The week was a busy one to start with. Add a holiday to that and it get’s crazy!
This week, Ella only had to go to school two days.
They made turkeys out of paper plates. They also asked each child what they were thankful for. (“I’m thankful for when mommy tucks me in at night.”) They also colored and feathered a turkey. I love that she is spelling her full name now.
Andrew and I worked on a project on Sunday. He helped me install the new toilet seat. This one has a kid potty seat built right into it. I couldn’t have done it with out him.
Friday was absolutely insane. We rushed around so much! As crazy as it was, we spent the morning as a family. Quality time was much needed. First, we went to our amazing photographer, Beth, and did Christmas pictures. As always, she got some fantastic shots.
All smiles
The photo shoot is a “mini” session, so it is about 15 minutes long. That is perfect, because that’s about all that the kids can do without going nuts!
I see Ella every day. But it wasn’t until I saw last year’s pictures that I really see how much she has grown. The same with Andrew. They wind up looking like teenagers!
Look at that kid!
We got some great poses with the entire family, too. We’ll need to figure out which one goes on the Christmas card this year. I really like this one:
One thing I don’t feel like we get enough of is photos of Sam and me. So I had Beth snap a few for us.
Oh, how I love this woman!
After the photo session, we all went to breakfast. This is something that we rarely do, so it was a treat for all of us! We stopped by the local Cracker Barrel and enjoyed a delicious meal.
The kids were surprised that they could order whatever they wanted. Pancakes? Waffles? French Toast? Sausage? Bacon? Eggs? You name it, kid! You got it! Ella opted for blueberry pancakes with eggs and bacon. She’s a gal after my own heart.
Andrew ate his own meal (eggs, bacon, toast, and biscuits) and a bit of mom and dad’s, too! The thing he kept asking for was coffee! (That’s my boy!) He thought he was cool drinking from a big boy cup, too!
When I see this picture, I think of the future. I can see him sitting on the porch with me. We each have a coffee in our hands and we’re discussing how good life is…
Let’s slow down a bit, though, okay? Let’s not grow old too fast.
Today is National Spouses Day! I don’t need a “holiday” to celebrate my wife. As a matter of fact, yesterday I brought her flowers because I wanted to.
I have been blessed to have been married to my wife for almost 6 years. I love her and am still in love with her. As with most relationships, there are always rough spots. It is during those times that is is important to remember why you fell in love with each other at the start. What I have found is that when I begin to list all the reasons I love her, it only reminds me of what she means to me.
I love her eyes. They still sparkle and I love looking into them.
I love her smile and her laughter. They are contagious.
I love that she still makes me laugh, even if it is at my expense.
I love that she is such an amazing mother to Ella and Andrew. Her love for them is constant. I love seeing just how much they love her!
I love that her hands fit perfectly in mine.
I love that she is “in the know” about everything. She is a walking day planner. She remembers things that I forget! I can always count on her to keep our family on track.
I love that she has always been supportive of me and encouraged me to do things out of my comfort zone.
I love that she has always strived to be her best, whether it be her education, career, or just “mom.”
I love that she will sit and watch football (or things like Columbo or the First 48) with me.
I love that she is not afraid to say what is on her mind.
I love that she shares good books with me.
I love her patience with me and all of the other craziness in our house.
I love her kisses and her hugs. I always feel safe in her arms.
I love that she is the center of our family and keeps us all in balance.
I love those rare occasions when we get a date day/night together.
I love that she doesn’t see just how beautiful she is, even though I am always telling her.
I love her voice.
I love all the wonderful things we have shared together and look forward to the things we will do together in the future.
I love going on walks in the neighborhood with her.
I love that she has made me a better person.
I love that she believes that sometimes cereal or ice cream are ok for dinner.
I love watching her play with our kids.
I love video chats with her and the kids while I am at work.
I love that I get to be her hero when there is a spider that needs to get squashed.
I love her because she loves God and believes in the power of prayer.
I love her compassion for others.
I love her because she took a very broken guy like me and completes me.
I love that any time there is a decision to be made, we do it together.
I love her because I am still amazed that a woman like her would choose a guy like me. She is so much better than me.
I love her because she is everything to me.
I love her because I could continue to list 100+ more things I love about her!
Happy Spouses Day, Sam! I love you mostly because – You are YOU!
Our wedding anniversary was this past Sunday. Five years! Sam had to work Sunday, and we had both taken a day off to celebrate. She took Monday off and I took yesterday. Originally, the plan was to take a little overnight trip somewhere. However, after much talk, we decided that there were things we could do around the house that we have put off for a long time. Having the kids and Nana and Papa’s was going to make it a lot easier!
When I first moved in with Sam, she had a couple racks on the wall where she hung her clothes. There is no closet in the bedroom. As I recall, we were sleeping one night and one rack pulled out of the wall and fell to the floor. We pulled the other rack off, too, and it left a few holes in the wall. I patched them – years ago – with the intention of sanding and repainting. That never happened – until this week.
On Monday afternoon, Sam dropped the kids off and I pulled all the furniture out of the bedroom. Our intention was to paint it with a color we had intended for the kitchen (and never used), but Sam and I decided it might be a bit too dark. So when she got back, we went to dinner and then ran to Menard’s for paint.
We decided on dinner at our favorite steak house. Both of us ordered Filet Mignon and enjoyed actually having some face time together. It was so nice to have kid free conversation with each other. It felt like forever since we have been out to eat together.
Menard’s is right down the road from Lucky’s, so we stopped there and looked at paint swatches. The bedroom was a bright yellow color and we debated painting with the tan we had planned for the kitchen. We both knew that we wanted to stay with a light color because the room is already small. Sam found a yellow that is almost a cream color that we both liked. We bought the paint and went home.
Once we arrived at home, we donned our “paint” clothes and got to work. We both agreed before starting that we hate taping the room! What a tedious task! We also both stated our concerns about the color. You know how you see a swatch and think, “Oh, I like that” and then hate it when you see it on the wall?! The good news is, it looks good and we both like it!
Our hope was that we’d only need one coat of paint. It really dried quickly and only one wall needed a second coat. The only reason it did was that I had marked off some things on the wall to hang pictures and it bled through the paint. Once I put the second coat on, it looked great.
We had pulled the mattress off the bed and dragged it into the living room, which is where we slept. We left it out there and when the kids came home they thought it was a hoot to have the bed on the floor. We spent a lot of Tuesday all curled up on our bed watching TV and being silly. PRICELESS family time!
Sharing a Room
One big change for all of us was that we moved Andrew’s crib out of our room. He and Ella are now sharing a room. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. We’re working through this right now. Andrew will get up off and on through the night, and there is the fear that he will wake up Ella if he cries. Believe me, the last thing we need is both of them up in the middle of the night. Fingers crossed.
We’re already pretty sure that Andrew is a genius. Earlier today, I walked to their room and couldn’t believe what I saw. Andrew had pushed Ella’s bed close to his crib and was actually standing on the railing and was trying to climb into his crib. How he knew to do that, I just don’t know. The incident is one that assures us that there will be more ER visits in the near future.
Bunnies!
We took the kids to get Spring pictures done on Friday. We got the pictures back on Monday and they came out SO good. Kudo’s again to Beth at Enjoy the View Photography for capturing precious moments with our kids.
The photo above is probably my favorite one of the two of them. Perfect smiles and I love that Ella is holding Andrew’s arm. They were both excited to take pictures with real bunnies!
They did so well with them. The bunnies were a bit skittish when they were taken out of the basket, but we still got some good shots. I love that Andrew loves to hug animals. He does it with our cat all the time. Beth caught him hugging the bunny –
What a wonderful picture! I just love how Ella is looking at Andrew here!
The past few days have been filled with plenty of amazing moments. I am so glad to have been able to share them with my beautiful wife and my kids.
The Word Press App on my phone will offer a daily writing prompt to bloggers. I subscribe to a few “prompt” emails and such, and they can certainly be thought starters. Today’s prompt was one I had considered before and I may have even been asked a similar question by a Facebook friend. The prompt:
They are making a movie about your life. Cast it. (Keith adds – with any actors living or dead)
My thoughts on this are to jot down what comes to mind immediately for some (not all) of my family, and a few friends (other friends may request I suggest an actor/actress for them if they really want me to). I will then continue to ponder the question and see if, after thinking it over, I would change any of my choices.
Me
Dom Deluise – No Brainer. This has always been my answer to this question!
My wife, Sam –
This was tough. I tried to think of who might look like her and carry herself like Sam. Toss up between Charlize Theron and Olivia Wilde.
My Dad
I’m not sure there would be any better than Jackie Gleason to play my dad
My Mom
Who in the world could play my mom? Tough question and still not really sure, but I forced myself to pick someone. At times, Cathy Bates’ facial expressions remind me of her, so for now – that’ my pick.
My Brother – Chris
Really difficult pick. So just because it will either make him laugh (and he needs that, because he is recovering from Covid) or it will make him mad… William Shatner (Because I wanted to post this stupid picture!)
My Grandma and Grandpa P
Estelle Getty on Golden Girls WAS my grandma! I always felt Abe Vigoda looked like my grandpa, so there ya go.
My Grandma and Grandpa D.
I have always felt like at times, Betty White reminded me of my grandma. My grandpa was tall, a bit heavy, and always smiling. John Goodman reminds me of him.
HyperFocal: 0
My best friend, Jeff
Another no brainer. I’ve said for years that he reminds me of Robin Williams.
My friend Steve K.
Steve always has some sort of crazy fact that seems unbelievable to tell. So, he would be John Ratzenberger – but John Ratzenberger AS Cliff Claven from Cheers.
My friend Joe K.
Joe is probably one of the smartest guys I know. At first, I couldn’t get Jeff Goldblum out of my head, and then I though Rainn Wilson is a bit more “Joe” to me.
My friend Steve M.
Steve and I wear our hair the same. My first choice was Vin Diesel, but then I though Michael Chiklis looked more like him (and he played Curly in a Three Stooges movie, so he wins).
My friend Margaret M.
She’s Italian. She’s fiesty. She is strong. She is an expert at inserting profanity into conversation. Without a doubt – Marisa Tomei.
My friend, Chris B,
Tall and funny = Conan O’Brien
Uh …… I’m Stumped
Now, as far as my kids …. I’m just not sure. My older boys (Dante’ and Dimitri) have personalities that are very established. Ella does in a sense as well. Andrew is just a smiling happy baby. How do I begin to pick who will play them? I just don’t know….
It’s my blog and my rules. Let me think a bit on this ….
If I left you out …. and you want me to think about who will play you – let me know. In the meantime ….
As the title of this blog suggests – I am excited. I have a couple things to be excited about and I wanted to share them with you. I guess I should explain the whole pirate flag first …
What Kind of Shoes Go With a Peg Leg?
My job often requires us to put in for time off months in advance. This is never an easy thing for me, because quite frankly I barely know what I am doing next week. At any rate, a day or two after the May schedule was posted, I found out about an event coming up that I had to go to!
There is a nature preserve and arboretum near us that is having a Daddy/Daughter event. It fell on a day that I work, so I hurried and put in a request to swap days if possible. Luckily, my boss was able to switch my schedule for the day so that I could go to this with Ella. I didn’t know much about the event, other than it has a pirate theme. Honesty, I thought it was a Daddy/Daughter dance with a pirate theme, but I don’t think that is the case now. Either way, I am excited to have a special night with my little girl.
I may have to do some searching on the internet for a pirate costume! When I thought about it, I remembered that there was an episode of Ella’s favorite show, Bubble Guppies that featured Alice Cooper (Yes, THE Alice Cooper) as a pirate named Windy Pete. Maybe we could go dressed like they did in that episode?
Of course, Windy Pete has a penguin, who he thinks is a parrot in the show. I might look a little funny with a penguin on my shoulder.
… and ear muffs! I would look weird as a pirate with ear muffs.
I can’t even begin to tell you how very excited I am to have this Daddy/Daughter event to look forward to in a few months!
Celebrating 4 Years
My wedding anniversary is coming up on Saturday. I am excited to be able to share some time with my wife. Our schedules do not allow for us to spend time together often. The schedules work well for minimizing the need for child care, but husband/wife time is lacking.
Having two children under 2 has really taken a lot out of both of us. We were lacking good sleep before, but it has reached a whole new level of tiredness. Lack of sleep is not good for anyone, and as sleep technologists we are well aware of the issues go along with that. We both tend to be a bit shorter with each other. Little things tend to get under our skin a bit more. All of it is due to our lack of sleep.
That being said, I decided that I wanted to make sure to do something special for our anniversary. My wife deserves it. I don’t know how she does it. I wish I could afford to have someone come over and watch the kids so she could sleep. She hasn’t really ever had a break and we’re both feeling the stress – her more than me!
I have never been the best gift giver. 9 times out of 10, she knows what I get before I even give it to her. I guess I really suck at that. I also am not the best at coming up with interesting things to do. I’m not sure why, but I kinda suck at that too.
I began a search of all of the nearby theaters a few weeks ago. I was hoping that somewhere there would be a play, a concert, or event we could go see. We had been talking about seeing the Symphony, but that show falls on a Sunday and she works. The only thing that I found happening on Saturday near us was a hockey game. I’m sure she wouldn’t enjoy that as much as I would (and it is not about me, but about her, so hockey was out)!
Interrupting to tell a funny story
I had taken $100 out of our account and stuck it in my wallet to use for our anniversary. I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing yet, but I wanted to have it ready. I had taken Andrew to the doctor and Sam gave me her insurance card. I put it back in my coat pocket to give back to her and forgot to do so when we got back. When I was sleeping before work, Sam was making appointments and needed the numbers off her card. So she went looking for it. No big deal, she knows the places I usually put my wallet, so she looked for her card – and found the $100.
Caught Red Handed!
When I woke up, she said she was looking for her card and asked why I had $100 in my wallet. I was so surprised that she found it, I fumbled around trying to lie my way out of why I had it. “It must have been in there for a long time and I forgot about it!” LOL – who the hell am I trying to kid?! She is my wife and knows me better than anyone! She knew I was flubbing my way through! I finally told her I was saving it for our anniversary. I should have just come out and told her, but I didn’t want her knowing I was spending that much.
This Saturday
As far as Saturday night, I knew I was going to take her to dinner. We always go to Lucky’s Steakhouse, which we love, but I wanted to do something a bit different. Some co-workers and friends offered up some really neat places (which I plan on going to in the future), but I wanted to stay semi close to home so we weren’t out all night. We have a sitter, and I know she’s totally ok with us being out late, but I know Sam would feel better if we were close.
So I have two things planned – one is dinner and the other is a surprise. I really hope that she is going to like it. I can’t wait to go. She knows what towns we are going to and keeps questioning “What is there that we can do?” She’s pretty good at figuring stuff out, so I hope that she doesn’t before Saturday.
I also ordered her a couple gifts. One has already arrived (and needs to be wrapped). The other is something that probably won’t arrive before Saturday. Again, she probably has some sort of idea about what I may have gotten her, so I hope she doesn’t figure it out. I wish that I could give gifts like she does. She hears me mention something off the cuff and stuffs it away in her mental filing cabinet until she needs it and then always surprises me. But she can always figure mine out. Example: We were at Target the other day. She saw that her favorite author, Jodi Picoult, had a new book out. I immediately think “I need to buy this for her.” If I hand her a gift bag, she will know that it is that book. (For the record – I did NOT buy that book for her! Now, I may at a later date, but not for our anniversary.
I am truly excited to have a day/night with my wife. I know she would be happy just walking the mall (as a matter of fact, she told me that!), but I am really hoping to make the day special for her. I need to make sure that I find something that we can do together at least once a month. We need a date night. It is easy to lose “us” time with two kids, and “us” is SO important right now.
In the past few months, I have had many new followers to this blog. For the benefit of them, here is a brief introduction to where this blog is going.
Prior to 2017, my life was a shambles. I suffered from depression. I was unhappy. I was lost. I was not “me.” Because of years of unhappiness, I didn’t even know who “me” was. Enter my (now) wife Sam. My entire life turned around.
Today is our third wedding anniversary. Over the course of our friendship, courtship, and marriage, my life has done a complete turn around. I have been the happiest I have ever been. She is my true soul mate. This is the first miracle I wanted to focus on. You can read what lead up to our relationship here:
Now that you are all up to speed, I can continue. First, I want to send a message to my wife and then I will share some exciting news.
Happy Anniversary, Sam
Dearest Sam –
Today we celebrate 3 years of marriage. It’s hard to believe it has been that long, and at the same time it doesn’t feel like it has been long at all. I cannot imagine my life without you. Thank you for all you have done for me. You may not think that you have done much, yet, you have done everything. You have never left my side. You have always been a support and have loved me unconditionally. I am so lucky to have you as my wife and partner.
I have loved those special moments that we have been able to share together. Our trips to Nashville, Cleveland, Kentucky, and of course, to Florida. Those memories will forever warm my heart and bring a smile to my face. You have added immense joy, bliss, and happiness to my life. I discovered what true love in our years together. I fall in love with you over and over each and every day.
You are an amazing mom to our sweet baby girl. I love to watch the two of you interact. I love the way you two look at each other. I will never have to worry about whether she will be raised right. I know the bond that you two share now, is one that will grow and last forever! Thank you for not only being special to me, but special to her. We certainly have been blessed with a wonderful family.
The old saying goes, “The destination doesn’t matter, the journey does.” What good is the journey, however, without a wonderful partner? Sam, I look forward to the years ahead with you. I look forward to the journey ahead and the memories we will make in the process. I love you forever!
Keith
Breaking News …
The second miracle was our daughter, Ella. Doctors told me I had a very slim chance (about 4%) of ever having children again. When we found out we were expecting, it was just amazing. You can read about that here:
Ella turned one year old in February and is our pride and joy! So rather than me let the cat out of the bag, how about I let Miracle #2 tell you about Miracle #3 …
You read her shirt correctly! Ella is going to be a big sister!!! We are expecting another baby in October and we are just thrilled.
We found out that Sam was pregnant three days before Ella’s birthday. It was the one year anniversary of her going into labor. She was laying in bed and she hadn’t been feeling well. She was uncomfortable and crampy. I had already asked her if she thought she was pregnant and she said she didn’t think so. At some point. she got up to use the restroom, and there was an extra pregnancy test under the sink. She took the test and it almost immediately popped up that she was pregnant. So from the bathroom, she simply yelled to me, “Well….we’re pregnant!” I thought she was messing with me, but she brought out the test and there it was.
It was such a surprise to both of us! Naturally, we are very excited. Sam had her ultrasound at the OB today. Because of Covid, only the patient is allowed in the office. I had planned on sleeping a bit, then getting up and going to the doc with her, but when we found out that she was the only one allowed in, Sam told me to make sure I slept before work. She texted me this afternoon saying that all went well. Baby’s heartbeat was 174 and the Due Date is October 14th. She also texted me the ultrasound picture.
Just like Ella, the baby moved around a lot during the ultrasound, so it was hard to get a good picture.
Willa Cather once said, “Where there is great love, there are always miracles.” There is GREAT love in our family….and the miracles continue!
It is not odd for my wife to send me pictures of things she wants to buy. Among some of the things she has sent: the theme for the baby’s nursery, gift ideas for the boys, gift ideas for her, possible places to vacation, and things for the house. Just the other day, she was talking about going to Menard’s to look at some holiday decorations for the house, so it was not odd to get one of those pictures tonight.
The text message I get includes this picture with “This is super cute! I need this for the porch door!”
My response, “I like that.” Then I start thinking, “It’s a branch. I could probably go out and make one like that.” Then I see the price and think, “It must be off a pretty rare tree or something.”
She responds with: “So can I buy it??”
She does all the decorating. She knows what she likes. She also knows the finances. So I respond by telling her “If you want it, and we can afford it, go ahead.” Christmas is her favorite holiday and she loves to decorate, so why not, right?!
She then throws me for a loop and says, “You know…you weren’t supposed to agree with me….”
So now I start to freak. “OMG, I just told her I liked this. She must hate it and was being sarcastic. What a dope!”
My response to her: “Why? You don’t like it?”
She then lets me in on the joke: “No…it was a stupid Facebook prank thing and everyone else’s husband said funny things and you just agreed like a good husband.”
I then let her know I was actually thinking “I could just get a branch…” and she said, “That’s what everyone else said!”
Now I am feeling dumb! “God, I failed the husband test!” I told her.
She let’s me off the hook, though by saying, “No! You won the test. It means that no matter how ugly it is, you would let me do whatever to make me happy…..even spend $100 on a branch!”
I then shared this whole thing with the people I work with and we were all laughing at it.
My wife then made sure to tell me: “Just know this… I refuse to EVER spend $100 on a branch!”
This is just one of the many reasons I love her!!!
She was Lucy and I was gullible Charlie Brown ready to kick the football…..
In keeping with my tradition of following Jack Benny’s example, today I celebrate the 10th anniversary of my 39th birthday.
My wife is the best gift giver – hands down. She picks up on things that I say in passing and turns it into an amazing gift. She knows I love the Godfather and mafia related stuff. For Christmas, she found the Godfather Notebook, which is a simply amazing book compiled of some of the novel, Francis Ford Coppola’s notes, and some very cool pictures.
My dad and I were talking about how my grandpa used to use a cup and brush to lather up to shave one day. For our anniversary, she bought me this sweet shaving set with razor, cup, brush, and more. Truly a unique and wonderful gift!
She topped both of those for my birthday. I guess one day my dad and I were talking about vinyl records. I was talking about how I would sit in on the floor in our front room and listen to them. I was raised listening to vinyl records – and just a few blogs ago talked about them! As a kid, I had this red and white record player and played my records on it – if you’re old enough, you probably did too!
My wife has a hard time keeping secrets. She tried to give me hints: “It’s something you were talking to your dad about.” That could be anything from music to TV to movies…you name it!! “You were just talking about it.” Again, no help. I told her to stop trying to tell me or give me hints. I told her I would wait until my birthday and see what it was. She was obviously quite happy with whatever she was giving me and said, “It’s gonna be hard to beat this one…”
Over the weekend, my brother came up from Ohio for a visit. He wanted to visit my mother’s grave for Mother’s Day. I also had my sons for the weekend, so she decided that when I got home from work on Saturday, we were doing a small birthday celebration. She got a cake, ice cream, and I had to open my present.
No doubt, you know what it is based on what I have written. She had me open the album she got me first. A perfect choice –
A double album of Sinatra! I have to be honest, it had been so long since I held an album, I thought it was a picture or something. I mean, the cover art is beautiful and could easily be framed! Then, I opened the main present –
I’m not going to lie, I got emotional. What an amazingly thoughtful gift! I was speechless. My brother captured the moment in pictures, but the angle makes me look awful, so I am not posting those pictures! This machine is wonderful. It has speakers on the front, a headphone jack to listen privately, the capability of recording to a USB device, and RCA outputs to play through my DJ equipment, if I am so inclined.
As I pulled the album out of the sleeve, I could feel my hands shaking. I carefully put the album on the turntable and dropped the needle gently in the grooves……and there was Frank singing “One For My Baby”. Wow. The sounds of Sinatra on vinyl. Only those who appreciate the sounds of music on vinyl can relate to what I was experiencing. I probably could have sat in the corner with headphones on and spent the rest of the afternoon like that. What a surreal experience.
As I mentioned a bit ago, I had just blogged about missing record stores a few days ago. You can read that blog here:
She thought I was on to her when I posted that blog! What a coincidence, huh? What are the odds? She literally had purchased the record player a few days earlier!
This weekend, she has more plans for me. She let the cat out of the bag that we are celebrating my day throughout the weekend with more surprises. She did let me in on one stop – we are going to make a trip to the record store, so I can purchase a few albums to listen to on my birthday present.
Thank you, baby, for your wonderful gift! I love it and I love you more than I can say!! Thank you for making my birthday and my life so special!
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 