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!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween started at our house at 6:30 a.m. We were up and getting the kids in their costumes, tying up any loose ends that had to do with their costumes, going to their school, watching the parades, and the day went on and on and on from there. To top off the marathon Halloween season- we had a bunch of people over Halloween night for some spooky fun!

Last year on Halloween we went over to Michael's friends' house for Halloween. This year we returned the favor and had his friend Jack and his family over. Auntie Heather, Auntie Ali, Uncle Haripal, E and Papa also joined in on the fun! We had a delicious dinner together and then prepped to go out and enjoy trick-or-treating in the crisp, dark night. There was a lot of talk around these parts about the weather forecast. See, the weather forecast stated that there was a chance of rain for Friday (which was Halloween). Everyone here freaked out! I rarely include my comments here about Seattleites vs. Californians. But seriously people! A little rain won't kill anyone! In fact, most of my Halloweens as a child were spent either partially frozen or damp. And we had a blast- not to mention rwe still raked in the candy! I just had to laugh at the buzz the forecast created here! Moving on . . .

We had our typical haunts this Halloween night! We HAD to have our dry ice which the kids go crazy over. This year was really fun because it was a real first for Matthew. He couldn't believe how the 'smoke' was all over the floor. Back and forth he ran through it and it was really funny. When we left to go trick-or-treating, we left our cauldron on the front porch with a huge piece of dry ice in there and it looked so cool! The other Halloween specialty was Damien's famous caramel apples! They are so good!

We headed out soon after dinner to do some trick-or-treating because we also wanted to be at our house when the trick-or-treaters knocked on our door. This was our first Halloween in the new house and we weren't sure how many people we would get so we wanted to be there! We started trick-or-treating pretty close to the house and were amazed at how much candy the kids gathered after hitting one cul-de-sac! Matthew loved the thrill of ringing the doorbell and then getting candy. But for a kid that loves to eat- this is understandable! We trick-or-treated a while longer and then called it quits when it got late.

We all dressed up for Halloween this year. I donned the pirate outfit I wore a few years ago and Damien put on a 50's Man costume that he wore for Claire's second birthday party (it was a themed poodle party and you had to dress the part). He was killing me. Those pants are to die for, especially when combined with his Mr. Rogers cardigan and pipe. I thought he looked pretty cute myself! We had a great Halloween. When we got the kids down, I passed out myself. It was a long Halloween season no doubt. But there is no denying that it was also spooktacular and a whole lot of ghoolish fun.

Monkeys and Dragons!

Halloween sure was a busy day. After Damien and I did the whole Halloween Parade madness at the kid's school, my great friend Karen and her son Luke came over for some fun! We had great plans to walk into Willow Glen and do some tick-or-treating but after considering all of our options- we decided that it might be best to just put the boys in their costumes and enjoy the comforts of home. Like a lot of Matthew's friends, the older they get- the more they notice each other and play. Luke and Matthew are finally getting to enjoy each other's company! They are about five months apart and are slowly but surely catching up to one another. They were a little taken a back when they saw the other dressed in their costume but Karen and I thought it was adorable. When we were taking pictures of them, I told Matthew to give Lukey a hug and he did. Then for some reason, Matthew started growling and hugged Luke so hard that he knocked him back a few steps and then landed on him. So much for the sweet moment. But as you know- boys will be boys.

Halloween Morning!

Halloween morning was full of excitement! I had to get up extra early to make sure that I could get myself ready and then devote the rest of the time to getting the kids in their costumes, getting them breakfast, and making sure we didn't forget anything as we headed out the door for school! It was pretty chaotic here- but was also a lot of fun!

This year, Michael decided to be an Army Guy. I loved it! For the past few years he has gone with a Star Wars costume so I was thrilled to try something new! Better than that- I was happy that he chose this costume all on his own! The costume a bit too big so I hemmed the pants and Michael was ready to go. We had a little debate with Michael about face paint vs. no face paint. Michael really doesn't like to get dirty or have stuff on his face. We didn't force him but in the end, we were happy that he didn't mind putting on the face paint. In fact- he looked really cool with it on!

At first, Claire wanted to be Tinkerbell this Halloween. In fact- she was dead set on it. When I had taken the kids to the costume store to get Michael's costume- she saw this Dorothy costume and changed her mind completely! For the last three years, Claire has been a Disney Princess. I was preparing to head down that same road again but Claire really surprised me! She had never seen The Wizard of Oz when she had chosen her costume but we made sure she saw the movie before Halloween. Claire looked adorable! She had her little basket with Toto in it and of course had the ruby slippers! She felt great and in the end, that is all that matters!

Matthew didn't have a say in his costume but he sure looked cute in it! I took him shopping for costumes and he was able to let me know what he liked and didn't like. When I tried the Monkey on him, I took a picture of him so that he could see what he looked like. He thought it was hilarious. I especially loved that there was a banana attached to the sleeve! And the chubby tummy? To die for! Matthew liked wearing the Monkey and would say, Oooo Oooo Oooo if he wanted to put it on. Before we left for the kids school, I painted his nose brown. However- by the time we got to school, he had rubbed it off!

All in all, it was a successful Halloween morning! In this picture, I was trying to get a cute picture of Michael and Claire in their costumes before we left for school. But instead Dorothy and the Army Guy started arguing which makes for a better picture than any posed one! Both the kids loved seeing their friends dressed in costume. Damien came to school with me to watch the kids in their costume parades. It was really cute and I was happy we were able to get them the costumes they wanted so that they could have a great Halloween morning!

Hangman

We had our wonderful friends, the Brinkers, over for dinner earlier this week. We had the best time (like we always do) and had fun catching up as adults but also loved watching the kids run around and play. At some point during the evening, Michael decided that he would play Hangman with Aaron. Being the patient guy that he is- he sat there with Michael for quite a while. After about twenty minutes or so- I decided to check in on the two of them. I looked at what Michael was having Aaron guess and started laughing! I didn't let Michael see me laughing but the answers he was giving Aaron were unbelievable! For instance, the answer to the hangman pictured here was All, your, mom, is. So random. The next puzzle I saw Michael give to Aaron was only correctly answered if Aaron could come up with the ever so common phrase www a pig. The answers to his puzzles went on like this and gave us all a good laugh!

Calm Before the Storm

I have mentioned before that this Halloween season seems to be dragging on and on. Well, in preparation for the big day, I got down our giant box of costumes to see if I could find something in there to wear. While in the process, I found this Buzz Lightyear costume that Michael wore for fun when he was two. Well, Matthew went nuts and wanted me to put it on him. I obliged and he had a ball running all over the place and then rushing to the mirror to see if he was still wearing the costume. That evening, Claire had soccer practice and I tried to take the now filthy costume off of him and he wasn't having it. So what the heck- he wore it there and was a huge hit!

Michael had soccer that same night and it was a themed practice. The kids could wear their costumes if they wanted but because Michael's army fatigues are not breathable and fairly heavy- he decided to just put on his pirate t-shirt and add the hat and sword. Fine by me! He looked cute and had a great practice. I guess that it was just a warm up for the big day which comes in just a few short days!

In My Shoes

We are having the BEST time with Matthew these days. His personality is coming out at a furious pace and we are quickly learning that he is not only a sensitive, loving boy but also hysterically funny. This kid has the greatest sense of humor and gets most everything that is going on around him. Perhaps all of the observing he does is doing him well! My sister Gina is the middle child and my Mom tells stories about how Gina understood adult humor (no, not the dirty kind- but the elevated kind) at an early age. She often sat around as adults had conversations and before anyone knew it- she really could understand everything. I think Matthew is headed down this same path!

The other night before my basketball game, Matthew came in the room wearing my basketball shoes. It was so adorable. He did a few dances and knew how to get us all to laugh. I just love this kid! It was cute because if he does put on our shoes, they are usually Damien's or if he wears mine- he will wear my high heels. So to see him come through the door sloshing around in my big sneakers was a welcome surprise. Funny, funny, Matthew.

Our Jack-O-Lanterns

After spending a small fortune at the pumpkin patch and then again at Safeway to buy some more pumpkins- we were ready to carve some scary/funny/silly faces into our big squashes! Of course we tried to cram a million things into one day so it was pretty interesting when we carved pumpkins outside in the dark! We did have one outside light illuminating us but I was worried that one of us might lose a finger or something! Especially since Claire insisted on carving hers herself!


Damien had a basketball game that night (hence his jersey) but literally the minute he got home we started carving. The kids had their own idea of how they wanted their jack-o-lanterns to look. Claire went for the classic triangle eyes and nose and zig-zag mouth, while Michael went for something really creative. His did have triangle eyes, but then the mouth had fangs and he insisted on his pumpkin having eyebrows. Claire caught wind of the eyebrow idea and had to have them too.


Matthew kind of enjoyed the experience. He liked to watch everyone else carve but he DID NOT like the feeling of scooping out the seeds. In fact, he cried after he touched them and wanted me to wash it off! I can't blame him. I does feel pretty nasty! After we were all done carving, we headed to the front of the house and brought our pumpkins to life! The kids thought it was awesome. Too bad that in the California climate the pumpkins rotted after only five days! Oh, well. Good thing we took some pictures early!

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!