JOEY News

Laser Tag!

2012-01-23T22:12:00.000-08:00

I am determined to get all of the photos on the blog from Christmas by the end of January!! On December 28th we went to my best friend Lori's house to visit with Lori, Rocky, Max, Elise and my friend Chica and her son Conor. Lori and I go all the way back to kindergarten! She is that friend that no matter how long it has been since we saw each other or talked, she is still my best friend and we can pick right back up where we left off! Chica is my friend from College, we played volleyball together and what a great time we had. She is another wonderful friend and it has been a long time since we had seen each other, it was so fun to catch up with everyone. Joey of course loves it because he gets to spend time with Max and Elise and I am pretty sure that he thinks he is related to them!! If there is snow, we would have been sledding in Lori and Rocky's backyard, but no snow so we headed to a place that had mini golf, bounce houses a basketball court and Joey's favorite Laser Tag! We could not have picked a better day to go. The place was very quiet and so we more or less had the whole place to ourselves! Laser Tag was a ton of fun and I lost count of how many rounds were played. Joey loved every minute of it and I am so glad that I was able to go in and take some pictures. The day ended much too soon for me, I had such a good time and I already miss my friends so much.

Joey, Max and Conor

Elise

Max

The boys!

Hammin it up for the camera!

Chillin

Waiting to play Laser Tag

The Big Boys

Joey, Max and Rocky

Love this picture!

Dessert!

Conor and his Mom, Chica!

The Girls!

Christmas morning (December 25th)

2012-01-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

Joey woke up on Christmas morning to a letter from Santa and from his Elf. He was pretty excited that Santa found him at Grandma and Grandpa's! I think he was even more excited to read that Santa had left two big presents at our house in Eugene. Joey got some legos, a star wars character, Hex bug tracks and the Play doh pizza maker! Christmas was spent in our pajamas (for the majority of the day) relaxing with Grandma and Grandpa. Daddy and Grandpa went for a walk, being that it was 55 out and Joey and I went to Auntie Shannon and Uncle Todd's for a visit. After dinner, Uncle Jeff, Auntie Kelli and the girls stopped by to visit. Joey and the girls had a blast playing with his Hex bugs and the game cube Mario kart!

Joey and the girls playing game cube

Cousins!

Playing Hex bugs

Signing Maddie's cast

Maddie and Joey

Christmas Eve!

2012-01-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas eve at Grandma and Grandpa's. It was a day full of good food, good drinks and good fun. As usual Joey was very busy with his cousins, but also busy with Uncle Josh and Aunt Emily's new dog Cooper! Whenever Cooper went outside to play, Joey went too. You will notice in the photos that Joey has rosy cheeks and is wearing shorts! He was hot from so much running around with his cousins! Joey got all kinds of great presents. I am going to list them so I don't forget. From Grandma and Grandpa he got the game Simon, Star Wars character Hondo Anoka and a Target gift card. Josh and Emily = Target gift card, Auntie Shannon, Uncle Todd, Hayley, Tanner, Cortney and Wyatt= The Hex Bug Hive (which was a big hit with all the cousins), Auntie Shelly, Jacob and Shane = Harry Potter Legos, Uncle Jeff, Auntie Kelli, Maddie, Mac, Miah and Mylea = more Hex Bug tracks and bugs! We got some great Monahan family photos, but I didn't get any pictures of Joey and his 10 cousins (Mackenna went home sick and Jacob was at his girlfriends) but those pictures will come later. I finally convinced Joey at about 11:00pm that it was time for bed, he was bummed and cried. We put out some cookies for Santa and some carrots for each reindeer. Joey also said good-bye to his Elf on the Shelf "Captain Commander Luigi Lewis" and finally about 11:30pm, Joey was fast asleep!

Cortney

Maddie

Hayley and her mom, Shannon

Mom, me and Shannon

Hayley (my god daughter) and me!

Shannon, Jeff, Me, Josh, Shelly (siblings)

The Monahan Family

Emily and Josh

Hayley and Josh

Hayley and Cooper

Cooper!

Rubino Family photo!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Goodnight!

A New Hat!

2012-01-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

We celebrated the Monahan Family Christmas on December 18th. Joey got a Minnesota Wild winter hat from Great Grandma Monahan. We got to see cousins and Aunts and Uncles that we have not seen for a very long time. While the adults are busy visiting, Joey joined right in with about 10 of his 22 cousins and had a blast. They played Apples to Apples and Sorry and then tried to get a mean game of Tag going, but unfortunately the space that we were in did not work so well for a bunch of kids playing tag! The day went fast, but we had a great time and it is always good to see Family.

Cousin Tanner

2012-01-10T20:40:00.000-08:00

I am finally ready to update the blog from our trip to Minnesota for Christmas. My mom and dad did not have high speed internet so I had a really difficult time trying to get photos to load, actually I could not get them to load at all while we were in Minnesota. For some reason I could not update the blog from my sister Shannon's computer too, so everything piled up and after we got home, I dreaded having to do so much catch up, but at last January 10th, 2012, here I am finally getting to all the photos from our Fantastic trip to Minnesota! First up, cousin Tanner and some great basketball. We got a chance to watch Tanner on a number of occastions and I am not sure if it was more fun to watch Tanner or to listen to my sister in the stands! Tanner played great and we got to see him on "Fire" hitting at least five or six "3" pointers one night. It was awesome to see Tanner in action. Joey enjoyed the games, he liked to sit way up at the very top of the stands (as far away from us as possible). He blended right in with Wyatt and his friends and even watched the game and cheered for Tanner and his friends (that he met). At halftime of one game, Joey and I went to the concession stand and as we were walking, there was a little boy about Joey's age walking next to him and Joey turned to him and said "Do you know T. Konen? He's my cousin! (he was so proud). Here are some photos from the basketball games we attended.

Hanging out in the upper bleachers!

Go Tanner

Making a free throw

Hayley and Tanner (sister and brother)

Warm ups

Hitting one of his many threes!

Wide Open

Parent's night

Wyatt, Hayley, Tanner, Cortney (siblings)

Grandma and Tanner

The Rubino's and Tanner

Grandpa and Tanner

Grandpa, Tanner and Joey

A Visit with Santa!

2011-12-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

I took Joey to see Santa Claus on Sunday December 18th. For the first time since he was little, he was not afraid. He went right up to Santa, sat on his lap and immediately got down to business by telling Santa what he wanted. I am pretty sure that Santa was not even ready and did not hear him the first time!

"Santa, I want a Nintendo 3DS"

"And I want the Star Wars Republic Attach Shuttle"

Joey and Santa!

Food for the Reindeer!

2011-12-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

Last night Joey and I were getting into the Christmas spirit and before bed he decided that he wanted to put out his reindeer food that he got from school. It looks like oatmeal and glitter! Joey was very meticulous and was carefully sprinkling it all over the lawn in little piles so that each reindeer would be able to have his own pile! Our neighbors were outside looking at the moon and so he even wandered over and asked them if he could sprinkle some reindeer food on their lawn. It was fun to watch him and I love it that he believes!

Reindeer Food!

Last Basketball Game!

2011-12-11T21:39:00.001-08:00

Joey had his last Basketball game of the season this past Saturday December 10th. He played a great game, actually they all played a great game and it was a lot of fun game to watch. I feel like they have improved so much since the first game and for First Graders they have truly impressed me! Joey was very excited for this game, he and his friend Drew had talked a number of times about how important this game was and that if they won they would get trophies and a pizza party. The best part is they do not keep score at these games! But if you ask any one of the players they usually have a score to tell you! Joey did a great job and he scored a number of baskets and I even got one on video that I will try to post! After the game the entire team headed over to Papa's Pizza for a pizza party and trophy presentation. The party went really fast, but I know Joey had a great time playing with all of his friends in the play area! I have struggled this season with trying to get some really great action photos at basketball games. I guess I have a lot more to learn about my new camera. I felt like I got a few ok shots, but also thought the lighting in this gym was much better.

Joey taking a shot

He scored on this shot!

Team huddle after the game

Mrs. Barton (Joey's teacher) came to the game

Best buds, Drew and Joey

Joey getting his trophy from Jeremy

A trophy, pizza, and one happy boy!

My little elf!

2011-12-05T20:43:00.001-08:00

Trimming the Tree!

2011-12-01T20:47:00.001-08:00

Even though Joey has had his Christmas tree up all year, we still did a little more decorating this year! He took all the ornaments off and re-did his garland and ornaments. Joey and I spend a lot of time on Saturday working on the big tree in the living room and the little tree in his room. I really enjoyed working on the trees with him, we had a nice system going as far as putting the ornaments on and I felt like we were both really into it and it made it feel special. And that being said, I sure have one special little boy!

Getting ready to put the garland on the tree!

My busy boy

Love this photo

Putting on the Star

Joey's Christmas Tree

Family Christmas Tree!

Toys For Tots!

2011-11-28T21:34:00.001-08:00

On Sunday we went to Shopko for the annual Toys for Tots event. The Marines are there accepting the gifts and the highlight for Joey is the fire engines, swat vehicle and the police dog! After Joey gives them the toys, this year he picked out a play doh set and a game called Sorry Spinners, he gets to ride on as many fire engines as he wants. I am pretty sure that he took a ride on every single vehicle in the parking lot. It is fun to see the excitement in his eyes and I am also hopeful that he understands what Toys for Tots is. This year Joey was quoted in an article in the Register Guard about Toys for Tots. It was pretty exciting for us to read it this morning in the paper!

Can't Touch This!

2011-11-26T21:04:00.001-08:00

Here is a video of Joey and his friend Adri dancing to M.C. Hammer's "Can't Touch This".

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T22:42:00.001-08:00

We hosted Thanksgiving this year and it was a great day. Good food, good friends and good fun. We had incredible appetizers and snacks and an amazing meal with turkey roasted in the oven and smoked turkey and all the fixings! Dessert was Pumpkin and Apple pie, oreo balls, brownies, cookies and ice cream. We were all somewhat exhausted by about 8:30pm. Must have been all that good food and dessert! Kevin, Marisa, Joe, Shawn, Stephanie, Laura and Ben joined us for Thanksgiving this year. Joey was a busy boy today. He played all day. He also got a nice surprise this morning as the Elf on the Shelf, "Captain Commander Luigi Lewis" returned to our house. He is a magic elf who watches over Joey and then every night he flies to the north pole and reports to Santa if Joey has been good or bad! In the morning when Joey wakes up, he has to search around the house and find the elf as he hides in a new spot when he returns from the north pole! This year the elf sent a letter and Joey was able to read (other than a few words) the whole letter all by himself. I was very impressed. He also got a very special present from the elf. He got the lego Star Wars Advent Calendar. Needless to say, all 24 little doors were opened today! Happy Thanksgiving!

Reading the letter from the elf.

Joey and his present and his mohawk that he wore to school yesterday!

Basketball!

2011-11-21T21:19:00.001-08:00

It is basketball season and Joey is on a team with all of his buddies from school. He practices twice a week and I am pretty sure they are playing a lot of basketball during recess. They already played in a jamboree and have had two other games. What a difference from the jamboree to their first game. The jamboree was the first live game for them this year and you could tell they were all a little overwhelmed. Joey did not score any points at the jamboree and that bummed him out a little, but he has come back strong in the games! I have really enjoyed watching Joey play. He reminds me so much of my brother Josh when he was little. I am having some issues with my camera, not sure if it is the light in the gym, the settings I have it on, or the fact that they move so fast and I am moving too much while I take the photos. There are a few good ones and some not so good! Joey did great this past weekend. He scored a bunch of baskets in the game on Saturday and he came over to me at half-time, gave me a high five and said "finally"! For first graders, the team looks pretty darn good to me! Here is a video of Joey scoring a basket.

Jacob and Joey

Warm ups

Drew, Jet and Joey

Defense

Joey scores on a lay-up

Getting ready to shoot

Here comes Joey!

I'm open

Getting ready to take a shot

Joey's buzzer beater at the half!

The Girls!

2011-11-20T21:43:00.001-08:00

Joey had a basketball game today (will post those pictures soon) and as soon as we got home, he was begging Dave and I to let the girls come over to play. The girls are our neighbors Celia, Mary Frances and Adri. They started out with play-doh in the kitchen, moved on to trains in the living room and then were playing a game of hide the bracelets! Joey loves to have the girls come over and play. All was going well, they all had some popcorn and watched a few music videos and then Joey got really tired and things went downhill fast. He couldn't decide what he wanted to play (and I wouldn't let them play hide and seek) so Joey got upset. After the girls left Joey took a shower and all was well! Here are a few fun photos from the afternoon!

Funny Faces!

Sweet Dreams Joey!

2011-11-13T21:23:00.001-08:00

Here is a typical photo of Joey sleeping these days! He has become very attached to about 10 stuffed animals! They all have a name, there is brother and sister bear, cookie the rabbit, baby - the baby penguin, 2 minions from Despicable Me, 2 Smurfs - Clumsy and Gutsy, Mooey the cow and a black cat in a pumpkin that I do not remember the name! Many of these have been won by Joey in the game that costs fifty cents and it is a claw/crane thing that he loves to play! Obviously I have no clue about the name of this game! He basically has to line the thing up just perfect and then he has so many seconds to try to get the claw to pick up a stuffed animal and carry it an drop it into the chute! Every morning when he wakes up, he bundles his pillow and all 10 animals in his arms and takes them all to the living room couch to snuggle! At night, he bundles them all around himself and snuggles with them and falls asleep!

Happy Birthday to Mommy!

2011-11-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

Today was my ** Birthday! I had a fantastic day. All of the students at work made me feel so special. They had goodies for me all day! I got so many wonderful birthday wishes on facebook and when I got home Joey and Dave had a cake for me and more goodies. They made me teary eyed. Joey put the candles on my cake, he and Daddy sang me Happy Birthday and before I could take a breath, Joey blew out most of the candles. What a great birthday!

Make a wish!

photo compliments of Joey!

Halloween!

2011-11-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is how Joey and Drew went to school on Halloween. Joey was a baseball player and after the costume party we went to on Saturday, he wanted me to do his hair for school! Drew comes over in the morning to catch the bus with Joey and he looked at Joey and said "I don't think you can wear your hair like that to school". I told him I thought it was ok because it wasn't scary and it is Halloween and he replied "I totally want you to do that to my hair"! They were so excited they were hugging and chest bumping each other. I was able to leave work early and go to a little event at Joey's school. They had a small parade and then they had a snack, did an art project and did some dancing for us. Joey's class loves to dance! Here are some pictures from school.

Mrs. Barton and Joey

Joey hard at work!

Time for Trick-or-Treating! This year Joey was Savage Opress, a Sith Lord from Star Wars (a bad guy). Joey started off in our neighborhood with Celia, Mary Frances and Adri. He has gone trick-or-treating with them every year since he was two! This year Colson, Lewis and Caroline joined us too! They didn't have a ton of luck as most people in our cul-de-sac were not home, but I still think they had a good time. Next we went to Drew's neighborhood and first Joey did a few houses with his classmate Caitlyn. After that we stopped at Drew's and Joey, Drew and Dawson went around their neighborhood. What a beautiful and perfect neighborhood for trick-or-treating and a lot of houses give out "big" candy bars. Joey had a great time with Drew and Dawson. Our last stop was Mimi and Uncles, another Halloween tradition! Joey arrived starving and ate a ton of macaroni and cheese, took a break and did some trick-or-treating with Daddy, Uncle and Stella, came back and had a slice of pizza and some veggies and then went out one more time with Mommy, Daddy, Mimi and Stella. Joey also loves to help Mimi pass out candy to all the trick-or-treaters that come by her house. On the way home we stopped by Dan and Janice's to see their Mario Pumpkins! Once home Joey and Daddy sorted and counted all of his candy and the end result was 251 pieces!!!! Happy Halloween.

Joey, Celia, Mary Frances and Adri

Celia, Caroline, Colson, Adri, Mary Frances and Joey

Off to trick-or-treat

Mary Frances and Joey

Running to trick-or-teat at our house!!

Family photo!

Joey and Caitlyn

Trick-or-Treating at Drew's

The boys!

Drew, Dawson and Joey

Joey and Drew

Trick-or-Treating at Mimi and Uncles

Stella, Uncle, Joey and Mimi!
Very excited about the BIG Kit Kats!

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving Party!

2011-11-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

We have had such a busy weekend that I completely forgot to post the photos from our carving party we had on Sunday. This year we carved our pumpkins into Star Wars characters. Good thing we had Mimi, Uncle, Shawn and Stephanie to help us out! We all had a great time carving and Joey was very helpful at scooping out the yucky stuff for all of us. We kept saying that we all thought we were doing an awful job, but in the end the pumpkins looked incredible. We were all so impressed. We had a great dinner of two types of chili and some good bread and then we celebrated Shawn's birthday with a Brownie cake and some fantastic singing by Joey!

Joey digging in!

Ewwww

Joey and Mimi

Uncle and Joey

Shawn, Joey and Stephanie

Mommy and Joey

Daddy and Joey (I love this photo)

Joey working hard.

So proud

Skeleton made by Daddy

Stormtrooper

Darth Maul made by Mommy

Boba Fett made by Uncle

Darth Vader made by Stephanie

Darth Vader made by Shawn

Joey being goofy!

Happy Birthday to Shawn!

Ooh La La, Cha Cha Cha, Chi Wa Wa (Joey's singing)

Make a wish

Shawn and Stephanie

Shawn and Joey

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peak of Joey on Halloween! It is much too late to post all of my photos, so tomorrow I will post Halloween and the Pumpkin Carving Party pictures!

Costume Party!

2011-10-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

On Saturday October 29th, Mimi and Uncle hosted a costume party! Above is Joey just after I sprayed his hair orange and green, I think he looks pretty good! The party was really fun, the costumes were great and the food was amazing! I tried to get pictures of everyone and now that I am posting, realized that I missed Uncle Brent (sorry). Thanks Mimi and Uncle for hosting!

All about Star Wars! Obi-Wan and Savage Opress

Uncle and Joey

Mimi, Uncle and Stella (Darth Vader)!

Handsome boy

The incredible food!

Mini caramel apples

Fitzy, Stud and Joey

Cindie and Wade!

Isabel and Glenn

Connie

Silly string fight with Mimi

Looks like it was pretty fun!

SPOOKTACULAR!

2011-10-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

On Friday October 28th, Joey's school had a Halloween Carnival called Spooktacular. All week I was trying to avoid taking Joey because usually by the time Friday rolls around I am exhausted. But on Friday morning I knew I would be taking him and so I sent him to school with the order form for tickets. The event was really great, many of Joeys classmates were there and he had a great time. There were tons of games and everything was one ticket. All the kids could wear their costumes and Joey went as a baseball player! On Saturday afternoon we were getting ready for Joey to take a nap and he turned to me and said "Thanks mom for taking me to Spooktacular, I loved it." I am so glad that I ended up taking him to Spooktacular.

Liberty and Joey

Toilet Paper Toss!

Bean Bag Toss!

A highlight of the night, Joey getting his hair colored!

Jacob and Joey

Designing a tile.

Joey and Luigi (Ethan)

Joey and Kailynn

Jessica and Joey

Getting the sides of his hair colored green!

Joey and Kiran

Joey and Mia

Best Friends, Drew and Joey and their new do's!

Pumpkin Patch!

2011-10-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we took our annual trip out to the pumpkin patch at Lone Pine Farms! What a beautiful day and what a gig they have going! This year we did the corn maze, this was my first time ever in a corn maze and it was crazy. I swear the corn was ten feet tall! It took us about 35 minutes (which seemed longer when you are surrounded by corn) and luckily we had some clues to help us decide if we should go left or right! At night they have a haunted corn maze and we found out that on Saturday night they had about 4,000 people go through the maze! Wow. We took a hayride out to the pumpkin patch and Joey did a great job picking out 67 pounds worth of pumpkins! Next up, he fed the goats and played in the Hay Maze. For a while Joey and I were playing a little game of hide and seek in the maze and it was a lot of fun, too bad there were so many other people, we could have played for a long time. Joey also took his annual ride on the cow train ride and seemed to enjoy being in the very last car! Another great day at the pumpkin patch and I think I ended up with about 30 pictures (or more) so enjoy!!

Daddy and Joey

Joey and Mommy

Rubino's

Little baby

The Corn Maze

Cow Train Ride!

Joe Cool!

Where's Joey?

Joey sneaking around!!

Joey's Last Soccer Game

2011-10-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

Joey had his last soccer game of the fall season this past Saturday (October 22nd) and he played great. The weather was beautiful and it was so much fun to watch him play. He scored a bunch of goals and just seemed to really enjoy this soccer season. As usual he was very excited to play at the park after the game!

The team!

Joey and his trophy!

Joey's Pumpkin!

2011-10-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

On Thursday Joey went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch with all of the first graders in his school. He got to pick out a pumpkin and then his class spent the afternoon decorating their pumpkins! I finally got to see Joey's pumpkin tonight after we got home from dinner out with Mimi and Uncle. What a great job Joey did decorating his pumpkin! Joey told me he picked this pumpkin because it could fit in the bag that he brought and he could carry it!

Apple Days!

2011-10-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we took a ride out to Detering Orchard to take in their apple festival. They had music, apple cobbler, ice cream, a hay maze, hay rides and every kid could pick a free pumpkin. We really were on a hunt for some little pumpkins to put all around the front yard! Joey had a ton of fun in the hay maze, the weather was gorgeous and it was not too busy. Unfortunately the little pumpkins were $1.99 each (much too expensive for mom, especially when they are $.25 a pound at another farm) and so all we ended up getting was the free pumpkin for Joey! A highlight for Joey was the baby puppies. They were adorable and so sweet and so fun to hold and snuggle.

College Gameday comes to Eugene

2011-10-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

ESPN College Gameday was in Eugene for the Ducks game vs. Arizona State and Joey was at work with me on Friday, so we took a walk and checked out the Gameday set-up. Luckily I had my camera and so I took a few photos. I don't think Joey has a clue what Gameday is but Mom and Dad sure enjoy watching it when it is at Oregon!

Boo-ed!

2011-10-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I never posted anything this week, so I have some catching up to do! On Wednesday night I was tucking Joey into bed and he told me "Mom, I have been so good all these years and I have never been boo-ed"! I had no idea what he was talking about and so I went to the computer and googled it and found out that you can Boo your neighbors by leaving them treats and ringing the bell and hiding so that they have no idea who boo-ed them. Joey has a different take on it, he thinks that if you are good than a ghost comes and Boo's you! Well Thursday night Joey got home from soccer and was getting ready to shower and the doorbell rang. We went to the door and he was looking out and yelling hello and finally Daddy had to take his head and make him look down and there was a sign and a present and Joey yelled "I got boo-ed"! He got a double-sided light saber which will go well with his Halloween costume. He was so excited to get boo-ed. He would go up to the little note and talk to the ghost and thank him for booing him and he would tell him that he loved him! He was so cute. On Saturday we got boo-ed again but this time by a friend and Joey was super excited. He got all sorts of goodies and tons of candy so he was thrilled. Tonight we decided to Boo the neighbor girls, Joey wrote a note and off we went all dressed in black and rang their bell and ran and hid and of course we both couldn't stop laughing! We then decided to Boo Joey's friend Zach (it is possible they had something to do with us getting boo-ed on Saturday). We put together a goodie bag, Joey wrote another note and we loaded up in Daddy's car and were off. Well, we couldn't find Zach's house and so we were driving up and down the street (which was super dark), I forgot my glasses, so I couldn't see a thing, so I was of no help. Joey would run up to houses and try to read the house number and Dave was driving back and forth! Finally we find their house, Joey and I sneak up and I put down the goodie bag and Joey was suppose to ring the bell. We take off running get in the car and realize that they are not answering the door. It is then that Joey tells me he never rang the bell. So off we go again and finally got it right! We will see if we get boo-ed again!

So happy!

School Picture!

2011-10-10T20:32:00.001-07:00

Our First Grader!

More Soccer!

2011-10-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

Joey played some great soccer this past Saturday. The sun was out, it was warm and he was full of intensity and hustle. He had his game-face on and I really enjoyed watching him play. He just seemed really into it and he was reacting well to the situations and I always felt like he knew exactly where he was going with the ball. He scored quite a few goals and even a few with his left foot! I was really impressed and he even played some great defense too. Maybe it was because Uncle, Aunt Fitzy and Uncle Stud came to watch him play soccer! I know I am his mother so I think he is always great, but he was awesome!

One of the goals scored with his left foot!

Joey and Zack

Sweet Dreams!

2011-10-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

Joey sleeping with Clumsy and Gutsy Smurf, Brother and Sister Bear, Cookie the Rabbit and Baby (penguin)!

Soccer and a Birthday Party!

2011-10-05T20:21:00.001-07:00

Joey had a soccer game on Saturday morning. I also have a video of him scoring a goal that I will try to post below. I had to leave the soccer game early to go and van train a bunch of college students! After the game Joey got to play at the park, which is always a favorite for him.

Joey nailed me on this kick that was a goal. Luckily I was ready for it!

Later in the afternoon we picked up Joey's best friend Drew and drove to Thurston for our neighbor Mary France's 6th Birthday party. It was at one of Joey's favorite parks! The weather was awful in Eugene, but it was sunny and blue skies in Thurston. Joey and Drew had a ton of fun playing with many of their classmates (I think they were the only two boys), they were so busy the entire two hours. I got to hang out and visit with other parents so it was easy for me. After the party Drew came to dinner with us and then stayed and played until 8:30pm. Joey and I took him home and I ended up visiting with Lindy and Jeremy and Joey had fun playing with Drew and Dawson. I think we finally made it home about 10:00. What a great day!

Joey and Celia

Playing a little football!

Drew

Mary Frances is the birthday girl, (in red) and with her back to everyone. She was mad about something and so this is how she sat when everyone sang her Happy Birthday!

Clearly having too much fun!

Joey, Drew, Caylin, Madison and ?

Best Friends!

2011-10-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

Joey and Drew, Best Friends! They have such a good time together!

Fun!

2011-09-28T22:01:00.001-07:00

Look out Below!

On Sunday, Joey and I went grocery shopping, played some baseball and then we spent a very long time in the afternoon upstairs. Joey was very busy building with legos and I was working and scrap-booking! He kept playing around with this orange swim board that he has for his swimming pool, and he kept telling me he was going to ride it down the stairs. Well after about 5-10 times of telling him no and it was too dangerous and he would get hurt, it hit me that it would be "fun" for him. I told him if he went and got his bike helmet that I would let him ride down the stairs! Well you should have seen him, his eyes lit up, he got the biggest smile on his face and he was off to the garage to get his helmet. He got back and he was so excited that he could hardly stand it. I put some pillows at the bottom of the stairs and off he went! I would have to say that he did not go as fast as I thought he would (thank goodness) and he usually ended up falling off the toy before he got to the bottom. But he had a blast and what started off as "You can do this one time" turned into about 20 times! He was loving every minute of it, laughing, smiling and having a ton of fun! Sometimes it is the little things that truly make a difference, and I felt like this was a little thing to do but in Joey's mind, it was HUGE!

Definitely worth it! The smile says it all!

Soccer!

2011-09-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

Joey had a soccer jamboree on Saturday and boy was it hot! It was so fun to watch Joey back in action, but the boys were so hot and so tired. They only had two games during the jamboree, but it felt like we were in the sun much longer! Joey played well and even took a turn playing for the other team (they were short a player) and he even scored a goal for them. I enjoyed chatting with the other parents, so I wasn't quite on my "A" game when it came to taking pictures!

Playing for the other team!

Goal

Kaden and Joey

Trying to stay cool between games

Run Joey Run!

Joey hustling for the ball

Determination

Living Room Hockey!

2011-09-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight Joey and I played a mean game of Living room Hockey. That is correct, this is a hockey game like no other and it is played in the living room. Joey has these mini hockey sticks and these great soft light balls that it would be very difficult to do some damage with to anything in the living room. Although with the way Joey plays you just never know. We are smart enough to have him hit "away" from the TV and towards a wall! I was the goalie and Joey was out of control! He was swinging as hard as he possibly could and because the stick was so little there were a lot of misses! We had such a great time and at times both of us were laughing so hard that Joey was on the ground and I was in tears! It was a lot of fun and then Dave took over as goalie and so I thought I would get some pictures!

Goal!

So serious!

Gotta love that smile!

Soccer Practice!

2011-09-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

Fall soccer has begun and as usual, Joey is pretty excited to go to practice. This year he is playing with his friends, Luke, Kaden, Nicholas, Sonny, Zach, Ethan and Jet. All are first graders at Willagillespie. Here are some photos from last nights practice.

Sweet Dreams!

2011-09-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

It has already been a busy week and Joey is exhausted. Tonight's bedtime is 7:30pm. 6:30am comes much too early for Joey and for Mom!

Time for Soccer!

2011-09-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Joey with his friends and teammates Luke and Kaden. Tonight was their first soccer practice and Joey had a great time. I was all excited to get some great photos, but I ended up spending all of my time talking with the other parents and by the time I went to focus on taking pictures, they were done practicing! Joey seemed to enjoy practice and I can't wait to watch him in his games. Although Joey loves soccer, the next few pictures are one of his favorite things to do after soccer practice! Dave and I finally figured out that we need to go to practice earlier so that he can spend some time on the playground because we are always rushing to get him home and ready for bed after practice.

9/11 A Day of Remembrance

2011-09-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

I have been caught up watching all of the specials on 9/11 these past few days. Dave and I tried to explain it to Joey and he said to us "I wasn't even born then". I don't think he can grasp the magnitude of what happened, we will have to wait until he is older. My heart is sad today remembering 9/11.

Never Forget

First Day of School!

2011-09-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today was Joey's first day of school as a first grader! He went to school in his favorite summer outfit, old shoes and last years back pack. Good thing he doesn't know the difference and he is not into new clothes, etc! He was pretty excited to get ready to walk to the bus stop and this year his best friend Drew and his brother Dawson will be catching the bus in the morning with Joey. I think the most exciting moment of the morning was when all of the kids realized that they had the same bus driver as last year! When he pulled up, there were a lot of shouts of hooray and some serious fist pumping in the air. My only regret is that I was too late with the camera. Ok, I have two regrets, I never got to give Joey a kiss and tell him to have a great day before he got on the bus. Dave told me he is done with that, as his mom I sure hope not! This year I drove to school and watched Joey come off the bus. He obviously had the routine down from last year as he headed straight down the hall to the first grade classroom. I got go in and take a photo of him at his desk and then one with his teacher. In the afternoon I asked him how his day was and he replied "Not good, we can't eat snacks on the bus". Phew, I had no idea what he was going to tell me. He didn't say too much but he did say that he had a good day!

Dawson, Drew and Joey walking to the bus stop

Joey, Drew, Dawson, Celia and Mary Frances

Here comes the bus!

Their reactions as they realize it is their bus driver from last year, Digger!

Off to school

Not a very good photo, but kinda cute too!

Arriving at school

Hard at work already!

Joey, Drew and Caylin

Joey and his teacher Mrs. Barton

Joey and Mrs. Cowman, his other first grade teacher

Best Friends, Joey and Drew!

Off the bus after the first day of school!

Time for School

2011-09-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

Today Joey had an open house at his school and he got to see both of his first grade classrooms. That is correct, due to over enrollment in the first grade, Joey will spend the morning in Room 6 with Mrs. Barton and 24 other first graders and then in the afternoon after lunch and recess he will be part of Mrs. Cowman's class of 33 students!! Crazy stuff happening in the Eugene School District. We are really hoping that someway somehow, Mrs. Barton will become full-time, but then again school starts tomorrow! Joey and I had to fill out a questionnaire and I got a kick out of his answers, so I wanted to share them on his blog.
1. How does your child feel about school? "Good! Awesome! I am excited to make new friends but most of all I like my 2 new teachers!
2. What are your special interests or hobbies? "Play sports, swim, legos, star wars, playing the Wii and playing with friends".
3. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Joey replied "I am very strong"! and for weaknesses "Nothing"!
4. What else would you like me to know about your child? Joey replied "I am nice, I always say please and thank you and I love to play"! He is also very excited about school!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for pictures of the first day!!

Vacation!

2011-09-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

Well I guess you could say that while on vacation, I was on vacation from posting on the blog too! Sorry, I meant to post but the week got away from me. We had a great time on vacation up until the last day. We were riding our bikes and Dave took a bad spill and ended up with two broken elbows! I feel so bad for him. He is in two slings and a fiberglass cast on his right arm. He will see an Orthopedic Doctor in the next week and hopefully he will not need surgery. Crazy. Other than that, we had a great time at Eagle Crest resort in Redmond, OR. We got to bike, swim, relax, and spend time together. We had deer that would come right up to our deck every night begging for food. We played our own version of baseball on the golf course and had a blast. Joey was usually laughing so hard at Dave and I that he could not run the bases. We took some great evening walks on the golf course and searched for lost balls. Joey came home with 12 new golf balls. We went to the High Desert Museum in Bend and Joey loved every minute of it. We also went to Mt. Bachelor and rode to the top on the the ski lift and walked around. On the way down we stopped and spent some time playing with 5 week old sled dog puppies. We all loved every minute of it. We got to see our friends Curt and Margaret and Joey swam in their heated pool and we all enjoyed the hot tub and a bbq. We played several rounds of mini gold on an 18 hole grass golf course with lots of sand traps and difficult holes. It was a true challenge. We played at the arcade and raced some Go Karts. Other than Dave's accident we had a wonderful family vacation. Here are the many many photos from our vacation!

Ready to race!

Mommy and Joey taking and early lead!

On the chair lift on our way to the top of Mt. Bachelor

Broken Top

Joey and Dave, on their way to throw some snowballs!

Sled dog puppies!!

Feeding a Chipmunk!

2011-08-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we started our family vacation and while on our way to Eagle Crest, we stopped at the Obervatory and for the first time, Joey fed a chipmunk. I am not exactly sure if it was ok for him to feed it, but there were no signs and the little guy was just waiting or should I say begging for some food. We started with a small piece of pirate booty popcorn that we put on the ground and he quickly took it and ran away and then when he came back, he wouldn't take another piece of it, so we decided to give it another try with cheez its! Joey stood very still and the little guy came right up and very carefully took it from Joey's hand and ran away as fast as possible. We watched him eat the cheez it and then he came back for seconds. After we loaded up to leave, I looked back at Joey and he had the biggest smile on his face!

Joey, Drew and Dawson!

2011-08-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Joey and his BFF Drew and Dawson (Drew's brother). The three of them had a great time swimming and playing on the slip'n'slide. But I think the most fun was when I brought them some water balloons! Joey loves it when he gets to spend time with Drew and Dawson, good thing they all go to the same school!

Dawson

Drew

Buddies!

6 Year Check-up with Dr. Velarde!

2011-08-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today Joey had his 6 year check-up with his Pediatrician Dr. Velarde and I decided I would bring the camera! Joey loves Dr. Velarde and doesn't mind going to see him. When they call his name, he always walks back and goes straight to the area where they check his height and weight (he knows the routine). Dr. Velarde is very easy going and always makes Joey laugh. Joey is 47 3/4 inches tall which puts him in the 90%, he weighs 55.5 pounds which puts him in the 89%, his blood pressure is 100/68 and his vision is excellent. He had to do an eye exam and for the first time a hearing test and he did great on both. Dr. Velarde assures us that Joey will be on a basketball or football scholarship to his Alma Mater Standford! He told us that Joey has consistently been in the 90% for height so he is basically very Tall for his age! The visit was great, we didn't really have any concerns regarding Joey and it is always good to see Dr. Velarde. Joey did a great job and Dave and I were happy with the results of his check-up and the best part was no shots! Joey does not have to have any shots until he is 11! Yeah!

Hearing test, this has sure changed since Dave and I were little!

Checking Joey's Blood pressure

Dr. Velarde kidding around with Joey!

checking Joey's ears

Take a deep breath!

Great job Joey and his next check up will be at age 8!

More Birthday Fun!

2011-08-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

Joey had a fantastic 6th birthday. He got to pick out his clothes for the day (yes, that is why you see the same Beaver Nation shirt in a lot of photos, I think he would wear it everyday if I let him)! The Birthday party festivities went on and on into the night! Mimi, Uncle and Stella and Uncle Brent and Aunt Molly came over for dinner, and John and Vikkie also stopped by to celebrate too! Aunt Molly brought her birthday party hat (which I loved on Joey) and Joey couldn't wait to open his presents. It was a great night. Joey loved all of his presents and we had a lot of fun. We took some fun photos in the backyard and I love how the photos of Joey with his cake turned out (Thanks Uncle Brent). Just before bed I heard Dave ask Joey if he had a good birthday and Joey's reply was "Dad, I had a Great Birthday"!

Family photo!

Opening Gifts

Batman Stealth Rider from Uncle Brent and Aunt Molly

Origami from John and Vikkie!

Commander Cody's ship from Mimi and Uncle!

Godfather Brent and Joey

I am still getting an annual photo of Joey in his Birthday hat, how long will it last!!

Joey, Godfather Brent and Aunt Molly

Joey, Mimi, Uncle and Stella

Joey in charge!

Tough guy

still having fun

Cake Time (love these next few photos)

Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Joey!!!!

Make a wish!

Joey got a "6" sparkler from Mimi and Uncle

Joey (who is usually not much of a cake eater) eating cake!

A snuggle with Mimi

Happy 6th Birthday!

2011-08-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Joey's 6th Birthday! Wow, I cannot believe that Joey is 6! He is such a good kind boy and I love him to pieces! He woke up extremely excited and could not wait to open his presents. He was so sweet when I looked at him and told him "Happy Birthday". He got the Lego X-wing fighter that he asked for, Mario Party 8 for the Wi, Indiana Jones 2 for the Wi a 1000 piece puzzle and a Lego game! He couldn't wait to build his new lego ship. He has been wanting breakfast in bed and his request was Bacon and Eggs, but Joey got up before me this morning, so he had to settle for 6 pieces of bacon and unfortunately not in bed. He did not appear to be disappointed. He got a visit from Aunt Fitzy and Uncle Stud who brought over some pretty cool gifts and then it was off to Toys r us to spend a gift card. He picked out another Star Wars Lego that he really really wanted and then we went to Costco for more Star Wars stuff and our last stop was at PC Market where Joey picked out a lemon burst cake! He asked for green icing (for Sheldon). I enjoyed running errands with him, he is so fun to talk to and be with and he is so easygoing. He is one special boy! Tonight Mimi and Uncle and Uncle Brent and Aunt Molly are coming over for Dinner, let the birthday festivities continue! Joey's two favorite shows are on tonight as well and those would be Wipeout and Expedition Impossible. Happy 6th Birthday Joey, Mommy loves you so much and you are my "Blue Moon".

The X-wing fighter!

Joey's birthday gifts from Mom and Dad

6th Birthday Party!

2011-08-17T23:02:00.001-07:00

Front row from Left, Max, Stella, Eva, Caylin, Luke, Ben, Mary Frances and Macy.
Back Row from the left, Madison, Adri, Dawson, Andrew, Drew, Joey, Mia and Celia.

This year Joey had his birthday party at Bounce Gymnastics on Sunday August 14th (he did not want his party in the backyard)! It was a great party, everyone had a great time and it was easy for Dave and I. The kids were able to play on all of the gymnastics equipment for the first hour and a half. Some of the highlights were the rope swing and the three person swing and they all spent a lot of time building a big fort in the middle of the room. A huge highlight for Joey was that as the Birthday Boy he got to do the zip line 6 times! He was grinning from ear to ear and was so excited and all of his friends were chanting "Joey, Joey, Joey". After snacks and drinks, we had cake and then Joey gave out goodie bags and Thanked everyone for coming to his party. We took his presents home and Stella and Eva came over and watched him open his presents and then he spent the rest of the afternoon in the backyard swimming and playing with Stella, Eva, Celia, Mary Frances and Adri. My only regret is that I didn't get a picture of Joey with each of his friends. I started off doing really well and then I got too distracted and never finished getting all the pictures. What a day!!!

Joey and Stella

Dawson, Drew and Joey

Eva and Joey

Fun on the trampoline!

Luke

Dawson

Joey and Mia

Dawson and Joey

Funny Faces!

Sheldon boys on the swing!

Having fun!

Joey and Luke

Joey and Andrew

Mia

Dawson

Caylin

Mary Frances

Adri

Celia

Drew

Goooooo Sheldon!

Posing!

Andrew, Drew and Joey

Max

Joey on getting ready to do the zip line.

Love that smile

Caylin

Celia

Time for snacks and cake!

Joey's cake made by mom!

Happy Birthday to you!

Enjoying having everyone sing!

Make a wish!

At home opening presents

Beyblades

A very cool Yoda card

Something he always wanted!!

Ninjago Lego

Joey's presents!

The Birthday boy!

Here is a video of Joey on the zip line!

Summer Fun!

2011-08-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

Joey has been getting a lot of use out of his pool this summer. The past few days he spent a lot of time splashing and playing around with his friends Matthew and Richard and the neighbor girls Celia, Mary Frances and Adri. Here is the crew having a blast!

Getting sprayed with the hose by Dave and clearly hating it!

Bring it on Godfather Bino!

Celia

Adri

Mary Frances

Matthew

Joey (I had no idea his eyes were closed)!

Matthew

Brothers

Sisters

These photos are from Friday when Matthew and Richard arrived to visit for a few days.

Trying to get them all to jump in the air at the same time!

Joey taking aim!

Richard all smiles!

Best Buds!

2011-08-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of Joey and his best friend Drew! Drew came over to play on Tuesday and they both had such a good time. They are so busy together and I never hear Joey laugh like I do when he is playing with Drew. Sometimes they argue, but they always resolve things on their own, a true sign of Best Friends! They are silly, funny boys and they had a great time hamming it up for the camera!

Here is a video of Drew singing and Joey dancing!

Fun at camp!

2011-08-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

Joey spent two weeks at the University of Oregon Sports-O-Rama camp and he loved every minute of it. He told Dave that next year he wants to go for all 4 weeks. Two of his teachers from Willagillespie work as counselors and the Camp runs from 8:45am to Noon each day. Joey got to play soccer, basketball, kick-ball, running swimming, gymnastics, floor hockey, tennis, basketball and Joey's favorite things was to climb the rock wall. He is fearless and goes to the top every time. I did not see it, but Dave went to watch and took these pictures for me.

Joey beginning his climb

On his way to the top

Touching the ceiling!

Free climbing

Bouldering!!

Riley, Joey and Amrit

At the top, again!

All Comer's Track Meet on July 27th!

2011-08-03T22:02:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday (only a week late) Joey participated in the All Comers Track meet that is put on by the Oregon Track Club. It is the same thing that his cousin Tanner did, but this one is for the little kids! It is $3.00 to participate in three events and every participant gets a ribbon. Which for little kids is a big deal! Joey met up with our neighbors Colson and Lewis so he was very excited to do the events with them. First up was the softball throw. Joey had a PR and threw the ball over 75 feet! He takes after his mom. On his first throw, he threw it over the volunteers heads and by his last throw, they ran out of tape measure and threw in the guess of 75 feet. Joey was super excited. After the softball throw we were off to the long jump pit where all three boys had a great time. Next up was the grand finale, the 60 meter dash. Joey couldn't wait for this event and he even told the neighbor boys "It is so insane"! Joey raced with the five year olds and then cheered on Colson who ran with the 6 year olds. What a great night!

Throw number 2!

Getting ready for his last throw.

Long Jump!

Round 2!

Here comes Joey!

Run Joey Run!

Great job Joey!

Kiran's Birthday!

2011-07-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

On Saturday July 23rd Joey went to the science museum to celebrate his friend Kiran's 6th Birthday. I was able to drop him off and run a few errands and get back to the party before it ended so that I could get some picutres! Not only are they able to explore everything that the Science Museum has to offer, but they also got to do some cool stuff with bubbles. Joey had a great time and when the party was over, I couldn't get him to leave.

This was one of Joey's favorite things to do at the Science Museum.

Learning about bubbles

Getting ready to hold a bubble, how cool!

Dry ice bubbles.

Here come the bubbles

Holding bubbles

Kiran, Athena and Joey

Pedaling to make the train go round the tracks

Beach Ball fun!

Happy Birthday Kiran!

Good Bye!

2011-07-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

We had to wake Joey up bright and early on the morning of Saturday July 23rd. After two wonderful weeks, it was time for Grandpa, Hayley and Tanner to start their drive back to Minnesota. It was sad and hard to say Good bye. We love them so much and had so much fun during their visit. Here are some pictures of Joey saying good bye.

Bye Tanner!

Bye Hayley!

Ready to hit the road

Hayley's bungalow!

I Love this photo (bye grandpa)

Backyard BBQ - Hayley, Tanner and Grandpa's last day in Oregon!

2011-07-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

Friday July 22nd we had a BBQ in the backyard as a send off for Hayley, Tanner and Grandpa. Mimi, Uncle and Stella joined us and we cannot believe that this was Stella's first visit to our backyard. She was a very good girl and loved playing with Joey and Tanner. Joey had some fun swimming with Tanner and goofing around with Uncle and Tanner. They were going crazy throwing this big jumping ball at Joey and he was loving every minute of it. I thought for sure he would drown on a mouthful of water because he was laughing so hard! We had a great dinner of burgers on the grill, roasted sweet potatoes, potatoes, beets, zucchini and carrots and a bunch of other goodies and strawberry daiquiris! Dessert was a fabulous chocolate cake with ice cream made by Hayley. The night went way too fast, but we did manage to get some great family photos! You know me, I am never going to pass up the chance to take some priceless photos!

This was the ball that they were throwing at Joey!

And Joey was throwing it at Uncle!

Laughing and loving every minute of it!

Shawn, Dad and Dave

Family

Cousins

Hayley and Joey

Tanner and Joey

Hayley, Tanner and Grandpa

Brother and Sister

Hayley and Auntie

Auntie and Tanner

Uncle, Stella, Joey and Mimi

Rubino Family photo!

Love it!

Tanner's second time competing at the All Comers Track Meet!

2011-07-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

Once again I am a few days behind on the blog. I will try to catch up in the next few days! Tanner had his last track meet in Eugene on Thursday July 21st. Dave and I sure wish that he was staying with us all summer. It has been fun to watch him pole vault and long jump and I think Dave was truly enjoying coaching Tanner. Although Tanner wasn't feeling it, he won his age group in the Pole Vault! We are so proud of him. It is nerve wracking to watch him but at the same time very exciting. Joey loves being down on the field near Dave and he loves cheering for Tanner! Tanner also did a great job in the long jump as he had a personal best! Way to go Tanner!

Hayley and Joey waiting for Tanner to Pole Vault

Warming up

Focused

Joey and Grandpa

Like Father, Like Son!

Long jump warm up

Dave wanted me to take a picture when Tanner's foot was on the white board, my timing was a little off!

Bowling!

2011-07-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

Today Hayley, Tanner, Joey and I went bowling. We played two games and the first one was Rubino's vs. Konen's and the second game was boys vs. girls. In the second game Hayley and I were behind by quite a bit and it was the 10th frame and we were trying to calculate what we would need to beat the boys. We decided that I needed a turkey. First ball = strike, second ball = strike! At this point we are all laughing and then third ball = strike. I couldn't believe it, however we still did not beat the boys.

Joey, right down the middle!

Tanner throwing the speed ball!

Hayley, nice and easy

The boys!

Joey, trying to pick up a spare!

cousins

Mommy and Joey

Game 1 - Rubino's vs. Konen's

Auntie and Tanner - Go Ducks!

Game 2 - Boys vs. Girls