Birthday madness

May 7, 2013May 7, 2013Leave a comment

The 8 year-old birthday festivities have concluded. They lasted four days and made me a zombie by the end.

Ri did not want a big bash at an inflatable gym or a sleepover with 10 girls this year. She wanted her best girlfriend and her cousin to come out to the farm for the weekend. And she wanted me to do a “surprise” at her school. Piece of cake, heh? Not for the mom who has to think of fifty different ways to create the best surprise.

It started at the beginning of the week with traveling to four different bike shops to look for bikes for Ri. Then debating over and over whether to get her a used bike of a new one. Then whether to get a new Target bike or a new Trek bike. In the end, we opted for the Trek because Ri loves to bike so much. She also just reached the height to be on a 24 inch bike so she’ll use this one for a while. I took her to the Trek store in the guise of getting a bike for Jon’s birthday so I could see which one she gravitated towards. Surprisingly, she went for the black one with pink writing and not the pink one. Good girl.

I also ran around shoe stores and Target to buy her some sandals and shorts. She loves these new athletic shorts at Target and she needs them – her running shorts from last year barely cover her tush (not a look Jon likes).

On Thursday, I went to her school at 1:30 and set up decorations at the shelter across the street. I had cupcakes, balloons, poster board for the kids to sign, water bottles for all the kids to take home, and treats. I had ordered pizzas because I had planned on going at 11 am but when we woke up that morning and I told Ri I’d surprise her at 11, she flipped out. “Today I get to go to computer lab with Ms. Palmer. I can’t do it any other day but today!” So, my plans changed. Thanks to Ms. Palmer for rolling with the punches.

The kids were hyper when they arrived for the party. They bolted over to me wanting to dive in the cupcakes and run around the field. They all sang happy birthday to Ri and signed her poster and flung themselves into the cupcakes. We played trivia – the first person to give the correct answer got a water bottle. Everyone knew Ri’s favorite band – Big Time Rush. The boys scattered to one area of the park and the girls to another and the party continued until school was out. One little boy came up to me afterwards and told me it was the best day he’s had in school. What a compliment!

Afterwards, I took two of Ri’s friends to the park and back to the house to play. We couldn’t find Janira’s mom when we headed to dinner so she got to come with us. Mario made them watch Ghostbusters in the back seat while we drove to Olive Garden. Ri chose it because Alana told her they had all you can eat breadsticks. My little Italian gal. Patty and Joe met us there.

The food was pretty bland but the breadsticks and salad weren’t bad. And they brought a nice size cake for Ri which is all we truly cared about.

We headed home to open presents. We gave Ri her shoes (too big) and her clothes (perfect). Then she looked at us quizzically wondering if there was any more. I left and brought in the black bike and her eyes opened so wide. She loved it. She went directly outside and rode it. Now every night she wants to practice using the gears.

I spent Friday buying treats for the girls’ gift bags at the farm. I wanted little magnifying glasses and journals to record their findings but I could not find them anywhere. So they got Nerds (not a smart candy to eat in the car) and bubbles and notebooks and pens and stuffed animals. Saturday arrived and I packed up the Volvo (freshly detailed) with sleeping bags, pillows, clothes, boots and giggling kids. Mario got to sleep over at Gio’s house and Jon went hunting.

We stopped at Giant Eagle for Ri’s horsey cake and then Walgreens for some Red Box movies. Alana begged to listen to Shake It Up on the way out. Poor Sophie is not too into that music so after the fifth song, I told Alana we had to turn it off (Alana knows every word to every song). They played with Furby (Grandma Ionno’s gift to Ri) and laughed. Then we played a game the rest of the way out where I gave them a letter and they had to draw a picture of a word that began with that letter. They loved it. Then they had to make up a sentence with the words they made up. Yeah, a little creative thinking to add to the ride.

We stopped at McDonalds Playland in Zanesville for some lunch and some play. There were a ton of local kids screaming and running throughout the area, however, so it was a quick trip (thank god).

We arrived at Red Hawk farm at 3 pm to a pen of barking, excited pups. Little did they know what they were in for over the next 24 hours. The girls immediately begged to get them out and run with them. The once tranquil farm exploded with yelling and laughter and the “chuck-it” winging a tennis ball across the lawn for Stella. Ahh, the energy kids bring to a place.

The chickens also had it in for the weekend. The girls moved to them next. They “herded” them like sheep and surprisingly did a good job at it. They also discovered six eggs in the henhouse which was quite exciting for them (and tasted delicious the next morning).

They then moved onto the creek to bathe in the mud-filled water. They loved the freedom to get as wet and dirty as they wanted. Alana about died when I told her she could get her shorts wet. And Ri beamed when I told her she could dunk her head under water. One of the simple joys of the farm – splashing in cold water on a sunny day.

The next stop was the horses. Sweet Taz allowed all three girls to ride him without any issue (he was quite ornery with Ri the weekend before but she handled it well due to her Grandma Meg training). I wish we could snap our fingers and have Ri at the farm for riding lessons and then back home an hour later for shower and bed.

It was back to the creek with Sarah and Jorge joining us later. Stella took a liking to Sophie following her down the creek bed. Maria discovered the wonders of slimy, soft algae and caressed it with her hands. Alana held on to Rosie tightly since Peepaw had warned that she would get lost if you let go of her leash. At one point, Stella grabbed the leash with her teeth and swung Rosie, and Alana, around in a circle. Alana somehow held on until Sarah got Stella but she was shaken up. All it took was us affirming what a strong girl she was and she stood up, shook it off and said “Maria’s grandpa will be proud of me!”

Sarah spotted trillium flowers on the bank of the creek. Beautiful and purple. Luckily, we had our renowned photographer with us.

I was ready for some food after all of the activities. So were the girls. We chowed on homemade Boboli pizzas while sitting on the screened in porch – a slight breeze hitting our skin and the sounds of evening surrounding us. Presents came next. Ri scored some cowboy boots and horse galoshes from Meg and dad, American girl clothes from Alana, a game from Sarah and Jorge, and a watch from Sophie. She hugged everyone with her monster hug squeeze and we were ready for cake.

I got a picture of a horse for her this year; I guess she’s graduated from the party theme cakes at Giant Eagle. She loved it. We broke out the game Sarah bought her, Quizzle, after cake. It was a blast. I think adults enjoy it more than kids. We played a mean game with Jorge winning due to his superior visual acumen. Dad set up the tent while we played and the girls took their board games in the tent and played. The adults called it a night at 9:30 but the girls stayed strong. At least two of them did. Ri fell asleep on the couch watching a movie with them at 10 pm. Sophie got scared shortly thereafter because the movie was spooky. Alana has no fear from all her Goosebumps movies. I put them in the tent at 10:30 and laid on the couch looking out the large window at the sparkling stars in the sky. It’s beautiful to view the night with no artificial light surrounding it. Alana came in five minutes later complaining that Ri was kicking her. She laid with me all night.

The morning brought dazed, punch-drink looks from both kids and adults. The kids played with the chickens and dogs some more and devoured Peepaw’s blueberry and walnut pancakes (easy to do). We took a creek walk again but this time from the road all the way back to the pasture. I told my dad that he needed to host a Warrior Race out at the farm between the mud and water and branches and thorns we needed to traverse as we walked the creek. Forget barbed wire fences and hoses for water – we have it au natural at Red Hawk. The girls were unstoppable and in heaven.

Dad and I got to take a walk together on his new trail through the woods. I got some insight on flowers and trees as well as the latest news on fracking and the plea of oil companies to lease his land. He, as always, is thinking through every option available and being practical yet principled about the ordeal. I just adore my pops.

We ended our time there with another chicken round-up, discovering a few more eggs, and spoiling the pups in their pen. We weren’t on the road twenty minutes before Ri was conked out.

I should have seen this coming between her lounging in the hammock with Meg and her dazed and confused look with me!

By the time we got home in Sunday, I was beyond exhausted. Poor Jon sat on the back deck waiting for us to arrive. Oh shoot! It was his birthday. I barely could muster happy birthday to him but he understood. “You do too much, babe” he told me gently as I whined about being tired. “I love you too death and you’re a magnificent mom but you do too much.” He had a point. I probably didn’t need to stop at Meijer’s on the way home and let the girls get a little toy.or unload the entire car as soon as we got home.

“Baby steps” I told him and he nodded his head and grinned. We sat on the deck and talked while M&M ran around with the neighbor kids.

Weekend wrap-up

January 27, 20131 Comment

Big Mario, as we affectionally call our Italian cousin, celebrated his 60th birthday last night with a surprise party at a restaurant near his home in Dover. Jon, the kids and I drove to Dover yesterday at 3 pm in order to be there by 5 and avoid ruining the surprise by pulling in at 5:30 with Big Mario. I was feeling a little “puny” (as Patty calls it) on the way out but the birthday sheet cake boosted my spirits. Ri enjoyed dipping her fried chicken in ranch dressing. Mario enjoyed crooning with Larry, Mario’s friend and the singer for the evening.

Mario was truly surprised and grateful. He went around hugging family and friends. All of his kids made it to the party, which I’m sure meant a lot to him. Jon and I always crack up at Big Mario and how much he wants his kids to stay around him. He would have them all live in his house with him and Vickie if he had his way. On the other hand, Jon and I are dreaming of the day M&M go off to college…. Ha.

Mario was fascinated with Larry’s singing set-up and just stood next to him most of the party. Larry let him sing at one point and Mario chose “Gangum Style.” A little different than Moon River. Maria sat with some older women and listened to them gossip. Her favorite activity at these events. I can just see her gabbing away when she’s 60 years old as she sips her coffee and eats her pie.

We got home at 9:30 and I went straight to bed with M&M. Usually I can sleep off these funks. I felt a tad better this morning. We stayed in and made pancakes and eggs. Ri and I had to improvise on the chocolate chips for the pancakes since Mario ate the rest of the baking chips. We cut up Hershey Kisses into small pieces and added them. Not bad.

Mario saw a dinosaur exhibit at the Convention Center on tv so we decided to give that a whirl. They advertised bouncey houses and dino digs and mining areas. It was $16 admission but I figured we’d be there a good chunk of the day. Maria brought Janira so $50+ dollars later we were looking at mechanical dinosaurs. And that’s all we were doing. It was the biggest rip-off. They had a quarter of the area cornered off with mechanical dinos and the rest was a few bouncey houses and dino digs. The problem was that you had to pay another $20 per kid to play in those areas. Unfrickenbelievable. I was so irritated. So, in the end, I paid over $50 to see ten dinosaurs. We were there less than 30 minutes.

The other parents walking out with me were just as pissed. And I felt for a lot of them who told me they saved up to come only to have their money wasted on nothing. I complained to the people taking money about the false advertising but that was like talking to air. Whatever, I made myself let it go but those dino promoters will get theirs someday.

Ri and Janira had begged to sit in the massage chairs prior to the dino exhibit and I had said no. When we left, that was our only saving grace. Mario treated the girls to a massage ($1 each) and they were in heaven thanking him over and over again.

So, what to do at noon on a winter Sunday? I tried to get them to head to Barnes and Noble but they wanted a bouncey house. The only place I could think of was Galaxy Games and Golf. They were game. I think half of Columbus was there with us and it didn’t help my headache at all but the kids did expend some serious energy. Somehow that still doesn’t tend to equate with an early bed time, however.

And now, a pizza, cookie and coke later, we are heading home for some relaxation and some Spa Science in the tub. I’m hoping that Ri can create an elixir to take all my winter cold aches away, and make my stomach feel better after that delicious meal at Galaxy Games and Golf.

Happy 5th Birthday, Mario!

September 4, 2012September 5, 20122 Comments

Dearest Mario Bo Bario:

How are you five years old already? How did I turn my back for what seems like 2 seconds on my seven pound, 19 inches smiling black-haired baby boy and find a wild, vibrant, insane toe-head five-year-old son?

You entered this world in a flash. My water had barely broke when I started to feel heavy contractions. And then, 15 minutes later, there you were squirming all around and wailing for your mama. You seemed so tiny to us although you were the same size as Maria when she was born. Maybe it’s because Maria was almost 2 and a half when you were born and nearly 40 pounds so any newborn would pale in comparison! You came home to a room decorated with safari animals. It was the smallest room in our house. We could not even fit a rocking chair in it to rock you. So your sister was kind enough to let us rock you in her room. She loved that predicament, actually, because she got to have me and dad in her room while she fell asleep since it took us quite some time to get you to sleep every night. And then when we thought we had you to sleep, you would pop up in your crib and hold out your arms and cry. Neither dad nor I could walk away. And so there we were back in the rocking chair again.

You smiled ten times more than your sister smiled as a baby. You loved to play on your green safari blanket filled with mirrors and lights. You always wanted someone right by your side when you were on it; if someone was there, you had a blast. If someone left your side, you cried hysterically until they came back in the room.

You are like your mama – extreme. You either smile like a mad man or cry your eyes out. All or nothing. Either incredibly happy or completely pissed.

When you are in the mood, you crack people up with your antics. Whether it’s singing the “Call of the Wildman”, yelling “hey hot ladies” out the car window, grooving to “I’m Sexy and I Know It”, or making funny gestures at the dinner table, you get everyone laughing. How many nights have I come home from a rough workday only to find myself in a better mood after sitting with you for five minutes? You bring out the fun of life – the silliness and absurdity that it entails. Dad and I need that.

So, what highlights can we review from your fourth year of life?

1. You learned how to do a mean cannonball off the low dive.

2. You played on your first baseball team.

3. You got to experience the ocean.
4. You probably ate your weight in donuts!

5. You slept in a tent with Robert.
6. You rode a roller coaster at Kings Island.
7. You caught a catfish at Uncle Mario’s and Aunt Vicki’s house.
8. You went to the dentist for the first time (and had a cavity!).

9. You put on your first play, Abiyoyo, at your school.
10. You played your first round of putt-putt and wanted to win (imagine that?).

11. You learned how to skip a rock in the river (thanks Peepaw).
12. You got to go to a zombie walk at Halloween (thanks Grandma Ionno).
13. You got to find golf balls on the golf course (thanks Grandma Lolo).
14. You got to ride a horse (thanks Mama Meg).

15. You got to give Grandma Menkedick a kiss and hold her hand before she passed away at age 92. You also spoke kind words about her at her funeral (what a brave boy).
16. You fell in love with the Wild Kratts and Ben Ten.
17. You learned to swim like a fish!
18. You visited Pittsburgh.

19. You took your first plane trip.

20. You pet an alligator!

21. You climbed a sand dune.

22. You helped mom in the garden.
23. You learned to dj!
24. You ruled the dance floor at a wedding reception!

25. You rode in a boat!

;

So there you have it, little man. Or, I guess I need to start saying “big man” since you are now five years old. Go a bit slower this year, will you? I want to savor five as long as possible…. We love you.

Carrying a load

August 29, 2012Leave a comment

My girl and I rushed to Target after work and school to buy Mario his birthday presents. Maria loves buying things for her little bro.

We ended up with eight bags of things – food, sign for Ri’s room (“Girls Rock”), Mario’s presents, gift wrap….My pack horse refused to let me stack the bags in the cart. She grabbed all of them while in a daze across the store at a young woman in stilettos and a mini skirt.

She made it out the door…

But then she was done. She handed every single bag my way and asked to be held, too. God love her. At least she acknowledged her mom by commenting “Mom, I see why you lift weights now; those bags are heavy and you are strong!”

A little appreciation at the end of the day – priceless!

High Heels Only, Ma’am

May 2, 20122 Comments

Maria had two wishes for the start of her birthday. The first was for me to not workout on the morning of her birthday so I could do her hair. Piece of cake (she never lets me touch her hair so I was charged up about that one).

The second wish was for me to wear high heels when I walked into her school to drop her off. Not such a piece of cake.

“Mom, please wear high heels on my birthday. All the other moms wear fancy clothes and high heels. None of them wear fancy clothes and gym shoes like you do, mom. It’s embarrasing.”

Yeah – I plainly see the start of the “embarassing mom syndrome” shining through her new 7-year old self. I would never have imagined that I could embarass Maria by simply wearing gym shoes with my work outfits (now I know how to scare her!). But then again this is the girl who finds my laugh embarrasing because it’s too loud (although she fails to see how loud her voice can boom when she wants it to).

So, I stepped into my high heel shoes today and walked into Maria’s school. My feet ached just from the half of a block that we walked (Maria had chosen my most stylish but least comfortable heels for me to wear). Maria held her head up high as we passed her friends. She pointed out my shoes to certain girlfriends who looked like they would be impressed with such a shoe selection. I quickly changed into my gym shoes when I left her school, and when I came home tonight in my work outfit and gym shoes, Maria let out a deep sigh.

“Mom, what happened to the high heels I gave you this morning?!”

I felt like a teenager again being questioned about the rest of the $20 bill I received to get a $5 lunch.

“My feet were killing me, Ri,” I responded.

“You have to get used to heels, mom. But I will let you wear flats to dinner tonight.”

She does love me….

Happy 7th Birthday, my darling girl

May 1, 20121 Comment

Sweet Maria:

Tomorrow, at 2:49 pm, you will be seven years old. Seven years old. Seven.

At seven days old, you slept for hours on end in your frilly bassinet; the sun shining onto your perfect round face.

At seven months old, you did not want to leave your mom and dad, and you never broke a smile! You were a little buddha with a somber expression.

At one year and seven months, you loved to sit in your diaper and rub you silk bunny against your cheek.

At two years and seven months, you loved playing with your kitchen set and your baby dolls and purses; you learned to go potty all by yourself – alleluia; and you had quite a temper when you were not allowed to watch Dora.

At three years and seven months, you took good care of your baby brother, feeding and holding him and finding his binky. He had a different brand of binky than you, thank goodness, because you had not given up your binky yet!

At four years and seven months, you loved to ride up and down the street on your princess bike and eat Jeni’s ice cream. You earned the nickname “the Muscle” at preschool because you protected kids from bullies.

At five years and seven months, you had started kindergarten. You sat at a desk with your name on it and worked on your letters and numbers and made new friends. You had a sleep over with all of your girlfriends and danced around the house all night. In the summer, you jumped off the high dive!

At six years and seven months, you had started first grade! You dressed yourself every morning and made your own lunch! You made yourself barbecued chicken hot pockets and lasagna and wrapped them tightly in foil. You learned to read and ride your bike with no training wheels! You started listening to Justin Bieber and Katy Perry and dreamed about meeting James in Big Time Rush.

At seven years old, you are a most animated, joyful being. You smile constantly. You laugh heartily. You love your family and friends. You could eat spaghetti and meatballs every day and top it off with Orange Leaf yogurt bowls. You love to climb trees. You concern yourself with others. You look out for your little brother and still cuddle with your dad and me. You question things and aren’t scared to disagree. You stand up for yourself. You care about the Earth. You are comfortable with yourself. And you are absolutely amazing beyond words, my darling girl. Happy 7th birthday; we love you to the moon and stars and sun… and back.

Roller rinks and haunted ships

October 30, 2011October 30, 2011Leave a comment

Ten years ago if someone would have told me that ten years from now I will spend your entire day at a roller rink and a 1800’s ship, I would have laughed and told them that they had mistaken me for some other poor woman.

Fun at the roller rink

The roller rink adventure occurred in the afternoon from 1:30 until 4. Maria’s friend, Zach, turned 7 and invited Maria (and Mario by default) to the roller rink party. I think it was a few years too early for such a party – most of the kids had to hold onto their parents with the others braving it on their own but falling on their rears every five seconds. The birthday boy skated well because he frequents the roller rink with his parents. He had a great time skating around the circle like a pro. I guess it’s his b-day party so he should get to choose an activity he loves. I just worried that some kid would leave the rink with a broken ankle! Maria and Mario at least gave it a try but after a short period of time, decided to call it quits. You could see how hard Maria was concentrating on her skates trying to stay balanced but she didn’t have enough time to get into any groove. There were some brief moments when she held her own but then I’d fell her arm shoot out onto mine and I would catch her before her fall. Mario tried the regular roller skates for a while and then moved onto the plastic ones. He did much better on those because they are so cheap that the wheels barely spin. I think their favorite part of the roller skating experience was hearing Big Time Rush’s song as they stood in the middle of the floor. Both of them perked up. Maria sang the words to herself and dazed off into space like she always does (I worry about what she is thinking!). Mario brought his arms up to his face and did the rap star moves he does so well. It reminded me of my skating rink days in eighth grade when a Wham! song would play and all of the girls would dream about one day skating with their beau out on the rink.

Pizza and punch came just in time. These roller rinks are madhouses when there are birthday parties. They must have had four or five parties going on at one time. Each party gets two tables and the tables are crunched against one another. Kids are fighting to get a seat and eat their pizza. No one is talking to each other; they are too worried about eating their pizza and drinking their red punch. Soon after the devouring of the pizza, the kids rush to the games with their complimentary tokens. These games are such a rip off – pay 50 cents to win a tootsie roll or cinnamon candy. I guess they had the same games when I was a kid at Showbiz Pizza but as a parent it now gets on my nerves. They played at least five rounds of games and scored 20+ tickets but when we went to cash them out, they got to choose from a plastic ring, a tootsie roll or a plastic finger. You had to have 700 tickets to get a small beanie baby. Alas, life at the roller rink.

Leaping stone blocks at the riverfront

We left the rink for the next adventure – Alana’s and Giovanni’s visit. Jon’s brother and his wife had tickets to the OSU/Wisconsin game and Jon’s mom got sick so they asked me to babysit Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning. In a strange, warped way, I had been looking forward to it. I love seeing the kids together, and Alana and Giovanni are sweet kids. In a normal, sane way, I knew it would be a long night for me (Jon got to head to the game with his long-time friend in from Phoenix). My strange, warped self triumphed. We had a really good time together. We dropped Carrie (Alan’s and Gio’s mom) off at the game and then headed downtown to the riverfront to see the statutes. Alana cracked me up as she stared at the “skyscrapers” in amazement. “This looks like New York City, Mary!”

We played on the statues and then went down to the riverfront to see the Santa Maria ship and play in the grass. A crew worked on the Santa Maria to get it ready for the haunted ship adventure, which started at 7 pm. The kids begged to go on the ship but it was only 5:30. Again, my warped self thought “you can let them play and run around until 7 pm” and my normal self said “get home and let them play on their own in the warm house.” My warped self prevailed again. We played around the ship and walked up the street to see City Hall (and having a burst of OSU pride with an O-H-I-O stance in front of the Hall) until 6:30 when we jumped in the car to head to Wendy’s. I was thinking a quick in and out but this Wendy’s was probably the slowest I had ever been to taking 21 minutes to get our food to us. We were all getting irritated but as Alana and Maria said “at least the food was delicious.” The kids also scored a cool toy – binoculars that had a slit to insert a paper with an animal on it so you could see it up close through the binoculars. The kids loved them, and I think it is the best toy we have ever gotten from a fast-food joint. Educational yet fun. We didn’t get back to the ship until about 7:30 and the line was at least 150 people deep. Alana was devastated. So, what does any good Aunt do? I bribed the ticket people to get me with the next group. Actually I simply stated that we had been down at the ship earlier and went to get food nut got stuck in line and now the kids were so cold because they weren’t dressed properly and the only way we could stay is if we could get in ASAP. So, in a nutshell, a very sad pity party story. But it worked and the generous crew got us on right away.

I was worried about the tour a bit since I did not want Gio and Alana to have nightmares for two weeks – their parents would kill me. But it was my daughter that was the most freaked out complaining that she would definitely have nightmares after going through that tour. Mario was oblivious to it all (at one point confronting a scary ghost by taunting “Bring it; I am not scared of you!”). People shouted at us under blankets, sat up out of coffins, and wore scary masks but Mario barely flinched. Alana and Gio seemed a little scared but did not want to leave the ship. Maria was the only one that was ready to bolt. My sweet girl.

After the haunted ship, we bought a bag of popcorn to allay our fears and headed home. The kids played a while downstairs while I hung pictures throughout the house (Maria saw me and exclaimed “Mom, now you feel like its more of your home!” A day ago she overheard me telling Jon that the house needs pictures in order to make it feel like our home).

The kids' sleeping quarters in the attic

We got our pjs on at 10 pm and headed up to the attic to prepare their sleeping quarters. Actually, they headed up to the attic – they would not allow me to participate. I love how independent they are anymore. They did a good job spreading the blankets and pillows. They brought up a ton of animals and books to read. The only fight occurred over flashlights because there were only three working ones. After some play time and read time (and wrestling time between Mario and Gio), they asked me to turn off the light. Amazing. Everyone was asleep within ten minutes except my boy Mario. He begged to come downstairs with me to get some food. I fed him some cheese and crackers and a yogurt drink and he laid down on my lap while I watched the end of the Ohio State game and passed out within five minutes.

Overall, a fun-filled, raucous time. I just hope the overnight brings peace and quiet!

Happy Birthday Cy!

October 26, 2011Leave a comment

Our pup turned 13 today.

Cy with the kids last year

I remember driving with Jon to the farm in Alexandria, Ohio to look at puppy Chesapeake Bay Retrievers in 1998. They were all so cute and playful. But Cy stood out to me. I still don’t know why in particular. He was not more cuddly than the others, or more playful, or more distinguishing. He just felt right to me. A connection between him and I from the start. We purchased him and drove him back to his new home in Columbus. He laid his body on my chest the entire ride home. My first taste of pure motherly love.

We did everything together for the first 7 years of his life. We walked every single day and on the weekends, we ran to the river and Cy got to swim. I threw sticks to him and he excitedly retrieved them all. He loved the water and looked like a dog pharaoh sitting chest-high in the water with his reddish-brown fur shining in the sun. We would run farther down the trail to hit the 6 mile mark and then stop on the way back for another dip in the river. Once home, I would give him a bath outside in the yard and lather him with love and affection. We’d lay on the floor together watching tv or reading the paper. He’d lie his face in my lap and beg me to rub under his chin. He’d re-position himself to allow me to rub his belly. We refused to go out some nights because we couldn’t stand the sight of seeing him lonely at the door. We spoiled him. He deserved it.

Cy on his 13th b-day!

I remember being pregnant with Maria and thinking “How can I ever love this baby as much as I love Cy?” When we brought her home from the hospital, we were concerned that Cy would become protective over me and shun Maria. The first few days we watched his every move with her to make sure that he acted friendly and did not growl or nip. To our relief, Cy was protective over Maria and watched her every move. If she began to cry, he trotted into the other room to find us. He laid next to her when she sat in her bouncy seat. And he always helped clean her toes with his big wet tongue. He engaged in the same rituals with Mario after his birth (and Mario tried his patience a lot more by pulling his tail and hitting his head with his favorite toys).

After Maria’s birth, I still walked Cy a good amount around the neighborhood. We didn’t get to the river as much as pre-Maria but the walks around the neighborhood provided good exercise. After Mario came home, there was a lot less time for long walks. We still managed to get walks around the block several times a day but nothing like the mega runs to the river. Not too long after Mario started walking, Cy decided he had enough of walking long distances and when we would take him out on his leash, he would not even walk 50 feet without stopping and wrenching his neck back refusing to walk farther. He would go out back and fetch the stick or run around the house, but he did not want to walk outside. I respected his wishes but it was difficult to let go of that routine with him.

The kid crew enjoying the cupcakes!

Within the last year, it has been harder for him to rise in the morning and harder for him to manuever steps. At our new house, we can only let him out in the front yard because he can’t handle the narrow and greater number of steps out back. But even though he is having trouble with getting up in the morning and maneuvering steps, he is still the sweetest, gentlest dog ever. He still nuzzles into your side when you get close to him to pet him. He still turns on his back to beg for a tummy rub. He still stares at you with his big brown eyes as if to try to tell you how cool he thinks you are. He still provides comfort when you walk in the door and see him waiting for you. I think this quote sums up our relationships with dogs well: “He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.”

Giving Cy his b-day lovin'!

The kids and I decided that Cy needed a birthday cake and birthday bones to celebrate his big 13th birthday. We bought mini cupcakes at Kroger’s (Maria made sure that we got small vanilla cupcakes because Cy can’t eat chocolate and because Cy would get sick with too much sugar). We invited Maria’s friends over to celebrate. We lit up four cupcakes (one for each kid to blow out) and put bones in two of them. We tried to get Cy to wear a b-day hat but he quickly tore it off and chewed it up (after all, it was a princess pink hat). We sang “Happy Birthday” to him and blew out the candles. Maria took the time to peel off the wrapper from one of the cupcakes to feed to Cy before she ate her cupcake (Mario just ripped into his without any thought to the b-day dog). The cupcakes were devoured in record time and Cy ate what crumbs remained on the floor. Mario fed him the two bones, and the kids ran back upstairs to play fort. Cy and I sat downstairs together looking at the deep blue sky out the window. He looked pleased with his birthday treats and birthday lovin’.

Tuscany for Five

October 16, 2011October 16, 20114 Comments

Out for our first trip in Tuscany

The girls and I finally arrived in Tuscany two Saturday mornings ago at 10 am local time (4 am Ohio time) after an 11 hour flight from New York (we got delayed close to 2 hours on the runway and then poor Kathy had to sit in an Exit row weat because I had elected one not realizing the seats don’t recline back and we would be directly across from the lavatories!). The plane trip only produced a bit of turbulence but I still popped a Sominex to pass out and avoid my fear of flying and my claustrophobia.

We rocked it out after the flight – had no problem getting our bags and booking our rental car and within an hour or so we were out in the Italian sun. Ericka, our travel agent (literally and figuratively), drove us out of the rental car agency with such style that the Italians driving past us had no clue that we were Americans (until a motorcycle rider zoomed past us and scared us all half to death) – Excellente! We stopped at a restaurant on the way to the villa where a short, gregarious old Italian man greeted us and escorted us to a table cloaked with a white tablecloth and tiny vases of flowers and pictures of Italian countryside surrounding it. He spoke Italian so quickly that we all took a step back and looked like deer in the headlights. He then took a breath and said the all too famous Italian word “Vino?” We understood that and ordered some red. He brought it out to us and we quickly poured it into our glasses only realizing after the fact we had poured it into our water glasses. We saw him chuckle on the side. We drank our wine, ate our brushetta with the most amazing olive oil of all time, and enjoyed our chicken and grilled peppers and pasta. We dragged ourselves from our chairs and back to the car for the final lag of our drive.

We got to the villa after two hours of winding roads and speedy drivers and it could not have been more worth it. Absolutely amazing. We got swept away upon stepping out of the car with the stone walls and the ivy and the grape vines and the potted herbs. Jude and Richard, the Villa Cappella owners, came outside to greet us with their little pup, Luna. They talked with us about the villa’s renovation from a pig sty and horse stables to this charming villa with a patio and portico and every type of tree: hazelnut, chestnut, fig, persimmon, and walnut. They poured us our first (but not last) glass of Prosecco and offered us bread sticks. We toasted to an exhilarating week in Italy. And so it began…

A view of the fields outside of the villa

Jude showed us around the house and had to find joy in our gasping and cooing in each new room we saw. The villa housed all sorts of African artifacts, Tuscan pottery and tiles, Canadian artwork, Roman statutes and fresh flowers. The downstairs had a room with a king sized bed that Ericka took. It also had a room with two twin beds that Jill got. The upstairs had a room with two twins in it that Lisa and I shared and a room with a king that Kath got. All of the rooms had fresh flowers and a window with a heavy wood door that, when opened, allowed the flood of Tuscan light to enter. The smells could have been bottled up and sold back home for a pretty penny.

We got situated and relaxed in the kitchen with fresh grapes, bread sticks, juicy tomatoes, and cheese. The next morning we took off for the Mediterranean sea – Lisa drove us and used the stick shift with sheer perfection. We went to a beach off the beaten path in Tonga and felt right at home as we laid down our towels and bathed in the sun. I found some killer rocks and shells in

The Sea

the glass-like sea. The Mediterranean sand was black and smooth and the water was chilled but not freezing (a nice change from the Cancun rocky beach that Jon and I head to every year although I did miss the big Cancun waves). I even got my girlfriends to do O-H-I-O for Ohio State (which is a feat for three Cincinnati girls who love X and UC). After the beach, we hit Argenterio, a small marina town, for shrimp and rice and red wine. We shopped around the town and I scored two big superballs – one with a skull and one multi-colored – perfect for my two munchballs! I loved this town because it had superball machines rather than gumball machines everywhere you turned – it took me back to my childhood at IGA.

Siena

On Monday we went to Siena to take in the magnificent Duomo and view the breath-taking scene from the top of the building. We enjoyed wine and potato chips (yes, potato chips!) outside of the Duomo and stared at each other in awe of the fact that we were sitting in such a cafe sans kids, work and hubbies. What a feat. We started our ride back home rather late and by the time we hit the exit for our dinner spot it was dark and hard to find. But, as we found throughout the trip, Obama’s presidential campaign quote fit us well – Yes We Can! We found our restaurant and settled in for wine, bread, pork chops, vegetables dripping in olive oil and ricotta cheese and chocolate sauce for dessert. We got home at 10:30 pm (Jude is still amazed that we stayed out past dark nearly every night) and downloaded lots of pictures.

On Tuesday, we got up early (8 am is early on this vacation!) to head to the weekly fish market in town. We ordered a cappuccino at the coffee “bar” and croissants and watched MTV videos on the tv. We purchased our fish (salmon (which was not even for sale but the butcher must have known Americans liked salmon because she brought it out when we walked in), whitefish, and calamari). We also bought some veggies (eggplant, zucchini, peppers and onions) and we headed back home with our dinner for the evening. I went for a good run up the gravel road next to us. It led to a bed and breakfast that had to house hunters as we heard their hunting dogs every night. We left for Torre Alfina when I returned and Kath, Lisa and I hiked through a volcanic forest. We got lost more times than we would have desired but we plugged our way through and made it out (Yes, We Can!). There were a few times when we felt like we knew where we were and we’d take pictures and laugh and then ten minutes later we’d feel lost and it would grow silent again. We treated ourselves to huge gelatos after the hike (choccolata and fragas for me) and rested at one of the best gelato shoppes in Tuscany. Jill and E met up with us at the shoppe. Gelato was our true addiction on this trip.

The magical forest

After the hike, we headed back home to grill out our fish and veggies. Jill did a kick-ass job cooking the fish and my other girls helped me cook the risotto and onions and tomatoes (I have a new-found desire to cook once back home)! We ate on the patio with the flourescent moon shining down on us and the crickets serenading us. After drinking glasses of wine and stuffing our bellies full of sea life, we topped the night off with the movie “Knocked Up” in our pjs on the couch.

It felt like my head just hit the pillow when Jill came in at 6:15 am to wake us up for the train to Florence on Wednesday. We dragged ourselves out of our comfy Tuscan beds and out the door to the car and to the train station in Orvieto. Jill and I got a cappuccino (“Un cappuccino, gracie”) and a chocolate croissant (yum!) for the trip. Two and a half hours later we arrived in Florence amidst a throng of tourists. Of course, four days into our trip and having traveled throughout Tuscany and met many native Italians, we did not feel like tourists any longer so they were quite annoying to us. A man from Utah approached us and asked if he could join our group – we ditched him after ten minutes. A group of women from Denver asked us how to get to the Academy (we told them and they did not believe us –

Florence

too bad for them because we were right). But we continued to stay in our small group of three traversing the streets easily locating magnificent and gorgeous sights (Neptune, Duomo, plazas, the statute of David, Bonacelli marble statutes). We stopped at an outside cafe for pizza and pasta (pasta with white sauce and peas and mushrooms and pasta with red sauce and cheeses) that took us to another world – it was fabulous. We ate on the piazza and watched all of the people pass by and commented on the statutes looking down at us. Horse-drawn carriages passed by us. We ended the day with gelato as we walked back to the train station. You rarely see anyone sitting down eating their gelato – everyone walks through the streets with their cones, licking and looking at the sights, giving both their taste buds a wonderful experience as well as their eyes.

Views driving to Monticino

On Thursday, we all hopped in the car to Penzia to try out their world-famous pecorino cheese. Can any food in this country be bad? The cheese melted onto the bread and was like candy with blackberry jam on it. We also enjoyed wild boar – we had to at least try it since we get to hear the barking dogs every morning and night. Surprisingly it was not bad (tasted like roast beef). After lunch, we crossed the street to a wine shop and got a taste of Gappo – the Italian liquor that makes your mouth feel like it’s on fire (“Liquid Fire” as Lisa calls it). It is horrible! Two shots of that and I would be unable to function. We had to take a breather after that drink but then we headed to Monticino for some wine tastings. The tour of the first winery (Fanti) floored us because of the amount of care and time taken in producing the wine. I kept thinking of Jon’s cousin Mario and his home-made wine. I have a new-found appreciation for that process. Monticino gave us a treasured gift at the end of our trip – the sunset. We watched the sun go down from a stone wall at the top of the city. It only lasted about three minutes but it was gorgeous. We walked back to the car without a word to say – the experience could conjure up none. We ate a “to-go” pizza that night (When Jude told us that no Italian pizzeria would give us pizza “to go” we had to find one!) and watched “Under the Tuscan Sun” since many of us had not seen it.

Mushroom Risotto

Friday was a bittersweet day for us because we knew it was our last day at the villa. We walked through the market in Aquapendente and drove to Orvieto. Orvieto is a quaint little hilltop town with classy shoppes and lots of narrow streets and pop-up views of Tuscan hills and trees. We bought our obligatory souvenirs and enjoyed our never-ending gelato. We hurried back home to meet our Italian cook who we had hired to make us a four-course Italian meal on our last night in Aquapendente. We arrived to the sweet aromas of the Italian kitchen, and made our way up-stream to Jude’s house for a bon-voyage glass of wine and figs with walnuts and gorgonzola. The figs tasted like nothing I have had before. If politeness was not a barrier, I would have emptied the tray in my mouth all at once. After Jude’s, it was back for more delicious food at our villa. Arugula, parmesan and cured beef salad, risotto with mushrooms, chicken breast and grilled peppers, and chocolate mousse with cookie wafers. What should have been a three-hour meal took us under an hour to consume! We were starved and the food was way too good. We laughed so hard at this fact – typical Americans gobbling their food up without taking any rest. Ahh, c’est la vie. We drank wine to extend the time out and then found ourselves on Faceb0ok looking up past friends from high school (“oh, look at her! “yikes, look at him!”).

A quintessential Tuscan scene

On Saturday morning, we packed up the car and headed for Rome. What a nightmare. Actually, it could have been a much bigger nightmare if it wasn’t for Lisa’s spectacular driving through the chaotic Roman streets. We missed a highway turn-off due to the complete lack of signs before the turn-off telling us where to go. We have the luxury in the States of having signs that tell us when an exit is coming and where it will lead us. Not so much in Rome. However, because we are five intelligent and resourceful women, and we found our way back to where we needed to be and got to the airport with ten minutes to spare on the car rental (before we were charged another $140 euro).

Rome felt like we had been thrown into a coliseum to fight for our life. Ok, maybe I exaggerate a bit but it did feel overwhelming with the number of tourists pushing their way around and the high decibel levels compared to the countryside. After years of hearing about the Vatican and the Pantheon and the fountains, it was an experience to see them in person. But as amazing and ornate as the Vatican and the Basilica and the Pantheon were, I still gravitated to the small humble church at the top of the Spanish Steps. It felt like home; if I had lived in the 15th century, I would have been a peasant rather than a royal. We all got our picture at the Fountain of Trevi tossing a coin into the water and we all got our last gelato – extra big – at the corner gelato store. And to think I had my reservations about going on this trip…. I was slammed with work, trying to sell my house, trying to renovate and move into a new house, and just tired. But my girlfriends worked on this trip, nonetheless, and never gave me a bit of slack for not participating as much. To the contrary, they called to check in on my mental well-being (thank god) and kept me up to speed on the latest about the trip. This trip provided just what I needed before my 40th birthday – time to reconnect with my girlfriends and myself – to reflect on what I want in my fortieth decade – to appreciate all that I have in my life – and to laugh hysterically with my soul sisters.

The girls

I wonder what 50 will bring?!

Rounding up Mario’s b-day/holiday weekend

September 7, 2011Leave a comment

Mario completed his b-day weekend with a big bash at our “old” house. It felt strange to sit around the dining room table knowing that it was likely the last “family” meal we would have in that house. The good part is that the new house will have much more space to spread out; the bad part is that the new house will have much more space to spread out. There is something quaint and sweet about sitting so close together at one table with chairs side by side and elbows bumping… until you can’t cut into that porter house steak.

Everyone spoiled Mario on his birthday. What is new? Both Maria and Mario have gotten spoiled rotten on their birthdays throughout their short lives. Here is a list of some of the things Mario got:

Spiderman Web shooter (the new version which shoots out a piece of string and not the white foam that sticks to every piece of furniture and in every crevice of the room)

Transformer outfit and mask

Sweatpants (with the elastic on the bottom to stay tight around Mario’s ankles (he rolls them up two times now in order to not have them “hang” at the bottom of his leg)

Incredible Hulk Warrior

Soccer disc (it is like air hockey with a soccer ball – pretty cool)

Legos (I can only hope he starts to like those – so much more up my alley than transformers and superheros)

Dinosaurs

Overalls (he won’t wear them yet because they are too “long” even though they go straight to his ankles)

Maria begged for us to give Mario the rest of the presents we had gotten him but Mario was already on overload and did not need to continue opening any more (besides, they will make good Christmas presents). She takes care of that little brother of hers. When we were singing happy birthday to Mario, she stood right next to him and put her arm around him patting his shoulder gently. After the song, we waited for him to blow the candles out. Maria gently nudged him and whispered “blow out your candles, baby boy.”

Mario impressed Jon and me with his manners, too. After opening each gift, he gave a hug and kiss to the gift giver. Then, at the very end of the gift opening, he stood on a chair, and with a little help from me, thanked everyone for coming to his b-day celebration. God love him. And to end all of the excitement of the holiday weekend, Mario and Maria had a tattoo fest. Mario chose all of his favorite superheros to fill up his compact, strong arms. Maria chose a huge tattoo for her… neck. Yes, kid you not. She is my west-side girl. All in all, not a bad Labor Day weekend and b-day celebration for four-year-old Mario.

"MOM!"

Adventures in the Life of a Working Mama

Tag: Birthday