The Oriole's Newest Pitcher

Here is a link to all of the pictures from last nights Orioles game.  The very first image is the video of Joshua throwing out the first pitch.  It's a little shaky as Jeff was very excited.

Enjoy!


https://picasaweb.google.com/jczorapinski/2011CaseyCaresTheOrioles?authkey=Gv1sRgCOWZrcni8bbwvAE#

Miss Us?

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I've sat down and written a blog post.  I had been thinking about writing again when in the past few weeks I've had a least 3 people tell me that they missed reading about us.  Really?  You need to read all about the Czorapinski circus?  Well who am I to cut off your entertainment.  So, we're back.  The ups and downs of the Czorapinskis.  Now, where to start?

I guess I should start with the whole reason I started this blog in the first place.  Mr. Joshua is now a 6 year old who is about as healthy as any one child who could have gone through 4 and a half years of chemo, a bajillion surgeries, broken bones, and trazillion medications can be.  He is rotten as ever and has a smile that can light up a room instantly.  Of course, that smile now has one last tooth as he lost his first tooth about 3 weeks ago.  He was so excited he couldn't stand it.  He made sure to point out to Adam that he had lost one first.  Adam though not to be out done, lost one about two weeks later.  Joshua's favorite thing to do this summer is, in his words, "chillax."  Don't ask me where he comes up with half the things he says.  He loved every minute of being in kindergarten except when his teacher made him dance.  That child held out the entire year without dancing during circle time.  Talk about determination.  I just told his teacher that some battles weren't worth it.  So, the little man is doing well.  We still go to Hopkins every month for blood checks and we just had his 11 month check up on Tuesday.  Eleven months out of chemo.  Wow!

Now, for Joshua's BIG news.  Yesterday, I got a gall from the Casey Cares Foundation.  Casey Cares has provided so many great opportunities for Joshua over the past few years.  They have sent us to Disney on Ice and Monster Jam just to name a few.  Well, the call yesterday was to offer our family a meeting with the Baltimore Orioles and then Joshua will go onto the field and throw the first pitch at tomorrow nights game.  Talk about exciting.  He even made Jeff go outside with him last night to practice.  And who knows.  The way the Orioles have been playing, they may just offer him a contract on the spot!

Joshua's other half, Adam, is growing like a weed.  That child is a perfect combination of both Jeff and I.  Watch out world.  He inherited our OCD complexes and has an explanation for EVERYTHING!  His baseball coach said that whenever the ball came near Adam he was sure that as soon as the play was over, Adam would describe in great detail, what he did, what he was trying to do, and why it happened.  Adam is the most inquisitive child and he is reading at such an advanced level.  As I mentioned, he has lost one tooth as well, the opposite bottom one than Joshua, and he could not wait for it to come out.  Every day, he would ask me to "just give it a little yank."  Of  course, being the great parent that I am, I totally forgot to put the tooth fairy money under his pillow.  He came into our room the next morning with tears in his eyes and his bottom lip pushed out.  "She forgot" he told me.  Oh crap.  Mother of the year here.  I ran into his room, stole some money out of his wallet and threw it down beside his bed.  I then called him in and told him that he must have slid it out when he moved his pillow.  Oh boy.  Close one but it worked.  And yes, I put replacement money back in his wallet.  At least I think I did.

Now Noah, has changed so much in the past year.  He is now almost 8 and no longer that little boy he once was.  He's almost as tall as me (I know, not hard to do) and he loves to be with friends.  He is still struggling in school but has made great strides with all the extra help he receives.  He is attending extended school year this summer and actually likes it.  We have weird kids.  He taunted his brothers that he got to go to "summer school" and Joshua was completely upset that he didn't get to go.  Anyway, Noah loved playing baseball this spring and is planning on playing again in the fall.  He can't wait to start second grade and thoroughly enjoys bossing his brothers around.  Of course, what are big brothers for.

And finally, Jeff and I are doing well.  I went back to work for a few months this spring.  I was teaching a pre-k and a nursery class where the boys went to preschool.  I loved working with the kids again and enjoyed being back in a classroom, but my family comes first and both Jeff and I found out that I do a lot in this family and me working out of the house, was just not working for us at this time.  So, I finished out the year and will go back to just being Mom.  I plan to continue to substitute for the school this fall. They can't get rid of me that easily.

So that's us in a nut shell.  We are loving summer and plan to make one or two more trips to the beach before it's over.  We are once again celebrating Joshua's health by taking another trip to Disney World in August.  This time, the boys have no idea we're going.  We're planning on surprising them so shhhhhhh.

Finally, let me what you think.  I love to know that I'm not just writing to myself here.  Send me a message or comment here letting me know what you think or just to say hi.  I'm not quite sure where this blog is going but since you asked for it, I'm going to give it to you!  Oh, and plenty of pictures to come.  Especially pictures of our little pitcher!