Let's back up a bit

This is the month of my July babies. Both Giuseppe and Rocco were born in July.

Let's back up a bit. Michigan is still in a State of Emergency with the the international COVID-19 pandemic. We are able to go out and about but there are a lot of protocols in place to help reduce the spread of the virus. We wear our mask in public. We limit the amount of people we are around at any given time. We don't shake hands, hug or touch people outside of our immediate family. Businesses have their own rules on capacities and cleaning efforts. Fitness facilities remain closed for indoor workouts, but outdoor classes are an option.

Back to my kids. They have all successfully finished their 2019-2020 school year. Here is what is now living with me:

• Giuseppe, Junior (2022)
• Vincenzo, 7th grade (2026)
• Rocco, 5th grade (2028)

They have all been back at baseball with a variety of restrictions. Because of some of those restrictions, we have less travel out of state and so far Rocco and Giuseppe have one "hotel stay" tournament. Vincenzo has had all hotel stays canceled including his Cooperstown week. 

Andy and I are still working from home full-time.

Revisiting "So What?"

Starting week 6 of the Stay @ Home Order hasn't been too difficult. The hardest part has been keeping the kids uplifted and not too bored. Evenings have been hard. It's almost like a reversal of parenting. Andy and I work a normal day, if not a few extra hours. The boys are anxiously waiting for us to shut our laptops and give them focus. Keep in mind, they casually wake up while Andy and I are still getting up at 6 a.m. each morning. They have 30 minutes of school work per subject throughout the week. Giuseppe's schedule is a bit more intense since his classes will be counted for credit plus he has a test-out class for college credit next month.

Ok, so 6 p.m. rolls around. Andy and I start to turn off our workday and shift to family time. We start dinner, we have dinner and we clean up after dinner. We've gotten pretty good at the process. So now it's around 7 p.m. and we are pooped. We are honestly pooped. But the kids are ready for us to go full-force at playing and entertaining them. It's hard. 

All of this has really put a lot of things in perspective. If anything good comes out of this international pandemic, it is that it gives me a reset to really focus on the things that matter. 

Health

If this wasn't a priority before it certainly is a priority now. Obviously I want to keep the kids away from any potential sickness but it goes a bit further. Staying active and eating healthy have stepped up in importance. I've continued to instruct Dance Fitness classes virtually. The amount of times per week has varied based on my work schedule. 3-5 times a week. Giuseppe has been lifting and attending football and baseball meetings. We try to get the boys out for bike rides, walks, basketball, baseball, etc. Andy led us all on a hike a few weeks back. Even though the weather isn't ideal, we are hopeful to open our pool by the end of the month.

What I don't have time for toxic people or situations

Life is too short and my overall well-being is key to the happiness of myself, my children and my marriage. I've made the mistake of letting people in my life that aren't a good match for me and my overall outlook in life. Sometimes it takes longer to remove them simply because I give them the benefit of the doubt more often than I should. The good news is that going forward I have everything in place to lead a happy, fulfilling life. Family, Marriage, Health, Fitness, Work, etc. I need to live by the words I say all the time... "So, what? What's the worst thing that's going to happen?" 

The thing about that saying is much deeper than just saying "So What?"

Really breakdown the consequences of the decision. Are you in a toxic work environment? So what if you quit? So what? Really break it down to the worst case scenario. You quit, you can't find another comparable salary for six months, you have to downgrade a few things in the your life to survive, you get a smaller home, you sell a car or two, you quit saving, your kids despise you for leaving your job, your marriage can't handle the stress, etc. 

Ok, now that you are truly down in the dirt and life seems awful, bring yourself back up. 

• I have have 25 years of work experience and two college degrees, someone somewhere will find that valuable.
• My marriage has been put through the test many times before and we were strong enough to make it out of it.
• My kids aren't assholes and if they are I will need to revisit some major parenting tactics that I failed on. 
• There is no shame in having a smaller home. I'm not living to keep up with the Jones. 
• Cars come and go and haven't made a big enough impact in my life to care if we have to sell one of two.
• Andy and I have been extremely aggressive savers, so on these rainy days we will get through it.

Bottom line, I didn't die so I can come out of it. Maybe at a different level but I will come out of it. (Worth mentioning, if the worst consequence is highly likely that someone dies, then it is not worth pursuing. Like trying an experimental drug or being an inexperienced NASCAR racer.)

Give it a try. It's works. So what if I never do XXX again? It's a little scary, but nothing is worse than staying in a toxic situation. You're worth more than that.

COVID-19 Quarantine Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Nearly a month in of the COVID-19 Quarantine and I am finding a rhythm to my new normal. Is it bad that I am enjoying it? I get my boys at home, while working side-by-side with Andy in his home office next to my home office. Andy has already been working from home for years, so nothing new for him other than having four co-workers invading his workspace. I have had the ability to work remotely in the past but I usually don't do it nearly as often.

You're either selfish or stupid for not following social distancing protocols

Social Distancing: Day 5 (Wednesday, March 18, 2020)

It's been hard enforcing what I know is the right thing to do. I haven't left the house since Friday and neither have the boys. Andy has been running errands as needed. He doesn't complain; I think he needs to get out when he can.

Giuseppe has been asking for friends over and is pretty upset that I am putting my foot down. I explain that it is socially irresponsible for me to allow it. In my entire history of life we have never had schools shut down for a 3+ week period. Never! So, I will take this seriously. Believe me, we've never had an uninterrupted week of nothing to do. Unfortunately, it's a luxurious we have never had an opportunity to take advantage of. Before the COVID-19 order our spring break looked like this:

• Andy and I took the entire week off of work
• Vincenzo was going to perform in the Fiddlers Club performance Saturday
• Rocco was going to have outdoor baseball practices
• Rocco was going to have hockey tryouts
• Vincenzo was going to have baseball practices
• Vincenzo was scheduled to have a baseball tournament in Louisville
• Giuseppe was going to be practicing with the High School Baseball team
• Giuseppe was going to be playing HS baseball

So, as you can see, this would be a perfect excuse to take a cheap family vacation. But we are rule- followers even when those around us see this as an opportunity.

My household of boys have a higher chance of recovering form COVID-19 if we get it, but that is not what this is about. It is about slowing down the spread to protect our most vulnerable and of course flatten the curve. This isn't time for a vacation. This isn't even a staycation. Watching people continue traveling, having playdates and interacting in crowds is nothing less than irresponsible and pathetic. Their character is either selfish or stupid.

Temporarily making our "norms"

We have put a few things in place to help keep us from getting bored. Last night Rocco insisted we have one person pick a one-hour family activity that didn't involved electronics. Vincenzo won the drawing. He chose a card game. (Cards Against Humanity) We had lots of laughs and some inappropriate conversations. A different person will be picked each night.

Today Rocco and Vincenzo spent about an hour working on school work. Both their teachers offered some guidelines, yet none of the activities are required at this time. Giuseppe will be working through his AP World History Prep workbook in anticipation for college credit testing in just a few months. 

Another "educational" piece I plan to make happen each evening is deep diving into one subject. A science or social studies topic will be picked and we will discuss it as a family for 20 minutes from a 4th grade level to a high school level. Everyone, including me will have an opportunity to learn something new.

Andy and I continue to work in separate offices at home while the kids are doing a pretty good job not interrupting our work. 

As far as my dance fitness classes, they have been temporary put on hold. Yikes!!

Social Distancing Predictions

Social Distancing: Day 2 (Sunday, March 15, 2020)

I haven't been in the office since Wednesday and the boys' last day at school was Friday. Andy has had most of his travel suspended so he'll be working from home exclusively, as well. However, this is the weekend and we are already a bit out of element. If this weekend was to go on as planned we would have had one hockey game, and six baseball practices. But no, everything has been canceled.

As far as work, working remote isn't a concern for me. I'm lucky to work in the software industry which offers me to the flexibility to put my hours in from home or office, weekdays or weekends, during business hours or outside normal business hours. The kicker... gotta get the work done! My concern for the next three weeks is that all the boys will be practicing social distancing while Andy and I have to work. They have no homework, they can't leave the house, they can't have friends over. The weather is nice enough to play outside. Unfortunately we are in between outdoor ice skating season and pool season, so playing catch, going on a bike ride, playing outdoor basketball, etc. are their options.  They are old enough to entertain each other and themselves, but they will get bored. They will. They just will. Oh, did I mention they will fight... oh my, the fighting...

I'm going to have to get creative AND I am going to have to go into the office for relief on occasion. From what I gather, there will only be a few people at the office so I will continue to practice social distancing even at the office.

My other relief is my dance fitness classes. I have debated how much I need them. I have come to the conclusion that I NEED them. I did teach a SHiNE class at Travis Pointe on Friday. I even had a new customers. I put a few protocols in place to help us all stay safe. My intentions is to continue teaching my SHiNE and Jazzercise classes until the centers close down. At this point I have 3 SHiNE classes and 2 Jazzercise classes with no classes scheduled on the weekend.

What about the rest of us?
Vincenzo has been training for this since he was 2 years old. Vincenzo doesn't like to go out into crowds and enjoys his time at home. Although he loves his brothers, he would rather not attend their games or events. He's a gamer and tech guy. Yes, he can game like no other 12-year-old. However, I have found him taking initiative to go for a bike ride, walking the dogs and even jumping on the trampoline, but he did those things alone and/or with his brothers. I predict Vincenzo will get through the next 3+ weeks with minimal complaining.

Social distancing will probably take the biggest toll on Rocco. It seems every Friday and Saturday he is either staying at someone's house or we have 3-4 boys staying here. EVERY WEEKEND, both Friday and Saturday! I actually remember asking Andy just a few weeks ago if we should be concerned about how much time he is spending with friends. Every social circle he belongs to he makes friends: hockey, school, baseball, football, church, neighbors, bus, etc. He's a lot like his dad. He loves crowds, loves being around friends and he can work a room no matter the size, the bigger the better.

Speaking of Andy, he already put himself to work. He took down two ice rinks, including ours. As I write this he is at the grocery store getting us the ingredients to make meals for the next few days. I will be curious how long Andy can go without social interactions, but even more, how long can he go without seeing his boys play baseball. All games, practices, tournaments have been put on hold for the next 3+ weeks. It was hard for Andy to cancel baseball practice for Rocco's team but it was the right thing to do. Like Rocco, he loves a crowds. I predict that Andy will break social distancing and go out into crowds frequently, as he already did this morning.

Then there is Giuseppe. Giuseppe has great friends in all of his social groups and manages to keep relationships with friends from other cities that he doesn't see but a few times a year. But Giuseppe doesn't like to mix social groups of friends and he likes to keep the groups small, like 3-4 people at a time. For instance, for his July birthday I've wanted to have a big party for him, but he refuses and just wants to have several small gatherings throughout the summer with different groups of friends. The next three weeks of social distancing for Giuseppe should be fine as long as his brothers hang with him. He will get bored quickly if he doesn't have them to play with. I predict Giuseppe will be the leader in the family to make us do things together.

Family update: Summer 2019

It's that random time of the year... Family Update!!

Giuseppe passed his driving portion of his driving test today. He will go on his birthday, Monday July 8 to get his license. 

Vincenzo also stepped out of Heritage and now is officially a Middle Schooler. 

Rocco wrapped up the last of my boys at Woodland Meadows last month. He is now entering Heritage as a 4th grader.

Andy stays busy coaching and of course, with his busy work schedule traveling across the globe.

All three boys are busy with their baseball, as well as a ton of camps this summer. 

• Rocco got to do tennis & football camps. Later this summer he will do baseball, hockey and basketball camps.
• Vincenzo got to do football and orchestra camp. Later this summer he will do Scratch: coding, baseball & basketball camps.
• Giuseppe has been focused on football conditioning. 

My life is busy as usual. I recently got certified in another dance fitness program, SHiNE. My priorities remains the same with a small addition.

1. Family Family Family
2. Work full time @ Latitude CG
3. Dance Fitness
• Jazzercise 3 days a week, maybe more when subbing
• Build the SHiNE awareness and hopefully have a regular schedule class by the end of the year. 
4. Board position with SAYBS

Once you factor in sleep, I have no time left over. That is exactly how I designed it and exactly how I want it.

So much accomplished

The past 72 hours has me in overdrive. Not only was I able to accomplish so much, I’ve been able to participate in watching my boys’ accomplishments. I’ll just randomly start:

• I ordered my new Mustang to arrive in 2-3 months. 
• I got to watch Giuseppe’s first high school homerun of the season during a tournament over the weekend. 
• I got to watch Rocco score a goal in hockey. 
• I enjoyed Advenger: Endgame with the family
• Boys all got haircuts. Giuseppe’s flow got a few inches chopped off. 
• Vincenzo got new insole to help his flat feet. 
• I’ll finished the night watching GoT’s much anticipated epic battle episode. 

2019 update: Until I die, I'm livin'

Well, I guess it is better late than never, right? Let me loop you in on our family.

Giuseppe

I can't believe it's true... Giuseppe has two trimesters under his belt as a high schooler. Everything is going smoothly. He's had two challenging trimesters with AP Chemistry, Biology, Algebra II, Spanish, English, Orchestra, World History, online Health, etc., I suppose we can account his grades being so good because:

• He knows how to tackle tough subjects and has been groomed to keep his academic focus
• He didn't have any sports to interrupt his train of thought since he was recovering from his September knee reconstructive surgery.

Maybe it was a combination of both, but I am proud of his focus and grades.

Giuseppe has been cleared with no restrictions, which is perfect timing for baseball season. His freshman year he didn't participate as a player in either football or hockey. It was tough mentally, but he needed the time to recover properly. According to his surgeon, his knee is better than the knee he was born with because he "built it."

Giuseppe continues to play the cello and piano.

Vincenzo

Speaking of cello, Vincenzo has decided to play the cello for his school's orchestra. We currently have two cellos in the house until Vincenzo grows a few more inches to share Giuseppe's full size cello. It's fun to see Vincenzo practice and get so passionate about his music, both piano and cello.

Vincenzo has been practicing with his new baseball team, the Saline Hornets Blue. This is the first year I have all three boys in the Saline baseball program. He is getting to know his new teammates with all the winter indoor practices. I expect to see a very successful year come this spring.

School is going well. Vincenzo reads at such a high level that the librarian has gotten him books that she never had to stock before. Next year Vincenzo goes to middle school, so the book selection should be easier to sort through for him. 

Next month Vincenzo gets to go on the 5th grade camping trip for a few nights. Andy will be a chaperone, as well.

Some things will never change... Vincenzo still is a gamer!!

Rocco

So many milestones to report; Rocco, my last, is having his final year at Woodland Meadows this year. This is also the last year Rocco will be riding the bus with his brother. Next year he will be taking the bus without any big brother while Giuseppe drives Vincenzo to school.

He has been very busy with football, hockey and baseball and of course, gaming with his two brothers.

Rocco plays for Livonia Knights in hockey. He is making friends, learning hockey at a new level and is having a lot of fun.

Rocco makes friends very easily, which is why all the teams he has been on in the past have been easy for him to mix into. Baseball has been going on with indoor winter practices. This will be another fun season as Andy as his head coach.

Andy

Andy continues to work from home working & travel as needed for Eurofins. He also manages to coach Rocco's baseball team as well as be Vincenzo and Giuseppe's number 1 fan in the stands. This year will be hard for Andy since this will be the first year he is not Giuseppe's coach in baseball. Andy personally groomed Giuseppe to be the athlete we see in both football and baseball.

We finally have a basement bathroom, thanks to Andy. Andy oversaw all efforts as well as designed and selected all elements of the bathroom.

Same is true for the vacation we took at the beginning of 2019 in Florida. Andy did all the planning and got all the nitty gritty worked out on behalf of all of us. The next phase of "vacationing" for us is all the many many baseball weekends. Again, Andy is keeping that all in order for us all.

Sonia

I'd like to think that at any point in my life (past, present and future) that I am truly enjoying my life. Until I die, I'm livin'. I don't look back and say "those were the good ole days." I don't look forward and wish I could get there faster. Life is moving too fast, so I take each day and try to enjoy it for what it is.

Life is good. I have three boys and a husband that I am blessed to have that make me laugh and keep me busy. I am the queen of the castle!!

My work is satisfying, yet challenging. I'm glad I found marketing because now I identify myself more as a marketer than I do as a journalist. That is a turning point for me. I had been a journalist for nearly twenty years and just recently I have started to see myself as a marketer.

I'm still doing dance fitness on a regular basis. In 2018 I taught over 200 classes. I'm on track to do about 100 more in 2019. I found my hour and I have no plans on slowing down anytime soon.

Vacation 2018/2019: Florida

Beach Day

We arrived last night in Fort Lauderdale for the first official day of our 2018/2019 family vacation. We typically don’t vacation and certainly don’t vacation this time of year. Our vacations consist of hockey/baseball tournaments with a dozen other families throughout the spring/summer and winter/fall. I’m not complaining. Actually, quite the opposite. I look forward to hotel tournaments and the great memories we have been building over the many many years.

However, this year is different. Not necessarily in a good way, but different nonetheless. Giuseppe has been an injured athlete since September when he underwent a major knee surgery. It has taken him out of both football and hockey. He’s on the path to a strong full recovery, probably sometime in January, just in time for baseball training season.

After much consideration we saw that Rocco’s schedule had one leagues game. We don’t like to miss games, particularly league games, but we made the decision to take this family vacation. (Good luck, Knights!!)

So, the kids aren’t getting any less busy and their time living with Andy & I are quickly coming to an end. Giuseppe is 15, Vincenzo is 11 and Rocco is 9. Andy and I are doing our best to truly capture and embrace their youth.

I’ll do my best to keep this blog up-to-date over the next seven days and add some pictures along the way.

Day 1: arrival day. Watch Cotton Bowl game.
Day 2: beach day.
Day 3: Magic Kingdom
Day 4: Universal Studios
Day 5: The Keys
Day 6: The Keys
Day 7: The Keys
Day 8: return home

Rocco

Rocco

Rocco

Vincenzo

I'm reluctant to announce that I am now officially part of the Michigan community

Well, today I officially can call myself a Michigander. I moved to Michigan in 1999 straight from earning my undergraduate degree. For many reasons Michigan was a foreign world to me. To name a few:

• Bottle returns
• Embracing the winters
• Hockey
• Unions
• Fordz (vs Ford)
• Water access everywhere

But today I did what every true Michigander has done... I hit a deer. I guess I'm officially in the club after 19 years. I remember when I moved here I had someone tell me I wasn't truly part of Michigan until I hit a deer. I thought, "What a sick thing to say to someone who just moved here."

Anyway, I hit the brakes HARD, harder than I ever have. There was certainly contact but the deer ran off into the woods. My car appears to be fine. 

And the story continues:

I went to instruct a Jazzercise class. I was a little razzled from hitting a deer just 20 minutes prior to the first customer walking in the door. I made a quick announcement during my opening routine that I just hit a deer. Then for the next 60 minutes I was in my happy place, doing a typical Interval Dance Mixx. 

After class I had a few customer come up to me to ask if I was ok. "From what?" I thought. I honestly forgot what had happened to me just a mere 90 minutes ago. And that, ladies and gentleman, THAT is why I do Jazzercise. For one hour each day all my worries and stresses are gone. This is true whether I am an instructor or a customer. 

Some more entertaining news to share:

Andy, for the first time, came to my Jazzercise classes yesterday. He came to assess some electrical work at the center but also said he was going to give my class a try since he sees me prancing around the house shaking my booty nonstop while I am learning new routines. The ladies in the class welcomed him. After class he said what every new customer says, "That was harder than I thought but a lot of fun." He also said the person on stage (aka ME) was a different person than he's seen before.

Family update: September 2018

Giuseppe

Today Giuseppe went to school without his crutches. He still has a brace on his leg, but he is able to walk without crutches. Pretty big milestone. His physical therapy is working amazingly. He can bend his leg at over 90 degrees. We are very happy with his progress.

Giuseppe has challenged himself with Honors Biology and Intro to AP Chemistry this trimester; he is very much an achievement oriented young man. He lives by the same motto as his father, "Work hard, Play hard."

Vincenzo

Over the weekend Vincenzo had his best football game to date with a few solid tackles and in many plays. It was nice to see Vincenzo involved and happy. Since his physical therapy started over the summer to correct his flat foot & to loosen his hip flexor, we have seen huge improvements in his run and stance. 

Vincenzo also had baseball practice with Rocco's team yesterday where he got an opportunity to get his swing dialed in with the increased movement of his hips. A few bombs were hit, according to Andy. We're excited to see how this plays out with his new Saline Hornet team. (BTW: he sported a Saline hat yesterday for the first time and his smile was cheek to cheek.)

Vincenzo continues to read the Wings of Fire series of books. Without any pressure to read, we will find him enjoying hours of reading whenever he needs a break from life. 

Rocco

Rocco had a busy weekend with two hockey games and a football game. Unfortunately he didn't win any of the games, but not without full effort from him and his teammates. Once the hockey team starts their official regular season, I have no doubt that they will be fine. 

Rocco absolutely loves being an athlete. LOVES IT!! 

This past weekend Rocco was named Assistant Captain.

Rocco also had his first fall baseball practice with his new 9U Saline Hornet Team Sunday in the humid heat. He was happy to see his baseball friends. It's nice to see this unique friendship start so young, which will develop to a strong brotherly bond as they go into middle/high school together. 

Grandma Lisa

We celebrating my Mom's birthday this weekend. She had a lot going on in the day, but stayed very positive and happy about being surrounded by her three grandsons. It is good for her mind to be able to attend all their sporting events. Mom has been staying with us in Ann Arbor for about a month now.

Her Alzheimer remains at the same level as when she was first diagnosed. She mostly has good days, as long as she has relevant interactions with those around her. Andy does an amazing job including her in small tasks throughout the week. Giuseppe, Vincenzo and Rocco are very tolerant & patient of her repeated questions. 

Andy

It's been about two months since Andy started his new job with Eurofins Lancaster Labs. There were virtually no hiccups in the transition to this job. Similar to his previous job, he works from home and travels for client visits. 

Andy coaches Rocco's baseball team and is one of the assistant coaches for Vincenzo's football team. For the first time ever, he is not involved as a coach for any of Giuseppe's teams. Andy's job is done in regards to Giuseppe as he enters his high school career.

Sonia

I recently passed my Jazzercise assessment, which was weighing on me for months since I passed the audition in November. I am now regularly doing two classes per week of a LO format and two classes at a High format. Both formats are challenging workouts. I'm having a blast and wish so deeply that I had been doing this 25 years ago. 

Once upon a time, back in the 90s I use to do this exact thing in my parent's basement for hours and hours on end. I called it aerobics, but in reality it was fitness dancing. 

I remember my mom would get so mad at me and say, "You are addicted!". Maybe I was. Maybe I am. It would be HOURS per day that I would be in my "aerobics" room that was exclusively dedicated to me. My parents, brother and sisters were very respectful not to challenge the ownership of this hideously decorated patriotic room. (I wish I had pictures. Seriously, the carpet was red, white and blue to match the wallpaper. OMG!)

If only I had known about Jazzercise. If only I had known... 

Thankfully now in my 40s, I'm back to doing what I love with the full support of my family.

My mother has Alzheimer’s

My mom has Alzheimer’s. There, I said it… my mother has Alzheimer’s. She physically appears fine, but her brain isn’t functioning as it use to, her thoughts aren’t nearly as sharp and or course her short-term memory is about 2-3 minutes. It can be hard and exhausting to be a caregiver for her. (I praise my husband and brother for being her #1 caregivers.)

My mother needs us now more than ever. It is hard. It is so hard! But I have to remind myself that her disease isn’t any different than what took my father 10 years ago. My dad suffered a long and difficult battle with emphysema. 

When I get frustrated with my mom for her unprovoked mood swings or for asking the same thing hundreds of times a day I have to remember it’s not her... it’s her brain, an organ that is shutting down. Similar to my father, when he was down to 20% oxygen intake, I never would have gotten mad at him for not getting more oxygen in his lungs… it was his lungs, an organ that was shutting down.

So, I have been pro-active today to help me in my future because I don’t want my children to have to do what I have done for both of my parents. I don’t smoke, I exercise regularly and I’m focusing on preparing better meals for the family.

I now know I am 30% chance more likely to get Alzheimer. 30 PERCENT!!! That’s terrifying. Other than living a healthy and active life, studies show there isn’t much else I can do to prevent a future diagnosis. But I refuse to accept that. So I exercise my brain the best I know how to: I read, I think, I work and I challenge myself to solve problems, I listen to music, I try new things, etc.

Side note: My biggest plan to beat this is choreographed dance. Yep, you cracked the code… I am a certified Jazzercise instructor because selfishly it’s the push I need to beat this disease. More on that later.

In the meantime, I will continue to care for my mother, as I continue to work full-time with a demanding career, with a husband that travels 2 weeks a month, with a very active family of three boys who keep things hopping. I do this because one day this could be me. THIS COULD BE ME!!! If Alzheimer decides to invade my brain, I don’t want my boys to abandon me when I need them most. Life is hard and caring for a parent with Alzheimer is a bitch!

Vincenzo helps Grandma exercise her brain as he teaches her to play chess.

I don't know everything and neither do you

There is one person I can't have a conversation with... those that know everything, aka "know-it-alls." The people I have the most respect for are those that ask questions, those that want to learn and those that can admit they don't know everything.

A conversation with me come to a fast halt once I realize I'm talking to someone who knows everything. Why would I continue to engage in the conversation? They already know everything. They clearing have no intention of listening to me or learning my stance, so I don't waste my time.

Red is my favorite color

My favorite color is RED. I have loved the color red since I was a young girl. However, because it was my favorite I thought it was everyone's favorite. I guess at that young innocent time in my life I didn't realize how different we all really were. I thought everyone was like me. I thought everyone was Catholic, everyone had two parents, everyone ate pasta 3-5 times a week, everyone's mom stayed home, everyone liked dogs over cats...everyone was like me.

But I wanted to be different. I wanted to be unique. So, remember, I thought everyone liked red, so I would tell people my favorite color was actually the color I least preferred. I would say black or orange or lime green or sky blue or brown. It varied. I expected people to tell me how interesting my color choice was. Turns out no one cared. No one cared!

It baffled me that these people who I believed loved red would be the same people who wouldn't be 'shocked' that I liked sky blue. Why weren't they concerned? Why didn't they ask questions?

So, eventually I decided to embrace what I liked and was ok that everyone's favorite color was red too. Turns out, once I decided to actually be ME and not someone else I started to fit into myself. I was more aware of me. I didn't have to be different to be special. What I had to do was be me.

(Yes, in time I did finally realize that red wasn't the human population's favorite color. Big revelation, huh?)

This simple concept is the underlying tone of my life. Conversations now have more passion behind them, friendships have more meaning and life has a greater purpose. Instead of saying I like muddy brown and waiting for a look of disgust, I can proudly tell people I love red and passionately tell them all the reasons why.... and mean it, honestly mean it!

Side note: Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure.

There are no mistake

I don't think I am unique with this perspective, but I usually get looks of confusion when I tell people I don't make mistakes. I am who I am because of the things I encountered and the events I have endured. Maybe it comes across too confidently, maybe it comes across arrogantly.

I have no regrets and I don't make mistakes. I mean that and I believe that.

Everything I have done and everything that has happened to me has made me who I am today. Of course I get upset at things that seem difficult, but it is how I handle the situation that helps me mold myself to the woman I am today. My next course of action towards managing this life blunder (big or small) is my test. How I handle it is a representation of my strength.

Every unpleasant event I have faced was an opportunity to grow, an opportunity to learn from. All the awkward steps have been necessary for me to get here.

It really comes down to perspective. I actively have chosen to live my life never feeling sorry for myself. I chose to grow from the crap life throws at me. Life is full of obstacles. I may not like it when it happens but I have made a choice to grow and learn from them.

Maybe too deep for this blog entry, but this is also why I am not a participant of the Reconciliation Sacrament in the Catholic faith.

Ash Wednesday/Valentine's Day Post

It seems fitting to write about my husband today, as it is Valentine's Day and it is also the start of Lent, so here goes:

I met Andy at the young age of 18, as a freshman at Ball State. Neither of us were looking for a relationship, but it found us. It wasn't but a few weeks of us dating that I realized this guy was meant for me and I was meant for him. So, it began. 

We were so different from each other, yet we challenged each other to explore unknown territories and to see the world through each other's eyes. And you know what, we still do. 

The world can be a shitty place, but having someone to go through it with you can make a difference. Life isn't easy, parenting isn't easy and people can be down right nasty. But Andy and I, well, we've been plowing through it together, and we've been making it. 

I love my life and I love what we've made of it and I love that we've done it our way. Without Andy to do it with me, who knows where I'd be.

So, Happy Valentine's Day, Andy! I love you.  Oh... and now the politically correctly holiday is referred to Friendship Day, or some crap like that. So, Happy Best Friendship Day, to you as well.

Thanks for the Valentine's flowers, Andy. However, the card says "from The Boys," so I'll assume you included yourself in "The Boys."
I love getting flowers sent to my office. They are beautiful and appreciated. 

random photos

Giuseppe update

I am now the exhausted mother of a teenager. I'm still in denial.

Giuseppe is currently the MOST active of all my boys. He has football practice each day after school plus hockey 2-4 times a week.

SCHOOL
7th grade at the Middle School. Giuseppe continues his straight A streak which includes advanced math courses.

FOOTBALL
First year playing for his school. He plays various positions including QB, Running Back, Left Tackle, Middle Linebacker etc.

BASEBALL
Giuseppe returned from Cooperstown over the summer as a Home Run Derby Finalist. His team made it to the Sweet 16.

HOCKEY
This year Giuseppe is playing for Little Caesars Black out of Farmington Hills.

SOCCER
Giuseppe is the official junior coach for Rocco & Vincenzo's 10U boy's soccer team.

Vincenzo update

Oh Vincenzo!!! What an amazing young man you are becoming. Vincenzo doesn't like to let on how much he cares and how big his heart is, but we know.... we know.

Vincenzo still loves his electronics. Nothing new. He's been a 'gamer' since he started playing wii at around age of 3. He also has a growing passion for baseball. He's strong and a leftie.

SCHOOL
3rd grade with Mr. Perry.

BASEBALL
Vincenzo's second year on the Ann Arbor A's team.  U9 A's Green travel baseball. He has weekly fall practice.

SOCCER
Vincenzo's second year playing on the Saline Rec team in the 10U boy's soccer team.

Special note: Vincenzo cut his hair yesterday. He was letting it grown out for the past year. It's hard to recognize him without his golden wave.