THE MARINI FAMILY

WELCOME TO THE CRAZINESS OF OUR LIFE WITH TWO BOYS!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

First Day of School--First Grade.

5:30am

Matthew: (Wide awake) Mom, your clock says it's six o'clock.
Mom: (Slurring her words) Matthew, my clock is an half an hour fast. It's 5:30, go back to bed.


6:15am

Matthew: Mom, the clock out in the living room says it's past the six o'clock.
Mom: (still slurring her words) Matthew, seriously? Fine, let's get up. But just so you know, school doesn't start for anther two hours. That means the big hand has to go around the clock two times!!
Matthew: I think I want breakfast now.

Mom: Okay. Let's go.


I am surprised Matt was up so early, he really didn't fall asleep until about 10:00, and he went to bed at 8:30. He was just too excited. He ate breakfast, got dressed, did all the before you leave chores, and I still was half asleep.

When we got to school, he played in my room until it was time to go down and see his classroom.

Here is a picture of his friend Kirsten. She also started first grade today. They are darling together and only three days apart. I am thinking we will bring this picture out when they go to prom together.



Here is me and the boy right before the bell rings.


Here is his teacher Mrs. Schatz. I absolutely love her. I am so excited for him this year.


THE DESK!! In all it's glory!


After he go situated in class, he headed out to recess. The big playground!
After bouncing from one big play structure to the next, he finally recognized a familiar face, Matt Nickel (who is my co-workers son). Immediately he started playing with him and his friends....even though they are third graders. That might get old soon, but for now Matthew will play with them for as long as they will have him.

Stay tuned...I am sure many stories are to follow throughout the year!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

School

We start back to school on Monday. I am not ready. I am coming down from my Vegas high of lemon drops, penny slots and meals that I didn't have to cook. Reality bites!!

I am excited to be back to school for one reason....I get to see my girls on a daily basis. Without them, my job would be hard to handle. I need my silly girl time mixed in with the dramas of being a ten year old that consume my classroom. I can't wait to meet them at the coffee pot to discuss all of important issues of the week. Like, who buys coffee this Friday? Who else can't stop watching the Real Housewives of NJ? And is anyone else as absurdly excited as I am that Flipping Out is back on in August? These mindless conversations get me through the day, week, month, and school year.

I am going to miss my blond bombshell Kristin walking into my room in the morning yelling, "What up Marini?". She is off to law school now and in a few short years you will be hearing me say, "Good afternoon Kristin Burrell's office, how may I help you? We appreciate your business!" (shout out to my Jeffrey Lewis). And for Lynn and Kelly...who decided to job share, I look forward to sharing your time during the week. But for crying out loud...get me a schedule already of when you will be there! I'll take coffee the first week!

I can't wait for our daily intermediate lunch hour with the usual suspects. If I haven't said it before....our lunch time conversations probably rival locker room banter. There is no topic that is off limits and no filters allowed. It is a reality show waiting to happen...that never will because we will all be fired.

And finally. My boy is starting first grade. He is so excited to be going back to school and I am going to take that and run with it as long as I can. We are taking him shopping for school supplies this weekend and he is ecstatic over having his own desk. His own desk!!! He has a fantastic teacher again this year and I am so excited for him. So many new things for him this year like the big kid playground, a separate teacher for PE and Music and lunch in the cafeteria. Life doesn't get better than that. One of the downsides to being a teacher at the same school is that I don't get to attend Back-to-School night and hear all of wonderful things that he will be doing this year and learning about. Rich did a fantastic job last year taking notes during Matt's kindergarten presentation....but I still want to go. I would much rather play "mom" than play "teacher."

Only four more days of sleeping in...Monday morning will kill me.

Friday, July 17, 2009

RYAN!!!

Well, the little beast is in rare form this morning. As I was cleaning up around the house I realized I couldn't find Ryan. I kept calling his name and he wasn't responding. I am not sure how, but I happened to see a little foot out of the corner of my eye and there he was! Hiding under the kitchen table. I said to him...
Mom: Ryan, what are you doing?
Ryan: Nothing.
Mom: Ryan, what are you doing? Why are you under there?
Ryan: Nothing. My not doing nothing.
Mom: What do you have down there?
Ryan: My not have nothing in my mouth.
Mom: I didn't ask what you have in your mouth, I said what do you have down there?
Ryan: (faint whisper) Nothing.
Mom: Ryan...GET OUT!


Here is Ryan as I quickly grabbed my camera that was sitting on the counter. Please notice the fact that he thinks this is a "photo op".


Leaving the scene of the crime.


The evidence.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

DL July 2009

Here are a couple of picture from our recent trip to DL. We have been to DL during the summer months before....however, this trip it seemed ESPECIALLY HOT and that was not pleasant. Whatever the temp is in Anaheim, we just add 8-10 degrees for being inside Disneyland and that made it about 103. Can't wait to head back in October when it will be cooler.

This first shot is Matt giving Ryan a high five right after Ryan went on the little Roller coaster. Ryan did not want to go on it at the beginning of the day, but later on he was good to go.


These next shots of boys getting their face painted are fun because this is the first time we have let Ryan get his face painted. He had already picked out what he wanted before hand and when we got there he walked right up and told the lady he would like the "sharky, pease". He was so patient and held still really well.




Here is Ryan standing with "My R", in front of California Adventure. You may have to click on the picture to make it larger to see his little grin.

And, this last shot is the story of our ride home.


We left at 3:30pm, and we were headed to Fresno so the boys and I could stay the night and play in the pool and swim with Mason and Mikayla...more on my experience later. Anyway, we got stuck on the Grapevine for a little less that two hours in bumper to bumper traffic. This shot was taken about an hour or so in to the Grapevine. Every time we turned a corner, all we saw was more trucks and cars backed up for ever. Luckily it was somewhat amusing to us and we didn't lose our patience to much. That delay put us arriving later at Mike and Stacy's, which in turn cut out our usual family dinner at Denny's. This was not sadness for me, simply because I did not feel like ordering a Super Bird for our anniversary dinner. Call me crazy.


Now on to the good part. So, my sister-in-law Stacy (Hey Stace!), took me to this foot reflexology place that her and Mike go to all the time. They had told me of this place a couple of months ago and I told her the next time I come to Fresno, I definitely want to go. So when we got to Fresno that night, much later than we had planned, she suggested going the next day. I all but screamed with delight.

Let me just tell you one thing. I am addicted to massages. Of any sort. But, if I had to choose, I would say that getting my feet rubbed is the best. This place, THIS PLACE!!!! It was WONDERFUL!!! For a 40 minute foot massage THAT ONLY COSTS $20.00, you lay down in a recliner and they soak your feet in a hot bath of sorts. While your feet are soaking they massage you face, neck, arms, scalp, and hands. HELLO!!! And then they move on to your feet for about a half and hour. Seriously, this is the greatest thing I have ever experienced. I told Rich it might just be worth relocating to Fresno for.

By the way, we are leaving for Vegas this weekend. I went to the hotel website and looked at their spa menu. For me to get a 45 minute foot, neck and scalp massage treatment....$125.00.

Need I say more?

Friday, July 3, 2009

:-)

(Whispering) I found it! Shhh...don't tell. I am thinking I am going to put it somewhere that will be easy for the boys to find it and offer reward again so they think they have found it on their own and will get the M & M's.

I do about one nice thing a year....this might be it. :-)

Thursday, July 2, 2009

The DS

Matthew's DS is gone. The very expensive tool to my sanity is gone. We can't find it. It is going on day eight or nine. The first couple of days were no big deal. Ryan probably put it down somewhere and Matthew probably found it and then placed it completely out of reach of Ryan, who then probably built some type of contraption to then climb up and get it from the very place Matthew felt was safe. No such luck. I just spent thirty minutes looking in toy boxes, under beds, in closets, and in cushions of the couches. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

As only desperate mother would do, I offered a bribe the other day. I promised
10 M & M's the child who brought it back to me the quickest. 10 M & M's is almost unheard of at our house, so I thought I was as good as gold. Yeah, not so much. As the boys ran frantically around the house for two minutes and thirty-four seconds, I thought for sure they would be successful. Yeah, again, not so much. At minute three, they both came back and said "We can't find it anywhere. Can we have five M & M's for looking?"

So, with a trip to Disneyland around the corner and four more weeks of summer vacation...I am promising 10 M & M's to anyone who can come over and find the DS. I'll even throw in a glass of milk.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Getting ready for the "D" word.





Ryan is making his ride list.
1. Nothing dark--check!
2. Nothing scary--check!
3. Nothing big--check!
4. Same old rides again and again--CHECK!

Swimming Lessons


Keeping Ryan happy...snacks, snacks, snacks


Matthew is loving his goggles. Not much use for them, they are simply a comfort.







Matthew is enjoying swimming lessons. He has really been brave facing his fears with water and I am so happy that he is really trying to learn new things each day. In the car on the drive over he voices some of his fears, but then talks himself out of "sinking to the bottom" or "jumping in the deep end like the big kids". I keep telling him that everything his coaches are teaching him is to help save him so he doesn't sink to the bottom or if he falls in the deep end, being able to swim to the side. The psychological aspect of his brain is sometimes a beast that is hard to tame and we have to be so careful how we word things because if we say the wrong thing.....boyfriend will be right back to sitting on the edge of the pool.