Downtown Seattle

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving- we pretty much just stayed home at my Mom and Dad's house. However, once Thanksgiving was past, we felt the need to go and get in the holiday spirit! It is weird calendar year this year. A short Christmas season because Thanksgiving fell on the 27th. That meant that we had less than a month of Christmas shopping, Christmas music, and eating too many Christmas cookies . . . you catch my drift. My Mom is always great about having activities for us to do when we come up there. We searched our holiday options and decided to try and go to downtown Seattle and see what holiday cheer Westlake Center could bring us.

Westlake always has a great setting for all things Christmas. I knew that it would be well worth the trip (only 20 minutes or so from my Mom's house) and I was pretty excited. My Mom thought it would be a great idea (both logistically and a great experience for the kids) to drive into Seattle, park the car, and then take the trolley to Westlake. It was actually pretty darn easy! As my Mom predicted- my kids thought it was really cool to ride the trolley and it dropped us off in prime location to see all the sounds and the sights.

Our first stop was going to a Snow Show (aka it is snowing soap but the kids think it's snow) in Westlake Center. People crowded into the downstairs of the mall to get ready for the great snowfall! My kids LOVED it! They screamed and hollered and loved that they could catch the 'flakes' with their hands and that it was sticking to their clothes (at least it made the clothes smell fresh). Matthew even tried to catch some with his tongue at which time I nudged Damien and told him no.

While all of this was going on, some of the characters from the Nutcracker were circling around and passing out pins. When the basket came to Michael- he saw that there were a good number of pins in the basket but also a dollar bill. First he picked up a pin and then put it back and grabbed the dollar. We got a great laugh out of it but made him put back the measly dollar that someone had donated. I don't blame him. Who wants a little pin over a dollar? In the meantime- the snow kept falling and Natalie was concerned because she had just straightened her hair and didn't want it to get all 'soapy'- hence her fashion forward look. It was a funny Snow Show and the adults were glad when it was over and we could head outside to get some fresh air!

We met up with Gina and Jill who were downtown registering for the Seattle Half Marathon which they planned to run the next morning. Then we all headed over to a great carousel where we ate some elephant ears (picture giant flat churros) and hot chocolate. Yummy! Jill (Kyle), and Gina went back to the Eastside to do some carb loading for their race and the rest of us went and had a yummy light dinner together. After dinner, we took the trolley back to our cars and rode home truly satisfied and ready to drive head first into the Christmas season.

Bath Time!

Matthew and his cousin Kyle took a bath together at my Mom's house. Jill was nice enough to wash them both and let them have some fun! The boys are only 3 1/2 months apart and are really starting to have fun together!

Thanksgiving

We've all been asked the question, "What is your favorite holiday?" It is a tough question. There are so many elements of each holiday that might make it your favorite. Maybe it is not the whole holiday that you love but instead- a particular piece of it that makes you wait the long 365 days just to see your kids see that Santa came, or to smell the turkey baking in the oven while you eat satsuma oranges and sip sparkling cider. Because of these little 'pieces' I always have a hard time saying, 'Hands down- (blank) is my favorite holiday'. However this year as we prepped for the big Thanksgiving dinner, I was able to say that I think my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving . . . when it is at my Mom's house.

In my Mom's family- one person generally hosts the same holiday every year. That being said, my Mom always hosts Thanksgiving. Since I was a small child, I can recall the buzz in our home the day of Thanksgiving. I can recall that for about 6 consecutive years my Dad either got a ticket or in a car accident on Thanksgiving. I can also recall the handful of Thanksgivings where the wind whipped so hard that we lost power, which is not good when you have a 24 pound turkey cooking in the oven. I remember my Mom filling the house with satsuma oranges (my all-time favorite fruit), nuts, and yummy snacks. I can recall just as vividly the smell not only of the turkey cooking but of fresh garlic as we pretty much used garlic in every recipe. There is nothing like this holiday, especially when I am with my family.

I was excited to be able to spend Thanksgiving with my family this year as I had missed the last two of them. The first one I missed because I was pregnant with Matthew and couldn't fly and the second I missed because we spent Christmas there instead (part of the way we flip flop holidays with our big families). So it was such a thrill to be able to be at my Mom and Dad's and to experience for my first time Thanksgiving in their newly remodeled house. I was so used to the flow and memory of Thanksgiving in the old house that it was fun to see how they do it now that they have a completely different floor plan.


We were able to hang out for a few days before Thanksgiving and Matthew and I did the BIG shop with my Mom. We had a great time spending time together and Matthew was happy to be out of the house with us. Michael and Claire on the other hand were absolutely content to stay back at my parents house and play video games and just relax. I can't blame them but it sure felt great to get out!


My Mom is so great at preparing this meal with very little hassle. It looks effortless but I know how much work she puts into it. I love watching her cook. I have a minor addiction with wanting to know how she does everything! I watched her intently this year as she made the gravy because it is so delicious! Turkey, stuffing (both Italian and American), sweet potatoes, garlic bread (an Italian must), green beans, mashed potatoes (courtesy of Ron 'The Potato Boy' Sacco) and the menu didn't stop there! Damien carved the turkey this year and the whole evening was just awesome. We capped off the night with my Aunt Carol's famous pumpkin pie, Stefanie's butter pecan cheesecake, and some Turkey-oke. Yes, this year for the entertainment- my parents got a karaoke machine and it was a huge hit! Everyone sang songs on Thanksgiving night and my sisters and I crooned some tunes both in the days preceding and following Thanksgiving. I think it was safe to say we were addicted!


Oh, I am thankful for so much. Sometimes life can overwhelm me. I have so much to do- not enough time. You can get stressed by schedules, finances, sleep deprivation, and so much more. But my Dad always says, You Have To Have Faith (and not in a George Michael sort of way). His philosophy is that things will just work out. Sometimes times are tough, sometimes life gets away from you. But when you have faith in God and you know that life means the most within the four walls of your home- life is oh so good. I am blessed for having all of you in my life. Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

Momma's Little Helper

Matthew continues to amaze us with his awareness of what is going on around him. Maybe he was born with personality traits which led to him being a good listener and a want to be involved. Perhaps he is the way he is because he is the third child and watches Michael and Claire do everything and wants to be just like them. Whatever the reason- Matthew wants to be involved and there is no stopping him when he decides he is going to do something. For instance, the other week I was talking to Damien and mentioned that I was going to get out the Dust Buster to clean up a mess. No sooner did I finish my sentence did I hear Matthew's footsteps toward the closet and eventual re-entry into the kitchen holding the Dust Buster. And no- he didn't hand it to me, he turned it on and vacuumed up the mess and put the Dust Buster back where it goes. It is crazy! He doesn't even need praise for helping me out- he just heard I was going to do something and did it for me! Wow!

Matthew also loves to be involved in whatever is going on around the house. If he hears me say that I am going to go shopping, you will most certainly hear him say, 'Nay nay' which is Matthewese for 'I want to'. He is everywhere. He hears everything. Nothing gets past this guy! When my parents were down here for my birthday- my Mom and I were going to go bargain shopping at Walmart. We had this conversation in the morning when we were talking about our plans for the day. Well, a few minutes went by and I realized that Matthew was not around. I called for him. Then called some more and I must admit- a little panic set in. Then my Mom thought she heard someone crying and we knew it was Matthew. Well sure enough- when Matthew had heard us talking about going to Walmart, he got his bottle, his shoes, and a Pez dispenser and was waiting for us in the garage by the car. He is nuts! It will be fun to see how Matthew grows and changes but I won't complain if he wants to still help me out!

Classic

Sometimes you have to share pictures. . .







That make you smile . . .


Because life is just that good . . .

And memories are what keep our history alive.

Tres Tres

What a birthday! It was a good one. Can I just say that I love my family? I love my family. It is the most important thing to me. My children, my husband, my parents, MY SISTERS, Damien's family. Family sustains me and I am so thankful to be surrounded by such incredible people. As a giant surprise to me- Damien flew down two of the most important people in my life- my parents. Is that the best birthday present or what? It was funny. We were in the car and I was really distracted and talking to my friend Karen on the phone. After being lost in conversation for a while- I realized we were taking the freeway exit for the airport and I had to hang up the phone and figure out what was going on! I was so incredibly happy and so were my kids! Nonna and Grandpa were here for the weekend!!!!

We came back to the house and relaxed for a while and just enjoyed one another. That night, Damien made reservations for our family, my parents, and most of Damien's family for dinner at Buca di Beppos. It is a great place for a big group of people to have fun without worrying if the kids are going to be too loud or messy. The food was really really good and it was nice for my parents to be able to get together with Damien's family as that does not happen very often. My kids had an absolute ball looking at all of the fun decorations and being spoiled by their aunties and uncles. We didn't have dessert there- but Matthew was beyond thrilled that he got to help Mommy blow out the candles on the candelabra. Michael and Claire helped too but they were preoccupied with their fourth refill on their Shirley Temples. Sugar high anyone?

When I think about it- Damien has surprised me and flown down someone from my family for the past several years. Being the pretty perceptive person that I am- I can't believe that I didn't even think about the fact that he might do it again this year! I love when I get to see my family. It really is the greatest gift of all for me. I turned a year older but I also grew even more thankful this year because of my loving husband who always knows what I need. After dinner, we all went back to my house for presents and my favorite cake (my Nana's famous yellow cake with whipped chocolate frosting). It was an amazing day and I am thankful for everyone who made me feel extra special and loved.

Auntie Hot Dog

What a great week I just had! My middle sister, Gina came down for a long visit and it was awesome! There was no real agenda- just a lot of hanging out, shopping, and keeping up with the kid's schedules. In the past, Gina has tried to make it down to San Jose around my birthday. While my birthday isn't until the 14th- everyone that knows me knows that I don't mind having a 'birthday week'. So with Gina here and my birthday within range- let the party begin!

One of the things that Gina really wanted to do was to have a night where she could watch a movie with my kids. When we visit up there, she has them over to their apartment for what she calls, 'Hot Dog Theatre'. Okay- some background is necessary here. Sometimes we call Gina, Geen. That sickly morphed into Ween. Then we called her Weener. Then we called her Ween Dog. (Bear with me). When Michael was little, he thought we were calling her Hot Dog and since then- the name has stuck. Auntie Hot Dog, Hot Dog Theatre . . . you now get the gist! So in Washington, it is 'Hot Dog Theatre'. We were trying to come up with a name for our theatre in California and Michael suggested 'Corn Dog Theatre' which we thought rocked! Gina and the kids watched Pee Wee's Big Adventure and had a blast!

Other than that- we just hung out and enjoyed each other's company. We went to some of our favorite restaurants, went on daily walks, and she accompanied me on my carpool route and ran errands with me. Fun stuff! One day we had a pretty random but hilarious experience. See- we went to Target one morning to shop and ran into these pants. I mean, how couldn't you run into them? Gina immediately looked at me and said, 'We have to try these on and take a picture!' I told her no way- but obviously she found a way to get me in there! Okay, I ended up thinking it would be funny, too. Matthew was quite confused by what his mommy and auntie were doing. Gina wore a paint splattered Batman tshirt (can you believe that tshirt retails for $30?) and I wore a bejeweled Wonder Woman tshirt with mine. We had many laughs in there! It was a funny funny experience. She made me promise that I would post this picture on the blog so here you go! Don't be jealous of how good we look!

I had a great time with Ween, as usual. Can't wait until she comes to visit again!

What Quill He Say Next?

We had Michael's parent teacher conference and it was great! So much progress, he is happy, thriving, and enjoying first grade! Damien and I really couldn't be happier. We sat with Michael's teacher for about fifteen minutes and it was really interesting to see what Michael is like in the classroom. At home, Michael is colorful, happy, competitive, dynamic and at times crazy! But what does Michael present at school? If you asked me- I would think that Michael is respectful, obedient, a good listener and well behaved. His teacher alluded to a lot of these traits (which I was pleased with). The conference was over and we were heading out the door when I motioned to Damien to look at a picture on the wall that Michael drew during his first week of school. It was pretty cute. It reads, I like to go to my school. I like to play with my cat. I like to play with Claire. Damien read it and then laughed. His teacher then said, "Isn't that funny?" Damien replied, "What is even funnier is that we don't have a cat!"

Michael's teacher laughed at Michael's vivid imagination and then realized that she forgot to tell us a funny story about Michael. About a month ago, the school music teacher was in their classroom preparing the class for the school mass for St. Francis of Assisi. At this mass kids can bring in their pets to be blessed. Well, she asked the class if anyone in the class had an exotic animal. Not a cat or a dog- but something unique. Apparently, Michael raised his hand and said he had a pet porcupine at home. His teacher asked him if she could call me and see if I would be willing to bring our porcupine in for the mass. He said she could call me. From what teacher told us- about three minutes went by when Michael raised his hand again. When called upon, he said, "Um, I think our porcupine died." His teacher said that both she and the music teacher laughed once the class was done.

Being the pretty 'by the books' kind of kid that Michael is- I was so surprised to hear that he was able to find it in himself to say he had a porcupine. He must have been dying for the three minutes between saying he had one and then deciding to tell the teacher that it had died! I can only imagine how he squirmed red faced in his chair and tried to figure out how he was going to get out of the lie he had told. Poor guy. We all got such a kick out of this story and it shed a little light on the daring little Michael at school!