your second birthday, and your third birthday, fourth birthday, and fifth birthday and sixth birthday and seventh birthday.  

Happy 5th birthday, Cade!

Dear Cade,

Happy 5th birthday, my dear, sweet, funny, cute, LOUD little boy!

And now you are 5 - and now you are for sure not my Baby Cade any more. This breaks my heart but then you fill it again with your smile, your fake-photo smile, your raised-eyebrow smile, your throw-your-head-back-and-laugh smile.

I find it appropriate that you were born Fourth of July weekend, since you are quite a little firecracker.   When you run, you sprint. When you sing, you shout. When you dance, you get down. You know what I mean?

You have a natural inclination to defy me, which, I'm sure you can imagine, is pretty frustrating. When I ask you to do something, more often that not, you shout NO! before I can even finish my sentence. Not nice! But then you'll walk in the room and say, "Mama, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!" and throw your hands out in the air like you are on a Broadway stage, and I wonder where you came from.

You had a great year, at your Pre-K school, every day you would tell me what you learned, very matter of factly - "Mama, first there's the eggs, then the crysallis, then the caterpillar, then the butterfly. That's the life cycle." One day, Jackson and I were in the kitchen and you were at the top of the stairs. Jackson asked me a question, "Are butterflies insects?" and you yelled down, "Butterflies ARE insects!"

You have quite a collection of stuffed animals in your bed, and depending on the temperature, you will cover them up with an assortment of bandanas and blankets. Of the 4 feet width of your bed (which you are about to grow out of any day now), you sleep on 16 inches and your stuffed animals take up the remainder of the space.

You love to bike, dance, play with Superhero's, be read to, and you're so so so close to swimming on your own. Your favorite food - mac and cheese. You claim to LOVE bananas but every time I give you one, you have three bites then say you don't want it anymore.  You'll still spend an hour in the bath, and you'll still yell bloody murder if water gets in your eyes, but the other day you had a shower and it didn't terrify you.

You also are Mr. Innocente when Jackson is getting in trouble - "Yes, geesh, Jackson, you have to shut the refrigerator door after you get the milk out!" like you're the most perfect, expert little kid when it comes to remembering to shut the fridge door. Or, piping up, unasked, "I didn't do that! Mh-mmm, not me."

I love you to pieces buddy. You are the best, I love you and I love you and I love you.

Love,
Mama

Letters on your 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st and 6 mos. birthdays.

Jackson's 7th birthday

 

7 years old! I really can't believe this kid is 7. Prospect Park. To the left of the path to the baseball fields. 17 Marshmallow Shooter kits. 6 bags mini marshmallows. 17 friends and siblings. 72 and sunny. Grateful for such a fun, sunny day and beautiful party. Despite up-ending the box of cupcakes trying to get a wagon, three kids, 6 pizzas and various other party items into the park. By myself. While Jon parked the car. On the hardest day ever to find a parking spot. Happy Birthday, Jackson. We love you so so much.

happy birthday, auntie nikki!

We love you beyond words! We love you to pieces! Happy Happy Birthday!

Cade loves you so much he's really workin' it out in this video :)

Happy Birthday, Sammy!

We love you! We love you so much! Happy Happy Birthday, to our sweet, smart, talented, fun, funny, and handsome cousin! 

Jackson's 40th birthday present to Mama

Last night, as I was tucking Jackson into bed, he said, "Do you want your birthday present now?" I was a little tired so I said, "No, tomorrow will be good. We can wait til then." He asked me again and I realized I better say yes. He looked in my eyes and said, "My birthday present to you is you get to sleep with Blue for the night."

Blue is Jackson's blankie that he has slept with every night of his life. Florida, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Dean Street, my floor, camping - - every single night.

Break my heart, what a sweet boy. He was nervous. He said, "But if I need him I can come in and get him." We agreed on that, and I took him to my room. He didn't need to come and get him.

More Blue here, and here.

happy birthday, baby Ezra!

Happy First Birthday to my special little godson!!!! We love you so much, you little cutie. We wish you didn't live so damn far away.

If you look closely you will see Cade holding Ezra's hand in this picture. ♥ ♥ ♥



And Steven trying to read his New York City taxi receipt.

party in the park

Today we had a little party in Prospect Park for Cade. When we got home, Jackson and Cade agreed it was the best party ever. Cade's favorite part was "the goody bags."

happy birthday, scarlet!

On our way to a special birthday party ~ Happy Birthday, Scarlet!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Darin!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Darin! We love* you like you love fast cars.

*Loving you since 2009 (well, before then, but that was as far back as I could find).

happy birthday, auntie nikki!

Happy Birthday, Auntie Nikki!! We hope you have an awesome day, and we hope Jackson's song for you makes you smile:

party in massachusetts - ooooo!

This past weekend we celebrated some big birthdays in Massachusetts. We had an awesome time with friends and family from all over. The picture above might be one of my all-time favorite family pics - on account of Jackson throwing gang signs and smirking like he just ate the canary.

The highlight of the night was Jackson and Sammy's performance of Justin Beiber's Baby, Baby, Baby - changed to Bebe, Bebe, Bebe, oooo, Papi, Papi, Papi, oooooo, Happy Birthday, Birthday, Birthday!!!!!  (Excuse my crazy stage-mom instructions. And awful singing/yelling).

Happy Birthday, Bebe and Papi!

happy birthday, bebe!!!!

We love you Bebe!! Hope you are having a great day!!

xoxox 

Top candles made me laugh, thought you would like. :)

happy birthday, papi!

Hope you are having a wonderful day!!! We love you and miss you!!

happy birthday, sammy!!!

I have a lot of catching up to do here - - but couldn't let today go by without saying Happy Birthday to our favorite cousin Sammy! We love you Sammy so so much!

happy birthday, Nonno!

 

We love you Nonno. We hope you have a Happy Birthday today ~ and can't wait to give you birthday hugs and kisses tomorrow!!!

happy birthday, mama

My birthday last weekend was great. We started out with homemade cards and bagels from my favorite La Bagel Delight. Thank you Jon for the perfect bag that I'd long been coveting. We played around the house, hung out, and I got some stuff done while the boys watched the Olympics. Then to get out of the house, Jon suggested a trip to the park. We went deep into the center of the park to spots I'd never been. Jackson rode his bike and Cade rode his scooter, and I was wearing flip-flops. Oops. THREE MILES LATER, we made it home.

That night we went to Talde and had the pretzel dumplings and the Beef Short Ribs. I want more.
Vanesa, Jackson's old teacher and Cade's new teacher, came to babysit and it was a drama-free departure. That might have been the best birthday present of all.

Also, on the way to Prospect Park, I got a free beach chair and found a 5-dollar bill. :)

Happy Birthday Dada!

Dear Dada,


I love you I drawed for you and I did everything and it's your birthday so I love you. Buh-bye.


I like you because we go see Sammy and play with him and go to the beach and play at the beach.


We like to play and look at rainbows. Play Light Saber and Star Wars with you.


I like to watch movies with you. I like to do crazy things in the car when you drive.


I love you. And that's it.


Happy Birthday Dada Jon Milott.


Love,
Jackson


Dear Dada, 


Five. Four. T. T. Key. 


I love you because I know you. Because I know you. Because Dada knows me, and he knows me. 


Sit with Dada and eat with Dada. And play with Dadddy. 


Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Dada, happy birthday to youuu. 


(blowing out candle sound)


I like to go potty with Dada. And go pee-pee in the potty. 


Anything else you want to say? 


He has sunglasses. 


Love, 
Cade

scenes from the family birthday party

 

 

Mimi made a pond cake! Jackson got a pedal bike! And a Lego set with a pteranodon in it! With a mouth that opens, just as he has requested! Uncle Michael, Auntie Gwyneth, Mimi, Nonno, Mama, Dada and Cade all had fun! We love you 5-year old Jackson!