A Day of a 3 year old....

Yesterday, I got down on the floor and looked at life from Jace's perspective. After doing this I realized I rush him to often.
A task that I could get done in less than 20 seconds became my entertainment for quite some time.
First he picked out his own clothes. ( I wasn't surprised he chose his Elmo shirt. He wants to wear that everyday.)


Then he had to start all over again!

Is it lunch time already?

Then it was time to make the bed!
But first we had to talk to each "friend" and inspect them!


And tell a few stories...

Laugh at a few jokes...

Take a little rest...

Give some love....

TaDa! The finished product!

Now our day is ready to begin.

Or NOT.....

We get to start the process all over again!

New York

From New York City

Last week I had my first photo shoot in NY! I had so much fun following these two around. I loved the photos of them next to the graffiti. I saw NY through their style.
Here are a few of my photos.

From New York City

From New York City

From New York City

From New York City

Watering Children

From Rain

I LOVE rain! I especially love the smell of rain! Today we had a pleasant wet day.
I dressed Jace up and sent him out to jump in puddles! Kids are so lucky. I love that a kid doesn't care if his shoes get wet.
I love that they run right out into the rain without thinking of what it will do to their hair or even their clothes. They don't hesitate to enjoy the blessing of rain. They embrace it.
It's not that often that you see an adult speeding through puddles on a bike just to see how high the water splashes, or stomping through a puddle that wasn't there yesterday. I want to live like a child again.

I'm thankful for a rainy day! Here's to all the kids that LIVE life and allow the rain to help them grow!!

From Rain

From Rain

From Rain

From Rain

Full day Kindergarten!

Today Jennica is a Kindergartner! She has been ready for this day for quite some time. She watched Jarom as a Kindergartner last year so nothing was a surprise. She rides the same bus, goes to the same school, and even has the same teacher he had. I was much more subdued this time around. I guess the difference now is Jennica and I are both ready for this change. She got on the bus without even looking back. Once her mind was set on going to school she was off. I wasn't surprised she didn't need any encouragment from me. She is 5 going on 15.
Now that I am down to one child at home I am able to go running with Jace in the stroller right after the bus leaves, instead of 6am. The course I run takes me pass the school, so I thought I would swing by and say hi while she was on the playground, NOT to check up on her. I arrived a few min. after her bus and found her on the kid swarmed playground buzzing around. I called out to her and once she saw me she gave me a annoyed look and said: " Mom, why are you here?"
I had to laugh. It was obvious she was enjoying her life away from me. The feeling was mutual. :)
I continued my run and thought Jennica and I are experiencing simialr freedoms today.

Kindergarten & 1st Grade

Imagine a mom with a 3 year old, 2 year old and 8 months pregnant living on the 10th floor.

Imagine a mom who drives a car full of car seats.

Imagine a mom that sleeps with kids on top of her!

Imagine a mom that goes running with 3 kids in a stroller.

Imagine a mom that sits in the hall at church every week with a baby!

Imagine a mom that knows every song Dora the Explorer has EVER sung!

Imagine a mom that knows the exact countdown to bedtime on a rough day.

Imagine a mom that has read Green Eggs and Ham a billion times.

Imagine a mom that listens to her kids read bedtime stories to her!

Imagine a mom that doesn't have a child in diapers!

Imagine a mom that gets love notes saying; I luv you. You R the best mom evr!

Imagine a mom that only makes her own bed

Imagine a mom that can send a child to the kitchen to find their own snack.

Imagine a mom seeing her kids walk to the bus stop comforting each other from the back to school jitters.

Imagine going from constant 3 to 1 again!!

I didn't imagine it happening so fast!

No Visitors!!

I am a mom to 3 kids. Ages being 3,5,&6. They were born with special powers.

These special powers notify them if and when I enter the bathroom! I've even wondered if there is some kind of silent alarm on my bathroom door that signals bells and whistles that only they can hear. Like those dog whistles only the dogs hear.

To this day, I haven't made it through a session without being disturbed. It doesn't matter what time of day it is, or what summoned me there to begin with- they always find me! I have sat in the same room with them for long periods of time without being needed...until I step foot on that tile! Sure enough, one of them (and it's not uncommon for ALL of them) come running into my room calling for me. How do they know I am in there???

The best is when they come running to the door fully expecting it to be unlocked and slam into the rejection. They freak out! I missed the rule that states; Moms are not allowed to have privacy...EVER!!! I hope someday they lose the Special Power.

This is what it feels like:


Please don't knock when the door is locked! Please don't smash your face into the door frame and yell!

Please don't yell louder if I tell you to talk to me when I am out of the shower. Please don't play with the light switch while I'm in the shower!

Please don't camp out by the door and wait for me. Please don't shove toys or wave your little fingers to me under the door! It was cute the first 10 times.

Please don't announce to a caller that I am in the bathroom. Please don't tell me stories or ask questions while the hair dryer is running.

Please, Please, Oh Please, don't disturb me while I am in the bathroom!!!

I've noticed they also have special powers with the telephone!!!

Dead End at Memory Lane?

I laugh every time I pass this sign. This is a funny Oxymoron.
I can't help but imagine a neighborhood of Old people.

Tae Kwon Do

Yesterday Jarom passed another Tae Kwon Do test! He is now a Black & White belt. If all goes well he should earn his Black belt in May! Here is a picture of the belt ranks:













He was happy I finally stopped taking pictures.

Bronx Zoo solved hearing problem!

"Lean over your plate."
"leave your shoes at the door."
"It's time for bed"
"Shut the door behind you."

I really thought my kids had selective hearing. It boggled my mind why I had to repeat things over and over during the day. A trip to the Bronx Zoo, yesterday, shed light on this apparent hearing problem. THEIR EARS ARE TOO SMALL!
I found a pair of ears that seemed to do the trick for all of them. Once these ears were placed on their heads they responded to whispers, and yells alike! Their concentration levels increased as well.
I came upon these ears just in time...School starts in a few weeks!

New York Love

I admit I have done my fare share of parking illegally while in NY and paid a HEFTY fee for it, but this sign ought to do the trick. I think NYC is loosing money by being so direct here. What do you think? AHHH...New York Love!!
(Thanks for the picture Heather.)

Lifes securities

A certain someonee in the Hobi family has a few items that he carries with him more times than not.
It's similar to the baby blanket syndrome. Most mothers have at least one child that becomes attached to an item. And we fret and wonder if it's OCD or healthy for them to be connected with a "thing."
A mother with a child that sucks his thumb can fall back on: "He won't be sucking his thumb when he goes to College." We simply have to wait patiently to see when they grow out of it.
This can be cute when all is well but not when we have to call in a "Family Search" when an item is misplaced.
And it's a definite No, No to play with these items even if they were found in "Free Space!"
Having a doll, Binky, or a single toy on the radar can be exhausting for a mother! One afternoon I found someone unloaded the "buddies" onto the kitchen table,
and as I looked at them I felt a fondness toward them. I was seeing a personality in a little pile. They are bits and pieces of their owner.
I thought I'd take a picture of them to remember, in case he ever out grows them....








Sam is to his phone as a dog is to his collar.
Sam is to his watch as a woman is to her lipstick
Sam is to his wallet as a yo-yo is to a string

Jarom' s Triathlon

Jarom took it to the swim, bike, and run! He was awesome. It was so fun to see him try this new sport. He took 2nd over all! Go Jarom!!
He swam 50 meters, biked 1 mile, and ran .5 miles

Cottage Vacation

Once upon a time a family took a weeks vacation in a little cottage along a big beautiful Lake of New York.
Each day they woke up to the birds singing and a full day ahead of them to do as they pleased. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was served on the porch overlooking the water. They played at the beach until late afternoon then visited the playground, fished, or rode bikes. Evenings were quiet, bed time came when the sun went down. Kids fell asleep to bedtime stories that sometimes lasted over an hour. On the last day of this vacation they went to an Amusement Park where roller coasters, flying swings, and water slides sent them home in a complete exhausted state of bliss. And they lived Happily Ever After.....
Until the youngest awoke the next morning to find he was back home in his OWN bed and climbed down from his top bunk and marched into mommies bed demanding they return to camp! "I don't want to be in my own bed! I want to be at camp!"