Hangin' Out

A lot of this lately (hanging around, literally most of the time).  I'll post about our great Thanksgiving weekend soon! 

iphone diaries..

At the library, there is a dry erase wall the kids love to draw and write on.  I pulled up a stack of my own books to flip through on the ground while the kids busied themselves coloring before choosing their own books.  When I looked up, this was part of Mia's work.  She told me that she drew me in "wedge" shoes because they are cool and I should get a pair.  And when I get a pair, I should get her a pair too. 

V and I had a date night not to long ago (after attending a beautiful "Dia de los muertos" party with friends and family).  We stopped into the Kirkland museum before heading to dinner.  We walked quickly through the small museum, knowing we had reservations.  It housed "decorative" art, meaning the things people actually have in their homes.  We were giddy at the idea of being out and about in the city....on our own.   

When we got home that night....look what my mom had helped Mia and Luca create out of a bag of toilet paper and paper towel tubes she had collected.  This castle is fantastic!  With a working drawbridge!  It's official....we've got our own version of "Craft Wars" over here.  Mia and Luca are now obsessed with creating things out of nothing.  She'll run upstairs and say, "Mom!  Quick!  I need glue, scissors, and a small piece of cotton." 

The "Champagne Cascade" at V's work.  That's 6,000 champagne glasses there, with roses tucked into some of them to represent the red cross, the charity chosen this year to donate proceeds. 

Waiting to run around the hotel like Eloise. 

Here are the kids parked near Daddy at work. A juice and hot chocolate date with their favorite guy. 

Mia brought along the "weekend pals", which are sent home every weekend with a different student from Mia's class.  The student is expected to draw a picture and write about the stuffed animals' experience.  Mia is a bona fide writer now, and wrote that "Gerald and Piggy had a blast at my daddy's work." 

I love my alone time with Luca before we get Mia from school.  I'm always trying to think of stuff that he would like to do.  Cleaning and watching me do work are NOT fun, he has declared.  I set him to work rolling out pizza dough.  The kid is a natural.  "Luca's Pizzeria" anyone?

Nonna and Nana



This is a  cute picture from Nonna's visit a few weeks ago.  The kids watched her cook, and picked up a few tips.  They declared her to be the "best cooker in the whole entire world". 



Nonna and Nana.  The kids are lucky to have two women they love so much.  And V and I have realized as we age, you never stop needing your mother.  Thanks ladies! We love you! 

Ladybug Girl and a Fireman

Mia and I are on fall break so only Luca had school on Halloween.  We girls tagged along to keep him company for the morning.  The annual parade at his preschool was a big hit, because candy was involved.  (In case you didn't know....that piece is pretty important.)

Here he is hard at work on a craft. 

Doesn't he look very official? 

We came home from school, ate lunch, and took naps.  Afterward, it was close to show time.  The kids gravitated to their usual spot, the front yard swing.  Of all of the work we've done to our house, this swing is our favorite 'addition'.  It gets more use only behind the washing machine and the dishwasher.  They swung and did daring tricks, asking me every 45 seconds if it was time yet.  "Is the sun still up?"  I'd shout outside in response.   "Yes," they'd answer.  "Then the answer is no...it isn't time."   

We ate a birthday dinner with Nana, lit our candles in our pumpkins, and set off to gather the most amount of candy possible.  Mission accomplished.  After fishing out Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for me, a few of the kids' and V's favorites, plus some favorites for our friends who don't trick or treat, we gathered the rest in a bag to donate to soldiers through a candy drive at Mia's school.  Brilliant idea.