Squirrel~A~Nator 2000

Cenzo made one of his Creations for Papa's Birthday! According to Cenzo, The Squirrel~A~Nator 2000 is a Medicine Machine and Squirrel Communicator.  It can heal Papa and help him talk to squirrels.  He can also use it as a telescope to see the squirrels.  It helps squirrels find nuts and water.  And it can chase away bad guys and turn into an airplane.  He summed it up by telling us, "it is basically everything Papa could wish for."

Rocket 39,000

Cenzo and Luccio awarded Isabella the Rocket 39, 000 for peeing on the potty!! It is quite the creation they have designed using a Crayon Bank and a soda bottle and LOTS of duct tape.  They have been working on it for the past 2 days and are very proud of it.  This morning when they heard Isabella was going to try sitting on the potty they were very encouraging. And when much to everyone's surprise she actually peed into the toilet there was a lot of hoopla and excitement.  And then as if reading each other's minds those amazing twin boys came running into the bathroom to present the prestigious Rocket Award. To say Isabella was thrilled to have her brothers attention and admiration would be a major understatement.  She pranced out of the bathroom like she was Queen of the World! She carried her new Rocket into her room and set it up right next to her bed.  Such a fabulous moment!

Mamacentric

Isabella's Speech Therapist has told me she is "Mamacentric."  Most of her language revolves around me and just about every sentence includes "Mama."  Her language is really starting to develop and she has all sorts of "isms" that is she known for. One of my favorites is:  "I miss you all day Mama."  This is the most often heard phrase she uses, she "misses" me when I go into the kitchen, or have to use the bathroom, or have been sitting too quietly for too long without interacting with her.  She misses me whether I am 2 feet away from her or have been away for hours.  She says it in a sing-sing-y voice that is just precious! And hilarious, especially when more likely than not, I have been home with her all day, every day. Love that girl!

Her other well known phrases include:

"I slept all night Mama" - this can be misleading because she says this even when she has not slept ALL night.  She will say it if she has slept 12 hours in her own bed, or slept some of the night but woke up and slept in my bed for the rest of the time, or if she has taken a nap for a an hour.  Basically falling asleep counts as having slept all night to her.

"Love you ever Mama" - nothing cuter than hearing that little doll tell me she loves me forever!

"I pee on the potty Mama"- um, no you didn't. You peed in your diaper, or on the floor, but you did not pee on the potty. But, nice try.

"I go with you Mama?" - yes. You will go with me. Because you go everywhere with me. Every day. Yet, you still feel the need to ask. Even when we are already in the car driving.

And the newest and most emphatic "I do it myself Mama!" or the variation, "Let me do it Mama!" these expressions are usually followed with a GROWL!  I love that she wants to do everything herself from getting dressed to buckling her seatbelt.  She is starting at a much younger age than her brothers with such independence. And I couldn't be happier to see her trying everything for herself.  Even if it takes me MUCH longer to get EVERYWHERE.  But, there is something magical about watching a child become their own independent person.  This morning when she dressed herself from head to toe including her hair bow and shoes her brothers were cheering like she had won a Super Bowl, they were so proud of her. And she was proud of herself.  So worth the extra few minutes it took.

I love that Isabella can have "conversations" now and get her point across without as much frustration. She has such great ideas and so much knowledge and sometime she is just so funny!

And while there are some days I want to change my name because I have heard "Mama" too many times for a human to count, I have to admit I love being the center of this precious person's world.  Motherhood can be exhausting and zap every last ounce of my energy.  But, at the end of the day when I hear that sweet little voice whisper, "You my best friend Mama" that is my reward.  Every last bit of stress and sleep deprivation melts and I think - this is what my Life is for.

The Story of Meeting My Sweetest

Memories

Me, Crazy Cousin and Nonni

The kids had fun spending time with my parents this weekend. It brought back memories of my own grandparents. Until I was 8 or 9 years old I spent just about every Friday night sleeping over my Gram and Poppy's (my Dad's parents.)  My Mom would drop me off to my Gram at work on Friday afternoons.  Gram worked as a secretary for the Board of Ed and she was so proud to show me off to her co-workers and friends! Then we would go home and see Poppy.

We had our weekend routine. On Friday night Gram would go to Bingo and Poppy and I would go grocery shopping. I loved getting to help fill the cart and he always let me pick out whatever junk foods I wanted.  Then we would go to McDonalds and get Happy Meals and head home to watch The Dukes of Hazzard.  I know for sure there were shows Poppy would rather have watched.  Probably anything else.  But, he knew I loved Bo and Luke Duke and the General Lee so every Friday night we watch "our show."  When Gram got home from Bingo we would have ice cream.  It was a late night treat. They always had ice cream, always. It was the Breyers chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry combo.  So you could pick 1, 2 or 3 flavors and then Gram would let me pour as much chocolate syrup and whip cream as I wanted.  I stayed up until I was tired and slept as late as I wanted in the morning.  Then Poppy would make me french toast for breakfast and I spent most of the day in jammies watching tv.  Gram got a cable box way sooner than my parents or friends. So she had tons of channels to choose from, I loved it!

More often than not I would end staying over on Saturday nights.  And when my brother was old enough he would usually come over on Saturdays too. In the afternoon Poppy and I would go church.  I remember kneeling in the pews of that old cathedral and thinking how much I loved spending time with him.  I knew it was special. I can still smell his Old Spice aftershave that he wore just for church.  I remember being 6 years old and watching Poppy receive the Eucharist and I was determined to have that for myself.  I was so proud the first Saturday after my First Communion when I could finally get the Eucharist with Poppy!

On Saturday nights we played games.  Gram taught us to play pinnacle and poker and Go Fish.  She would bring out all of her nickels that she kept in a big jar and we could use the money to make bets.  Looking back now I can't help but laugh at that!!  They had a  snack cabinet filled with all "sugar cereals" that my brother loved. Gram would let him fill a salad bowl with cereal and pour as much milk as he wanted.  He would eat coco puffs and fruity pebbles and frosted flakes all mixed together.  It was all the cereals my mom never bought so the weekend at Gram's was extra special! She also kept a large supply of Fig Newtons and packs of gum.  My mom couldn't stand gum chewing or chomping as she always said.  But, Gram didn't mind. And she didn't get mad when I would get it stuck in my very long hair.  One time she spent a good part of the afternoon combing gum out of my hair and using peanut butter to try to salvage as many strands as possible so my hair wouldn't have be cut off. She was a determined lady for sure!

When we got older my brother and I still stayed over pretty often.  My bother stayed especially close with Gram in his teens and 20's.  During high school he and his friends would skip out of school and head to Gram's for lunch.  We aren't sure if she realized they had left school without permission or if she bought the idea that the school let them out early.  But, she was a smart lady and I have to believe she knew the truth and didn't admit to it because then she would have to make them go back to school.  There was nothing Gram loved better than feeding people, so breaking the rules or not she was feeding those teenagers!

Most Sundays we went to Gram and Poppy's for dinner.  Usually my brother and I were already there anyway so my parents would come over at dinner time and hang out too.  Dinner always included pasta which was and is still my favorite.  And always a meat. Gram was a carnivore for sure.  She and my brother shared a love for steak!  And she always reminded us not to fill up too much because we had to save room for dessert. Gram loved desserts, Poppy did too.  I don't know how she stayed so thin, but she loved her desserts. I take after her in my love for sweets, just wish I had her petite figure too!  One of Gram's greatest recipes was her Icebox Cake.  Layers of pudding separated with graham crackers.  Nothing quite compares to the perfection of gooey graham crackers and pudding.  She would make it for Sunday gatherings and birthdays or have Poppy drop one off at our house if someone was sick.  Years after Gram passed away I had my first miscarriage and I remember crying in bed and wishing I had some of her icebox cake. My Poppy heard about that request and showed up at my door with an Icebox Cake he made for me.  I cannot explain what a healing balm that warm pudding cake was. After that I found the strength to get moving again.

Gram and Poppy are gone now.  And sometimes I miss them so much. There are days that I think I might take ride over with the kids and visit. Then I remember they aren't there. I know Gram would have loved spoiling these little ones. Especially Luccio who is named for her.

I am grateful to still have my Nonni, my Mom's mom.  I have always been very close to Nonni and used to spent a lot of time with her and Grampa when he was alive.  I was very fortunate that my Mom stayed home to raise us so I had a lot of opportunity to spend time with my family even during the week.  We went to Nonni's a lot.  When I was very little we lived right next to her house and I went there daily.  As I got older I still spent a lot of time with her.  When I slept over she would take me and my Cousin Tracy aka Crazy Cousin to Bingo with her. Tracy and I are 9 months apart and growing up we were together a lot.  We loved Bingo nights with Nonni.  She used to take us Downtown too. Back when it was safe to ride on public transportation and hang out on the town green.  We would shop and then feed the pigeons in the park. I remember Nonni brushing our hair and braiding it.  Tracy and I used to complain because our hair was waist length and Nonni used a metal comb! But, she sure did know how to make the best ponytails!! And the best sauce in the world. NOTHING even comes close to Nonni's pasta sauce.  There is no written recipe for it and she can show you how to make it but it never comes out quite the same way twice.  My son Vincenzo loves his Nonni's sauce so much. Nothing makes an Italian great-grandmother prouder than watching her great-grandson enjoy her pasta.

When I was old enough I used go on trips to the Casino with Nonni and Grampa.  We had such fun times! We would go with my mom or aunts and cousins, sometimes we would stay over.  Grampa loved the Penny Machines! He really came alive at the Casino.  At home he would often look like a little old man. He would snuggle on his couch and be content to sit in the background while all the women in our lives would chat around him. He was a man of few words.  But, when he did have something to say it was always witty and had us laughing! When he stepped into the casino he was like a young man again and had such a spring to his step.  I still remember his cute little smile and great sense of humor!  One time I convinced him to go shopping with me at the Casino gift stores.  He told me he didn't go to the Casino to shop, but then took a detour into one of the stores and bought me a beautiful Native American doll.  He was so proud and it was such splurge, everything in those stores is so expensive but these dolls were just outrageously priced and he was like a little kid filled with happiness buying one for me!  I still have that doll and cherish it so much.  It reminds me of all the fun times I had with Grampa.

I have been so fortunate to have had Nonni there for my birth and still with me this year as I celebrated my 37th birthday.  Now that I have my own daughter we are 4 generations of women when we are all together. I pray that we have more years together and that my children will have memories of her that they will carry with them and treasure.

It is funny the things that you remember and cherish as you grow older.  Sometimes it is the slightest thing that will bring all of these wonderful moments flooding back.  The smells, sights, tastes and sounds that stay with you forever.  I love watching my children create new memories with their own grandparents, Stregga & Papa and Grandma & Papa.  And I am so blessed to have had so many great years with my Gram, Poppy, Grampa and Nonni.  Now I feel like making a pot of sauce and an icebox cake!

Princess Gun

I tried not to overreact when Isabella aimed her Barbie at me and said, "Princess Gun!" I didn't know if I should laugh or reprimand, so I used the best known parenting strategy when you are caught in a jam - I ignored it. We don't encourage gun play or purchase gun related toys. But, it seems inevitable that guns, shooting, and all around weaponry finds it's way into the imaginative play of children. I used to think it was gender related. Boys can turn everything from a french toast stick to a baggie tie into a gun. Or as my boys call them~ their "shooters." They have some play swords with pirate costumes that they always make sound like machine guns even though they have never actually seen one. We monitor what they watch on tv and talk about why we don't believe in gun play. But, they are 5 year old boys and don't live in bubbles so they have exposure to fake guns. One friend showed up over the holidays with his new plastic shotgun. The boys loved it! They also love going to that friend's house because they have an arsenal of Nerf guns. They can't think of anything cooler than that! For Christmas, Cousin Justin moved up to favorite status when he bought the boys their first Nerf guns. They were overjoyed! We had to set up some ground rules like you only use them in the playroom, don't aim them at people, use objects as targets, etc. I was pleasantly surprised how well they followed the rules and it also encouraged them to actually be in their playroom which had been filled with wonderful and educational toys for the past 5 years, but basically overlooked and ignored. When they ask Hubby and I why we don't like guns we are honest about telling them that guns hurt people and they are not toys. But, at the end of the day they are kids. They enjoy playing. And as long as they are not hurting anyone, that has to be enough right now. We will love them, teach them about the dignity of human life, and hope for the best. And every once in awhile I have to give in to a bit of laughter when my beautiful, thoughtful little baby takes aim at me with her Princess Gun.

Wave of Awareness

Our family is going to be WAlKing to support Hydrocephalus Awareness and Research. What exactly does that mean?? Well...
According to the Hydrocephalus Foundation:
"Hydrocephalus means there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the ventricles of the brain. This fluid builds up and causes the ventricals to enlarge and the pressure inside the head to increase. Hydrocephalus cannot be cured, but can be treated. The most common treatment is a surgical procedure to place a shunt inside the person's brain. The shunt channels the flow of fluid aways from the brain into another part of the body where it can be absorbed and transported ino the bloodstream. If left untreated it could result in permanent brain damage."

Hmmm, a lot to take in. Especially when I first heard the news that my son Luccio has Hydrocephalus. Luccio was born with a Neural Tube Defect (NTD) so essentially that meant that a part of his skull had a small opening causing fluid to build up into a small pocket that looked like a skin covered golf ball on the back of his head when he was born. We fondly called it his "Lumpy." Thankfully at 5 months old Lumpy was removed and his skull was repaired. But, closing up that area caused the fluid to build up and thus Luccio now has Hydrocephalus. So at 14 months old he was "shunted." His neurosurgeon had tried other less invasive pocedures first, but alas the shunt could not be avoided. So Lucci has a tube that is inserted in his ventricles around his brain and it drains fluid into his abdomen. Thus far, thank God its working very well!!

In the beginning it was very scary to me. Greg and I need to be able to be Luccio's advocates. But, it was so overwhelming. I felt like I am wasn't sure if I really knew enough about what i am doing. I think we have good plan in place for him, but is it aggressive enough? What does it mean for his future? For school? With friends? Sports? We are learning as we go. And we have met some wonderful people along they way.

We were going to a support group that helped a lot because we were able to talk with other parents in similar situations. But, in talking with them I realized more than ever that this is an ongoing process.

Hydrocephalus isn't going to go away. Luccio will have it and have to deal with it for the rest of his life. It makes me sad because I don't want him to think that there are limitations placed on him because of it or to struggle in anyway. I want to bubble wrap him and homeschool him so he won't have to deal with insensitive teachers or students! Not logical I know.

Right around Luccio's 3rd birthday, anxiety over him starting preschool was getting me down. I was worried about all that would be out of my control and all that could and would affect him during his school days. After a good cry and a long talk with my brother, I decided to take action! I become more educated about Luccio's rights and needs. We signed him up for school and give each year's teachers the benefit of the doubt. We prepared information for them so they became familiar with Hydrocephalus. And as a family we will educate our loved ones and those involved in Luccio's life as needed. We try to not only hope for the best, we expect it!! We will be his advocates, we will see to it that his needs are met and that he reaches his fullest potential. We will pray that God continues to bless him and our family! And we will pray for his teachers too because I pity the first one that isn't up to par.

And of course, homeschooling is always a great back-up plan, and maybe the bubble wrap too!!

And in the meantime, we have teamed up with the Hydrocephalus Association and we are going to WALK for awareness and pray to someday find a cure! We are so very blessed with generous family and friends that are helping us so much along the way!!!

Alvin Coconut

We have a new addition to our family, Vincenzo's baby Alvin Coconut! He is very loved and takes quite a bit of energy for me to babysit because his Daddy leaves a long list of expectations. For his 5th Birthday Vincenzo wanted to go to the American Girl Doll store and Cafe to celebrate! He convinced his twin brother it was a good idea and so he and Stregga planned the trip and let me tag along. Our good friend Amanda came to! We had so much fun! It is definitely geared towards girls, no doubt about it, the store is so pink and red and shiny and sparkly! The staff refers to everything as "for your girl" for your "birthday girl" etc. So we made quite an entrance when we were greeted at the door and announced we had arrived with our Birthday Boys! The woman at the front entrance looked a bit confused and sort of stepped back a bit to let us through. Luckily the Manager Ed, was fantastic! He made the boys feel very welcomed and showed us around the store. Vincenzo had been pouring over the store's catalog for months, so he knew just want he wanted. He went right for the Bitty Baby section and found his baby. Luccio seemed to be just along for the ride and birthday dessert. He didn't' mind the 2 hour car ride, but wasn't planning out exactly what he would purchase. Until we arrived, then he was so into the experience. He kept saying, "OMG, this store is so cool!" "Look at this, look at this, it's so cool!" He got right into it.

It is a two level store, so we went through the entire place and checked it all out before making our purchase selections. Vincenzo never wavered, he knew which Bitty Baby he wanted and he knew he wanted the crib and clothing for him. Of course, he was shopping with Stregga so he left with bags full of treasures. Both boys also picked stuffed dogs that they loved! We thought the dogs would be what Luccio would be happy with. But, he wasn't leaving without a Bitty Baby twin, he wanted the blond boy doll. Of course he couldn't understand that you don't just pick one off the shelf, you have to take the ones in the boxes. So he had a fit. He wanted the one from the shelf. And he wanted the hoodie it came with. Of course, you can't buy the hoodie separately, it only comes with the set of 2 dolls and all the extras-that we did not need. Luccio was crying and saying his birthday was "ruined" because he really wanted that hoodie for his doll. Luckily Ed saved the day and made special arrangements for the birthday boy to have the hoodie he wanted. Oh the drama!!

Next we had a delicious lunch in the cafe! The Bitty Babies were seated in their own high chairs and served their own cups, so cute!!!

On the ride home Cenzo cradled Alvin Coconut like the newborn he hoped for. But, Luccio's unnamed doll had only his diaper left on and was dancing inappropriately for most the 2 hour ride creating a lot of laughter in the backseat. Until Cenzo finally got sick of it and told him to tell his guy that it wasn't appropriate to act that way around a newborn.

Since arriving home, Unnamed Doll stays in Luccio's bed. He is not catered to in any way, but he holds a special spot among the stuffed animals and is always checked on to be sure he is there for bedtime.

Cenzo's baby, Alvin Coconut requires a bit more care. The first night Cenzo tucked his baby into his new crib with blankets and Fluffy. The next morning began a new tradition of the boys carrying out Alvin's crib to the living room, they each take a side. So funny! A weary Cenzo informed me, "It's a lot of work being a Daddy. I was up most of the night watching on my baby. I rested a little, but not much." Welcome to parenthood my friend.

There was moment of panic that first morning when Cenzo realized Alvin Coconut could not go to school with him. In the end it was agreed upon that Alvin would be strapped into his own carseat and take the ride to school, but not get out of the car. Isabella and I were recruited as babysitters. We were given a long, very detailed list of what to do and what not to do. He wrote some notes for us in case we forgot. Of course his notes looked like a bunch of letters and circles, but he explained what they meant.

Alvin Coconut's care instructions:

-He likes to drink his milk. He drinks from a bottle only. (I guess implying no one should nurse Alvin Coconut??) But, he does have a "machine" (cardboard box aka breast pump??) that his Daddy left for us to get him more milk when he needs it.

-He should have milk at least 3 or 40 times a day

-Alvin likes to wear his pink flowered sleeper. This is not pajamas and does not mean he is a girl. It's just his "Day Clothes." He really likes his Day Clothes. If he needs pajamas he can wear his blue sleeper, but he prefers his pink Day Clothes.

-He can sleep in his crib, with a blanket. He must have a blanket. And a hat when possible. It's best if the hat and blanket match.

-He is little and not used to sleeping alone, so his crib has to be in the room with me or Isabella at all times. If we are napping he can nap next to us, but can't be left in a room alone.

-He is brand new and doesn't understand things yet. So he can't be bad, so he can not be put in time out.

-He likes to be held upright in your arms. If you hold him back too far it makes him sleepy and his eyes close. Only hold him that way if it's time for him to sleep.

-He likes to be held a lot. Try to hold him a lot of the day.

-Don't let him cry, if he cries feed him or hold him a lot more.

-He likes to go out, but he needs his carseat in the car.

I have to admit I was stressed the first day because Isabella and I had quite the responsibility in caring for Alvin Coconut. Especially since he comes with a Baby Record book and I had to check off if we fed, rocked, changed and held him!

Isabella likes Alvin and will often look at him and say, "Cenzo Baby." And she holds him a lot. But, truth be told Alvin spends most of his days in the Mom Mobile either with Isabella and I while we run errands, or on his own while we do whatever we do.

But, at the end of every day we are accountable to tell his Daddy about his activities. So we try to be sure to hold him a bit. And I always make sure to think of a few highlights like Alvin liked going to Isabella's mommy & me class, he visited Stregga, etc. I have to be specific because his Daddy likes to know how many hours did he sleep? How many ounces did he drink? Luckily for me his Daddy still hasn't gotten the whole Math thing down, so he is happy to hear Alvin slept for 27 hours and drank 152 ounces of milk.

Vincenzo has gotten some odd looks and comments from people, even some laughter. People can't quite get why a boy would want his birthday at American Girl store and cafe. They are a bit taken aback when he comes running in with his baby and stroller and diaper bag. It was especially a bit of a shock when he went on a sleepover at a friend's house and arrived with Alvin Coconut and his crib. He takes it in stride. He gets a bit shy or embarrassed when he takes Alvin to a new place or someone's house. He feels the environment out for awhile before he is comfortable including Alvin in socializing. One day he put him in bag and left him next to him. At other times he knows he is in a nurturing environment and unloads all of Alvin's treasures and clothes and shares him with people around him.We have very loving family and friends and they have all welcomed Alvin.

I hate that Cenzo knows to feel uncomfortable in any way for being a loving little guy. But, I am proud that he doesn't let that stop him. In fact, he has even recruited a few friends into his Stroller Brigade. He had his brother and his best friend James actually fighting over which strollers they would use, LOL!

Like Stregga says, he is a good Daddy and has obviously received a lot of love and nurturing. And he has the Best Daddy Ever as a role model!

The Layers Between Us

Spent last week on vacation with the family. It was fantastic and surprisingly relaxing! I even had a chance to ponder life a bit. Although with 3 kids the ponderings were not solitary and always somehow connected to the potty. I think the most profound musing I had all week resulted from one of our many visits to public restrooms with the kids. I was shuffling the boys into the stall, a tight fit for 3 people. Add some sand and wet bathing suits and it was just a joy, not to mention the floor was soaked from God knows what and there were no garbages provided so it made for interesting hand washing. Anyway there was a moment of debate between a "clean sweep" of the toilet seat using some toilet paper or lining with rows of tissue instead? Nothing is simple with twin 4 year olds and so we went round and round and finally I encouraged those who can stand, do. And do not touch anything that isn't necessary. Out of the chaos came enlightenment when the boys asked, what is on the seat that they shouldn't touch? and how is toilet paper protecting them from it?

Uh, good questions. Well nasty, gross germs from disgusting pee and poop may be on the seat. And I guess toilet paper protects you because its what everyone does.

But, seriously folks...why do we toilet paper a seat? I mean really what good can that piece of tissue do? If all that is protecting us from contracting a life or death disease is a thin piece of tissue, how safe can that be? UGH!

When I wasn't playing "The Why Game" with the boys, or wiping anyone's behind, I was actually enjoying some leisure time. It helped that my parents vacationed with us. Nothing like outnumbering the kids to make for a great trip!! We spent the days at the beach, the afternoons napping, the evenings playing mini golf, riding go carts, eating ice cream, watching the sunset. It was glorious!! I was happy to get to read some books. The boys enjoyed building sand castles and surfing, the Princess loved being outdoors. Hubby and my parents enjoyed the time to relax and play too! And along the way we got to examine some of life's greatest mysteries. Summer is the best!