Soccer Superstar

TGIF Movie Night

A few weeks ago we started a new tradition with the boys: Friday Night Family Movie Night. So fun! :) GG signed the boys up to receive their own Netflix movie each week that we'll view as a family on Friday night.

Tonight's showing: The Fox and The Hound.

We snuggled in together on the couch, popcorn in hand. Their reactions were mixed and at one point, M left to watch from another room (this is pretty typical). We ended up stopping it before the final hunting scene--"Mommy, can we please turn it off?" Of course I wouldn't force my boys to watch something they were nervous about! When I asked them if they liked it, I heard two prompt "No's" to seal the deal.

So far we're 0 for 2--no classic Winnie the Pooh or Fox and the Hound. Bummer!!

Two weeks ago GG and I choked through a Thomas the Train movie. I really don't think we can survive another, but that may be our last resort. Heaven forbid we have to sit through Caillou!!

Blessings,

Happy Veterans Day

GG in Fallujah, Iraq @ May 2003

To my GG, my Dad, our Papa and Mimi; our brother, C; our uncles, Tim, Gerard, and John; our cousins, Mike Jr., Mark, John Jr., and Stephen... To our grandfathers, Mickey and Franklin, and late grandfathers, Lester and Silvio... To our many friends and GG's comrades...

THANK YOU today and all days. Your selfless service has come at a great price and we cherish your efforts!!

Thank you to all Veterans today from Gasperini-Ville.

When Grandparents Come to Stay...

We get to dress up for Halloween again... and go "trick-or-treating" in the house!

We get to play with our blue-eyed Pappy (thanks for our recessive baby blues, Pap!)

We all laugh a lot. We're lucky to be so funny and entertaining to our Gramz and Pappy even though we whine and cry a fair amount. :)

And we're loved a whole lot... thank goodness!!

My parents are here and we are blessed. They stayed with the boys this weekend while GG and I co-led our first Engaged Encounter weekend here in town! It was a smashing success, that is until I developed weird abdominal pain and cramping yesterday morning and we had to ditch and head to the ER. I'm glad to report they found nothing of interest and wrote off my pain as "unexplained intestinal symptoms". Perhaps a bug?? Perhaps the retreat food did my body wrong?? Who knows! All I know is that its good to be home and in the care of my wonderful parents. We are always well when they're here...

Things Making Me Happy Today

This vaseful of cheer, saved from a wilting wildflower arrangement. Isn't it happy?

Silly, healthy faces on boys who went back to school today!

This great lamp GG found at HomeGoods over the weekend. Bad news: there was just one; we need two! :)

This sweet face, belonging to my nephew-dog, Jackson, who will be staying with us for the next two weeks. He is a dear.

This bag-o-goodies, delivered by our wonderful Mimi to perk a mama's lunch! Godsend. Thank you, Mims!

God bless you today!!

Swine Fest

Well, it's official. At least one Gasperini has H1N1.

And that would be ME.

It appears I have contracted a very, very, very mild case from the boys and their vaccinations. Of course. Why wasn't someone warning me of the nasal vaccinations when we got them??? I am really frustrated.

I will venture to say Baby J DID have the flu last week when tested and happened to be one of the 20% testing negative while still sick with swine. (Jules, you were right!) We've all had the same symptoms, so I think its safe to say we all ended up with it. Bummer!!!

The good news is my fever never went higher than 99.8 and I'm already 4 days in with 3 days of contagiousness left to go. Bright side, right?! :) Praise God this is a mild case. Praise God!

Solution to 7pm Boy Wiggles

Our very own "Living Room Bounce House". No sooner had the thought exited my lips than I heard the cheering of boys and saw a flurry of preparation. Thank you, dear Lord!

Halloween Menagerie

Scratch That

All the boys are now sick!

During this H1N1 craze, it appears they've picked up a different virus.

James was our control at the doc's office today--he was not immunized earlier in the week for Swine Flu and has started running a fever.

The verdict? Negative for H1N1. We have another bug.

Looks like it's going to be a grand Halloween in Gasperini-Ville! ;)

M is definitely on the mend and should be raring to go tomorrow. As for his brothers, well, I'm sure it will be the kind of day I enjoy--a relaxed one.

TGIF!

Keeping Busy, Sort of

This week has felt a whole lot busier than what we've really been up to...

This poor guy has had an unfortunate reaction to the flu vaccines he received Monday. While T has been as healthy as a horse, M has succumbed to high fever for the past 2 days. :( Poor thing. At one point he said to me, "Mommy, I'm sorry I got sick" and "Thank you for taking good care of me when I don't feel well." Melt me! What a little sweetie... He is really beginning to think more selflessly and it is totally endearing. I think he turned a pivotal corner today, so hopefully we'll all be back in the land of the living soon. Get well, my love!

To help stave off all the ills, I've been trying to come up with some clever culinary distractions. This was a tasty breakfast puffed oven pancake we feasted on the other day, the tip coming from Blair over at Blair's Blessings. Thanks for the assist!! The boys loved it. This morning, after dashing out for new meds at Wal.greens, I returned with Kris.py Kreme donuts to start the morning off right. Who said I don't need these luxuries just as much as the kids?

You would think that all this cooped-up-in-the-house-ness would have been a good thing for my cleanliness. Well, I beg to differ. Check out the laundry pile, which has doubled in size since this picture was taken. I'm thinking I'm putting it off so I can feel a HUGE mother-rush when I officially tackle it... Nice excuse.

When will this happen? I make no promises.

I hope you and yours are staying healthy and happy during this last October week. November is around the corner and that means one *awesome* thing in Gasperini-Ville: Gramz and Pappy are coming to visit. "I'm bringing Halloween candy for the kids," my mom reported on the phone the other day. Like we need more reasons to anticipate their visit!! :) I'm definitely not telling the kids.

Blessings,

**Update 10/29: The LAUNDRY PILE is history! That is, until the dryer stops and we start this process all over again! :) It does feel good to be caught up!