Nana Sharon's Birthday Weekend

This past weekend we spent Saturday and Sunday in San Francisco for Sharon's birthday. For Christmas, Richard had surprised her with a weekend in the city with ALL of the Marini's. It was a real treat because it is very rare for all of us to go away together. We spent most of Saturday at the California Academy of Sciences Museum. It was a great day and the kids had a blast together. That night we went out to a fabulous dinner.

Probably the most memorable part of the day happened just before we were getting ready to leave. We had gone up to the roof because you can walk around on top of the building and see the living roof. So, as we were getting ready to head back down, we decided to take the elevator down because Rich had been carrying a sleeping Ryan for about an hour....and that sweet child is no feather-weight. As we were waiting for the doors to open, another family was there waiting to get on as well. When the doors opened, Matthew and Mason jumped on and we played a game of "You go...No, you go...No, really, you go." with this other family. As neither of us committed to getting on the elevator, the doors closed and Matthew and Mason took off. By themselves. As the doors shut, the elevator proceeded down, all of us looked at each other and said..."CRAP!!!" So, Michael took off down the stairs at record pace to try get to them. Now, one would think that we were panicked and scared...and we were...right up until we all started laughing so hard we couldn't breathe. It was hysterical. So, after our little hoot and holler, we headed down to see about the boys. They were fine, they did a great job. They had gotten off at the first stop and just waited there until Michael found them.

If you ask the boys what there favorite part of the day was...there answer was the ride in the elevator. A multi-million dollar museum, with the most amazing exhibits, and their favorite part was the elevator ride.

Here are some pictures from the day.

The Twenty Minute Snow Trip

On Sunday, Rich and I decided to take the boys up to play in the snow. For fifteen minutes there was a mad scramble around the house to put together outfits fit for the snow, even though we own nothing that is suitable for the snow, let alone getting out and playing in it. After we dressed Ryan, he could barely walk to the car with all six of his layers on. Thank God he still wears diapers, because he was dressed for the next four hours. Matthew's clothing was a bit different. He did have snow shows and gloves and a thick jacket, so we were a little less worried about him freezing to death.

After all of the layers of clothing, after putting in the snow discs, after driving an hour and a half to find snow....it ended up being the quickest trip in history of all snow trips. We got out, we played, we froze, we got back into our car. Here are some pictures. Don't adjust your screen, your eyes are fine, yes that is Rich out in the snow (35 degrees) playing in shorts. The few choice words I had to say to him will go unpublished for now....but I'm sure you can figure it out...those of you who know me well.

The Whitehouse

Well, we are officially on countdown until our trip to see Noelle in West Virginia. Yesterday we booked a hotel in Washington D.C. and we plan on cramming everything we can in the shortest amount of time possible. As I would love to visit all the main attractions, I really am picturing Noelle driving at a moderate speed around town as I have half my body out the window either taking pictures or video-taping. I have this vision of visiting Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, Smithsonian, etc. at the rate of approx. 25 mph, and I don't think I am far off.

Noelle and I already tried contacting our congressman to see if we can take a Whitehouse tour, but they will not let us because we are not a group of 10 or more. That's fine. Whatever. They will then have to deal with us hanging around outside, hopefully gaining suspicious glances and unwanted attention from the secret service, as we protest that we are five short of an actual group!

As we are looking forward to this trip. I did have to let Matthew down about not visiting the Whitehouse. Somehow, I don't know if it was television or what, he heard about the Whitehouse having a bowling alley. He immediately asked if we could go bowling there. I told him no, for a couple of reasons....

1. The Whitehouse is not a place of business...well, crap, it is (should I explain the situation room now or later?)...okay, it is not a place of business that hosts bowling leagues and birthday parties. It is simply some one's house that has a bowling alley in it.
2. Not just anyone goes to the Whitehouse. You have to be invited or be in a GROUP OF TEN OR MORE!
3. This is a functioning house and the family that lives there really doesn't care if you want to come bowling or not, because they don't have a clue who you are and that makes you a security threat.
4. And finally....No honey, we can't simply go up to the door and ring the bell to ask them. The men with the big guns, dressed in black, on top of every building in a five mile radius, would appreciate it if you would stay behind the nice tall black gates and enjoy the view from outside.

Can't wait!!

Four-skin

Okay, so I need to post this story. Simply because the "word" has started coming up again...no pun intended.

So a few months ago my sister and I were sitting in the living room visiting while all three of the kids were playing. Ryan was doing who knows what, Natalie was probably watching Noggin, and Matthew was sitting in a chair talking to himself. As Noelle and I were carrying on in our conversation...I'm sure solving the world's problems...Matthew out of nowhere says, "I just love my foreskin."
Noelle and I froze in mid-sentence and I said to her, "Did he just say..." and she quickly added, "He said EXACTLY what you think he said."

Here is the conversation as it followed.

Mom: Matthew, what did you just say?

Matthew: I said I loved my foreskin.

Mom: What do you mean foreskin?

Matthew: You know, when you scrape you hand or finger and it bleeds, the skin grows back one-skin, two-skin, three-skin, and four-skin.

Mom: OH THANK GOD!!

When Noelle and I could talk again after laughing, I simply said how lucky I was that this conversation did not originate at school during show and share.

Don't worry, I have since told him that the number of layers of skin that grows back is three. Just to be safe. :-)

Autism Speaks Awards Dinner

On Saturday night, my mom and I joined our friends Lynn and Jason, and her mother Diana, on the Delta King in Sacramento for an awards dinner for the top earners for the WALK NOW FOR AUTISM. Because Noelle and Greg obviously could not go, my mom and I happily attended the dinner in their place. It was a fantastic night and we can't wait to get started on next years WALK NOW fundraising. Here are some pictures from the night.

Happy Birthday Ba!!!

Happy Birthday Auntie Noelle!!! We LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!!

Cops and Robbers

So, the other night during dinner Matthew says, "I can't wait to go to school tomorrow and play cops and robbers." Here is the conversation that followed.

Mom: Matthew, you play cops and robbers at school?

Matthew: Yeah, we play during our snack outside. I am usually the cop, but I want to be the robber next time.

Mom: Matthew? Do you know what a robber is?

Matthew: Yeah, he's the bad guy.

Mom: But do you know what the word robber means?

Matthew: No.

Mom: A robber is someone who takes things without paying for them, or takes something from somebody without asking. They are not nice people. The police try and catch them so they don't rob again.

SHORT PAUSE...

Matthew: Yeah, I want to be the robber next time.

So, consider yourselves warned. If you get a collect call from the Lodi City Jail, and the operator says Matthew is on the line....HANG UP!!!

We apparently need to work on his life aspirations.

Globe Trottin'

On Monday we went to Arco Arena to see the Harlem Globetrotters. It was a fun family outing and Matthew had a blast to say the least. Rich's parents bought him a DVD for Christmas of the history of the Globetrotters and it has since replaced the nightly Backyardigan DVD that has been his favorite for so long.

He is bouncing balls off of everything in the house. Trying to dribble through his legs, balance the ball on the back his neck, and spin the ball on his finger. Nothing breakable is safe in our house.

Here are some pictures from our day.

Disneyland and Ryan's Birthday

So, I thought I would share a quick couple of pictures from our first Disney trip of the year. We arrived on Friday, January 2nd, and compared to last year at this exact time...IT WAS CRAZY PACKED! We figured everyone who was in LA for the Rose Bowl decided to make a weekend out of it and head to Disney. So, us and 50,000 other freaks, fought for spaces in lines all weekend.

So, our game plan was simple. GO ON NEW RIDES!! We had explained to Matt that we were done camping out at the five rides we continuously go on and he needed to be brave and try some new ones. Apparently that begins next trip. The pics I am about to share are just us on the same rides you have seen before...just different clothing.



Something very cool that we had not seen before at Christmas, was this whole section in the back of Thunder Mountain that had reindeer. We all got a little geeked out by it and could have spent hours just hanging out back there. What is super funny is Matt had asked me the week before if I had ever seen a real reindeer and I said yes. He then asked what he would have to do to see one, and I told him I didn't have any idea. Little did I know that I just had to spend a couple hundred dollars in entrance fees to make this happen. What an expensive wish come true!




Here is Rich and the boys getting a picture with Goofy. Ryan still has a fear of being close to any of the characters, and yet still demands that we wait in line to see them. He won't make eye contact with them, however is a chatterbox as we walk away. He's all talk! Take a close look at this picture of Matthew. This is in the Brother Bear play area in California Adventure. Rich and Matt spend HOURS here so that Matt can ride this cable/tire swing. He is completely upside down.



And the castle.


And here is some pics from Ryan's birthday. If you think we are Disney freaks, because of all of the gifts and cups and napkins and plates....well, Ryan is obsessed right now and we are totally feeding this beast. Matthew was the same with Finding Nemo, and we went nuts with that too.

Please click on the picture of the card to Ryan from Matthew. It is super cute and he wouldn't let us sign our names because as he said to us, "I've got this."

Birthday Boy

I have a two year old!!! Ryan celebrated his 2nd birthday on Monday the 5th. He has hit the "Terrible Two"s fully force. This kid has no volume control and talks non stop. Matthew talked much earlier than Ryan, but I think Ryan talks more. He demands our attention by yelling our names until we either say, "Yes, Ryan, what do you want?" or more often he gets "OK! RYAN...WHAT????" Matthew is the funniest. He almost refuses to answer Ryan anymore because we think he is trying to mentally block him out of his mind. Ryan will walk up to him and say "Matthew" (Which is really pronounced "Mashew") ten to twelve times and Matthew just sits there like he can't even hear him. Rich and I have to turn to Matt and say..."For the love of GOD...ANSWER HIM!!!" Here are some short videos! Hope this works...