5 on Friday

As always, here are 5 special reasons I am loving my boy this week:

5. The other day we were reading a book in the bathroom and we came across a picture of a whale. Marino said "This whale wants to go back home". He pretended to scoop up the whale with two hands and put it into the ocean.

4. Marino is in love with Pepperidge Farm cinnamon bread. But it never fails to shock me a little when he asks for it, since he calls it "human bread." He must confuse the words "cinnamon" and "human."

3. The road we take to school every day is decorated for the season with lit up leaping deer with ribbons around their necks. Marino said "Look, Mommy, its a super deer! He has a cape! He flies!"

2. The other night I was talking to him about how we would be visit Aunt Sonia and her new baby, Baby Alana (born last Tuesday!). He was excited and a little while later said "We're going to visit Aunt Sonia and a baby llama!"

1. Marino loves the book Polar Express. I told him that my dad has the movie and we can watch it when we go there for Christmas. Yesterday when we passed a light display of doves (they "fly" around earth with the words "Peace on Earth"), he said "Merry Christmas, birdies! See you when we get back from Pap Pap's house! He has Polar Express!!"

Early Christmas Party with Our Family

Last Saturday we had an early Christmas party with our families. We had a really great time and it was fun to get together with all our local relatives from both sides of the family. Unfortunately, I only took a few pictures since I was busy socializing.

Here's Marino and his favorite cousin, Pacey, making "cheese" faces and eating strawberries...

At one point I went up to Marino's room and this was happening...all his toys were piled on the bed! I asked why they did that and Pacey said "because we're travelling." Miranda asked where they were going. "To the store" Pacey said.

Miranda, Samantha, Aunt Kerry and Pacey

Marino bonding with Monique (Evan's cousin)

Serious scrabble game (or "Words with Friends" as the kids nowadays call it...)

L to R: Dexter, Sammy, Evan, Richelle and Monique

I wish I had more pictures since there were many other special people there!

It was a really fun night!

5 on Friday

Sorry I missed last week; between traveling and a Marino illness, I was a little frazzled.
Here are 5 special reasons I am loving my boy this week:

5. Marino did great while I was gone but the day after I returned, he was sick and extra snuggly. Throughout the day, he would say "Come here you" and give me a big bear hug.

4. While standing at the potty the other day, Marino announced "KABOOM! Its a pee pee volcano!"

3. Marino is so excited about Christmas - we talk about it numerous times every day. Last year, my friend Rachel sent us a bunch of beautiful, hardcover Christmas stories, and we have really been enjoying these books. This whole month, we have read nothing but How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Polar Express, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and the Olivia Christmas book. I was surprised he enjoyed Polar Express so much, since there is a much greater word to picture ratio than the books we usually read, but he loves it. It's really been a joy experiencing this season with him this year.

Even more adorable, last night we were reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas when we got to the page that is just a picture of reindeer. Marino announced "This reindeer is Flyer. This one is named Doctor Rahman [his pediatrician] and this one is Hugo [the name of Jen's puppy]".

2. The other night we discussed that we were having a little family get together for Christmas this Saturday. "Are people bringing me presents?" Marino asked. "Yes, some of them might bring you presents," I said. "Well, can I give presents to everyone, too?" he asked.

1. My sister-in-law Rianne showed me a You Tube video of a toddler singing "Don't Stop, Don't Give Up" from Yo Gabba Gabba. She said it was her inspiration for getting through finals week. Little did she know, this is the song we sing on the potty every day! So I made her this little video for further inspiration. Does this boy have energy, or what?

A Sunday with Some of our Favorite People...

On Sunday, Marino and I headed to Virginia to hang out with Jen. Matt, Sydney, Noah and Justin. As always, we had a great time. Marino and Sydney play really well together, except when they don't ::smile::. We just love our buddies!

Here's Marino and Syd playing with the dinosaurs Sydney and Noah got him for Christmas.

Here they are channeling their inner T-Rex...

Their new puppy, Hugo. Isn't he adorable?! He's also very snuggly!

National Building Museum

The weekend after Thanksgiving, Jen and I took the kid's to the National Building Museum. The museum has a special building-related playroom for kids, which, as you can imagine, was a big hit. It was one of those rare 70 degree days in November, so the kids also had an opportunity to play outside.

I actually had a lot of fun with the architecture blocks as well...it reminded me of my Urban Planning school work!

Noah, looking just like his Daddy!

Marino and Sydney love each other (most of the time)!


They decided this part of the sculpture was a slide - here Syd is pushing Marino down the "slide"


Beautiful and fun day! On the way home, we passed McPherson square, where Occupy DC is headquartered. Marino insisted we go there "just for a little while" and actually cried when he said we couldn't!

Back from Dallas

Last Friday, I flew out to Dallas to visit my brother. As I've mentioned, he is knee deep in a battle with cancer. The day I flew out there, he got the results of his latest PET scan and they were not good. The cancer is now throughout his lungs and has moved into his bones.

I was really glad to get to spend some time with him. Although he is very sick, it was nice to be there to keep him company and hopefully help out a little.

Here I am with my big bro (we're 6 years apart)

And here I am with my wonderful sister-in-law, Holly, who is doing an amazing job balancing a full-time job and taking care of Brendan.

While I was there, I had an opportunity to meet up with some friends I've known online for 6 years but had never met before. We had a great brunch and I really loved meeting their little girls.

In the back is Annaleise, Jaime and I. Taylor and Amie are up front.
Please pray for my brother - for his health and his spirits. He needs all the support he can get.

This was my first time leaving Marino overnight, with the exception of the 36 hours I spent in the hospital in Philadelphia in 2010. I was very nervous, but he had a great time with Daddy. It's nice he's at an age where he understands that I will come back and also that we can talk on the phone and skype.

Christmas Time Is Here!

Marino is so excited about Christmas this year and we're having a lot of fun with the holiday. Last Saturday, we went with Aunt Chelle and cousin Sammy to see Arthur Christmas, which he absolutely loved and got him a lot more excited about Santa. He also rocked out the Justin Bieber video at the beginning of the movie - you should have seen him dancing!

After the movie, Aunt Chelle, Evan, Marino and I picked up Shi Shi (Director of his old daycare) and we all went to the Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens. Every year we plan to go but it ends up being freezing on the day we plan to go, so this year we went on a day it was 68 degrees!

We had a really good time - it was a lot of fun to walk through the lights rather than drive through them, since Marino could experience them at his own pace.

Howling with Daddy and the wolf

Marino and Shi Shi

On Monday, we put up and decorated our Christmas tree. Marino was so excited. Every ornament he unpacked, he would shout "I found the Grinch!" "I found a reindeer!" It was a lot of fun, although Marino said we need presents under the tree:)

Marino insists this is "his" Christmas tree. We're so looking forward to Christmas this year.

5 on Friday

As always, here are 5 special reasons I am loving my boy this week:

5. Sometimes this boy is so clever it's scary. Last Friday, he went came into the kitchen wearing my slouchy boots and announced "Look! I'm Quintyn Boots" (Quintyn Boots = Puss in Boots - he insists the cat shares his brother's first name).
4. Marino saw a picture of himself from two Christmases ago. He said "Mommy, that's me with 2 teeth." (he really did only have 2 teeth).

3. Marino's preschool is connected to a church (in body only - religion is not discussed aside from in the context of culture). The only time we've been in the church portion was for a preschool-wide dinner in the Fellowship Hall. When I was dropping him off the other day, he said "Mommy, that's a church." I said "Yes, do you think you get blessings there?" He replied "There's no blessings in there. Just food."

2. The other day we got in the car and "Watch the Throne" (Jay-Z and Kanye West) came on the radio. Marino said "Mommy, you can't listen to this song. This is Daddy's song. It's not for girls."

1. Last night we were "waiting for pee pee to come" at the potty. Marino looked at me and said "Mommy, you have red thunder in your eyes?"
Red thunder = red lightning = veins in my eye