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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

In Complete Disbelief

I was fortunate to participate in Scott Kelby's 2nd Annual Worldwide Photo Walk a couple of weeks ago. I had such a great time and meet a bunch of other people who shared the same passion as I do for photography. It was nice to also take pictures of the city, I went to school there and it had been a long time since I just took a walk around.

There was also a contest involved. What is to happen is one picture from each Photo Walk group gets selected to be entered into the larger contest. The larger contest has an awesome grand prize and some nice honorable mention prizes.

This morning I get an e-mail from the leader of my group letting me know that he selected my image, "In Harms Way", as the winner of the group to be entered into the larger contest. Pinch me because I swear I am dreaming.

In Harms Way


I e-mailed him back to say thank you and let him know that the photo had personal meaning for me as well. The photograph is of a service flag that is hung in the window at the Union League of Philadelphia. A service flag represents that a family member or organization member is serving in the Armed Forces during a time of war. When my brother and brother-in-law were serving overseas we hung the flags in our windows. We are fortunate that at present they are both home with their families. When I saw the flag I knew right away what it meant and I just had to take the picture.

I told this story to the Walk Leader and he e-mailed me back saying that, "the story behind it makes my decision that much more solid. I went through all the pictures and it was just one of those moments when the shot just made you think."

I am completely honored and astounded. I am having a great day!

Three

Can someone please tell me where the past 3 years went? Yesterday Francesco turned 3 but it feels like yesterday I was looking at the + sign on the pregnancy test.

I remember sitting in the rocking chair, in the nursery the night I went into labor. I saw stars every 2 mins on the way to the hospital and cried tears of joy the moment I saw his beautiful face.

Since that day there has not been one dull moment of my life, literally. Francesco is energetic and that energy is 24/7. Ask anyone who knows him and they will confirm that statement. I didn't not know that you can actually survive 3 years without getting a full night sleep (LOL)!

I remember the day he first smiled, I thought to myself, "is there anything better?" Why yes, yes there is...the first time they laugh. It was my husband who made him laugh and we spent the rest of the day trying to make him laugh just because it was cute. I also remember sitting at home with him on a day off from work when he first sat by himself, he was wearing a "I Love Mom" shirt and I took about 100 picture of him. Crawling came soon after and then the day my life really changed for good...walking. He walked on Father Day, 2007 and he never looked back or stopped moving.

Then came the issue of talking. He wasn't much of an early talker. He was a doer and he made his needs known without any words at all. Even as he moved into Nursery One at school I was worried because his verbal skills were lacking. I said a few prayers that he would talk soon and I got what I asked for and then some. What's that saying..."Careful what you wish for!" Let's just say, I am no longer worried about his verbal skills and at time I wish he would give his voice box a little rest.

Gross motor skills were never and issue and I foresee some extreme sports in our future. He is fearless when it comes to physical abilities and he loves to go fast. Fast on the big wheel, fast in the power wheels, fast down the slide. He climbs all over my furniture and creates a mosh-pit with the cushions of the couch. We have been fortunate we have only had one set of stitches so far.

He amazes me his memory and now that I know he can recall so much it makes the not listening even harder to take. I love when we read books for bed and I will stop before the last sentence or word on a page and he recites it for me. The first time I realized he had memorized a book we were reading a "Cars" book. The books states, "Nothing would stop McQueen,"...and he said, "not even Chick Hicks and his mean tricks!" I was astonished. Then I realized he had the whole book memorized.

He is very affectionate and knows how to use it. If he know he is in trouble or if he is STALLING he will ask for "a hug" or I get, "Mommy, you my friend?" It so hard to stay angry at him when he wants to know if I am his friend and then wants a hug. Watch out girls, he will probably use that again when he is older.

He love to help and I find that the more jobs I give him the better. It's his job to put the lunches in the refrigerators at school. That give me time to settle his brother. He also is getting much better at cracking eggs when he helps me bake or make breakfast. We only eat a few shells now. He will help me carry stuff into school, especially if the stuff is cupcakes or donuts. He love to push his brother in the stroller and really does a great job. He no longer runs him into the walls now that he is tall enough to hold the handles and see where he is going. He will also help me put the clothes from the washer to the dryer, and he has to keep telling me that the clothes are wet. He tells me like it's information that need to know (this is one of those...you got to be there things, I am not good at describing).

He's got a few quirky behaviors that I chalk up to his "personality". He does not like thing on his hands, he insist on a napkin instead of a plate to put his snack on, his blanket has to be laid out across the bed and up to his armpits and Cesco bear has to be a the head of the bed above the pillow. I'm thinking a little OCD, we shall see. He also has a lot of my "high strung" personality. When he asks for something he expects either an immediate action or immediate response. That I am certain he gets from me. My mother said enough "I hope to God you get one just like you!" that it actually happened. We butt heads the most because we are so much alike {which also means he incredibly smart :-)}

I think my friend Chelle said it best... "He is my greatest achievement. He created me as a mom, he is my first, he has captured my heart."

Happy Birthday Francesco, thank you for making me your Mom. I love you!

I didn't get much chance over the weekend to take pictures, being the hostess (with the mostess) take so much time that I fell short on my picture taking duties.