Wednesday, October 14, 2009

FOUND!

Three small princess figurines, a little green bouncy ball, and one pacifier have all been freed from the subwoofer they'd apparently been stashed in some time ago.

Authorities (i.e. Mommy) have recent to believe it was an inside job as both of the primary suspects are currently in hiding....in a kitchen cabinet.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Sadness All Around

Three viewings/funerals in one week are entirely too many. I'm not sure what else to say, other than my prayer list has never been so long and my heart has rarely been this heavy.

So here it is:

Remembering my friend Lori's father, Donald Krasko (60), and my husband's two unlces, Henry D'Alessandro (68) and Kenny Graham (45), who tragically died on the very same day.

I'll be back next week.

Be well.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Special Thanks to my Nephew

Having conquered the great potty training milestone, I was happily pretending that no further bathroom obstacles would find themselves in my near future. The problem with poop was resolved in the middle of a wedding (a story I keep forgetting to post) and my fastidious little fellow has even declared that he will no longer be wearing diapers at any time...including naps or bedtime.

This is all well and good, with one little exception.

Unless my Joseph develops the thickest of skins on the planet, his reliance on a little potty that sings to him as he sits on it and hums along will surely warrant some serious taunting come middle school.

So, my next hurdle would be to take homo habilis from the sitting down position to the standing shot.

Enter cousin Nick.

While babysitting my 3 year old nephew, an impromptu trip to the boys room provided a much needed tutorial in what big boys do for Joseph, who idolizes his much older relative. Here's how it went down:

Joseph: (Staring in disbelief at a standing Nicholas in relief) Mama, what he doin?
Me: He's going to the bathroom like big boys do....standing up.
Nick: Is it time for lunch?

A brief moment of male bonding quickly transcended into monumental progress. Within minutes of returning home...

Joseph: Mama! Pee pees!
Me: Okay, let's go.
Joseph: (Pointing to the big potty) Mama, like Nicky do?
Me: Okay, buddy, let's see.

I grab the conveniently located stool by the sink and prop the ingenue up. More than a little eager, Joseph takes aim and proudly emulates his nephew....with hands on hips and confidence in his gaze.

A mother couldn't be prouder, or more amazed that such a small boy could produce such a ricochet.

Quote of the Day

"Youth is like spring, an over praised season more remarkable for biting winds than genial breezes. Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits." ~Samuel Butler

Picture of the Day


It doesn't matter their age, men just love a good set of wheels.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Halloween

Given her past choices in Halloween costumes (flamingo, panda), you can imagine my excitement when Olivia declared that this year she would be a beautiful butterfly.

If you had any idea how tricky it is to track down a flamingo costume, you'd also known that I was as thrilled about the conventional nature of the choice as I was the convenient ease of finding said butterfly.

Unfortunately, it only lasted a week.

Now she wants to be a hot dog.

In other Halloween news, Joseph is happy to announce he'll be Mater, complete with a flannel shirt and red paint on his neck.

Picture of the Day

Daddy's suit jacket helps out on a crisp fall day
(or any given August afternoon in Upstate NY)