Sports Squirts - Such Excitment -

This week has been "Sports Squirts" week and it was very exciting. Sports Squirts as many of you may not know is a sports camp for 3 - 5 year olds that plays a different sport each day of the week teaching them lots of basic skills. So in order they played basketball, soccer, lacrosse, t-ball and field hockey. You might laugh at three year olds playing all these sports but the coaches address them in very fun and exciting ways that get them all playing - quite a big job considering how many different ways each of the ten of them are always moving.

Alessandro continues to excel at soccer (he loves it) and basketball (he is obsessed). All the other sports were fun but eventually ended up in a dribble either a la basketball or soccer (note he kicked the ball in most of the time during field hockey). We were just happy to see him loving being outside, playing with the other little ones and having a blast.

Nino was a good spectator for the most part, but really longs to be playing himself (at only 15 months this will still be quite a wait I am afraid). He loved sneaking onto the field, even wielded a lacrosse stick and looked pretty serious, and waited patiently for water breaks where the brothers could run around together. He also loved that there were other little ones there including some really pretty ladies as you can see. There was no actual break in the heat for poor ADL.

Most of the photos (there were so many it was hard to get down to only these) and videos are pretty explainable but the basketball one is just a hoot. On basketball day coach Charlie (British cute girl) was trying to teach everyone to dribble but ADL just kept shooting the ball - pretty successfully I might ad - to counter act this she just kept bringing the hoop up in height for which Alessandro has never had an issue with so you can see him continuing to make baskets as she is ratcheting it up higher. This just killed me and was likely the most entertaining moment of the week for all of us. We are not looking for recruiters yet, but are hopeful that he might share Daddy's love of shooting hoops - Keeping our fingers crossed. XOXO

Antonio at 15 Months -

Can you believe that one of your favorite little toddlers is 15 months???? We went to the pediatrician this week and he is thrilled with the little ones progress. Two word sentances seemed to really please the doctor but after all he is in a rather "chatty" house right? Here it ehactual tale of the tape.... Height - 33 1/4 (90%) Weight 25.2 (60%) and Head 19 3/4 (102%) We admit that rather large heads of lettuce do seem to run in the family, but that is all I will say about that. HA! At home Nino continues to be a never ending ball of excitement. He never stops and literally runs all the time. He is also quite a monkey and climbs on everything and falls at least once a day and screams. URGH! Nino does play well with his brother but we also have at least a couple of dust ups everyday with this as well - sometimes it is literally like WWF in the living room and Daddy loves it although he will tell you he does not. It just makes Mama Duck nervous but am doing better as it seems this is the life of Mama to boys.

Enjoy these cute new photos of Nino - he is a joy and love! Come visit him and us soon - XOXOXO

Update -

The boys have been having a wonderful summer - even when it is just too hot to leave the house. On those days we have been playing in the basement, in the baby pool and even lowering ourselves to play in the McDonald's playground where it is air conditioned and they serve a delicious diet coke or McFlurry depending on the day..... We have also been going to the library a lot where Alessandro has been working on his summer reading list (fireball is well for our regular readers as you can see)- yes it seems that we have become those mean moms who work the summer list already????? We had the unusual occurance of seeing a blimp fly over one night at dinner - it was just strange and this is the second time this summer..... Now the boys seem dissapointed when it does not happen everyday... In other news we are thinking of joining the swim club this summer and not just depending on our incredibly gracious friends to get us to the pool. Both boys still seem to love it there and talk about it all the time - who could look into their tiny cute faces when they ask if this is "swim club day???"

The garden is doing well and we have had some zucchini already (see photo). If all goes well in the next couple of weeks we should have tomatoes for all. So exciting as then we can save our weekly family trip to walk to the famers market for tomatoe staples. Yummm!

Also exciting is that we got the letter from pre-school about next fall - just the thought has mama excited. We should get the letter in the next couple of weeks telling us who ADL's teacher will be next year which is also very exciting. Other than that we are just enjoying the summer, loving eating most of our meals outside and playing with Daddy. Soon Pop Pop will also be hear to join the fun.... Yippee!

Visit in the City -

The boys and Mama Duck went into the city to visit Kat and her beautiful children Danny and baby Emily. Deb and I did always love the story for the city mouse and his cousin the country mouse - who I guess we now are???? It was a much overdue visit to celebrate beautiful Em but also a chance to visit with them and catch up before summer vacations. It was great to be back in the city where we had great plans to visit museums and walk in the park. However it poured rain so we had a great picnic lunch in the apartment and just let the kids enjoy each other. Of course it was a great pleasure to hold a little one especially such a pretty one in so much perfect pink...... We can't wait to go visit again soon, perhaps in the fall when we can get out a bit more? Until then the photo of the happy couple will be on Antonio's wall for sure - here is hoping he could be that lucky.... XOXOXO

July 4th -

Yippe - Independence Day -

The family spent a quiet weekend home enjoying the sun and the good weather (pre-broil this week). On Saturday we had one of our favorite families over for dinner (David made an amazing dinner of pesto and steak), fun and fireflies who knew there were so many here? On Sunday to celebrate the 4th we joined the same great friends at their swim club. This was more then just a great visit - we were eager to go there because we have also been wanting to join next year and are excited. The pool is beautiful and more then perfect on such a day - there is a large pool, fenced in baby pool, tree covered picnic area, play area with large sandbox, soccer field and plenty of chillaxing seating for all. There were tee shirt relay races for the kids, a belly flop contest for kids and some shockingly un-shy adults and a patriotic parade for the kids. It was a great time and out boys lasted a lot longer then we had planned especially in the sun and as mama kept applying sunblock and pulling them into the shade. Think we could literally move into the baby pool and plan to give it many more happy hours in the future.

Although we are not ready for fireworks - we had a great time and enjoy trying to remember the real mission of the holiday and appreciate all our great freedoms here.

Enjoy all the photos of the boys - especially little Elton John in his shades. Saturday!!! Saturday!!! Come on and sing it with him - it will make him smile.

XOXO

Vacation Bible Scool (or camp as they call it here)

Last week was also Vacation Bible School which made for a pretty full week - they call it Vacation Bible Camp here for all my southern brethren and at our parish it is in the afternoons. This timing was perplexing me until my friend said that all the kids have so many daytime activities and the afternoons are usually dead time - then they feed them dinner what could be better? Of course that is a friend who is not still dealing with a one year old and a very picky toddler eater but dare to dream for the future right?

We had a great group of three year olds - eight to ten depending on the day. That was a perfect group since Mama Duck was teaching and trying to coral everyone am not sure we could of taken many more. However much pre-school teachers get paid it is not enough....

This year's theme was Green and we studied the parable of the sower throughout the week. This was really fun with the little ones since they are in awe of anything growing quicker then they are (which is fast) and of course with dirt everywhere. We had music, story time, arts and crafts and of course playtime on the playground at school. For music we sat in Father Andrew's office and sang with him and his guitar - it helps when your young child thinks your priest is cooler then Barney and has "better songs." Father also wrote a special song for the week all about soil, plants and birds but it was a little complex for the little ones and left us Moms singing but ADL certainly has the catchy reprise well and sings it often. We also sang a lot of Amen and Grandpa's Farm which is also really fun. For story time we talked about different kinds of soil and what plants grown in best - also what is needed by living things and what can hamper their fertile growth. We even planted a tree on the church grounds which we hope will grow taller then the kids one day..... stay tuned to see.

Enjoy the photos - I hope it gives justice to the great week with all the kids including the clean up from the very blue cupcakes - poor Nonna we really ruined her favorite polo shirt.

XOXO

P.S. Alessandro did take advantage of all the pretty girls who were around - he loves hanging with the ladies..... Am going to call this one photo and video on the pay ground "remember this in fifteen years buddy.... HA!

Soccer Camp -

Alessandro spent last week in his new soccer camp - we were all excited (especially Daddy) about him learning about every one's favorite sport (that is sans Mommy who does not begin to understand it). The camp was for 3-5 year olds and was hosted at a park near the house. There were about 50 kids in total divided up into groups of about eight with a coach - each coach was a handsome young brit who was obviously making "football" their life's work. The kids were all decked out in their costumes and equipment (we took ADL's guards off because it was just too hot and he was dying in the heat). It was a perfect photo op and full of action to say the least. See attached video of Alessandro's first goal and some photos of all the team fun. Most of all it was some time to be with other little kids and without Mommy (although he was sure we were never far away). My only suggestion other Moms is start with a program that is only one hour - but the second hour each day Alessandro was tired, hot and anywhere but paying attention - at one point he laid down on the field gazing at a butterfly..... This as everyone else was so serious running drills, wearing jerseys to "scrimmage" and running coach Terry's well engineered plays. Nino was as patient as can be, but was ready to be playing himself and not happy to be walking the sidelines with mama or worse still the stroller - he is world cup material as well of course. It was a great experience and surely one to be repeated as Mama Duck strives to become a true "soccer mom." Stay tuned - we might become a soccer superstar after all - that is unless there is a garbage truck or a cool tractor to be looking at during games.... HA! XOXOXO