DAY 2!

HER: Feels great to sleep in, even more amazing to wake up with a beautiful sunny day.

Very inspiring for a day of workout fun around the house, math activities and helping Sebastian with some basketball training. I am hoping tomorrow we will have good weather again to continue the planned activity to get him ready for the first game of the season!

Can't wait to continue exploring my Buffy comic books, which I took a sneak peak last night before passing out on my bed from extreme exhaustion, and see what happens next.

Lots of pictures coming up! My computer is down at the moment so uploading options are limited at the moment.
Until next time!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

HER: HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

My most sincere, deepest and best wishes to all of you who read and encounter this blog.

Hope 2010 brings joy, happiness, peace and health for you and your loved ones.

It is the first day of the year and thank goodness I got a nappie in today.

Work has been quite busy since we got back from Indiana. Lots of preparation goes on prior New year's eve. (Busiest night of the year, that is.)

And as usual I tend to over load myself with work. This year a large order of bake goods for pick up on that day left me up and working strong until 5 am. Enough time to get an hour of sleep and a shower and back at the restaurant for a really busy but yet successful day.

As for preparing myself to receive the new year.... A yearly tradition; fresh grapes and cherries, a delicious bottle of Moscato d'asti and sparkles for the night.

At midnight, I eat 12 grapes under the table and make a wish for each grape, which represents each month of the year, toast with a chilled glass of Moscato D'asti and day dream of the year ahead. This year more like sleep and dream, since I had to be at work early this morning. Little did I know my mind and body wouldn't agree a few hours later. Luckily, my inner self pushed me off my bed and there I was driving in a ghost town on my way to work.

As far as I am concern, this year has a lot to offer.

Sebastian, who currently is in kindergarten will go off to first grade joining a school with a gifted program, joining all sorts of sport teams, art programs and foreign languages.

Frank will be graduating from Law school this May. Taking the Indiana Bar exam in July and will be out there experiencing life and developing professionally.

Duke and Dexter will finally have a yard of their own, encounter all sorts of new adventures, experience snow for the very first time and probably keep learning new tricks.

As for me, advertise my business, find a job with a managing opportunity, improve my french, be super mom, super girlfriend, super me. Instead of pledging to start going to the gym(which I'll do, until February arrives); I have decided to vow instead to try new experiences and fit more activities in. Start painting once again (need to break into my new paints and oleos Frank got me last Christmas), more reading, yoga at the beach while the beach is still an option, fix my house and hopefully get it ready for sale before fall arrives. I am hoping for a little travelling but that is yet to be decided. (Thinking Napa and Sonoma, and I have a couple other ideas.)

I am excited to see what is ahead and what 2010 is holding up for us to discover!

Happy Halloween!

HER: YAY!!!! for trick or treaters!!!

Tailgating

HER: What a day it has been. The first part of our Saturday morning took place downtown. Sebastian and one of his buddies from school got together for a playdate.

We took them to this play place around the Avondale/ downtown area where they would meet and spend a couple of fun hours together.

We would meet with his parents at the art market in downtown Jacksonville where we would grab a bite to eat while contemplating the St. John's river, listen to music and enjoy the scene under the sun. Right after, we would head towards the stadiwm to be part of the Florida vs. Georgia game experience. Tailgating seems to be quite a weekend event here in Jacksonville.

Star Wars Concert!

Sebastian wore his Darth Vader Custom for the occasion.

HER: At age 6, Sebastian has become quite a Star Wars fan. Fanatic of the trilogy, the characters, music and pretty much the whole adventure.

Tonight they played at the Jacksonville Arena and what a magnificent concert it was.

You can click on the following site to have a glance of what the concert was like:

www.starwarsinconcert.com

A FALL TRADITION...

Her: This is a fall tradition we enjoy at home every year.

Our pumpkin carving night. We turn the fall lights on, play It's the Great Pumpkin by Charlie Brown, and begin the activity that takes place on our living room floor. Duke and Dexter joined us this year. They were as excited as we were.

We carved a pumpkin for each pup and Sebastian carved his very own.

Saved the seeds for a later snack, and some of the pumpkin pulp for a creamy pumpkin soup.

Pumpkins 09

Sebastian posing with the pumpkins we got.

Pumpkin carriage!

Eager to start the purchase.

HER: Halloween is just a week away and we got our PUMPKINS of the season!

This time we chose the Methodist church on San Jose blvd. Just a couple of miles away from our place.

Sebastian was eager to pick his pumpkin. Picking one after another trying to make his final decision from a large variety of color, shapes, and sizes. As you see above, he was pushing the cart, wearing his "I am on a mission face".

Frank and I looked around for a while, trying to find the one for each one of us.

This activity requires quite some time for Frank. Finding the right one in shape, color, steam and of course size it is very important since it has to be able to fit his head. As you know, pumpkin head man strikes every year... and this year I will make the attempt to create a female version... =). Be in the look out for the pictures!

A Fall day...

HER: My favorite things about Fall season are:

- The beautiful trees, the often color changing leaves. I remember while living in Indiana, I will look forward to my hiking getaway afternoons, driving around, or playing outside. I would stop and take a deep breath and smile, thinking to myself how beautiful the scenario is and how lucky I was to have that view all around me.

- Pumpkin anything, Oh how I love the smell of pumpkin and spices during the fall. Looking forward to this time of the year to pumpkin pie, pumpkin-chocolate brownies, pumpkin bread, muffins, cheesecake, shakes, seeds, carving pumpkins with my boys, pumpkin scented candles, you name it.

- Decorations, lights, candles, flowers, fall colors.

- Halloween, Nightmare before Christmas movie, Charlie Brown, Halloween songs, customs. FUN!

- Weather, That I call "Sweatshirt weather", sunny but cooler air, perfect!
I love summer and winter and spring. But come on, got to focus on the positive things of each season ;).

Because of all this things, fall cleaning is my least favorite but the most fun. I find things I forgot I had. De cluttered the house. - I am the queen of throwing away unuseful things, at the same time I wish old clothes good bye with much sadness.
I feel more artsy too, while inspired of all the things I mentioned above, my artist wannabe self comes out and I become crafty somehow, I read more, I write more, my poetic side... ( I am a romantic), classical music mornings and evenings... bubble baths, my curiosity for new red wines... a lot of chick flick movies and my desire for the baking goods and new dishes never seems to go weak...

Today, the temperature dropped by 30 degrees in beautiful Florida. It was a beautiful sunny day that brought along cooler winds.. Today, It felt like a fall day to me. Today, Sebastian and I had a picnic on the living room floor while enjoying the lights we hanged up last week while enjoying the Nightmare before Christmas soundtrack. Today we toast to Pumpkin shakes while declaring a sweatshirt and sweatpants kind of day. Today we laughed of how cold we were, remembering to ourselves we were just at the pool two nights ago and the water was so warm. Today, it was my kind of day.

The first Soccer game of the Season!

Her: I know it feels like it has been forever since we last post a thing. Let's hope we can keep updating more often.

We just got back from Sebastian's first Soccer game of the season, (I feel my heart is still beating up at a fast pace from the excitement) and here I am trying to type and narrate at the same time.
Soccer at this age is quite funny, exciting and cute all together... A group of eager 4, 5 and 6 year old kids running after the ball, some chasing the other players, some waving hi to their parents cameras, others kicking to what their little bodies best allows them to, parents and relatives cheering as much as they can encouraging their little ones; reminding them what to do. Whistles, laughs, coaches, referees, people clapping, the audience growing as the game goes on, curiosity attracting other parents.
Frank, Duke, Dexter and I, all of us present for the special event.

4-4 was the final score.

What a fabulous time this was. Sebastian, son: "You are doing great" and so did the team!
All I can say is that I am really looking forward to the next game!!

Sebastian's birthday!

HER: Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you've got to start young.

- Fred Astaire.

Time flies. - Sebastian turned 6 years old. And I wonder where has the time gone..??

Truth is, It has been an unbelievable journey / surreal experience. Life has been since I became Sebastian's mom.

I know most people grow proud of their children by the minute, celebrate their successes and are there to teach them the best they can.. what life is all about. In my case, lets add how much we learn from each other. I love being a mom, I love being his mom and he keeps me simple and loved and it feels fabulous.

We all wanted to celebrate the big day and went to Magic Kingdom for a Halloween trick or treat birthday celebration. The fall decorations, nightmare before Christmas music in the background (one of Sebastian's favorite tunes), cheerful people dressed with their best customs, candy, lots of candy... And there were we.. Sebastian as Optimus Prime and us as ourselves, enjoying the night.