my valentines

Mark and I spent a romantic evening with our two little valentines. Luca set the table, then helped me build a fire. Daddy arrived with 2 roses for his 2 girls and then we tucked into some Indian Vindaloo (nice and spicy for Daddy), and finished it off with straciatella gelato and warm berries (aka Hot Love). By the end of dinner, Luca and Mommy danced to Nelly, then Luca did a few somersaults into Mark's lap while Ella scoured the floor searching for crumbs. The perfect way to spend February the 14th.

Luca sets the scene, complete with his painted hearts

Buon Apetito, Ella far enough from the table to make trouble (aka steal food)

JollyDays

Here's the video you've all been waiting for. It took awhile to try to sum up our 6 week visit and I was able to manage a video that's a little under 8 minutes (sorry Ray).

This video includes two 90th birthday parties, meeting Noah Wilson, Boat Parade, Christmas in Gig Harbor, fun with light sabers, comparing baby belly's with Auntie Amy, table dancing on the Cape for New Years Eve, exercising with Grandma pre knee surgery, visiting Santa on the Polar Express, chasing Luca with a colander on his head, learning to crawl with Ella bug, a reaction to Kung Fu Panda, and belly laughing with Aunties and Uncles. To end with a bang, we managed 24 hours in New York City with Uncle Eric and Auntie Lizzy, giving FAO schwartz employees something to do, bringing out the best in people at the bagel shop and taking in the lights and action of Times Square.

Thank you to everyone for making our trip so memorable and hard to leave!

Two little monkeys

Two months later and here we are! Six weeks in the states was just what the doctor ordered. We got to spend quality time with both Nonni, Aunties and Uncles, and dear friends. Thanks to all of you for making the effort and taking the travel time to come join us. I'll be busy putting together a video collage of our christmas parties and highlights of our trips to the west and east coasts.

Coming back, as always was hard, but it was really nice to be reunited with Daddy, who spent a total of one month as a bachelor. He cleaned up nicely for our arrival. I did find 2 nice boxes of wine under our dining table.

I was so proud of Luca and Ella, who made my first solo flight with 2 kids a breeze. Luca even helped me put all of the jackets on the conveyer belt when we went through security. 

After 6 weeks there were many changes that occured both for Luca and Ella. Luca nearly reversed his potty training success while on the west coast, but as we headed east, things took a turn for the better and he is doing fantastic. Thank God, and before his 3rd birthday! Ella, left Italy as a newborn, and came back with a tooth, and others on the way, crawls on her tummy, therefore swiffing the italian tiles as she goes. But the best change of all, has been watching their relationship grow. Luca gives his sister atleast 4 hugs a day (just like the song), they sleep together (at least part of the night), and now bathe together, an adorable thing to witness. See video above and turn up the volume!

ThanksAdriana

Thanksgiving Album

Our 6th Thanksgiving in Pecetto was a success and had just enough Landlord drama to keep things interesting. It all began when Mark told her a week in advance that we would be hosting our annual Thanksgiving dinner and that she was welcome to come. Well, the next day I got a call on my cell phone from her, the first time ever, and she wanted Mark to come down and talk to her. After a 20 minute interrogation it seemed like Thanksgiving would have to be held elsewhere. She requested that 10 guests would have to enter the building at a time to make sure the minimum amount of heating left the building. And kept insisting that we were hosting 35 people. Well, it called for a letter, so I wrote her one, for the 3rd time this year. I told her I would remind guests to close the door gently behind them and assured her we would be in 20 adults and their children. So the morning of, we got this lovely letter from her stating "By your Word...I ask you to keep the chaos to a minimum and when I come back I will count how many you are in." She then highlighted where I said in my letter "20 adults and their children."

Dear, dear Adriana. Well, the show went on, we framed her note with the Obama family, and in the end we were in 18 adults and 5 babies.

Many thanks to our turkey raisers and butchers, Carmine & Piera, our dear neighbors Valeria & Marco that are always there to lend a hand, or lend anything we might need, or not know we need! Thank you to all our guests who made this dinner a success with your wine, desserts, potatoes, appetites, and good company!

Special side note: Michelle & Guillaume could not make it to Thanksgiving because they were busy with baby Sophie Mercier who was born on Thanksgiving Day! Hooray!

Parole

Just a nice excuse to post a photo of ella bug in her sweater and hat made by nonnie betsy

Parole, words, we are getting lots of them lately and some of these words put together are just little exchanges that will never happen again and will more than likely be forgotten if i don't write them down.

Ciao Bug!
Bug, aka, Ella. This is the cheerful greeting Ella gets from L as soon as she wakes each morning.

pancake bells
pancakes were first introduced to L for his first birthday and has become somewhat of an obsession. After storytime and being tucked in each night, he says in a whisper, pancakes! He's putting in his order for breakfast. This has evolved into pancake bells, now that L is sleeping in a big bed. At 7am our church bells ring 45 times waking up the town, they have now become the bells that let L know he can get out of bed. No, it doesn't work super easily, but atleast he knows he can't get breakfast until he hears the pancake bells.

bite ella
Ella rarely cries, God bless her, but when she does, she bursts into tears with a proper girl cry. The other day Ella was hanging out in her swing when big brother came for a visit. It appeared to me to be an affectionate embrace until Ella broke into said cry. L immediately said, Bite Ella and indicated his finger. I was very cross with him, but his immediate confession was touching.

snake
we know a lot of animals thanks to L's giant library, but snake is special. This was L's reference to every bowel movement he made in his little potty this summer when we were training. We were always so proud to hear the word snake.

baby like
we talk a lot about what we like now, especially when it comes to Ato (gelato). When we read L's favorite truck book he loves pointing to each type of ice cream and saying luca like this, baby like this, momma like this, daddy like this....it was my first indication that he recognized ella as member of our family.

ciao nonni
ever since nonni coletti left on a plane a year ago, all of the nonni who have since come and gone get saluted when a plane flies overhead.

poppie's boat
any yacht is poppies boat. occasionally L says it, but then retracts his statement and says poppies boat BIG!

one, two, three, four, cinque, otto
ever since school started, we're mixing our english and italian together. It will get straightened out eventually.

Ciao Claudio!
Claudio is a pecetto farmer, more importantly, tractor owner, that looks like he was pulled straight out of the 19th century. Ever since L learned his name last summer, he gets a shout out and L gets a polite nod.

fuoco
everything is a fuoco (fire). This usually means all of Ls toys pulled out and dumped in some corner of the living room or under a couch pillow. He made a very nice one at school just in time for me to pick him up. I almost got down on my hands and knees to help pick up but there was another boy involved so i left him the fun.

trat-tor-re-re and rimorchio
tractors are another obsession and can be seen from miles away. They have their own cheer, T-R-A-C-T-O-R, what's that spell, TRAT-TOR-RE-RE. once again we're mixing some languages together. Rimorchio is italian for trailer, or whatever the tractor could be towing behind it. It was one of L's first words.

pane, fish!
L gets served a 4 corse meal at school everyday. Usually a pasta, then a meat or fish, a side of veggies, and then fruit or cake for dessert. The first week I picked him up, I would ask, what did you eat today and the response was always pane, fish!

daddy vin
daddy's alcohol is something of a novelty for Luca. He calls beer and wine, Daddy vin. The other day we were sitting at the dinner table, and mommy took a sip of Daddy's wine, while he was getting something. As soon as Mark sat down, he was alerted by Luca that "Mommy drink Daddy vin!" Little tattle tale! The glass recycling truck comes a couple times a month and makes a raucous coming down the street. As soon as L hears the familiar dumping of glass, he puts his finger up in the air pauses, and says, Daddy vin!

I'm sure there are many more, so I'll just have to keep updating.

Snow-liday

Four day weekends are the best. Especially when you're only 2 hours away from a place like this. We hope to return someday soon, hopefully with a load of family members or friends. For album, click on link below.

Snow-liday Album

spooky week

There were so many plans for this week, but this one like so many others reminded me of what it's like to have kids. Things don't really go according to plan. The weekend was low key and we were feeling well rested, until Sunday night hit, and Luca fell asleep on the couch for 10 minutes. Something is not right when Luca is actually resting outside of his bed and not during a nap time. Then he fell asleep as I was reading him his bedtime story, a definite first. An hour later he was busy throwing up all of the delicious pizza he had eaten for dinner. After changing clothing and bedding, he was down with a bit of a fever and we left a nice bucket next to his bed, just like what my mom used to do.....sigh.

Monday, no school for Luca, and Tuesday which was supposed to be his first ever field trip with school, collecting apples and making apple marmalade...we missed that too. Bummer, but I was determined to keep him out of school until Thursday, tomorrow, when we go to the French Alps for a much needed 3 days of being cooped up in a rustic mountain cabin with a fire aglow all waking hours.

But the nice thing about having kids, is they still can surprise you in the sweetest ways, even when your plans are not fulfilled.

 2 years and 7 months, first time reading on the job

 finally, a fire in the fireplace

 sick day choo choo train

 Last minute Halloween dash...

sweet success

Look who's standing, with a little help and constant supervision