MM+Pizza+Cupcakes=Fun!

One of the best things to come out of my being a member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel is that I have met some really wonderful friends. One of my friends, Joanne, and her daughter, Nicole, came to visit New York for the week. Joanne is from Canada so trying to show some "Southern" hospitality was very easy for me.

After picking them up at JFK along with my Nicole, we headed into the City. I brought them in via the Van Stuck-oops-the Van Wyck and then the LIE towards the City and over the 59th Street Bridge. I figured this would allow them to see some of the Manhattan skyline as it was coming out of the rain clouds.

We headed over to their hotel on the West Side. After settling into their room, we walked towards Times Square. We ate dinner at John's Pizza which is one of my family's favorite places to eat in the City. The garlic bread with mozzarella is a favorite along with the pizza. We opted for traditional and a half of bruschetta. While both Joanne and I liked the bruschetta, the traditional was the favorite.

Time Square was next. We showed them where Mary Poppins is playing since they are going to the show. The famous New Years Eve ball, the discount ticket place and of course M&M World and Hershey's. We then decided we needed some dessert.

We walked over to the Magnolia Bakery. The new location located next the Radio City Music Hall was packed. We each got a cupcake. Joanne opted for the lemon, Nicole the chocolate with chocolate icing and the Choisezs got the vanilla with vanilla icing. They were yummy and sweet! You forget how sweet things are when they are all natural! My Nicole and I decide we were going to go on a cupcake crawl through Manhattan!

We showed them which way to the American Girl Doll store and NBC Studios and then headed back to the hotel.

While the visit was short, it was fun! Tanya, Anna, Erin and Jonas now need to continue the "Southern" hospitality which I am sure they did.

Tequila Tuesdays Book Club

For the last five plus years, I have been in a book club with my friends. Most of us knew each other from Wednesday Mothers' Club. We rotate almost monthly through each other homes to talk about a book. While we often talk about the book, sometimes we just talk unless you are the husband or children of the hostess who will say we gaggle lke turkeys.

We have had our share of favorites and duds. I am probably the record holder of duds because of the type of books I choose. I decided I would pick only the classics. So far my picks have been:

The Catcher in the Rye
The Pearl
A Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Breakfast at Tiffany's
As I Lay Dying

I decided to pick the classics because I love going back to a book from my past. The last pick, As I Lay Dying, was my first Faulkner. The snippet review made it sound like National Lampoon's Vacation with a dead body. Well, no one could see how that review was appropriate. I could see that perspective when they are in the water trying to save the coffin instead of themselves. As a matter of fact, they try to save the coffin from a burning barn which is nuts.

However, the one thing I did take away from reading Faulkner is that literature is a work of art. We are all perfectly fine listening to a song a hundred times or admiring a photo, sculpture or painting and enjoy its beauty without being embarrased. However, if we need to read a book or article again, we feel ourselves foolish. Well, Faulkner convinced me that you need to read "art" a few times to get it and that is okay. Jessica clearly realizes this more than anyone else!

So, I will continue to pick a classic. Send suggestions!

15 Years

Okay so I am not as technically savy as my children but here is a picture of Jim and I on our wedding day. We had a great day and dashed off to Disney, the first of many trips there, the next day.

I remember missing my Grumpy but knew he was with me that day.

Now, we have Jess and Nicole and though it has not always been easy, we still laugh a lot.

We share are anniversary with two other sets of friend:

Patti and Ed -Happy 25th!

Neha and Ash - Happy 3rd!

Disney again?

Thanks to Jim, Erin and Lillian I was able to join my friends in Disney for the weekend. They were all there to run a 5K race called Expedition Everest. I was suppose to run but during race registration oil was at $125 a barrel, and I was not taking a chance of having no seat to fly in.

Lucky for me, the flights were able to squeeze me on and I made it to the party! I went to Mickey's Halloween Party Friday night, breakfast at Boma Saturday and then toured EPCOT for a few hours. Saturday night, I was at the race in Animal Kingdom. Sunday, I went to Disney's Hollywood Studios and then home.

JBU at T5

JBU was waiting for ice cream during the afternoon. Bernadette, Randal, Wendy, Terri, Shana, Dan and Lynn wait for anything Mr. Softee has in stock.

Neha was smart and got her ice cream before lunch!

T5 Opening

On Monday, September 22, JetBlue opened its new terminal to its Crewmembers to tour and explore. We had a good old fashioned cookout, guests and then a party at 3:00 pm to rock out.

The restaurants served some amazing food -stop by Revolution for made to order guacamole. There was a passport to have stamped which entered you for some fun prizes.

Here I am with Bernadette, Neha and Wendy my main peeps at Blue!

Jo Bro Concert

So it is off to the Jonas Brothers Concert for the Choisez women and the honorary Choisez, Brigid.

Jim travelled all the way to Trenton by train to pick Jess up from camp at my parents.

We left for Jones Beach and what fun we had. We signed the band's tour bus and mailed them cards.

Demi Lovato opened for the boys and the boys came on at about 9:00 pm. It was about this time Jess decided she wanted to go home as she had been up since about 7:00 am that morning and spent the day in camp. However, she stuck with it.

All of us were signing and dancing and agreed that our favorite song was Burning Up and Big Rob. If they would have been selling Big Rob shirts, we would have bought four!

Last Day of School

Nicole poses with Mrs. Oerzen, her fourth grade teacher, and Carroll outside of school. She is dying to look inside her envelope not to see her grades (straight As) but to see who she got for next year.

The lucky teacher - Mr. D. He is the most popular 5th grade teacher and she is happy!

Best Friends and Seventh Graders

Jessica and Kaitlyn pose for the first time together as seventh graders. Kaitlyn won many awards at graduation. She is a great friend and since Jess finally got her cell phone as her graduation gift the texts have been flying.

Elvis and Neil

The dance had funny cutouts to take pictures behind. Jess and Kiera decided to be Elvis and Neil Armstrong.

Also, this year the school hired a digital photography company to take pictures of the kids with their friends and teachers and then had an assortment of frames to display each.

Sixth Grade Dance

Every year the sixth grade has a dance on the Friday before graduation. The class votes on a theme, Retro this year, and the parents decorate the gym to match the theme. Our gym had records on the walls, old fashioned cardboard cars to take pictures in and a time machine to enter the gym in.

I was lucky to work the dance and the rest of the parents could attend for the last thirty minutes. All of the sixth grade teachers attended the dance as well.

This is Jess with her friends Carolyn, Gabby, Katie, Cassidy and Kiera. They had a great time dancing and goofing off.

Third Place in the Sixth Grade Wheelbarrel Race

Jess and Kiera came in third place in the Wheel Barrel race! They are in the middle in red.

Third Place in the Fourth Grade Relay

Matt, Sam, Carroll and Nicole won third place for the Fourth Grade Relay!

Team Newsom

Team Oerzen

Softball

Once again, Nicole played softball in the town. Here she is on first with her best bud, Brigid, on the mound.

It is hard to cheer for only your child when you know all the girls on the other team as well.

Team Jessica

Jessica attended the wedding shower of one of her teachers, Ms. Murray. Here Jessica along with Mrs. Vecchione and Ms. Terranova are part of the team that worked with Jess in second grade. They were truly the best group of women to have Jess work with that year. They helped to give Jess the foundation which is paying off now.

We like to think these ladies are more than just teachers-they are our special angels and family!

Breakfast Bunch Ladies

Jessica has had the privilege of being a member of a special group of children who meet in the mornings before school called Breakfast Club.

Jess is the last of the founding group of children and her friends Victoria and Britt came to surprise Ms. Murray for her wedding shower. The girls baked the cookies with Mrs. Vecchione the day before and have a good time together.

Britt is going to be a Junior and Victoria will be in 8th grade.

Ms. Murray will be getting married in Annapolis at the Navy Chapel to Dennis on August 2.

Immigration Play

Nicole's class is studying immigration in school and they put on a play about coming to America through Ellis Island. Nicole played a Russian mom who came over with her family. The family had to stay at Ellis Island until they had money for a train ticket to move to their new home.

Nicole thought is was funny that her daughter was her friend Emma.

A Day at the Botanical Gardens

On Thursday my class went to the Botanical Gardens. We went to a classroom and learned about the rainforest. We got to study plants. We got to plant a polka dot plant.

These are Carroll, Kim, Anusha, and Emma from my class.

Guest Blogger-Nicole