Love In One Photo

I take a ton of pictures with my camera and my phone. Sometimes I will take a picture in the moment and the next moment we are rushing to get ready for school and work. I usually then forget all about the photo.

Today I had to clean up my phone, since I ran out of memory, and came across some pictures that I even forget I took. This one stood out - the first thing that came to my mind was LOVE.

This is what Love looks likes in one photo.

Not Good Mood

I took the boys along with six other 6 year olds and their parents to a High School Football Game last Friday. This was to fulfill a Tiger Scout requirement and I wanted Francesco to experience the Marching Band. Things were going well until Francesco was dying of thirst and hunger and Nicolo was crying because he was not able to catch any swag the Cheerleaders were throwing.

I became very upset because the two of them would not settle down. We were all the way up in the bleacher and I was responsible to explain the game of football to the kids. While trying to do so all Francesco did was tell me he was hunger or thirsty, he was dying of thirst, he was starving. I feed him before the game and asked him to be patient since we were leaving after the halftime show. He still did not let up. Nicolo was crying and no matter what I said he would not let it go that he did not get anything from the cheerleaders. Again there was nothing I could do.

So on the way home we had a discussion about manners and respect. I told them I was disappointed in their behavior and that I had thought I had raised them better than that. Well, this did not sit well with Francesco and when we got home he went to his room. Then on his door he posted this:



I love the tear falling down on the frowning face. The next day he even asked me if I had seen the sign. He was making sure I was aware of his mood. I told him I was sorry he was in a bad mood but I was being honest about my feeling.

Another day goes by and we are in the Target shopping, a lady needed help reaching something from a shelf and Francesco jumped right in to help her. I pulled him aside and told him that was really nice and how proud I was of him for doing a such a nice thing. He turns to me and say, "see you did raise me better than you thought."

I love this kid!

Life in B&W

I pick up my camera Sunday and realized how long it had been since I had carried it around, it felt so heaven and foreign to me.  I decided that I need to carry it more and to take more photos.  I had decided to try doing a lot of B&W photos just as a self project.  That same day I got and invite from a friend (Tammy Lee) to join a Facebook Project called "Life in B&W".  I swear I am not making this up.

So I grab my camera and took it with me for the day.  Here a few of my favorite shots:

Here I love his expression and his reflection:


 Her eyes are pretty even in B&W:


 This one blows me away because he really looks grown in this photo, he is loosing his little boy look:
Stay tuned....

Oh, Nicolo!

Nicolo has been cracking me up lately. He is so different from Francesco it's almost scary. Last Thursday the boys were at their Grandparents after school. Francesco calls me at work around 3:30 and asks me to come get him. I ask if there is a problem and he says, "No, I just thought we could have a no electronic night and we could spend the time praying in the dark." (Just so you know he is preparing for him First Reconciliation at school so they are talking about examination of conscious, getting closer to God and the power of prayer) I ask him why and he says, "so we can feel closer to God, we could do up to 30 prayers." (not sure why the limit of 30) I of course say okay but I was at work and he would have to wait till I got home. I then asked to speak to his Nana and he says you should talk to Nicolo. I say, "Okay, put him on." Nicolo gets on the phone and doesn't even say hi, the first thing he says is, "I AM NOT PRAYING!" (in the back ground I can hear Francesco reminding him that is how you get closer to God) Nicolo says, "tomorrow is a stay home day and I am staying up late playing Minecraft, I am not praying!"





The boys were telling me about a Lego Ninjago series they were watching on Netflix's. Francesco was describing something about the fourth ninja getting to his full potential to have them all be able to create the Tornado of Life. Nicolo kept interrupting Francesco and telling him it was called the Tornado of Creation. They went back and fourth for a bit over the name of this Tornado. Then Francesco proceeds to tell me, "Once the fourth Ninja get to his full potential they can create this Tornado, Nicolo THINKS it the Tornado of Creation, but..." Francesco is cut off by Nicolo stating in a very matter of fact way, "I don't THINK, I KNOW it's the Tornado of Creation."  (In the end, he was right and if you know Francesco that didn't sit well with him) - I do love his conviction!




I was asking Nicolo about what he learned in school the other day and he went on and on about the science stuff.  I stopped him and asked did he learn anything about God and he said, yeah we talk about him all the time.  He tells me that the Bible was written a long time ago and all the people in there are dead but their souls are in heaven. Then tells me, "Do you know when you die your soul can go one of three places.  I am not sure what all the names are but Heaven is the first place and that is where the good ones go."  He then says to me, "I'm probably going to the second place since I've made a few bad choices." (I had to really contain myself from laughing because he was serious).  I asked him if he was talking about Purgatory, he said yeah, I just could remember the name.  I told him that when his time came I am pretty sure he will be going to Heaven.

A Run for My Money

I will be perfectly honest this year has been tough.  I thought Kindergarten would be amazing for Nicolo, he turned 5 in April and he did a readiness program over the summer and he tested well just before school started.  I thought the extra time (5 months more than Francesco had) and the head start of the academics would have given him a great boost.  Academically he is good- it's the social/behavioral aspect that has been tough.

Nicolo is in no hurray for anyone, ever!  He is a free spirit who feels that playing is more important than sitting still and paying attention. His teacher continually points out the time she gives for the activities and I totally understand that but I don't know what she want me to do about it.  How do you make a 5 year old speed up, when he has always taken his time.  He is the kind of kid that stops to smell the roses and observes the butterflies.  He has even stopped during a video game race because he noticed flowers and butterflies on the side of the road in the computer game.

Nicolo does not feel the need to conform, which I believe is a developmental skill he may never develop.  He really doesn't care what others are doing, if it's not on his agenda he is more than happy to go his own way.  In kindergarten it's considered a behavioral issue, in real life it called individuality. The secret I think is to find a teacher that accepts that fact - we haven't found that yet.

I am certain that he will survive this year of the tender age of five, I feel bad that it has been so tough at school.  I want him to pay attention, I want him to follow the rules and I want him to do good in school, but I also don't want him to change.  The things I love about him is his ability to be on his own timeline and not care that it's drives the rest of us crazy.  I love that he doesn't care what the group is doing or if he is doing things differently than then "norm"- he does thing for himself and so he does it his way. Instruction and rules are just suggestion to him (unlike Francesco who follows them to a T).

I always said he was going to give me a run for my money, it's a challenge I am learning to love.

 

  

Red 5 Standing By

I knew the time would come when my boys would be obsessed with Lego's but the icing on the cake is the obsession with Lego's and Star Wars.  I love them both so I am okay with it.  Two weeks ago Francesco's Nana got him a Lego Star Wars kit for the  Jedi Interceptor.  He spent a good 1 1/2 hours following the instructions and putting it together.  He was so proud of himself for that accomplishment.  Since then all he can talk about is the next kit he wants to get.  He would love the Death Star (I was astonished at the price) but also wants the Millennium Falcon and the X-wing Starfighter. He has asked me almost everyday to help him count the money in his coin banks so he could see how much he had and then could figure out how much he would need.

Finally on Sunday we counted, that boy had $41.97 in coins.  He knew right away that was not enough for the Millennium Falcon but he wanted to check the price of the X-Wing.  We looked it up and Target had it for $49.99.  He turns to me and say, "don't you owe me two dollars and eight cents for pulling up the trash cans?"  Man is he good at Math, I tell him I owe him a dollar but I will give him the extra $1.08 for being so good at Math.

After Mass we heading to Target, they had it and he would not let me put it in the cart, he had to carry it the whole time.  Then when we check out it was on sale for $41.95.  He paid for it, turned to me and said he did not need the $1.08 I was going to give him but that I still owed him a dollar.

Then came the building:



He was so focused on following the directions- I wish he would follow my directions the way he follows the Lego directions:



He was so cute, as we were close to finishing it (I helped as the piece assistant - I gathered the pieces for each step and he let me build one wing)he kept saying - "this is so cool, it's a dream come true." He is so proud of this that he is going to ask his teacher if he could bring it in to show the class. He is also already saving his coins for his next purchase. I can imagine they will only get bigger from here on out. May the force be with me.

Rainy Day Friends

We have been praying for rain here and finally our prayers were answered.  Last weekend it rained both days all day.  At around mid-morning, Nicolò was suppose to be writing sentences for refusing to do his school work at school (that a story for another day). Carmela was mulling around looking for something to get into. I was doing my favorite chore- folding laundry.

At one point I looked over and overheard Nicolò explaining to Carmela about her friend in the window.  At first I did not know what he was talking about and then realized he was referring to their reflections.  He explained that her friend would do the same things as her but just on the opposite side and that if she walked away her friend would leave too. 



They sat in front of the (Dirty) window for sometime just playing, making gestures and funny faces at their "friends".

My favorite part of the whole interaction was when Nicolò leaned over and kissed Carmela on the cheek. He told her that her friend in the window was a beautiful baby just like her.  

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions. 

Albert Einstein

The Days are Long

It has been a world wind around here.  If you haven't heard we moved... around the corner.  It was a spur of the moment decision but a good one.  When we first got CA we rented a small house not knowing if we would stay in the area, we also only had 2 kids and one cat.  2 years later we were walking on top of each other, now 3 kids and 2 cats, we just couldn't breath.  So when the opportunity presented itself we jumped in feet first.

It was tough, but we did it with a lot...a lot...of help from my in-laws.  They helped us move, they helped us paint, they helped up clean, they watched our kids and they feed us.  It wouldn't of happened without them.  Yes, I am very lucky!!!!

The new place is 400 square foot bigger with vaulted ceiling, LOVE IT!  The boys have a bigger room and a lot more space for all their stuff.  Carmela is enjoying it too.

Unfortunately, right after we moved-in Michael had to travel.  The first night I was out numbered,  Nicolo hit Francesco in the eye with a wooden block while I tried to cook dinner.  I learned that night exactly why parents do Take-Out.  Not two days later I am called by the school and being told Nicolo stuck a pencil in his ear and the tip broke off.  Huh?  That was my same reaction.  I found out the he was not in pain nor bleeding,  so on my way to the school I stopped by the house to grab my Otoscope and hemostats. When Nicolo saw me come into the school office he looked excited because he thought he was getting out of school early.  Instead I retrieve the pencil lead, made sure he did not injure his ear drum and took him back to class.  He was very disappointed, I think the teacher was too.

To put the icing on the cake...Carmela and Francesco came down with Atypical Hand Foot and Mouth- ARGH. Francesco's  was mild, sore throat and fever.  He spent the last 3 days recovering while playing the X-Box.  Carmela on the other hand had the rash...everywhere...and severe in the mouth.  So, not only is she teething  but she wouldn't swallow or drink.  I worried, prayed she wouldn't become dehydrated and we made it through.  I knew she was better when she started eating me out of house and home again.

The biggest lesson I have learned recently is that I can function on 3 hours sleep a night for the past week...hahahahahahahaha.


I mean come on, how could you not want to spend the wee hours of the morning with this one?