Home Away From Home

Our family is originally from Rochester, NY, which is knows as "The Flower City". Long story short, it's because of our annual Lilac Festival. People come from all over the world to see the thousands of Lilac trees that are in bloom in early May. After 3 1/2 years of being away, I think I'm pretty well adjusted. However, there are a couple times a year that I REALLY miss 'home'. This is one of those times.
I've planted 3 Lilac's in our yard here in Huntley. I didn't know it when I planted them, but it seems I've got 3 different varieties which produce 3 different colors! It's so exciting to see them blossom. They're beautiful, and the scent is indescribable. The slightest whiff of a Lilac brings me back home for just a moment.
So even though I can't be in Rochester for the festival, at least I can look out my window and smile at this little piece of 'home.

My Busy Weekend Away

My dear friend Jen was getting married in Rochester this past weekend. I was lucky enough to be able to attend. I flew in Friday and right back out on Sunday, it was a whirlwind weekend! Since D.R. couldn't get away I decided to take my sister as my 'date'. It's been a long time since we've done something fun together, just the girls!

On Friday we met up with some friends for lunch...

I'm not sure why this picture is so small but it might be because I stole it from my sister off Facebook!
That gorgeous girl in the front is my God Daughter. She's almost 13 and is now one of the "lunching ladies". So glad she was able to join us this time.

Then we went back to my sister's house where we got to spend some time with my great-nephew. I still can' t believe my sister is a grandmother! She sure doesn't look the part.

I actually got to see all my nephews and brother in law, but I spent most of the time taking pictures of this little Angel!

On Saturday morning I had breakfast with my in-laws. It was nice to get to see them too, even for just a quick visit.
Then, it was off to the wedding. It was so beautiful, and very classy. The reception was at a hotel so we stayed the night. We sat at a table with a great group of people and really enjoyed them. Jen looked beautiful, and of course very happy. They did such a wonderful job at planning the big day.
Here's the happy couple...

My friend Dena even came to the hotel at midnight to see me, now that's dedication!
On Sunday morning we were treated to a nice breakfast at the hotel, and then it was off to the airport again! It sure was a busy weekend but it was great to get to see so many good friends and be part of Jen's big day.
Of course, the best part of the weekend was seeing my little girls run through the airport and jumping into my arms! I have to get all caught up on missed kisses and hugs.

I love a good bargain

My kids were trained pretty early on that when we go into a store, they aren't going to get a prize. We never started that with them, so they don't expect it. However, even I couldn't pass up these adorable nightgowns when I saw the price!

Original price $10. Clearance rack price $3.

And the best part is that it wasn't a toy that would be played with for a day and then tossed in the toy box and forgotten. They can wear these all summer long and really get our $3 worth. I love a good bargain!

What Will They Be?

You know how sometimes parents of accomplished musicians or athletes often say "I knew he was going to be a .....from the minute he could talk"? Well D.R. and I often look at our kids with an inquiring eye, trying to see what they will be when they grow up.

We already know Tia is very into fashion for a child her age. Every day she gets excited about picking out her clothes for the day, and needs to make sure everything matches. Her favorite show to watch is "What Not To Wear", where they take an unsuspecting fashion disaster and give her a total make over. She watches every minute of the show from beginning to end.
However, because she has exemplary small motor skills and is quite a perfectionist, D.R. is convinced she will be a surgeon or architect. At any rate, she'll be a well dressed surgeon or architect!


And for Gia. Well, this girl has an ear for music like I've never seen before. We call her the music director in the car. She dictates what we can listen to, calling out "Harry music!" or "I want James Taylor". Not only that, but she knows the words of most of the songs and likes to sing along. Keep in mind she just turned 3! During each song she'll say "I hear the piano, do you hear it Mom?" or "There's the trumpet, I hear the trumpet!". I don't know how she knows these things. D.R. and I really have no musical talent to speak of. How can a child of 3 know the sounds of different instruments without someone teaching her? It's a mystery to me.
Gia also loves babies, and taking care of them. Whenever there's a new baby at our play group, she'd much rather sit next to the baby and watch than play with any of the toys in the room. She will talk for days about how cute the baby was that she met. Here's a short clip of her from when she was 2, taking care of her baby doll. Maybe she'll be a pediatrician, or maybe she'll just be a great Mom (who plays in a band on the side?)!



It will be interesting in 20 years to look back and say "you know, I really thought she would be a ________, but she surprised us by becoming a _________________."
Oh the things to look forward to!

Happy Birthday Gia!

My baby girl just turned 3. I know everyone says kids grow up so fast, but really, I have no idea where the time went! It truly seems like just last week that I gave birth to her.

In true Salerno fashion, we've been celebrating Gia's birthday for about a week. That's just the way we do things around here!
Of course Nonna and Papa flew in from NY so we could all celebrate together. We had a small birthday party while they were here, with a couple of Gia's friends.

We had an egg hunt for the kids, which was a big hit.

This is the cake Gia picked out all by herself. She had to have it!

So happy to have their Grandparents here!

Then, for Gia's actual birthday (April 12), we drove up to Wisconsin to the Wilderness Resort indoor water park. It was a first for all of us, but something we've been wanting to do for some time now. What a great time we had!

Ironically enough, one of Gia's little friends from dance class and her family were there at the same time as us, so we had someone to celebrate with (again). D.R. ran out and got cupcakes!

And of course, every girl needs a pedicure on her birthday. All the little girls got their nails done (by the Mom's) after cake, then it was off to play again.

Phew, that was a lot of celebrating and a lot of fun! I think we're all exhausted but it was well worth it. Our sweet baby only turns 3 once!

Great conversations with Tia

I think it's ridiculous that at my age I still get acne, but sadly, it happens occasionally. Yesterday Tia wanted to know what the bump on my face was...

Tia: Mom, you have a boo boo on your face? What's that bump?
Me: That's called a pimple. Hopefully it will go away soon.
Tia: Is it a boo boo, do you need medicine and a Band Aid?
Me: No, it's just a pimple, that happens sometimes.
You know, you'll get pimples on your face some day too.
Tia: Mom, we REALLY need to talk about this!

She had such a look of concern on her face, it was priceless! I think acne may interfere with her career as a super model.

Tia is a chronic breath holder. She inhales, holds it for several seconds, then lets out a gasp. It seems to bother me more than it bothers her. Yesterday she put me in my place...

Me: Tia, please stop holding your breath.
Tia: Mom, I'm fine. I like holding my breath.
Me: It's not good for your body.
Tia: MOM! I have all the air I need!

She cracks me up and the older she gets, the better the conversations are.

Happy Easter

I don't think I ever realized how non-traditional we are until I started to upload pictures for this post. No fancy Easter dresses, no morning church service, no ham dinner. We went to church on Palm Sunday and chose to skip the Easter crowds. The kids got to stay in their pajamas as long as they wanted, and we had brunch instead of dinner. That's my kind of holiday!

I was trying to remember what Easter was like when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure we had a ham dinner, as my Mom always put on a nice dinner for the holidays.
However, several years ago we decided we would change tradition and started having an Easter BBQ! That first BBQ of the year became well known to our family and friends. Everyone looked forward to it. In fact, an old friend just sent me an email the other day telling me how this time of year always makes her think of me and that wonderful picnic we used to put on! We always made a point to invite anyone who had nowhere to go or no family to celebrate with. Those were great times. My sister continued the tradition this year by hosting a huge gathering of extended family at her house.
Our kids won't know that family tradition (although Easter is late next year so maybe we'll do it here!) but we've started traditions of our own. The important thing is that we were together, happy and healthy. That's what they will remember.

We do baskets with very little candy...mostly small toys, books, and one movie each.

Nonna and Papa had to leave for a flight back to Rochester on Sunday evening so we had a laid back afternoon. The girls played with the new water table that Gia got for her birthday (birthday celebrations will be a separate post). It was a very windy day but they didn't seem to care!
Overall, we had a wonderful, non-traditional Easter. Our family is blessed!

Coloring Eggs

The girls both had a great time coloring their Easter eggs this year. Each year when I do this with them, I think about how much my Mom loved coloring eggs with us as kids, and how much I really don't enjoy it! It's just such a mess and then we have all those eggs that nobody but me will eat! Well, it's only once a year, and the kids really look forward to it, so it's worth it.

Miracles DO Happen

We've been struggling with Gia about the whole helmet issue. She has been refusing to wear hers, even though we picked out a brand new one that she loved. She's terrified that her chin will be pinched (with good reason). Until today, she's been totally content walking behind her sister. However for some reason today, she decided to give it another try. If you know anything about my daughter, you know this is certainly along the lines of a minor miracle. Let's just say she's a little bit stubborn, and leave it at that!

She rode her scooter almost all the way to the park. She was proud to park it along side all the bikes. Then, I had to carry it most of the way home. Hey, baby steps are OK with me!

Happy Birthday D.R.!

Yesterday was my husband's birthday. It's a milestone, he's 35!
I didn't have time to write about it yesterday because we were too busy celebrating. You see, in D.R.'s family, and now in ours, birthdays are reason for days and DAYS of celebrating.
We started on Friday night by having a drink and movie after the kids went to bed. Then on Saturday D.R.'s folks flew in and we all went to eat at The Cheesecake Factory. The kids REALLY enjoyed the dessert.

On Sunday, the actual birthday, we gave D.R. his presents and went to church. Then the guys went out to lunch and a movie (male bonding!).
We all met back at the house for a fancy dinner. Since he doesn't eat cake, he had rainbow sherbet with a candle. I think he's the only person I know who doesn't like birthday cake!

Now, you may be thinking that we're done with the birthday celebrations. Nope, not even close! Tomorrow night D.R. and his step dad will be going to a Chicago Bulls game together. Then, on Friday he and I will be going to dinner and a movie, just the two of us! I told you, in this family birthdays go on and on!

So, Happy Birthday to my wonderful, loving and caring husband. He's the best and most devoted husband and father that anyone could ever ask for. We are truly blessed to have him in our lives. May we be celebrating for many years to come!

Thank you Marc Brown

Tia and I both enjoy watching "Arthur" on PBS. It's a great show for kids, and I personally think its' creator Marc Brown in a genius.
Yesterday during our quiet time we watched a new Arthur episode together. I was blown away at how plainly and tactfully they addressed the subject of cancer. I sat there thinking "Oh my God, they're saying the word right there, out in the open!". You see, when my Mom was sick with cancer, my kids knew she was sick. I often talked about how she was not feeling well, or in the hospital, and that she was getting special medicine to help her. I NEVER used the word cancer. I'm not sure why. Maybe I thought the kids were too young to handle it, or maybe I just didn't want to say that word out loud.
I hadn't thought about that again until watching Arthur. The show taught the kids in a gentle way that people with cancer are still the same person, that you don't have to be afraid of them when their hair falls out, and that cancer is not contagious. Tia watched intently. It gave me the opportunity to discuss my Mom's illness openly and honestly. Tia and I FINALLY talked about how Mema had cancer, just like the lady on the show.
I wonder why as adults, we don't give children the credit they deserve. They're usually smarter than we think.
So, I say Hooray for Public Television and Thank You Marc Brown!

A Day at the Museum

We've been in the Chicago suburbs for more than 3 years now. There are so many things that we haven't yet done or seen. So, D.R. decided to take the day off yesterday and take the family to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Great idea. However, it's more than an hour by car to get there. I was pretty car sick by the time we arrived. Then, since it was the museum's free day, there were 3,000 school children who had been brought in that day! I think it would have been better to just go and pay full price on a regular day. It was crazy. Gia decided she'd rather cry for the entire morning than have any fun. That was a little tiring on the nerves! Since Tia was excited and having a great time, we tried our best to ignore her sister's screams.

We made our way to the hands-on area for small children. It was a huge wonderful place just for the little ones. Well, we were told they would be closing down in 10 minutes to clean up and get ready for a private group. For 10 whole minutes Gia was a happy kid. Then when we had to leave, the screaming started all over again. What a day!

We didn't bring our 'good' camera, so the pictures all came out a little blurry.

I had to take a picture of this gorgeous train because it's the "Empire State Express". Being from New York, I wondered if I could hop on and be transported back home. Wouldn't that be nice!

The girls sitting in an airplane engine (another blurry picture!).

Last night D.R. and I decided that the museum was a pretty cool place but we just went at a bad time. Now at least we can say we've been, because we'll probably never go back!

I can keep my husband!

After months of insisting that she would marry Daddy when she grows up, Tia has finally decided against the idea. Yesterday over dinner she informed us that she will need a husband. She says he will be a nice boy, and "not too silly". D.R. and I both started to laugh so she put her hand up and said "No no, I mean when I get older!". Phew, so glad she doesn't want one now.

The Lone Rider

We've been playing outside this week since we've had some great Spring like weather. The girls both got bikes and scooters for Christmas so we were all excited to bring them out and take a spin. However, Gia has been refusing to wear her helmet saying that it hurts her head. The rule at our house is: No helmet, no riding! I will not make an exception to this rule. It's too important. So, she's been doing a lot of watching, while her sister has been doing a lot of riding!

I took Gia to the store to pick out a brand new helmet, one that wouldn't hurt her head. She found one she liked a lot and even tried it on. If you know how stubborn this girl is, you know that's a huge feat in and of itself! We got home and she was so excited to show her new helmet to Daddy. He decided to have her try it on. Well, while buckling the strap, he pinched her skin! That's it for the helmet. We're back to square one.

So, here's a video of Tia riding her new bike yesterday. We went up and down the street about 5 times. Gia walked the whole way. Remember, no helmet, no riding!
Do you think this will go on all Summer or will she eventually give in?

Wise Words from a Wise Woman

I've been reading a new book this week. It's called "The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours", by Marian Wright Edelman. I never knew of this author until I read an article about her in the newspaper last week. Go ahead and google her name, she's an extraordinary woman.
There's one paragraph in the book that really struck me and I want to share it with you here.

"I want my children to know the values I hold most dear, which do not change no matter the times; that they are in my thoughts and prayers often every day; and that each occupies a very special room in my heart and owns love that is his alone and that can never be occupied by another or taken away by anything he can ever say or do."

What a profound statement. This is something I think of often as a parent, but didn't know how to put it into words. I'm a person who believes that being a parent is my job and I take that job very seriously. These little people are in my care and I am responsible for growing them into great adults. One way I do this is to tell them every day how much they are loved, no matter what. Think about that when you're angry, tired, frustrated or impatient.

Another Fun Wednesday

It seems that Wednesday has turned into Fun Day at our house. It used to be our "stay home day" where I would get caught up on house work and laundry. I must have Spring Fever, because these days I'm trying to get out of the house more.
Today we joined our Mom group friends at a place called Monkey Joe's. It's a huge room filled with things for the kids to bounce on. It's very safe and clean and the kids had a blast. The entire center aisle is set up with tables and chairs for the parents to enjoy while the kids play. Great set up.
Here are some pictures from our fun morning...

Egg Hunt Scrabble!

Tia's class asked us to send in 12 plastic Easter eggs for a project they are doing. I found a bag of eggs at Target but it contained 48 eggs. I figured we'd use the left overs for Easter.
Well, those brightly colored plastic eggs were way too tempting for my kids and I never got to put them away with the Easter decorations.
So, today I decided to turn this latest obsession into a fun and educational lesson. During nap time I hid 30 eggs around the dining room. Each egg was filled with a special 'treat'. A few of them had an M&M inside, but the rest held alphabet cookies. They had a great time hunting for the eggs and never even asked if there was something inside.

They were super excited to discover there was something inside. Here's Gia exclaiming "H!".

And here are a couple of the words Tia discovered she could spell with what she found (with a little help from Mom).

Our little afternoon activity got them excited, running around, thinking about letters, and even provided their snack!

A Nice Surprise

I've been wanting to take the girls to Chuck E Cheese on a weekday while all the bigger kids are in school, when it wouldn't be so crowded.
Well, we had a big drop in temperature today so I decided this was the day. The girls asked if we were having a "stay home day", which is our usual Wednesday routine, and I surprised them by telling them we were going to Chuck E Cheese! Tia had only been there once for a birthday party (total chaos) and Gia had never been.
I was so pleasantly surprised to see we were the only ones in the place for at least an hour. Then we were joined by a set of grandparents and their little ones. What a great time for the kids to explore and play without all the noise and craziness.

Here's my big brave girl on the giant Jeep, having a great time.

Gia insisted on riding with her arm around her new buddy Chuck.

The funny thing here is that Gia just learned about this Teletubby character from a book. His name is "Noo Noo" and she pretends to run and hide from him several times a day. Imagine her surprise when she saw him there, up close and life size!

And the all time favorite of the day was the mini carousel. They both loved it and rode it many times.

So, although I wasn't a big fan of Chuck E Cheese in the past, I have a whole new perspective on the place. We all had a fantastic time and can't wait to go back!

My Fashion Consultant

There she is, my new fashion consultant and adviser. At the age of 4, Tia has recently become very interested in fashion. I let her watch one episode of "What Not To Wear" and since then, she's been talking a lot about things like "putting things together" and "matching". She was so proud of this outfit because of all the pieces of hot pink (boots, shirt, sweater, head band).

The other day I went shopping and bought two new sweaters for myself. When I got home Tia immediately wanted to see what I bought. She laid the sweaters out on the couch so she could take a good look at them. A few days later, while getting ready to go to a play group she said "Mom, I think you should wear your new orange sweater with those black pants". Once I was all dressed and ready to go, she touched my face and said "Mom, you look so beautiful. I'm so proud of you". Yep, that's my 4 year old fashion adviser. She's not going to let me be one of those mom's who let themselves go. Not my kid!

My Kind of Deals!

It's been a very long time since I've found a really good bargain, a deal worthy of writing about. Well, today I hit the mother lode! Here's just a sampling of what I got at Target today.

Five rolls of pink/red wrapping paper .87 ea.

Valentine's for the girls to give out to their classes for the next few years .24 for small boxes, .49 for larger boxes.

Chenille bath rug $2.50 and valentine shower curtain $2.50.
Yes, we will be decorating our bathroom next February.

Long sleeve t-shirts for next year, and the year after (I bought 6 of them).
They were $1.49 each. I just couldn't leave them there!

Go ahead and laugh at me when you see this next one...

Bras, .78 each!

I know my girls are only 3 and 4 so you'll think I'm weird for buying them bras! Well, they were only .78. I'm 100% positive that when they actually need bras, and I have to go shopping, they will NOT be .78. When that time comes, I'll go to my favorite drawer and pull these out. Nothing like planning ahead!

So, overall I had a very successful and productive shopping experience at Target. This almost makes up for missing out on my usual post Christmas deals.