THE MARINI FAMILY

WELCOME TO THE CRAZINESS OF OUR LIFE WITH TWO BOYS!

Friday, January 23, 2015

January Catch-up!

So, I just figured out how to download the pictures off of our new camera to my tablet over Wifi and I am feeling pretty proud of myself and this is me patting myself on the back.  I have learned that Rich likes to take about four hundred more pictures than necessary, so now I just go through and select the ones I want and send them to my tablet to share here.  Again....this is me patting myself on the back.  Go Heather!!!!

I FINALLY have some basketball pictures to share. 

We (or me, specifically) are a work in progress, but I am enjoying my camera so much.


I would pay a lofty amount of money to erase three point lines if I could.  He loves to go and park himself behind them and shoot until his arms hurt.  The bad part is....he's getting better and more consistent, which only fuels him to shoot more of them. 

My point exactly.... 



He also probably doesn't appreciate when his mother, ever so lightly, yells from the stands...STEP INSIDE THE LINE AND DRIVE TO THE BASKET!!!

And his response, sort of fitting to me and my mouth, "Did you ever play basketball in high school? No, you didn't, so stop yelling at me."

I think it's cute that he thinks that will get me to sit silently....

And it also doesn't help when his coach tells him to "Go camp behind the line and shoot when you can".  You will only have to tell him that once and he will follow those instructions for life.


Ryan did not have a great first basketball game (it's too long to explain).  This is my only shot of him.  He is an amazing defender and I hate to say it...Defense wins games.  But again....who am I, I have never played the game before in my life. 

And, I thought I would share Ryan's new bedding.  It's so bright, I'm pretty sure the Hubble telescope picked it up from space.

Because Ryan's birthday is after the craziness of Christmas, it tends to be a, "Oh crap!  Ryan's birthday is here", kind of an event.  And the day before his actual birthday, it had dawned on us that we hadn't planned a single thing for him with regards to a party.  We did  the whole fishing day thing for Matt, and never thought of anything for Ryan.  Again...who planned this kids birth?!?!?!

So, to try and save face and win points with him, we threw out the ONE thing he would flip over...a sleepover!  And he was thrilled.  We took Tyler and Alex, his two best friends, to Chili's for dinner and it was like sitting and listening a Sports Center ticker all night.  They were so good and had such a great time.  Rich and I loved every second of it.

After dinner movie!!  They watched about half of the movie and then headed off to bed because they were "tired".  And by tired, that meant they stayed up like girls, giggling and laughing all night. 

Next month we head to Levi Stadium for the Winter Classic hockey game between the Sharks and Kings.  We all can't wait!!!  We are going with our good friends the Flemmer's and it is going to be amazing!  The other night we got a preview at the Sharks game with the Kings in town.
 

 

And this happened this week.  Yes, that is me, joining the likes of most eleven and twelve year olds at my school with a full set of braces.  These three ladies are my girls from last year and I love each of them as if they were my own. ( I am also hoping one of them is in a formal dress and wearing a corsage that my son gave her at some point in my life...but, that's just between you and me)  We have been getting together for a couple of weeks now to discuss the process and pain that I will be experiencing.  I have to say this...I am a MUCH bigger baby than I realized.  Please keep in mind that my son just went through a year of having them and did not make ONE SINGLE PEEP about them hurting or him being in pain.  The first couple of days that I had JUST the spacers in, not the actual braces, I thought I was going to cry.  Now that they are on, I fear my addiction to chap stick (that was pretty out of control before) is going to become an actual problem.  I tore my desk apart this morning because I couldn't find some and you know I am losing my mind when one of my students said I could borrow theirs and I actually paused thinking that if I cleaned it off enough...I just might be able to do it.  Luckily, I found some and dodged a bullet.  So yeah....brace faces unite!
 
Seriously....these girls....I love them!!!!!!
 

Friday, January 2, 2015

Pilgrimage to the sea

After the craziness of Christmas last week, we took our annual (second, really) December trip to the coast.  Girls' weekends are a necessity.  Friendship is the cheapest therapy out there, so let me say this again, it's a necessity.  When you surround yourself with people who let you spew from your gut and don't judge, they just listen...hold on to the them and don't let go.  Being able to share your crazy and know that other people have their own crazy, is comforting.  Don't ask me why, it just is.  It makes you feel somehow okay and that your crazy is manageable.  This is what we do to stay sane.  We wait a few months, let the crazy collect, and then put out the Bat sign and call everyone to order and plan a trip to release the crazy. 

We also disguised it as a "Heather's Belated Birthday Trip"....so, all was good. 

Cocktails at check-in.

Dinner at El Fornaio in Carmel.  Ridiculous fun.  I enjoy when the four of us are laughing hysterically in a mildly quiet environment and people stare at us.  I would like to think they are envious and wish they were sitting and laughing with us, or perhaps they are hoping they aren't the subject at which we are laughing uncontrollably.

These two.  Responsible for making me laugh all the time, even if it's the most inappropriate of times, and more importantly at the necessary times. 

And my sister.  Whom I adore.  Happiness is when she says, "Good God I haven't laughed that hard in a long time."  That's what we are here for. 

And drink pics...because if we aren't having a cocktail with dinner, why bother going to dinner.
 
Bloody Mary Sisters.

And I have been super proud of myself lately because I haven't posted food pictures.  But, this was one of the best meals I have had, period!  AND I HAD TO SHARE!  I just had to.  Seafood Risotto.


Nothing like walking into a well lit apartment complex and snapping a picture.  Oops.

This chick is the most vile, most ridiculous, most obscene, most politically incorrect person I have ever met and I couldn't quit her if I tried.  Her one-liners are so crude and disgustingly funny that I am embarrassed I laugh as hard as I do and I am grateful nobody can really ever hear what she says or know that I am laughing at it. 

Gorgeous day.  The ocean just makes everything better.

Enjoy this series of pictures.  I wouldn't trust anyone walking by to give them my camera to take a picture of all four of us in it, so we all took turns.  (Side note---I was so afraid that stupid camera was either going to get damaged, forgotten somewhere, or stolen, so I didn't take it off the entire time we were there.  I looked like a frumpy tourist with this camera around her neck at all times.  But, if something would have happened to it, this would be the end of this blog because I would be in self-induced witness protection) 




 

And, if I haven't mentioned this before....I used to be a whale freak!  I mean FREAK.  At one point marine biology was going to be my focus in school, but since science and I don't really get along and play nicely together, I decided against it.  However, that freak does not go away.  When we had stopped to take pictures, a man told us there were several whales close by and you could see them come to the surface.

FREAKING OUT!!!   Look how close they were!!!!!!! 


 
 
Perfect way to end the trip.
 

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Christmas 2014

Another Christmas in the books.  Grateful for happy and healthy kids who still wholeheartedly have the Christmas spirit.  This year Rich and I were a little more on the ball, which means it was less stressful and I think I enjoyed the entire season more. 

Side note...We now have a new camera.  (Yay!!!)  It was "my" birthday/Christmas gift, but because Rich successfully bought something I have no idea how to use, it's really "his".  I love it, however I will probably never be able to use it to it's fullest capability.  But, oh well, it's finally here and I haven't put it down in days, so I am a happy girl.

The night before, getting ready for Santa. 

And the stockings were hung from the chimney with care....

The night we had to say goodnight and goodbye to Olaf.  Until next year!

So this was a Christmas morning first for our family.  Does anyone notice it looks dark outside?  That's because it was.  This was the very first year that the kids woke us up for Christmas morning.  Ryan started at 5:30am, then every fifteen minutes came in and tried to get us to wake up.  I (luckily for him) slept through the first three times he came in to talk us into getting up.  Finally, at 6:30 we got up. 

What, oh what, did Santa bring????

Well, let's see....Oh yes, he brought devices to keep our kids busy so they don't kill each other.  It's almost like Santa lives in our house and knows that this was a MUCH needed gift.  I guess he is watching and listening always.

Can we just talk about how cute he is!  Seriously, his little face kills me.

And the reaction of the day.  Two years ago, Matt asked for Beats headphones.  We laughed at him and told him under no circumstance was a nine year old going to have headphones that are that expensive.  He was devastated, and relentless about them, as he is with everything in his life.  Every time we go into a store he would walk over to them and try them and look at me with a longing in his eyes. I would point and laugh at him (like a loving/caring mother would) and sing, "It's never going to happen...dream on!"  So when we knew that Santa had known they wanted new tablets this year, we agreed that maybe it was time that he shows us he is responsible with something so nice and expensive.  When Nana asked for ideas, the Beats came up as an option and the decision was made.

What the picture below lacks is his true reaction.  The sound of jubilation and disbelief came out of his mouth as he threw himself back on the ground.  When he covered his face and said, "I think I am going to cry," I turned to Rich and said...I feel good about saying yes to those finally.  I am pretty confident I would have the same reaction to diamonds...if Santa brings those, I will be happy to share my reaction as well. 

Christmas morning walk.  She just wants on his shoulders and for him to walk.  Unfortunately that makes her too tall and they are limited to the family room only.

Happiness is spending a consecutive Christmas with her!!! 

See!!!  Both of them sitting on the couch, nicely, not kicking or hitting each other.  Priceless.  Ryan with his new headphones, too!  And no, they aren't the same as Matt's...because that would have just been cruel. 

Fatheads from Papa!!!

I sometimes hope he loves me (us) as much as he loves Aaron Rogers.


Until next year!!!