Happy Halloween!

Literally, there was so much going on this Halloween. So many costumes, so many little requests, so many details that I didn't want to forget. Life this year with four kids all dressed up was so much fun but a little more logistically challenging! I love this time of year because it is such a fantastic time for my kids to have some self expression. Aside from Emily's costume (obviously), I let my kids pick out their costumes and like every other year- it was so interesting!

Michael started out the 'costume hunting season' by again staying in the Star Wars realm. I gently tried to encourage him to try something new- but for the third time in four years- Michael stayed true to his Padawan roots and went with Star Wars. The funny thing about him this year was that he didn't want to go out and buy a new costume (yeah for our budget)- he instead wanted to wear a Darth Vader costume we've had for about the last two years. He had never worn it for Halloween before and he seemed really happy and excited with his choice.

Claire wanted to go out and go shopping for a costume and I was sure she was going to go with Disney Princesses again. She did stop and look at them for a good while but I was so pleased to see her gravitate towards a Monarch Butterfly. The costume was so cute, more mature than her costumes in the past, and just really beautiful and different. Not a costume I would had thought she would have chosen but she and I both loved it. Once we got home and she tried it on- she was in love!

Matthew cracks me up. Seriously- this kid is wise beyond his years. We were in Old Navy randomly one day (not looking for costumes) and he was completely drawn to this hysterically funny plush chicken costume. Part of me was thinking that maybe it was a little dorky for my cool guy, but the minute he tried it on- I could not contain myself. It was so funny . . . just like Matthew! He couldn't wait to try it on for Daddy when we got home and when he saw Damien's reaction- he was dead set on being a chicken!

Emily had no choice in her costume this year but Claire sure thought it would be cute if she and her sissy were both butterflies. Emily looked so cute in the butterfly bunting and it was really comfortable for her to wear and also easy to carry her in. Honestly, I couldn't get enough of her sweet chubby face in this costume. All of her siblings thought she looked so cute and it just warmed my heart so much!

Halloween was celebrated a day early at the kids school. We got up extra early in order to get everyone ready to drive to school and watch the school's Halloween Costume Parade. This was Claire's first year to parade around as the Kindergarten doesn't participate in it. She was so excited! Both Michael and Claire looked great, confident, and so happy with their costume choices. Matthew was just as happy to be a 'chicken onlooker' and Emily knew no difference. It was a great morning and really got them in the spirit for the next day which was finally HALLOWEEN!!!

We planned to have a small group of family and friends over to celebrate the spooky day. We took it really easy and just hung around and talked for a while over pizza dinner, Damien's famous caramel apples, yummy salads, and a big boiling pot of special brew (dry ice and warm water). The kids loved trick-or-treating and it was especially fun for us to watch Matthew prowl the streets in his white feathered costume. He really got what it means to trick-or-treat and it was so cute. Michael had a last minute costume change and dissed his Darth Vadar for a self created spy costume (think dressing in as much black as possible and then wearing sunglasses). Hmmm. Creative. We had some of the kids cousins over (Brennan and Gabe) and also had one of Michael's friends from school.

It really was a fun night and I can only imagine how much more fun it will be to have a more mobile Emily next year. I love my kids. I love the chaos that having four kids brings. I know that sometimes it can overwhelm me- but for the greater part of being the mother of my beautiful, creative, funny, sarcastic, loving and special kids- and am so incredibly grateful. It is nights like this that make me so happy that Damien and I opened our hearts and lives to such a big family. Happy Halloween Everyone!

Max the Ghost

Matthew, Matthew, Matthew. I love this kid. He is so funny, so creative, and just so much fun to be around. Now that Michael and Claire are in full day school, I get to enjoy and participate a lot more in Matthew and Emily's days. We do a lot of hanging out, singing silly songs, okay- and Matthew watches the occasional (wink, wink) DVD so Mommy can blog, or do laundry, or whatever. But you get what I am saying. I am really trying to enjoy these little guys while they are just that . . . little. All of my kids are just growing up too fast. I want to preserve this 'stage' in Matthew and Emily's lives because they are still at my fingertips and not in school all day. I want to fully dive in and participate because I now know how fast it passes.

Today while Emily was napping, Matthew and I made lollipop ghosts. You know- the kind where you put a kleenex over the lollipop and draw a face. Although it was a simple craft- Matthew thought it was just the coolest thing! We made a few and then he asked if he could take his ghost, who he named Max, into the other room. 'Of course you can. Just don't eat him!' Please note that he had JUST had a lollipop so it wasn't evil of me to tell him not to eat another one! Matthew was awfully quiet in the other room and I had every reason to suspect that he was trying to eat his friend, Max. I snuck in and found him sitting down with little teeny tiny pieces of kleenex all over this pants. 'Matthew, what are you doing?' I asked him. He tried so hard to think of a good excuse but all he could come up with was, 'Max was so hot so I take his coat off.' SERIOUSLY? I had to try so hard not to laugh. He knew he shouldn't eat the lollipop but he was apparently having the hardest time listening to his conscience. That is why he ripped the tiniest pieces of kleenex off of Max rather than rippping the kleenex off in one grab! He just picked away hoping I would either stop him or get distracted and then he could eat his friend! Anyway, I thought it was so funny and I took a picture of the before and after so you could see how gently he pulled the kleenex off to help Max . . . because he was so hot!

Pumpkin Patching It

I had every intention of taking the kids to a really cool pumpkin patch this year. While I would mentally try and schedule this fun trip to the pumpkin patch- something would always come up and distract me! Go figure! Most of the really cool patches are about twenty minutes away and for some reason, we just couldn't get there. Finally, in a last ditch 'your kids are going to resent you if you don't take them' effort- we planned a trip to the local patch. It was going to be a tight squeeze as we had to pick Michael up at soccer practice at 6pm and then get to the patch before it got too dark.

We met Ali, Mark, Jocelyn, and their kids at a local patch Matthew, Emily and I had run across days before. Basically, it is in the middle of a parking lot in strip mall but it still looked pretty darn cool! They had about seven bounce houses, pumpkins everywhere, hot cider, hay bales, and it definitely succeeded in transporting you to a pasture somewhere rather feeling like you were in the actual location of being next to a Tai Kwon Do studio. Moving on. The kids had a blast jumping around and they could have cared less where we were because they were just having too much fun! We paid for them to have unlimited access to the bounce houses for thirty minutes and told them to have at it! Emily was a good girl, too and I just tried to keep her warm and bundled on my shoulder.

Before we left, I had the foresight to think about a good family photo opp at the patch so I dressed everyone up in their orange/black/white clothes so we would all look Halloweenie. However, my effort totally failed because everyone was wearing their jackets by the time we took pictures which made my crazy 'running around the house trying to get everyone in cute outfits' effort completely fruitless. But at least I know (and now you do too) that beneath those jackets is a good Halloweenie look! The kids all picked out pumpkins and I had to play 'bad cop' and tell them NO- they couldn't get the pumpkin that was bigger than the back of the car. 'But please?' they kept saying and I had to keep insisting no. Not only could we not even pick up the pumpkins that they picked out (think the size of a car tire) but they would have been outrageously expensive. We really had fun at the pumpkin patch and I realized that no matter where we took them to get their pumpkins- they would have been thrilled. Now we need to carve them as we only have a few days until the big spooky day!

It's Soccer Season!!!

It's that time of year again. Soccer Season! Soccer is offered through Michael and Claire's league in both the fall and spring but we always opt for fall and let them try something new in the spring. Both kids are having so much fun and are playing with and against a lot of their classmates which they love!

Both Michael and Claire and their teammates got to choose their own team names which I thought was fun. Michael's team is called The Fire Chicken Hawks while Claire's team voted almost unanimously for Pink and Blue Diamonds. It just cracks me up. The team names are so fitting for their ages. Michael is having so much fun on his team! He had to play up a year in U9 (which consists of mostly third graders- he is in second grade) because of his age. That darned prematurity! I asked the league if they would let him play in U8 with second graders because he was only born in April because of prematurity and due in August- but no such luck. While I worried for it for a bit, Michael is doing great! He fits right in with the third graders and is having tremendous success. He plays mostly in the defensive line and does a great job at shutting people down! He stops almost anything that comes his way and makes me so proud with his ability to keep going and not give up on any play! You can tell he loves it. Michael is so focused and intense and it is really fun to watch him play!

Claire is loving soccer, too. She loves that she is out there with her friends and just has the best time. She has really come out of her shell this year and realized that she can use that big girl body of hers to position herself to get the ball. She has made some real improvements and is having a blast. She plays all the positions on the team (the coach is really good about that) and she seems to like and have success at them all. Just like her brother, Claire is super competitive out there and intense. What I love the most is that she has a big smile on her face after every game.

Both Michael and Claire's teams are doing really well and they have a made a lot of new friends. Both of the coaches are great teachers while still emphasizing the importance of fun and fair play. I speak for myself when I say that I have loved watching both of them play this year. They are both such great kids and really truly work hard at practice and at home to get better. I seriously couldn't be any prouder of those two kiddos.

Mi Famiglia

We visited my family this week and it was so wonderful to be home. The plan was that Damien, Michael and Claire would fly in with us on Friday but then fly home on Tuesday so the kids didn't miss too much school! Then, I would stay with my two babies until Friday and then rejoin them in San Jose. It seems splitting up is the only way to make sure that my family gets quality time to see Matthew and Emily. Michael and Claire are now more tied down with school commitments so I wanted to take advantage of the time I have with my two youngest and stay longer with my family.

We didn't have much planned for this trip which is exactly how I prefer it. I like to be able to settle in and feel normal rather than scrambling around from event to event and then miss out on the good ole relaxation with the fam. I knew that I wanted to see as much extended family as possible (which always includes my two Grandmas) and I also wanted to celebrate an early birthday with my nephew/godson Kyle who was going to turn TWO in a week. Beyond these events, I was game for anything.

The weather for the entire week was amazing. Sunny and crisp and just beautiful. One fun event we did while Michael and Claire were still there was sign up all four kids (Michael, Claire, Matthew, and Kyle) for a gymnastics class. Michael and Claire got to go to their own class, while Matthew jumped in Kyle's class and they all had so much fun. This was Matthew's first ever class. First time bring instructed by a non-family member and I was really curious to see how he would do. He really doesn't spend a lot of time away from me so I wanted to see if he could make the transition to being on his own. Luckily- he did great. They did circle time (Matthew is in the dark grey shirt and Kyle is in the red shirt) and both boys seemed to think it was pretty cool to be together in there. They bounced on trampolines together and Matthew felt so comfortable in this new class because Kyle was with him. It was really cute. Michael and Claire had a blast and really learned a lot of new moves in their one hour class. I hope we do this more often when we go up there!

For those of you that know me, it should come as no surprise that I don't consider myself an animal lover. People lover? Oh, yes. Animal lover? Not so much. I don't hate animals by any means, but I just don't feel that loving connection that so many of you out there do. I think some animals are really cute, but not cute enough to have one of my own. My kids have had many fish and somewhere along the line, we told them they could have a kitty of their own one day. I am holding out hope that somehow they will forget this and we can be a goldfish family forever but I am sure at some point- we will have a cat. Growing up, we had three cats (Cuddles "great cat", Samantha "sweet cat that fell victim to a coyote", and K.C. "the cat who didn't like people"). I loved Cuddles. He was our first pet and such a nice little kitty. Samantha was only with us for a little while and then never came back one day. And that would bring us to K.C. which stands for Kitty Cat. We got K.C. when I was seventeen years old. Considering that I am now thirty-three, that would make this kitty sixteen years old! That is one old cat! Over the years, there have been many times that we thought he had run away, but he would come back. He would get in fights with other cats and come home a little beat up, but he would keep on truckin. This cat was tough and maybe that is one reason that he was never that 'curl up in your lap' kind of cat. My kids liked looking at the cat but if they got too close, he would scratch or bite them. A nice cat- just not a people cat. Well, poor K.C. has been really sick and per recommendation from the vet- it was time to put him down. It was late at night and Gina and I were in the kitchen talking and I reminded her about how K.C. was going to be put down the next day. We were sad. K.C. has been around for so long. And besides, no one wants to put an animal down. It just doesn't feel right. After reminiscing about the cat, Gina decided that K.C. was going to eat like a King that night. Our cat has always loved sandwich meat. You name it- he eats it. So Gina made this gorgeous meat platter for K.C. and deemed it his 'Last Supper'. It was really cute. She went out on the deck with him and gave him his feast. She just sat there watching him eat and even got a few pets in while was busy eating. The next morning, K.C. went to cat heaven and we all felt pretty bad about it. While I am not an animal lover, I felt bad for our K.C. It was his time to go but I can say for certain he lived a long, happy life with the Saccos.

The last few days of my trip, sans Damien and the two eldest kids, were really wonderful. I missed them but also loved only having total responsibility of two kids as opposed to four. I shopped with my Mom, took my family out to dinner, went on a few walks, hung out with my sisters and just had a wonderful time. It was fun to see them enjoy Matthew and Emily and it was also great to have some quiet time to myself. I flew home alone with the two babies and aside from trying to juggle bags, babies, breastmilk, car seats, and a bus of a double stroller- we did great. I had a fantastic time at home and I can't wait until we go back again!

Emily is 4 Months

This is getting ridiculous. Four months? It can't be true! Time is flying by so quickly I feel as though I just want to grab onto the minutes ticking by and try and slow time down! No matter how much I want to admit it, my sweet Emily is now four months old. I hate saying it because it seems so old to me. Although the first weeks in a baby's life are so hard, I like knowing that I have an itty bitty peanut of a baby. I certainly can't say that about Emily these days.

So much of an awareness explosion happened this month. She just seems to be so happy in her own little environment these days. She watches everyone move throughout the house, she is sleeping so well, she's eating really well, and she is inching up on some physical milestones that will really change her appearance from a newborn to a full fledged baby baby.

Emily has been laughing most of this month. Sheis laughing and smiling at most everything we throw her way- even when we aren't trying to make her laugh. I was talking sternly to one of the kids the other day and I looked down at her and she was smiling in my arms thinking I was hilarious! What? I was just yelling at your brother and sister and that is funny to you? She really is understanding that Damien and I are her Daddy and Mommy. She will see me and start kicking her legs in excitement and if someone is holding her and she sees me- she will lean forward in the hopes that I will take her from them. Emily also seems to hold this little special smile for her Daddy first thing in the morning. Emily and I smile together in bed in the groggy first hours of the morning- but when Daddy says hi, she kind of throws her neck back in pure bliss and gives him the best smile ever. I love it! She had her four month check up this month and she is growing like a champ. She now weighs 17 pounds (over 95%) and is 25 inches long (80%). This is what all of my kids have done in terms of growth. Slow and steady for the first two months and then they shoot up and gain/grow. The doctor said she was really healthy and was pleased to confirm that the VCU was negative- clearing her of any further testing and or risks associated with her hospitalization last August.

Overall, Emily is a very good baby. Thank you God- because if my fourth had colic or was difficult, I would be in some serious trouble. This month Emily made some big trips. She went to Disneyland and also went to Seattle to visit my family. She continues to have her siblings by their heartstrings as they think EVERYTHING she does is the cutest thing ever. Some of her nicknames right now are Emilini (Matthew refers to her using this name), Emmy, Sweet baby, Emilino, Embo, and Emilina. I know- we're crazy. Her beautiful blue eyes are so breathtaking and we still don't have an official 'color' of hair as she doesn't have that much of it yet. She has loved reaching out and grabbing things this month and can play for long chunks of time by herself. At night she is waking to eat anywhere from three to five hours at a time. Napwise, Emily rocks and will take naps as long as two to three hours long. She is great in the car and puts up with our ridiculously busy schedule. One of my favorite things to watch her do is play with her hands. She'll be on her back and bring them midline and thinks they are so cool. She moves her fingers in slow motion and just lays there mesmorized! Emily has started teething and is drooling a lot. Poor thing. I do love her big gummy mouth and am not looking forward to seeing teeth in there . . . yet.

There are a few cute things I want to remember about my four month old Emily. The first is that she is currently scared to look in the mirror. I will be holding her in front of me and talking to her in the mirror and all of the sudden she will break into hysterical crying like she is scared do death. I don't know why she does this but I think it is kinda cute. Not that she gets scared- but that the reflection of Mommy and Emily in the mirror scares her. How silly! Maybe she sees me and gets confused that I am in the mirror and not with her? Who knows! The second thing I love is that Emily does what we call, Big Lip. When she gets sad or mad, she doesn't just cry. She sticks out her bottom lip so far and wiggles back and forth a little until she can work out a little whimper. It is so cute! In fact, now all the kids do Big Lip. So funny.

In closing, Emily's fourth month was amazing. Someone asked me the other day how old she was and I told them four months. Then they said, 'I bet you wish time would go by more quickly. It will be so much easier when you don't have to hold her all day'. The truth is- I want time to slow down. Is my life crazy right now? Oh yeah. Am I busier than I have ever been in my whole life? For sure! But these days are so precious and I will never get them back. I have changed my shirt three times today (no joke)- not because I want to be more fashion forward- but because I have been spit up on all day long. Someday, I am sure I will be able to wear one shirt all day long and keep it clean. The 'clean shirt days' are coming and until I get there, I am going to enjoy holding this little sweetheart who is just waiting for me to change my shirt so she can spit up on me again.