SKATER-BABY(S)

2012-01-16T23:40:00.003-05:00

new year new blog? The summer was the last post and so many great things have happened..Stay tuned for pics and updates

2011-09-08T11:50:00.007-05:00

Ok so I have been a little late with the end of summer posts..but at least its being posted before the first day of fall. We had an amazingly busy and fun summer..camps..beach and pool pretty much sums it up! We ended the summer with Deville turning 5 and starting kindergarten..his birthday was on the first day of school, but he handled it pretty well. He even came off the bus wearing a birthday crown that his teacher,Ms. Jackson made him. Luca starts pre-school at the Childrens Acedemy on Monday and just like that summer is over. Heres a snapshot into summer 2011 but here is a list of the most important outcomes!
-Deville learned how to ride a bike and swim this summer
-Luca, not to be out done learned how to ride a bike too! He looks pretty funny on a bike since he so small and not even 3 1/2
- Dave got a new job..back to work in NYC!

Walking into town for Ice cream

Camper Luca

Tired campers

Stuck on the parkway going o Ocean City

Lucas first trip on the pirate ship

Beach day

Swimmer

2011-07-30T22:28:00.004-05:00

Today we watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory for the fist time with Deville and Luca...
This movie is a big deal for me. I remember lying on my stomach as a child on my grandparents floor watching this movie once a year when it came on network. I loved it so much I walked down the aisle at our wedding to the theme song.

While we were watching Luca told me he wanted to go to the candy store in the movie
Luca " I want to go there mommy."
Me " I have been trying to go there for about 35 years!
Luca " I will take you there Mommy..but you will just have to drive because I cant."

It seemed fair

2011-07-24T22:22:00.008-05:00

What can be better in the post 9/11 era? The Freedom Tower in the back ground being built..a kid named Deville born at the now defunct St Vinnies in the west village... on the swings in Tribeca.

For some reaon this is Devilles favorite song? Maybe we need to move back to NY and out of Jersey???

2011-07-10T22:26:00.007-05:00

Summer at the lake 2011!! ...

2011-06-14T08:29:00.003-05:00

Proud owner of a spiderman bike

Deville learned how to ride a bike this weekend! You might recognize the bike since its the one we bought for Luca for his 3rd birthday. He wanted noting to do with it, but it worked out, since Deville wanted everything to do with it

Liberty Science center

Just getting rolling

1st time with Pop Rocks

2011-06-08T13:03:00.009-05:00

Marshall School

Today we had Kindergarten orientation at Marshall school for Deville. We made it through three years of Montessori payments! We wrote out our last pre-school payment for Deville last week and gave each other a hug. I was wearing a dress from a time way before Deville was even born..Dave had holes in his sneakers.. but we did it. Roughly *GULP* $32,400 later..for ONE kid. More than a double major computer science and chemistry degree from Rutgers. More than a degree in Apparel/Textile Manufacturing from FIT...
I dont think we would trade a penny for what he has learned and the boy he has become. It has been a fair balance of Nature vs Nurture, Rear and Raise.

Now onto his new school. Wow. I wish my elementary school was so cool. Literally. Its air conditioned! Carpeted! They have FRANK SINATRA PLAYING IN THE HALLS! Its in a gigantic old Tudor! They have IPADS! The best part...ITS FREE!!!! Kinda..I will zip it on our taxes

2011-06-07T20:36:00.005-05:00

We decided to kick off summer a little early by spending weekends down the shore. To top it off we took the boys out of school on Mondays in June so they officially have a 4 day weekend every week until the end of June
Its been pretty hectic getting ready for summer. There have been calenders made and remade. 3 different summer camps are planned, swim lessons, pool membership, and 2 weeks in Ocean City. I give each of these activities 3 days before someone tells me they dont want to go anymore ( this includes me)

So here is what we did our first Monday off from school. Strawberry picking! We had a blast and I really enjoyed my time with the boys.
Luca ate well more than his admission fee in the field while Deville kept asking me " When can I pick the Blueberries?" I guess we will be going back in 3 weeks to pick blueberries. Then he can repeatedly ask me when we are going to pick the peaches.

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2011-05-10T21:20:00.006-05:00

Mothers day 2011!
Deville age 4
Luca age 3

We drove down to Ocean City for Mothers day ..with a few Pit stops...

Dave with Luca on the side of the Garden State Parkway..when you gotta go you gotta go..but 2x in between Seaside and LBI??

We graduated to the counter at Mack and Mancos!!

The Palaitis Boys

Pop Pop on the rides

Deville on the big kids rides

Bumper cars

Luca Shades

One hand on the doghnut..one hand on the wheel

Mini Golfers

2011-04-29T20:39:00.013-05:00

We have had a big turning point in our lives.

WE HAVE NO BABY FURNITURE

Yup its all gone. I was a little sad. I remember loving the set so much but not being able to make the commitment. After looking at the set 4 or 5 times Dave just went into the store and bought it. We then went around the corner to a store where we bought a plastic log table for $250. Dont ask..

Now..the log is the only thing left of that day and preparation for kids so it feels fitting to quote Twin Peaks "Log lady"

"Behind all things are reasons. Reasons can even explain the absurd. Do we have the time to learn the reasons behind the human being's varied behavior? I think not. Some take the time. Are they called detectives? Watch - and see what life teaches."

I find most of the time as a parent I feel I am messing up. Its seems as if its the only thing that being parent that comes natural. The day to day is pretty absurd.

They don't:
-get dressed
-want to go to school
-eat 3 meals
-listen

Today I was told by a teacher
" Your boys really just play and its so nice to see kids with imagination these days. They are usually sucked into TV . Its refreshing to see how much they love each other and play together. A tool set became a kitchen and they made pizza out of it!!"

My only response was " yeah they get along great. It was hard at first because they were so close but now its really easy."

I walked away thinking I sucked. I short changed these guys. They are great! They do make the best tool kit pizza and they are actually pretty sweet boys.

The log lady ( dont make fun..after all.. I do own one) has good advice..not for Agent Dale Cooper but for parents

"Behind all things are reasons. Reasons can even explain the absurd. Do we have the time to learn the reasons behind the human being's varied behavior? I think not. Some take the time. Are they called PARENTS? Watch - and see what life teaches."

Beach easter egg huntin cousins

2011-03-20T19:50:00.010-05:00

Today Luca Van turns 3!
There is so much to say bout this guy..but the most important is that he snuck in and made our family complete. I can say 18 months apart WAS rough..but now I can say its GREAT! 2 best friends living under one roof.

Here are just some of my 10 favorite things about Luca
1) He is the best snuggler ever.
2) A smile is not done with your mouth but with your eyes
3) He loves the color orange
4) ....he only drinks orange juice
5) a lover of all things plushed
6) he has an out-ey
7) 8 am wake up is normal...9 is sleeping in
8) he runs with his arms behind him like he is flying..always
9) he tells me he loves me ..just because..
10) there are rational 3 year olds. Really!

Luca was so excited to be having a party. Worth every penny to see his face with excitement!

Presents!!!!!

2011-02-14T20:17:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentines Day!! I am Lucky enough to have three today!

Deville made me a card today at school. Its Daddy hugging us

signed by the artist

2011-02-13T20:21:00.001-05:00

Someone really wants to go to the circus

2011-01-22T22:20:00.013-05:00

Jokesters

1.....2.....
No I am not preggers. Recently we were talking about the 3rd..not in an I want! Should we? Am I? No way! sort of way..but just in a life right now update.We have a few friends on their 3rd and a few on their 1st and a few on their 2nd.. You get the idea..we were just confirming we were thinking the same way. Happy where we are. Happy where we have been.

The other night we had friends over and we were talking about life Pre-or Non kids. We might as well have been hillbillys..."GEET ON' DA BUS FER NEW YERK CITY!"
Non comitted friends traveling.
Restaurants.
Music seeping through your walls.
Bodegas
efficient mass transportation
crossing the street carelessly
For a moment we gasped and said "Wow!"..and we meant it...Kinda.

One night we just sat down to relax when Luca wakes up screeming. It wasnt the Mumps, Rubella, or Measles...just monsters. We have learned..dont try to rationalize. Just react.. sympathize.. and cuddle. Its a better scare releaver than any over the counter product offers

Its been 4 years and we have only known a complete night sleep with strings attached ( Its our currency around here.. you owe someone for taking the early shift ) .
Frustrated when someone (Ruling out Dave or Karen) will not get out of the revolving door.. its fair to say " Why would anyone do this?" or " This is why I am done having kids."

I have to gasp again..only because..
I have to mention all the great things we have with the boys that we never had being single or dating in NYC

-Traveling to Wild west city is better than going to Europe of Asia..Its like time travel stuck in the 70's. I am happy to share this New Jersey treasure with my children.

Restaurants ..I am proud to say I can finally take two boys out to eat by myself and not have anything spill ...its a far better accomplishment than knowing where to eat.

Wheels on the bus is always a cover so dont worry if you dont know the cool version

Trader Jose isnt really Mexican..and he doesnt live upstairs ..because there isnt one

Sliding doors and graduating to a seat belt is alot more efficent than rear facing 5 point harness

"How many times do I have to tell you to watch..there is a crazy person holding your hand and drivers not looking!"

So Here is a look at our life..the first few months of 2011..and it gets harder..its gets better..it gets harder it gets better..but as always we love it

Snow..as you have heard there has been alot of it this winter..pretend snow sundaes are better than No School Closed Mondays

When they are in School they seem to be learning something..because they have been OBSESSED with the Statue of Liberty. We met up with Lily and Reese to scope it out. Since it was 0 degrees we thought it was best to hang out in the Liberty Science Center and see it from the indoors..Deville was shocked that it was green..which I have to say was pretty cool to hear him mention over and over on our way home.

Snow Sandwich..Deville made thsi for me for lunch. He mentioned that it was vegetarian. I mentioned that it was like most vegetarian food..a little bit soggy and needs hot sauce

Wearing my glasses for fun

Making faces

2011-01-14T19:53:00.003-05:00

Growing up in a town mentioned in the polar express could possibly explain the kids train obsession

Popular culture

Ultimate Frisbee (now called simply "Ultimate") was invented in Maplewood in 1968 by students at Columbia High School. A plaque commemorating the birthplace of Ultimate Frisbee is located in the student parking lot.
Maplewood is the birthplace of the wooden golf tee, invented by William Lowell at the Maplewood Golf Club in 1921.^[36]
Maplewood has been the site for several films, including I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Garden State, Gracie, One True Thing, and Stepmom.
In the 2004 film The Polar Express, Maplewood is mentioned as the place where "Steven" lives.
Zach Braff, a Columbia High School alumnus, filmed a scene in his 2004 film, Garden State, where he and Natalie Portman drive by the front of Columbia High School.
In the second episode of the television series House, "Paternity", a patient from Maplewood drives all the way to the city of Plainsboro in New Jersey for medical treatment because, as House puts it, he "sued half the doctors in Maplewood, and the rest are now refusing to treat [him]". [2]
In the 2007 film Gracie, the plot is set in and partially filmed in Maplewood and Columbia High School. Producer Andrew Shue and actress Elisabeth Shue both attended Columbia, and the plot is loosely based on their lives during high school.
Bullet For My Valentine filmed their music video for "Waking the Demon" in Maplewood.
The main character of the Robert Sheckley novel Dimension of Miracles, Thomas Carmody, is from Maplewood. He revisits the town, albeit one belonging in an alternate universe, late in the book.
Novelist Philip Roth, who grew up in neighboring Newark refers to Maplewood in several of his novels, including Goodbye, Columbus.

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Maplewood include:

Harriet Adams (1893–1982), author of some 200 books, including nearly 50 in the Nancy Drew series.^[37]
Jason Alexander, actor, "Seinfeld" ^[38]
William Armstrong (American artist) (born 1938) Painter, sculptor, scenic artist
Timothy Ball, American Revolutionary War figure and Martha Washington's cousin
Jeremiah Birnbaum, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ^[39]
Seth Boyden, inventor.^[40]
Zach Braff, actor, Scrubs, Garden State.^[41]
Norbert Leo Butz, actor. He lives in Maplewood with his wife Michelle Federer, an actress.
Alta Cohen (1908–2003), former professional baseball player who played outfield from 1931-1933 with the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds.^[42]
Asher Brown Durand (1796–1886), painter.^[43]
Christine Ebersole (born 1953), actress and Tony Award winner is a current resident.^[44]
Bruce Feirstein (born 1956), is a screenwriter and humorist best known for his contributions to the James Bond series, and his best selling humor books, including Real Men Don't Eat Quiche.^[45]
Lauryn Hill, (born 1975), Birthplace: South Orange, New Jersey Best Known As Singer from The Fugees. Attended Columbia High School.
David Javerbaum, executive producer of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.^[46]
Benjamin Franklin Jones (1869–1935), Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly in 1900.^[47]
William G. McLoughlin (1922–1992), historian and prominent member of the history department at Brown University from 1954 to 1992.^[48]
Anisa Mehdi, film director and journalist.^[49]
Paul J. Moore (1868–1938), represented New Jersey's 8th congressional district from 1927-1929.^[50]
James Ricalton (1844–1929), teacher, photographer, inventor.^[51]
Theodore Roosevelt spent several summers in Maplewood visiting his uncle Cornelius V.S. Roosevelt’s home and property, known as The Hickories, covering 100 acres (0.40 km²). This area is now partly covered by Roosevelt Road and Kermit Place. In the early 1900s, a tree bearing an inscription by Teddy Roosevelt was cut down from the front lawn of 36 Roosevelt Road.
Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. (born 1934), commander of the Coalition Forces in the Gulf War of 1991.^{[citation needed]}
Robert Sheckley (1928–2005), science fiction writer.^[52]
Agnes Sligh Turnbull (1888–1982), who wrote a series of novels in the middle 20th century.^[53]
George M. Wallhauser (1900–1993), represented New Jersey's 12th congressional district from 1959-1965.^[54]
George W. Webber (1920–2010), President of the New York Theological Seminary.^[55]
Teresa Wright (1918–2005), actress.^[56]

2011-01-01T11:24:00.000-05:00

Grand-dad and Deville October 2006

Happy New Year!!
2010 was pretty good to us. Here are some of the headlines for the year

Deville started pre-K and as I write this we only have 6 more of his Pre-school payments!
Luca managed to reluctantly get potty trained
Kitchen gutted and redone
Sadly Grandad passes away but his stories are with us for ever
Karen actually uses her real estate licence and starts working part-time
Dave gets promoted to SVP

We had a great Christmas with a few really nice surprises. This year was the 1st year that both boys actually knew about Santa and the anticipation was at times ruthless.
When I was little, my dad would dress up as Santa on Christmas eve. Because we didn't have a fireplace he would come down from the attic. I found out that Santa was really my dad when he mistakenly thought Santa would look better in his black work shoes. I was on to him.
This year Uncle Henry took on the tradition. The boys ( and I ) loved it!
When we loaded them in the car to go home Deville said confusingly " Mom that Santa looked a little like Uncle Henry."

After Christmas we had a surprise visit from our old Hoboken friend Stella along with her baby brother Dylan. They were in from Chicago and stopped by for a quick visit right before the blizzard started.

Here are some pictures of the Holidays

Christmas night..both kids never got out of their jammies and fell asleep early on the couch covered in toys

Astronaut helmet. One of the biggest hits of the 2010 Christmas

Getting ready for sledding!

Blizzard

Snow Sushi during Christmas Vacation

This
New Years Eve we went to First Night.. a kids party at South Orange Middle School. This couldn't be a better event. It started at 4:30 and had activities geared for kids ages 2-10 . Here are some photos

Its was at a middle school some ones getting thrown in a locker

Dave and Deville take a karate class

Land Lubber Luca came out for the evening

Luca gets his first Tattoo.

2010-12-23T23:24:00.000-05:00

2010-12-12T20:39:00.000-05:00

Skee ball wizard

2010-12-01T00:25:00.006-05:00

Black Eye Friday

I accidentally left out the Pottery Barn kids catalog.. Deville and Luca laid eyes on bunk beds...ever since it has been..

Deville:
" I will sleep on the top bunk and give Luca a kiss on the bottom bunk before I go to sleep!"

Luca:
" Brother, you can sleep on the top bunk and I will sleep on the bottom..Brother is going to kiss me good night!"

Mommy:
" You need to both go to bed asap when its time for bed. Thats how I will know you guys can get bunk beds with "NOOOOO FIGHTING!"

We test drove bunk beds during Thanksgiving in the Poconos. ...and this is what we got..

Happy Holidays...Corners of bunk beds are dangerous. Take caution and be safe this holiday season! Watch your back , your wallet, and eye balls..and stick to twin beds

2010-10-29T20:00:00.005-05:00

Dad..SVP of pumpkin carving

Happy October! I want to start our with how much I love the photo above!. It reminds me of being a kid...My mom would take my brother and I to a farm stand to pick out pumpkins...My father would come home after work and carve them to our demand with out even getting a chance to take his work clothes off. My brother always wanted scary..and I always wanted goofy...but the sound effects he made while taking out pumpkin "gutts" were always the same..AGGGGHHHH!

Check out our October..

Carving helpers

Somerset Hills Mont-e-Scarry Halloween parade
Deville as a police man

Luca as a reluctant Darth Vadar

Deville , Luca and friend AJay

Deville and AJay

Deville and his best friends on a class trip

Orange is Lucas favorite color

Police Man in a school parade!

2010-10-10T16:28:00.001-05:00

Happy Fall!

2010-09-27T22:26:00.010-05:00

Deville and Luca had their first Chuck-E-Cheese experience. Not what I expected. Just a giant arcade with pizza and a surprisingly decent salad bar for adults. It was clean and "kind" of fun...but I am 30 years past the entry level target market.My ears are still ringing. I am not looking forward to the ages 7-11..because with 2 boys..I think I may spend alot of time and money at places like this. Deville would not call it Chuck-E-Cheese but just "Chucks." Age 4 and rebranding. I love him.

Jonah..hates speed but loves heights!

Deville!

For POP POP !

New BFF"S

Luca and Auntie WHIP-EEEE!!!

2010-09-06T20:53:00.016-05:00

Deville turns 4!
I can not believe it. 4!
All week we were asking him what he wanted for his birthday and he did not seem to get that for your birthday you get something BIG..Something banned form the house...Something that maybe doesn't belong in a house!
Friday Dave and I actually hired a sitter so we could go on a date and hit up Toys R us. I know fun right... Well we walked around the store..ruled out the jungle gym ( too pricey)..ruled out play mobile ( too many pieces) and ruled out the motorized cars ( too many brotherly fights).....We decided on a pirate ship, checkers and a helmet. Lame..yes..but we have 26 kids coming to a zoo party next weekend so..fair is fair.
Ok.. Well.. we also promised him a trip to the toy store to pick out something he really wanted. In true Deville fashion..he chose.. a train..the G train model toy. I told him no one rides the G..It doesn't even go into Manhattan. Dave who loves brooklyn..said it wasnt true. I am holding my ground. NO ONE RIDES THE G...but Deville loves his train to nowhere( Queens) so..HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEVILLE WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!

2010-07-27T19:21:00.004-05:00

The boys

2010-07-24T20:02:00.006-05:00

Where to begin..but with the end of the week...

Dave: "Wow you worked five days this week. When was the last time you did that."
Karen: " About 3 years and 55 weeks ago.
Dave: "Wow..its like being married to Melanie Griffith in working girl
Karen. "Yeah..I'll never do that again."

Yeah I have a job. Kinda... I got my realesate license last year..I was so disgruntles in the way some of the apartments I lived in were managed that I thought I could do a better job..which got me interested in property management...I was introduced to an incredible lady that only lists foreclosures and I work as ONE of her assitants. Usually I work 3 days a week and thats plenty but..This week her other assitant was on vacation and I was working all week..of course..one of the kids got sick...

Today I took the kids to Wild West City. If you have not been...save your gold nuggets because its a small fortune to get in and the attractions stink...Its pretty much an outdoor mall shaped like a wild west city that sells toy guns, old time photos and moccasins...regardless..I am in ot for teh kids..and despite Devilles fluctuating stomach virus..i think we may have had a good time
The creepy part of the whole trip ( Besides the teeneage staff that could not stop their zits from pussing and eyeballs shaking) was that I kind of remember going here as a kid. The oldtime jail brought back memories..I dont know why.

I have not seen one of these since the 70'S

Lucas face sums it up

Deville looking out on the horizon for something better

you know this place stunk...this was the only car in the parking lot when we left at 12 noon.

2010-07-09T23:04:00.018-05:00

"Embrassse the life you never expected" Was a quote in a movie we watched tonight...in the same week I read an article "I love my Kids... Hate my life." This was ironic ( in that I actually got a chance to watch a movie and read an article) and comforting( that like usual...I am never alone.)

The movie was OK..but..I found the article I read relevant enough that I think its important for my children to understand what it was like for"some" parents raising children in the mid 2000's. Its honest and I hope liars and actors are not offended.
All Joy and No Fun

here is a preview for those that dont want to read the entire article..

When people wait to have children, they’re also bringing different sensibilities to the enterprise. They’ve spent their adult lives as professionals, believing there’s a right way and a wrong way of doing things; now they’re applying the same logic to the family-expansion business, and they’re surrounded by a marketplace that only affirms and reinforces this idea. “And what’s confusing about that,” says Alex Barzvi, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at NYU medical school, “is that there are a lot of things that parents can do to nurture social and cognitive development. There are right and wrong ways to discipline a child. But you can’t fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others and constantly concluding you’re doing the wrong thing.”

Just for the record..I am unsure we are doing the right OR wrong thing ..so go figure...

In more interesting news..here is a moment where I love my kids..Love my life...I hate that I am ALSO covered in Lucas chocolate ice-cream...which i am sure is the true catalyst of the article...

2010-07-09T22:58:00.001-05:00

I have been looking for a picture to place at the bottom of the stairs...I think I found it..

2010-06-29T08:31:00.000-05:00

Deville tries to impress the girl next door.

2010-06-27T20:10:00.005-05:00

2 year anniversary

Here are some of the kids on Carleton CT..and we are missing 5 more..its a small street with ALOT of kids!

It has been 2 years today since we moved to the suburbs in Maplewood on Carleton Court. We love it here and things are finally starting to fall in place.I have a small job I can walk to and I am really starting to feel like a townee. This weekend we went to our first Maplewood BBQ. Everybody there was in the old 90's music scene and were in bands we have all seen at some point...Most of them live in Maplewood which was a pleasent suprise.
The house is getting itself together. We have painted the last room and removed our last roll of wallpaper.The kitchen is new along with the powder room. Our last quest is the upstairs bathroom and exterior painting.
Today Deville and Luca had their 1st eat over with their friend from next door. Damn things go by fast...

Devilles and Lucas first eat over with Cooper

2010-06-23T16:44:00.008-05:00

Devilles 1st diploma..he is now off to Pre-K!

One of out favorite things to do is be in Ocean City NJ with the kids. We celebrated the beginning of summer with a long weekend down the shore. It was a perfect weekend with the kids and we really had a chance to relax. It made me appreciate how nice of a family we have and how lucky we are.

On our way up the Ferris wheel

Dont look down!

The Whip!

Vacationers

Land Lubber Luca

Pirate Voyage

2010-06-13T20:23:00.001-05:00

Handsome ....Luca!

2010-05-27T22:45:00.008-05:00

Lets face it...
We had kids and turned into hippies. We sleep with them ( less now...even though i vowed i would never) and we bathe with them . It just feels right....
I believe they are sweeter kids because of this. Our home is about our family and its the most important thing to us ever. We dont want to go out all the time. We just want to spend time together as much as possible with out going insane... AKA sometimes we need a sitter..

We are lucky to be able to send them to a school we love with a philosophy we believe in.
Check out international day at Deville and Luca's Montessori school..What do you dress an Irish, Lithuanian, English, Italians in anyway? Gap shorts and shirts of course..

The head of Somerset Hills Montessori welcomes parents to international day

Luca shows me his class room

luca walks out to the peace circle

Deville waiting to sing "Its a small world."

Luca hides out on Daves head

Brothers Picnic

Luca chows on an international pot luck

Devilles performance

2010-05-19T20:14:00.000-05:00

Say Cheese!

2010-05-15T19:45:00.002-05:00

When I went into the room this is how Deville was sitting watching a movie...total guy

2010-05-13T22:44:00.008-05:00

Deville climbs his first tree!

I am just going to start off that it has been so long since I have wrote and I wasn't nominated AGAIN for mother of the year..maybe because.. I didn't even know my children napped.
Ok not in the traditional sense. Anyone out there with 2 just knows what i mean..You adjust to get by and make BOTH happy..throw in part-time job in the mix...OK..Really I cant complain...maybe I will get the award next year?

So we have been so used to Deville not taking a nap at home that we pretty much assumed that Luca just kind of didn't nap either. Both kids nap..you just have to drive to JABIP( where ever that is) to get them to fall asleep. Well today I had both kids and no access to a car...not a problem right?...We bought a great little home in walking distance to town...but hey we LIVE in the suburbs and lets face it..REGARDLESS..We drive..and when we drive they nap...I cant remember the last time our kids napped in a bed.
Well today they were home from school and I told them it was nap time...here is how it went down
-Deville: Cried and cried.."I don't need a nap...I hate them. They are for babies."
-Luca AKA best kid ever!: OK Mommy..I go upstairs and lay down ( meets up with me 3 hours later)
-Mom: Sigh of relief One child is napping...

Deville has become obsessed with his birth..he loves to hear how he was born in NYC at a hospital that no longer exists..I recently found his birth photos and he loves looking at them. After an hour of looking at pictures of him and Luca in my belly (their sonograms) and his birth he turns to me and says " I have two Pop Pops..the other one didn't die...his eyes are open and he is smiling holding me." Just like a Hussey he passed out on the couch 5 minutes later..Thanks dad!..2 kids napping!!!

Typical Naps

2010-03-27T21:37:00.001-05:00

Does my belly make me more Emo?

2010-03-20T20:02:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday 2nd Birthday Luca Van!!

Birthday Boy with a bump on his head

We had a little party for Luca last week with just a few fiends to celebrate his 2nd birthday. It was nothing major with only about 6 kids ( everyone was busy.. besides it poured rain) .
We ordered him an Elmo cake and it seemed to be perfect because when ever anybody mentions his birthday he says "Elmo Cake..Me"

Really I cant believe he is only two. It feels like forever since he has been apart of our lives. We wouldnt trade him in for the world! We love you Luca and Happy Birthday!!

Party Goers!

Jonah

Deville

Abram

2010-03-11T21:25:00.006-05:00

Here are some pictures of Luca getting his first hair cut....Ok I didn't fool you..Its not his first but better late than never...as you can see..he doesn't love it as much as Deville

2010-03-08T23:04:00.010-05:00

The greatest Show on Earth..how much Deville and Lily can eat.

During my 1st pregnancy my dad was probably the healthiest he had been in along time. I just started showing my baby belly and my dad and mom took us to see cirque du soleil at Randals island. It was a fun...and thoughtfull.. filled with anticipation of changes coming from a baby. The circus continues....
Heather suggested taking the kids to the circus but right now we have the Luca factor going on. Him being too old to be excluded but too young to participate.
So... Dave and I split up one day. He spent some quality time with Luca while I took Deville to his first ( out of utero ) Circus with lily and Reese.

Here is how it went down.

Popcorn and Nachos before we sat down ( $14)
Spinning light stick ( $22)
Soda for me ( 4.50)
Juice for Deville ( $4.50)
Cotton candy with hat ( $12.50)
Parking ($15.00)
Tickets ($135.00) We had to be close so he could see

Total $207.50

I can complain about $ but it was worth every peny it to see his excitement for food , fun and hanging out with his friends!!!

Devilles first cotton candy

2010-02-25T16:25:00.019-05:00

There is not a whole lot going on in winter. I personally cant wait for it to be over..
We had our first trip the the emergency room with Luca. We have been there before for chest X-rays, Daves version of child swine flu and Coxsackie..but never anything that made you scream "Holy SH@%! I need to actually think like a calm adult!" Deville and Luca have been playing a game where they shut the door on each other in the bathroom. One gets trapped and opens the door and yells "Tada!" Then the other one switches. Well this time Lucas pinky finger got slammed into the door. Blood everywhere and to me it totally needed to be amputated ( I am a fatalist ).

In reality.. 6 stitches later and some crazy sedatives that left Luca unable to walk..he is all better. He even looks at his finger and says " Nice..no Ouchy." Thank god your not going to be the kid with 4 fingers. How would you flip people the bird when you are driving like daddy?

Luca has also really stepped up to the plate in speech. He was talking early but then kind of slowed down. Now he can totally tattle tale.. even telling me daddy took him for ketchup and french fries before dinner ( his favorite food combination)

Deville is no longer a toddler but a little boy. He is the sweetest thing ever. He worries when his brother is crying and comes over to give him a hug and kiss to make him feel better. Its nice to see them becoming great friends. He has his own jokes and loves acting goofy. Trains are still his favorite toy but I have found my self in pottery barn kids wondering if they have something for my massive truck collection that I have acquired. They dont. So our playroom looks like a parking lot.

In house news.. I am writing this post on a massive farm table we had made. Its beautiful and very large!! the kids love hopping up on the benches and I have to admit..Its nice not sitting on folding chairs.
We are starting the kitchen very soon. Cabinets have been picked out and the contractor has been found. Its going to be sad not having the neon green counters but I kind of cant wait to have drawers that actually slide and cabinets that close...this leads us to the following

We keep going back and forth on if we should have a party for Luca ( with the expense of the kitchen). We asked Deville what he did for his 2nd birthday and he kind of looked at us like we had lobsters coming out of our ears...so I think we will just do cake at the house with a small party. He can have a big three year party if we dont decide to do the bathroom that year....

With both boys in pre-school..I am no longer a stay at home mom. I am actually putting my real estate license to use and working at Coldwell banker in Maplewood. I am doing some property management part time for an agent that handles foreclosures. I spend a lot of time on the phone shutting utilities off and putting them in the banks name. Its a very classy job.

Snow day

Breakfast of Champians..Luca is the best eater ever!

Luca has been obssessed with this hat and putting on my boots

Crazy Necklace Day

2010-01-29T21:45:00.003-05:00

Stella Came to visit from Chicago. It was well needed, and a nice reminder what an amazing time of my life it was in Hoboken..Being a new mom ..Being new mom thats pregnant...Wait.. Wow.. that was fast. I can kid now that Luca is almost 2. Before that it was funny..just not to me!

Funny thing is Luca really fell in love with Stella while Deville played hard to get.
If we had the play group now is would have doubled with all the new babies. I think its safe to say we all would not have fit in a Hoboken apartment!

Here Luca hangs with it old school while Stella seems bored with NJ

2010-01-05T10:00:00.006-05:00

First day of school!
Luca started his first day of Montessori today! He couldnt believe his ears when we told him that he didnt have to stay home and watch me swiffer. Ready to go in his favorite french fry T-shirt he walked around all morning holding his spiderman lunchbox pointing to himself saying "Me! Me!"
Here are some pictures

2009-12-31T22:44:00.001-05:00

Year end wrap up
Ok, so its been a tough year. 2009 has come with joy, sadness and hope.

Luca turned one this year and with that he has started walking talking and complaining( things must be going fine).His new favorite word is no. Honestly I am shocked that it has taken him so long to understand the impact of this word since it is used so much around here..and not just with the kids. No Deville you can not play trains until 9 pm No Karen you can not have a cleaning lady. No Luca cups are for drinking..not dumping. No Dave I did not drop of your dry cleaning....See how things have progressed.

Anyway its not fair to lump us into one since this is a house of very different and strong (I mean Deville) personalities.

Deville: Can tell us pretty much most of the letters in the alphabet along with the sounds that they make. Unless of course he is being a jokester and tells you that he doesnt recognize the letter S but snake startes with it and makes an SSSS sound.
He plays drums for us and sings songs and loves to play 'Band'.In the summer all he wanted to do was watch the plants and flowers grow and of course water them.
Around that time he started getting really into pirates. I think it might have been him spending alot of time in Ocean City.
If there is one thing that I have learned from Deville this year is that he loves to relax. He devloped an attachment to his own, personal beach chair this summer and now, in winter, just loves staying in his jammies on weekends. the other day he told me he wanted to stay home and just relax
Luca:
Oh Luca! Maybe the best baby ever! Easy going and happy almost ALWAYS! I have been able to pretty much do anything with luca home. Cook, Clean, etc.
This year Luca started walking but not after he gave a good fight. One day Mom Mom and Pop Pop came for a visit. Refusing to walk well over 14 months he literally started walking 10 minutes after they went home one vist. He just started to walk towards me out of no where in the backyard.
Another big accomplishment is that Luca tinkled and pooped on the potty. It was a fluke. All he really wants to do is flush the toilet and unravel toilet paper.

Karen and Dave: I got my realestate license and Dave went to Singapore. I am making a go at realestate in 2010. Lets see..

It would be hard to wrap up this year with out mentioning our friend Rich ( lily and Reese 's dad) Its been a tough year. We watched a friend fight for life at the young age of 32 and its something I hope I never have to see again for anybody at any age and I will leave it at that. He was a great friend father and husband who will be missed but not mourned..only because he would tell us we were wasting our time.
We were lucky enough to see Rich the day before he passed and he pointed his finger at me and said " What ever you do promise me you will not dress those boys like alike.ever again!"

Thats a promise.

Here is to a happy and healthy 2010!!!

2009-12-17T17:14:00.004-05:00

Today was the holiday concert at Devilles school. Check out his performance below

2009-12-13T18:57:00.009-05:00

Sleeping Santa

This weekend was busy with holidays and birthdays.
Saturday we met up with Lily and Reese and went Christmas tree shopping. We didn't really know where to go but stumbled upon a Christmas tree farm where we could cut down our own trees. It was the first time that we have ever done anything like this. It was alot of fun watching the kids run around the farm and play hide and seek in the trees...even though that was against the farm rules.

Later that day we met Riley and Griffin for a train ride with Santa. Santa was a bit pissy. After Deville poured his heart out to him he said " oh sorry I was zoning out. I didnt hear ya. Its been a long day and I have to be here tomorrow at 9."
Your Santa.You should be here 24/7

Sunday we decorated the Christmas tree in the morning. In the afternoon we celebrated Lily and Reese's 3rd birthday. It was one of those days that was just easy and great. The girls were adorable and like all 3 year olds couldn't believe that this was THEIR PARTY. Reese may have had perma grin the entire time. Happy Birthday ladies!

2009-12-10T21:58:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite Christmas stories..

2009-12-09T16:20:00.003-05:00

Luca "MR. I have to do it myself."
If you lift him into the car seat he yells "NOOO!!MEE MEEEE!"

2009-12-03T22:48:00.004-05:00

Luca and Deville asleep in their room

Its been three years since we have slept. I can say this with out exaggeration. When people would come up to me while I was pregnant with Deville and told me to sleep now while I could I scoffed..Then add on Luca..Who was and is a great sleeper... but a nursing baby turned toddler none the less...
We have been going sleep deprivation crazy in this house. If Luca wasn't nursing Deville fell out of his bed or got scared in the middle of the night. If Luca wasn't in the crib he was in our bed sleeping sideways giving the best hugs ever. Who could sleep?

This week we finally put the boys in the same room. Next week we will be buying an alarm clock.
For the first time in FOR EVER we slept until 8 am with both boys sleeping, in their own beds, in the same room! They seem to be happy as clams sleeping in the same room and comforting each other if one wakes up. This morning Deville and Luca played Lego's for 30 minutes together before they even came in our room! AHHHHHHHH!

So here are some pictures of the partners in crime sleeping it up

Oh BTW . Today was the first nigh that Deville told me he was tired and wanted to go to bed.
Luca sleeping

DeE DeE sleeping

2009-11-26T13:50:00.004-05:00

Two Turkeys helping with dinner

Thanksgiving day at the park.

2009-11-17T22:01:00.002-05:00

Things move so fast. Here is a video Dave made When we 1st moved in that we never had a chance to post

When I started this blog I was just using it as a documentation of my pregnancy. After I had Deville I wasn't even sure if I should continue writing. I am glad I did because I don't think I could have ever known how important it has become to us as a family. We have been able to document our life changing as parents and our kids life growing up.
Deville asks to look at the blog so he can look at pictures..mostly of himself but occasionally of Luca.
The 20th post of the kids going to the park is not insignificant and that's what I have to remember. Its new because they change so fast. Deville doesn't even hang out with us at the park anymore unless we are pushing him on a swing. Luca meets friends and forgets we are there. Now our job at play grounds is to just make sure they don't do anything stupid..Like try and walk off the 8ft ladder on the monkey bars. Ummm..Not that that has ever happened..

So here is an update:

Luca has decided to start potty training himself. He has walked up to the potty before baths when he is naked and has tinkled standing up in the toilet. He started telling us when he has a dirty diaper and now tells us 50% of the time before he has to go poop. Of course not expecting this from a 19 month old we are almost 90% of the time taken off guard and unprepared. I think its time we purchase a portable potty seat.
He hasn't been asking alot of new words but he did mimic Deville this morning when he said "Yes Please." I think this is funny because one of Lucas first and favorite words was "Thank You." He is very polite.

Luca is also out of the crib. Typical of the 2nd child..we have him sleeping on a futon. His matching ( to Devilles) toddler bed should arrive this week. Hopefully they will start sharing a room and we can have the office/guest room back to normal. Yes we are selfish.

Deville: He has been learning alot about letters in school. He is curious about what letters words start with. Its like a hooked on phonics commercial in our house some mornings and it goes something like this:
Deville: What letter does bagel start with?
Mom or Dad: Make the sound..BA BA BA BAAGEl.
Deville: B!!!
*** 70% of the time he gets it right ( if its a letter they have reviewed in school) The other 30% he just throws out the letter S. I dint know why.

Dave and Karen : Year of the 5
We just celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. We headed down to ocean City because that is where we went for our "HONEYMOON" until we decided on where to go for our honeymoon. One night we went to a restaurant called Macs that had a big red neon lobster sign on its roof. It was dark and dingy and had private booths with curtains. It reminded me of being a little girl and going out to eat with my grandparents and thinking I was at the fanciest restaurant EVER!. Every meal came with and iceberg lettuce salad with no other option other than creamy Italian ,french or blue cheese dressing Oh and of course a bread basket...Anyway..We went back to celebrate our 5 year anniversary and the Neon lobster was still there but the restaurant went under a million dollar renovation and a trip to Asia..because it was a CHOP and Seafood fusion restaurant. Regardless...we had an uninterrupted dinner and coincidentally we may have only have had 5 of those since we had kids

We bought a new car. Mazda 5 Minivan. Its small and cute and I love the sliding doors. Not for getting kids into the car but not having to worry about Deville slamming the door into the car next to us while in a parking lot. I promised Dave his next car will be an X5 not a Mazda 5

2009-11-02T18:42:00.003-05:00

FIRST WIZ!!!!
So I am getting Luca ready for his bath. He moves Devilles old potty stool close to the toilet, stands on it and lets out a wiz...then looks at me and yells POTTY!
Then he got off the stool and flushed the toilet.
We have not started potty training yet but its nice to see he is interested.. and in typical Luca fashion doing things his own way.
Yesterday he tried the same thing but actually fell in the toilet. I am glad he didnt give up from the mishap.

2009-10-31T20:00:00.005-05:00

Happy Halloween!
Today we went to Milltown to celebrate Halloween with Lilly, Reese and Megan. I think I had the best Halloween of my life. Milltown residents go all out for the holiday by sitting outside on their steps waiting for kids so they can give them candy..and lots of it!!We only made it around the block and Devilles pumpkin was filled.

Luca( I mean pajama batman) did not really grasp the concept of Halloween. IF he got a lollipop he ate it right away..if he got a candy he would try and exchange it at the next house for what they we handing out. It wasnt for about 3 or 4 houses that he understood you dont have to share on Halloween. All the candy you get is yours ( or mommys).

THe gang of 4. Megan Deville Lily and Luca ( Reese refused to be photographed with them)

Deville as Pablo

Heather with Supergirl ( reese)

Deville Lilly and Luca harrasing a milltown resident

Lilly and Luca

Deville trying to catch up

Deville and Lilly

2009-10-17T19:31:00.004-05:00

Movie update:
Show Time 7:10
1/2 hour to eat a giant sized box of swedish fish
Home by 8:10 because he told me he didnt like the seats.

Not a huge success in the movie department but fun none the less.

2009-10-17T17:04:00.004-05:00

I am taking Deville to see his first movie tonight.
He has no idea what going to a movie means but he is intrigued by the idea of a big popcorn. I cant believe I am taking him to a movie..and its Where The Wild Things Are. I might start crying in my snow caps.

2009-10-09T19:34:00.009-05:00

Caboose on the Loose

Dave is back from Singapore. We missed him and couldnt wait for him to come home. The boys were great while he was away and we had alot of fun but you could tell they had enough of me the last few days and just wanted daddy back. I think Luca hugged dave for about 3 hours last night and would not let go of him. This weekend we are picking out Halloween costumes and pumpkin pickings so hopefully we will have some good pictures to share.

Today Dave took the boys to the train museum..check out the pics below.

A real Caboose..Deville is in heaven

Conductor Bubo

Hobo

Brothers

Getting big

2009-10-06T17:45:00.000-05:00

good morning...

2009-09-17T10:29:00.013-05:00

Tuesday we played hookey from school. Deville came down with a pretty bad cough so I decided to keep him home and take him to the doctor. Turns out it was nothing to worry about. The weather was amazing so we decided to go to the Turtle Back Zoo. Its one of Devilles favorite places because of the free train. With all the kids back to school the zoo was empty and we were able to ride the train 3 LOOONG times and take a ride on the carousel. The kids were great and Luca really got a kick out of being part of the action.

In other news Luca has been turning into a rascal. He is really starting to just become a toddler. He is into and on to everything. He loves to sit on a regular chair to eat and is getting really good with a fork and spoon. Yesterday he thought his plate was a flying saucer and threw his raviolis all over the wall. It looked like it was 1/2 an accident so I gave him a break. He was really upset when he realized he had nothing left on his plate to stab his fork with.
His new favorite past time is climbing onto everything. Yesterday I witnessed him swinging on the bathroom door holding onto the towel bar...I was speechless as he looked at me going back and forth with the motion of the door ...all while smiling.

Sunday we hit up a free festival with They Might be Giants with Lily Reese Erin William and Miles. It was an awesome day. Lily and Reese love the rides just as much as Deville so it was funny to see them together. Since he was outnumbered in the boy to girl ratio.. he got stuck riding some pretty girly things. I dont think he minded..he was with Lily and Reese after all. One day he has a crush on Lily, then Reese, then Jonah. Who can keep up. Its like living with a teenager all ready!

carausel

Deville Lily and Reese ride the pink bunny.

2009-09-08T11:42:00.006-05:00

1st Day of School

Here are some pictures from our last vacation of the summer down at the beach.
It was pretty relaxing and a perfect late summer weekend.
One of the highlights was Luca finally enjoying some of the boardwalk rides. All summer he had to sit in the stroller and watch Deville have all of the fun..well not anymore! Of course I started to get all teary eyed. Come on hes my baby!

2009-09-06T06:32:00.004-05:00

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY DEVILLE!!

Three years old! Really? For the past few weeks Deville has been coming up with some crazy stories and lines. The funniest seem to be his grasp on day to day things. When we got in the car the other day he looked at dave and I and said. "OK are we all in?"
If you ever want to hear what you sound like. Let your 3 year old mimic you.
Yesterday he woke up and came into our room. He came to my side of the bed and looked at me and said " Mommy the suns out. Do you want to come down stairs and make coffee with me? Thats what its been every morning for the past few weeks except today.

Jonah invited Deville over yesterday for birthday cake and gave him a parking garage for his birthday.I cant even explain how much he loves it but our morning went something like this

Deville comes into our room at 6:45 and says "The suns out. I want to go downstairs and play with my parking garage. Do you want to come?"

We head down stairs to suprise him with his birthday present..a bicycle.. and Deville says " OH man a BICYCLE!!! DID JONAH GET THAT FOR ME TOO?"

Happy birthday Deville we love you more than anything.

2009-09-04T10:22:00.002-05:00

RIP
our friend Rich passed away today. He will be missed and always loved.

2009-08-20T20:20:00.008-05:00

Deville, Reese and Lilly

Hi all,
Many of you have seen pictures of Deville and Luca playing with their friends Lilly and Reese Cunningham on the blog. Over the years these girls has become a great friends of our boys ,while their parents, Heather and Rich, have become great friends of ours.
The Cunningham family has been battling cancer for 4 1/2 years and need support. Rich is 32

A paypay account has been set up for donations. Please take the time and set some money aside to help out with the link below.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UOmJlfzRQz0/Soq4BpEdtCI/AAAAAAAAF1g/0Sbex2TQC1Q/s1600-h/Picture+1.png

Message from Rich that is inspiration

family and friends:

it seems that my dick cancer is as smart as I. While we were blasting my pelvis with radiation it hid in my lungs and has decided to try and restrict my breathing, hiding every so well in my lymphatic sacs. The situation is far more serious than what I have faced in the past because the cancer is trying to restrict my breathing thus is aggressively trying to squeeze my breathe away.

It is by far the most daunting fight I and probably few every face. But I am ready for the fight. We are reviewing treatment options, I will be doing everything in my power (eating, exercise, relaxing, taking time of work, etc) and we will use other therapies like steroids to lessen the impact on my breathing. All in a race to slow and then reverse the disease. Because it is in my lungs I have to respond to treatment and I need to do it fairly quickly. I am confident that I will make it through this because well - it was a one and billion chance the disease would do this and I frankly prefer being one in a billion beating it than just another guy with cancer.

It is not a fight that I take on my own shoulders - I, heather, my mom, my sister, the girls, all of you will be enlisted in the army of rich to do whatever it takes to make this fight successful. It may mean time, energy, money, it could me a nice hug or a phone call. I am not sure. I am just sending out the call to arms now. I have the best oncologist one could ask for and he has surrounded me with the doctors who can help me through this.

I love all of you.

Be well. Cherish the health and time. It is precious and sometimes we forget that.

I am as I always have,

Rich

2009-08-14T22:23:00.002-05:00

For Aunt Ginger.. Luca with Pug Luv
.....Thanks Jana..always the BEST photos!!!

Thanks Jana..always the BEST photos!!!

2009-08-06T05:34:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I took Luca to the park for some fun..
Usually when we go to the park Deville gets all excited, then when we get there he says " Where are all the kids?"
Well..if this was Hoboken Luca would have had a gang of sliders, climbers and nose pickers with him at the park yesterday but this is Maplewood and the kids only seem to come out on weekends. This didnt upset Luca

I can go down

I can go up ( even though I was told no)

Drool

Hey birds

See YA!

2009-07-30T21:43:00.002-05:00

Who knew.. Castanza was from Maplewood..along with elizabeth shue!

http://www.maplewoodonline.com/blogs/maplewoodonline/page.php?qs1=spewro2451295105

2009-07-29T13:10:00.008-05:00

Yesterday we bought Deville and Luca their 1st skateboards. We wanted to get them a professional mini but they seemed to be sold out everywhere...and at over $100 we were not going to look THAT hard to find 1 or even 2 in stock. We found a 10 dollar mini on the boardwalk. The graphics were lame but the price was right. The guys had a skateboard work shop today: sanding, staining and stickering the new boards to make it a little more cool.

Miles and Deville starting to strip their boards of the old graphics.The next Powell and Peralta

Sanding and staining

Mango soda break

Rad moves

Which ones Daves?

2009-07-28T15:51:00.000-05:00

Skater-Baby
1st clips of vacation

2009-07-23T21:46:00.011-05:00

Today I took Luca to the Millburn diner for lunch and when we pulled into the parking lot he yelled FRENCH FRY! We have only been there a few times..How did he know they have french frys?
When we sat down he started pointing to every table in the place yelling FRENCH FRY! FRENCH FRY! You could only imagine how many tables had french fry's in a dirty Jersey diner..
Anyway..this kid can eat. 1/2 grilled cheese ,some french frys ASAP and a Matzoh ball did the trick..oh wait he had a cookie on the way out too!
Luca likes his Jersey traditional. Diners, boardwalks, NYC views, and Bruce. Bon Jovi not so much.

We will be off in Ocean City for the week. See you down the shore!

2009-07-21T21:31:00.004-05:00

For my dad..

scroll to pics 5 and 22

Central NJ Volkswagen Society car show

2009-07-18T20:57:00.002-05:00

Coupe

2009-07-14T13:02:00.011-05:00

As I write this Deville is sitting next to me coloring.
I don't know where the time has gone but I still always think of Deville as a baby. Today I was laying on his bedroom floor as he covered me in stickers. He was doing this in his underwear while telling me that its important to have band aids in case you get hurt. Good point Deville... too bad we only have stickers..you used all of the band aids as stickers last week. He also let me know he wants a blue birthday cake because he is going to be three. I couldn't stop staring at him because he still has ( in his mothers opinion) the cutest baby face ever. Then it hit me. He is wearing underwear..he is going to be three ..and he says things like "eeeww that smells"or "Theres monsters under the bed." He's a little boy and wait! oh god there is another one right behind him!

Luca is also growing up way to fast. Yesterday he demanded a lollipop at the dry cleaners and screamed "Pop" while pointing to the bowl of candy.
He refuses to drink out of a cup which is driving us nuts but its his refusal that keeps us trying and trying because its just too funny.If you give him a cup he turns the other way. If you give him it again he shakes his head 4 times and says "No!" If you try one more time he wont even look at you and holds a grudge.

Its been a rough having them close in age but we are finally starting to see the benefits that every stranger in the supermarket or park promised us. They are starting to play together and they are becoming friends...

The gardeners

Back yard fun

On the way for ice cream

Deville is a cup man while Luca likes a cone

2009-06-28T18:58:00.006-05:00

Fall out boy covers Lifetime..
Click on it to hear them cover turnpike gates

Potty training update:
7 days 1 accident
Today at a restaurant Deville told us that he had to go tinkle in the potty. He then did that and then some if you know what I mean!!

2009-06-25T11:57:00.002-05:00

Our peas..seems like I found the inspiration for our counter tops

2009-06-23T19:08:00.002-05:00

Its official..I passed the state real estate exam today on my first try!! Deville kissed me on the cheak and wished me good luck right before he ran into the playground at school. It was too cute. So now I am happy for it to be over and happy to see whats ahead!

2009-06-21T16:04:00.008-05:00

Happy Fathers day Dave
The dad of the year committee called and YOU MADE IT!!!!

Last week we were watching the Muppets Take Manhattan and Devilles said " Wheres that I want to go there. " Go there? You were BORN there. Of course after that Dave and I couldn't wait to take the kids to NEW YORK CITY!!!

For fathers day we headed out on the train to the Museum of Natural History and showed Deville and Luca some dinosaurs, cabs, homeless, and Mars Rovers. We also ran into our friend Marc who is a chef in central park at Public fare. He made us sandwiches and whoopie pies eat outside in the park!

Mission to Mars

Central Park

New Jersey Transit

2009-06-20T19:18:00.001-05:00

Update:
No Accidents and two poops in the potty! Its been a 100% potty day!

2009-06-20T14:11:00.003-05:00

We are finally getting somewhere with Devilles potty training. Its been going full force for 2 1/2 weeks and its been a about 5 days now with out any wet accidents. Poop has made it into the potty 65% of the time. He even wonders why he wears pull ups at night. When he gets dressed in his jammies he says " I dont wear pull ups, I wear underwear."
Yesterday we bought a sandbox for his success. Now when he poops in the potty he says " I want another sand box." Sometimes rewards can back fire.

2009-06-14T19:57:00.004-05:00

Brothers

Luca's walking!
Thursday I was in the garden and I turned around and saw Luca walking towards one of his cars. I couldnt believe my eyes! Not only did he just get up and walk. He has been walking like pro ever since.
We have been going to the beach every weekend with the boys but somebody has always stayed back at the beach house with Luca because he was only crawling and we did not want him eating sand. This weekend was totally different. Check out his 1st day down the shore

Running on the beach

Deville loves to be buried

Sand in the nose is part of doing business at the beach

Who took who to the arcade?

Back seat driver

2009-06-02T10:29:00.002-05:00

Devilles 1st song "Dont Crash the Car Daddy!"

We are plagued by technical difficulties in this house. Its pretty ironic considering Dave's career. I wont bore you with the details but instead I will give you a summary of whats been happening

Potty Training
Deville refuses to sit on the potty. Its pretty hard potty training someone that screams at the sight of a toilet..and then throw Luca into the mix. At one point Deville was sitting on the potty while Luca was grabing at is weener and laughing... No wonder this is tough. We thought it would be a good idea to show Deville that Luca likes to go since it is now one of Lucas favorite words. We were joking but Luca wasnt. Full on tinkle in the potty.

Walking
Luca refuses to walk. Dont get me started

2009-04-30T22:10:00.003-05:00

Stella brings home her little brother..This video really made us miss you guys!
http://www.s3kemper.blogspot.com/

2009-04-25T18:56:00.004-05:00

Today was Ag Field Day at Rurgers. Dave and I started going to this when we were teenagers. Its funny to see how things have changed. We used to go and hang out with our friends all day and listen to music. Now we go to pet animals eat food and listen to music. Last year the weather was awful so it wasnt that much fun but today was Beautiful. Actually a little on the hot side of 85!

Lots of old friends were out and about with their kids so it made the day fun. I didnt take too many pictures..but here are a few from the day!

2009-04-24T22:13:00.012-05:00

1st nice day in the backyard!!

Lithuanian gardner

Tulip

Luca

Boys picnic

Preemptive Gnome

Bleeding heart

Small chairs for small friends

Boys

2009-04-20T21:20:00.005-05:00

As usual during the weekend we were in Target. We told Deville that he could get a toy before we left...But when we got there he was a little cranky. It was getting close to his bed time..so I got the 300 pack of wipes we needed and some diapers and split with out the Lego car he picked out.

After bath and jammies he was asking for his "car puzzle" and he even went down to the kitchen to comb through the target bags to get his toy...it wasnt there. I tried to explain to him that I thought he didnt want it because he wasnt being nice in Target..then I realized.. I was the one NOT being nice by ditching the car after I promised him a toy...well..I returned to Target with the boy in his jams and got the car puzzle toy..here are the results. He was so proud of the car he built with his daddy that night he even called me in to see it.

2009-04-20T21:18:00.004-05:00

Whats up chicken butt

Luca is 13 months today. Wooha! He has been sick again with an ear infection. So much for the ear tubes. That put a little damper on things but we tried to enjoy the beautiful weather as much as we could. We spent most of the day Sunday cruising Maplewood and its parks.. looking for kids to roast. Just kidding
People in the suburbs do not talk to each other. Its one thing that we can not get our head around. If we spent 2 hours at the park in Hoboken, we would have met at least a dozen kids and their parents. A basic conversation on a typical park day in Hoboken would have went something like this.
1) Kids age and name
2) How did we end up in Hoboken
3) When we were moving out
4) Where do you order your chinese food?
5) No Deville is not a family name..Is Ben?

Deville is on spring break this week so I am trying to plan as many activities and play dates as possible for him. We are going to go down and see Alison and her new baby boy Griffin and we will be meeting up with Svan and Markus for their final days in Hoboken before moving to LA. Friday will be my first girls night out with Svan since my last girls night out almost a year ago with.. Svan..I dont know what I am going to do when she moves and.. I need to get out more

2009-04-12T19:53:00.001-05:00

The After Party

2009-04-12T18:33:00.007-05:00

We cant wait for every weekend. There is nothing that we would rather do than hang out with the boys. That means that most of our weekends are filled with some sort of kid activity which.. if your over 11 can get pretty exhausting. As much as we try tiring out the kids out they always win..because A) they get to take a nap in the middle of the day and B) They go to sleep at 8 the LATEST!

This weekend we celebrated Easter with an Easter egg hunt. It was supposed to be outside last weekend, but the weather was not cooperating.. so we postponed it to this weekend. The weather was even worse. I had over 200 eggs so it was rain or shine event. Despite the down pour I think we had a good turn out and alot of fun. Thanks to everyone for coming. We are HOPing to do it again next year!

2009-04-07T21:39:00.009-05:00

Finally..

Playtime after bath. Yes I like to dress them the same

So after a little break we are back. We have a new and improved camera but the same old clunky operating system.

Heres the scoop from the past few weeks on kids and home

- Jeans and Beans.
We were so excited to start the vegetable garden with Deville and Luca that we were announcing Sunday March 15th as Jeans and Beans day
March 20th it snowed killing the beans and wetting the jeans..the much anticipated peas died.. We replanted and are finally getting some sprouts!

-Luca's ear tubes are working wonders. Less boogers

-Luca is not yet walking but still happy as a clam..still sleeping in our bed but getting an eviction notice any day.

-Potty training is harder than you think. Today we had poop and pee on the floor. Potty chair remains clean

- We havent finished painting but we are close. I think we just needed to take a break

-All the perennials are coming up and the garden looks amazing. We have been emailing the previouse owners and they filled us in on all of the plants including a wild rose bush, greek oregano and rhubarb from her moms farm in Iowa. We planted Brussell sprouts and just bought some tomatoes! Next addition on my wish list are statues of two boys peeing into a pond..wait make that three!

Deetles

Luca likes to enjoy a variety of walkers

2009-03-26T22:47:00.004-05:00

Check out Markus's blog for some party video!!
Little man big world to the left!

2009-03-26T21:47:00.002-05:00

1st off. Lets give a big welcome to the world to Griffin James. Alison gave birth to a baby boy this morning making Riley an older brother! Yay!! 2 boys ( or any addition) are so much fun..so I am really excited for her!!

We have had a busy few weeks. We have been working in over drive on the house trying to get it painted etc. Its a slow process since I am taking a real estate course 2x a week..but it is getting finished!

Last week Luca turned 1 AND had surgery for ear tubes He has had a double ear infection for 2 months.The surgery was a breeze. It helped that it took place at a the hospital where our friend Heather worked. She was able to come down and wait with me while Luca came through from anaesthesia.
What a difference after the tubes! He is talking more and less boogery! Let me tell you..this kid was covered in snot so its nice to NOT see booger-snots all over his face! He loves playing Peek a Boo and I just cant get enough of him. He is starting to "walk" around. Well more as a super cruiser. We thought he would be walking by now since he started crawling at 5-6 months but just like Deville he is very cautious which I like! Deville started walking at 13 1/2 months so I think Luca will probably be the same. I hate the crawling stage.. its dirty and frustrating since you have to pick up a 23 pound "baby"

My mom came up for Lucas birthday and it was amazing and sad. Lucas birthday was the last time I saw and hugged my dad so its of course one of the best days of my life. My mom was AMAZING with the kids and us! Just a natural. Dave and I always feel calm and comforted when family is around so it was a great to have her around. Plus we had some fun dinners! We cant wait for her to come back up and either can Deville. All we hear in the morning is " where is Grandma Florida?"
Deville has seen "Grandma Florida" since he was a baby regularly but this was the 1st time she was able to come up to NJ and see our house! They quickly found the Toys R us...and now we have a battery powered 4 wheeler for the yard and a kids car. Luca of course is only allowed to look at them! Deville yells " No car bubbo!" He doesn't care..He has his hand me down alligator clacker that he loves!

So now the bad news. Our camera has finally broke and it might be a while since we ge a new one. If anyone has pictures from Lucas birthday please send them so we can post em'!

2009-03-22T07:50:00.002-05:00

Here are pictures from Lucas party!

mmm icecream cone cupcakes

Party fun

Luca partying

Luca walking with the clacker

2009-03-20T18:13:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday 1st birthday Luca, Bubo, Lucky, Luki, Bubsy! We wouldnt be our family with out you.

Of course our camera broke today! We will have pictures tomorrow!

2009-03-18T22:07:00.002-05:00

dont worry I havent given up on the blog!! Just been super busy and we have some computer malfuntions finally fixed
These are the last days of Luca as a baby. Friday he turns 1!

2009-03-01T22:31:00.002-05:00

Friday was almost 60 degrees. Not to bad for the end of February... but now we are excpecting 10-14 inches of snow.

This weekend was jam packed. Friday ,Erika, Jonah and Abram came over for a play date. We took a walk into town and had lunch. Erika and I had a chance to have a glass of wine together and it was just nice to relax and hang out with her and the kids. Jonah is my barometer on what we need to fix next in the house. When she was to afraid to go to the bathroom downstairs Dave and I decided that would be the 1st thing to ripped out and refinished. Now she is afraid to go to the bathroom upstairs ( we have rust in the toilet water). Luckily she doesnt need to shower when she comes over.

Saturday we took Deville and Luca to Philly. We were going in to grab dinner with our friend DR. Dan but decided that it would also be fun to take the kids to the PLEASE TOUCH museum. ..That is until we walked in and saw that it cost $15/person. As we were deciding on what to do Deville took it upon him self to run in through the exit straight into the museum. We chased after him..but there was no stopping him. There were also no security guards stopping him..or us.. so after 5 minutes of trying to coax Deville back to the entrance..we just decided to stay put and blend in with the paying customers. Yeah yeah..we know ..its wrong..or you can take it as a tip..the exit has no one watching so sneak in and take the $60 bucks you saved and go for a nice dinner.

Sunday we celebrated Abrams birthday..All I can say is HOLY CRAP! HE IS 1 ALREADY!!! We had a blast and it was fun to watch Luca in an organized play group. Deville went to so many classes when he was Lucas age..and Luca has been to 0. Needless to say both kids had a blast

Here are some pictures from Friday..I will put some pictures up from the weekend later in the week!

2009-02-22T22:33:00.005-05:00

This will probably be one of the few recipes that I will ever post on this blog but it is too good not to share..besides..I ate alot of this during my pregnancy with Luca so I think it counts as baby blog worthy!

At one point in Hoboken we lived in an old factory that was turned into lofts. Across from us were friends we met that were from Israel..Hila, Johnathan and their son Aviv. Within in our 1st week living there Hila brought over an amazing chocolate cake that she made to welcome us to the building. It was incredible but nothing compared to her red pepper quiche. It wasnt a shock to find out that she was a chef at the famous Blue Hill in NYC before she had her son Aviv
They recently moved back to Israel and we think about them often as an important time in our life. The only plush toy Deville will sleep with is white bear that they gave him for his 1ST birthday. When he is really upset or sick he says " I want my bear."

Heres is a picture of Dee with his first "sick" with his bear last December.

ALL I CAN SAY IS MAKE THIS QUICHE! ITS CRAZY GOOD. YOU WILL WANT TO EAT THE WHOLE THING YOURSELF!!!

> Dough:
> 1 2/3 (240 grams) cups of flour
> 160 grams of cold butter
> 2/3 tsp salt
> 1/3 tsp sugar
> 3 tbsp of cold water
>
> Filling:
> 8 large red peppers or Roasted peppers in a jar
> 250 grams goat cheese, sliced
> 1/2 cup chopped basil
> 4 eggs
> 2 cups yogurt
> 2 tbsp flour
> 3 tbsp olive oil
> Salt and pepper
> 150 grams shredded mozzarela cheese
>
> Tart dish
>
> Preparation:
> 1. Dough: Combine the flour, butter sugar and salt until cornmeal texture in a food processor
> Add the water and mix until you have a ball.
> Make a ball, cover in plastic wrap, and cool in the fridge for 1 hours
> 2. Roll the dough and place in tart dish
> 3. Filling:slice the peppers into wide strips. Roast pepper in the oven. Place peppers in a plastic bag, seal, and allow to cool.
> Heat oven to 350
> 4. Peel the peppers, . Place on the dough, place the goat cheese slices on top of the peppers. Sprinkle the chopped basil over the cheese and peppers.
> 5. Beat the eggs with the yogurt, flour, and olive oil, add salt and pepper. Sprinkle the mozzarela cheese on top.
> 6. Bake for 45 minutes until slightly brown. Let rest for 20 minutes, slice, and serve.
>

2009-02-21T21:15:00.011-05:00

This is what you have been missing

Eat your heart out!

LUCA IS 11 Months!!! I just sent out his 1st birthday invitations!
Luca has been sick and Deville has been in school. Throw in some renovations on a bathroom and some house painting and that pretty much sums up our winter.
Luca is going to an ear specialist on Monday because he is most likely going to have to have tubes placed in his ears. He has had double ear infections for the past 2 months and it just wont go away. He doesnt seem sick..he is the happiest baby ever..he even gives booger filled kisses which gross me out and melt my heart..But he wakes up all through the night and you can tell he is in pain by the way he tugs on his ear. We think he will be fine..but poor Lucky.

Deville has been really into puzzles the past few weeks. He will sit down and grab a puzzle and start working it out. Its pretty cool to watch him learn and figure things out..He comes home and says " I want a puzzle." Which is pretty nerdy but I like it.
Oh..we also had a really scary experience with Dee. Normally when he wakes up its around 6-7am and he comes into our room right away. Dee hasnt woken up in the middle of the night in months .. Well last week he woke up in the middle of the night and decided he didnt need us..because at 4 am we found Deville downstairs playing with the pots and pans and his trucks. He also decided to sample a few peaches because every peach in the fruit bowl had a bite taken out of it!
Let me add that he after all of our training he did NOT have a pot of coffee made..Someday!

Happy Valentines day..Dinner with heart shaped ravioli

Breakfast in our "soon" to be renovated kitchen

Such a boy

The puzzler

2009-02-11T12:02:00.005-05:00

Here's an update..Pictures to follow over the weekend!
So we have had some sick kids. Nothing has really been going on. Last week Deville stayed home from school 2 days with a double ear infection and cough while Luca spent 6 hours in the hospital getting chest x-rays to rule out Pneumonia. Lucky or unlucky for Luca.. he was able to come home.
Deville was on some high powered cough medicine with a steroid that made him wild. He mashed Lucas face into the wall breaking his nose so we were back to the doctor. Since his nose is mostly cartilage at this stage she said that there was nothing we could do and that it would probably fix itself just fine. She also commented that he will probably break his nose 3 more times by the age of 14.. so don't worry... The black and blue is pretty much gone and there isn't a bump (yay!) but Luca has figured out that sticking his finger up his nose is kind of fun.We will catch him in the car seat or in his high chair just sitting with his finger up his nose just chillin'
Deville is back to his normal sweet self and only occasionally tormenting his brother.Let me just say that most times he shares with Luca or just ignores him.

Deville has a girlfriend at school named Shayna who he talks about constantly. Today when I picked him up from school Shayna was hanging around in the background sad to see him leave until I said " Deville say good-bye to Shayna".. and she ran over to give him a big hug. Then Deville yelled in his big sloppy voice "BYE SHAYNA!"

2009-02-01T20:52:00.013-05:00

So things are looking up in the Palaitis house. We have the dining room painted and we startd painting the living room. That means the living room will be finished being painted in about 3-4 weeks at our rate..which I have learned to accept...which is just ok with me. I dont live in a magazine so my house doesnt need to look like it does. I think this is also a good philosophy in raising kids..enjoy your Cookie mag..but our house DOES not look like that and as much as I think we have the BEST kids in the world..they dont always say please or thank you..but they are the bees knees.
We have really been able to just enjoy being parents the past 2 weeks. I know it doesnt sound that hard but the last few years have been really hectic..happy then sad..then happy..then sad. As I write this.. I opened up our Itunes and went to the 25 most played songs and our #2 song was Burt Bacharachs Raindrops keep falling on my head..That sums it up.

So lets quote old Burt and say " I'm never going to stop the rain by complaining.Because I'm free nothings worrying me. It wont be long until happiness comes up to greet me. "

The past two weekend have just a lot of fun. Last weekend Gibson came up for a concert. Gibson is peety much exactly 1 year younger than Deville. Deville Gibson and Luca really played great together and we cant wait to see him again.
You can check out the action on Liz's Flickr account

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gobosgirl/sets/72157612453537708/?page=2

This weekend we had a chance to see Lily Reese, Jonah and Abrahm. They came over for Bagels and they were all a lot of fun. There were 6 kids and very little crying. At one point all of them were at the table playing with Play-DOH and we forgot about them..drank some coffee and ate bagels. Let me remind you..a 10am play date is not early when you have been up since 6

It was 45 degrees on January so we went for a walk into town and got some ice-cream . Thanks to Rich for taking the photos and the sugar rush ..check em out!

This cant be bad..lets see some sunshine and look at these messy faces

Deville!

Reese!

Lilly!

Jonah!

The gang hanging out in maplewood

waiting for us to lets them in the house..Jonah is peeking in the mail box!

2009-01-31T20:28:00.005-05:00

Luca is obsessed with fire trucks..and playing with Deville. I think today might have been one of the best days ever hanging out and playing with the boys..except that I have to do laundry as you can tell by Lucas socks

good morning luca

2009-01-22T08:41:00.007-05:00

Luca turns 10 months! Ok I am 2 days late. I cant believe how fast the time is going and we only have 2 more months left of him as a little baby. He started to clap his hands and when he wants to turn on the charm he just looks at you and smiles and then claps. He is getting a mouth full of teeth. He has about 4 coming in on the top of his mouth along with the two top front teeth that broke through a month ago. He has two teeth on the bottom and a mouth full of swollen gums . One little girl looked at his teeth and said "His teeth are broken." She was right..they do look broken but they also look painful.
Luca started out as a great sleeper but now as he gets older he is fighting us on the night time sleep routine. We decided that it was time for him to cry it out and he seemed to get the knack of it after the 1st night. That night I was painting the stairs and I could hear him whimpering and then putting himself back to sleep..AAWW.. He still wakes up 2-3x a night and somewhere between 3 and 5 we just bring him in the bed with us. I love sleeping next to the kids and know that I don't have much longer to do this with Luca. He will be in a toddler bed by summer.
Deville has been sleeping really well and wakes up any where between 6 and 7:30. We shut the door to his room at night and if he cant get it open in the morning we hear a knock on the door. If he can get the door open he comes into our room yelling " Mommy Daddy I want socks." He doesn't like his feet to be cold.
When we put Deville to bed we tell him a story or talk about his day. If he is really tired he says " Mommy leave." I love that he is getting older but its so sad to see him grow up. On the other hand sometimes he catches us trying to sneak out of his room before he has fallen asleep and says "Mommy LAY DOWN." Or "Mommy MOVE OVER" when I am hogging the crib size mattress to the toddler bed.

In house news we pretty much have the dining room painted. I am working on the windows and doors tonight while Dave starts sanding the kitchen wall. He did a really great job on the stairs and its starting to look like we actually live here. We are hoping to have the house painted with in the month. The only time we get a chance to do any work is after the kids go to sleep and that's at about 8-8:30. We are committed to doing at least an hour a night. We will be having Lucas 1st birthday party in our house om March 21st so our goal is to have anything harmful to children fixed or at least hidden by then!

The many faces of teething

2009-01-15T19:12:00.003-05:00

Well the other night Luca was not having it good. He puked on me 2x and we thought maybe he was allergic to avacados since we slipped him some guacamole in his burrito for dinner.
I took him to our new pediatrician in Maplewood and she said it could be a stomach virus since one is going around..oh and she let me know he also had an ear infection. Ouch.
So we come home after our stop at the pharmacy and we get a call from Devilles school. Massive blow out and vomiting. I am thinking now this sounds more than just something with an avacado.
I pick Dee up and he is wearing girls black leggings, his converse and a back up shirt. Apparently I forgot to bring him and extra pair of pants. All that was available in the schools back up bin was a black or pink pair of leggings...I guess they figured pink would be to way girly. He actually looked kind of emo

So the ride home of course was interesting. Deville vomited 3x.. twice on me and then when we got home he managed to vomit directly down my sweat shirt. Poor guy..he would just look at dave and I and say. "Dee Dee is sick Yeah"

Now The whole family is sick with a stomach virus. Dave is sleeping on the couch with Deville and I am trying to keep Luca out of trouble and some white rice down. As of now Luca seems to be the only one that has rebounded.

2009-01-12T22:42:00.003-05:00

ok I know. I have been absent from the blog. If its not one thing its the other so I wont bore you to tears with how only one of our computers USB outlet works for the camera..and our wireless is not set up..Damn you Comcast
We have some serious electronic resolutions that need to be made for 2009
SO lets begin.
We still cant get over how much snow we get in Maplewood. We are used to living in parts on NJ that usually got mostly rain when ever it snowed so its a nice change of pace. I am sure we will be cursing the snow come March but for now its been giving us a few activities to do on the weekend. There is an awesome sledding hill right in town across the street from the train station. This weekend we got a bunch of snow again but later in the evening it turned to ice. In other words..best sledding conditions ever!
Now I hate the cold and there is not much you can do outside in the snow with a 9 month old..so usually I stay home while Dave takes Deville down the hill. Not this time. We( I) had so much fun. Our sled is a round saucer that should probably be recalled for safety..it goes fast and spins around..not ideal for a 2 year old or for a 35 year old. I'll admit it..I got scared.

so enjoy the pics. Happy Winter

1 hour getting out the door..15 minutes of sledding

Loving the snow

Deville ready to show me how its done

Weeee!