Maureen January 16, 2013

All dressed up for another job interview

Marla-January 16, 2013

Working on the swords and daggers that Cole (Eric, Tim and I) made for Patriot's Day which they will be having at school on Friday. Thank you so much for your help, Tim!

Miranda January 15, 2013

This is a house on our block that was just foreclosed on....We hope some new fun
neighbors buy it!

Maureen January 15, 2013

Maggie melting into the chair cushion. Annie was practicing her cello nearby.

Marla-January 15, 2013

This is Cole and his Language Arts teacher Mrs. Beyer. A few weeks ago we received a letter from Cole's school letting us know that Cole's teachers had nominated him to receive the "Stellar Student award" (about 35 students receive this award each month). He got this award for showing Responsibility. They invite the families to a light breakfast and short award ceremony before school.

Maureen January 14, 2013

Helping with homework. She's working on advanced 6th grade math and gets it, for the most part, except when it gets late & she gets tired & doesn't want to work on it anymore.

Marla-January 14, 2013

First there was a shot with Dylan at home at 12:01am. Then in the afternoon we went to the casino...here is Vaughn being carded for the first time and then a drink with Eric at the casino. Happy 21st, Vaughn!

Miranda January 14, 2013

Gianni checking out his shadow this morning!

Maureen January 13, 2013

Let the softball season begin! Winter practices started today

Miranda January 13, 2013

Gabriele so happy to have found his "Ele" after we lost it for a while

Marla-January 13, 2013

Cole and Eric working on a project for Cole's school. The 7th graders have a "Patriot's Day" this Friday. Cole's group is going to be blacksmiths. All of the 7th graders dress up and have a marketplace and lots of other fun events. Cole (and Eric) are making wooden daggers to sell at the market. I know this photo is making some of you very nervous with the saw blade heading straight for Cole's fingers...trust me I was very worried too.

Maureen January 12, 2013

Jim noticed that one of the tires was a bit low, so stopped on the way over to Andreas, in the freezing rain, to put some air in it before Andrea & I drove out to hear Mike's band.

Miranda January 12, 2013

At Mike's show

Marla-January 12, 2013

I worked from 9-5 at the public library today. Which means that I ate lunch there. It has been so long since I ate lunch at a work place. Last time was a few years ago when I was filling in at the middle school.

Maureen January 11, 2013

Hanging out with Bryce

Miranda January 11, 2013

Marla-January 11, 2013

Woody sat in this bag for about 4-5 hours today.

Marla-January 10, 2013

This is the second time that I have ordered from drugstore.com and both times I have gotten extra items. This time I got a box of a "Ten Herbs-Naturally improves the regularity of bowel movements". At first I thought that it was a mistake but then I saw that the box says that it is a free sample. But, I'm sure that the last time it was a mistake because a day after my order arrived I got another box from them and it seemed to have someone elses order with my name attached to the box.

Maureen January 10, 2013

When I called to get directions to my job interview last week, I was on break while working at Carsons, so I put the piece of paper in my little Carsons purse until today. Today, I grabbed the paper out of my purse as I was getting in the car to drive to the interview. This fortune cookie fortune was in my bag, apparently, left over from a food court lunch in the past few weeks. When I unfolded the directions at a stoplight to look at them, the fortune fell out onto the pile of spelling bee papers on the passenger seat. Hoping that it proves to  be true!

Miranda January 10, 2013

Gabriele is giving sad Gianni a hug because Gianni didn't want to go to school -
he wanted to go to the gym with us... : (

Maureen January 9, 2013

The weather was so nice outside, today, that we went to a schoolyard to shot some hoops.

Miranda January 9, 2013

Police Officer Middona

Marla-January 9, 2013

While shopping at Jewel today they announced over the loudspeaker that you could get your flu shot there. I had been contemplating if I should get one and I felt like that was my answer. So, I went over to the pharmacy and got one. Since we had never gotten a prescription there they gave me a $25 gift card...it was a win/win. Then Eric played a little guitar for us after he got home from his lesson.

Maureen January 8, 2013

Hanging out after the practice spelling bee tonight

Miranda January 8, 2013

This is a new table from my parents. Gianni insists that mommy and daddy eat at
the big table and he and Gabriele eat at the kid table...

Marla-January 8, 2013

I was trying to get a photo of Cole making pumpkin muffins for a school project...when he got photo-bombed.

Maureen January 7, 2013

Annie slept on the couch last night & Marzipan, the cat, in a case of middle-of-the-night cat insanity, jumped on her face while she was sleeping. We told her that, if anyone asked her at school what had happened, she should tell them she got in a knife fight on New Year's Eve.

Miranda January 7, 2013

Back to school - Gianni is very excited. This is his new teacher
(paraprofessional). He responds to him so well - maybe because he is a boy and
he is the son of Gianni's teacher.

Marla-January 7, 2013

Being goofy...this usually happens every time they see me pointing a camera at them.

Maureen January 6, 2013

After the game was over. They lost their game, but it was just awesome to watch the girls play on a high school basketball court.

Miranda January 6, 2013

Opening presents in the morning

Marla-January 6, 2013

I hadn't taken a picture today...so, here is a photo of the recipe that Dylan and Cole made for dinner tonight.

Maureen January 5, 2013

During the first day of tournament play for Annie's team. They came into the tournament seeded in the second place position but lost both games today, so will play in a consolation game tomorrow.

Miranda January 5, 2013

Happy Birthday my sweet boy

Marla-January 5, 2013

Vaughn helped Dylan today by looking over his grad school applications for him. And, then we headed off to Gabe's 2nd birthday party.

Maureen January 4, 2013

Our whole family thoroughly enjoys the time we get to spend with Tabitha and Wyatt in the afternoons when Nathan leaves for work before Andrea gets home from work.  Annie & I went there after her basketball practice tonight, after Jim & Shel had already been there for a while. They were watching an episode of Mickey Mouse Club where there's a pajama party that is interrupted by a scary sound outside. Annie, Shel, Jim and Tabitha were having fun overreacting to the scary noise every time it happened.

Miranda January 4, 2013

Gianni loves this shark towel - even wears it to bed! : ) It was a Christmas
present ... from Maureen??

Marla-January 4, 2013

We went out to dinner at Pal Joey's in Batavia. First picture is of a table magician doing sleight of hand card tricks for us. And, then Cole and Vaughn both got free desserts because while we were waiting for a table they saw a sign that said that if they joined the text message club they would get a free dessert...so, they both did it.

Miranda January 3, 2013

Gabriele loves to brush his teeth

Marla-January 3, 2013

I took a drive to Montgomery to take Cole/Vaughn's broken violin bow in to get repaired.

Maureen January 3, 2013

We used a coupon and went ice skating at Fox Valley Ice Arena this morning.

Miranda January 2, 2013

Brothers first sleep over! Gianni wanted SO bad to spend the night with Gabriele
- Gabriele wasn't so sure about it. Joe and I watched them on the monitor for a
while...Gianni went right to sleep while Gabriele kept looking at Gianni
(probably wondering why are you in my bed!?) It didn't last too long because I
took a picture and woke Gianni up

Maureen January 2, 2013

Annie spent some of her Christmas money to buy a remote control helicopter

Marla-January 2, 2013

Cole and I went to see the movie "Parental Guidance" today. We saw a preview for this movie and then had fun with the display on our way out of the theater.

Miranda January 1, 2013

Happy New Year! This is how we spend a portion of our new years eve - New Years
day was spent organizing! : )