Matthew Turns 3

Well, it happened. My little Matthew turned three. I can't believe it! What a big boy my little guy is. He was so excited for his birthday this year. In fact, for the past 365 days- he has been telling people about his eventual birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. He really gets it now and it is so cute! If he did something new physically (like hopping on one foot)- I would ask him where he learned to do that. He would respond, "I learned on my birthday". In fact- most everything he does, he claims to have learned it on his birthday! It is really hilarious. This year, it was hard for him to understand that he was having two parties. First, a small party with family and then on his actual birthday- we would celebrate with him at Chuck E. Cheese. It took some explaining but eventually he got it. I, for one, was having a hard time understanding how this beautiful little boy, my baby, was turning three years old. Time is flying by so quickly now and I want to hold onto this sweet, innocent, young Matthew and make him stay this way forever!

It was fun having four kids this year on Matthew's birthday. The more the merrier! Emily loved the balloons and Matthew loved having her there! Matthew certainly felt cool on his BIG day! He picked a Cars theme for his cake and picked a Spiderman pinata. I was going to tell him he should stay with one theme but then I realized I was a bit crazy and realized he should get whatever he wants!! We had a really nice time at his party. It was super low key and just nice to catch up with everyone while celebrating our Goosey!

On Matthew's actual birthday (after watching Michael and Claire's basketball games at the gym) we all went to Chuck E. Cheese's for some fun and birthday celebrating! My Mom and Natalie were in town (they are going to watch the kids while Damien and I go to Jamaica) so they were able to celebrate with us! Damien's brother Mark and our nephew Brennan also joined us and we all had so much fun! Matthew as in ALL his glory. With a cup of tokens in hand and a pocket full of prize tickets- he ran around the restaurant like he owned it! He ate pizza, saw the Chuckster, got his cotton candy (it had to be pink) and won a bunch of little prizes when he turned in his tickets. Matthew had a great time and that is all we wanted for our little man.

A sign that he is getting older happened on the ride home when he asked me, "Mom, can I go to sleep in the car?" "Of course!" I responded. I swear, no more than thirty seconds later he was completely zonked out! When he was little, I had to BEG him to go to bed and walk him around in circles for what seemed like hours! And now he asks me go to sleep? I am LOVING Matthew being three!

Matthew is such a great kiddo. He is happy, smart, ridiculously funny, sensitive, inquisitive, sarcastic, loving, passionate, and a huge part of the happiness of our family. This has been a big year for him. Matthew went from being the baby of the family to meeting the new baby of the family. He handled the transition so well and I just love him so much. He is starting to really play an active roll in the family and fits in with the already established family dynamics. He is a great brother to his three siblings and a fantastic son to us. We are all so blessed to have him in our lives and hope he has an amazing year ahead of him. This is his last year home with me full time. Next year, he will start preschool (only two mornings a week) and start creating a life for himself outside of my care. While this saddens me greatly, I am excited to share my little boy with the world. Lord knows he brightens our days and I can't wait to see how he brightens the world one day at a time. Happy 3rd Birthday Matthew! I hope you learned a lot on your birthday this year!!!

Swinging Away!

Don't you just love lazy days when you can wander on over to the park and just watch your kids play for hours? (Okay, maybe more like an hour. I get too antsy if it is longer than that!) I wish this happened more- or I guess I wish I made it more of a priority. We have the most amazing park across the street. Seriously, it is like a five minute walk and we need to go there more! Well, today I got motivated and let a few items on my 'To Do List' remain unchecked so I could take the two little ones to the park. At first, I had Emily in the stroller and we were just watching Matthew run around, climbing, jumping, and sliding down the slides. Then in donned on me that Emily could certainly sit in a swing and have some fun!

Emily loved it! She didn't even know what to do with herself! She laughed and screamed and laughed some more and I just enjoyed it so much. She is getting so much bigger and it is nice that know that we can go places where she can interact and get in on some of the fun action (not just watch her siblings do it). What was cute was watching Matthew's reaction to realizing Emily was in the swing! He ran over as fast as he could and wanted to swing with her pronto! Then Emily started laughing at Matthew swinging next to her and they were just a couple of kiddos cracking up! Love it.

Matthew didn't get to go to the park much last year due to his very pregnant Mommy. It is such a thrill for me to be healthy and able to take him places without worrying. He loved all of the little tunnels, tubes, slides, and swings and as I mentioned above- loved playing with Emily. They are too cute together. Now he asks me every day if we can go to the park and while I don't think it will be a daily event- I do want to make taking them to the park a priority because before I know it- this precious time will be gone. Here's hoping for more sunny days and a lot more park time!

Cheetah's Basketball

I am loving this season of basketball! It has been so fun to go to the gym each weekend and watch the kids play. Because I am not coaching Michael's team- I can just relax and watch him move around the court. He has really surprised me this season. He is so intense, so composed, so perceptive, so explosive and is just having the best time out there! Michael and his team have been doing great, too! My favorite thing to watch Michael do is steal a pass. He just sits there and plays coy and then when the offense player throws a pass to another player- he just pounces on it and gets the steal! Off to the races he goes to the other end of the court for a layup! It is great to watch. He is so good on defense and hustle plays. He never stops moving and is just fantastic out there. Aaahhhh. I am loving this!

At first, Michael was upset that his team name was the Cheetahs. I think his frustration was in direct reference to the girls singing group, The Cheetah Girls. Once I told him that I didn't see the connection between basketball and music groups, he decided he was okay with "The Cheetahs" even though the team name sounded a little girlie to him. He has one classmate on his team and the rest are just other 1st and 2nd grade boys from the area. He does play against a lot of his classmates which is fun for him. I am so proud of Michael and sometimes when he is sprinting around the court, diving for balls- my mind rolls back to the image of him as a tiny, sick baby in an incubator. How great God is for helping Michael fully recover from his tough beginnings to make him healthy and strong enough to kick some behind on the basketball court! Go Michael, go!

Lady Lions Basketball

I was really excited for Claire when she decided she wanted to play basketball this Winter. I found out that a lot of her classmates were going to play and it seemed as though this season was going to be a great first season for Claire! A few days after I signed her up, a few of the Moms of Claire's friends came up and asked me if I would coach the team. "Um, I have a five month old and three other kids. I don't think this is my year!" I told them. Then they offered to watch my kids during every practice and fill in where they were needed and I took a few nights to think about it. One practice a week and one game a week. It sounded crazy but after Damien and I talked about it for a while- we decided to commit to it! Claire was just beside herself that I was going to coach her. She was just so happy and wanted to start working on things right away!

It turns out that all but one of the ten kids on Claire's team (Lady Lions) are in her class. It has been a great platform to learn more about basketball but it has also been a great chance for the girls to get to know and trust each other more. This is all ten of the kids first time playing basketball so it has been interesting to coach them and figure out the right way to lay a foundation so that they can learn and be successful. Claire and I are having so much fun out there together. While I don't put much emphasis on scoring- just trying your hardest out there, I was so happy when Claire scored her first basket! She made it and then looked to me with the biggest smile! It was a great moment shared by Mommy and Claire. What I am most thankful for is getting a little push to go ahead and coach. I didn't think I had the time or the energy but it has been a great source of happiness and satisfaction for us both. Our team is doing great but more importantly- Claire and I are making memories together. Damien has been able to coach a couple of Michael's teams and now I am happy to not be pregnant and healthy enough to give Claire what she deserves, too! Go Lady Lions!!!

Sissies

I am seriously loving seeing Claire and Emily together. I never had a brother- just four sisters so any picture of me and my sisters growing up looks something like this! I found these matching sweaters the other day and had to get them. Total impulse buy. Oh- life is good. Life is good.

Emily is so fond of Claire. The minute Emily sees Claire when she comes home from school- she freaks out. Legs kicking, arms flailing, and a smile so big that Claire just melts! Claire is also really good at taking care of Emily when I need a minute or two to make dinner or take care of something.

Looking back on my last pregnancy- I realize how ridiculously bad I wanted a girl. Somehow in the moment, I convinced myself that having another boy would have been okay (and it would have) but now I know how badly I wanted a little girl. Partially for me but mainly for Claire so she could take pictures like these and always know that she will have a sister and friend for life. I know firsthand how strong sisterhood is and I am so thrilled these two will have each other through so many special moments in their lives.

Emily is 7 Months Old!

This is getting ridiculous. Seven months already? I just don't believe it! It is just crazy. But I guess I have to just accept that my little girlie is growing older. It is just hard because she is most probably my last baby and I know that as she turns another month older- I have to say goodbye to another monthly milestone. I am sure I will look back later on in life and realize that it wasn't nearly as big a deal as I made it out to be, but in the meantime I still mourn the months passing.

Okay, now that the sappy stuff is out of the way- let's talk about Emily! Emily is seriously getting so big. She already weighs a whopping 22 pounds! Chunky monkey! She has really grown a lot in terms of her physical development, too. She is sitting independently and really doesn't fall over. She started picking up toys and transferring them from hand to hand. She will roll all over the room (still no crawling yet). She loves to jump in her bouncy exosaucer. She has started to hold things and bang them when you ask her to bang them. She enjoys playing with toys in her high chair. And lastly, she has become completely fascinated with her siblings and is completely entertained just watching them run around the house.

We have had an extremely busy month. With Christmas, New Years, Damien's birthday, and school- Emily has been shuffled in and out of her car seat and has been SO incredibly good. Her disposition is so calm. I think she has the best temperament of all of my kids at this age as she is just happy to be around people and observe. She is definitely not high maintenance-thank goodness. Emily is really starting to be a part of our world. She knows when to laugh, she knows how to make a cranky face, she knows how to tell me she is hungry by panting, she will listen to me when I tell her I am coming and calm down. Life has gotten a lot easier in terms of the care I give her.

Emily had a great Christmas. She loved the sounds and the lights and just loved being along for the ride on the numerous activities and events we drug her to. This month she really became aware of the words I am speaking. If I tell her that Daddy is coming, she looks all around for him. If I mention the names of her siblings, she searches them out. She understands num nums (food), ba ba (bottle), and pluggie (pacifier). Oh, yes. Life is getting a teeny tiny bit easier for this mother of four! Emily has really enjoyed eating this month. Not only does she love the two meals of fruits/vegetables she gets but she is loving being able to eat little snacks. It has been helpful for me too, to be able to reach back in the car and pop a little treat in her mouth. Makes for a more enjoyable car ride! Her chubby rolls are ridiculous. Her thighs are so deliciously chubby I can't stop from squeezing them! It doesn't hurt that she is extremely ticklish. If you so much as touch her feet- she cracks up. If you squeeze her calf a little bit she will burst out laughing! One thing she has in common with Michael is that when she starts to laugh- she shoves her fist in her mouth. It is too funny! We are still waiting for her hair to grow to officially give her a hair color. It is definitely not as blond as Matthew's and we are thinking it might be more like Clairey's. Only time will tell.

To sum it all up, I love my darling little baby. She gives me the best smiles, she loves to look in my eyes, she loves to hold onto my necklace, she rubs her face on mine just to let me know she needs me. I love it all. Those bright blue eyes just melt my heart and I can't stop myself from thinking what she is going to look like when she gets a bit older. At times I think she looks a little like Michael, other times I swear she is a carbon copy of Claire- only for me to get a glimpse of Matthew which then completely confuses me. We called Matthew 'The Hybrid' but perhaps Emily will be the one who will fuse all of my children's looks together. Whatever the case- we are in love with this baby. Happy Seven Month Birthday Emilini!!!
*We started calling Emily Emilina and then Matthew changed it to Emilini, pronounced Emiyini.

A New Kind of TIME OUT

We love to have fun with our kids. Not only is it fun to have fun, but it is so funny to watch the kids' reactions to their parents being a little crazy! Matthew is at a great age. I say this with the confidence that very very soon- he will start to become sassier and have attitude. So I choose to enjoy each and every last minute of his sweet demeanor and love him up! When Michael and Claire are at school- Matthew is king of the castle. No one bugs him, he really doesn't have to share, he can play with Michael and Claire's toys that they forbid him to play with the night before. Our house is a wonderland of sorts for Matthew during the day. He misses Michael and Claire so much but he is smart and knows to make the most of his time home without them!

Damien has been playing this game lately where he puts Matthew on top of the fridge. Before you worry about him falling, please note that Matthew is an extremely cautious kid (and Damien is very close to him even though the picture doesn't show it). Once up on his perch, Matthew nervously laughs because he can't figure out if he should squeal with delight that Daddy put him up there or if he should cry from the fear that is about to overtake him. Either way you look at it, I think it is so funny when Damien throws him up there. Recently (and don't call CPS) Damien has been jokingly putting Emily up there to get a reaction out of Matthew. Now he doesn't leave her there but Matthew just loves it. Emily is so sharp it is scary. The girl knows what is going on. She doesn't miss a beat and cranes her neck ALL DAY LONG to see what is going on around her. She watches Daddy put Matthew on the refrigerator and gets excited. So when Damien put her up there- I swear she knew that she was cool. It was so funny. We are just having a blast with the kids. This really isn't a significant post but I know I will forget these sweet and funny times as the kids get older.

Goodbye 2009

I want to take just one minute to remind myself how incredibly blessed I am. As we head into a new year, 2010- I leave behind so many wonderful accomplishments, blessings, and memories in 2009. What a great year 2009 was for me and my family. 2009 held so much promise, so much change for me. It was challenging but rewarding. It was bright but also dim at times. It was another year spent journeying down a path that was not marked- but rather unpredictable and rugged. At times I wanted to give up on my journey. Other times I found my journey to be remarkably focused, empowering, and amazing.

My heart grew another size bigger this past year in order to make room for all of the love I have for my newest little girl Emily. It also swelled in size watching my other three beautiful children's hearts grow with love for her, too. I became stronger this year- the strongest I have been in my entire life. I strengthened my relationship with God and I know that He will always be there for me in good times and in bad. I fell more deeply in love with my husband who yet again found a way to successfully balance his career, pregnant wife, and four children. I am more thankful than ever for the health of us all. Knowing everything that could have gone wrong with all four pregnancies and the way it might have impacted the lives of my children and me - I cannot be anything but thankful to God for blessing us and making us whole.

I am so honored to be the Mommy of my four babies who continue to amaze me with their adaptability and understanding. This year, although wonderful at times, presented challenges to them too and they were beyond amazing. I am also so happy to be a part of the lives of so many of our family and friends who during the past year picked us up and helped us on our way to the eventual birth of baby Emily. Without so many of you- we would have struggled and I am so grateful to have connected with such amazing people who knew what we needed before we even had to ask.

I feel so satisfied with my life. I feel a sense of completion with our family. I see a future that is bright and I see a year of exploration and adventure now that we are all healthy. I see soccer games, homework, dentist appointments, vacations, early mornings, late nights, and a home filled with love and laughter. For more than eight years now- I have been growing babies. Now I am excited to raise them. I pray for God to continue to watch over us and give us the strength we will need to get through life's obstacles in the coming year.

So that's it. One good minute of reflection. What a great year. I will miss it.

Goodbye 2009. Thanks for everything.

Damien's Official Birthday Party!

Damien always complains that I somehow manage to turn my birthday into a Birthday Week. I tell him that it takes a lot of work and commitment to stretch the birthday spoiling out that long! Well guess what folks? Damien did it. He managed to have a Birthday Week and now I don't think he will ever settle again for one measly day of pampering again! It all started when we celebrated his birthday at my Mom and Dad's house on the last night of our trip. He got cake, gifts, and attention sprinkled all over him. Then we flew back to San Jose and relaxed for a few days before we celebrated his actual birthday by breakfasting, bowling, and chinese dinnering. Wasn't that enough? NO, shouted Damien. Okay, he didn't really shout it but you could see that he liked this 'birthday attention' thing. Well, as sad as it is- today commenced his official Birthday Week. And might I add that is was a really, really good week.

We planned to have a very small friend/family birthday party at our house today. Lucky for us all- a lot of family and a few friends were actually able to come! When the numbers were small, I decided that I would make a really good birthday dinner for my hubby and make another giant attempt at pampering him to the fullest. Then the numbers for the party grew and grew and I knew this 'pampering' for Damien was going to get a lot more work! I wanted to make him a dinner he would love so I made him Pulled Pork Sandwiches (it was actually chicken but pork sounds more official), Baked Beans, Cornbread, and Coleslaw. I tried a few new recipes and was so happy with all of them. A definite win-win situation. We even ended his party with a Hostess Chocodile Cake (chocodiles are chocolate covered twinkies and are really hard to find)! Damien was so pleased with it all and that was all I was hoping for!

We had a nice night with his family. It is always nice to get together where we can relax and just catch up with one another. I remember Damien's birthday last year. It was the day after my cerclage procedure when I was pregnant with Emily and there was just so much going on at the time. I can't believe we even managed to get people together last year. This year it brought me such intense joy to see Damien holding his little Emily. The two of them are really bonded and seeing them together makes me so happy. It's amazing how much your life can change over the course of a year. For our family, one more year made us a bigger, stronger, happier, healthier and more faith and family centered.

It is hard for many to imagine having a birthday on New Years Eve but I find that although it is logistically challenging- it is a perfect day for Damien to turn one year older, be officially one year wiser, and as he watches the world close the book on the past 365 days, he too closes a book on another year of his very blessed life. Happy Birthday Damien. Here's to another 365 glorious days with you and our beautiful babies.

Bowling for Dad's Birthday!

Since Damien's birthday is on New Years Eve every year- it is hard to get a good group of family and friends together. People tend to be out of town or already attending a party. It sure is a good thing we know what a great time it is to celebrate our amazing husband and daddy's birthday on such a great day!

We started out the morning right by letting Damien sleep in. It is always in our favor to give him more sleep because he wakes up so happy! While he was snoozing, we made him a huge surprise breakfast. It was really cute. The kids totally got into it. We had sausage, eggs, cinnamon rolls, fresh strawberries, hot chocolate with whip cream, and orange juice. The kids loved setting the table and getting things ready for their Daddy's birthday breakfast!

After breakfast, we all hung around the house for nap time and then did some gift opening. Claire had come shopping with me and had some real opinions on what we got Damien. So I got him a few things that I wouldn't normally get him because Claire was so sure he would love them! Once we had napped and opened gifts, we went south to a great bowling alley called 300. It is so clean, bright, and kind of a 'high end' feeling establishment. You know how you kind of get that dirty feeling at a bowling alley? Well-you don't get that feeling here. When you check in, you get nice looking bowling shoes. You don't have to hunt for balls, instead they give you the ball that would be most appropriate. And once you start bowling, there is someone who comes over and will fill your drink/food order. At the end of every lane are big screen TVs playing songs and videos that everyone can enjoy. We had a great time!

This was Matthew's first time bowling and a repeat event for Michael and Claire. Michael was concerned about the scoring and wanted to know if we could tell who was winning- while Claire wanted to make sure that no one was going to win or lose. Man, competitiveness runs deep with them. The kids had the bumpers up so they couldn't roll a gutter ball. Michael then told us he didn't need the bumpers. They were only for kids. So we put them down for his next bowl and in the gutter it went. He quietly asked me to have the bumper put back up. It was cute. Soon, everyone got the hang of bowling and I think Damien and I were the ones who were having a hard time! We laughed a lot and had a great time as a family. Even Emily was amused by all of the lights and sounds around her!

After bowling, we went across the street to a fabulous Chinese restaurant. Damien's sister Heather joined us and we nestled into a corner table and ordered until our little hearts were content! The highlight of dinner was dessert when they brought out lychees and fortune cookies. Apparently lychees are a fruit but to us- they looked like clear eyeballs. The kids squeeled when Damien tried one and laughed when he told them they weren't bad tasting. Matthew tried one and then started popping one after another into his mouth. We were all hysterically laughing at this. I thought Michael and Claire might throw up from laughing so hard watching Matthew inhale these fruits! After all the drama, Michael and Claire did gather the courage to try a few and liked them. I tried one too, and although they didn't taste bad- I couldn't get the 'eyeball in my mouth' feeling to go away.

We had a great day with Damien. What an amazing husband and loving Daddy. Happy Birthday to a man who means so much to so many of us! We Love You!

Christmas Day

I am so irritated that my camera never came out of my purse on Christmas Day. I had it out Christmas morning when the kids opened gifts- but then it went back into hibernation. Our Washington Christmas routine goes like this: Christmas Eve is always at my Aunt Carol's house, we have Christmas morning at my Mom and Dad's and then on Christmas Day- we head over to my Uncle Chico and Aunt Michele's house. It is so much fun to have so many wonderful people to see. We all went over to their house for a Christmas Day lunch/dinner. It was amazing! It was wonderful to see my Dad's side of the family and to catch up with them. The party was so warm, comfortable and delicious and we really had a nice time. So- as I mentioned, my darn camera never made an appearance. Emily was super tired from a long day of festivities the night before and a much too early morning. I spent most of the party holding her and never got the camera out! Ahhhhh! Oh, well.

We had a delicious dinner of pasta, meatballs, and briciole. We got to sit with my cousin Rachel and catch up with her now that she is in college! (I still can't believe it and saying it out loud makes me feel so old!) We then played a game where one of the kids left the room and once they were out- we completely covered someone with a sheet. When they came back in they had to figure out who the mystery person was. Sounds simple but it was hilarious to see them guess! Next we played a roaringly good game with CRL dice. Center, Right, Left dice. Basically- everyone there contributed four quarters. That made the jackpot worth $23! Not too bad for a Christmas jackpot! You roll these dice and the quarters move left, right, and to the center until all but one of the quarters is in the middle. The person with the last quarter wins the jackpot! It is so much fun and we had a blast. My sister Jill ended up winning the jackpot and we were all jealous. You can't win them all!

We had a very Merry Christmas. We had a lot of celebrations, a lot of build up to the end of the season and when it was all said and done- it was absolutely amazing. Merry Christmas Everyone. I hope your holiday was full of warm memories, family and friends, and the blessings that come with the season of Jesus' birth! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas 2009!

Merry Christmas to All! What a wonderful morning it is. My kids slept in just long enough to not make me feel dizzy from lack of sleep. Always good to start out on the right foot, you know. We all crept up my Mom and Dad's stairs and as soon as we rounded the corner- we saw that Santa had come! The kids were so excited. Michael and Claire knew just what to do. They ran over to their stockings and tore them open. They loved everything Santa brought them! They got Nintendo DS games, Littlest Pet Shop toys, candy, baby food (Santa used to bring me baby apricots when I was a kid because I loved them so my kids ask Santa for them, too), blue double sided light sabers, and so much more. Michael and Claire were so happy. They just hunkered down in their little corner and investigated all of their new treasures!

Matthew, on the other hand, was still learning the art of Christmas morning. I think he was so shocked when he first saw Nonna's front room because there were so many toys everywhere. His stocking was overflowing with fun gifts and I think he was seriously shocked and couldn't move. We gently nudged him toward his stocking and he slowly pulled things out in amazement. It was darling. He was truly happy and mentioned that Santa got him the things he wrote in his letter. Don't you love when things click? He was so happy to have his cousin Kyle with him on Christmas morning. The two of them got matching pajamas from Nonna and also both got cool robot sleeping bag backpacks. The two of them wore them all morning until they complained of a little back pain. No kidding! Matthew was just adorable and you could see the belief and magic just illuminating throughout him. Can't wait to see him next year now that he knows how the drill goes!

Claire is my cookie girl. While all the kids helped with the cookies, carrots, and milk- she is always the one who investigates the next morning. She makes sure that all the reindeer ate their carrots, that Santa didn't leave any cookies and checks to see if there is any trace of milk left in the cup. It is so predictable now that Claire will use her detective skill to make sure Santa was indeed there the night before. She was pleased with Santa and his reindeer's consumption so they passed the test! I am sure she will teach Emily the ropes as she gets bigger. As for this Christmas, Emily was so happy to get some new snacks, bibs, spoons, and baby food from Santa. We had happy kids all around- which is a good thing to have on Christmas morning.

After the storm of stocking opening had settled, all the adults got their coffee and settled down in the living room and got ready to open gifts. I told my Mom that I would be in charge of making Christmas morning breakfast and I baked this yummy egg casserole (a recipe from my Mom that I will soon steal), heated some cinnamon rolls, cut some fresh pineapple and strawberries, sliced the stollen, and had hot chocolate for the kiddos (and Damien- since he's not a fan of coffee). We love a nice leisurely Christmas morning. One of us will 'play Santa' and hand out the gifts one at a time. We like to watch people open their gifts and be mindful of the time each of us spent to get our loved ones something that they would love. It does take a little more time but it is a lot better than seeing paper flying everywhere and not knowing who gave who what. We had a great Christmas. One of the best in years. It was wonderful to have sweet little Emily with us and she had a great First Christmas. Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Christmas Eve

True Story. When I met Damien back in college- we had a big talk about the different traditions that our families had. We went over how we were raised, how it was growing up in big families, and then of course how we celebrate all of the holidays throughout the year. When it came time to talk about Christmas, we had really different traditions. First of all- my family always goes to 4:30 p.m. mass on Christmas Eve. His family went to midnight mass. I went into great detail about how amazing our Christmas Eve dinner was. We stick to the very traditional Italian Christmas Eve meal which consists mainly of fish. I have always loved this meal. I look forward to it all year long. We have shrimp pasta, fried calamari, deep fried prawns, shrimp calzones, and salmon. When I said fish- I meant it! When I described all of this to Damien I expected to see him salivating and wanting to start the Christmas countdown with me so we could look forward to eating it. Instead- he said, "You eat what?" I was caught off guard. Wait a minute. Doesn't everyone eat this on Christmas Eve? We then went on to talk about Christmas Day and I told him how we always eat Spaghetti and Meatballs with Braciole (pronounced bra'zhul). He looked puzzled. "You mean you don't eat turkey on Christmas Day" he said. "No. That's weird." I replied. He then went on to tell me that most people eat turkey on Christmas (think Thanksgiving meal- just on Christmas). I thought he was crazy until he started referencing movies like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (remember the turkey is so dry it explodes) and A Christmas Story (where the Bumpus' dogs come in the back door and steal the turkeys from Ralphie's kitchen). I found myself dumbfounded. For all of these years- I guess I thought people just ate like we did in our family. It was a crazy revelation and while I accepted that a great number of people across the country eat a Turkey Dinner on Christmas Eve- I was going to look forward to the homemade/handmade feast that would greet me after Mass.

It should come as no surprise that I was looking forward to this meal. Everyone in my immediate family and extended family wait a whole 365 days for this feast. Everyone, except my husband who has a hard time buying into the seafood fest. I don't blame him but I don't let it keep me from getting my fill! (Editorial Note: My Mom made Damien a 'Turkey Dinner' two nights before Christmas. What a gal! He loved it and I felt happy for him that he got a little piece of his own tradition, too.) Back to the Feast! What I love more than anything these days is watching Michael eat the fried calamari. He is unstoppable. For a fairly picky eater- he has always loved calamari. Not just the cute little fried ring of the calamari but the tentacle part that looks a little tarantula-ish. He must have eaten about six or seven calamari bodies. You can see he has one more left on his plate but it wasn't there very long before he snatched it up!

I love spending time with my cousins, aunts, uncles, Nana, sisters, parents, and friends. It is such a great group of people and it warms my heart when we are able to spend time with them. We have never had a small family but are definitely growing bigger. My Nana now has twelve great-grandchildren. Here she is pictured with them. Isn't that amazing? She is amazing. All of the kids were gathered here waiting patiently for Santa to come and bring them each one present. They had all been upstairs moments earlier and swore that they saw Rudolph's nose above the Seattle skyline. It was as if God himself ordered a helicopter with the red light in the front to fly in the distance. They were all freaking out and it was adorable!

Before we knew it- we heard the front door shut and the unmistakable 'Ho, Ho, Ho!'. It was enough to send everyone into hysterics. Santa was here! He came bounding downstairs to my Aunt Carol's basement and the kids were going crazy! Once everyone settled down, he started calling everyone, not just the kids, to come up and receive their present and sit on Santa's lap. All of my kids are kind of in that 'safe zone' where Santa doesn't scare them so it was nice to get a few cute pictures of them with him. Emily was a little bit nervous but didn't crack to the pressure. That's my girl!!

Later that night, we all went back to my Mom and Dad's to kick off our heels and just relax for a bit. After all, it was already midnight by this point. Soon, the kids were asleep, cookies and milk were out on the hearth, and a big magical night lay ahead. We knew we better get some shut eye before the pre-dawn knocks on our door to come up with the kids to see if Santa had come. It was a truly wonderful night and I thank each and every person in my family for making me feel so happy, grounded, and loved.

Santa Got Our Letters!

You are not going to believe this. Santa got the kids' letters! This afternoon- we are leaving for Seattle so the only time Santa could come and deliver the kids' bikes was early this morning and he did! I heard the kids tip-toeing into the front room bright and early to see if Santa had come and the gasps I heard confirmed what I had suspected. Damien and I had told the kids that Santa was an organized man. He thinks through his plan for the Christmas season and makes the right choice for the kids on the good list. The kids were certain they were good this year but weren't so sure of Santa's planning- so they were a bit leery that he would remember to bring them their bikes at our house!

Michael and Claire were worried that if Santa brought the bikes to Nonna and Grandpa's house- they wouldn't be able to get them home. I, of course, pestered them and told them they could just wear their helmets and pedal south in the hope that they would find San Jose and get home safely. I also told them that if he brought them to Kirkland- we could strap them to the back of the plane like people put their bikes on the front of a bus. They knew I was kidding but were genuinely worried about the situation. Well, the smiles on their faces this morning were priceless and they were relieved that their letters were so effective!

Santa sure had a great plan for my kids. Not only did they get to receive their bikes before Christmas- but they got to ride them for a few hours before we hopped a plane up north! Claire is so happy that she 'fits' on this bike. She looked a little like a circus clown riding her old bike which was WAY too small for her. Michael loved his new bike and felt extra cool when he realized that it had hand brakes, too. Matthew was beside himself to get such a cool Buzz Lightyear bike- after all, it was his first official big boy bike! It was so great that Santa was organized this year. I guess it pays off to send a letter to the North Pole!

Christmas With E and Papa

We traveled up to Healdsburg this weekend to celebrate Christmas with Damien's parents before we ventured up north to see my parents. Miraculously- my kids did a lot better than usual on the two hour drive up there. Basically- our only real variable these days is Emily and she did great which helped us start the trip off on the right foot! We were so happy to be able to spend the weekend up there. His parents have a great little cottage next to their house where all six of us could pile in and be comfortable. The first night we were there- we had our gift exchange where the kids got hooked up! New pajamas, toys, books, and so much more. They are very blessed to have E and Papa in their lives!

Emily was a touch fussy this weekend so I didn't get out my camera much. Okay- only once. I am pretty bummed. Wouldn't you know the only pictures I got were of Michael and Matthew playing ping pong (a favorite of their E's) in their new PJ's? Thankfully- the memories of the weekend are vivid and filed away in my already full brain. That's got to count for something! We stayed around the house for the better part of the weekend which was nice because we could relax and enjoy each other. We played Catch Phrase and Michael and Claire went crazy over it. By the end of the weekend- we couldn't get them to stop playing it! Our last morning there- we had a delicious breakfast cooked by Marlene. She really makes the best french toast. Michael has asked her several times for the recipe because he wants to make it for his kids when he gets older. So cute. She let him help with the whole breakfast and I know he felt really special. Thanks to E and Papa for a fabulous weekend. We needed the break and enjoyed having our very own special Christmas with you!

Letters For Santa

The magic in our house is alive! My three oldest kids are so ready for Santa to come! They've heard him already on the rooftop, they have seen his 'helpers' in the mall taking pictures with children, they have hung their stockings in pure anticipation of the magic that will happen on Christmas night. Santa is coming!!!! Michael and Claire know the drill. They write Santa a letter and then Santa and his elves do their very best to bring them a few of the things they have asked for. They have to be good, not naughty, believe in him and be able to hear the bells ring (they love Polar Express)!

This was the first year that Matthew has come to understand what happens around Christmastime. Again, we focus greatly on the true meaning of Christmas- Jesus' birthday, but also love to celebrate in the excitement of it all! When we asked Matthew what he wanted for Christmas, he had no idea what his response should be. Then he heard a few of the items that Michael wanted- mixed with some great requests from Claire, and alas- he had his list! I know you can't read what Matthew wrote on his letter to Santa but luckily- I can. "Dear Santa. I love you Santa. I love you very much. For Christmas I want Star Wars Chubby Guys, a Spiderman game, a new bike and Lego Star Wars guys. Love, Matthew." This is how he read this letter to us. He would clear his throat and repeat the same thing every single time. It was hysterical. He would tell anyone and everyone who could have possibly wanted to know what he wanted for Christmas. Matthew, you are too funny!

Michael wasted no time in preparing for Christmas. He had thought long and hard about what he wanted and as it turns out- he was able to come up with some really great stuff! His bike is too small, so he wanted a bigger bike. He is still obsessed with his Nintendo DS so he wanted a couple new games for it. He also wanted a blue double light saber. We are all so excited for Santa to come and one night we were telling Matthew exactly how it happens. Michael turned to us and said, "I think the parents just put the presents out after the kids go to bed." Damien and I shot him a puzzled look and let him know that it is so important to believe and then we looked at him and said, "I don't think Santa heard that." Michael took a deep breath and said, "Good. I was just kidding." Kidding is right! Santa was going to be here in seven short days and we were pretty sure Michael was going to be on the Good List!

Clairey could not wait for Christmas. She has had a countdown going on her calendar for quite some time. She took a lot of time to think of what she wanted, too and came up with a great letter. Unfortunately, she mailed the letter to Santa before I could get a picture of it but lucky for me- I had a great letter she had written to Santa before the official letter. It reads: "Dear Santa, I have been a good girl this year. I won't be at my house for Christmas. I will be at my Nonna's. I want my presents to be a surprise. I hope you can make it on Christmas Eve. Your friend, Claire Elisabeth Swendsen." Is this not a great time of year????

Our last stop was to mail the letters to Santa. Since Claire had already mailed hers- we just needed to mail the boys' letters. To our surprise- Santa was there when we mailed them! Matthew wanted to write another letter just to be sure he would get it. I snapped a few pictures and this one just melted my heart! I know it is a picture I will look back on and smile. My sweet little baby writing a letter to Santa. Matthew makes these little tiny scribbles and really thinks he is writing letters. Oh, how I love him. After Matthew mailed his letter, Santa invited him up to sit on his lap and read him a book about Rudolph. Matthew couldn't belive what was happening. What a priceless moment. I am so excited for the season to continue and can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they wake up Christmas morning. I sure hope Santa gets their letters!

Emily Is 6 Months

My little Christmas Angel. I love this baby so much! She is just so perfect to me. She makes me smile, she reminds me to slow down and enjoy life, she challenges me to be a better person and Mommy and overall- just brightens our days because she is in them! WE LOVE EMILY! It hurts me to say that she is already six months. I know, I am crazy. But the time is flying by too fast. We are pretty sure Emily will be our last baby so with each passing milestone- I have to say goodbye and it hurts me. I have just loved raising my babies but it is time to move forward in our lives and raise these four beautiful children.

This month Emily has again reached new physical milestones. She is now sitting up and started eating food! The first feed wasn't too successful as she didn't really like the texture of the food- but every feed after the first has been ridiculously successful and she cries when the food is gone! Her siblings are loving the fact that she is now eating! For months, Matthew proclaimed that Emily could only eat milk and carrot cake. He is shocked to see that his rule has been broken! She has even been eating Gerber Graduate puffs! She is such a big girly!

At her six month appointment- she got a great report. We are still going to continue antibiotics until she is at least a year old for preventative reasons. She is a chubby 19.5 lbs and did great overall. She received her regular vaccinations and also received the flu shot and the H1N1 shot. A lot for a little baby girl but she championed on! I was relieved for her to get the H1N1 because they can't get it before they are six months old. So now she is protected should she need it.

Emily is really recognizing her family members now. She will now see me and pump her legs with excitement until I come and get her. She is laughing, smiling, still doing what we call 'big lip' when she is mad, and just starting to exude what I believe will be a colorful and beautiful personality. She is rolling across the room, loves to bounce in her bouncy exosaucer, loves looking at everyone from her throne (high chair) and now that she is eating she thinks she deserves to try to grab whatever I am holding. She is really growing up and I am so proud of this happy, well- adjusted, and content baby.