It's a Hard Knock Life

November 21, 2014 - Thomas Joseph Martin made his musical debut as an orphan in Annie Jr.  We were lucky to be introduced to the Random Acts of Theater Company (RATCo) when we moved to back to Colorado, and it's been a joy to watch TJ grow more confident and outgoing with his new group of friends.

The kids auditioned for their roles in August, and from that point on, went to weekly rehearsals working very hard to nail their parts.  TJ's group, MouseCo (the minis of RATCo), were part of three numbers -- "Hard Knock Life," "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile," and the finale "Tomorrow."

All three shows sold out at the Main Street Center, and TJ had lots of family and friends show up each performance... even his Junior Kindergarten teacher was there to support our little man!

 Mommy was a little nervous how he would do on stage with a full house, but instead of getting stage fright, our little ham turned it up a few notches for the crowd!  It was amazing to see how much joy is in that little boy.

Mommy, Daddy and Frankie even got in on the act -- sort of.  Daddy volunteered on the tech crew, running the music for the production, and Mommy & Frankie volunteered as ushers helping seat the guests for two of the performances.

Frankie loved watching his brother on stage -- every single show, he sat quietly and watched in amazement. And, for everyone who knows Li'l Frankie, you know how amazing that is in and of itself!  Frankie went to so many rehearsals with his brother and Daddy, he knew all the songs and dances, too!

It was a wonderful experience for the whole family, and we're all so happy to have met the amazing students and volunteers in this organization.  We're looking forward to the next production -- Charlotte's Web!

(I've attached a few videos of TJ's songs, click on the links)

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154876827540228&l=2307399265878502923

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154876822065228&l=4253082882001794302

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154876635940228&l=6059885749755035798

Time Thieves

Where did these last two months go?  All we know, is that they disappeared in a flash.  Between Annie Jr. rehearsals, basketball games, and weekends at Grandma & Grandpa's, we've been busy to say the least!

September was pretty much a blur.  Both TJ and Daddy are pretty involved in preparations for the musical.  TJ is an orphan, and he'll perform three songs in the production -- "Hard Knock Life," "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile," and "Tomorrow."  TJ is going to be the cutest little orphan ever!  He's so excited about his costumes.  Daddy is on the tech crew, so he's been at rehearsals three times a week helping out.  In between our crazy September schedules, we managed to get in some quality family time!  One of our favorite September memories was our drive up to Georgetown to see the aspens.  This was a family favorite of Mommy's, and she hadn't realized even Daddy hadn't done this in all his years in Colorado.  The colors were beautiful, and TJ loved exploring, picking up leaves and climbing rocks.  Baby Franks, on the other hand, was more of a city boy and wasn't too interested in getting down and dirty.  Still, we managed to get a few shots of him running around.  On our drive back down the hill, we came across a perfect little park, with train play structures and castle to play in, so, of course, we stopped and played!

October went by fast and furious, too!  Basketball started up again for TJ.  He has the same coach, but is playing with a different team, rec center and age group.  Turns out, last season he was placed with the 6-year-olds, and while he could hang, it's fun to see his confidence grow since he's playing with kids his own age.  Annie Jr. rehearsals continued, we celebrated Grandpa's and Mommy's birthdays, hosted a visit from our DC cousins, went pumpkin picking and trick-or-treating (twice!), and Daddy went to Orange County to run with and support his friend in a 100 mile race!  My favorite part of Halloween, definitely TJ performing Hard Knock Life in the street with his RATCo friends and Baby Frankie handing out candy and saying "Dank you!"

We're halfway through November, and it doesn't seem things are going to slow down anytime soon!  TJ's performances are next week, then we have Thanksgiving and the countdown to Christmas.  Hopefully we'll be able to catch our breath soon!

Time for a Checkup!

Summertime is over and the new school year is in full swing, so I figured it's time for a checkup!  Here's the latest on our two crazy boys:

TJ:
Our four-year-and-a-half-year-old started his first year at PCK (Parker Core Knowledge).  The charter school is one of the top schools in Douglas County, and we were lucky to get a spot.  He still has to go through a lottery to get into the K-8 program, but his chances are much better being a part of JK.  And, so far, so great -- he loves it there!  The first day of drop-off, there were no tears, and by the end of the first week, he didn't even say goodbye.  The only tears he sheds are when Daddy comes to pick him up from Champions (his after school program he attends three days a week.)  He loves his teachers and curriculum, and he's made a lot of friends. The JK class learns Kindergarten curriculum, and the challenge is really great for TJ.  It's so wonderful to see his confidence grow at such a rapid pace.  He definitely sees himself as a big boy now. 

TJ still enjoys gymnastics.  He's really excelling at it -- he's close to do a backwards roll all by himself, and he masters many other moves, it's crazy.  TJ also finished up his first season of team basketball.  The first day was a little overwhelming and consisted of a major meltdown, but he came back stronger and earned a medal for passing skills the next week.  He loved it so much, he starts up season two next month.

Saturdays, TJ is busy at RATCo (Random Acts of Theater Company), preparing for his first musical, Annie Jr.  He auditioned and got a part as one of the orphans.  (Everyone got a part, but it was so great for him to go through the process).  TJ is having a great time singing, dancing and playing with his RATCo friends.  He's nailed his portion of Hard Knock Life, and we're so excited to see the finished project.

TJ continues to make us laugh everyday.  To say he's silly, is an understatement.  He loves to laugh, he's super smart and he loves his baby brother.  They have their moments, but they're awesome together, and watching their relationship brings tears to my eyes.  He loves Legos, Batman, Transformers, RescueBots, Captain America and really any other super hero around.  He's really sweet, always looking out for others, and giving kisses and "I love yous" out of the blue. He talks, a lot, and comes up with the funniest sayings.  TJ really enjoys drawing, and it's wonderful watching his imagination come to life on paper.  What else is there to say?  We love him!

FRANKIE:
This 17-month-old keeps us on our toes!  We joke TJ is our careful one, and Frankie is our careless one!  He is a one baby demolition team.  He is so full of energy, life and laughter, every moment is unpredictable!

He loves balls -- basketballs, footballs, baseball, you name it!  He is obsessed.  Frankie also loves playing with cars and trucks -- monster trucks and fire trucks top the list.  Oh, and he LOVES to dance!  This kid moves to his own beat, literally.  His teacher, Ms. Ivy, says Frankie will often dance as he gets in line or sits at the table for lunch.  He's very physical... running, jumping, wrestling, he's constantly in motion.  He's starting to develop his own things he likes, and he's really gotten into Paw Patrol.  It's fun to watch him get excited when it comes on the TV.  He, too, loves to make you laugh.  He's always coming up with something silly to get a giggle out of you. Frankie is super ornery, but he has a very sweet side.  He loves to snuggle and give kisses and high fives.  He's so friendly in public, we call him The Mayor.  He walks up to folks and shakes their hands like he's campaigning -- HILARIOUS!  He's quite the helper, too, just like his brother.  He's great at throwing his trash away, and he loves to sweep the floor!

While he's not quite the talker TJ was at this age, still, he talks a lot -- most of it is his own language, though!
Still, here's a list of his words at 17 months:
Mama, Mommy
Dad, Dada
TJ
BoBos (our cat)
PupPup
Nanana (banana)
Apple
No (of course!)
Ball
Batman (wonder where he learned that!)
Pa, Grandpa
Ga, Grandma
G (Aunt Angie)
Go
More
Shoes
NightNight (his blankie)
UhOh
Whoa
Wow
Susie
Brown Bear (his favorite book)
Hello, Hi
ByeBye
Poop
Thank You

Hot
SitDown
Down

Mountain Memories

We were all lucky to have Grandma & Grandpa take the boys for eight days for some good ol' fashioned mountain fun.  They drove up to Parker on a Saturday to watch TJ's basketball game, then took the boys back home with them.  Mommy and Daddy drove down to Buena Vista to meet up with everyone that Wednesday.

While we were kid-free, we definitely missed them.  And, we took advantage of being kid-free -- we had a wonderful time with each other, and we had a blast hanging out with Frankie's friend from the Grand Junction days and his wife. While the boys were parent-free, they took full advantage of Grandma and Grandpa time.  Parks, milkshakes, toys, twinkies, you name it, they were spoiled with it.  One of their favorite outings was a trip to the fish hatchery.  TJ loved learning about stocking the rivers and lakes for Grandpa & Uncle Carl to fish for them, and they enjoyed feeding time.

Wednesday, Uncle Dave and Aunt Judy stopped in BV for a quick visit on their way back to Missouri.  We absolutely loved spending time with them.  They hadn't seen TJ since he was three months old, and they'd never met Frankie, so it was a very special time, even though it was a short time.

After UD & AJ drove off, Mommy, Daddy and the boys headed to the Sangre di Cristo mountains and the J. Kyle Braid Leadership Ranch.  The JKB foundation holds a special place in Mommy's life.  She was lucky to be a scholarship recipient to spend a life-changing week at the ranch in 1997.  Two years later, after graduation high school, she worked there for a summer, solidifying her belief in the work Ken & Colleen Braid are doing in honor of their son, Kyle.  Now, 20 years after Kyle's suicide, the Braids are honoring him in another way, and they are selling the ranch.  We were so lucky to spend the afternoon at the ranch.  The boys had a great time, and Mommy was flooded with wonderful memories.  As we drove away, TJ said, "I want to get a lot of money and earn the ranch before it is sold to someone else." 

We wrapped up our week just relaxing and hanging out at the house.  Frankie finally got his first haircut -- Mommy had put it off for far too long because she just couldn't part with those crazy curls.  Luckily, we went to cousin Amy's salon, and she left a few curly q's behind!  He did a great job -- as long as he was sitting on Grandma's lap with a sucker in his mouth!  He may not have crazy hair anymore, but he's still my crazy boy!

We headed back up to Parker in time for TJ's last basketball game of the season.  It was so amazing to watch TJ's growth from his first week, to his fifth.  He became more confident, improved his skills and had the most wonderful time.  It was wonderful to watch him having so much fun out on the court.  He was a excellent defensive player -- often playing man-to-man when he was on offense, but hey, that kid was NOT going to get the ball!  The last game, all the parents made a tunnel for the kids... their teams were announced as music blared, then they ran through a fog machine, a break-away banner and through the parent tunnel.  It was so great!!

The summer is winding down.  The boys have their fall doctor's checkups tomorrow, and TJ begins Junior Kindergarten next Monday, so stayed tuned for some more updates!

Fun in the Sun

It's difficult to believe July is almost over!  We've had so much fun this past month, we've rarely had a day to relax at home.

July 4th weekend was spent at Grandpa & Grandma's house in Buena Vista.  It started with a parade, with lots and lots of candy!!!  After snagging more sweets than at Halloween, we visited with Uncle Carl, Aunt Jane and cousin Matt before heading back over to G&P's for some quiet time.  Dinner was spent at Quincy's with Prime Rib and Mac 'n Cheese enjoyed by all!  Baby Frankie ended up  falling asleep before dusk, and TJ was too tired for fireworks, so Mommy, Daddy and Grandma walked to the trail in the neighborhood to see the show from the fairgrounds. 

The next morning, the TJ, Daddy, Grandma and Pa got up dark and early to hit the lake for some fishing.  TJ was a big helper, and they all had a great time.  TJ had fun casting his line and reeling it in, before his fishing pole took a dunk in the lake.  Mommy & Frankie II joined everyone on the boat a few hours later, and the fun continued.

We wrapped up the weekend with a little Reno family tradition - feeding the chipmunks at St. Elmo.  It was both Frankies' first time, but TJ was a pro.  Baby Frankie had more fun throwing the seeds at the chipmunks, and Daddy was a little weirded out by the whole thing!!!

Since we've been back, Saturdays in July have been busy with gymnastics, basketball and birthday parties.  TJ continues to excel at gymnastics, and he really likes his coach.  He's also returned to the b-ball court, although the setup is a lot different than Hoopster Tots in San Francisco.  Because of that, TJ was a little overwhelmed his first practice & game, and it was rough, to say the least.  But this week, he really came out of his shell.  He did great during the dribbling and passing drills, and when he got the ball in the game -- he went into turbo mode!  He was dribbling and running all around, at top speed, and with a smile on his face!  It was great to see.  TJ also got some good passes in, and was awarded one of two medals after the game.  The look on his face was priceless.

The boys enjoyed celebrating Clara's third birthday last week, and TJ's best buddy Jack's fifth birthday this weekend.  It was a beach party, with lots of water fights, a bounce house and a great time.  They also had a fun visit from Aunt G this week, and it's safe to say, both boys wore her out!

Home Sweet Home

Yesterday, at lunch, TJ looked up from his plate of mac n' cheese and said, "Ahhhhh, Home sweet home."  It's true.  After three months of craziness, Parker is once again feeling like home.  The boys have settled into school, and we're all staying very active -- TJ's in gymnastics, a theater group called RatCo (Random Acts of Theater Company), and he's getting ready to start basketball in a few weeks.  Both boys were able to take part in the Parker Days Parade and represent their school.  Grandma and Grandpa were there to wave as the float went by.  And TJ took the stage with RatCo and performed at Parker Days on a Saturday afternoon. Cousins Ross & Carole were in town from NYC, and we had a great time catching up with them! TJ did an amazing job in front of the crowd -- his favorite routine, of course, was "What Does a Fox Say?" 

Since we live just a block from the main town park as well as main street, where all the action was, the boys spent all four days at the festival.  TJ couldn't get enough of the carnival -- he rode rides every night.  He even got Aunt G and Grandpa on the giant slide -- although he had no problem going down it the first time by himself!  Saturday night, we didn't leave until almost 11.  That night, TJ had a great time hanging with his best buddy Jack, and Frankie even got to sneak on a ride.  We spent Father's Day back at the festival... finishing up unused tickets and finding the pony rides and bounce houses!  It was a fun-packed family weekend, and we loved every minute of it!

Frankie has started working as a Special Projects Producer at Dish Network.  The company puts on a summer concert every year, with free beer, food, prizes and games for kids.  This year, it was capped off with a 90 minute performance by the Eli Young Band.  The boys had a great time raiding the ice cream truck, but apparently, the concert wasn't too loud to put TJ to sleep!  Frankie, on the other hand, would rather mingle with the crowd instead of sit and enjoy the music!

We capped off this weekend with some gymnastics, a fun games and movie night with our RatCo friends, playing outside and just enjoying quality time as a family.