Out with a Bang!

Look what we found in the family room! Anna was having a "baby class" -- so cute! We have to teach her some more girl power!

Happy Birthday Nicholas!

It was Nicholas' birthday and it was also our "Sisters (my mom's) Christmas Party". This was the only pic - all those over 40! What a gang!

Merry Christmas to all!

Gramma, Pas, Uncle Billy, and Uncle Nick slept over to be there for Christmas morning fun! Who would have thought that pipe cleaners would be so exciting? Then Grandpa Nardi, and the Lach's and Wagner's came for a lovely breakfast brunch. It was Aunt Genni and Uncle Bob's turn to come in jammies. Note Carla's jumper that Mike dressed her in (from when I was little :) it says Colleen). Then we went to Geneva for another fabulous celebration with cousins, Grandma J, Uncle Bob, Zia, Zio, AnnMarie, and Uncle Frank and Aunt JoAnn! No pics?!? :(:( What a day!!!

Cookies for Santa

We made sure Santa and his reindeer wouldn't go hungry with plenty of cookies and carrots, ...and in the yard, "reindeer food" with specific instructions to go RIGHT to bed after sprinkling! Very cute idea :) Highly recommended. Thank you Erin. Anna was so worried that she would take too long getting all the way to her bed from outside, and we had to convince her that if she went straight to bed that would be good enough. So cute.

Merry Art's Christmas Brunch

The girls got to see Santa, do a Christmas craft, dance, and visit with the Hardman's and Gramma, Pas, and Uncle Nick. Thanks Shannon for the fun time!

Christmas Show and Tea with Aubrey

We had a great day celebrating the holidays with the Highland Heights Christmas Party (no pics) and our first visit to Chagrin Valley Little Theatre for a Christmas tea and very kid-friendly Christmas show. They got to participate throughout and then meet everybody on stage afterward. Thanks Deanna for thinking of us!

Bye bye Beard!

Today the beard went with the crutches! Yeah! The before and after:

Moon sand!

Thank you Zia Tanya!

Swim practice!

After a nice bath, the girls both had a great time helping Daddy put the Christmas tree together, and then help Mommy with the ornaments. Fun to have Christmas decorations up early!

Nela Park Tree Lighting

No pics of the beautiful lights, but it was a great party! The girls had a ball with David and Erica dancing around and even studying the GE inventions on display!

Rainforest with Maddie and Ben

Carla and Ben are getting so big! They had fun bonding today. Maddie and Anna were also so very darling talking with this little monkey through the window -- I recorded a great video...thought I did...but when I hit stop, I actually hit record, bummer, but at least there is that blurry photo, right?!

Yikes!

A few seconds earlier, they were cutely reading together (hence I got the camera out to catch the moment...too late!). Some photos have to catch the everyday moments too, right?

Michael's Birthday Visit

We went to Philadelphia to visit Michael and Ashley for Michael's birthday, and we also went to Ashley's surprise baby shower! No pics somehow over the weekend?!?! Well, on the way home, we stopped off at Hershey's Chocolate World!

Carla's turn with the shades

Anna yapping away!

We are always wishing to video Anna chatting away, and now there is at least one! Listen for the news at the end...too bad I didn't have the camera on Dad for it!

She's da coolest!

Then Mario with Papa. How about that beard?! It's going away with the crutches, thank goodness! Look at that concentration...and I don't think Carla is even playing! Also of note, our pediatrician calls the girls' red faces "the Cleveland chap".

My little flirt

So stinkin' cute!

Pineapple hair-do!

So serious!

Carla loves foot attire on her hands

Usually socks, but today slippers...

PS- no photos, but today was this sweet girl's first day in big girl panties!
She's a pottying super-star!

Happy 5th Birthday Dionisio!

We love you lots!!! What a great celebration!

Busy Day and Night!

Happy birthday Mom, Dionisio, and Aunt Phyllis!

We had a fun baby shower for Ashley and Michael! No photos...busy times :) Everyone enjoyed great company, yummy food (lots of vegetarian for the guests of honor), and silly games!

Then to top it all off, tonight Nicholas treated the WHOLE family to a night on the Nautica Queen! Great company, food, and dancing! What a fun time! Thank you Nicholas!

Where to put the groceries...and the third child???

Anna's job!

Anna takes her job of replacing the kitchen trash and recycle bags very seriously!

Yeah, November!

Just look at how Carla watches Anna :) and check out Carla's funky outfit! ...but pay no mind to the messiness that surrounds them...

Happy Halloween!

The first collage is of the deer we saw in the back yard on Halloween before even dusk! Cousins and Zia, Uncle Bob, and both grandmas came for the fun too! Elizabeth, sweet Elizabeth, Anna and Carla's babysitter, trick-or-treated with Anna and my Gramma M, the whole night! Fun times!

Halloween Party

The girls had fun at the Halloween celebration at the Children's Museum: playing, enjoying the abracadabra exhibit, watching spooky science experiments, playing wih green slime, and eating yummy chocolate spiders! Then we got a pizza from Mama Santa's in Little Italy and found a secret little alley to enjoy our picnic pizza :)

Geneva Trick-or-Treat!

Grandma M took the girls to Geneva to trick-or-treat so I could stay home and keep Mike company :) Thanks Mom!

Creamy-Faced Carla

Carla just loves her plain yogurt, especially when she eats it all by herself!

Anna's first race and Colleen's first 19! Very Exciting!

PS- Dancing video to come!

Bubble girl

Carla doesn't mind water, shampoo, soap, etc, anywhere on her, even her eyes, and Anna takes full advantage of this. The rule is that if she cries Anna has to stop, but Carla mostly just takes it,...Anna is going to get it someday!

Anna made a pasta necklace

She even painted the noodles! Her innocent pose...

Carla's first painting -- a masterpiece!

Action shot!

Dimple (sometimes two)

Carla's first pair of headphones!

Note Carla's headphones (upside down barbie)! I think she is listening to Dave Matthews :) They just love being together, so cute!



PS- Check back for a cute video of Anna (delay due to technical difficulties)!

The panty snatcher!

Anna always takes off all of her bottoms when she goes potty. Carla is always hanging around, and she is also always grabbing Anna's panties (hence the name "Panty Snatcher"). Today, Carla decided they would make a nice hat! Anyway, I quickly took a few pics, and then couldn't pick a fav, so I made this. Enjoy!

PS- A month later, Carla began wearing big girl panties of her own, and guess what?! No more panty snatching...maybe she was trying to tell us something!

Happy Engagement Erin and Anthony!

Anna had so much fun playing with your ring bearers and she is so excited to be your flower girl!

Nutty, then nappin'

Anna was having a ROUGH afternoon and then she suddenly fell FAST asleep! Ah, peace.

Happy little birthday elves!

Many birthdays! Giuseppe, Grandma J, AND Daddy!

The big day!

It was a great day for a race! The rain held out (mostly, the downpour anyway) until after the race! Jenny and I got to run the Akron Marathon race together! A dream come true! I was excited to qualify finally for Boston and Jenny had an AMAZING marathon debut!

Notice the middle-of-the-night lighting in the first few photos! Today was one of the first times Anna and Carla were holding hands, so cute! Also, note Carla coloring! She's getting so big! Anna and Carla had a ball with Jenny's whole cheering squad who wore awesome "RUN JEN RUN" t-shirts! Thanks for the support gang! AND thank you Jenny for an amazing summer/fall of training with you! Thanks too for the photos of us -- I can't believe I didn't get one! Thank goodness you did!

Dinner together was fun and hot tub recovery felt pretty amazing (also missing photos)! What a great day!

Bill Rodgers and Writing!

Yeah! It was SO awesome to see Jenny after all of our long-distance, long-distance training! Here at the Akron Marathon Expo, we (Jenny, Emma, Luke, me, and Anna) got to talk with the legendary Bill Rodgers (repeat winner of the Boston and NY marathons, and record holder of the American marathon in the 70s). Very inspiring!

In other news: Anna wrote her first note, sentence, card! it was to Anna Fiscus:) Very exciting!
(see upper right corner of photo)

Snuggly baby girl

Lying around together :)

NYC here we come!

Can you believe we flew to NYC on September 11th? Surprisingly the flight was full! Mom and I got to see Michael, Dr. Oz, and the Big Apple! Dr. Oz is my favorite show -- he is the greatest! And it was so fun that Michael got to come to the show too! It was a perfect show for BOTh Michael and I -- Dr Oz talked about breathing, practicing yoga, and eating avocados!

Here we are in Times Square! Many fun adventures and memories!
Thanks Mom! I love you!

Carla...

Running away with toilet paper, dancing on the steps, and walking down the steps, so cute.

Our Monkey

Loves to climb AND loves BANANAS!

Carla's favorite things

1. Playgrounds

It's becoming clearer as I go through photos, and it makes sense because at home she climbs ...anything she can: a table, book shelf, toilet, big rocking horse, the stairs (on the outside of the railing)...you name it! So yeah, playgrounds are a great place for our little monkey!

Sea Shell Creation

Saint Raphael Parish Family Picnic

Pile of girls and some fun with photo effects:)

Fun at the playground :)...no PT for Mike, since he didn't get injured until September 1st...I really must do this blog more currently! Sorry Mike!

Have a happy day!

Blanket Ride!

Ice cream finale!

More end-of-summer sandy beach fun with an ice cream finale!

Funny Carla :)

Fast Riders!

Then we had fun playing with cousins and eating pizza that Zio Alessandro made - Yum!

Crazy Kindermusik girl!

Anna was so good during Carla's Kindermusik class at the library, but by the time the time for her class came around (there was another half hour or so between them), she was going wild! Here is a glimpse!

Then this afternoon we had some bubble-fun with Aunt Sara!

Then! We went to see Elizabeth tough it out through a THREE hour tennis match!

Nice work Elizabeth!