Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to Everyone! Hope you tricksters and you treaters stay safe and warm!

Here are a couple pictures I took of Tommy today. Really I took about 100...these are just a few of my favorites. :)

Makin' Mischief

I caught a couple pictures of Tommy this morning while he played in his crib...and he caught me taking his picture. hahahaha

Oh yes, he's my kid.

Immaculata

They’ve made a movie about my college Alma Mater Immaculata College (now a co-ed University) and the coach who led our famous basketball team, The Mighty Macs to win the first national women’s championship in the 70s.

It made me proud and nostalgic to watch the opening scenes of this movie, called Our Lady of Victory. Yes, some of the girls in school with me were That perky, and yes… that’s exactly how the nuns talk To you, At you, and Around you.

Immaculata will always hold a special place in my heart. With my four years living on and off campus, I had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people. Some have been my best friends from the moment we stepped foot on campus, some from the first few days of pledging O Pi E together.

I have so many wonderful memories of Immaculata: from jogging around campus on the chilly winter nights, to grubbing in the cafeteria in my pajamas. 8 AM classes I barely woke in time to make, & hanging out with my sisters doing pretty much anything and everything we could amongst IC’s “haunted” halls.

I loved every moment of my college years at Immaculata & I am so excited for the April 2009 release of this movie. Feel free to check out more information, and to watch a clip: http://www.ourladyofvictorymovie.com/

Paella For You, Paella For Me

Seriously, how good does this look??? It’s a Spanish dish called Paella. Which is chicken, peas, peppers, clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and I’m sure a few other things, all mixed in a rice & cilantro sauce. My mother-in-law makes excellent Paella, and the way she presents her food dishes is just beautiful. Tony and I got some leftovers to enjoy for lunch today, and I can’t wait to eat it!! Tommy wanted my Paella so badly. He just kept reaching for it the whole time I ate dinner. It was hilarious. We had a wonderful time with the family & celebrating Mikey’s birthday.

Looky What I Can Do

Look at what Tommy did while we were in the waiting room at the doctors office today. We couldn't believe it! He only stood holding on for a about 30 seconds, maybe a bit more, but we are so proud! :)

He also had a good time crinkling the paper (and trying to eat it), while we were waiting for the nurse to give him his shots. He was a brave little guy. Took them like a champ with a little crying but was fine once we gave him a little juice afterwards.

Taking a moment during nap time.

I may have gone a little overboard at ACME yesterday. All of the Gerber Stage 2 baby food was on sale 10 for $10 … BRILLIANT!! So, because I am an awesome mom who wants her little boy to have the best variety of foods available…I took advantage of the sale. And then some. Supposedly, he will be on his Stage 2 foods for about two months… I think its safe to say I have enough food now to last the entire two months, perhaps with some extras. It’s neat to see some of the combinations they have – like Apples & Blueberries and Apricot & Mixed Fruit. It sounds delicious. I can’t help but feel as though I could make these things myself. I have a baby food processor, does anyone have any *easy* baby food recipes? I’d at least like to make something myself for him. For those who are getting an early start to their gift giving this year – Toys R Us is having a big sale today and tomorrow. So you may want to head over there and check it out if you have kids to buy for. http://www.toysrus.com/This week was a big week for us. We had Maverick fixed on Tuesday. It was time. I wanted to get it done before Tommy got big enough to crawl after him. Mav needed to rest for a couple of days, which I think would have been nearly impossible with a crawling baby. On Tuesday, we also had our carpets cleaned. We cleaned them ourselves when we first moved into the house a couple years ago, but we never felt they were truly as clean as we wanted them to be. We had the ChemDry guys give the carpet a deep cleaning (extra $$) & remove any excess dog odor from the family room (the old owners never cleaned up after their dog). You should see the difference in the carpet. It looks amazing, smells clean, & feels comfy. Definitely worth the time and money to have the carpets thoroughly cleaned. They are like new! I can’t wait to fix the room up this weekend and start hanging out down there more. Today we are taking Tommy for his 6 month check up. He’s going to get more shots & have his flu shot… poor baby. We feel so bad when he has to have his shots. It’s torture to see him in pain and know that you had at least some part in it – even if it is necessary to ensure he won’t get some sickness we could prevent. We’re trying to figure out where to take Tommy for some portraits. Does anyone go to Sears or Target or some other such place for theirs? Do the pictures look alright? I would normally shy away from a place like that…mostly because I don’t like pictures that look so posed, but I’m also not willing to pay an arm and a leg for a picture of my kid that I could probably take myself if I had the time. Any advice?

The Big 6 Month Old!!

My baby is 6 Months Old Today!!! I can't believe how fast time has flown by!
Look at the cute little ghosts I made... I know, we don't have much set up outside for Halloween, but that's okay... wait until Christmas!!! Just a couple old white t-shirts, some ribbon, a marker, and scissors... its that easy!!

Whirlwind Weekend!

Wow, it was a whirlwind of a weekend.

First, I just wanted to say “thank you” to my Folks, the Wolfgangs, and Nora for your generous contributions to the Juvenile Diabetes Walk To Cure. We truly appreciated your well wishes and support. (Thanks again Mom for watching Tommy while we were at the walk!) We spent this very chilly, very windy weekend outdoors. First, we traveled with Tommy to Cape May for their Victorian Weekend, stopping just inside the town to visit our good friend Mike at his parents’ lovely house. Tony and I absolutely love Cape May, so it was nice that we had a day to take Tommy down for his first visit. Along with walking amongst the lovely homes, and reliving the sights and sounds of this relaxed historic atmosphere, we also took Tommy to the beach for the first time. The walk from the boardwalk to the water was a bit difficult. One of us had to hold Tommy while the other lugged the stroller and diaper bag (Note to new parents: strollers sink into the sand!). It was worth it to see Tommy’s face while he watched the waves rolling in for the very first time. We’ve only ever been to Cape May while the area was twinkling and trimmed for the Christmas holidays, it was nice to see it all spruced up for the fall season too. Though I’m sure it’s very nice during the summer months, I really enjoy the quiet, welcoming community feel of the “off-season” months. While we were there, we walked down Washington Street (the main street with a variety of stores and restaurants) stopping in to get a Christmas ornament from Winterwood (huge store full of holiday ornaments – its awesome!!), my favorite candy bar Flake bar from the Irish store, and a nice hot espresso (warm bottle for Tommy) to warm us up after the chill of the windy streets. We’re hoping to get down there for a long weekend some time next year. I can see us retiring there someday. Sunday was the Walk To Cure Juvenile Diabetes. The 4000 person walk only took about an hour and a half, but the memories of the day will last a lifetime. It was great to see so many people in support of those they love to help fund the JDRF in their struggle to find a cure for this devastating disease – especially to the vendors who provided musical entertainment, warm drinks, and yummy snacks free to support the walkers. My body is aching today, but I don’t mind at all, because it was for Matt. I’d have walked much longer than the 3 ½ miles if that is all it would take to help find a cure for Diabetes. I’m glad I could be a part of Matt’s Wipeout Gang & I’m proud to be a supporter of this great cause.

JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes

I'm writing today to ask for your support in a very special cause. This year, I'll be taking part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk to Cure Diabetes along with a half-million other walkers across the country. Our close friends’ 6 year old son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in January of this year. We are walking in support of Matthew, and his family.

Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes, is a devastating, often deadly disease that affects millions of people--a large and growing percentage of them children. Many people think type 1 diabetes can be controlled by insulin. While insulin does keep people with type 1 diabetes alive, it is NOT a cure. Aside from the daily challenges of living with type 1 diabetes, there are many severe, often fatal, complications caused by the disease. That's the bad news... and yes, it's pretty bad.

The good news, though, is that a cure for type 1 diabetes is within reach. In fact, JDRF funding and leadership is associated with most major scientific breakthroughs in type 1 diabetes research to date. And JDRF funds a major portion of all type 1 diabetes research worldwide, more than any other charity. I'm writing to ask for your support because now more than ever, EACH of us can be a part of bringing about a cure. Each of us can make a real difference Together, we can make the cure a reality.

If you are interested in joining us for the walk - it is this Sunday - October 19th @ Cooper River Park in Pennsauken. The walk is 3.5 miles, at 9AM.

Please visit my Walk Web page if you would like to donate online, or become a part of our walking team: http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87240701 Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for your consideration in donating to this great cause.

Happy Columbus Day!

In celebration of Columbus Day today, I thought I would share the new website for the golden replicas of Columbus’ three famous ships. These ships were hand crafted by my Father-In-Law Antonio, a goldsmith who worked on Jewelers Row in Philadelphia. The three Golden Ships are scaled down replicas of the originals made from the blueprints of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.

http://goldenships.com/index.html

It’s been 19 years since Antonio first began construction of these amazing ships. While he was still alive, I was privileged to see them together and fully constructed. I can tell you from experience that they are remarkable. When you are with them, it is as if you can feel the presence of greatness. You can get lost in the detailed work Antonio put into them and the glow that seems to emit from them. I’ve never seen anything like the three Golden Ships. There will never be anything else like them.

It’s been three years since Antonio passed away. I miss him and think of him often – but especially today. Today, I celebrate not just the life of the famous explorer, but also of my Father-In-Law who touched so many lives and dedicated part of his own life to honoring the history of these three ships.

The Nina

The Pinta

The Santa Maria

For Aunt Mari

Thanks for all the pjs and onesies! "Hi!"

"Almost got these things off my feet.""Wait A Second... What Am I Wearing?""Does Dad know you dressed me like a Cheesehead??""So Silly"

Such a happy little guy.

Just a few pictures I thought I'd share from this week (most were from yesterday, he just kept laughing and being silly all day). I love him so much.

"Mmmmm Green Beans"

"Hi Mommy"

"I Got It!!"

"Truffle Shuffle""Wow Twinkling Lights"