1st Grade Field Trip...

picking apples in Warwick, NY! I wasn't able to join Katie's class on the field trip, but I wanted to include some pictures that another Mom took of Katie. Katie had a great time on the field trip! She brought home a bag of apples and her class made applesauce the next day at school! Yummy!

Jolly Holiday...

Katie and I spent a special. Mommy, Daughter Day in NYC doing some "girlie stuff" without the boys! It was a rough start because I was sick the night before, but I was determined not to miss the wonderful day we had planned together! We started our morning off with brunch at ...

Katie and her "like me" American Girl doll, Melissa (named after her Auntie M) checking out our special table at the American Girl Cafe. A box with filled with little questions for you to answer while you eat...

And the napkins rings become adorable hair accessories for you or your doll...

Katie enjoying her Shirley Temple...

Katie's yummy flower shaped breakfast pancakes with butter in the shape of a star!
I wish I could hold on to moments like this one with my little girl forever!

Next it was time to get her dolls hair done at the American Girl Salon...

All finished with her special "ponytail veil" do...

I think Katie could have spent all day at the AG store, but she was happy to leave with her bag full of American Girl goodies!

Riding the Ferris Wheel at Toys 'R Us and picking up a little treat for the boys!

Then we were off to Broadway to see...

It was truly a magical show! By far my favorite part of the day! I loved seeing Katie's face light up as she watched the magic of the show, and hearing her sing along was absolutely adorable! Our day and our hearts were filled with "practically perfect" memories!

Katie and her doll ready for bed after a long day Mommy, Daughter Day! I love you, Katie! "Anything can happen, if you let it!"

Operant Conditioning...

is a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Through operant conditioning, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior.

Donnie used the boys to help him demonstrate this method of learning to his cadets. Luke was the perfect demonstrator...the little joker will do anything for some M&M's. Luke went to class with Donnie two days, but John only got to go on Friday. In the first couple of pictures, he was working on having Luke come to the front of the class, sit on his bottom in the chair and then count to five. He never did count all the way to five by himself, but the progress he made demonstrated to the cadets how easily people can be shaped with positive reinforcement.

After the counting cognitive challenge from day 1 was reviewed, Donnie shifted to more physical tasks for day 2. The first hour, the targeted behavior was to (1) touch the map, (2) jump, (3) clap and (4) stomp stomp. You can see Luke earning his positive reinforcement while John (in the background) refused to participate.

For the second hour, he changed the sequence to giving a cadet 5, coming to the front, spinning around, and touching his head...

John finally got on-board and decided to participate towards the end of the second hour. I guess when you want M&M's bad enough you will over come your shyness and do whatever it takes to get your reward...

The feedback from cadets was great! They're already asking Donnie to bring them back in for another lesson!

Soccer

John is playing soccer for the first time with the Gold Stars! He loves running around and kicking the ball with his friends! Of course, the best part is when he SCORES! I love watching his face light up!

My action shots didn't turn out that great, but I love the expression on his face in this picture...

No more pictures, Mom!

Okay, just one more!

Remebering 9/11...

...as a part of the West Point Women's Club, I was asked to attend a September 11th Memorial Service... WPWC donated money to plant trees as a part of the Patriot Garden, a living memorial to September 11, 2001. I was honored to be a part of such a special service. It was a time to remember all those who died, those who survived, and those who witnessed Tuesday, September 11, 2001. We will never forget...

The Patriot Garden Memorial includes a piece of the World Trade Center and a piece of the wall from the Pentagon.

Apple Pickin'...

Lawrence Farms Orchards...

A great way to celebrate Labor Day...the end of Summer...the start of Fall ...

...Summer is my favorite season! Late summer nights, sleeping in a little bit later, the hot sun against my skin, how refreshingly cool water feels, planning fun outings with the kids to fill up the long summer days, vacations, visiting family and friends, playing outside once the sun goes down, just being able to do "nothing" with the kids, my love of summer goes on and on...

...but, Fall is here! You can feel it in the cool morning and evening air. School has started, and with that comes the busy Fall schedule of soccer, gymnastics, homework, football games, work and social commitments. I do love some of the hustle and bustle about the Fall, and it so beautiful when the leaves start to change and the trees look gorgeous along the Hudson River, sitting around the fire pit watching the kids play on a cool Fall evening, and that crunch of the first juicy apple you bite into after you pick it off the tree!

It was a beautiful Fall day to pick apples at Lawrence Farms...

Central Park

We started our day off at the Central Park Zoo. We arrived right at 10:00am so we were just in time to see the two monkeys on the top of the clock strike the bell, and then see the animals play a musical tune! What a fun way to start off our day at the zoo!
Luke, Katie & John ready for a fun filled day in NYC!

The kids thought it was cool to visit the zoo that the movie Madagascar was based on, but were a bit disappointed that there was no Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, or Gloria the hippo. They did have penguins and lemurs, but they were not the ring-tailed lemurs like King Julien. The Snow Leopard was really fun to watch because she was moving all around in the exhibit...

The biggest event at the zoo was the Sea Lion Feeding...

The family watching the sea lions, except for Luke who took a minute to smile for Momma!

The Children's Zoo was full of things for the kids to climb on, which they LOVED!

Carriage Ride through Central Park...

FAO Schwarz Toy Store...playing on the BIG piano...

FAO Schwarz was one of the highlights of the trip to the Central Park area! There were so many neat toys!!! Katie spent a lot of time in the Barbie section, and the boys were pretty impressed with all the "boy toys" as well! The kids each got to pick out a treat in the giant candy section before we started our walk back to the car....which took a while because we stopped for ice cream, a hot dog, and pizza before we made it back to the car! All of that walking really works up an appetite! We had a wonderful day in NYC!