Great Pumpkin Night!

I love tradition. For me- it is about the little things. The tiniest of pieces that make a single experience whole. I know that the kids love trick-or-treating, but I also know that they can't wait to have our annual halloween movie night and gather together as a family.

They knew that the night was on its way- but they really didn't know when we would have our yearly showing of, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Damien and I wanted to keep it a surprise and so nonchalantly- we corralled the kids into our bedroom. He kept them occupied while I took all the blankets and pillows off of all the beds and laid them out in the family room. I turned off all of the lights in the house except for the illuminated pumpkins in the family room, preheated the oven to bake our Halloween cookies, and warmed up milk on the stove to make our hot chocolate. When everything was ready- I knocked on our bedroom door and then lead them by flashlight to the family room as they screamed with excitement. They knew it was the big night!! I swear, their favorite part of the night isn't the movie or the treats- but that all of our blankets and pillows are strewn about in one big cozy mess!

We had a great night! Matthew especially loved it because last year, he wasn't old enough to know how cool it was! This year he got to eat the cookies and drink the hot chocolate like a big kid. Toward the end of the movie- Damien and I shared a glance in which we both recognized our blessings and good fortune. We are so lucky to have these three beautiful children and to be able to get together and share in these traditions that bind us all.

Michael's Mighty Celtics

Michael is having a great soccer season! He is on a team called the Mighty Celtics (I know- sounds more like a basketball team than a soccer team). He is on the team with a lot of his school friends and has the best time at both the practices and the games. It has been fun to watch him this season as he has really gotten to know the flow of the game, how to attack the ball and break things up.

This season, Damien has been assistant coaching and has enjoyed watching these boys improve on their game and also have a lot of fun!! Michael loves that his Daddy is there and it is a really nice bonding experience for both of them. Despite being really competitive, Michael seems to be really happy out on the field when he is playing soccer. He hustles a lot and really loves the game- which is all that is important to me!

I mentioned this in my soccer post about Claire, but because Michael and Claire's games aren't usually aren't around the same time, we spend most of our Saturday taking the kids to soccer. Because Damien is the coach and has to be there and if Matthew is napping, I have to stay home. I know there will come a time when I won't have a sleeping baby and will be able to make it to most of the kid's games but until then, I think that if we are able to get one parent to the game- we are succeeding!

I love watching Michael play. I love his passion, his intensity, his hustle, his grit, but most importantly his smile which peaks out every now and again after he knows he made a good play. Keep up the good work, buddy!

Sweetest Picture

I LOVE this picture. My boys. Never grew up with a brother- but so happy Michael and Matthew have each other. They are lucky to have such an amazing Daddy, too.

Flu Shots

Before you think I am a cruel Mom to take pictures of my kids while they are miserable, please note that this post I wrote last year was meant to help the kids out this year! Last year, I had this idea to take before and after pictures of the kids so that I could show them to them this year and prove that the flu shot was not a big deal. I imagined that this year they would look back and see, via the pictures, that they had cried for no reason and that this year, they would be brave and just get it done! Um, yeah. Plan backfired.

I vowed to my kids two years ago that I wouldn't put them through a kamikaze shot experience. Instead, I would give them a days notice to deal with their anxiety and then gather their strength to brave through yet another flu shot. I preemptively bribed them with a congratulatory frosty from Wendy's and everything! But apparently- this frosty was not going to be the magic liquid courage I intended it to be. Both older kids immediately cried when they happen to glance at my calendar and saw the flu shot appointment. Claire got over it, but Michael was ruined. He cried- I comforted him and he would get over it. At bedtime, he was crying again and when I woke him up in the morning- he said he didn't sleep because he was so scared. When I picked Michael up at school, he worried so much all day that his fingernails were blue. He was a mess. He ran into my arms at pick-up and started crying over his anxiety. My poor guy. Claire was pretty calm and collected and seemed unfazed but Michael was completely undone.

When we got to the doctor's office I reminded them of last years flu shot. How they laughed once it was done and how happy they were to get frosties. They were kind of cool until the nurse called our names and we were back to square one. Michael went first, Claire second, and Matthew third. Done, done, and done. So much fuss but I don't blame them. Who likes to get shots anyway? I did tell Michael later that evening that next year I probably wouldn't give him such notice before his flu shot. He agreed and said that said that he was just 'too anxious'. He said, 'I panicked too much'.

We went to Wendy's and I followed through with my promise. They all enjoyed their frosties and once we got home and were headed into the house, Matthew threw up all over the carpet. The madness never ends. Let's just hope they don't get the flu this winter! Then all of this might have been worth it!

Bagel Buddies

Matthew and Megan have finally taken an interest in each other. Usually, Megan is preoccupied because she thinks Claire is so cool but now that Matthew is a bit older, they tend to play together a little bit. After the pumpkin patch, we went back to E and Papa's house and they two of them sat outside and ate bagels together.

They just sat around, giggled a little, and put on a show for us which was seriously to die for. They knew if they hugged or kissed we would oooooh and aaaah at them. It was adorable. I can't wait to see the relationship they have in the future. Such sweet cousins enjoying a lazy afternoon snack together. It's what life is all about!

Pumpkin Patching

Everywhere I turn, someone has either told me or I have read that they went to the pumpkin patch. Obviously it is that time of year now where everyone takes their kids for the pumpkin patch experience. However, this year it seems to be a little out of control! People are going to the patch more than one time and by the time Halloween arrives- they will have about fifteen pumpkins on their front porch! Pumpkin patch should now be changed to pumpkin patching because it goes on and on and on and has become its own season!

Our version of pumpkin patching happened just after Caitlin's baptism. After the brunch, we all changed into our more casual clothes and headed to a new pumpkin patch which promised to have all the bells and whistles without all of the crowding and chaos! I have to give Lani credit here as she searched and searched to find a patch that would be great for the big kids and the little kids!

The day was absolutely gorgeous as we headed toward all of the excitement. Almost immediately- Claire, Michael, and Seamus headed over to the rock climbing wall while, Matthew, Megan, and Andonis went on the bouncy house. They all had such a great time!! It was fun to watch Michael and Claire on the climbing wall. The whole notion that your muscles get tired the more you climb was lost on them. They couldn't figure out why they couldn't climb as high as they did five climbs earlier. Once Michael was totally exhausted and Claire was in tears with defeat- we decided it might be time to move to another section of the pumpkin patch!


We walked over to an area where there were some farm animals. Having never really experienced this before- Matthew went completely nuts! There was a farmer there who was cutting chunks of pumpkin to give to the small children to feed the goats, sheep, and cows. How cool is that??? Over and over, Matthew fed this little lamb until I am sure it was ready to throw up! My older kids really enjoyed feeding the animals and I was so grateful in this moment that we weren't fighting through crowds of people to get a chance to feed the animals. All the kids in our group plus a hand full of some other children had these twenty or so animals to themselves. It was really a neat experience for my kids.


After feeding the animals and going through a hay maze, it was time to pick out some pumpkins! Claire of course went for the biggest and most expensive pumpkin, while Michael searched and searched for a pumpkin that was unique and had cool lines on it. He ended up getting a white pumpkin which was pretty different if I may say so myself. We did switch out Claire's pumpkin for a smaller one (shhhh), and Matthew was happy with a lopsided orange one that had a curly stem. The whole pumpkin patching experience was next to perfect and hopefully we can go there again next year if everyone doesn't get word that it is the best pumpkin patch in town!

Caitlin's Baptism

Bright and early on Saturday morning, we all gathered together to see our beautiful niece Caitlin get baptized. She looked so pretty in her baptismal gown! Seamus, Megan, and Caitin all wore it when they got baptized. It was a gorgeous morning in Sonoma County and we were happy to have a great excuse to get together with the whole family! Ali (Lani's sister)and Mark (Eric's brother) were the Godparents and it was just a really nice ceremony.

For the better part of the baptism, Lani held Caitlin right in front of the baptismal font. Caitlin's eyes were huge and she kept kicking over and over because she thought the water was so cool! She even got her fingers in there a few times! It was so sweet. Soon, Megan wanted to touch the water, I saw ripples coming from Michael and Claire's direction and Matthew wanted in on the fun. Yeah, time to switch gears!

We had a really nice day. Afterwards, we all went to a great restaurant for brunch. It was fun to catch up with everyone and see the cousins run around together and have fun. Thank goodness for the Aunties who didn't mind being outside with them for a long time so the parents could catch a break!

Scare Tactics

Halloween is fast approaching and with it comes a myriad of spooky and scary things. Matthew has handled everything fairly well and hasn't really been totally spooked by anything. In fact, we went to Diddam's (a party store) and he asked me to put on different masks which varied from mild to pretty scary. He didn't freak out- in fact he was just calm and observant. He did want me to come closer so he could see my eyeballs in the mask and then he would motion me to take it off and try another one on.

Well, this weekend we were at Damien's parents house and just hanging out the first night we got there. Matthew was in the kitchen with Damien, Ali, Marlene, and Damien's grandparents. As I was about to enter the room, I noticed a Barack Obama mask in the dining room and put it on. I walked into the kitchen and said to Matthew, "Hey Buddy!" and I can't even begin to explain how terribly freaked out he was. He started shaking and screaming this god-awful scream and I started to move closer to him to rescue him from his fright. Not realizing I was still wearing the mask, Matthew retreated from me and freaked out even more. It was terrible. I felt so awful. I thought because he had seen so many masks and that this mask was so mild that he would find the humor in it! Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. I didn't jump out at him, I just walked into the room and said, "Hey Buddy". However, now looking back on it- I realize that Matthew didn't have a chance to put up his guard. Instead, he heard my voice and when his eyes met my face and it wasn't mine- he flipped out! Poor guy. I like to laugh at people getting scared. There is nothing I love more than watching America's Funniest Home Videos Halloween Special and watching people get freaked out over and over and over. That being said- I didn't enjoy seeing Matthew so terrified. The adults that were in the room at the time of the incident did share a bit of laughter later because we have never seen anyone freak out like that. Not funny, I know. But funny in that weird way that you just can't articulate. Sorry Matthew. But at least you were able to try the mask on yourself later! I will keep this post as evidence for your future therapy sessions.

Hoop Dream Revealed!

Just about a year and a half ago, I wrote about how hard it was to watch the basketball hoop in my parent's backyard go away. It was part of a giant overhaul being done to my parent's house- but the mere thought of that court no longer existing was really a lot for me to take. In my own quiet way- I mourned the loss of that slab of concrete and the many dreams and memories I had there. In some ways, I put to rest any hope of having it resurrected. My parent's weren't sure if they were going to include a new court in the new landscaping. They are, after all, allowed to have a mature yard free of toys and thirty half inflated balls scattered everywhere! But we (my sisters and I) tried to put a little pressure on them to get the court back. If my parent's have a party- people are shooting in the backyard. We gave them the visual of seeing their grandchildren running around back there and shooting the day away. Much to our pleasure- they found a way to make it work!!

Now that my parent's are done with the actual house remodel- they needed to take care of the yard and get it landscaped. This trip we were able to see the new landscaping for the first time and it was breath taking. I am not kidding. There is a gorgeous fountain in the front yard (my Dad's dream seen to fruition) and such amazing Italian style foliage placed perfectly around the yard. I love it and am so happy that they got most everything they wanted. Now let's get to what we wanted! Yes, yes, yes- we have a court and a ! Already, my kids and Kyle spent many many hours out there shooting around and riding their bikes on the slab. Okay, my sisters and I shot around too and it just felt soooo right. I am happy that my parent's listened to what mattered most to us. I know that we would've understood (some of us would) if they decided to scrap the court. But we don't have to worry about that because now we have this amazing space to make new memories and have a lot of fun while we are doing it. Thanks Mom and Dad for caring so much. We are more grateful than you know.

A Family Affair for Claire

Spoiled, spoiled Claire. So loved, so appreciated that we had to celebrate her birthday three times! First, a family party with Damien's family, then a school party, and then another celebration with my family! What a treat for her! We knew that we would have a packed weekend with Kyle's Birthday Party and other events so we decided that we would take Claire out for a birthday breakfast after mass on Sunday morning.

There is this great restaurant that serves brunch in downtown Redmond called Desert Fire and the food is delicious! We all love it for the Mexican hot chocolate, churros, and spicy flair it provides for breakfast! All thirteen of us piled in after church and started the food bonanza! Let me tell you- we ate so much it was ugly! But who could resist it? Not us Saccos!

We all made Clairey feel special and she had a great morning! We toasted to her and she loved it! The restaurant staff sang to her and she was so embarrassed, she practically melted into my body. I still love that she is little and comes to me for support in times like this! We had a great morning together as a family which is just the way Claire would've wanted it!

Kyle Turns 2!

We headed up to my parent's house for the long Columbus Day Weekend to hang out with the family and celebrate some pretty important birthdays! Kyle's real birthday wasn't for another week, but we took advantage of being there close enough to his birthday to celebrate! Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera to the wild and crazy Chuck E. Cheese birthday party but let me tell you- it was a blast! In all my years as a Chuck E. Cheezer, I have never seen it so busy! It was completely packed and full of life (by life- I mean a zillion kids running around while the many colorful games dinged and flashed!). Pure chaos! The kids had an absolute ball and enjoyed seeing Kyle take pictures with the Chuck E. and played games for a straight two hours! It was a really fun time and I still can't believe my beautiful nephew is two years old! Where has the time gone??

Kyle is such a sweet little boy with a real passion for Cars(actual Matchbox cars and the Dsiney Movie). Man, that kiddo always has cars in his hands and even makes about fifteen different car noises to go with them! It was a lot of fun to see what he was doing now and to see Kyle and Matthew play together now that they are a little closer in age/development. They did fight a little bit but found plenty of time to share their toys and give each other hugs. It was really cute! For some reason, Kyle kept calling Matthew, 'Willie". What's funny is that Willie is the name of Kyle's dog! He also had a great time with Michael and Claire! What was cute was that Kyle really has a little special place in his heart for Claire. He thinks she is so cool! If she lets him, he just follows her around waiting for her to engage with him. Also, Kyle finally found a name for me calling me SuhSuh (phonetically). So I am now referred to as Auntie Sasa. Woohoo! I love it!!!!! Happy Birthday Kyle!

20 Month Old Matthew

I meant to write an 18 month update but wouldn't you know- I got so busy I didn't! So my little 20 month old Matthew- I hope one day when you look back you won't feel slighted by the difference in your and your siblings' baby books! But buddy- that is why I blog. It includes more than the date of your first tooth and first hiccup. It will remind you of the very special events and moments of your life (and ours).

Matthew is a sweet boy. It is the best word I can use to describe him. Sweet. Matthew is an onlooker. He loves to watch what everyone is doing and observes those around him in order to gain information. I have been told that this is a very 'third child' stance, but whatever the reason- it is Matthew's way and I love it. He is still a Mama's boy but his love for his Daddy and siblings is immense! He has gained some Independence over the last few months and loves to play outside or in his room. He seems to always be at our sides but when I think about it- he really is starting to have fun on his own. His naps have lengthened to a solid 2-3 hours. This of course frees me up to get things done around the house!

Matthew is a running, climbing machine. Luckily, he is still really cautious and safe but he is on the move! He is talking a lot these days. Mostly unintelligible garble (with guttural sounds) but he has a lot of words, too. He says, Mom, Mama, Dad, Daddy, Rawr (Claire), Muh Muh (Michael), poo (poop), more, Nunna (Nonna), Papa (Grandpa), aaaee (E), Papa (Papa), lalalalalalalalal (Cinderella), aaaaahhhhhhhh aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh (Disney Princesses- he sings it), kkkkkkk (yuck), ba ba (bottle), pa pa (pluggie), buh buh (bye bye), and a lot more. But the fun of it is trying to figure out what he is saying. He is hysterical and totally gets what is comedic! Can you blame him after being around Michael and Claire all day!

At Matthew's 18 month appointment- he was 31 1/2 pounds. He continues to maintain his big stature and it will be interesting to see him grow even bigger! Matthew loves all food. Seriously- all food. He used to not eat eggs, but he has forgiven that grudge and is eating them now. He loves to dip his food in any dipping sauce and still loves his bottle in the morning, afternoon, and before bed. He has started pooping in the toilet. I know. Crazy! For the past five days he has pooped in the toilet! He comes over and says poop and then runs to the toilet and voila! I know better than to count on this to continue (although it would be nice). I have no plans to potty train him (I am not ready for that) but if I don't have to change poopy diapers- hello? Why not let him continue his trend?

Matthew likes to play games with us. He loves to wave goodbye and then walk backwards out of room until we cry because he is gone and then he runs back in and gives us the biggest hug! Matthew loves to go on walks and it is so sweet because he gets upset that the leaves have fallen out of the tree. He painstakingly picks them up and wants me to put them back in the tree. I humor him a few times but being that it is Fall and leaves are falling at a very quick rate, I can only put a few leaves back or we would be there all day! He knows how to fake laugh and get people's attention. He loves dropping Michael and Claire off at school and makes sure he gives them a kiss before they go in. Matthew loves to hold balls and little figurines. He likes to hold Sponge Bob a lot and if you ask him who he is holding, he will answer in a scary monster voice Bob! Matthew seriously cracks us up all day long!

As Halloween is fast approaching, Matthew has thoroughly enjoying seeing all of the Halloween decorations in the stores and on people's porches. He loves it but wasn't too keen when he was surprised by this motion activated witch at Lowe's! One other thing he is scared of (which is ridiculous) is when Playdoh is squeezed out of a little machine and looks like spaghetti. He will run away screaming if he sees that! It kills us! All in all, Matthew makes our family so happy and we can't imagine a day without him! He amazes Michael and Claire with his new found skills and thinks he is so cool when he can do things they can do. Matthew is the best and we can't wait to see what happiness he brings us all tomorrow!

Forever In Blue Jeans

Yes, oh yes. My hubby and I went to the one and only- Neil Diamond Concert! Laugh if you want, feel jealous if you will, but this concert rocked! Before I start my ecstatic rambling about the concert- let me give you a little background on the Neil Diamond front. So, about three years ago, Neil Diamond came to San Jose. Damien, who is a huge Neil fan, hinted to me about his eventual concert here, thought that I might actually get the hint and buy us some tickets. I neither got the hint, nor did I buy tickets which led to a very disappointed Damien. Neil had said that this was his last tour and Damien really wanted to go. I told him that maybe he should have gotten tickets if he wanted to go so badly, he countered that maybe I should have taken the hint and gotten them myself. We agreed to disagree and the whole Neil Conspiracy eventually went to the back of our minds and was never brought up again.

When I caught wind that Neil Diamond was coming to San Jose again to promote his new album, I knew I had to get tickets. I had to put this whole conspiracy thing behind me and make him happy. Damien has sat through Bette Midler and Celine Dion concerts with me so this was the least I could do. Plus, I really do like Neil Diamond a lot. He is one of my favorite karaoke choices with my sisters. Sweet Caroline, Bum Bum Bum, Good Times Never Felt So Good. SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD! Whooo! I get pumped just thinking about it! I even called them during Sweet Caroline to let them in on the excitement!

Well, let me just say- the concert didn't disappoint! It was awesome. He sold out the arena and it was crazy to see the mix of people coming to hear the Great Neil Diamond perform his oldies but goodies. People were screaming at the top of their lungs, singing and swaying to the music, standing on their feet while pumping their fists, and the ladies close to the stage were seriously having heart attacks and flailing their bodies in his direction! It was so cool! I really am glad that I was able to see him in concert and see him with Damien. We had a great time and as far as I am concerned the whole Neil Conspiracy is now water under the bridge!

Girls Only Party*

The build up to this one was pretty incredible. Claire, my little 'mother hen' as I like to call her, had been tracking the date, making a countdown, and knew the exact moment the clock struck midnight that it was the day of her much anticipated 'Friend Party'. My goodness! She had it all under control. The way it would play out, the events, what to do when the girls got here, the way to organize the party bags, when to give out the party bags, and it goes on and on- she didn't miss a detail. We had shopped a few days before for a party dress and once that was picked out- she was ready to roll. The morning of her party, she told me she wanted her hair up. Not in a ponytail- 'But up. You know- like a Princess', she said in her silly voice while waving her finger. Whew. In the twenty minutes before her party- I pinned Claire's hair up and she instantly felt like the birthday girl. Oh, my Clairey. You absolutely have me wrapped around your painted pink pinky.

The girls started trickling in for her two-hour party and they transformed immediately into party mode. All sixteen of the Moms dropped all sixteen of their daughters off and the high pitched laughter and giggling commenced. I had specified on the invitation that it was okay to drop off and like any normal Mom who has a trillion errands to run on a Sunday, they did. Claire was aglow and so happy that this very special moment was here for her. It was her first school party. The first time she had all of her friends over rather than just partying with the people that I invited. She loved it and I loved seeing her so happy.

When the girls arrived, I had arranged to have a balloon lady here to create anything the girls wanted. Knowing that this was a princess party- I warned her that the requests for Disney Princesses would be high but she told me she could handle it. Claire chose Tinkerbell and would you look at what this woman created? To die for! The girls chose Mulan, Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Fairies, Bunnies and they were all awesome!

From there- they all made their own pizzas and just sat around the table together laughing and chanting. It was hilarious. On the count of three- everyone say, I love pizza! Claire screamed. And sure enough, they would count to three and all of them would echo it back. They all took turns shouting and it really threw me back to the parties I used to have at home when I was young. Somehow, while throwing my own party and juggling sixteen kindergartners, I gained even more respect for my Mom and her level of patience and how everything was always so delicious and seemingly perfect. Next, the girls opened presents (picture a giant pink mosh pit) and then we finished the party off by decorating cupcakes. It was a great party and the best gift of all was that Matthew slept through the whole thing! Talk about timing!

You might be wondering why there is an asterisk in the title of this post. This was a Girls Only Party with one exception. Michael had a soccer game at the exact same time as Claire's party was set to begin. We gave him the option of either playing in the game or coming to Claire's party. He chose to stay. In fact, he was adamant about supporting Claire on her BIG day. I thought to myself- despite all the mindless bickering these two do all day long- they really appreciate each other and make sure to be there for the other when they need each other the most. Michael, in his blue shirt that stuck out amidst all the pink, sat and ate with the girls and witnessed Claire in all her glory. For me, the moment of the day was when Michael got all the girls to raise their glasses and said, A Toast to the Princess. He looked over at her and I swear you could see her little heart melt. She loved it. My little asterisk made my day by toasting to his sister. It doesn't get much better than that. Happy Birthday Claire!! We all love you so much.

Claire Turns 6!

Sissy Sue, Sis, LuLu, Claire Bear, Bear, Baby Girl, Henrietta, Sissy, Raar (courtesy of Matthew), Claire-a-belle, Belle, are just some of the names we use to call our beautifully brilliant, talented, loving daughter Claire. Well, apparently we need to add another name to the list. '6 Year Old Claire' was added to the list today. It is her birthday and you better believe we celebrated the big S-I-X in style! Claire has had a countdown of days until her birthday for weeks now! Damien and I have also had the countdown but with a different focus. Our focus was how many days do we have before the kitchen has to be done so we can have people over? Well, everything came together and Claire had a great birthday!

Sissy popped out of bed today bright-eyed and refreshed. In fact, she was so excited she came into our bedroom at 6:45 a.m. and woke us up to tell us the great news. While I really wanted some more sleep (afterall it was a Saturday), I knew how important it was for me to get up and start celebrating with her. Don't you remember when you were a child- the second you opened your eyes on a special day (i.e. Christmas, the start to a vacation, Easter, Birthday) you were up for good! Your blood starts pumping and your mind races around the special events that would happen that day and going back to sleep was never a possibility! Well, this was true for Claire and she was wide awake!!! I asked her if I could go get doughnuts or some special breakfast for her- but she just wanted poached eggy on toast. Her wish was granted! Then we started giving her small gifts throughout the day. One of the planned events was that my parents were going to send Claire a giant balloon bouquet. There was a knock at the door and Claire ran to get it! One giant Mylar balloon and 13 latex balloons blew into our house and she and the other two kiddos were going crazy! They played with the balloons while Damien, his Mom, and I tried to ready the house for the big family party that evening! Claire was upset because one of the giant Mylar balloons (A Disney Castle) came off it's string to the bouquet in the living room but I told her I would fix it later. They continued to play until I heard a blood curdling scream from outside. Sure that one of them was bleeding from the head- I sprinted out of the kitchen to the backyard and saw Claire screaming and crying hysterically. I saw no blood so then I asked what in the heck was going on. Matthew was screaming and pointing to the sky and Claire was blubbering something completely unintelligible. She didn't have to say a word. When I looked up, I saw 13 balloons drifting skyward. They were gone. She was screaming, I'm sorry- I'm sorry and I told her that she didn't need to apologize and I was sorry she lost her balloons. A giant part of me wanted to rush out to the store and buy 13 more but the rational part of me told me that everything would be okay. I consoled her for a while and she even talked to my parents who told her that it was going to be alright. Talk about drama. I did feel bad for Claire but at least she still had the most important balloon in her possession!

Damien's family showed up that evening and it was a good thing because I accidentally cooked to feed an army of people. We had spinach dip, smoked Gouda quesadillas (one of my Mom's goodies) for starters, then had lasagna, garlic bread, and a cranberry pear salad for dinner. Can you say stuffed? How about calling over eaters anonymous! We all were totally full and then topped it off with my Nana's famous yellow cake with whipped chocolate frosting! It was too much but seriously- so good! It was nice to have the family together and we had a lot of fun watching the cousins run around and play with one another. We had such a nice night. The weather was beautiful and it was so warm we were even able to eat outside without feeling cold at all! It was great. Most importantly- Claire had a great night. She was so happy, so thrilled that the focus was on her and she took in each and every moment- trust me!

I think my favorite moment of the entire day was recognizing the complete absence of sibling rivalry/jealousy. We went through a few years there were that were rough! But this year- Michael in particular did great. Of course Matthew wanted in on all the action, but they all got along and for this I say, Yahoo! A lot of this credit goes to Claire because she really let Michael and Matthew in on her celebration! When she was opening her gifts- Michael asked if he could sit with her on her chair. I was worried that his feelings were going to be hurt when she blurted No, but instead- Claire thought about it and said, Sure! I was really proud of her and I guess being six years old made her a little more wise! I had to put this picture on here because we did catch her getting a little jealous when she was blowing out her candles. And who can blame her! Matthew didn't have the ability to blow them out from where he was standing, but she put her hand over his mouth so that he wouldn't have a shot at ruining her moment! Classic!

Happy Birthday to my only daughter who is truly a special blessing to me. You are so nurturing, a mother hen if you will. You take such good care of your brothers, you will defend anyone you love to a great degree, you are a great listener, a wonderful friend, a beautiful person, and such a special special young lady. Six years ago you came into our lives and we have never been the same. We thank God everyday for you Clairey!!! Happy Birthday.

St. Matthew's Day

Oh, yes. It is another one of my kid's saint days! St. Matthew's Day was on September 21st and we were all ready to have a great day while being faithful and celebrating the life of our darling, sweet Matthew. We were not able to be with my Dad for St. Matthew's Day but he had it all organized. He wanted to get something for Matthew that he would love. Something that Michael and Claire would also enjoy- but something primarily for Matthew. He decided on a slide and it seemed like the perfect gift for our little guy!

We all gathered together to unveil his big prize and he went absolutely crazy! At first he didn't know what to do with the slide but very soon- he got the hang of it. Then we read him the card that Grandpa gave him and we talked to Michael and Claire about the wonderful things St. Matthew did. We ate dinner and then out of the freezer came the ceremonial Baskin Robbins cake that Grandpa always gets the kids. Matthew was thrilled by the sight of the cake and knew that he was the one that was going to get to blow out the candle. And would you know that the first candle that Matthew has ever successfully blown out by himself was his St. Matthew's candle? It was awesome and he was so proud of himself and he couldn't stop screaming! We all enjoyed the cake (a few us of had a little too much) and enjoyed the moment as a family.

Thank you Grandpa for everything. We love you very much!!

Dare Devil Claire

Both Michael and Claire have soccer games on Saturdays. It is starting to take over our lives- I swear! I have no idea how my Mom and Dad managed to get us all to our games, get us home, provide snacks, and feed us. Really, how did they seem to make our Soccer Saturdays so seamless? Damien and I always hope that Michael and Claire's games are within the same general time frame. If not, we are going to and from the field for the better part of our Saturday and it is just too much. Once we add in Matthew's nap time- things can get a bit complicated! This year, Damien is helping assistant coach Michael's team called The Celtics. Claire's team is called The Dare Devils. Well, this particular afternoon, Damien opted to stay home and let Matthew nap and I took Claire to her game. It was also picture day so we were going to be at the field for a few hours and I wasn't going to complain about having to sit in a chair on the sidelines, relax in the sun and enjoy her game!

Claire is loving soccer this year. She seems to get the overall idea better and is really understanding the flow of the game. She laughs, she is focused, she has moments of true competitiveness, and then has moments of relief that she can sit out a quarter and relax. I also have to add that she loves oranges at halftime and the snack after the game (which really is no surprise if you know Claire and her affinity for snacking!). She is having a great time and really- this is all I want for her. Claire's coaches are amazing. They understand that kids at this tender age just need to have fun while learning fundamentals. They are doing everything right and I am so glad that Claire is being coached by them!

I had a great afternoon watching Claire. I had an even better time having her come over to me after every quarter for some TLC. She loves when I give her praise and truthfully- she tries her hardest and it makes me so proud and happy. The next time I am at Michael's game I will take some pictures and post about him and his team. Until then, I am going to enjoy the memory of watching my Clairey play soccer.

Cereal Anyone?

By far- the best back to school surprise known to man! My Mom had told my kids to expect a back to school delivery on Saturday morning from Nonna and Grandpa. Of course they had a million questions and wanted hints but my parents were not going to give them an inch! They woke up in the morning and kept looking out the window for the delivery man. I did give the smallest of details letting them know that the delivery would be between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. After waiting all morning, there was a knock at the door and they they both ran as fast as they could and opened the door. Confused when they saw a guy wearing a Safeway hat/uniform, they proceeded to start bringing in the many many bags he had outside for them. One bag after another, while totally screaming- Michael and Claire brought the bags into the living room and realized what a special treat they were in for! Nonna and Grandpa had gotten them more cereal than they knew what to do with. And while there were some healthy choices in there- mostly the cereal was the yummy kind that I only got as a child if I had a sleep over! Trix, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Pebbles, Fruity Pebbles- and it goes on and on!

They couldn't believe their eyes when they laid out all of their loot! I mean- could you imagine if you were a kid and this happened to you? When I was a kid, I always wanted to win a shopping spree to Toys R Us, but I am sure this would've come in a close second! Michael and Claire lined up the boxes end to end, then they stacked them as high as they could, followed by making a house out of them! They had an absolute ball and I know this is just what my parents had in mind when they came up with the coolest idea ever! 20 boxes of awesome cereal . . . a dream come true for my kids. And a great thing for me too because I am not going to have to by cereal for a long long time!

Because we are still in the throws of construction- this was a perfect gift considering that we don't have a oven to cook on or in. Cereal is that universal food that you really can eat for every meal! Because the kids have really been quarantined to a certain area of the house as not to hurt themselves on the mess, this was a great treat for them. This picture was taken in my living room which is chalk full of my kitchen/dining room. I can't wait until I have my living room back! Almost there! A very sugar-highed thanks to Nonna and Grandpa for giving us all a little surprise to brighten our day!

Falling to the Right

It was a normal Saturday, or so it seemed. It was actually Labor Day Weekend so I was settling into a three day weekend with Damien and the kids and was getting ready for some down time. One exciting part of our weekend was going to be painting the kitchen (okay, it wasn't exciting at all but I tried to convince myself that it was!). We had prepped the whole kitchen, thrown the kids in front of the television, and were ready to go to work. When I woke up that morning, I didn't feel great. I had a giant headache and just felt kind of heavy. Regardless of how I felt- we had to get this kitchen painted so they could continue the remodel on Tuesday.

I told Damien I would trim out the kitchen (paint the corners and ceiling area) and so we each took our little jobs and started. As I got up on the chair to paint and looked up at the ceiling- I felt like I was falling! It was the strangest sensation. I fell of the chair and actually hurled my paint brush (full of paint) across the kitchen. Lucky for me- it didn't ruin the cabinets or the new appliances! I got some water and tried to relax for a moment. I tried to get back up and paint again but at the same exact moment when I moved my eyes from the floor to the ceiling- I literally felt like I was free falling. Strange. I told Damien we had to switch jobs. This crazy falling feeling happened all day long. I thought maybe I was just exhausted or something.

When I woke up the next morning, though- the sensation was still there and all day long, I fought myself from falling over to the right. Weird! By lunchtime, I was onto my symptoms and looked up vertigo online and sure enough- I had most all the side effects. I took Sudafed and tried to dry myself up but again the next morning- crazy dizziness! On Tuesday I went to the doctor and she told me I had vertigo. I asked desperately how to fix it and she said I couldn't. I just had to wait it out. Excuse me, you must not understand. I have three kids and I need a quick fix. I drive carpool, I do laundry, I carry Matthew around all day, I make meals, I shower (well- not as often as I'd like). My life doesn't stop so I need you to make the vertigo stop! Okay- I didn't say this to her but the thought was racing through my already clouded brain. "You'll just have to wait it out and I hope that you have some relief by the weekend." she said. Seven more days of this? Ahhhhhh! She gave me a prescription for anti-dizziness medication but wouldn't you know . . . it causes drowsiness. Just what I needed. I took it for two days but after realizing that it didn't take away my dizziness and just made me sleepy on top of everything else- it needed to go!

The doctor was right. My vertigo didn't lift until after day number eight. Eight days of having to go through the motions and keep up with life- because life certainly didn't stop or slow down for me. Getting sick is the hardest part of being a Mom. And to make matters worse- you don't look sick when you have vertigo. You can still look cute, still look put together, still look normal when everything you are feeling is the exact opposite of normal. I seriously suffered and it was in this moment that I told myself that the stomach flu would've been better. Not that I want the stomach flu- but you know what I mean. I survived the dreaded vertigo but am terrified of ever having it again.