Monday, August 31, 2009

Best Shot Monday: my baby

A little child enters your life and fills a special place in your heart. A place you never even knew was empty!







For more Best Shot Monday's head on over to Tracey's at Mother May I.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Build A Bear

So we did a little combined Birthday party for my niece and Francesco when their cousin DW was in town. He is not near by so we cherish anytime he is able to hang out and visit.
My mother scheduled the party and everyone had a great time. The store we were at was painted Yellow everywhere and no matter where I bounced the flash or did not even use the flash everyone looked jaundice. Even when I fixed the white balance the yellow of the background was so overwhelming I just couldn't take it. I really like the B&W, I think it stops you from being distracted by all the crazy colors of the store and really focuses on the subject.

Not following direction to sit in the circle.

I had to bribe him to sit still.

Nicolo doing his own thing.

A little shopping.

Listening to instructions.

Having a good time with DW.


Giving Soccer and Sparky bathes.


This is an outtake of the entire group but I just love it more than the one of all of them looking at the camera with cheesy smiles.


We had a great time and I even took both boys to a restaurant with everyone for lunch. I was dreading lunch but it went much better than I had anticipated. More adventures to come!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Theme Thursday: Passageways

This is a path outside (like you can't tell from the picture it outside) near my work.
It is a passageway to a much needed break from the indoors on a nice day.
I took a short walk yesterday by myself with the camera.
I did not make it far due to being on call and realizing I left my Blackberry (which is my leash) on my desk.
I was hoping to take more photo's but at last duty called and I had to return to the florescent lighting of the indoors.
I am hoping as the fall approaches to take more walks, camera in toe.




Head on over to Amy Jo's @ The Cheese Party for more passageways.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Just in on the fun over at Wordless Wednesday!



I just love this photo, not sure why since my house looks a mess, but he looks like he is having fun.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Summer Lovin: Hershey Park

We decided to take a trip to Hershey with the boys. We went with our great friends and their 3 wonderful children. We of course picked the hottest most humid day of the year to go but survived.
We started at the Boardwalk and it took both boys a bit to warm up to the crowds. Once they did it was hard to get them out of the water. Francesco did not get the concept of wait in line for your turn. It was a goo thing most people seem to just let the crazy 3 year old cut in line and go down the water slide. Nicolo love the small wave pool and would have stayed there all day if I let him.
I did not manage to get any picture at the water park due to the water ( I had already tempted fate once...which is another post).
Once of the sweetest thing that day was how Francesco and my friend little girl really bonded. She is my god child and take after me an likes younger men. They are 2 years apart but as you can see Francesco is almost as big as her and probably weighs more than she does.

I could not get over how they were the ones that decided they should old hands.


She is explaining to him what they are going to do next.


He wanted to do this ride over and over.


Again they did everything together.


I just love the expression on his face in this one.


Overall it was a super long, hot, humid and fun day. I am amazed as how well the boys did. We are definitely thinking Disney next summer.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Best Shot Monday: Read to Me

I am actually posting today! I have been so sporadic lately due to being just plain busy. Home today with a sick toddler who is now peacefully napping so I am seizing the moment.

I have actually been taking some pictures lately of the kids doing some fun stuff. We have been to a couple of amusement parks lately as a family and it went great both times. It was 90 degrees and 100% humidity the one day but the water park really cooled us off. Then we had a Build a Bear party with the cousins to celebrate 2 Birthdays while one cousin was in town.

So be prepared to be inundated with cute kid pictures in the coming week. I am calling this one my Best Shot Monday because it was a quiet moment I captured in the midst of all the adventures. I love quiet moments.



Head on over to Tracey's at Mother May I for more best shots!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

What a difference!

When I was pregnant with Nicolo I had myself convinced that I was going to have a baby that was just another version of Francesco. I thought he would look the same, develop the same and act the same.

I was wrong. I am truly amazed at just how different my boys are.

  • When I had Francesco he looked just like Michael did as an infant. Now that he is on the verge of being a preschooler he looks even more like his father. We always say he looks like Michael spit him out. They have the same exact hair texture, cowlicks, head shape. Their hair even lays the same way when they get up in the morning. He also has the same body habitus as his Father, I always say to Michael if you want to know what you look like from behind just look at Francesco. I will say I was a little disappointed that he didn't look like me or my side of the family at all. There is something about looking at a child and seeing something of you that just melts my heart. I can say he does have my quirky/spastic personality though (poor guy).
  • Nicolo on the other had is like the yang to Francesco's yin. The only physical trait he acquired from his father is his eyes. The rest of him is so much my father. He has this long barrel chested torso like my dad and all his expression are my dads. He's got the big head like Francesco but it's definitely a different shape. I can also see me in his face and I love that.
  • Francesco was not one of those kids that stuck everything in his mouth. The worse he ever did was put a rock in his mouth for a short period and then spit it out later.
  • Nicolo needs a shirt that states "I only eat Organic...literally!" So far he has already swallowed a rock (very small), eaten handfuls of sand and dirt, finds any piece of paper or cardboard appetizing and seem to think the food on the floor has better flavor than the the food on his plate.
  • Francesco does not like stuff on him or touching him. The first time we sat him in the grass he looked like he was going to jump out of his skin. When he plays in the sand table he uses the shovel and if he gets sand on him he has to (have me) get it off him right away. If he spills milk on the place mate when he eats his cereal he can not proceed until I wipe up the mess. There was even one time he made me take off the table cloth because it was "a mess" according to him.
  • Nicolo on the other had could care less. He rolls in the grass, the mulch, the sand and the dirt (my nature boy). He even will play in a bucket of water till he is soaking wet and not seem to mine. He takes the opportunity to finger paint with any substance that may spill on his tray, the floor or the table. He gets upset if I wipe it up.
  • Francesco is very upfront about everything. You always know where he is an what he is doing. That's because he is either making a tons of noise doing it or commentating the event and wanting you to watch. He will actually call me away from something to show me how he can flip over the back of the couch, even though I have told him numerous time not to. One day he was in the bathroom, supposedly going potty, when I hear "This is such a mess!" I go into the bathroom and he is standing there with no pants on looking at the stool next to the toilet. I say "what's a mess?". He point out to me the urine sprayed all along the side of the sink cabinet, down the floor, in the trash can, and on the stool. Not a lick of it made it in the toilet. All I can say is at least he told me.
  • Nicolo on the other hand I know for sure may do the same thing one day, but he will just shut the door and walk away. He is like a Ninja. I will put him down at my side in the kitchen, turn for one second and he is gone. He somehow manages to get all the way out into the living room and up a half a flight of steps without making a sound. If it's quiet, you know he is up to something. He is the one I am going to have to watch, I just know it.
As different as my boys are I still would not change them for the world. It's fairly evident there is not a dull moment at our house, with more to come.

I of course can publish a post without a picture. Since I have a) not been inspired recently and b) not taken any new photos I pulled this from my archives. There is just something about it that speaks to me.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Best Shot Monday: The Swing

I took the boys to the park around the corner from us on Saturday in the 90 degree weather. They begged to go out and since the backyard is a work zone right now we had to head to the park.
I tried snapping some shots of them on the swings because they were having a great time. When I went through the images this in the one that stood out the most to me.
I love the way his fingers are gripping the swing.


Head over to Tracey's at Mother May I for more Best Shot Mondays.