Luca Has 2 Mommies (and a brother, too)

Cugini

2011-07-29T01:44:00.001-04:00

Luca and my niece - Emery.

My sister found them like this - all snuggled up and watching the boob tube - one day last week when we were visiting. I love the way these two love each other.

Stuff we've been up to...

2011-07-29T01:13:00.002-04:00

I'm certain I will never be able to piece together highlights of the last year, but here are some of the things we've done lately...

Evening playdates on the beach...

Enjoying our container garden and other local fare...

Hands Across the Sand

Fun on the water...

Fun IN the water...

And - fun on the sand.

One Year and Twenty-Seven Days Later...

2011-07-29T00:37:00.002-04:00

It's Debbie's birtday today (well, yesterday - since we've passed the midnight hour). We bought her an ice cream maker, since she is koo-koo for the stuff. The first pass on the machine was a lime yogurt sorbet, made by our friend Tammy who is visiting this week. Matteo got a sneak preview earlier this afternoon, while the second pass (blueberry ice cream) was churning.

Brief Update

2010-07-01T00:43:00.000-04:00

The kids and I are just back from a two-week jaunt to Philadelphia while Debbie was in South Korea on a business trip. We gad a great time seeing lots of family and friends, but we're glad to be home and all back together again.

I have pics to upload and updates to share - but, the most pressing thing for us right now is to find a new place to live by August 1st. The lease is up on the current rental home we're in and it's proving much harder to find a new home than we imagined it would. There are a few possibilities out there - and one that we are really, really wanting. Hoping this is all settled and done with by next week so we can get to the business of packing and purging and gradually moving into our new diggs.

In the meantime - we're play dating, gardening, bug collecting, water ice-eating and hanging out.

Luca is in "camp" this week - and next - at the Montessori school he attends. I also just signed him up for a week of soccer camp for the second week of August. His first organized sport! If he likes it, we'll enroll him for the coming school year.

Matteo is almost eighteen months old. Hard to believe. As my mother would say, he's being a real "pip" right now. Usually jolly and compliant - he's suddenly turned into a shrieking, food-throwing, cookie-demanding naysayer. I'm hoping the phase passes quickly...

Brutha Love...

2010-06-02T08:34:00.000-04:00

Luca is home again today. Feverless - but still too cranky to be released into the wild.

All three of us have enjoyed the lazy morning portion of sick days at home.

MONDAY: more on fevers and a fortamajig...

2010-05-31T22:57:00.006-04:00

As predicted, Matteo gave Luca the gift of fever. Matteo - besides taking over two hours to fall asleep tonight - is now feeling fine, but his brother went to bed in a high-temp haze.

Last night, though, Primo was well enough to demand that we break out his fortamajig as he readied for bed. Great timing, as it's a bit of a production. Luckily, I was on Segundo bed-time duty - a good excuse to sneak out during the increasingly heated fortamajig negotiations.

After Matteo fell asleep, I went to Luca's room to say goodnight - and this is what I found...

SUNDAY: Fevers, Food Processors and Five-minute Time Outs

2010-05-30T22:21:00.005-04:00

Segundo came down with a fever late yesterday afternoon, making today a "home day" by default. We had hoped to go to the beach and/or hang out with friends today, but it was obvious we needed to quarantine the little hot head. And, not feeling one hundred percent, the poor thing was somewhat unsteady on his feet and wound up falling into a bench in the backyard - resulting in a bruised and somewhat swollen nose. He currently looks like he has the schnoz of an aged drunkard. But - he recovered well. And, since we had at-home projects on our (loose) agenda and since his fever was only low-grade during the morning/early afternoon - staying in and around the house worked out just fine.

As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that Primo might be next in the fever line, as his behavior today was less than stellar. Countless mini-tantrums (and subsequent time-outs) added more than a bit of aggravation to our Sunday - but we still managed to get some things done and have some fun in the process.

Debbie set up the kiddie pool and the water table out back so that we could get some gardening done. Some of the plants are starting to show the effects of the Florida heat. They're still faring pretty well, but we had to shift a bunch of things around so that the ones that were becoming afflicted with a "mid-day sag" were moved into shadier spots.

The tomatoes are still doing well - and we've been snacking on them as they ripen.

Luca has been good about asking before he picks them, but I don't think many of them will be seeing the inside of the kitchen.

I also don't think I will ever get tired of discovering those tiny, new tomatoes.

The cantaloupes are steadily growing. I counted seven that are well under-way, and getting bigger by the hour.

And - we figured out that we're growing long beans.

They're not kidding about the "long" part. There are already a bunch of them that are measuring about twelve inches.

Some of the basil plants aren't doing all that well.

I'm not sure if it's too much sun, too much water, not enough water, etc.

I moved them into shadier spots and am hoping for the best. Since some of the leaves weren't looking that great, I decided to put them to use before it was too late to use them at all. I didn't have enough of any one variety - so I picked some of each of them (Spicy Globe, Thai, Mammoth and Italian Sweet).

Then, I broke out the Cuisinart and made the first pesto of the season...

We also picked the arugula from the garden and added it to a salad with a tahini/rice vinegar dressing.

We'll most likely be home tomorrow, too.

Hopefully with lower temperatures and fewer time-outs.

2010-05-30T12:09:00.001-04:00

Something tells me that these two are somewhere up there, about to board a bus to some sort of heavenly casino right about now.

R.I.P. "Annie Bird"

SATURDAY: Friends, Food and Fun

2010-05-29T22:07:00.002-04:00

FRIDAY: Friends, Food and Fun

2010-05-29T10:41:00.002-04:00

Ebony and Ivory

2010-05-28T23:36:00.005-04:00

Matteo got his mitts on an actual piano for the first time ever, tonight.

He was intrigued when he figured out that it made really cool sounds when you tapped (or pounded) it's keys. SOOO much better than the piano in his room.

He was thrilled when Jean put him on her lap and played.

A duet ensued.

He LOVED every minute of it.

And, while Debbie lovingly looked on, she attempted to silently calculate the cost of several years of piano lessons.

The Long Weekend Ahead...

2010-05-27T22:05:00.001-04:00

We don't have any major plans for the long weekend. Debbie took tomorrow (Friday) off, so that we can all (hopefully) enjoy a four-day weekend together. Nothing major on the agenda - but we'll be spending time with friends, spending time together and, pretty much, just hanging around.

I do plan on making pesto this weekend, with basil from the garden. I'm also going to make homemade hummus which, for some reason, I've been too lazy to whip up in recent months - despite the fact that it's really easy. Another thing I'd like to do is finish my very funny book-group book - Lamb, by Christopher Moore - and maybe start on another that lay in wait.

Debbie wants to get a few runs in during the four-day respite. She's just decided that she's doing the Tupelo Marathon in September, and she's begun training with a friend - using the Galloway Method.

Luca's plans include painting the recycled cardboard rocket ship my mom got him for his birthday.

He's also called for a Family Movie Night, complete with as much popcorn as he desires.

Matteo plans on taking early afternoon naps, eating non-food objects just to see us freak out, laughing hysterically at his brother's antics and - in general - going with the flow, as he is apt to do.

Hopefully the weekend won't whiz by, we'll all get to do something for ourselves and we'll all have a good time - together.

Luca, ISR 2009 and my first YouTube uploads!

2010-05-27T14:10:00.001-04:00

So, I bit the bullet and finally uploaded some video onto YouTube.

These are a couple of clips from last year's ISR "winter clothes" swim test.

Swimming Test, Winter Clothes - ISR

2010-05-27T13:51:00.000-04:00

Luca and Matteo both started ISR swim lessons about two weeks ago. For Luca, it was a (much-needed) refresher - having taken lessons for the past two summers. Matteo's a newbie - so he has about a month to go. He's not loving it - but he is learning. And - being around so much water for such a large part of the year - I'd rather him be a little pissed off in the water for a few weeks, then have him not know how to save himself in case of an accident in a pool or the ocean. He's doing really well, despite the tears. And, I have a feeling, he'll be swimming - and loving it, by summer.

Luca was also less than thrilled with ISR when he first started two years ago. But, last year, something clicked. And - we had a new instructor, who made all the difference. Miss Susan is amazing. Great with the kids and a wonderful instructor. I feel lucky that she's around to teach the boys how to get comfortable in the water.

Luca took his ISR "winter clothes" test last week...

Entering the pool in full winter(ish) garb.

Miss Susan getting ready to let him go.

She's not actually touching him here, just waving her hands under his head as a non-verbal cue.

"Starfish Float"

Heading towards the wall while getting in some breaths.

Jumping in to "float, swim, float".

He swam and then turned into his float.

Swimming under water, heading towards the wall.

Back into the starfish float to get some breaths, before flipping over again and swimming to the wall.

Success!

Now that he's "passed" for the season, we'll take him back every so often to Miss Susan so that he doesn't lose the good form he seems to show only her! He has a tendency to shift out of ISR mode when we're in the water with him, resisting our requests to "show us your starfish float", which we know he's more than capable of. Susan's suggestion is to have him start any water with a ten-second starfish and end it that way, too. We'll see.

Container Gardening - a novice's tale.

2010-05-24T22:41:00.003-04:00

After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - I decided that this was the year that we would make a real attempt at a veggie garden. Sure, we've grown herbs and the occasional tomato in the past - but nothing of any significance. For the most part, I have always been satisfied going to our local farmer's market, or joining a CSA for local and organic produce. But - after being inspired by Barbara Kingsolver, and getting excited by the idea of the whole family eating something that we've actually grown in our own backyard - we decided to give it a go.

We went with containers because it felt more manageable - and far easier than building a bed or two. Also - because it's so ungodly hot here right now (and it will only get worse!) - I wanted to be able to move things around it we found that they were suffering from too much heat or sun. We started off thinking that we'd get a few tomato plants, a bunch of herbs and maybe something radical like beans or eggplant. But - when we got to our amazing local gardening center - we couldn't resist going above and beyond our original plans. Well - I couldn't resist. Debbie attempted to convince me that we should start slow - but I couldn't help myself. And I couldn't help going back (several times) later that week, either.

Before this gardening experience - I never considered myself anything close to a gardener. Any plant I've ever had - indoor or out - died from sheer neglect. It's not that I thought I had a black thumb - it's that I was just really lazy about it. Not interested enough. Not interested at all. And, the ironic thing is, I had every opportunity to be. From the years 1995 to 2002, I was a producer on a show called Home Matters - which aired on the Discovery channel for nine seasons. Along with cooking and crafts, gardening segments were a major part of the show. I worked with gardening professionals for over seven years - people from here and here and here. Even here. The list of authors and experts we had on the show is almost endless. And, I can safely say, I retained very little to none of what I could have learned during that time. Maybe it was all of the plants I smoked in college, or maybe I was too busy paying attention to the chefs and cookbook authors we had as guests on the show. Most likely, though - I just wasn't ready. But, now, I think I finally am.

The only thing that I have figured out about gardening so far, is that - a lot of what you learn - you have to figure out on your own. I'm lucky to have a next-door neighbor who is a veteran home gardener. And I'm lucky to have some of those gardening books that I've had since I worked on that show. I'm also lucky to have a great resource in these people - which is where we purchased most of our plants. But - most of the learning comes from just doing, and learning from the mistakes along the way.

Although Debbie and the kids helped establish the garden a few months ago - it seems to be all mine these days.

"helping"

Luca will help, a bit, with watering or picking herbs. And, Debbie will move the heavy containers when I ask her to, and help with some of the maintenance. But - "our"container garden has, pretty much, become "my" project. And, although I'm not doing a great job - but I've come much further than I ever thought I would.

We have four different tomato plants.

These three are just about ready to be plucked from the vine.

The grape tomatoes are doing really well.

And, there's the promise of a future filled with (at least a few) tomato salads.

I'm really looking forward to the eggplant, if we are lucky enough to have it make it.

I'm hopeful after discovering their lavender blooms.

We're growing Ichibans and Black Beauties.

The cucumbers are looking promising - although there aren't as many as there could be.

This is our one and - so far - only Yamato.

We're also growing Patio Cucumbers.

The Datil Pepper plant, which takes about three months from transplant to harvest, is finally showing some blooms.

Our strawberry plant had been chugging along, but production has slowed and something seems to be nibbling at Matteo's favorite garden snack.

The watermelon didn't seem to be doing much the first month or so, but it's suddenly growing.

Salad greens were our first harvest.

We've added arugula to the mix (which is in desperate need to be picked and eaten)...

...and a couple of kale plants, too.

We're also trying our hand at broccoli.

Those prolific summer-garden staples - squash and zucchini - are out there, too.

I found them with a visitor today.

My greatest wish for these two plants is that we become so over-burdened with how much we produce, that we have to give a bunch of it away.

One can hope.

And, of course, there are the herbs...

Three types of basil - Sweet, Thai and Spicy Globe.

Three types of mint - Moroccan, Citrus and Peppermint. Which, despite having completely neglected, is doing better than any of it's herbal friends.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (hee, hee)

We're also growing Lavender and Garlic Chives. Aloe (which came in handy for a recent burn) and marigolds (to discourage garden pests), too.

But - the most exciting things happening in my garden are the two discoveries I had yesterday, after a weekend away...

Cantaloupe!!!

It's been growing, vining and blooming like crazy since the first days after being transplanted.

I don't want to get my hopes up - but I'm really excited about this plant.

The other happy discovery came from the cantaloupe's close neighbor - Green Beans!

Next-door neighbors/veteran gardeners - Jillian and Tim - gave us an old wooden ladder to use for some of the vining plants. The ladder (which supports both the cantaloupe and the green beans) must be good luck, because everything near it is doing well.

I have no idea what type of green beans they are, because Debbie picked it up and one of the kids did away with the little info stick that comes with it.

At this point, that doesn't bother me at all. I just want to be able to harvest and saute enough of them for a meal.

I keep imagining what it might be like if we could sit down at our table to a meal which has been (mostly) harvested from the containers right outside our back door. If it happens, it'll be great. And getting there will be, too.

Feelings...

2010-05-19T18:16:00.000-04:00

We were walking to the car the other day when Luca - suddenly - stopped me and demanded that I take his picture. I pulled out the camera and dutifully shot away while he performed a modified, live version of The Feelings Chart. Nut.

Happy

Sad

Surprised

Confused

H.A.L.T.

2010-05-19T18:00:00.002-04:00

He made me do this.

HUNGRY

ANGRY

LONELY

TIRED

Lego-licious

2010-05-17T00:34:00.003-04:00

We went to the Lego Imagination Center in Orlando.

We loved looking at the kinds of creations we'll probably never make.

But...

...one can dream.

Luca and Debbie spent some time building.

I spent some time shopping...

...and, ogling the hundreds of mini-figures lining the walls...

RECYCLING

2010-05-14T21:27:00.007-04:00

Before Matteo came along, I never thought much about what potential similarities or differences there might be between Luca and a future sibling. And, besides wondering if they'd look alike, I didn't think about it while pregnant with Matteo, either. As it turns out - I don't think I could have ever guessed that brothers could be as different as these two are. Whether comparing interests, eating habits, milestones, likes, dislikes or temperament - Primo and Segundo are each completely unto themselves. I like it that way and - besides - it totally keeps us on our toes.

I've been reminiscing via iPhoto this week, comparing pics of the two of them at similar ages. And - although their personalities are extremely distinct - their clothes, toys, gear and (to a certain degree) their "looks" are definitely not.

Some of the re-runs we've seen in the last sixteen months...

Why haven't I heard about this until now????

2010-05-12T15:35:00.000-04:00

As they were sleeping...

2010-05-11T23:27:00.009-04:00

Debbie's away on a business trip, so "night duty" was mine tonight, and mine alone. It took me forever to get both of them down, despite the fact that they each had a swimming lesson this evening - which should have totally worn them out.

After spending what seemed like hours wrestling Matteo to sleep and after going in to rub Luca's back about nine-hundred and seventy-two times, they finally both transitioned into dream land.

Deb and I spend so much time negotiating with them (and tag-teaming with each other) at bed time, we immediately shift into "me" mode when they're finally asleep - grasping onto the short amount of time we are, at long last, able to hear our own thoughts and complete an actual sentence. The shift is so drastic, in fact, that we rarely take the time to enjoy our sleeping children. But, tonight - as I sat on my comfy red chair - and I noticed how loud the "quiet" was, I decided to take a peek.

Watching them sleep lowered my heart rate. I was able to really look at them and - I think - fully appreciate them. And, although I wouldn't say enjoying the moments where they were not screaming like lunatics or bouncing off of the walls made me love them more - it just made me realize how much I really, really love them... already.

Recently - in the back yard...

2010-05-11T01:30:00.005-04:00

New Niece...

2010-05-10T23:00:00.007-04:00

Emery Jay was born on November 17th, 2009

She totally makes my teeth hurt.

She makes Matteo's teeth hurt, too.

We're all very happy she's here...

While walking through the woods one day...

2010-05-10T21:48:00.003-04:00

FIVE!

2010-05-10T19:00:00.007-04:00

Luca turned five last week. He's happy about everything associated with being a year older, except for the fact that his time-outs have increased, by one minute, in length.