Anna took the first photo on the left of Carla :) and another 30 or so of our yard, and my belly! Thanks Mom for the birthday package :) We took a video today of Carla singing "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes", maybe someday it will be on here! Also stay tuned for Carla presenting "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" -- that was at Jenny's house. Very cute.
We all (though missing Daddy) had a ball visiting the Fiscus gang in Cook Forest! Thank you for such a nice visit :) Sorry boys for your cute faces mostly missing from the photos! I think there is one of "Baby Ty" as our Anna calls sweetie-pie Luke :)
Today the girls and I braved a trip on our own to Cooks Forrest to see Jenny's big race (Mike was off to Texas). I knew she was going to do awesome - but she surpassed any amazing goals I would have even thought possible! She finished in 1:30!!! A-MAZ-ING! You rule Jenny! Very inspiring!
A fun surprise was seeing "Coaches" Kathy and Mike -- they originally brought Jenny and I together many years ago at Mercyhurst, and they are EXACTLY the same as back then! Thanks for sharing your team cabin Coaches! Anna had fun despite the look on her face in this photo...
We decided a nice family hike was in order, so off we went to Squire's Castle at North Chagrin Reservation! The great outdoors -- such a blessing! Anna was "using all my energy getting up the steep hills" and Carla loved seeing the doggy and pretty horses, though when Caesar (the dog) actually got close she freaked out, Mommy-style. Afterward we replenished at a Chinese buffet! Ah hot and sour soup and coffee ice cream -- mouth watering hits for the pregnant mommy! Anna's favorites were the cantaloupe, ...and the mac and cheese! Carla nibbled everything down like it was her job -- funny that she is our "little" one (in terms of growth charts)! Daddy enjoyed his meal too :)
Today, Anna had a napkin on her lap, and I asked her why it was down there, and she said "Because that's the way adults do it, and I'm almost four :)". Also, yesterday, when she was in the sand and I was taking pics, she said "Are you going to keep doing that until I stop doing cute things?", and then proceeded to make some serious faces. I finally had to tell her that I was going to stop taking pics even though she was still being cute.
can you believe it's March?! Wow, what a great day! This after Anna proceeded to take off all but her panties out on the deck while I was sitting there on the phone saying not to. Don't worry, she was punished, and then I had the swimsuit idea...I just couldn't let the beautiful day go to waste! Carla had fun out there too when she woke up, though I had her in winter boots! Funny site! ...they were really just protective from acorns and still around from winter, hopefully needlessly!
We went for lunch at a nice Irish pub and then watched the parade! Anna loved the doggies and horses, fire trucks and clowns, and music, AND Aunt Maribeth's cast (it was decorated with lots of festive stickers)! Thank you for the darling outfits Aunt Terese!
Exciting how kids grow leaps and bounds as the seasons pass - in size and in every other way! Check out that huge slide that Anna went down -- I think she shocked not only me, but also herself! She was really sort of scared after the fact; she's my cautious one. On the other hand, I was holding my breath for Carla's safety most of the afternoon! They sure are all different -- who knows what the little guy inside me will be like?! It was a fun surprise to have Evan and Eric (the neighbor boys down who live down the street) join us for the fun! Don't Anna and Carla look alike with there attentive look in the last photo?
Too many plans today! I enjoyed Angie's baby shower while Mike went to meet the girls and the rest of the Geneva gang for a St Patty's celebration!
Cool Irish blessing we received this year: May each new day be the best day!...or something close to that :) To anybody who reads this: May each new day be YOUR best day!
Mike and I volunteered for Soup for the Soul tonight, so Jackie took both girls -- Carla's first sleepover at Grandma J's! They had a ball playing with grandma and cousins! Thank you Jackie and Tanya for looking after our ladies!
Giuseppe and Carla were so cute together; he took really good care of her and really kept a close eye on her. Violetta, Dionisio, and Anna especially had fun playing together. It was also very fun seeing ALL five of them marching all around as a gang studying and exploring everything! We all waited in the earthquake simulator -- for a long time, and it was pretty cool, but better yet, we got a pic of all of them together! We love you Pilumeli's!!!
Today was another nice day, swimming indoors in the morning, and then spending time outdoors in the afternoon. Then Daddy came home before the girls were in bed -- exciting! So nice to all be together again :) We love you Daddy!
Oh, check out Mike's Dr Seuss hat! We made them after he left for Cincinatti on Sunday after we all went to see Seussical The Musical Sunday afternoon.
Carla is CRAZY!!! Do you see her up on TOP of that Little Tikes car! I was telling her to stop and was mostly right behind her, but I couldn't resist letting her get up there - no help - for a pic :) Oh yeah, and see, she was even riding her tricycle backwards! We're in trouble with this one!
Well, I forgot the camera today, but I decided to share our fun day anyway because it was a great one! First we went to Tot Aerobics at the Y (on time!), then we went to play time at the library (and the girls were good about cleaning up and leaving), then Carla napped and Anna ate her lunch nicely (sometimes getting her to eat a meal is...something), then we went to the Nature Center and saw lots of animals (and my favorite part was watching the girls talk and talk to each of the bunnies), then it was off to my mom's where we got to experience Anna's dream come true! We got to play in the snow AND play on the playground at the same time! She's been sad about our snowgirl melting and happy about playground time beginning, and wishing that she could do both, which Mike and I have been explaining is quite impossible...never say never! We had a very fun, snowy, muddy walk through the woods, then did some snow building and snow ball throwing (Anna would kindly warn me to close my coat so she could throw one at me!), and then the play ground was open! (Grandma and I were pretty sure the gates would be closed...good thing we checked!) I have never seen Anna have so much fun on a swing, and dear old, daring Carla, had a ball FLYING down the tall slide over and over! Then we had a nice dinner (Anna again ate pretty easily...guess it was all her physical exertion!), and the girls helped Gramma make "patrick" (as Anna says for "shamrocks") and spring/Easter cookies! Also, we had a tea party, and did a shamrock craft! They again cleaned up the toys and left nicely (yeah!) and were both asleep in minutes in the car (right after Anna said "I'mmmmmmm sleepy.") Now for some late (and abbreviated) exercises and bed! I just couldn't resist another "real time" blog post! I remembered (actually NON-technical gramma thought of) taking a picture with my phone when we were at the park, so I took some, but ... I think I am going to have to send them to Mike's phone and then he is going to have to email them to me, and well, that was too much for one night! Good night! Enjoy another SPRING day!
"Coon, coon, coon, touch, touch, touch!" squealed Carla! What a funny surprise! I think this guy knew that we were having a rough afternoon and wanted to cheer us up, especially since Papa is coming home later than expected! Poor Mike is driving from Detroit now, after being stuck there all day thinking he would be flying out soon! At least he can sleep in his (our) own bed tonight!
PS- right after I posted this originally, we saw our friend again. This time he was up against our family room window!!! Yeah, he was crawling around between our window and a three foot mound of snow! Wild! Before the girls had been saying they wanted to touch it, and then Anna had her hands right against the window where the raccoon was! Here is a blurry photo hardly worth posting, but yikes!: 
Good night! Girls are asleep and Hubby should be home momentarily!
Happy March!!! I never thought the day would come, but I didn't have to change the date on this post! Praise the Lord! Let's see if I actually keep up! I am challenging myself to do so!
By the way, Carla is talking a lot these days! So exciting! She says: Mom, Mama, Mommy, Daddy, Papa, Anna, baby, water, more, eat, poop, potty, pretty, tee (tea, tree), nut, cheese, mana (banana), juice, meats (Miniwheats), ant (oink), mo (milk), bool (stool), boots, boos (shoes), up (cup, up), ope (open, oops - Mommy version of oops often, which I only just realized I say - ope!), teat (treat), andy (candy), Amen, Jesus (often very loudly in Mass!), burr (bear, cold), bapes (grapes), budget (vitamin??), doctor (flower, doctor), daughter (for who knows what??), Ama (grandma), peeeez (please, THIS is adorable, because it only usually comes after being told "no", or "all gone"), ...well that was fun ...first time I am thinking of this list by the way. And she is constantly repeating words she hears now, sometimes really well, other times, not so much. I think I hear her waking from her nap! Have a great day!!!
