WATER PARK & MINI PUTTING

Now, you don't actually think that I would take them to those places, do you? I'm afraid I would have to be heavily medicated to even think about that! So, for their safety, I just turned on the sprinkler and soaked in the rays as they played. Lord knows that I'm pale enough to require sitting in the sun.

As you can see, Dominick was the one who mostly played in the sprinkler. He liked drinking the water and said it was "DE-LISS-US!"

I was able to get one shot of Anthony sitting still in one spot.

After the sprinkler wasn't fun anymore, the boys dried off and decided to hit some golf balls around. Anthony has a true talent of golfing like his dad--AND--Dominick's talent is collecting balls! We will be checking into OCD info because I think that this video is proof that he doesn't not like disorder. I wonder where he gets it from? :) Not my side...

My camera does not have sound, so this will be a "silent" movie (unless you have the music playing from the blog.)

This is the first time I've posted a video. You'll have to excuse the shakiness of the video, I was laughing at them and they were here, there, and everywhere. I didn't know who record. Dominick didn't want me to "get him" with the camera, so I caught him when he wasn't looking.

OH, BOY(S)!

Time has slipped by yet once again. Here are some photos of the boys that I have accumulated over the past month or so and you will get a chance to see their skills of making a mess and keeping us laughing. They have definitely been busy, which keeps me going. It seemed that I had my camera out many times during the day documenting what havoc 2 year old twin boys can have on a house (& a mother.) Ugh!

In this first photo, you will see Dominick crashed in our bed (with his puzzle). This was taken at about 10 pm when we were going to bed. He was put in his crib at about 8:30. We saw the glow of the TV (which was turned off when he went to bed) from the bottom of the stairs and knew what we would find. He is known for sneaking out of his crib, turning on the TV and dragging his blanket, sock, and puzzle/book into our bed. Apparently the bed was not to his liking either because he had whipped the covers, threw my pillow on the floor, and arranged the decorator pillows as he chose. He was victorious in his plan THIS TIME!

Anthony had nothing to do with "Operation Sneek TV". He has an alibi!

On this day, I was in the basement doing laundry and Anthony found the toolbox next to the dryer. He apparently concealed the tool on our trip up the stairs to put laundry away. I took another trip to the basement, leaving Anthony in my room to watch TV. Much to my surprise, this is what I find: He looks up and says, "Mommy, I fix you bed!"

My little "Mr. Fix It!"

Moving on, you will now witness the boys LOVE for "chock-lit" milk. The girls bought a bottle of milk at the store and there was some left and the boys were given the rest. They tried their darndest to get every last drop. We gave them each a straw and they managed to coordinate themselves to get a few sips.

Dominick's turn...

...Anthony's turn

I couldn't stand watching them struggle any longer...I extended their straws and it was good to the last drop!

SPEAKING OF CHOCOLATE MILK...

Dominick says, " MMM, GOOD!"

We should've known that he was too quiet for too long. I luckily had my camera handy and this is the Kodak Moment you have been waiting for. He was digging his hands in the chocolate milk container and licking away. It was EVERYWHERE and he didn't care! He even wanted to help clean it up (by licking the counter!)

This is obviously not all, but keep your eyes peeled for more and exciting adventures.

SPLISH, SPLASH

" The Girls"

I thought that these pictures were worthy of adding to the site. The girls went to their friends', Lilly & Emily's house for a swim. They are in walking/bike riding distance which makes it nice to visit them. Alayna went to Kindergarten with them and remains pretty close even though they go to different schools. The reason for posting the photos is because they turned out really nice and I figured I should document this for when the girls say they don't do anything and they are BORED! I'll have them come back to the website to refresh their memories. :)

The girls have become little "fishies" this summer. Alayna & Molly do tricks off of the diving board, swim under water, and have races. They do really well and Molly has improved her underwater skills immensely. Alayna has been swimming for awhile now and took to it right away as she does everything else.

Devyn has made leaps & bounds this year, literally. She wouldn't even get her face wet last year and was still wearing arm floaties in the shallow end. This year, she started off by putting her face underwater. One day she decided that she wanted to jump off of the diving board and just went for it. After I recovered from my heart failure, I had realized that she jumped in without any kind of floating device and swam right over to the ladder. Now, we can't keep her out of the deep end! I am forever being asked to watch her as she discovers that she can do new tricks such as underwater somersaults. She said she was very proud of herself. We told her she has every right to be. What an accomplishment.

Molly

Alayna

Devyn

AAAAAAAL-VIN!

Alvin, Simon & Theodore...

I took the boys, Molly, & Devyn to a family matinee today while Alayna was at volleyball camp. I figured since Alvin & the Chipmunks was a favorite of the boys, I would be safe to try a movie outing with them. I was right! They loved it. They sat surprisingly still for most of it. I let them explore the theater before it started so that they weren't so antsy during the show. The front row seats seemed to be a big hit and they made themselves right at home. No thanks, I can't do the front row, so back to our seats we went.

It was a lot of fun & we're going to try to do it again next week when Jake's on vacation. I would've never thought to take the boys to a movie, but it was a lot of fun to watch them with their eyes wide open, dancing, & clapping. They drank all the pop they could before I caught them. It was 10 a.m., so I was trying to monitor it...didn't work out so well. Especially after Dominick dropped his "full" pop all over the floor and my pants. Whoops! It was to be expected.

When the movie began, Dominick was amazed with the whole setup and said, "Ooooh, what a big TV!" He then got off his chair and started looking around. I asked him what he was doing and he said, "Mote are you?" (translated: Remote, where are you?) Anthony just sat & smiled & laughed the whole time. He snuggled with Devyn most of the time and then decided to sit by me. I think we changed seats about 5 times. All in all, it was great time, even with wet pants.

Anthony & Devyn (a little blurry-without flash)

"Legs" aka Molly & Anthony sitting in the front row during previews.

"If I could just find the RIGHT chair!"



It's inevitable...Anthony in the theater, with the DS game passing time during the previews.



"Mmmm...POPCORN! If I'm quiet, maybe I won't have to share."



"Oh, Molly...I KNOW you want a puppy lick!"



Molly & Dominick sharing the treats before the spill.



My darling boys living it large while watching their very first movie.

I LOVE SPAGHETTI & MY BACKPACK!

Just a few shots of Anthony acting goofy at dinner. He was quite the comedian and did it all with spaghetti all over his face. Mr. Picky Eater lives up to his name, but devours any Italian dish.

You have also had the chance to take a peek at the "Subway" back pack filled with plastic food that he carried around all day long. He cried when we took it off because he couldn't take a nap with it on, get his diaper changed or sit in his car seat with it on. It was very cute, and boy did he LOVE it! The backpack is getting its use--Devyn got it for her 7th birthday and carried it everywhere too.

A GREAT DAY IN HISTORY

July 20th, what a great day! It's the day Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, my Aunt Val turned another year older, my Grandma Joan celebrated her 80th birthday and went skydiving...AND last, but not least...I turned 35! The reality of the gray hairs appearing and wrinkles that used to not be there, the "early bedtime", aching muscles and creeks when I get up in the morning, the absence of high heels because they hurt too much, and the few occasions I wear "big girl" makeup in public, has just sunk in all of a sudden as to how old I really am. I am bound & determined to keep my pants at waist level, my bra at chest level, style my hair with things other than just a comb, and not answer when someone calls me "Ma'am." My dreams of the younger days are only memories blurred with the present reality & the mere fact that I am older and closer to 40. Ugh! I was always one to tease others approaching the 40 year mark, but now I think I'll keep my opinions to myself! A slap of reality has just hit me. I still feel young & I know that I am not THAT old, but will vow to take better care of myself and not let another moment slip through the cracks.

On Saturday, after returning from a POISON concert (which was great & louder than I remember concerts to be--sign of aging), I pull into a dark driveway around midnight to find neon letters shining back at me from the headlights...

Thanks, mom!



There you have it ladies & gentlemen...the "mature, all grown-up" 35 year old.
Please note: I am squinting because of the sun, not bad eyesight! (smile)

I have obviously not accepted this coming of age too well, so please forward any future emails to the current nursing home that accepts my Medicare application. Ha! Ha!

IT'S ME, DO-MI-NICK!

Well, where do I even begin this story? I am reporting this to you fresh off the presses. Dominick awoke this morning at the usual 6:30ish am and climbed out of his crib and made his grand entrance while running into my room announcing, "It's me, Do-mi-nick. All done sleeping Mommy." This is very common for the mornings. He snuggles in my bed and watches cartoons and I drift in and out of sleep hoping to catch a few more minutes of sleep until Anthony wakes up. Dominick snuggles up, rubs my face and plays with my hair and whispers, "Mommy, where's my special cake?"

THE STORY BEHIND THE CAKE: This "special cake" is a plastic cake from the play kitchen set they have in the playroom. He has been very intrigued with making coffee and giving everyone a piece of his special cake. Just yesterday I was invited, more like demanded, to sit at his little table to share in a "lunch" that he made for me that consisted of a hamburger aka "Krabby patty", carrots, bread, banana, coffee (that he freshly brewed) and of course, his "special cake". I was so excited to partake in this "gourmet" lunch that he prepared for me. I begin to start my lunch and Dominick pushed me out of the chair and pointed in the direction of the one he had been sitting in. He proceeds to tell me that I can just have the piece of bread and that's it. He then offered up the carrots. What a guy! I thanked him for the "lunch" and asked if I could taste the coveted cake. The answer was of course, NO!

Okay, so now you've got the idea of how important this cake is to him. As I open my eyes to see that he is right in my face, I tell him it's in the kitchen and he can go get it, but to come right back. I lay half awake and here him go down the stairs and then come back up. In my daze, it felt like he was gone 5 seconds. I assumed that he had sat on the floor to play with his cake and didn't hear a peep, then...WHACK! I had just been hit upside the head with a gallon of milk while he announced that he would like some "chock-a-lit milk"! I guess I shouldn't close my eyes with him on the prowl.

A few minutes later after I came out of shock, I went down stairs and of course made him some chocolate milk and one for Anthony who had stumbled into the room within a few seconds of the "assault". I plopped him on the bed and snuggled him up and he waited patiently, as he always does, for his chocolate milk too. When I realized what shirt he had on and what it said, I took advantage of the Kodak moment and knew that this story should not go untold. So, I will now share with you the photos that will enlighten you and make you chuckle at the same time! Gotta love these boys!

Dominick with his "chock-a-lit milk, special cake" and of course, his sock!

Anthony says..."OOOOOH BRUBBY, you're gonna get it!"
Mommy, "Wasn't me, I wasn't even awake, yet!"

COULD THIS BE AN OBSESSION?

Let me set the scene: Lights down low, cool air blowing around, TV lights flickering, bodies sprawled all over the living room with blankets & pillows...







I scan the living room and find my photo op. How could I resist? Every kid accounted for and this is how I found Anthony: the 1st is taken with a flash, which didn't get the "mood" I was trying to capture. The 2nd, exactly what I wanted! I'm guessing that I will be posting a few of these shots every now & again. FYI, this is not what he does all of the time, but when he gets the chance, he is very committed to finishing the game.

AWHH, SO CUTE!

We were sitting in the living room a couple of nights ago and the boys were upstairs watching the cartoon, "Diego" ("Daygo" according to the boys), and Dominick came down with his blanket and Molly's puppy he has named "Dibber". He snuggled up in his Daddy's lap and was asleep shortly after this picture. I thought that the title of this blog was appropriate since the boys always say in their robotic pronunciation, "Awhh, so cute!"

Speaking of robotic pronunciation, Dominick came up to the computer as I'm posting this and said, "It's me, Do-mi-nick." He cracks me up!

A family reunion...

This may turn into a really long story, but a good one at that. I hope you'll read on...

I'd like to tell you about a part of my family some of you don't know about. This is the family of Larry London. I met the family when I was 18. After many years of waiting for this moment, I found him. My birth father. I had all those questions of who did I look like? Who's eyes do I have, etc. I didn't take after my mother's side too much and never really knew where I got my good looks. (Ha!Ha!)

I had a mom & a dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and many other relatives that every kid has to guide them & love them. I couldn't have asked for more. These are the people that made me who I am and created memories that I cherish every day.

My mother gave me a name of a woman, Esther London, and said that she was my grandmother. I called her immediately and connected instantly. We agreed that we should meet and the rest of the family would like to meet me as well. Unfortunately, I found out that my birth father succumbed to a brain tumor in 1981. He never knew about me and I would never get a chance to meet him. This was a little disappointing, but I had a father that treated me as his own who could never be replaced. I wasn't looking for a father, just answers for curious questions.

Christmas time rolled around and it was time to meet my new family. In the back of my head, I hesitated because we had no real proof at this point that they were related to me & I to them. Overwhelming to say the least, I met everyone. I stayed for about a week and enjoyed every minute. This was my family and we all knew it. I caught people staring at me and telling me how unbelievable it was to see me. It was like looking at him all over again. According to most, I had many features of his as well as some mannerisms. I thought that was really cool. Answers weren't just what I found. I found so much more. Family.

Over the years past, I have had a chance to visit New York once and Florida 3 times to see the family. The visits are so few and far between, but some of us manage to keep in touch and I cherish that. I have become close to a few of my cousins and wish I could become closer to the rest of them. I didn't realize how much time had gotten away from us, but realized this during my trip. Not everyone was able to make it for the party, but I was able to reconnect and strengthen some bonds with those family members I met so long ago.

For those of you who don't know already, I was fortunate enough to take a 3 day trip to Florida in the beginning of June. I specifically went for my Grandma's 85th birthday party. I haven't seen her or the rest of my family in 9 years. My grandma was surprised to say the least since she didn't know I was coming, as well as her brother she hadn't seen in 10 years, and a grandson & great-grandson she last saw about 5 years ago. It was a wonderful time and it was definitely worth all of the rearranging of schedules to get there.

This visit was very special for me because I am now older and can appreciate it a little more. My family was as welcoming this time as they have been in the past. It's like old friends just picking up where they left off. I have included some photos from my trip. I hope you enjoy them.

I shared this with you because this website is designated for everyone to know MY family. They are definitely a part of my life and I wanted all of you to see who they are. I have accepted that I will never meet Larry London, but through his (my) family, I have the opportunity to see photos and hear the stories about him and what kind of person he was. Some people go a lifetime taking for granted the ones they love, but I have a chance to love the family I've always known as well as a whole other branch of the family tree. How lucky am I?

Without further adieu...

Larry (18 months)--I see a little of Anthony in this picture.

Larry, as a teenager.

London family photo: my grandma, aunts & uncles.
L to R: Molly, Phil, Grandma Esther, Jacqui, & Marc


My Grandma Esther & I


My Aunt Molly's family...(whom Molly is named after, obviously)
My cousins Kevin & Jason, Aunt Molly & Uncle Victor
(cousins not pictured: Valerie & Steven)

My cousin Jason & his family:
Tyler, Jason, Michell, & Kayla

Lana & Uncle Phil

My Aunt Jacqui & Mike
(my gracious hosts during my visit)

My Uncle Marc and his family:
(L to R) Their grandson Ryan, Aunt Donna, Eric (Ryan's father), Jen, John (Jen's fiance), and Uncle Marc


The London cousins & not one looks alike, in my opinion!
(5 cousins missing in photo)

Well, there you have it. A whole lot of people you won't know, but thought I'd share. Thanks for taking interest in my story. It's hard to keep up with, but I thought it was worth a shot.