Christmas!

We had 1 of the nicest Christmas day's that I think we have ever had. On Christmas eve Crystallia was pretty sick with a 103 fever so I thought it was gonna be a bust like last year ( both babies had the flu and were sick and miserable) However, come Christmas day she was in better spirits..still sick but at least the fever broke and she was excited. Christmas Eve was a nice dinner and we made hot cocoa with cookies for santa and watched the polar express. The kids went to bed SOO excited especially Nina and then the parents got to work. I went a bit overboard as always but it was SO worth it. Come Christmas morning all 3 of my kids were the most happy I think I have ever seen them. They loved all of their gifts( not a dud in the bunch, which surprised me since each kid ended up w/ about 35 gifts) John loved his dinos , cars and dragons..especially Kota!! Nina loved her zhu zhu pet madness and Crystal loved her dollhouse madness. What made me happy was not the "stuff' but the look on my kids faces. The magic in their eyes of thinking santa brought them all these goodies! The time we spent together will last a lifetime even though I know the toys will not!
The adults got some great gifts too..we must have all been extra good this year =p and dinner was yummy as well...although I ordered an eliptical because I think I ate about 10 dozen cookies this month..lol and need to get back on track....but it was worth it..the 10 lbs I'll lose but memories of cooking with my girls are priceless !
I hope every1 had a blessed Christmas like we did!! and now its time to kick in 2010!!!!!!!!!

GLEE FINALE!

Ok, I know I am almost a week late in posting this, but as I stated in my last post this has been a crazy month. ( Not to mention this house has been sick for about 9 days now) BLAH!
Anyway, the point of this blog is to discuss my fave show's fall finale. GLEE!
First, I will start on a positive note and discuss all the things I loved about this episode.

- Finn finally found out the baby wasn't his... Thank goodness!! When he was singing to that u/s a few weeks ago I just about died inside!
- Quinn is finally revealed for the liar she is ( I cant stand her) and is it mean to say I was happy that Finn beat up Puck? Now, don't get me wrong. I actually in a very weird way LOVE Puck's character. He adds a nice flavor to the show but he totally deserved a whooping from Finn.
- I thought that the sectionals competition was great. I loved the songs and thought they carried the storyline well considering the other teams stole their songs.
- Now I know most of you will hate me for saying this but I LOVE Sue! I love her, hate her..she is probably one of if not my most fave character. She cracks me up. When she told Will he boarded the Sue Sylvester train and the destination was HORROR...I just about fell off the bed in tears laughing!! Her character is one of the best thought out characters I have seen in a long time. While she is not a nice character persay..I dont think we should always just like the "good" characters. What I actually love about Glee is I dont think ANY of the characters are "good" or "bad". They are each SO complex and have their moments, so it's a constant flip flop!
Things I did not like
-Ok, u all know its coming but I just about threw up when Will kissed Emma at the end. I know thats what we were "suppose" to be routing for but I hate her. Her phobias are just plain over the top and she has been flirting w/ a married man all season who had a pg wife.( granted terri is crazy and wasnt pg but she didnt know this then) He hasnt even officially left Terri yet, and what is gonna happen with Ken now? Its just a very bizarre storyline n I did not want them to end up together. As far as Terri, I dont really know where this is gonna go either? Is she still gonna adopt Quinn's baby? Are they really over? I obviously dont like Terri because of what she did to Will but I do feel more sympathy for her then I probably should. I think this is due to the fact that Will is the #1 character that I flip flop about. He had feelings for Emma this WHOLE time while he thought Terri was pg. This just doesnt sit right with me and I cant help it!
- Finn and Rachel. It has been building up ALL season. While I didnt expect a big thing, I was more expecting them to have the finale kiss. The name of the show is Glee right? I assumed they were the main characters...not Will and Emma. It will be very interesting to see what happens next season with this couple. Especially now w/ the puck and Rachel fans growing. RThe writers did say they were gonna build this into the story now. I LOVE Rachel and Finn but wouldnt mind a Finn/Rachel/Puck triangle either =)
- It did feel anticlimatic.Kinda like Heroes first season....they built u up all season and the final kinda stunk..this felt VERY similar!!!
The main thing I dont like is..WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A FALL FINALE?????????? No other show I watch is doing this. How am I suppose to live w/o Glee for 4 months!!!!!!!!! I dont like this one bit. I think they will losea big fan base and putting it up against lost is a HUGE death sentence for this show...All I know is that they better not mess this show up cause even with all my loves and hates..this is the best show I have seen since QAF and that ended in 2005!!!!

Abandoned!!

I did not abandon my blog..it has just been a CRAZY busy holiday season...My walk in closet can no longer be walked into...it is exploding with gifts, my schedule is full , there is no more room to cram extras in, my fridge is full..so much baking and cooking...and my house has no more light sockets, too many decorations plugged in...BUT I LOVE this time of year.....

WHY I LOVE IT:

1) So much time to spend with the fam doing fun things like
a) building a gingerbread house with my girls
b) baking with my girls
c) letters to santa and the amazement on their faces when we go to meet him
d) trip to disney to see all of the lights and carolers
e) cooking meals that I usually only have time for at this time of year...
and the list goes on
2) The feeling of christmas is everywhere..music in the stores, lights on the trees, yummy treats in the belly =)
3) the shopping...I know , I cant help it..I secretly think Sophie Kinsella made those shopaholic books after me =p
4) Mostly my family..I realize even more how thankful I am to have had one more year of a blessed life with the people I love most in the world...

I promise to post pics soon of all the crazyiness going on in this house to give you guys a good laugh =)

Happy anniversary to us!

I cant believe how the years have flown by. I remember being a little girl and wondering what the man I married would be like. I never could of imagined him to be this made for me even if I tried. As a little girl I imagined "prince charming" like in Snow white or Sleeping Beauty. However, in real life I realized early on the kind of man I really wanted to marry. I wanted to marry a man who would be a wonderful father, devoted husband, hard worker, and someone with a good sense of humor since we all know I lack one! Well, I found him and he is perfect for me. Life may not be perfect all the time like in the fairytales...Marriage is hard, parenting is hard, life is hard..but, our love is strong, real, and everlasting! I feel blessed to have found my soulmate and know that we will celebrate many more anniversaries together along with our kids and one day our grandkids and live out our "happily ever after" just like I dreamed about as a little girl =)

( sorry for the mushy post but I feel very emotional today due to it being our anniversary 2morrow )

ps- EVERY1 ENJOY NEW MOON TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vampire diaries series vs twilight series..PART 2

Ok, I wanted to wait until I read the 5th and final book (which Im on) of Vampire diaries but between LOVING the show vampire diaries with an obsession I need an intervention for and the excitement of my twilight/new moon double feature at the new lounge movie theater ( that I also need an intervention for) I decided to write about the two again now....

As I said in my original blog there is a wide battle over which is better, if one was "bitten" ( no pun intended..haha) off the other, and so on...so here are a list of things that I have found similiar throughout the series...

PS- I AM NOT GIVING AWAY HUGE STORYLINES BUT SEVERAL PLOTS IN BOTH series....SO IF YOU HAVENT READ THEM YET I ADVISE YOU NOT TO READ THIS...

TOP 10 SIMILARITIES....( although there are more)
1) Love triangle in twilight/love triangle in vampire diaries
2) Vampire boy drawn to human girl in both books
3) Vampires can go out during the day
4) Both have shapeshifter/werewolves
5) Both have elder vampires
6)Both have a crazy vampire who seeks revenge on the human girl
7)Both have the main character not drink human blood
8) In both the girls "change"
9) Both books have the main boy leave the main girl because they "think" its best and then the girl is devastated but falls into the arms of the other boy...
10)Both have girl bff who is jealous and annoying....both have boy bff that is interested but has no shot...

Having written my 1st post I was just starting the vd series...

So here is my overall stance on this debate....

1) Twilight is awesome, a much quicker read( I read the 4 books in like 5 days and they are WAY larger then VD. VD is taking me months to finish....but not because its not good, its cause Im busier and just cant break night to read..lol
2) So with that says (thus far) Twilight is my favorite series out of the two..HOWEVER, Im not finished yet and I do have issues w/ somethings being SOOOO similiar.
3) Facts are that VD did come out WAY b4 twilight was even a thought..and I do think that VD was "bitten" off of for parts of twilight...( I mean come on)
4) With everything considered I love them both and don't really care about the petty debate..Im just glad that both series are here for my enjoyment =)

LASTLY, I want to thank whoever did the casting for new moon and twilight cause robert pattinson as a vamp and taylor lautner (swoon) are very lovely to watch...
and Damon and Stefan...especially Damon...are HOTT!!
Plus, both the movie twilight ( and hoping new moon)
and the VD show are GREAT!!!!!!!

So those are my 2 cents on the issue..for whatever they are worth =)

Kelli and Evan come for a visit

My bff ( thats like the "hip" new term right..lol) and my godson paid us a visit last week and we all had a BLAST! We hung out at the house a bit, went to the aquarium, had a halloween party followed by trick or treating and even got to see the manatees!

Our boys are soo funny. When we went to the aquarium they did enjoy the fish but their favorite part was them acting like fish themselves. There is a waterpark in the back and they had a BLAST! They were running all over the srpinklers with no fear and were soaking wet in a half a second flat and loved every minute of it!

Halloween was great. We had a mickey mouse halloween party and did some trick or treating. We made tons of fun halloween dishes and even got to carve a pumpkin.

Kelli and I got to attack toys r us and get a big chunk of our toy shopping done with the big book( that finally came out)

We even got a chance to see the newer and definatley more high tech manatee muesum. There were only a few manatees out this time so we couldnt see them as well but nonetheless it was fun!

We miss them already and can't wait to see them again soon!!!!

toys r us big book

The day the toys r us big toy book arrives is almost a holiday within itself at my house. Going back as far as I can remember ( even b4 I had kids and just shopped for others) I would obsess over this book. It has great deals on all the newest and coolest stuff. Wrong or right I love stuff =). I can't help myself, I just do! Anyway, Each year the book is mailed out a week b4 the sale starts and it shows up in newspapers and in stores the day of the sale. This is ALWAYS the last Sunday of October. However, I always get it leaked a week or so earlier...so to my surprise by yesterday I still couldn't find ANYTHING on my beloved big book....So since I am a bit silly or crazy =p , I called the store, they knew nothing, I called the 800 numbers, they knew nothing, I even checked out all my trusty websites, they knew nothing except rumors of it being delayed. I had enough, so I just called the corporate offices, if anyone would know it would be them..Well it is true, the book for the 1st time ever is being released in November! It will start November 1st, not the planned October 25th that I had been expecting. My lovely husband was going to watch the lil ones while I did my happy holiday shopping kid and stress free and then with the help of my bff go induldge in some yummy cheescake factory to celebrate my deal saving victories..lol! Well now this is all ruined because I have every weekend stock full until December!! How will I ever shop now? Well easily, I will still go on November 1st but it will not be as easy....=*(
To make matters worse, they didnt have my new address so I won't even be mailed the big book ahead of time....BLAH TO TOYS R US!!!! for denying me my shopping plan and yummy pumpkin cheescake =p

Apple pie

So, as most of you know I love to cook and bake. However, I don't always have the time w/ my 3 lil ones running around and everything we do. So this month I promised myself that I will do ALOT of holiday baking for the upcoming 3 big holidays. I have a bunch of yummy recipes I wanted to try and the girls adore helping mommy in the kitchen. So, I decided to start with apple pie. This is probably because one of the major activities I miss about NY is apple picking. So to fill the void I bought a bag of apples at the supermarket and decided to give it a whirl. I am not that big on pies so I never actually baked a pie b4 ( I am a cookie person) but my husband loves pie.
I have to say that I was honestly expecting disaster since I am stubborn and had to make the dough(pie crust) myself. Every1 warned me that for my 1st time I should just buy an already made pie crust. However, that doesnt feel homemade then..so I did it all by myself...and I must say it came out very yummy. The crust wasnt perfect, I needed to make more dough so I didnt have enough to quite cover the whole pie plate and I added a bit too much butter I think...so the crust wasnt as crisp as I would have wanted it. However, on the positive side , it tasted super yummy and it being crumbly and moist was actually a good thing.
The filling was also very good. So, overall I would say that my 1st attempt at pie was a success and will hopefully only get better with time. This also was my 1st of many foods I will cook in the upcoming months. Im sure some will be great and others not so great but Im excited to try!! I just LOVE the holiday season!!!

Glee

As many of you know my new obsession seems to be Glee. I love this show for so many reasons there are just too many too list. Some however are
- the fact that it is so un-pc. I mean any innappropriate comment is on there, but they do it in such a funny way!
- I might be in love w/ Finn( don't worry in real life cory morteith is 27)..hehe
- I love the songs, soooo much talent on that show
- I def LOVE Kurt, I mean seriously
- I even am a bit strangely obsessed with the coach, I cant wait for her to be part of Glee club next week!!

However, while watching this I do always seem to get this 1 gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach every time one character comes on...Emma the guidance counselor. She annoys me and I dont appreciate her character at all.

First and formost, Will is a MARRIED man. I am not a violent woman, but if someone was following my husband around with those puppy dog eyes, she would be a goner to say the least.

Second, I happen to be very ocd with washing my hands n germs but seriously..her character is a bit over the top..someone that germophobic would not be teaching in a public school.

Lastly, I dont like what she is doing to Ken- AT ALL!

With all this said I started thinking about Will. Im realizing he is not the kind man that they are trying to portray him as. I fell in love with his character in the pilot and it has been a rollercoaster since then.

My proof that Will is not a nice guy:
- he abandoned Glee for his own dream
- blackmailed Finn into Glee
- has feelings for another woman other then his wife
- is all about competition and drives the kids to do crazy things
- is selfish and stubborn ( ie, bringing in his old crush to win invationals)
- he constantly is flirting with Emma
- the way he spoke to his wife last night ( " everytime I get a fire you burn it out")

Ok granted his wife is a psycho , faking her pg....so he should be leaving her ...
HOWEVER he has NO idea that she is not pg....so what the hell is he doing flirting with another woman, spending all his time at work, and yelling at his pg wife!!!!!!!!!!!

I am saddened by this, I dont want to feel this way about Will but I just do. His relationship with Emma is creepy and wrong and when and if he finds out his wife really isnt pg Im hoping that they don't end up together!( although im pretty sure thats the opposite of what the show wants us to feel)

With all that said, I just want to remind you that Im very pro- Glee..Shows are all about loving and hating characters. Enjoying plots and themes, laughing and crying! I do all these things and must say, that if you are not watching Glee-----START!!!!!!! =)

Back to me

I'm not quite sure why but I have been in a funk lately. By funk I mean a rut or just basically not feeling like me. This is quite normal, seriously, who never has a bad week or so? So, I began thinking and decided that I very much needed a ME day. I have a hard time with this cause I hate to leave my kids , even when they drive me nutz! However, it was WAY over due! So this past weekend my loving hubby watched the kids for the WHOLE day for me! I couldnt believe it =) James ( my bff) and I had a great day. We had yummy food ( twice) and actually sat at a coffee shop and enjoyed ADULT conversation..I had almost forgotten how to do that! We also had pedicures, did some retail therapy, caught a movie and had a few drinks...( I know its ALOT but I dont get out much so we had to cram it all in)!!
This was great. I enjoyed myself but most importantly remembered about me. In my day all I do is my daily routines and often forget Im a person- not just a mommy. Although being a mommy is my favorite part of my life, I needed to be reminded that there are other layers to me. So on Sunday we had a great family day and then my children actually SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!! It was a perfect ending- to a perfect weekend! I now feel refreshed and officially out of my rut. Im ready to go back to my daily grind but now I have a smile on my face!

September

As a lifelong teacher and student I have ALWAYS dreaded the month of September. Either way I would start back at work or school or many times both! The month seems to drag on 4ever!! However, this month I am happy to report that I have jam packed it so full of fun stuff that the month is just breezing by! This works perfect for me because I am SOOO ready for the holiday season( meaning halloween, thanksgiving, and christmas)! These are my 3 favorite months of the year and Im over the moon that in 2 short weeks the festivities begin. But, anywayz, I seem to be gearing away from my original post, that was to keep every1 updated in our busty month. So, here it goes....
Nina- has started school and is doing rather well, she is really excelling which is a great confidence booster for her. She has started cheerleading and gymnastics which she LOVES! We can only hope that all these positive things will in turn help her be happy! Here is to hoping =-)
Crystal- My mush has started gymnastics as well. She is also going to the school of mommy =). Each week we have been focusing on a letter, number, color, and shape. It is along road ahead but we will get it together =) We are also working on her speech, which hopefully will also get itself together soon.
Giovanni- He is running around as always. Always happy and never sleeping. ( I think Ive just given up on all hope of ever getting any sleep). He still isnt saying much either, just the occasional dada and even less occasional mama. Im ok with that though, you all know how I feel about milestones, I take em with a grain of salt! He would be in football by now if I could put him in but not till hes 3 =*(..lol!
Nando- As most of you know he just got back on Thursday from being in ny the whole 1st half of the month. All work and no play as always but at least he had a 4 day weekend that just ended ( boo) but it was nice having him home and actually around =)
Me- hmmmm, well Im still sick , day 16 or so? Still on Cipro and hoping to get these sinuses leared up once and for all. Otherwise just gearing up for fall and other fun things that this fam has going on...
This month we FINALLY joined the aquarium! Which worked out perfectly because in september they do a pass swap with the zoo and mosi so we get to go free. So we went to the zoo this past weekend and Dora just happened to be there. It was very exciting for the lil lady mush! Next weekend we are going to MOsi , which is kinda like the long island childrens science muesum with a planeturium attached. So this pass has already paid for itself, plus I obviously get to go all year to the aquarium, which I love!
Next weekend im also having a me day with one of my bffs we r going to a spa to get a facial ( my 1st time) and pedicures. Im sure we will eat yummy food , have a few drinks =p, and gonna check out an imax flick since we got two tickets to there for free as well with the pass!! I cant wait!!!
This month we also went to see Disney on Ice with our good friends the lietzys. I highly recomend the show! It was sooooooo good! We cant wait till the 1st week of Oct , we are going to Disney with the lietzys as well to check out the halloween decorations! SWEET!! We are such disney fanatics!
Well that was the past 3 weeks in a nutshell! Sorry for the long post but I had lots to catch up on!! I wil try to stay more on top of things with this blog. =)

LIFE

***I would like to make my post today dedicated to every1 that lost their life in 9/11 eight years ago and to every1 who has ever lost a loved one. ***
In my daily grind I know I sometimes forget how precious life is and how 2morrow is not a guarantee. I get annoyed at trivial things that mean nothing and often overreact to things I just should chill out about. I struggle with this because then I think about all the people who are not as blessed as my family is and I feel guilty. I promise myself to be a better person and not get upset over such little things and to look at the big picture. However, on monumental days like today I reflect the most. I think of how lucky I am to be have an amazing husband who provides for my family, 3 amazing kids that grow and thrive each day, a family that is always there for me through good and bad times, and friends who have proven to me that the old saying " blood is thicker then water" is a crap saying!
I think about how tragedy can strike at any moment like it did 8 years ago and take a life, change a life or lives, or change a country and its history. So upon my reflection I pray for every1 who was lost and pray that their memory will never be forgotten. I pray for those that have lost people so close to them that their lives will never be the same but they must keep living. Being a nyer this event hit me especially hard, I know people who were lost and am family and friends to people that have lost their loved ones. Every1 who knows me, knows I can't talk about it, watch the movies, or even teach about it. But, today I chose to write about it and say that we will stand united, we will not forget and we will continue to live our lives unlike so many bad people in this world want us to.
I realize that I am not perfect and that I am going to have bad days. I realize that the things that seem so trivial are important to me and that just makes me who I am. Lastly, i realize that even though I stress out sometimes and feel like the walls are closing in that it is ok. It is ok because I also know how lucky I am, I know Im loved, and I know I dont say it enough but I truly love my life and every1 in it. That is the best way to show respect to the ones we have lost. Not just on one day saying a prayer for them, but living my life and trying as hard as I can to make the world a better place. To accept the fact that I cant change all things and that life is not perfect but to keep trying each day anyway.

vacations

Nando has 1 week left of vacation this year that he will be taking in the middle of october. His first week off was in March and we went away for Ninas bday. His second week off was in August where we did more local things and stayed home. Now, our dilemma is if we should go away or not. Of course we want to, but there are 2 other factors. Our anniversary is in November and we usually go away for the weekend and the other factor is we want to go away for a weekend in december to see disney for the holidays and go to ice ( this expedition walk through dome made of carved ice) soo is going away 3 times too much right before christmas, and the answer is yes!! So, should we not go away for our anniversary and go away in October or just go more all out for the December trip....too many ideas but I don't really know what to do...Of course these are all mini getaways, so maybe I can find some great deals..what does every1 else think..to vacation? or not to vacation?

GYMNASTICS IT IS

So, last weekend my girls tried out gymnastics for the 1st time. I was very torn being that I always wanted them in dance, but anyone that knows my crystal knows that her and a tutu just dont mix..lol! Anyway, I expected Nina to want to stay with dance but she surprised me by wanting to go into gymnastics. I was worried about the change at first but actually thought it could work? Maybe, just maybe, my 2 girls will for once have something in common and get along? ( hey a mother can dream right) So, today is their 1st official day of gymnastic class, Im so excited, so are they. Crystal was a little shy at first but I have a feeling she is going to be great at it. Nina to me has always been more of a dancer. She is very graceful and girly but she def has the build for gymnastics as well. We shall see how it all pans out. If she wants to go back to dance I will be ok with that too. For now though my two lil gymnists will be off for their first big day =) pictures will be coming dont worry =)
ps- is johnny 3 yet so i can put him in football =p!!!!!

My Nephew NIKO

So after almost 2 months of waiting i FINALLY met my nephew Niko last month when I went to NY for the big visit. I must say, I knew I was in love with him already, but looking at him and holding him were amazing. He is so big compared to my lil chunkers whenthey were born. He still looks liks a newborn to me..which I was happy about. However, he is eating, sleeping, and thriving wonderfully!He looks a lot like my brother, which of course means he has similiarities to Crystal when she was born since she does still look like my brothers clone. But, I did see a bit of Lori in him. He has dark hair and these blue-grey eyes..so amazingly precious! I hope they don't change like Giovanni's did. The time I spent with him was just not enough since poor Lori was in and out of the hospital my whole trip ( mostly in) but I still got chances to see him. I might bore him since he slept most of the time that I got to share with him but I loved watching him sleep peacefully. I have been waiting a VERY long time for a nephew for Costa and Lori and words can't describe how I feel! I cant wait till Lori gets better so they can come visit us out here and then I get to go see them again when I visit again in November. Babies grow way too quickly and I dont want to miss anything!
So every1 who reads this blog please pray that Lori gets better soon and that my miracle of a nephew continues to strive and be the perfect lil man that he is =)

MY LIFE OF PROCRASTINATION

I know, you were all thinking I either a) abandoned my blog or b) fell off the face of the earth...both are possibilities since I haven't posted in almost a month and things have been so crazy around here I sometimes wonder what world I am in. Whatever the case is...Im back!!
The trip to New York was wonderful and crazy all wrapped up in 1!! I will be back blogging alot this week to get every1 caught up....my topics will be about
- my trip to ny
- my nephew Niko
- nandos week off
-back to the old routine ( i hope)
- extra curricular activity choices
- to vacation or not to vacation..that is my internal question!!
so it will be a busy week on my blog to make up for my lack of blogs this past month...so this blog will be about my first topic...the big trip to ny
big events-
vikys engagement party! wow, almost a year has gone by and the day is quickly approaching( ok its still about 15 months away, this engagement is too long if u ask me..lol) however time does seem to fly by lately!
finally meeting Niko which deserves it's own blog! so that will be my next entry
seeing my godchildren which makes me smile and feel so happy! i miss them so much sometimes that it is just crazy!!! it was also Evan's 1st bday which is crazy to me..these kids need to stop growing up so fast!!!
the rest of the trip was nice at parts, crazy at parts, and stressful( being that my son was not a happy camper at all during the trip) but overall it was nice to be back in ny, with my family and friends who i love to pieces. It was nice to eat a REAL bagel..lol! It was good to catch up with people I HAVEN'T SEEN IN AGES.Overall it was a good trip!

PROMISES, PROMISES...

OK...so I broke my promise. I promised I would blog more and its been over a week. So, I will make a new promise that I wont break...I will blog with updates as often as I can! Life in the summer just always seems busy , busy, busy...so i do apoligize
So this week we r gearung up for the big trip to NY. We can't wait. I miss every1 soooooo much and am FINALLY gonna meet Niko...my lil mushy nephew!! Did u know it was possibly to be totally in love w/ someone b4 u meet them? cause im totally head over heels in love with my nephew already!
This past week or so has had a lot going on....
2 weekends ago we went to disney for crystals bday weekend. it was great!I loved the hotel..I totally recomend the Port orleans french quarter...This is a million times nicer then the value hotels but still doesnt break your bank like the deluxe ones. I will def be staying there again.
In this time my daughter went to the bippity boppidi boutique where she was transformed into a princess......sooooooooo precious. Overall, it was a great weekend.....
this past weekend was her bday party which was tons of fun! We had great friends come over and every1 had a blast....
In between all of the celebrating we have just been enjoying our summer by going to the movies, the pool, the mall, the muesum..etc! when we return from ny we are definatley going to get our pass for the aquarium that I have totally been slackin on!!
Well , I will be back later to update my views on the new Harry Potter movie but wanted to throw in this quick update since it's been so long!!

4th of july fun

As a way to celebrate our country's freedom we had a fun packed weekend! We started off by making very messy but extremely yummy choclate and vanilla covered pretzels w/ sprinkles....
very simple- u need
pretzels ( frito lay OF COURSE)
vanilla and chocolate frosting
sprinkles
just heat up the frosting, dip the pretzels, sprinkle them up and let them chill in your fridge for 30 mins..the girls were ECSTATIC!!!
Then, we also went to the kids muesum which is always a lot of fun. Our buddies the Lietzy fam stayed over saturday. We went to see Ice age 3...( which was GREAT btw) The kids were literally LOLING through the whole movie...of course we bbq..yay and then went to see the fireworks!!
Sunday we made our way over to church, breakfast and then shopping!!( my fave)
So, needless to say it was busy but FUN!!
SIDE NOTES:
-I FINALLY saw transformers...woooooooooooohoooo!!!!!!!!
- Hannah Montana and Jake Ryan finally got back together on the show during its super big special 1 hour episode so my daughter is THRILLED!!!!!!!!!
- Crystal got her stitches out( my poor baby)
- Johnny is running around the house like a mad man...and my house needs to be johnny proofed!!
- Crystal has decided she is marrying Nick Jonas!
Sooooo, it was a looong weekend..sorry for such a long wait for this post, but I will post more often this week- I promise =)

Growing up is hard to do..or is it?

I'm trying to find a way to stop my kids from growing anymore. I always hear how hard growing up is but I'm beginning to believe it is the parents who really suffer. Every new milestone is full of excitement for my kids but sadness for me. The thought of them getting older is SOO hard for me, especially being we r done growing our family. This past weekend my son officially started walking- like out of nowhere! It has been creeping up for a while now, but this weekend - BOOM- just like that, he's a walker! It is probably the cutest thing I have ever seen. He is all wobbly and walks with his hands in the air to help for balance. I am super excited for him but sad for me. Sad that my last baby is now walking. I know this may sound silly, and I should of been prepared, I mean he is 14 months...but it is sooo hard.
My mushala Crystal will be 3 in about a week and a half and we r transitioning her room from a "baby" room to a "big girl" room. She will have a disney fairies and princess room. My heart just can't take it! My baby girl is getting bigger!! These are things most parents r excited about- and don't get me wrong, I'm super grateful to have amazing children who grow and learn each day...but I worry about when they will stop needing me so much and no longer be my babies...
Kind of like my Nina Beana..who is 7 going on 16!! There are no more kisses ans hugs. She dances in her room and has a pre teen love of hannah, camp rock, and hsm!! Baby things are "uncool" and she wants to do stuff by herself now. Every time I look at her I still see my baby girl who used to be obsessed with cheerios and would lay on the couch and cuddle with me for hours eating popcorn!
They all love these new milestones and don't seem to find it hard at all! BUT, I find that my kids growing up is hard for me to do =*( ......MAYBE I SHOULD INVEST MORE OF MY TIME SEARCHING FOR NEVERLAND???

Ok, so in my last post I wrote about my alarm going off at 4am and nearly giving me heart failure. Well, it has been that kind of week I guess. My mushala who we all know is my " wild child" got stitches for the first time yesterday! I say FIRST because any1 that knows her, knows she is the one who is going to probably give me the most scares, hence "my wild child" nickname =). She was a VERY big girl though and was definatley a trooper! She got four stitches but they could not be the disolvable ones. The worst part for me about stitches is that once its over, your still not done! Then u gotta go back a week later and take em out!!
Nina needed stitches right before we moved last year and decided to try to be superwoman and jump off my kitchen table...( that was a fun phone call to daddy, um, im 39 weeks pg and we need to go the e-room, but not for me, for nina) Taking them out was the WORST so I think I am going to have daddy bring her for that =). Things like this always makes me remember just how fragile our kids really are!
On a lighter note, Nina is doing very well in summer school. She is really starting to get the jist of reading. It is amazing how one day your child can't read and the next the words just start lighting up on the page for them!
Johnny is SOOO close to walking now that it is just crazy. He can walk about half of a room. I think that def by the time I come to visit NY he will be running around every1's house =)

Have you ever had your heart fall into your chest? Well, last night I totally knew that feeling. Nando has a market tour this week so has been staying in sarasota. I'm such a paranoid scaredy cat to begin with so I hate being left in the house without him. Well, last night at 4am I awaken to my son screaming his head off and my alarm going off!
First thought is, someone broke in and is in my baby's room...so of course I go runing in and THANK GOD noone is in there.( in hindsight I should of had something to protect us with, but who thinks about this in the heat of the moment) So I figure maybe someone is in the house somewhere else..with 3 kids this is a scary thought!!
In the end of the panic I realize, why are the police not here and my alarm company not calling? Well, I calm down and call them only to find out that my battery is low!!!!!!!!!!! I didnt even know that this alarm runs on batteries!!
The moral of this story is to get ALL the facts about anything u own, especially your alarm system!!!!!!

28

I didnt get to post last week because so much just seemed to be going on...

Well, This past Saturday I turned 28. All who knows me, knows that I'm NOT a big fan of getting older or my birthday in general. It is just part of who I am and can't handle any1 that I know getting older including myself. I often think that I am always tired and exhausted because Im getting older...however, this weekend I realized I need to start looking at things in a different light!

We went to islands of adventure and universal studios on Saturday, just my pook, bff, and I . ( thanks to mommy for watching the kids) and after we went to an LL Cool J concert. There he is at 41 years old in all his glory in 100 degree weather doing his thing...and I'm complainging I'm hot and tired at 28!!

( Note to self that old saying.. you are only as old as you feel...might be true....but my question is...did that person who said that have 3 kids ???)

The weekend

This weekend was very eventful. We had a girls day out on Saturday with my girls, my mom, n I to magic kingdom. I love that place! Even as many times as we go, it never seems to lose its magic! I love it for so many reasons, but I must say there is one reason above all; the smiles and amazement in my kids faces. During each ride my girls laughed and smiled. Each parade brought on such enjoyment that it made me want to cry. My mushala who loves minnie mouse saw her in the parade and waved and jumped around screaming "my minnie" and that is PRICELESS! It makes me realize how lucky I am to have such beautiful, healthy, and amazing children. Sometimes in the everyday craziness I forget how much of a blessing they are. Their hapiness always reminds me how they are my life- and I live for them!
My boys who are also my world had a fun boys day at home bbqing! One of Nando's ex coworkers transferred down here and they will be working together again. My hubby is thrilled! Im hoping this means less work for him in the long run, but with Frito Lay u never really know. There is always a roll out, market tour, or something that requires my hubby to work 9 million hours...but at least he got to relax and enjoy a nice weekend.
This was a simple pleasures kind of weekend and I liked it =)

Looking ahead..

As I am still deciding and wrapping up all my summer plans I have this creeping feeling that the fall will be upon us before we know it! This brings me to Fall activities! Now that Crystal is 3 I feel it is important to get her started in things. Plus, Nina is very serious about getting back into ballet. This is a struggle for me to think about at times because I have 3 kids and schedules can get crazy. Plus, these activities seem to cost a fortune nowadays...So where do I start and where do I draw the line? What do all my other mommy friends do that have to juggle all these activities and still have time to cook, clean , and have a life =)
So, I am planning ahead to hopefully prepare myself for the months to come..I know I want to get Nina back into ballet and I am leaning more towards gymnastics for Crystal since she is my "wild" child afterall =) Lil man is not old enough for football, although I wish he was..hehe so Im thinking baby music or gymboree? something to that effect?
This is my thought process but you all know it can change.

Why do these things still amaze me?( random rants)

In a time where our country is in a "recession", I personally want to go out on a limb and say depression, but anyway..I find it amazing that people still don't do their jobs! I must need to make at LEAST 5 calls a week because someone messed up on a bill, or purchase, or something! I seem to be cursed to only deal w/ people that have NO idea what they are doing! ( Anyone that knows me is probably laughing and knows that Im so not even exaggerating!
Well, I also have a "beef" with the post office or any postal service for that matter because its a total rip off and no matter what my package always takes too long or gets lost! So, in an attempt to not deal w/ this insanity I shipped one of my good friends son's first bday present directly from the website itself. I figured it was worth the extra gift wrap charge and shipping because it would securely get there...well shame on me for thinking that this could ever go smoothly! Of course the package is lost- not only lost but completely untraceable and Im currently now on hold with the 3RD person who still has no idea how to do their job!
I think this frustrates me more then anything because my husband has been working anywhere from 12-18 hour days for as long as I can remember. Now he is even going to have to work 6 days a week! All I hear is that we should be thankful that he has such a great job when some people have none. I do agree, we are blessed and I am grateful that my husband has such a great job. However, I am bitter to the fact that I seem to encounter people who are blessed with jobs but never want to do them!! So, the whole point of this is Im annoyed and feel like ranting..so thanks for listening =)

Fun Times

So summer has officially began! It might not be June 21st, but school has finished, hence Nina is on summer vacation. All I can say is I hope God can give me the strength to survive this summer! Nina and crystal as most of you know, do NOT get along so well! So here is hoping to smooth sailing for the next 3 months!
On a better note, today we got summer passes to a childrens muesum in Lakeland. This is a half way point for our good friends alma and family to meet up with us! We had a great time! The kids really had a blast. It is a really nice area( considering where it is) and it has a really nice park on the outside so we can have a nice picnic the next few times we go this summer! We also are planning on passes to the aquarium. I must say that there are not many places here or anywhere for that matter like ny, but this aquarium puts the ny ones to shame. It has a water park and everything..so I cant wait to go to that! Other summer plans include, well yes of course disney. We go there for each of the kids birthdays and my lil mushala will be 3 in a month. This is just CRAZY!!!
As summer continues we are off to ny as soon as Nina finishes summer school( half day school and starts next week) We will be there from july 24th-aug 4th...we are going to try to see every1 that we can! I of course cant wait to see my nephew ( and yes Costa , I WILL BLOG ABOUT HIM,,, BUT I SHOULD MEET HIM FIRST ) I also cant wait to see my godchildren!
We may take a family vacation in August to clearwater depending on a few factors..one mainly being my central air system! It is on the fritz,,AGAIN! How is this even possible? I dont know, but it is..hopefully it does not need replacing. So our summer is pretty packed! So that means it wil go fast right???? LOL!

Twilight vs Vampire Diaries

As we all know, I have several obsessions! I have recently become 1 million percent obsessed with Stephanie Meyers Twilight. To the point actually where it is not healthy..hehe! I read all 4 books and with each 1 it kept me wanting more! More, Edward, More Jacob and fine..even more Bella! However, after the 4 books, a quarter of the unfinished 5th book, the movie, trailers and fanfiction..what is left? ??

Well, I have come across a new tv show that is coming on the CW this fall called Vampire Diaries. This is right up my alley =) I heard it is based on a series of books. This made my day, a new vampire series I could get sucked into...( yes I know, I need an intervention) However, I began reading this series 2 days ago. I was a little nervous since I ordered the series online and was awaiting my books because I started reading reviews and comments. There was tons of comparing the two. Stating that one was a knock off of the other. Being a TRUE and LOYAL twilight fan, could I read its rival? But, I got over it, it's just a book. However, only in reading the first few chapters I see so many similiarities it is a bit unsettling. Especially, since VD was created way before Stephanie Meyer "dreamed " this up....

So, with all this said I am trying to have an open mind. I mean books in the same genre tend to be similiar right? Romance novels all are so similiar , so why not this. Yet, it is so unsettling to me...only because I do get so involved into these novels- as I said, to the point that it is unhealthy! So, I am hoping that as I continue to read I do not have this same quesy feeling that my PRECIOUS Twilight Series might have been, hmm whats the word..."inspired" by this VD series...

Similiarities thus far

Both take place in a very small town
Both deal with characters in HS
these two may mean nothing but as I continued....
Both have to deal with a centuries old vampire who has a tainted past but has reverted themselves into a "vegetarian" vampire
Both have a girl that for whatever reason is more appetizing then anyone else ever
Both main characters can read minds and have the power of persusion through their eyes
Both main character girls are strangely obsessed with this vampire boy
Both vampires decide to try to stay away from the "temptation" girl
Both vampires are rude and offensive in the beginning
Both can go out during the day
Both as I said, do not prey on humans
Both just want to be accepted into society, but both feel as if they are" evil" and "monsters" and do not deserve real happiness.....
Now I think this seems like a lot,,what worries me is Im only on chapter 4 of the 1st book!!
Plus, just by knowing a few tidbits about the book..I know alot more similiarites are to come....

All I know is, I will still love the Twilight series no matter what....but I don't know if I will feel the same way about SM...

Differences and more updates to come.....

What is new in the life of...

Nina- Well, she is very excited since school is ending in two short days! This summer she will be attending summer reading camp( which is just a nice way to say summer school I think ). She is pretty ok with it since her teacher now will be her teacher in the summer and she likes her. We really like her too. She will also be attending her tutoring program KUMON throughout the summer.Okay, I'm not a TOTAL meany..there will be fun involved as well....( check that out in summer plans)

Mushala- She is talking much more recently and is pretty excited about it. Slowly but surely my lil tortoise will win the race. She does things on her own time and this is no different! For those of you that don't know..she has been potty trained for over a month now- WOOHOO!! Exciting , yet sad. My mushala is growing up and I am not happy about it!! She will be 3 in july and I am not ready. I am going to enroll her in the fall in some sort of activity...so let's take a poll......gymnastics or ballet???? I need your input!!

Chunkster- And, what a chunkster he is =p My lil man is not quite so lil anymore!! He is taking a few steps but still mostly cruising and crawling, I am seriously in no rush to have another running around here...so I don't mind. He is saying mama, dada, baba..the usual for his age I think and is just a big ball of mushball fun- I LOVE HAVING MY BOY =)

Nando- What is ever new for my poor dear husband? Nothing!! Except for work!! They are finally getting a new dsl here in a few weeks, so godwilling he will not work these 15-18 hour days anymore!!

Anna (ME) - Well, after being TOTALLY enthralled and entranced by twilight I have started the vampire diaries...I will let you know how it goes! I also am trying to do my daily routines as a stay at home mommy- which by the way is WAY harder then teaching!!GEEZ!! Being a mommy of 3 is definatley life in the fast lane!!

LET'S GET THIS STARTED

So, here I am! If you are reading this you probably already know me and know that I have wanted to blog for a while. If you are reading this you probably already know that I have been married for 3 and a half wonderful years! I was blessed with 3 AMAZINg but NUTTY children; Nina, Crystal and Giovanni.
This is pretty much going to be rants, raves, updates, and who knows what else by my family- The Bonich Clan........So ....I HOPE YOU ENJOY!!

PS- I will warn you, it could be a bumpy ride =p!!