Bathing Beauty

Seriously? Could a baby be any cuter in the bath or just afterward wrapped up in a ducky towel? I just want to eat him up and I think this picture captures my little schnuggums perfectly. He loves the bathtub (a true Aquarian!) and will sit for 20-30 in the tub every night. I love that special time with him, since it is one of the rare moments we have time without the other two kids running around. Silvio just splashes around, knaws on his hand, and makes lots of cute sounds. It is such a sweet time of the day and I try to revel in his loveliness every night. He is not a mamma's boy at all, I know. I love it.

"Help me make a circle!"

Luca must say "Mommy, help me make a circle" about ten times a day. He wants me to help him make a circle with his train track. Like a true boy, Luca loves to play with his trains. Thanks to Grammie, we now have a few bridges and tunnels, which are his favorite part of the track. Luca can play for hours with his trains especially after Grammie made the best track configurations ever. Now, I am a total failure at the circle because nothing compares to Grammie's awesome loops. I continue to try every day to build a better track, but I pale in comparison. I'll keep trying. We actually have a song based on Luca's continual whine. It goes a little something like this: "I can make a circle, you can make a circle, we can make a circle, together, together." We are lyricists over here, didn't ya know? Well, I got a few shots of Luca and his trains.

Looking Back

I was browsing through pictures and stumbled upon some shots from a year ago. We were still living in Oakland, preparing for our move and for the arrival of the Nug. I was shocked by how much Sofia and Luca have changed. They have grown so much and are more like little people and less like babies. Sometimes I wonder where the time is going and I remember what my father has always told me, "Time only goes by faster and faster... you just wait." He is right. I am desperately trying to hold on to my cuddly babies. I know that they are growing fast and soon enough won't let me kiss their sweet necks and won't giggle when I blow on their bellies. I try to remember every day. Looking back at these pictures reminds me that indeed time does fly.

There were three in the bed...

I love getting all three of my babies together. It is a rare moment indeed when they are still enough for a quick photo. Silvio is getting so big and he is just full of smiles and laughter. He is a sweet, sweet baby and I am trying desperately to eat him up every chance I get. Sofia adores him and gives him kisses and snuggles constantly. Luca, on the other hand, doesn't seem to notice him most of the time. I think that may change soon enough. Brian and I love seeing all three of them together. We cannot believe that we created this family. We are so grateful even if it is overwhelming. Brian always remembers this moment in Italy that perfectly captures the essence of how we feel. We spent Christmas of 2000 with my family in Pontedera, Italy. At one point in the night, Mario, my grandfather's cousin, looked around the room that was full of children and grandchildren and said to Brian " Non ci posso credere che casino che abbiamo fatto. Che bello!" Translation: "I can't believe what chaos we created. How beautiful!" Of course it sounds better in Italian, but the feeling of it was so real. Although we did not have kids at the time and could not possibly comprehend the magnitude of such a feeling, Brian always remembered that moment. He now can fully understand what Mario meant and we both connect with that sentiment constantly. We look at our three children and think "Wow. We created this!" We created these little babies who bring lots of chaos but even more love into our lives.

All Dressed Up

On Thursday, July 3 my sister and Dave got married. Of course, Sofia and Luca were part of the wedding. I mean, who wouldn't want darling kids in their wedding? Stefanie and I had a wonderful morning full of primping and even Sofia got in on some girl action at the nail salon. Stefanie looked gorgeous (duh) and Dave was handsome and nervous. Sofia was so excited to finally get the chance to wear her princess dress and carry her flowers in "Auntie Steffie's wedding!" She has been talking about the wedding for more than two months and has continually asked "is it July yet?" Now Sofia talks about getting married and asks is either she can marry Daddy or Luca. We are trying to explain how that may be a problem, but she insists that "it's okay to marry Luca, Mommy." She will figure that out soon enough. Anyway, the day finally came, and she could barely hold herself together. Sofia could finally be a princess in Auntie Steffie's wedding and she was ridiculously adorable. Luca was another story. He wanted nothing to do with his tuxedo. After some time, Brian was able to convince him to put it on, and he raced off to play with the soccer ball that was thankfully left in the adjacent garden. What would we have done without that darn ball? Once the wedding began, Luca walked straight down the aisle with his "special pillow" without the rings (he can't totally be trusted with platinum) and Sofia followed with her gorgeous flowers. She got about half way down the aisle and chose the first open seat. She sat there delicately, looking very proud of herself. My Aunt Veda and I coaxed her into coming all the way down to her seat in the front. we all had a quick laugh before the beautiful bride made her entrance. And she was stunning. The day was perfect and the wedding went off without a hitch. We laughed, we cried, we breathed deeply, and we danced until there was no more music. It was perfect.

BBQ

Luca loves anything barbeque. He loves to eat BBQ and loves to pretend he is barbequing. For some reason, Luca and Sofia have decided that the bathroom floor is the grill, oven, and cook top. So anytime they are pretending to bake or barbeque, they bring all of their ingredients to the bathroom. At least they are imaginative, right? Sofia always has to have "handgloves" on while she is pretending to cook. She has watched Daddy grill many times, and wants to protect her hands from the heat. Smart girl. Sofia also know how to boss her brother around, so she insists that Luca wear "handgloves" too so that he won't get burnt. This particular day, Sofia apparently needed her purse and sunglasses while she cooked. She seems to have learned that accessories are very important at all times. Sofia definitely did not get that from me. They were going to town that day with the grill and were obviously planning a feast. At least Luca likes to eat food from the grill whereas Sofia just likes pretend that she is cooking but makes it clear that she does not like barbeque. Maybe some day they will cook for us. They definitely are getting some practice on the bathroom floor.

Hangin' with the Boys

Last weekend, we decided to drop off Sofia with Nonna, so she could have some time "just the girls." Not only does Sofia need some well-deserved one-on-one time, she absolutely loves to spend time with Nonna. She was so excited to look at Nonna's make-up and listicks.... boy, are we in trouble. She is only 3 and a half, and the girl is obsessed with make-up. Anyway, Brian and I thought we would enjoy some time with the boys. Luca loves trains and talks about riding trains constantly. The other day, as we were passing Glen Park, Luca suddenly exclaimed "I want to go downtown and ride the BART train!" I could not believe that he had remembered the BART station since the last time we went on BART was quite some time ago. His memory is amazing, especially for trains and anything mechanical, for that matter. So that morning, we thought it would be nice to head downtown with only 2 kids, and only one that is mobile. (It is amazing what seems easy these days).
We headed to the station and took BART. Luca was thrilled to see the BART trains passing and kept saying "oooooooohhhhhh, I see the BART train!" I love his enthusiasm. We went downtown and walked to the Farmers' Market at the Ferry Building. Along the way we stopped to watch an incredibly talented percussionist who uses common things for drums. Luca was in awe of the beats and stood for quite a while. He grabbed my hand as we watched the drummer and I took a moment to take in the warmth of my sweet son's hand, the smell of the water, the noise of people walking by, and the beautiful city that we call home. I breathed it all in and felt full of gratitude. This little boy who is so kinetic, was taking a moment to hold his mommy's hand. I revel in those small moments I have with these incredible little beings because I know they are fleeting. I try to take it in and be present. My little Luca is such an amazing child full of wonder, curiosity, love, energy, and sweet moments.