A.pple's New Test Team

A.pple really needs to hire THIS family to do product testing!

Seriously.

In the past year alone:
* I washed Gabby's iT.ouch by accident (in the washing macine). It was in her coat pocket.
* Marco tossed an i.Pad into a full bath tub of water
* One week after that, Marco threw Gabby's iT.ouch over a ledge onto the stone floor. The screen shattered.
* While holding Marco with one hand, I dropped an iP.ad on cement when he slapped at my hand that was holding it. Screen shattered.
* Giuliana threw up all over an iPa.d
* My iPod has been dropped a million times while on runs.
* My iPhone has been dropped, tossed, thrown, spilled on, spit-up on, etc.

Surprisingly and technically, our only iproduct casualty to date has been Gabby's 1st iT.ouch. And, I think that was a result of me not properly trying to revive it. After it went through the washing machine, I tried to turn it on numerous times before burying it in rice. Then, when it was in the rice bath... I would pull it out several times a day, power it on and see how/if it was working. I should have never turned it on and I should have just left it. Why? Well... read the next paragraph.

After Marco tossed the iP.ad in the bath tub, and it subsequently sat there for approximately 7 minutes... I immeidiately dried it off and buried it in a container full of rice. I left it there for 10 days... never once trying to turn it on or even checking it. When I finally checked it on day 10, it powered on like nothing ever happened and works perfectly! No data loss even! Woot!

When Gabby's iT.ouch screen shattered, A.pple let us essentially trade it in for a new one for $100.

The puke on the i.Pad shockingly did not do any damage...even though I know it got in a few dangerous spots. Gross, I know.

We have not yet attempted to replace/trade-in the iPa.d w/the shattered screen. Not sure why. Probably because all of this iS.hit is just exhausting me quite frankly. HA!!

My phone has lost some volume/sound functions (probably from water damage)...and I'll have to replace and upgrade at some point in the near future.

App.le should just freaking hire THIS family for product testing. Or at least commercial inspiration, right?!

Writing her name

At preschool, some of the kids are able to write their names on their art projects and homework sheets. Unfortunately, Giuliana doesn't have the luxury of a 4 letter name! Her name is long, and a bit confusing. Poor baby! So, her teachers write her name on all of her art and work sheets.

I've contemplated having her go by her nickname at school, which she actually created for herself 2.5 years ago ("Nana"). It would be a much easier option for her to use, and maybe she'd try writing her name on paperwork more often then.

I was SO proud of Giuliana when she finally attempted to write her own name. Quite successfully too! She asked me to write her name on the paper first (the blue hand writing at top center in this pic)... and then she tried to copy it (the pink off to the right).

She is getting more and more interested in practicing her letter writing and is often found writing random letters. Then, she'll come running over to us with her work and ask "what does it say, mommy?"

 

AZ @ CAL

Giuliana and Marco have now attended their first college football game.

The weather could not have been more perfect... 70 and sunny. And, I loved finally being able to walk the Cal B.erkeley campus... it's beautiful.

In true Martino fashion, we had spent about $30 on random sugar-stuff. Frozen lemonade, icees... you name it, we bought several. Finally, at half time, we upgraded to the fried-stuff... fries, chips, pretzels and hot dogs.

Our kids think a football stadium is one gigantic concession stand.

At least Gabby learned to read the score board. Well, and I guess the other *win* of the night was that Rocco and Gabby even cheered AZ on a bit. Other than that, the kids loved the band. Gabby enjoyed watching the cheerleaders. Rocco and Marco and Giuliana loved jumping/climbing around on the bleachers. And, Dan was thrilled because Arizona won.... WOOT! 

H.alloween finish line...

I love Halloween... I really do!

But, this year, I found myself crawling across the H.alloween finish line at month's end. Moving into our new house at the beginning of the month probably had a significant impact on my exhaustion level. But, I found myself not being able to keep up with all of the various Halloween related events and volunteer situations that go hand-in-hand with having 2 kids in elementary school and one in preschool.

The H.alloween to-do list included:
* Decide costumes and actually purchase them. I know this doesn't sound like a big item, but it becomes an issue when you're so tired from unpacking that every night you forget to ask your kids what they want to be. And, when you finally remember to ask them... you then have to find time to actually place the order online. When you're exhausted at the end of every day from unpacking and organizing and your husband is traveling 4 days a week... the last thing you think to do before bed every night is ordering costumes. So, of course I end up placing a rush-delivery costume order at the 11th hour! Ugh!

* H.arvest Festival event at elementary school. It's one of the school's biggest fundraisers. So, you know... parents are asked to either donate items in the weeks prior and/or your time at the event. And, the day before the event... you find out your kindergartner is supposed to perform at the event. Oh, and the kids are supposed to wear their costumes (you know... the costumes that haven't arrived yet because you suck and just ordered them last night). And, then you go spend loads of money on games and sugar and other crap food that just makes your kids get all fired up and crazy and you come home exhausted and looking at the clock in disbelief that it is SO FAR from bedtime (the kids going to bed, that is)... because you just need TWO MINUTES to chill on the sofa without having to provide butler service to anyone.

* H.arvest Festival at the preschool. Oh yeah... this is the one you so generously sign up to assist at the pumpkin painting station, thinking how wonderful it will be to participate in the fun. And, when you arrive 5 minutes prior to your scheduled volunteer shift... you realize that nobody told you (being the new mom & child at the school)  you should have arrived a half hour prior to that. Why? Well, because you missed the two darling H.alloween songs that all the children sang to the parents! Oh, and when the teachers told all the preschoolers to "go find their parent"... you were the only parent (or set of parents) not there to participate in your child's fun Ha.rvest Festival. Seriously... I think I won the mom of the year award (again!). Thankfully, Giuliana seemed unphased. Granted, I am still reeling with guilt. Ugh!

* Pumpkin Carving! Yay! No... actually, no... it was not fun! Dan chose to do this on his birthday - the day before Halloween... which also happens to be a school night. Oy! It exhausted us and I think we actually only carved three pumpkins that night! We had crying and fighting and drama over not liking the design chosen to be carved, and pumpkin guts everywhere (and I mean EVERY where!), etc. And, to put the exclamation point on how un-fun it was... we were scrambling on H.alloween day to carve the 4 other pumpkins in between dropping kids off and picking them up and watching the Halloween parade, and karate and dance... all prior to trick-or-treating. Jeesh! (Poor Dan!! I felt awful for HIM because his birthday was just pure chaos. Next year... I am hiring a babysitter and we are going out to dinner.... just him & I.)

* Hall.oween preschool party. Yay! I remembered to send Giuliana to school in costume and she loved it! Super fun to see her so excited about another opportunity to wear her costume. And, I was able to see the look on her face when she saw her friends in costume too... so fun! Oh, and I remembered to take home her decorated pumpkin from the Ha.rvest Fe.stival.

* H.alloween costume parades. Extremely important event as your child WILL LOOK for you in the crowd. Oh, and you MUST REMEMBER to dress your child in costume for school that day... and not allow them to bring their weapons (which, for all little boys... this seems to be THE most important/favorite part of their costume). Your little boy will insist it is ok to bring their pirate sword. You will insist it is not ok. Repeat x100. Finally, you win (just before passing out from explanation exhaustion).

* Ha.lloween kindergarten party. SO proud of myself for remembering to bring in the package of 36 string cheese, as assigned by the teachers. Woot! I was feeling a tad bit guilty for not jumping at the chance to volunteer, when asked 458 times... but turns out that on party day, my husband allowed me to go the parade while he watched the two little kids. So, I snuck into the class party...to get a peak before the festivities started... and it looked SO FUN! So, I of course got suckered into helping at one of the activity tables. Oh, and of course it is the art table! So, I actually have to pay attention, clean up, and help the children make ghost skeletons. (Ugh! I mean... ghosts don't even HAVE skeletons! What are they teaching kids these days!). All the while, I am hoping Dan isn't supposed to be jumping on a super important conference call, and instead he has two children pulling on his legs and begging him for drinks and snacks and attention. Oy! I was so stressed while helping out that Dan was going to be so upset with me for being away longer than I had planned... that finally when another mother offered to help at the art table, I passed the ball to her and took off running home!

* Ha.lloween 2nd grade party. I really wish I could have popped in to Gabby's party too... but I couldn't! And, who even knows what time her party started and/or if I was supposed to send her to school with any supplies for the class party. I think I was in the clear. But, ignorance is bliss, right?!

* And finally TRIC.K or T.REATING!! Ok... WHY is Halloween not on a Saturday every year? Why? After school pickup, we had karate, hip hop dance class... then I had to rush children home to feed them and get them in costumes. The kids get SO EXCITED for trick-or-t.reating... and it truly is SO fun. I love watching them go from door to door with such excitement and hearing them say "tri.ck or tre.at". I love being out for an evening walk and seeing the streets so busy with people, and checking out all the costumes. It is just SO FUN! But, in all honesty, I was honestly probably lucky to still be standing by the end of the night! Gabby tuckered out first... saying she was cold and tired of walking. Rocco could have gone another hour at least. Giuliana went strong for the first 40 minutes, and then attempted to revive herself by having Dan hold her between houses. Marco was in my arms and just loved all the people watching. 

This year, I got to the point where I was SO EXCITED to just make it through Halloween trick-or-treating and wake up the morning of November 1st knowing I didn't have to do one more Halloween related errand or event. (

Bring on N.ovember!!

A Devil, Pirate, Lion and Monkey

This might sound funny... but I love being able to celebrate Halloween in California again!

A lot of people go all out in decorating their homes w/gigantic spiders, cob webs everywhere, scarecrows, witches, skeletons, etc. It's always so fun to go driving through your neighborhood and see all the "spooky houses" (how my children refer to them).

Since we moved into our new house on Oct 3rd, I was consumed for the first two weeks with unpacking boxes and trying to get organized. So, once again... I ordered costumes in the 11th hour. The reason I say once again is because in 2010, we had moved into the WA house on October 13th... so costumes were finally ordered the week before Halloween on rush delivery (it was SUCH a crazy time!).

Gabby decided to be a devil... so I ordered a cute devil costume. She told me on Halloween day that she wanted to be a scary devil and even seemed a tiny bit upset about her costume. When asking her about why she wanted a scary costume I could tell their was a bit of peer pressure in having the desire to be *spooky*. [Newsflash parents: apparently, second grade is when getting spooked and dressing up scary is all the rage.] The *cute* costume included a devil ear headband, a devil tale, and a devil pitchfork wand.

Rocco decided to be a pirate. This decision was made 20 seconds after his new best pal David proclaimed that HE wanted to be a pirate for Halloween. David is VERY into the pirate thing. And, I adore Rocco's new best pal! I think prior to David saying he wanted to be a pirate... Rocco had talked about being various things including a karate guy, a ninja warrior, a transformer, etc. Nothing ever stuck. The pirate stuck though! We found him a great costume, complete with an eye patch, earring, mustache (which he never wore), and most importantly... the pirate SWORD! Arrrrrrrrr...

In the interest of trying to reuse some of the many costumes we're gathering... I asked Giuliana if she would like to be a purple butterfly, a lion, B.atgirl, princess B.elle... or if there was something else she wanted to be. She immediately grabbed onto the lion theme and ran with it. I had asked a few months prior what she was going to be for Halloween, without any prompting, and she told me a butterfly. She really likes butterflies and she LOVES the color purple. So... I was somewhat surprised that she didn't want to make use of the purple butterfly costume Gabby had used 4 years ago. But, I seriously LOVE that she chose to be the lion! It was a super cute costume given to us by some fabulous LG neighbors/friends. And, Giuliana looked SO ADORABLE in it because her curly hair stuck out like an extension of the lion's mane. SO SUPER CUTE! And, she would roar w/her big eyes, and a goofy laugh. Beyond adorable!

Marco was C.urious G.eorge. It was that or the bat costume, which I think he would have been a little big for. He looked super cute in the monkey costume and it allowed Dan one final opportunity to wear his M.an in the Y.ellow Hat costume. The two of them looked darling together and it was Dan's last costume hurrah! Over the past 6 years, he had partnered with each one of the kids (except Matteo) to be C.urious G.eorge and The M.an in the Ye.llow Hat. Marco freaked when Dan first came out in costume... we actually had to bribe him with a K.itK.at to pose with Dan for photos. Then, he was fine. (candy = worlds best child bribery tool, always)

Milestone: 17 month and 26 days old

While on my run tonight, it hit me that Marco is 17 months, 26 days old today.

To most people, that wouldn't be something worth noting. But, it is to me... because that is one day longer that Matteo lived. His lifespan was a much too short 17 months and 25 days, before tragically dying while sleeping in his crib.

I cross this age with Marco, thankful that he is still alive and hasn't died in his sleep. That may sound incredibly insane and crazy. But, I can't possibly describe how real of a fear this was/is for me every night. For the longest time after Matteo died, I thought Gabby and Rocco were going to stop breathing in their sleep too and I could not sleep at night. Then, the trauma was sort of heightened when Giuliana arrived. I never slept well. Sometimes, I would check on her a dozen times during the night. Same thing with Marco. Now, I feel a little more in the *safe* zone... but also know that is still a concern as children have been known to die in their sleep (for no apparent reason) up to age 3. My confidence as a parent is also slowly and surely building back up. Because let me tell you... your child dies, and their is no greater guilt you could ever feel in your lifetime. Everyone I know has tried to reassure me there is nothing we could have done to change things. God, himself, could tell me that I did nothing wrong and couldn't have prevented in any possible way... but it doesn't change the way I feel. I was his mommy... he should not have died.

I think about him constantly. The kids think/talk about him every day. And, we all have our sad moments and big cries.

It seems that after a child dies, there are many milestones. One might think the milestones are the obvious... like the anniversary of their death, or their birthday. And, while those are significant milestones... some of the not so obvious dates or life events can be the ones to sting and hurt the most.

Not being able to send him off to kindergarten with Rocco this year was immensely painful...even after 4 years have passed. At times, I still wonder (and maybe wish) what trouble the twins would be getting into together these days. I miss that kid so much, every single minute.

I always wonder how different life would be if he were still here with us. I know it would be incredibly different... and I guess that was just a journey our lives were not meant to take.

Life is truly so short. Spend it with the people you love and care about. Don't sweat the small stuff, don't hold grudges or let anger waste away at you. Support your friends and family through the good and bad, and celebrate the people you love...their accomplishments great and small.

I remind myself  constantly that I won't live forever. Ever since Matteo died, I can never really plan anything *forever*, or for example, think that we'll be settled in one home for the rest of our lives. You see... we experienced what I think is the worst kind of life tragedy... and I know all too well that nothing in life is guaranteed, and you just can't expect to be here on this planet for any length of time. You can hope... but there are no guarantees. 

So, we all need to try to make every day count! :)
 

3rd place in my age division @ S.outh L.ake T.ahoe H.alf M.arathon! WOOT!

In August, I decided to sign-up for the South L.ake T.ahoe half m.arathon.

I didn't have the opportunity to do any formal training--mainly because I decided to sign up ~ 6 weeks before the race. And, secondly... I wasn't 100% sure I would actually get to run it because we would potentially be moving into our new home that same weekend. I did however make sure to get a 10 and a 12 mile run in, in the 3 weeks prior to the race. And, I was doing a lot of 3-5.5 mile runs pushing Giuliana and Marco in the jogger.

As luck would have it... we weren't able to move into the new house until October 3rd. So, we made a weekend trip of it and spent a night in the S.outh L.ake area. The kids loved hiking the trails around the lake and we even took them on a gondola ride up H.eavenly so they could see some beautiful views of the lake.

The race was Sunday morning and I did not wake up happy. Thank goodness for the late start time... but even with that buffer... I must have only logged about 5 hours of sleep. Marco had a bit of a cold and was teething... so the poor little guy kept waking up throughout the night crying. Combine that with the fact I forgot to bring my noise machine (I have to sleep to crickets or a fan at night), and well... I did not get a good nights sleep.

So, I told Dan I didn't even want to run. Somehow he cajoled me into getting dressed to race and we went out for breakfast. I was still only half convinced I would run. By the time I got to the starting line... the running bug got the best of me and my mind was getting in the game. I told myself I was just going to go out and enjoy it. Granted a tiny part of me still had the competitive spirit.

Running at 6,800 feet is a challenge. Breathing is a lot harder. My goal for the day was to finish in just under 2:00 (because for my PR time of 1:47, they tell you to add 12-13 minutes to your finish time at this altitude).

I actually felt really great right off the bat (granted, I did have a 24 hour headache from the altitude). I was going to just enjoy the run. And, I did! I even snapped pictures along the way... I think I took a total of 5 photos from my phone, stopping just twice to snap them. I don't normally take pictures during races... but the views of E.merald Bay were too stunning to not snap a few. Dan and the kids were cheering me on from various locations. They would drive up ahead and wait for me to reach them, and then drive off ahead again. I LOVE that! My family IS my motivation!

I think I realized at about 8 miles in that I was having a great run... and might actually make the podium. I saw Dan & the kids up ahead and I called out to him "I think I might actually make the podium, babe!" and Dan said "I know - you're kicking butt!". So, that got me kind of fired up... and I think I suddenly went from *enjoying the race* to *I have to place*.

I was tired in the last 2 miles. Tired as in I started asking myself *why the heck I sign myself up for self torture like this* kind of tired. I was so dead set on making the podium at this point though... so I couldn't slow down.

As I approached the finish line, I saw Dan & the kids. I finished hard. Right away they gave me my medal and a "Top 25 Finisher" jacket, so I was hopeful I made the podium. I found Dan and the kids... and we made our way over to the results board.

I was SO EXCITED to see that I placed 3rd in my age division and 38th overall! I obviously didn't PR (because of the 6,800 ft elevation), but 1:55:25 was respectable for the elevation. They estimate my time would have been in the 1:42-1:43 range at sea level.

So this was the second race within 2 months where I made the podium! Woot! And, this time... I actually got to stand on a podium when receiving my 3rd place award. It was such an awesome, fun and unexpected experience. I was so proud of myself and happy (and shocked!!). It made me want to set an actual goal and do some actual training for a future half marathon.

Dan and Gabby were actually really excited about it and proud of me too... which I obviously loved! Rocco and Giuliana and Marco were more excited about being able to play on the sandy beach while waiting for the award ceremony. Ha!!

“Momma, why we got no house?”

Our living situation is crazy right now. Since moving out of our house we have stayed at 6 different hotels in in 4 different cities, traveled 800 miles, and moved into a temporary apartment while waiting for our home to be completed. Add to that the non-routine of summer, the constant busy work of finishing all the details with the new house, and I find myself sometimes scratching my head wondering what day it is. 

I think the kids are even a little confused! 

But, they seem to mostly be just confused with our living situation. 

The other day as I was walking out of T.arget with all the kids, Giuliana burst out with “Momma…. why we got no house?” (This is just after we moved into the temp apartment.)

I was certain everyone around us was convinced I was homeless and on welfare with 4 kids after that.

And, I notice that Rocco and Giuliana are frequently mixing up and using “hotel” and “apartment” interchangeably. 

The house can not be completed soon enough!

First Day of School 2013!

Big day today!

Gabby started SECOND GRADE and Rocco started KINDERGARTEN at a new school, in a new state. And, on August 7th no less! The sun was shining, the kids were excited and happy and it was a great morning.

Both kids were very much looking forward to starting school and meeting friends in their new hometown. The early school start date could not have been a better fit for this family! I love it... because it gets them back into a routine and meeting new friends just 1.5 weeks after we arrived in CA. And, I also love a shorter summer break for kids because I feel like they lose less of what they've learned over the summer months.

Gabby was very particular with choosing her 1st day of school outfit. Rocco could have cared less what he wore... as long as it was shorts and a t-shirt. The temperature hit 98, which is pretty average for this time of year here. Thank goodness for air conditioning in the classrooms!

I love the kids new school campus... it's clean and has a few nice playground areas. The school ranks very high in the state of CA, the teachers I've met seem on top of their game, and I love that they will pretty much get to eat lunch outside every day. And, I am also thrilled that I will no longer have to bundle them up in waterproof, cold weather gear as I had to do in Washington 90% of the time.

Rocco was only a tad bit bummed about not getting to ride a bus to school. If we would have been in WA still... he would have been riding a bus to school with Gabby. In CA, there is no bus service... unless you purchase it for your child. I think Gabby was fine with this... she's probably had her fill of the bus riding experience for now. So, add school drop-off and pick-up to the mommy taxi to-do list!

Since this elementary school does not have a full day program (which I was admittedly very bummed about... because Gabby thrived in all day kindergarten), Rocco is in the p.m. kindergarten class. And, since he's in p.m. kindergarten... I have 4 different drop off/pickup times. Gabby starts school at 8am. Rocco starts at 11:16am. Gabby finishes at 2:15pm. Rocco finishes at 2:45. Not sure how a family with two parents working outside the home would even handle this. Well, actually I do... they would HAVE to have a full-time nanny or au.pair on staff. To make things a little easier... we do one drop-off in the morning which means Rocco starts his day in extended care. Extended care basically lets him play with other pals in his kindergarten class before school starts.

The first day ended with a school P.TA hosted frozen yogurt celebration... complete with photo booths and a DJ for the kids. It was a great event and the perfect way to top off the FUN day that both kids had on their first day at the new school!

Marco's 15 Month Update

Marco's 15 Month Growth Stats
Height: 32.5 inches (90th %ile)
Weight: 21lbs 4oz (10-25th %ile)
Head: 19 1/4 (90th %ile)

Naps: He is consistently napping once a day. If he naps a second time, it’s because his regular nap was short, and/or we’re driving in the car somewhere in the late afternoon. For naps, up until we moved out of our house in mid-July, I would sit with him in the rocking chair so his head could rest on my shoulder and I could snuggle my head against his. When I felt his body start to fall into a sleepy state, I would lay him in his crib and he’d maybe wiggle a little bit, but he would generally just fall right to sleep. Since we moved out of the house, we’ve been in 11 different hotels and now just moved into a temporary apartment until our house is finished being built. The inconsistency in the sleep environment, and not having a crib for a majority of this time was so confusing to Marco. So now for nap time, I lay him down on the bed next to me and put big pillows all around us, and wait for him to settle himself down to sleep on my bed. The one thing that is consistent is his brown blanket. He LOVES his brown blanket and won’t sleep without it. He’s napping every day around 10:30/11am and will sleep anywhere from 1.5-3 hours. 

Night Sleep: We usually put the big kids to bed first and then put Marco to sleep so we can focus our energy on him without distractions from the big kids. Typically, Marco’s bedtime is at 8:15pm. Again, since his the move, there has been no real consistency with the sleep environment or even having a crib. This has been hard on me, and possibly a little difficult for Marco too. But, as any child would… he much rather prefers to sleep next to mommy versus alone in his crib. I LOVE this… but it’s challenging in that I again have become a bit of a sleep crutch and I have to be more involved just for his safety, etc. Part of me is really trying to just soak this up since I know he is my last baby. I’ll put his PJ’s on, brush his teeth, get his blanket and milk sippy cup and lay him in the bed next to me. I then wait for him to settle himself and fall asleep. This new process seems to take awhile because he’s still so excited to be in MY bed. Versus our typical (and fabulous!) routine that we had created where I would rock him for 10-15 minutes or until he started to fall asleep, and then set him in his crib where he would sleep nicely. He’s a good little sleeper, except for the nights when his teething gets the best of him. Most nights he will sleep through the night. And about once every 6 weeks, I think we hit a developmental milestone and he’ll wake up around 3:30/4am’ish, and be ready to play. This will keep me awake for an hour, sometimes longer… just in time to fall asleep and then have to wake up to get the other kids ready for school, etc. Oy! When he does sleep through the night, he’ll wake up anywhere between 6:30-8:30am.  

Eating: He is such a great little eater. He will eat anything and everything we put in front of him. And, he loves the little fruit and vegetable food pouches. Dan calls them spaceman food. He loves trying new foods. If he doesn’t want to eat something, he will push it to the side or off his tray. His favorites are pizza, pastas, eggs, salmon, sausage, blueberries, strawberries, peas, beans of any kind. 

Marco Updates: 

• His brown blanket is his favorite possession. He LOVES his blankey.
• Most frequently used words are: Momma, dadda, hot dog, baby, sausage. But, he mostly just grunts or screams or points to what he wants or is drawing your attention to.
• He knows what *Happy* is… and when he’s happy, he’ll say “HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!” I swear it’s the cutest thing. EVER.
• Loves riding on airplanes. He is insistent on sitting in his own seat and will shove anyone out of the way to sit in the window seat
• He’ll scream at the kids until they give him what they’re holding or they give him what he wants
• Temper tantrums! He’s starting to know he can express his anger when he’s upset, and gets attention for it. His current method for expressing anger is laying on the floor and kicking his feet against the wall, while crying. His older siblings think this is hilarious and they’re highly entertained by it. I try to just talk calmly and tell him why he can’t do what he was doing because it will hurt him or whatever.
• Loves to be silly and put buckets over his head, then walks around trying not to bump into the walls. Again, his siblings find this hilarious. 
• Loves the lawn mower and vacuums. As soon as the gardener starts the lawn mower, Marco will want to stand by the windows watching. 
• He also loves vacuums. He practically tries to cuddle with it. He watches and follows us while vacuuming, and the second we turn the vacuum off, he’ll start to cry. It is the funniest, saddest thing. You can’t help but laugh… and feel so bad for the little guy at the same time. 
• Teething like a madman! 
• Feeds mommy: He really enjoys feeding me whatever he is eating. 
• Fascinated with bubbles. He’ll sit so quietly, watching and wondering, when we blow bubbles into the air. 
• Loves to swim. He can’t get enough of the water. He tries to jump out or our arms constantly when we’re in the water with him. I think he watches his siblings and wants to do exactly what they’re doing. Somehow, he holds his breath underwater and every time we pull him up… you can tell he’s just getting ready to jump back out of our arms again into the water.
• Fascinated by grass and dirt. Just loves to touch it, play with it, throw it, dig in it… and yes, he’s also tried to eat it. :)
• Swats at things SO fast. 
• He’s been known to whip french fries across the table while we’re dining out. Always resulting in lots of laughter from the older siblings. 
• He likes to mostly stand in our booth or at our table, while we’re dining out.
• If he knows his food is hot, he loves to blow on it. 
• Loves swords, guns and legos.
• Drinking out of regular cups. Not perfectly, but he can do it.
• He is a total beast in doctor offices. He opens drawers, he wants to touch everything, can’t sit still for 2 seconds, even tries to climb up to the reception TV’s to turn the stations, etc. I dread when I have to bring him to a doctor appt with me, in fear of the typical doctor office wait. It’s so hard trying to keep him out of trouble and occupied. 
• Loves eating with utensils. Does everything he can to be a big boy.

Sale of the WA House

Dan and I both agree that on a sunny day... Washington might be the most beautiful place we've ever lived. With neighborhood views of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker... the endless, towering trees that seem to be covered in a dreamy blanket of moss year round... mornings that started with fog blankets sitting low in the valley but resting on the trees leading up into the foothills. It seemed every direction has a beautiful view that could take your breath away and make you realize how really small we are in this grand scheme of life and all that *is*.

Dan and I also realized, fairly quickly, after moving to Washington that we would not be there long term. It just wasn't for us. I think our hearts were left behind in California. I think... maybe I even felt like we left little Matteo's soul behind.

The constant gray sort of put an exclamation point on the feelings on just *knowing it wouldn't be our forever home*. When you grow-up, or live somewhere for 12 years that sees the sun at least 300 days a year to a place that sees the sun less than half of that... it's a mental challenge. Or, I should say - it was for us.

People say the Seattle rain is a deal breaker.

It wasn't for us. It was the gray skies. The rain just put the exclamation mark on it.

We loved our home. We loved our neighborhood and community. We loved the schools our children attended. We loved the activities/facilities we were involved with. And, we loved the newfound friendships that we had built with a few people.

But, we just couldn't envision us planting our roots any deeper there. We decided that living in a place where we see the sun regularly really IS important to us. We like warm climates. We missed California and all that it offers with beaches and mountains and family vacations and trails to run, hike and explore... not to mention the fact that we deeply missed the family, friends and professional networks we left behind.

We decided it was time to put the house up for sale. If we were going to move - we wanted to do it sooner, rather than later... and get on with our life and planting roots for our family.

We put the house up for sale ourselves. Our rationale being that we could save some money by doing it ourselves, and we weren't in any hurry. We figured that if it took over a year to sell... Rocco would have the benefit of having the same kindergarten teacher that Gabby had, and that would be worth staying in gloomy WA another year.

I staged the house. I took the photos. Dan took care of all the legal and broker details. And, much to our surprise... we sold the house in just over 2 months. We never held one open house. We showed the house to inquiries only and had about 10 families total do walkthrough's. Of course, it was never at a convenient time. It always seemed like Dan was out of town and I was scrambling to get the house in tip-top condition and oh-by-the-way, disappear with 4 kids for however long.

We had 2 months from sale contract (May 11) to the close of our sale (July 18). So, the race was on to find a new home. Dan and I both made multiple day trips down to CA to scout homes in our new target city. We finally put an offer on a home at the end of June. This was quickly followed by a race to get 2 children registered at the new elementary school, etc. Oh, and PACKING. Packing with 4 young children is super fun. SUPER. FUN.

The move was sad for Gabby...she was devastated to be leaving her friends. This was heartbreaking to me. She had such a great group of girlfriends at school. And, she was tight with her gymnastics teammates as well. I knew the move would be the most difficult for her. I frequently reminded her that we could keep in touch with all her friends via Skype, email and snail mail.

Rocco was leaving behind one very good friend who just happened to be a neighbor. They would spend every day (the entire day!) on their bikes... biking between our houses, shooting their guns while biking, playing in the yard, snacking, and just hanging out how little boys do. His name was Reid and they were self-proclaimed *best buddies*. Oh, and Giuliana had a huge crush on Reid too. And, Reid was seriously the sweetest, big-hearted, giant kindergartener I've ever known (next to Rocco, of course!). They were a perfect match!

And, I was also leaving two very special friendships (which I cherish just as much as friendships from my childhood). And, thank goodness for text messaging because we remain the *mommy text network* (per Dan)... frequently texting and laughing about the constant comedy in our lives as each of us has 3+ children, and so many stories every day we could start our own comedy show. So, we just *get* each other so much.

July 18th approached a lot faster than I had anticipated. And, since our new home in CA was under construction... the road to living in our next house was not going to be fast OR easy.

4 Years without Matteo

Sometimes... there are just no words.

I was not sure it would be possible... but missing you more than ever, sweet Matteo Tate. I love you so much baby boy and I hope you can see our candles from Heaven tonight and feel our love each and every day.  
 
Four years, four glassybaby's to light..."believe", "angel", "forever", and "love".

"What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." ~ Helen Keller

“And can it be in a world so full and busy, the loss of one weak creature makes a void in any heart, so wide and deep that nothing but the width and depth of eternity can fill it up.”

– Charles Dickens

“Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever...”

-- Isak Dinesen

“If there ever comes a day when we can't be together;

Keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever.”
~Winnie the Pooh

 

Rocco's Pre-K.indergarten Graduation

 

Rocco graduated from pre-kindergarten today.

I can't believe my baby boy is going to be a kindergartener in the fall!

His school held a super-cute graduation ceremony. They put together a nice slideshow of all the kids, they sang songs, they were all dressed in little gowns and caps, and cake was served afterwards.

Rocco had a great experience at his school. He went to school 3 days a week from 9am-4 or 5pm. He loved it and had made a number of friends. There were maybe 4 or 5 little guys that he talked about often - so we know he was maturing in that he was able to develop true friendships... not just parallel play anymore. This seems to happen later for little boys than girls (based on our own experience, of course). He gravitated toward one friend more than the others, so we had that little boy, Ian, over to play at our house once, and Rocco also played at his house once too.

I really liked Rocco's teachers. I loved the school. I liked that they provided so many opportunities to learn and practice writing and numbers and science projects, etc. But, they always made it FUN. Rocco frequently came home with worksheets completed, and sometimes an art project or two. It was obvious art was not a serious area of interest for him though! ha!

We also learned that Rocco was a good friend to his classmates. We received an email from a parent of one of his classmates. This mother told us that her daughter would often get teased by one of the little boys in the class. And, she proceeded to tell us how Rocco would stick up for her little girl, Mary, and that he would deflect the other little boy so he would leave Mary alone. This mother seemed so thankful for Rocco's kindness... and Mary clearly thought Rocco was a champ. I was SO PROUD when I read this email from Mary's mother. I knew we were raising a kind, sweet, little boy... but this just reinforced it. I told Rocco all about it and how proud we are of him and the young man he is becoming. He was clearly very proud and talked about this for days.

All in all... I think our little guy is ready for k.indergarten.

And of coure, with each life milestone like this... I can't help but feel a strong pain in my chest and a heavy heart. Matteo should be here too. He should have had this pre-K experience. He should be going to k.indergarten too. The pain just never goes away.

Clear margins... feeling thankful!

My mom chose to have a double mastectomy.

 

I am happy to share that my mom's surgery went extremely well. The surgeon was able to remove the cancer successfully, and the sentinel lymph node was cancer free [based on frozen sections (90% accurate) - final path results will come next week].

 

She's now working to heal from this major surgery, and will meet with her care team in a few weeks to determine next steps. Most likely, the next steps will include several months of chemotherapy and possibly radiation treatments.

 

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers... and send as much positive energy as you can her way. 

 

She has been through so much. I am so proud of her... it takes a lot of courage, strength, research, and faith in her care team, to make the decisions she's had to make, and fight this battle head-on.

 

*****

UPDATE: Final path results did show that the sentinel lymph node was indeed cancer free.

A Quiet Place...

So, we recently caved and bought that *oh so fancy* diary from T.arget for Gabby. Fancy in that the child gets to voice record their password. Sounds pretty cool, right?

Ohmygosh... it is a parent's nightmare. NIGHTMARE! For numerous reasons.

How many 7 year olds remember their password? I'm 38 and I feel like I forget passwords every other day.

Also, if the child doesn't speak clearly, with the same intonations or speed... the diary won't' open.

When your child can't get their diary to open for whatever reason, you are unfortunately going to hear about it. (Code for tantrums, meltdowns, and crying like it's the end of the freaking-world.)

Gabby spent at least a half hour today frantically going from room to room in search of a *quiet place* to voice record her new password to the diary.  (GOOD LUCK, GIRL!! I've been trying for 7.5 years too!)

Rocco's 1st Year in L.ittle L.eague

We decided to sign Rocco up for L.ittle L.eague.

What a JOKE! HA!

Let's just say that 5 year old boys have little to no interest in playing baseball... unless they are actually hitting the ball off a tee. Or, more accurately... I should describe this as whacking at a ball on the tee.

Rocco was excited about the experience... his uniform pants, his new shoes and a nut cup (as his daddy told him - he thought this was hilarious).

But, we learned quickly that outside of his moments at-bat, he just did not yet have the attention span for the game of baseball. The things he did love about the entire experience really had nothing to do with the sport itself.

He loved:
* playing with the dirt on the field
* finding good rocks while standing on the pitchers mound, in the outfield... and much to his parents surprise... even stopping while running to 1st base to stop and pick up a rock he spotted along the way (and subsequently, getting an out).
* playing on the play structure next to the baseball field at every break, inning change... basically every possible opportunity, we had to gather the little boys from the play structure and direct them back to the field. Good times.
* hitting the bat on the dirt, trying to crush rocks
* playing 2 games against his best pal, Reid
* and of course, every at-bat opportunity was something he really did enjoy (thank goodness it wasn't a total loss!)

If any of us get bad...

ROCCO: "Mom, if any of us get bad... you should just start putting us in handcuffs!"

ME: "That is a brilliant idea, Rocco!"


[[Reason #172 why little boys have no future in babysitting!]]

 

B.reast C.ancer

There are few word combinations that I hate more than B.REAST C.ANCER.

My favorite aunt died from bre.ast ca.ncer approximately 6 months after Dan & I were married...almost 11.5 years ago. I have such wonderful memories of her. She was a strong, beautiful, confident woman. She left behind 3 daughters, her husband, a sister, a brother, her mother, and 10 grandchildren. She was my mom's sister, who my mom still misses so much each and every day.

We each have moments in life that you never forget where you were, or the feelings and adrenaline that rushed through your body at that instant. The shear thought brings you back instantly, to the extent that your body reacts as if that moment is happening again.

I was in my closet, purging clothing for goodwill when I got a phone call from my mom. I had been waiting for her call, because she was waiting for test results from a lab. She had a mamm.ogram two weeks prior, and a needle biopsy the week prior because they were worried about a small area found in the m.ammogram. Today she would be getting her results from the needle biopsy.

She told me she had br.east c.ancer. I couldn't help but immediately start crying. She started crying. I would have done anything to be by her side at that moment so I could just hug and hold her, and let her know how much I love her. I told her we'd get her through this on top. She was going to be ok. I was scared for her. Scared for me. And, I couldn't imagine the fear, disbelief and all of the other emotions I was sure were consuming her completely.

We talked about next steps. We pondered the reality of the situation... and how we could not believe this was happening.

When I hung up the phone, I cried more.

She just doesn't deserve this. No woman does.

B.reast canc.er just sucks. And, it seems to be everywhere.

I told my husband. He felt the blow.

I told my kids. They had a lot of questions... every answer I gave them ended in "....but she's going to be ok."

And, just like that... my family was hit with brea.st can.cer.

They're SO BIG!

ME: "Giuliana, these shoes don't fit you anymore. Your feet have grown! And look at your toes... wow - they're so long!"

GIULIANA: "And look at my boobies... they're SO BIG!"

 [[I don't know how kids come up with this stuff... but every day they make me laugh so hard.]]

Marco is ONE!

My baby boy is one year old! ONE! Where does the time go? [sniff sniff]

His birthday was a flurry of activity! School drop-offs and pickups for the big kids, Giuliana had gymnastics, and Dan was supposed to arrive home from a business trip that afternoon. Then, of course I had a house showing that I had to quickly scramble and prep the house for, and a cake to bake for little Marco to eat and smash in celebration of being one! After I picked the kids up from school, I quickly fed them and we then took off for Rocco's baseball game. Dan arrived home sometime during the game. When we got home... I think I finally had the cake frosted and decorated by 7:30pm, and by that time... poor little Marco was just exhausted and ready for bed! Who could blame him?! So... we were able to take a few photos of him with his siblings and the cake, and a few with mommy & daddy and the cake. Then, we sang H.appy Bi.rthday... he LOVED everyone singing to him! He danced and wiggled back and forth, all while having a huge smile on his face and clapping along with us at the end. It was adorable! He loved the chance to explore his cake. He first tested it with his finger... and seemed to really like the frosting. After a few finger licks... it was almost like he realized "Hmmm... this is GOOD! And, they're not stopping me from touching it!" So, he quickly took advantage of that and started patting his hands on it and laughing. Before we knew it, he was smashing both hands into the cake, while smiling and laughing. Frosting and cake were flying everywhere! This child was definitely my most brave and carefree birthday baby... he made a very big mess, he was so proud of it and had a TON of fun doing it! Absolute birthday success!

Marco's 12 Month Growth Stats:
Height: 30.5 inches (75th %ile)
Weight: 20lbs 16 oz (25th %ile)
Head: 18.8 (75-90 %ile)

Eating: Marco has become much more comfortable and courageous with solid foods since he stopped breastfeeding a little over a month ago. He will sometimes eat 2-3 adult sized yogurts in one day. Also, now that he is one we can start giving him cow's milk. He doesn't seem to like straight whole milk... but is a bit more interested if I give him a sippy cup filled with half whole milk and half chocolate milk. Making sure he gets enough calcium has been a concern of mine since he stopped nursing and would not drink formula. But, the doctor assured me that if he's eating so much yogurt - he'll be fine. Some of his favorite foods include sausage, raspberries, blueberries, bananas, bacon, raviolis, hot dogs, scrambled eggs, pizza, rice, salmon, and here's the surprise... lamb sliders! He could NOT get enough of the lamb sliders we ate the other night!  

Naps: Marco is napping only once a day in his crib on most days. He's on the brink of giving up that second nap, which has both positives and negatives. Since he's sort of ready to give it up, but often still needs it... I feel less guilty on the evenings we have to drive to an activity and he falls asleep on the drive. He'll often steal an hour long nap in the car on those nights... but always has a tough time when waking up from those evening naps. Poor baby! On the plus side... when they move to one nap, you feel less tied to home for those two nap sessions. But, it also means they have much more time to be busy and active during the day and melt down a bit faster as bed time approaches. I think in a month or two he will most certainly be living with only one nap a day. He goes down for his naps so great. I grab his brown blanket and rock him in the rocking chair, while singing to him softly. His little face cuddles into my neck and he falls fast asleep. Sometimes, I'll sit there and let him sleep on me a for a while. Other times, I'll put him down in his crib a minute or two after he falls asleep. He sleeps so soundly and peacefully. Love this little man so much!

Night Sleep: Marco is sleep trained! Woot! Since he stopped nursing, it was time to properly sleep train him and it was easy to do since we had a relatively familiar nightly routine... even with the recent change of no more breastfeeding. After I put the big kids to bed, we get him in his PJ's and brush teeth. We sit in the rocking chair, with his fuzzy brown blanket, and I will sing softly to him and hold him so his head rests on my shoulder (brown blankey wrapped around his back. He usually falls asleep pretty quick... and then I lay him down in his crib. I can tell he loves this time.. and I love it too. He rarely wakes up when I lay him down in the crib, but if he does... he can put himself to sleep with minimal fussing/crying. He wakes up still between 11pm - 2 am, and then I just bring him in bed next to me and he falls asleep right away. He will wake up for the day around 6:30am. We've had an odd/random, middle-of-the night wakeup with Marco that seems to happen once every 1-3 weeks. He'll just wake up and start babbling, and doing his happy *talk*. He'll kick at me, or slap at me to try and get reaction, or get me to wake up. He'll be wide awake for at least an hour. None of my other kids ever did this, and if they ever did, it certainly didn't happen on a regular basis. I think this is the way his little brain and body are handling developmental milestones... it's almost like he's just ready to go for the day... bright and early at 3am (usually it is in the 3 o'clock hour when he'll surprise me w/this great wakeup). Thankfully, he'll usually fall back asleep after an hour or hour and a half. But wow... it is exhausting me and I can't wait until his little brain figures out a better way to held the developmental milestones and growth! 

 

Marco Updates:   

* 4 teeth in his mouth now!

* Loves to wave "Hi" and "bye"... but still not saying either of those words.

* Loves to pull hair... anyone and everyone's hair is game if you let him get a grab at it.

* When he hears the gardener start up the lawn mower... he runs to the window and will watch him as long as he can stand there and see the lawn mower and the guy pushing it. If we're not near the window, he'll point and grunt for us to go over to the window to watch.

* Crazy obsession with the vacuum. He LOVES it. If I am vacuuming and stop... he will start to cry SO hard. But, the second you turn the vacuum on again, he walks around you happily with a big smile on his face... perfectly content just watching every move you make with that vacuum. I have a very funny video of this... I need to post it!

* He loves toys he can push... like Giuliana's baby stroller, the kid's grocery cart, the ride on car (he prefers to push it and not ride on it so much).

* Loves feeding Dan and I. He will always want to sit on my lap while I am eating, and I can rarely keep him from grabbing food off my plate and stuffing it in my mouth. It is hilarious, but so annoying at the same time because I can't just sit there and eat without food being jammed against my lips and subsequently making a mess all over the floor.

* He LOVEs going on wagon rides... he is fascinated by everything outdoors right now and is so curious about the outdoor world. He loves putting his hands in the dirt and grass. He loves seeing bunnies and deer and birds and dogs. He gets SO excited when he sees an animal and will point and scream... which of course scares off the wild animals.

* He loves being outside so much in fact that he will often bring his shoes to us, and that is his way of telling us it's time to go outside and explore.

* He has been given the opportunity to color on numerous occasions (thanks to the ever present basket of markers and color crayons on the table)... and he LOVES it. He will climb up onto the kitchen chairs and color any of the papers that are sitting on the table, or the table itself. He has also colored the floors. Thank goodness for washable markers!

* He is fascinated by Rocco and all of Rocco's toys... especially the swords, guns, cars and transformers. He also tries to mimic humming the Trans.formers theme song that Rocco is always humming as he plays.

* He and Giuliana have a special little bond. And, he is constantly pulling her hair which really gets her upset. I find them stealing toys from each other on occasion... and other times, you'll find them snuggled up to each other on the sofa under a blanket. And, Giuliana will also baby him from time to time and put blankets over him or bring him his milk.

*He loves to play catch. He gets really excited whenever he sees a ball and will run over to it, pick it up with a big smile on his face, and quickly find someone to throw it to. Then he patiently waits for someone to throw it back.