We should have your parents over for dinner.

"You know we really should ave your parents over for dinner to Thank them for helping us out."

I said these word to my husband because his parent have helped us out on numerous occasions. This time they had a tiny little refrigerator at the "shop" they let us use when our "almost" top of the line GE fridge went south on us.

That whole story is good blog fodder that I really need to get to but not right now. Any who! We decided to invite Michael's parents for dinner to Thank them for all they have done for us. In the midst of that conversation Michael suggested we invite my parents since they too are very good to us and our parents have not had a meal together in a long time.

My husband may not seem like the considerate kind but he really is.

So we planned and we invited and we had dinner.

Let me just say...I had a great night. Can life get any better than a good meal (which I cooked...thanks to Giada De Laurentiis), good company and parents that get along.

It was like one of those big Italian Family dinners. The food was phenomenal, the menu was Stuffed mushrooms, Chicken Piccata, Broccoli and Green Beans with Roasted Potatoes. For desert....Cheesecake! The conversation had no gaps and everyone was on the same pages.

Lord I must have done something right, because even my children played along.

I did not get any pictures at dinner but I did take a few of me being neurotic cleaning before everyone showed up. Let just say I really don't think they would have noticed, but I felt better knowing I put the effort in.

Overall I really had a nice time with all my parents and I am so fortunate to have such a great relationship with both.

This is photographic proof that I do clean on occasion:

Wordless Wednesday

"I want to shovel with Daddy"

Just in on the fun over at Wordless Wednesday here and here.

Best Shot Monday

Francesco getting a treat, an ice cream sandwich, which is all over his face. Part of me wanted to clean it off but I like the reality of the picture. The funny part is god forbid he has stuff all over his hands he needs you to wipe it off immediately. I always tell him, "If only you could see your face you'd freak."

Nicolo making yet another one of his faces, this boy make the funniest faces, I just love it. He really is starting to develop his own unique personality, it's so fun to watch.

Head of to Tracy's for more Best Shot Monday photos.

Theme Thursday: Winter Wonderland

We have been hibernating here over at Miei Due Bambini, we get up at dark and get home at dark.  I really wanted to take an outdoor picture but I just can't  seem to catch the day light.

This is Francesco first thing in the morning, note the time on the clock, that is a.m.

Head over to Stacy's for more real "Winter Wonderland"

I'm going to miss this!

The other day I read Carrie's Post over at Barely Controlled Chaos an realized that I am going to really miss Nicolò's infancy.  Nobody told me the second child grows up so fast.  Just in the last 6 days he has gone from the army crawl to getting him self sitting, pulling to stand and now cruising. 6 days...time is flying by.

 

I don't know why but this SONG make me think of my boys. I have high hope for them but in the end I just want them to be happy and healthy.   I would to listen to it while I was pregnant and my hormones would get the best of me *tears*.  When you get the chance to sit it out or dance,  I hope you dance Niccolò!

Calgon take me away!

All I can say is this is what I wish I was doing...

9 Months

9 Month Well Visit = 99 % for head, 70 % for height, 95% for weight, developmentally on target.

Cough x 3 days = Bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis = around the clock nebulizers every 4 hoursfor two days...fun.

At least his big brother is taking good care of him!

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

It's been a crazy week and it's only Wednesday.  I was home yesterday half a day with this one because of a fever.  One dose of Motrin and he was bouncing off the walls.  I was in the playroom with him all morning and this is one of those surprise captures.  I love the look on his face (he sure looks "sick" doesn't he?).

Just in on the fun over at Wordless Wednesday here and here.

Aunt Caroline's Apple Crumbly

I called my sister the other day and asked her if she knew of any easy recipe I could use a box of mini vanilla wafers in.  I had the box and Francesco doesn't eat them fast enough that I was afraid they would get stale.  Of course she had a recipe, and one that she developed.  It was super easy and super delicious, I just had to share.

These are the amount that I used, she did not give me any exact measurements, just a few of this and little of that.

Apple Crumbly

4-5 Golden Delicious Apples 

1 tsp of lemon juice

3 tbs spoons of sugar

2 tsp of cinnamon

3 1/2 cups of mini vanilla wafers (I just filled a quart size zip lock)

1 stick of butter melted (I did not say this was diet food, just yummy food)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Peel and cut the apples into a rough chop and squeezed some lemon juice on them.

2. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the apples and mixed well to coat.  Put the apples in a glass pie dish.

3. Crush the Wafers. I took the Nilla wafers and put them in a zip lock and used by awesome rolling pin to crush them up. (That rolling pin could be a weapon it's so big)

4.  Spread the crushed wafers over the top of the apples.

5. Melt the butter in the microwave.

6. Pour the melted butter over the wafers.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 mins (until the apples are soft).

8. It' will be golden brown...

9. and delicious!

I would let it cool for some time, I liked it best just above room temp.  I bet that it would be awesome with some vanilla ice cream.  

Wordless Wednesday

Just in on the fun over at Wordless Wednesday here and here.

Can you believe my baby is learning to use scissors?  I swear he was barely able to feed him self not that long ago.  Where did the time go?

Best Shot Monday

I was sitting with the boys yesterday in the playroom while reading books, when I looked down at their cute stocking feet I had to run for the camera. I wonder why Nicolo has a foot fetish, hmmm.

Head of to Tracy's for more Best Shot Monday photos.

Goodbye to the Holidays

If I had the space and a fake tree I would leave it up indefinitely till Valentine's Day.  I have been know to do that in the past.  Now that we have been getting live trees the amount of time the Christmas tree stays up is limited.  

As I vacuumed up a trillion and one pine needles today I realized it was time to start to put the Holiday's away.  I go through the same process when I put the decorations away as I do when I put them out .  I talk about where I got it, who made and gave it to me and why I like it.

Last night I had an inkling that the tree and decoration would make there way back to storage so I was playing with my camera and took some pictures. Each one of them is special and each one I put away carefully for the next year.

This is an Angel from an Old World Christmas set that my mother gave me for my wedding shower.  She is for God's guidance in the home.

This is the teapot from the set, it's for Hospitality.

This is an egg ornament that Mary (they wonderful lady that took care of Francesco at his first daycare) made for me.

This is a Christmas bulb that my very crafty and talented mother made for Francesco last year.  I will have to take pictures of my mother's crafts and do a post one day.  She is amazing.

This in one of the  many ceramic ornaments that I hand painted one year, I think it was 2003.  That was definitely before 2 boys.

This is a Santa Clause made out a paintbrush.  This was made and given to me by the little girl I use to babysit (she is now in college).

This is my Nativity, it was given to my by my awesome Aunt and Cousins for my wedding shower.  I still haven't put this away.

This is just me messing with the camera and a Christmas bulb.  I swear I see dust around the edges.  The tree has only been up a month and the bulbs are already dusty?

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Holiday and that the New Year bring you all health and happiness.

I had said that I wasn't going to make a new year resolution in my last post, but I am going to make a goal.  I am going to try and take at least one picture a day (if not more) with my camera.  I am hoping that it will teach me much and make me look at the world around me a little more.

Out with the old, in with the new!

I decided that I was not going to make any New Year Resolutions for myself this year.  Instead I made a couple for each boy.

Nicolo will learn to crawl and then walk.

Francesco will give up the Binky and be potty trained.

Nicolo's resolutions don't seem as daunting a task as Francesco's do.

Both boys started on their resolutions early, they don't procrastinate like their mother. 

Nicolo started Army (commando) crawl on New Years Eve.  He realized he could slide on the hard wood floor.  Michael wants to see if we could make him a suit out of the Swiffer Cloths to clean the floor while he is at it.  Yesterday Nicolo was on the floor playing and Michael accidentally knocked the TV remote off the end table.  Nicolo army crawled to it so fast, I didn't even make it out the kitchen in time to see it.  We of course kept moving the remote so he would do it over and over and over.  Let's just say, his little arms are probably sore today (like when you work out for the first time in a long time).

Francesco also has made a jump start on his new year resolution.  I have been debating for sometime now taking the Binky away.  He only uses it when he is in bed, but he was very attached to it.  He actually acquired 3 of them some how (I think they multipled on their own).  So, he would have one in his mouth, and one in each hand.  Then in the middle of the night if he dropped one and couldn't find it he would call out.  We (more like me) like idiots would go in there and find it for him.

Over the Holiday I overheard a conversation about a couple of kid I know that at the age of 8 and 9 were still using a pacifier at night.  This to the point where they have had some dental issues that require "appliances" placed in their mouths.  This made me really think.

I decided to wean him down to one and then off of it all together.  When I tried to give him just one he complained (whined) until he fell asleep.  I figured he is going to whine for a week having only one and then we would repeat the same thing with none, why do it twice.

So just like that, cold turkey, we took it away.  We made valiant efforts the first two night to look for them with him but we were unable to find them.  He cried/whined for about an hour each night.  The last two night he only whine for 10 minutes max and did not wake up crying for it. 

So here we are day 2 of the New Year and I think Francesco can cross one of his resolution off.  

I am so proud of him!