My Little Mail Man

I walked out of my kitchen to see my front door wide opened. I knew what had happened. I screamed a shrill so loud that Kevin and Brooke both thought I had gone insane. I ran outside to find exactly what I suspected. Will all the way at the street at my mail box! 

Will has this fascination with the mail. Actually, it is more of a fascination...it is quite the obsession. I think obsession tends to run in the family ;S 

Will had asked already that morning if we could go check the mail at least 15 times. I kept telling him the mail man doesn't come until the afternoon, but he insists on checking. Not only does Will ask about checking the mail probably 20 times a day, he also likes to make his own letters to put into the mail box, in case there aren't any in there when we go check it. Then he likes to put one in...so he can pretend the Mail Man came the next time he convinces me to go out to the box with him. 

So Will having grown tall enough and has always been smart enough, but now having a reason to do it...has learned to unlock the dead bolt and door knob lock, so he can go out and check the mail.

His fetish with the mail has driven him to actually break the law too! When there isn't mail at my house, he runs with me chasing him to the neighbors mail box and says, " I am going to check that one! "

I say, " No, Will that's not ours! You can't check it! " And he actually goes wild for a min. in a mail frenzy....

So Kevin put the hotel style lock very high at my front door, so that Will can't run out of the house anymore...

But, it hasn't stopped Will from talking about the mail...and asking me to take him to check it...all day long!

So the sweet Dad that Kevin is....has been sending little love letters to my little Will almost every single day in the mail. 

One day before pre-school we checked the mail, and I decided to take pictures in case he doesn't loose his mail fetish and he becomes a mail man someday ;) 

To Will's surprise he had an extra special letter from Daddy in the mail that day. 

It had a special coin inside that Daddy said was a pirate coin. 

Will was so excited that he chose to put his letter and coin from Daddy in the Show and Tell box at preschool. He was very proud to show his classmates his letter from Daddy.....

 

Great Grandma Mistretta

 

Brooke chose to do her first report ever in the Second Grade, on her  Great Grandma Mistretta.

Brooke needed to chose someone that she could interview and the criteria of the person she needed to interview was that, they are a good citizen. The person needs to have shown responsibility, caring and respect in their lives. 

Brooke has been feeling especially special about her Great Grand Grandmother Mistretta lately anyways, and she is a perfect candidate of a good citizen! It has been really neat to watch Brooke's admiration for Great Grandma Mistretta grow as she has worked on this project. I actually found Brooke crying in prayer one night. When she was finished with her prayer, I came back into the room and I asked her why she was crying? She said,  " Because she never wanted Grandma Mistretta to die, and she was praying for her to be healthy. "

We talked about that for awhile and then she told me a few days later that when she was crying that night, it wasn't because she was sad, she was crying because she was happy, and knew everything was going to be okay for Grandma Mistretta. She said, " I think it was the Holy Spirit that made me so happy I could cry."

I said, " It most surely was, and I am so thankful that you felt it. " 

Here is the interview and answers:

Where were you born? Brooklyn, New York
How many siblings do you have? None
Did you have any pets as a child? A dog named Fluffy
What was your favorite subject in school? Reading
What was a day at school like when you were a child? I walked to school at 9am with friends. I enjoyed all my classes, and I studied French and Latin in Highschool.
Tell us about some important events in your life? Going to Bermuda when I graduated high school. Getting married and having a big wedding. Went to Florida on my honeymoon. Later I enjoyed several trips to Europe. Moved to Missouri in 2008 to live near my two daughters.
What year were you married? 1940 to Charles Mistretta
Do you have any children? One boy and two girls
What is your career? After I graduated high school I was a secretary. After I married I was a homemaker.Women didn't have many choices those years.
Tell me about a time you showed courage or fairness? When I cared for my husband  when he was sick. I gave him medicine and changed bandages. I drove him to doctors and sat with him all day when he was in the hospital.
What is your favorite book? Gone with the Wind
What is your favorite food? Ravioli
What is your favorite movie? Gone with the Wind
What was your most favorite trip that you have ever been on? A European cruise
If you could give one piece of advise to everyone, what would it be? Be happy with your choice.

            Brooke really wanted the poster to look perfect and she really loves her Grandma Mistretta.
                             She can't wait until we visit her in Kansas City in just a few weeks!

Do not fear, you are his....

In Chapter 23 of 3 Nephi , Jesus Christ is talking to a group of people who called themselves " Nephites. " They lived on the American Continent, when Christ came to visit them. (" I have other sheep, that are not of this fold, but there shall be one fold and one shepherd. " John 10 : 16 )

Jesus asked why it was not written yet, as he referenced one of their great missionaries " Samuel the Lamanite " prophesying that many saints should arise from the dead and minister unto them, and that is was not written, yet,  it had been fulfilled.

I believe that I should write to you my dear sweet children, and to anyone who will listen to me....

If you ever feel scared, alone, or ashamed of your lives deeds....it is NEVER too late to get on your knees and ask your maker for forgiveness, asking in Jesus Christ's name... and to change your behavior with the time you have left given. If you feel alone, I promise...again, if you get on your knees and pray that you can feel that he is there, he shall leave you with peace. And, if you ever feel scared, I would wish for you to look forward to what it says in 3 Nephi ch 22, and compare to Isaiah 54....

4. Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

5. For thy maker, thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel -The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

6.For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.

8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

You have no reason to fear if your heart has been set on the Lord, and if it is not, then get down on your knees and begin now...He will have mercy, and everlasting kindness on you...if you but love him, and make his wishes yours....become like him, by repenting, and by showing charity, the pure love of Christ to all......He is referenced here in verse five as your husband, what a greater partnership can there be? None...

3 Nephi 24

 verse 16.Then they that feared the Lord spake often to one another , and the Lord hearkened and heard; and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his name.  

17. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.


You can be, and you are called his....You are a jewel when you think upon his name...read your scriptures, love everyone, and serve your neighbor...........and you have nothing to fear.....God is wonderful...........

I say this in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ....

All Smiles on Will's first day of pre-school

 The great awaited day of Mrs.Cori's pre-school finally came this past Tuesday. That morning you would have thought Will was getting ready to take some amazing trip maybe to Disney World, or a trip to Mars where he would meet Spiderman. HE WAS ALL SMILES! It was one of the cutest things that I have ever seen....You see Brooke has been pumping Will up about school for years. Actually, Will believes that Brooke is his teacher and that she has her own pre-school. You see about a couple times a week Brooke says to Will, " Will do you want to go to my pre-school? I am the teacher." He says, " Yes," excitedly and follows her into her room where she quizzes him on his letters, shapes and colors. Brooke even has been telling Will all summer, " Will you will not be able to spit out your food if you don't like it when you are in school, etc.
And, then Brooke started telling Will all about being in Mrs.Cori's class, since she was Brooke's teacher.

The morning of the first day of pre-school Will said, " I am going to Mrs.Cori's class, not yours Brooke."
He sat very still when I did his hair, for the first time in all history of doing Will's hair...not a joke. Those curls don't just place perfectly by themselves you know...

Then Will got his backpack and was packing all kinds of toys in it from his room. The most interesting and sad part is that when I asked to see what he packed for school he had a tub of mandarine oranges, toys, and one diaper....

Yes, my pre-schooler packed his own diaper for pre-school! If that is not indication that he is mature enough to go on the toilet, I am really not sure what would be...He did forget the wipes though, which didn't surprise me...after all....he is a male ;)

Here is what Mrs.Cori has told me about Will and his pre-school experiences so far:

She said, That Will can hold his own. When the other kids are crying for no reason that Will can see, he just gets the toy he wants and goes and plays somewhere else. He is having a blast, with no problem at all except that he still doesn't care that he is wearing diapers. He says, " I am sorry Mrs.Cori, I am stinky." Then goes on after the director of the school changes him and he says, " Mrs.Cori's friend just changed my diaper."

The sweetest thing Will has done is gone up to Mrs.Cori and said, " Mrs.Cori, I love you, I love your class."

Will is the most cuddley, lovey dovey individual that I have ever met on the planet. It is going to be hard for every teacher to not adore him....

Will only goes to pre-school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. When he realized that he wouldn't be going the next morning he was very disappointed and said to me, " But I have to go to school! "

If my kids didn't tell me that they love me all the time and give me hugs like there is no tomorrow, I would seriously wonder what I was doing wrong that makes my kids want to leave me so much every single day to go sit in a classroom....

Good thing I get hugs and lots of love from them ;) I am so lucky....Actually I am so blessed....

                       My kids truly are my heaven on earth..........

Time flys when you are having fun....

 It is hard to believe Brooke is growing up so fast!!! Seems like I just took her to this first day of pre-school at Little Saints, and now she reads, writes, and has very intellectual thoughts and conversations with me.

If you think Brooke looks sick in her first day of Second Grade pictures, it is because she was. Brooke was so sad that only on her second day of the school year because she had to throw up in the nurses office and she had a fever of 101. Most kids are faking getting sick on the first week of school because the miss the summer so much. Brooke was in tears that she had to leave school! Even her teacher noticed how sad she was and she gave her a call the next day. She told me over the phone that she could already tell that Brooke is going to be a little helper in her class and she feels blessed to have Brooke in her class. She wanted to talk to Brooke.
She told Brooke over the phone that the class wasn't going to do anything fun until she got back, because they missed her so much.

 

 

First year of pre-school at Little Saints- Three-years old 

 

                                        
                               Second year of pre-school at Little Saints- Four-years old

                                                 
                                               First day of Kindergarten!!!! five-years old!!

 

first day of First Grade- Six-years old!

                                                 
                                              first day of Second grade- Seven-years old!

       Second day of Second Grade...She wouldn't eat breakfast, but I thought it was because she was so excited....