Thursday, October 28, 2010

Your Wish Is Granted

I couldn't resist sharing her Halloween costume a little early.
At first, I was set on her being a ladybug.  But, then our lovely little friend Bella entered our hearts and I wanted Valentina to be a little fairy with butterfly-type wings, to honor her.
Tell Valentina your wish and she will use her little wand to grant it!:)

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Pumpkin Patch 2010


Two little pumpkins
One mad little pumpkin




Salvatore was brave and excited to go down the slide, unlike last year.  We rode it twice.  
We also had fun at a different pumpkin patch with Melodie and Reece.  Happy Halloween!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Can You Argue With His Logic and Reasoning?

Oh Salvatore...my smart, silly, funny little guy....the stuff that comes out of your mouth!

(The following snippets are paraphrased conversations)

On potty training:
Me:  You need to use the potty all of the time, Salvatore.
Sal:  When I get bigger, mommy, I need to be BIGGER!  Right now I am still too small, like Valentina.  She uses diapers so I will use them with her.

On playing with Valentina's toys:
Me:  Can you show Valentina this new toy so she can learn to play with it?
Sal:  I can show her MY old toys and teach her because she is a baby and now I am too big.  I know all of MY toys.

On toy commercials geared for girls:
Sal:  I want you to buy me that (doll house, Easy Bake, princess whatever) if I become a girl, ok mommy?  Only if I become a girl.

On hearing bad words from T.V.:
(yes, sometimes we can't catch them all on any given show...judge if you want:)
Me:  You are not to say those words at any time.  
Sal:  Then why is he saying them?
Me:  Because he is an adult and sometimes adults use those words if they don't know what else to say or if they were not raised better than that.
Sal:  Oh.  I will say SHIT when I get bigger then.  Only when I get bigger, when I am an adult.  Then I can say it.

OH BOY!  

Saturday, October 23, 2010

My Super Hero

Salvatore wanted to be Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story for Halloween.
So we slowly found him essential pieces for this ensemble.
This particular wing pack lights up, talks, and raises and lowers the wings with the push of a button.  We will post video after Halloween, so you can see his complete costume.
Jack introduced Salvatore to Toy Story and brought over dozens of toys and the first movie on DVD for him to enjoy.  Sal was instantly hooked and enamored.  To hear him politely beg to wear these wings all day and to watch him run around and pretend to fly is just priceless.  Tune in for a Halloween post to see Buzz Lightyear and his fairy princess sister save the world!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

5 Months!

5 months and 15 pounds of PURE JOY!

Who Are You Yelling For..TEAM BELLA!!




Sunday was our CHOCWalk and it was beyond beautiful and inspirational...


I have no words to explain it...but was so proud to walk with such wonderful friends, new and old...it will stay with me forever...



I was so blessed to take Valentina...can't wait to explain it to her as  she grows up...


Look at all of these awesome people we met and connected with, through love...
Bella's trend...we rocked it out for you, baby girl!
I can't watch or hear this without crying...God bless the Ringgold family and every other family who has ever needed CHOC.  I'm a supporter for life now.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Monday, October 11, 2010

I Didn't Forget

Today was Lula's birthday.  David's youngest sister would be 20 today...
I can still see your beautiful face...
I can still hear your voice and your laughter...
I can still feel your touch...
I won't ever forget.

Remember that one night in Acapulco...when we ate at Sanborns?
And you wrote me a sweet little note on the sugar packet?
I still have it...it's in my wallet.
I won't ever forget.

I can feel you watching over Salvatore and Valentina...
I won't ever forget.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Stay Positive!

Salvatore is now obsessed with catching and throwing his (soft, pillowlike) Angels baseball around.  He sometimes wants to practice catching it with his glove and other times with his bare hands.  Lolo practices a lot with him during the day time and you can really see him concentrate on trying to catch it.  We tell him, "Good catch" or "good throw" when we are playing and I hear the positive coaching voice come out in all of us as we practice with him.  While playing with him last night, he kept saying to me, "Good catch, mama!"  What a nice boy.  So when I missed it, he said, "Good miss, mama....good miss!"  And he was smiling so brightly and nodding his head up and down as if to really be encouraging me!  Maybe he will be a coach one day!

Her New Friend

Salvatore was showing her his little puppy and she loved it!

Monday, October 4, 2010

The Best Part of Waking Up

I LOVE her face and smile when she hears my voice.  And how she searches around.  And her crazy sweet smelling messy hair.  And her flexed feet and dainty hands.  Oh, my beautiful girl...I love you so much.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Happy Birthday Sita

Happy 80th birthday to our beautiful Sita!
Salvatore enjoying his cake.
Aunt Laura, me, Valentina, Aunt Lisa, and Sita.

Sita loved her framed pictures of the kids.
Sita has always been the shining example of how to love, laugh, listen and enjoy life to the fullest!  Happy birthday to you!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Who's Afraid of Thunder?


Benedict is!!
  We had a (late summer-early autumn) thunderstorm this morning and poor Benedict was very clingy to me.  I must have stepped on him a dozen times, but he does not care as long as he can be that close to me. 

 Salvatore has another (change in the weather related) cough, runny nose and now a fever, but he was still fascinated with this rain and thunder.  Another example of how normal (and sometimes annoying) something is to us, but how cool it is to see it in a different light-through the eyes of your child.  This was Valentina's first official thunderstorm.  Contrary to the picture, she was giddy with delight over the rain and wind