2013 Summer Wrap Up

As the unofficial end of summer nears, I can't help but think, "Where did the summer go?" "What did I do this summer?" "I didn't do...." Then I stopped myself and decided to write down all the wonderful things we did experience this summer. We did a lot this summer, not just as a family, but individually we all grew.  

We kicked off the summer with a trip to Orlando. We had a blast! It was pretty actioned packed. We went to Animal Kingdom, Legoland, Downtown Disney, Universal Walk and SeaWorld, pool time, shopping and a long overdue visit with my uncle who drove all the way up from Ft. Meyers for a brief visit. Great way to start the summer!

The hubs and I have grown so much stronger, bonding on a deeper level. We met new people, went to dinners, lounges, restaurants, drinks, shared lots of laughs. 

The boys, where do I begin? Big kid went to summer school - I know, you're thinking fun for us, not so much for him. Well I'm happy to report that big kid had a great time in summer school.  This was his first summer at  a District 75 school with a small class. He learned so much and went on many trips. He went to the Bronx Zoo, Chuck E. Cheese, Museum of Natural History and to the movies. Most importantly, he became more confident. While he was more advanced than his peers, the kids cheered him on and enjoyed listening to him and all about his knowledge of animals. This made big kid WANT to stand up before the class and become a leader. That's a win in my book!

Big boy (aka pollito, no longer my little chick) has become far more independent, talking so much and becoming such a loving, social little butterfly who is handsome, charming and hilarious! From singing his favorite songs on the radio "Blurred Lines" (don't judge me!) and another dance songs, he's quite the entertainer. Finally, we got him to sleep in his "big boy bed" after 5 months of sleeping in his play yard and half the night in our bed. He found a new obsession with Thomas the Train. Weekly trips to Toys R Us has turned their bedroom into a mini train depot. We tried to get him to switch to Chuggington (much cheaper than Thomas trains, btw) but we couldn't fool him. He said "No thank you. Thomas please." Yes, my 2 year old is polite and well spoken for his age (another win!) Next up, potty training and maybe part-time daycare to prep him for preschool. He's a sponge right now wanting to learn about anything and everything.

Family trips to the beach, company outings (carnival, pool and Central Park Zoo), and trips to the park, City Island and the Bronx Zoo. Got to spend time with my beautiful cousins and their family. Wow! We were blessed.

I, too, had fun on my own as well. I was a "model" for a day and got to experience a professional photo shoot with a fashion stylist, hair and makeup and entire team of wonderful women. I got my glam and diva on, ultimately appearing in the September issue of All You magazine (on sale now!). What an amazing experience! Next up, spending time with a good friend, pretending we were tourists for a day. We have so much in common and we got to bond despite our challenging schedules. After the All You photo shoot, I caught the " modeling bug" and decided to take professional pictures for the hubs as an anniversary gift (11th wedding anniversary, where does the time go?). Once again I got my glam and diva on. The look on hubby's face was/is priceless. He makes me feel like I'm a top model everyday. He sees the beauty in my flaws. I am blessed to have him as my partner, lover, and friend. I LOVE YOU!!!

I must say we had a pretty damn good summer! With only another week or so before school starts, I'm sure we will find more things to do. 

This has been one of the best summers so far.  I hope you guys enjoyed some time off and created good memories, we sure did. 

While It's hard to say goodbye to a sensational summer, I thoroughly welcome a fabulous fall (back-to-school, good hair days, fantastic boots and jackets and my birthday of course!) Not looking forward to IEP meetings, evaluations etc. I'll save that for another blog. LOL.  

 So before you say you didn't do anything this summer, take a minute to reflect back at things you actually did.  You might be surprised at how much you accomplished.  And if you truly didn't do anything - then you still have a couple of weeks to make it happen!

 See you in the Fall....




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