Christmas 2009

It's two days before Christmas and all through the house all the creatures were stirring, including the mouse. Three kittens were chasing it! Now that my boys each have their own kitten, the Janowicz brood has more going on than ever. With school out for Winter break, my daughter is definitely feeling like the mother in the shoe! She takes it very well, I might add, keeping the boys outside when the sun is out and doing projects inside when the rain comes.
Jayden started basketball and even scored on his second game! He is #2, and their team is the famous Oceano Packing Company, aka the White Team.
Along with that debut, Ella made hers as cheerleader. Jaxson and Addison move around so much, I have difficulty getting a picture of them, but they are in the peanut section and up and down the bleachers throughout the game, occasionally yelling, "go Jayden!"
With our

My 4 grandkids

I am in love! My grandkids are the best, cutest, talented, intelligent and humble grand children in the world!
Jayden started basketball and his first game was Sat. I took 2 cameras and a camcorder to record the event. He looked so grown up in his black shorts and white shirt with the #2 on the back. He really ran his little buns off and said he had fun, even tho they lost the game.
Jaxson isn't into sports, but he has "you better watch out," etc down pat and sings it with gusto! He gave me quite a performance at his house and had no problem doing a solo acapella!
Addison loves "bay-ball" and has a great arm for throwing and awesome batting skills for a 3 year old. He loves to run the bases (around the tree in the front yard) and giggles when I run after him. Anything that has to do with throwing and kicking a ball gets him excited.
Ella is learning to communicate. She has her daddy wrapped and if he doesn't pick her up when he passes by she lets him know it.
I am looking forward to this Christmas with all of them. That's what its all about !

Halloween fun!

I went Trick or Treating with the kids in the neighborhood of their great grandma Esther. Once we filled our tummies with pizza, we set out to go door to door. The moon was full, skies clear, not a lot of people out, but that was ok with us. As usual, I just had to dress up. I love to play dress-up, don't you? My boys were in high spirits (pardon the pun) and knocked on doors and rang doorbells and filled up their bags with all kinds of sugar that their Mom would have to say no to in the coming weeks. But, it is still fun to receive something for absolutely nothing! Tell the parents that after paying for costumes etc. Every year seems to be more fun than the last. The children make it so. There was Jayden as a Phantom, Addison as Spiderman, and Jaxson as Ben Ten. And don't forget Ella Amberley, the baby leopard with her Mommy leopard, and Daddy type cast as the devil. MaMa brought up the rear as the oldest living Punk Rocker!

Grandchildren rock!!

I am so blessed to have my grandkids. I talk and talk about them, to my lucky friends! Fortunately, most of them also have these little joys in their lives. Jayden finally lost both of his front teeth. It's official. Now he has something to ask for this Christmas.

Addison and Ella are buddies. He's only in pre-school at Happy Times 2 half days a week. The rest of the time he gets to play with his baby sister. They really communicate. Sometimes he cries, then she cries, much to Mommy's dismay. And Jaxson is enjoying the role of big brother as well. He loves to tickle her under her chin. There is no jealousy amongst them and Ella. Only the boys fight, and that includes Daddy. The Janowicz house is a lively one, for sure!!

Beach Day with Addison

I picked up my Addison from Happy Times preschool and we were called to the beach by some gravitational pull. Even though I live only 7 blocks from the Pacific ocean, I rarely get down to enjoy it. That's just silly, isn't it? So, my little 3yr old grandson and I threw caution to the wind and just got down into the water and watched the waves for about an hour. The sights, sounds, smells, are so unique. I plan on making time to do this with him every time I pick him up. It's good for him, me, and the universe is calling us to enjoy its beauty. The days are sunny, warm to hot, getting slightly shorter, and the leaves are falling around us. There is a special feeling in the air of Fall. Even though we don't have extreme seasons here on the Central Coast, I still have the memories of chilly nights, frost on the pumpkin, and hay rides on the mesa in Albuquerque where I raised my own children.
I am sooooo blessed to have the honor of spending special time with my grandchildren and seeing the world through their innocence. Addison never stopped smiling the entire time we spent together that day at the beach. He marvelled at the constant waves one after the other, reaching down for a shell now and then, tasting the salt on his fingers, letting the water go up his pant legs. By the time we left, he looked like a little sugar donut!

School is in session

First day of school and we now have two boys, Jayden, 3rd grade, and Jaxson, kindergarten, at Branch Elementary. So far they both have made new friends and Jayden reconnected with some of his from last year. In fact, he has a few in his classroom. The public school system here in Cali. has seen better days. With the state itself in bankruptcy, the schools are taking a beating. Many have lost teachers, forced some into early retirement, and pink slips were plentiful at the end of last year. Our concern has been class sizes, but at Branch that is not a big problem since it is a small school to begin with. Bridgett will be volunteering for each of their teachers and I will help by watching Baby Ella and Addison one afternoon a week. I am proud to be of any help. Of course, my grandkids are the world to me, so it's all about loving them.

Addison will begin his pre-school experience 2 days a week beginning today, Sept 2nd. Hopefully all will go well, he is very ready to tackle a challenge. And, Mommy is ready, too!

Summer in full swing

Big news! Jaxson, aka Avatar, turned 6 ! He was so darn cute in his costume. I even helped celebrate and painted an arrow on my head, too. We had fun eating pizza, cake, playing lots of games at the Round Table Pizza restaurant and arcade. It was utter chaos, lots of kids, lots of presents for the b-day boy. He really had a great birthday!Great Grandma Esther took good care of Ella while the party went on. She managed to put her to sleep even though the noise was deafening. I guess she's used to it with three brothers at home.


The next outing with us was the Blues Baseball game. All four grandparents took the three boys to the game and watched them roll down the hills, run and chase each other and manage to eat some hot dogs. They all participated in a "dizzy bat run" running the actual bases on the field. Jayden was the winner over his brothers and a few others. Fun was in the air, we all enjoyed our summer activity.

Happy Fourth of July!

On the left is Addison, in the patriotic board shorts. Up above is our Ella Amberley in her PaPa's arms. On top is Jaxson is playing in the sand next to the pool. And the video shows Jayden lighting fireworks in the Janowicz front yard. We had a really fun time. Lots of food, thanks to everyone, especially Leah and Uncle Chris, and Bridgett. There were a lot of family, friends and dogs running around. The day was breezy, but perfect to sit around poolside and chat and have margarita's. My boyz are growing up. Jayden really gets into the fireworks, lighting them etc. I stayed inside holding Ella and watching Jaxson play a video game. He's not much on noise and smoke either. PaPa and I went home around 9pm and continued to watch the big display off Pismo Pier sitting in back of our truck parked in the street. It was a fitting end to a busy day.

Graduation!

Here is our Jaxson at his pre-school graduation on June 10th. The singing program was about 20 minutes and he hung in there pretty darn well. At the end we all had food and drinks outside that each child requested as their "favorite." Jaxson's was Taco Bell bean burritos. So Mom and Dad had to go and buy a dozen for the party. There was every thing including pb&j sandwiches and hard boiled eggs. The children decorated the room themselves, put flowers in the vases and really did a great job. We are so proud of Jaxson! He will go into kindergarten this fall.Way to go, honey!

Happy Mother's Day !

I certainly had a wonderful Mother's Day! My niece and her little girl and hubby came down from San Jose to spend the weekend with us. She is my only family here in Cali. Fabio, Amanda, and little Isabella are a sweet family and love is abundant.

We all went to Spyglass Inn overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and had brunch on Mother's Day. Talk about abundance! There was so much food and my favorite, bottomless Mimosa's! The babies were with us, leaving the Boyz with Grandpa Tony aka "Tone-doe."

The weekend was full of love and lots of catching up. Isabella is now taking her first steps and our own little Princess Ella met with many ooh's and ah's from everyone at the restaurant. I am so grateful for our quality time together.

Big News!!

Of course, the birth of Ella Amberley takes precedence on all of my blogs. She is the sun, moon, and stars above. I can't describe how perfect she is. To see is to believe. I'm sad my family in Albuquerque can't see her tiny face, to hold her and feel her love. You will all have to be satisfied with pictures on this and "ma petite-fille" blog including a video.

Now at home, my little family is trying to get back into some type of schedule including the boyz going to school, daddy going to work and mommy adding another baby to the brood. Hard to believe my own mother had 5 children. What was she thinking? I could have been the baby instead of my sister, Judy! But, I love my baby sister so I'm glad she didn't stop with me. And Jayden, Jaxson and Addison feel the same way about their new little sister, Ella. They already love her after only 7 days.

Happy Easter!

Spring is here and my little family came over to color Easter eggs. There was plenty of creativity going on and lots of fun. Bridgett made sure we had plenty of eggs and coloring options. That's my girl! Jaxson chose to paint instead of dunk, Addison and Jayden did a little of both. And Matt, our resident artist, did a mini masterpiece! Look out Faberge'.

Addison turns 3

The party was a blast and many friends and family members were there. Addison played his heart out. He got plenty of new toys and even a new quilt made out of Blues Clues material. ( I am very proud to say my first effort at quilting.) The entertainment was great as Jaxson and Addison performed their dancing skills.

He was the first to try and bat the kitty pinata hard enough to get the candy to fall out. Unfortunately the whole thing fell down before that could happen. He patiently waited until it was secure and tried again and again to no avail. Jayden and Mayven finally did the deed and all the children scrambled for the candy that fell on the grass. Addison got his share! The day ended with a baseball game at the Janowicz grandparents house. The day was sunny, windy and perfect. Fun was had by all. Happy birthday my sweetie!!

Our model

If you look in the top left corner of this billboard, you will see our Jaxson holding a basketball on his head. This is the clothing line he models for called ROAR. The billboard is in L.A. If you click on the sidebar, you can visit their website and see more of our boy with his uncle Josh, who is his "agent." He loves the boys and comes to visit on holidays.

Happy Valentine's Day !!

Here we are, the second month in 2009 and one of my favorite holidays coming up. I have been working on my Valentines for my little guys, Jayden, Jaxson and Addison and my new little Princess in Waiting will have to wait until 2010, but I get to see her in utero tomorrow at the doctor's office. Memere's Bebe! What a joy to have my little family right here living so close. I am truly blessed.

I made the card above for my favorite couple, Bridgett and Matt, who are celebrating their anniversary number 8 on Valentine's Day. Happy Anniversary to you both! I'm so proud of you.

Welcome 2009 with memories of Christmas '08

I want to begin the new year with a photo of me and Bridgett and her precious cargo. Yes, she is having a baby GIRL and we are excited! Her due date is May 13th. She has a special glow about her and even though she is busier than ever, still has a spring in her step.

This picture was taken on our Christmas morning, the week before. We had a wonderful day as we packed in our festivities into a single day. Presents, cookie making, lots of laughter and activity. With three boys ages 2-7, there was plenty of all of it. This year the spirit of gratitude and love was abundant. Our lives are so full and crazy! Just the way I like it. I know the new year will bring more blessings than ever.