one.great.weekend.

I really did have the best weekend. We were in Maryland from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon and from start to finish it was fun. The girls were extra silly and loved the extra attention. My parents and Antonio loved having the girls run around and make more noise then probably necessary and the shower was a great time. We had such a nice group of women together to share in Chaela's excitement of the coming birth of their little boy. He is going to be one very loved and spoiled bambino!

The delicious cake from The Cakery in Bowie. That's also the same place where I got the miniature pastries from - can you say YUMMY!?! And the favors - chocolate star lollipops and mints...love all the blue!

Chaela, her sister Tricia and her mom all super excited for this little one to be here!

I still can't believe my brother is going to be a daddy. It kind of makes me feel really old, but in a good way. But I will say that getting older is totally different than growing up. One you have to do and the other is a choice you make! My brother is doing both.

The very happy parents-to-be! And the other diaper cake.

Snuggling with the girls and watching some cartoons after a very busy and fun day.  It was the perfect remedy for sore feet and tired cheek muscles from all the smiling. Snuggling with these two can cure anything.

After lunch on Sunday with the girls...and the little man still baking away.

there's a baby on his way...

So tired and ready for bed after a very fun weekend. But I just downloaded all the pictures from the weekend and couldn't resist putting one up. Baby Pitocco's shower was yesterday at my parent's house and the very proud parents-to-be are up to their ears in clothes, toys and books for their little one. And he hasn't even arrived yet! But mid-March will be here before we know it and I can.not.wait.

Chaela has 8 weeks left and she looks fantastic! She was nothing but smiles during her baby boy's shower and so grateful for everything. Our friends and family really made it a special event and I am just so happy for my brother and his wife. More pictures to come!

takin' a stroll

These two. These two make me smile so much. Obviously, Olivia shouldn't be in the stroller, but that's not the point.  Olivia had been happily strolling her own little Olivia doll around the house and then ditched it to sit in it herself to be pushed around by her big sister. They both loved it and went around the same loop of the first floor countless times before Sofia says very loudly "My arms are getting tired, now you have to walk Olivia!"

Love them!

And still more snow...

Last night before getting into bed, I looked out the window to what looked like such a snow blizzard. The view out our front windows was practically all white with the winds blowing the snow around and snow still falling pretty hard and fast. I knew I didn't have to wear my pajamas inside out and backwards to know that there was not going to be school the coming day. And I was right. Schools were canceled in our township, not that it effected us but just meant another day in the house.

My little snow bunny was all set to go out in the snow. Those are Sofia's pants from last year and you can tell they're a bit big on her. At least they'll keep her warm...and dry!

Our front yard. Covered at this point in about 18 inches of snow. Unless we get some warm temps soon, this stuff is going to be around for awhile!

Olivia so happy to be outside, tearing down the super clean driveway. Anthony got up early to shovel us out before going to work, what a great husband!

Our sidewalk, kindly snow-blowed by our neighbor at 530 this morning. Love caring neighbors. Now I'm off to bake some cookies to thank them. Seems like a fair trade to me.

If you can't tell, Sofia is dancing in this picture which just puts such a smile on my face. What's funny is that up until the minute I was walking outside with Olivia, she was set on NOT going on in the snow. Until she saw how excited Olivia was and then she started jumping up and down that she had to go out too. Neither of them actually got into the snow, but stayed on the dry driveway and played in the snowdrifts with their shovels. They were happy little snow bunnies!

More snow!

This is how I started my day...

Really? More snow?! What we had already hadn't even melted away yet because it's been below freezing for days now and on top of that we now have an additional 6 inches. And they're calling for more of the white stuff this evening. Oh joy. Seems as if it's been the longest couple of months ever.  Yes, I know, it's winter. And with that comes freezing temps and the occasional snowfall. I live in the Northeast and should expect the ups and downs of the 4 seasons. But I'm itching for warm weather and flip flops. And it's only the end of January.

Luckily, I have a three-tier cart devoted to craft supplies. So, that keeps my girls happy when they've watched what I consider enough T.V. I'm sure what they consider enough and what mamma considers enough are two different things, but I'm the boss.  We throw ourselves into stickers, coloring, painting and the occasional seasonal decoration. Sofia practices her scissor-technique and soon the floor is covered in construction paper of all sorts of shapes and sizes. I even made a heart garland for Valentine's Day which the girls loved. Olivia exclaimed "boootiful mamma!" while she watched me hang it in our red room.

While making lunch, I watched Olivia grab her pail, watering can and shovel and say "beach!" to me. She was walking around the house looking for sand and then shoveling it into her pail. It was adorable. (Don't worry, I don't really have sand in my house, she has a great imagination.) Then she stood near the door for awhile saying "beach" over and over and then I realized my poor thing really did want to go to the beach. She is probably getting tired of the cold weather too.

if you give a girl a muffin...

...she is very likely to eat the entire thing without realizing her picture is being taken. And enjoy every single bite. Olivia mia danced around the kitchen the entire time I was baking them and she exclaimed "oooooh!" when I took them out of the oven. It's a bit of an understatement to say she was excited for them. She stared at it the whole time I guess making sure it wasn't going to walk away from her at any given moment.

And the Oscar goes to...

Anthony and I used to go to the movies pretty regularly before our two lovely beauties came into the picture. I'm alright with that. Obviously, your life is going to change after you have kids and taking toddlers to the movies is not on my list of most relaxing activities. But in the last year we have managed to get out more regularly to dinner and a movie and it almost feels like when we were dating or in our early years of marriage. Only now I have to be in bed by 10pm because prying my eyes open with toothpicks looks weird to other movie-goers. 

But the Oscars are soon approaching and I thought it would be fun to try and see as many of the nominated movies as possible before the February 27th show.  I've already decided that it won't be doable to see the remaining movies in the Best Picture category, there are 7 for us left to see, so I picked the Best Director category instead where I only have 3 to watch between now and then. Call me a slacker, but I don't have the funds to get a babysitter 7 times in the next month. Besides, 'The Fighter' and "The King's Speech' are the top two that I'm most excited about so it just works out better for me anyway. I'm not gonna lie, I am a little giddy that Colin Firth is up for Best Actor too, he will always be Mr. Darcy to me and I just love watching him in any movie. Love Actually, anybody? Best.Movie.Ever.

a great end to a great weekend

The weekend came and went.

Friday night was Palumbi Pizza night with friends at our house. Palumbi Pizza night is something we started a few months back when we got into the swing of making our own dough. My mom has been telling me to do this for 7 years. She was right. Again. Thanks Mom. The dough just gets easier to make with practice and I'm brave enough to serve the pizza to my family and now our friends. No complaints yet.

Anthony was at a conference most of the day on Saturday and we had no real plans but after a few hours of playing in the house and basically tearing it apart - them not me - we went out for a walk. With temps in the very low 30's we didn't stay out too long, but just enough to get some fresh air and play with the snow. The girls were armed with sand shovels and a trip around the block took us forever. It was fun, but it was even more fun to come back indoors to the warmth. I worked Saturday night and it was VERY busy. People kept coming in and asking what we were giving away by the sheer number of people waiting to be seated. I don't work Saturdays very often but an occasional weekend night keeps me on my toes. Literally.

So, that brings us to Sunday. Our family day out of the weekend and it was great. From start to finish it was truly smile inducing. Starting with Anthony making breakfast for us all and ending with he and I eating dinner alone together (heaven) while the girls watched a show in the other room. Everything in between made me smile... heading out with the family for a drive and then going out for lunch, the girls actually sitting through lunch and being really really good, visiting a good friend that recently brought home their new bundle of joy (and getting my newborn fix for the moment) and catching up with family and friends in between. I even did a load of laundry. I dare say, it was a perfect day.

And that little girl in the picture...perfectly adorable isn't she? My almost 4-year-old, love that girl more than words can express.

how time flies

When we arrived in Italy for Sofia's 2nd trip abroad, my mom had bought her the cutest little romper. Red and white with tiny little flowers. Light and airy which is perfect for those very hot Italian summer days but still dainty and girly for my little princess. I don't need to express how cute she looked in it or how many times she wore it that summer.

I didn't get rid of any of Sofia's clothes. Sure, there was the occasional item handed out to family and friends that was never worn, sometimes with the price-tag still attached in hopes that they would find some closet space. We were truly blessed with the number of outfits Sofia received (and still receives). But this little piece, the red and white with tiny flowers, I remembered above all when my second little princess was born and I knew she would look just as cute in it as her big sister did.

The above picture is why I love that little outfit so much. It was such a wonderful memory of Sofia wearing it and playing in the piazza in San Cosimo in the summer of 2008. Confined to her stroller for the visit to the church and the zoo, finally she was free to run about in the near empty square. And run she did. To hers and our enjoyment, she ran and giggled and ran and giggled some more. She was such a sight and even if I didn't have those pictures from that day, I would still be able to remember that evening in my mind...my little bird, set free and just running and giggling to her heart's content. My cheeks hurt so much from smiling, it would be difficult to forget such a precious moment.

Fast forward two years to this past summer in Italy. And you bet I packed that same little romper for Olivia. And we found ourselves at San Cosimo one warm evening, and after a visit to the church, a walk through the zoo and nearby market, my second little bird was growing tiresome in the stroller. To the piazza we went and set Olivia free. She had just taken her first steps but weeks earlier, so there wasn't much running, but she toddled her away around that open square. And she giggled and toddled some more. It was amazing.

Resolve

resolve (ri-zolv):  a resolution or determination made, as to follow some course of action

And that is what I plan to do.  Seems simple enough, right? Make up your mind to do something and actually do it.  Don't just say you're going to do something, don't talk about it all the time until you're blue in the face and not follow through...just go and do it. With many things it's easier said than done. But I'm giving it a shot.

Just a few of the things I would like to accomplish from here forward:

1. Learn to knit - I mean, really? How cute are some things you see out there, especially for little girls, that I could learn to do on my own and not pay someone to do for me? Hats, scarves, blankets, I want to do all of those and more.
2. Teach myself a new recipe, even if just once a month. Antonio got me a great cookbook for Christmas and I intend to use it for more than another book for the girls to flip through. 
3. Speak up. This doesn't mean to talk louder, but just do more of it. Talk on the phone more with relatives and friends or just offer my opinion more often (when appropriate, I'm not going to be rude).
4. Relax. In terms of taking the time to relax AND not thinking everything is the be all end all.
5. Eat more healthy foods. This coincides with #2. While searching for the new recipe, I will make sure it is not only good, but good for you. Maybe include more organic? Finally start that vegetable garden instead of just having a few pots out on my patio. So many options.
6. Read more. With regard to me books and not childrens' books. I've been doing really well with this one already, but I want to make sure to keep up with it. Yes, I am part of a book club, so that helps. But on my own time I want to make sure I'm reading something pretty much all the time. Ok, I'll give myself a day or three in between books, but I want to keep on top of it. 
7. More pictures! Yes, it is still possible to take more pictures than I already do. I'm always up for learning something new with my camera and it's something I enjoy, so why not do more of it? Simple, right? You like it, continue it.
8. Walk. I'm not much of a runner, but I do enjoy a nice walk. Of course, anyone with little ones underfoot knows that walking with your kids is a lot different than walking for you. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE stopping every two feet to admire a leaf, a bug or a strange rock, but I need to be a bit more active than that sometimes allows. I do get in a good sprint every once in awhile when Olivia dashes away from me into the street though, so that helps to get the blood flowing.
9. Paint. And I'm not talking about painting a room or even a wall for that matter. Sofia loves to paint and I should paint with her more often. She would LOVE it.
10. More date nights for Anthony & I. I'm talking like 1-2 times a month! I know, crazy talk, but it can be done. Movies, dinner, trips to the book store and all the while no one else is interrupting our conversation or our romantic silence. Sigh.

Nothing crazy, not really too life-altering, but still something to work towards in the days ahead.  Start small, simple and go from there.

Oh sugar!

My favorite little Italian treats...pasta reale (marzipan)! Sugar, almonds, sugar and more sugar. Delicious! And how cute are they in the shape of little fruit? They could be in the shape of a rock and I would still eat them. And enjoy them immensely!

A visit to Daddy's day job

Last week Sofia went on quite the adventure. After a bus ride, a subway ride and a short walk, Sofia found herself at her Daddy's work. It's bring-your-child-to-work-day! Olivia and I dropped them off at the bus stop Friday morning and then she spent the new few hours with Anthony at his 9-5. Of course, she wasn't working like he usually is but rather, their office manager had set up their conference room with coloring books, stickers, snacks and movies! She had a great time and barely noticed when Olivia and I showed up for lunch. She was about 10 Hershey Kisses in at that point and completely in her element.

Peek-a-boo casa

The girls are loving the doll house Santa brought for Christmas, especially Olivia. She likes to hide behind it and shout out for Sofia or I and say "peek-a-boo!"

lazy mornings

With the snow we received yesterday and temperatures at a bitter cold, we've had ourselves two lazy mornings and they turned out to be a nice change of pace.  After breakfast, I pulled out just a few items from our crafting bin and soon our kitchen table was covered in playdoh, crayons, markers and stickers galore. Not to mention that Sofia is still practicing with scissors and it wasn't too long before there were hundreds on tiny pieces of construction paper all over the floor. She loved it because as she put it "there is snow outside and some inside now too!"

We read books, played with puzzles, dressed ourselves up in necklaces...and Sofia took pictures with her new camera.  

While we do love getting out and about, getting together with friends or just even a walk in the neighborhood or a trip to the nearby park, it was really nice to just goof off around the house with no intention of getting out of our pajamas. And there were no complaints from the girls, who jump around usually when we say it's time to put our coats on. At those times, they know we're on our way out and so excited. But, I think I need to schedule lazy mornings in a little bit more during the month.

Fun with Zio Scotty

Scott is getting very close to being a daddy and I just get more excited with each day. Both Scott and Chaela are really going to enjoy parenthood, you can already tell from how they are with other kids, mine in particular. My girls love them so much and it just makes me so happy considering we don't live nearby and they still enjoy seeing their Zio Scotty and Zia Chaela. Don't worry Zio Antonio, they love you most of all!

March can't get here soon enough!

love my baby's profile

I love Olivia's profile. Not sure what it is that I like best about it either...those adorable cheeks, that little nose or those pouty little lips. Or maybe it's that wispy little bit of hair framing her face. 

I made one of those profile silhouette pictures of Sofia's when she was a big younger and I've been meaning to make one of Olivia as well. If you're interested in learning to make one on your own, this is a great site for a step-by-step tutorial. Of course, if you're subject will sit still long enough, you could always try and hand trace it on your own like we did when we were younger. Neither of my girls will sit for more than a few seconds if they know that I'm trying to trace their profile. Just use a camera, so much quicker and then you can take your time with it in Photoshop.

practicing

Just a few practice pictures taken this past weekend in Maryland using my new Christmas present. Clearly, I need more practice but I'm very excited! It was so much fun using a new lens that I forgot completely about other settings I need to take into consideration when taking a picture. Oh well, eventually I will get everything together. Or maybe not. I'll have fun in the process though.